How do YOU play TSB?

[Tecmo_Thriller]

So, I've always been the kinda sports gamer whether it was basketball, baseball, football etc...that I played for stats. Even in tsb winning never seemed to be enough. I wanted to have the best defense on paper, same with offense, int's etc...So I'm asking, do you play just to win? Or do stats play a part in how you play your seasons?

[GameplayLoop]

I like having balance on my team. And I'm a natural fan of the underdog. In that, I like to try building on a team's worst players. Give them something to write home about.

[BO FB Offtackle Left]

I try to go undefeated every season, don't care too much about stats. I use the default playbook as long as possible. With the hack that lets you change plays in the middle of the game, I won't change the plays unless I'm behind in the second half.

I like to play like it's real football as much as I can, mixing the run and pass. I'll even bench my superstar in the 4th quarter if I have a big lead and run out the clock with a scrub RB. I've only really been doing this with the 09 rom I made, as the teams are a little tougher late in the season than the original.

[Tecmo_Thriller]

Yea I do some of the same things there now. I used to just rack up all the yardage with the starting players but when the lead is rediculously large I'll bench my players and run the clock out with scrubs. I'm looking to get into the online tourney's or leagues so I've tried to stay away from the hacked roms. (which is difficult because some of them are pretty adictive) Any other strategies or tendancies? Anyone?

[LWN]

I make it a top priority to lead the league in passing in my seasons. Even when I play with teams that don't have alot of big passing plays, it's all I am used to doing. I run an offense like West Coast. Pass, pass, pass, pass, run, pass, pass, pass, pass. Then going into the 3rd Quarter, if it's tied or I'm ahead I like to reverse that and run, run, run, pass, run, run, run. But a game that comes down to the 4th Quarter, I am still passing just about every down.

[fatcheerleader]

pantless

It all depends to me if you're playing MAN, COM, or COA modes. If I'm playing MAN and I do regularly with friends and we usually do tourneys. One friend and I do seasons where we usually pick a stat or two to try and compete to win at season's end. It started out as something like passing yards or rushing touchdowns or whatever common one people do. Then, we've tried to do more unique ones like defensive rushing yards allowed or team interceptions to make it a little more challenging. I don't know how you don't enjoy the stat tracking if you play TSB. With MAN games I usually just want the W.

In COM mode by myself, I find it boring going for wins as most of us can run the table with the Pats on the original TSB. Not that we don't try and win but the stat challenges, especially when creative and difficult, are very fun to try and beat. Otherwise, Bo is right in that the standard stats are boring. The new hack loaded roms, like drummers or bucks, thankfully bring back the feeling of it being difficult to win so that's what makes them so fun to play for me.

COA Mode, while it may not be very popular, definitely adds more challenges than the other formats as you obviously have far less control of the outcome. For that reason alone, it makes the game fun to play for me. (and MGK) It's a nice change of pace. I will usually play a COA season after I play 4 or 5 MAN seasons in a row then repeat that pattern. Like MGK, I enjoy building a team from nothing.

I'm in the process of trying to figure out a way to do a college football dynasty format. I'd have players for four years and that would add another stat collecting wrinkle in career stats to the mix which would be fun. To make it more challenging, I'm trying to add an attrition rate variable to potentially cut some of my college players' careers shorter than the traditional 45-55 game career. I like the idea of recruiting and building a team from last place to first place.

[bruddog]

Man mode only.

COA and COM modes grew/grow boring quickly especially once you know what MAN competition provides.

Even when i first owned the game way back when, playing seasons against the COM grew way too repetitive and boring. Sure you can create "challenges" but then it just feels silly to me. And of course their is the lame AI that only survives by giving them large luck/ability boosts (that holds true for even modern sports games).

[Tecmo_Thriller]

These are all great posts! I'm curious though, what is this talk about building a team from nothing? I don't have any roms (or have seen any) where you can do things like that. I'm assuming you're talking about trading players, creating new ones, etc..???

[fatcheerleader]

These are all great posts! I'm curious though, what is this talk about building a team from nothing? I don't have any roms (or have seen any) where you can do things like that. I'm assuming you're talking about trading players, creating new ones, etc..???

Yes, I create new players and we do either a draft or just add them. Attributes and ratings go up from year to year depending on how they play. I know some of the Sega roms TSB2 and/or TSB3 had off-season trading, cutting, signing but it was NFL.

[berniebomb]

If its just me vs the com, I like to auto- skip an entire season , then chose one of the under-dog lower seeded teams and make a super bowl run with them.. thats probably as challenging as it can get playing the computer..

Man vs Man is still the best though, and stats do not matter.. Just win Baby! GO BROWNS! beat the Jets!

[fatcheerleader]

If its just me vs the com, I like to auto- skip an entire season , then chose one of the under-dog lower seeded teams and make a super bowl run with them.. thats probably as challenging as it can get playing the computer.. Man vs Man is still the best though, and stats do not matter.. Just win Baby! GO BROWNS! beat the Jets!

You're right on all three... auto skip to playoffs, man vs man beats all, go browns because I hate all things NY.

[TecmoSuperFan]

I go for the stats hands down during season mode. what better way to make the chiefs seem better than dominate the stats

[Lee52]

I've kinda evolved, for lack of a better term, from a player who strictly went for wins to a player that likes to see his boys be at or near the top of the stat category(ies). One of the things I do is stay dominant in one area at a time, so if it's sacks, kill it on sacks; int's, kill it on int's; TD's (regardless of pass, run, catch), kill it in TD's. I never seem to be able to lead all categories but I'm pretty close (usually).

[shinybehiny2477]

Well offensively I always just went for the best possible stats all around. While that was fun (at the time when I was a teenager) the one thing I absolutely loved doing was trying to get as many picks as I could possible. Basically all out pick fest and I would use Pittsburgh and punt everytime on offense just to try and add to my pick totals with God Woodson. To this day when I still play the one thing that keeps me playing is trying to get as many picks as possible.

[slim_jimmy7]

Three different ways I play to keep things fresh:

Man vs Man, TCS league play, it is by far my hardest challenge (see my record), but by far the most entertaining.

On Console:

Run 10 or 11 weeks into the season and pick the worst teams with my brothers and I on console and try and turn the league upside down. Gets really interesting when you are playing versus each other for one remaining playoff spot

Tournaments in preseason mode, all 28 teams. My two brothers and I draft 10, 9, and 9 teams and battle it out in a large tournament. If two of the same teams from the same person play in one of the rounds, one of the teams has to be given to someone else. It keeps things balanced so that no one has too many good teams. Had some of my most intense entertaining games doing this method

The reason I play my brothers is no one else around plays it enough/ or gives me a good enough challenge.

[disposablehero]

Wins are obviously the ultimate point but for me, I have to win and field a well-rounded, fundamentally sound team.

I have to lead the league in total offense and defense. If I allow positive yards rushing for a game or the year, it's unacceptable. I also like to keep my passing defense under a thousand yards for the year. I like to lead the league in lowest point against and usually do. My lowest for the season is 17 and the two TDs were scored when I fumbled a punt return and it was returned for a TD. So technically my defense only gave up 3 points. I like to limit big plays. If my defense is at 10 yards passing and -80 rushing, if they give up a 40 yard pass in the 4th, they're getting their ass kicked. Individual defense, I always lead the league in Sacks. Kickoffs, like to have a lot of touchbacks or if they do run it out like to keep the return under 20 yards.

The individual categories are hard because I usually take my starters out during the 4th and I usually don't play them at all for a couple of games after I clinch the division and home field. I like to lead all of the individual QB categories but usually miss completions and attempts because he hasn't played enough. Mostly every season I play I end up with two 1,000 yard rushers because my starter will get the bulk of the carries and then the 4th quarter is all rushing for me, so the backup gets a ton of yards too.

I've pretty much perfected my craft for TSB Genesis and I like my teams performance to reflect that.

[roughtimes]

These are all great posts! I'm curious though, what is this talk about building a team from nothing? I don't have any roms (or have seen any) where you can do things like that. I'm assuming you're talking about trading players, creating new ones, etc..???

Yes, I create new players and we do either a draft or just add them. Attributes and ratings go up from year to year depending on how they play. I know some of the Sega roms TSB2 and/or TSB3 had off-season trading, cutting, signing but it was NFL.

I'm guessing we are talking about using a program or just going into the HEX to edit attributes. There isn't a ROM that has been hacked that does this on it's own, is there?

[fatcheerleader]

These are all great posts! I'm curious though, what is this talk about building a team from nothing? I don't have any roms (or have seen any) where you can do things like that. I'm assuming you're talking about trading players, creating new ones, etc..???

Yes, I create new players and we do either a draft or just add them. Attributes and ratings go up from year to year depending on how they play. I know some of the Sega roms TSB2 and/or TSB3 had off-season trading, cutting, signing but it was NFL.

I'm guessing we are talking about using a program or just going into the HEX to edit attributes. There isn't a ROM that has been hacked that does this on it's own, is there?

No there is not one that I know of currently - that would be cool but no.

[Gnar]

I like to absolutely abuse the run. This is easy when I play as my Vikes with AP. Like I said I will smash the run with Peterson, but when I get inside the 30 I use a bunch of playaction and screens. I only punt when I'm inside my own 20 and there's a long way to convert. If Favre screws me over and throws a pick, I have to play D. My run defense is solid, and if the other team has a star WR, I'll control the CB and defend him. This sometimes means giving up huge runs.

If I play as my 2nd favorite team, the Bills, then I tend to pass more with Johnson and Evans, but I get by with Jackson and Spiller on the ground.

[War6]

Pass like a demon & use my qb as if he is Superman...basically my qb is the center of my offense--never use a running play, if my receivers are covered I use my qb as a running back (For man vs com only). I play on 3 minute quarters and I don't typically care about stats all that much except Rushing TDs--my qb has to be in the #1 spot by the start of the playoffs.

[Primis]

Since someone else already dredged it up...

I always have a loose "goal" of some sort in mind when starting a vs CPU season.

I may play as the Lions and try to get Barry as many yards as possible.

I may play as the Oilers and do nothing but pass.

I may play as the Chiefs and do nothing but try and popcorn guys with Okoye (which isn't really stats-based, but more a personal gratification thing).

With teams like the Pats, Colts, or Cards, I'm trying to be perfect and win every game.

I actually did a season with a team and did nothing but run reverses all season long. Just because.