CheapCatch

They are. It can be somewhat nerve wrecking trying to take it to the house, knowing if you don't get to the EZ, you'll have to go for a FG attempt. Well, my first goal is to get into FG range, but once it starts to break open I want nothing but the house....

Wk 6 v CIN ****The speed glitch was actually present in this game, which is the first time I have ever experienced it. I played around with it a bit, and then reset for the real game. TAM wins its second straight. Up 10-6 late, and with CIN driving, McGruder intercepts a Blake pass, and takes it the distance for the pick 6. 17-6 is the final score. Tampa Bay is now 2-4.

Wk 5 v CAR The Buckles notch their first win of the season, as they defeat the Panthers 17-10. Husted went 2/2 in this game. The scoring began when Michael McGruder took an INT 50 yds for a score. Hardy Nickerson then added a blocked punt safety, and then later another safety.

yes indeed, Matt. This challenge is definitely more difficult than I anticipated. One thing that makes it hard is that you have to be patient. The games go by slowly (and are tedious at times), so it is easy to lose concentration. Opportunities seem to come out of nowhere, and sometimes there are long periods when you are just exchanging punts with the CPU. I am thinking about starting the challenge over with a team that has a decent kicker.

yeah, I chose the Bucs off the top of my head b/c of Nickerson. While he's awesome, it is hard to stop a team the entire game. He is also a blocked punt master. Roby is a great punter, but mannnn the kick coverage for TAM is awful. I've already run through this as well, but Husted being so bad compromises many scoring opps.

Yeah, I am getting good punts off and pinning them a lot, but as I mentioned before, TAM for some reason has terrible punt coverage, so almost every time the other team gets about 20 yards off of a return. One thing I noticed is that the first guys down the field covering punts are super slow getting to the returner, and often the returner breaks the first tackle by the CPU. Thanks for the advice on coverage Eric. I try something out b/c something needs doin'! I'll get into long stalemates with the other team in terms of forcing them to punt and having to punt back to them. This will often go on for over a quarter before they score. *Here is an example from a game I just started with CAR: They kick a FG the first time they have the ball, so once a team scores it can be difficult to flip the field position back. They kickoff and my guy catches it at the 2. I call a fair catch, and punt from my EZ. Roby booms a 60 yarder plus, but due to CPU v CPU broken tackles Baldwin rets. it 24 yards, so CAR again starts in my zone. I back them up and they punt again, but the punt lands at the 2 once more. So I punt from my own EZ again, getting off another kick around 60 yards. After the return CAR starts at like my own 45 or so. I just caught this: It is mandatory to rush the QB (or rush in) every play? As far as FG kicking goes: these kicks look good, as far as placement goes. I just looked up Husted in Ray's Book of Armaments, and he's the second lowest rated kicker, with 25 KP and 31 KA. Having a good kicker helps obviously with this challenge, and this guy does me no favors. Last game a kick from the 40 yard line was short. Also, embarrassingly WAS blocked one of my punts and returned it for a TD....ouch! Meanwhile I have blocked a ton of kicks through 4 weeks, but most have not translated into points. Let me make sure I have the major scoring rules covered as well. The only way for me to score is: 1) by returning a fumble for a TD 2) by returning a blocked kick for a TD 3) by returning an INT for a TD 4) safety 5) recovering a fumble, getting an INT, or blocking a kick and getting tackled in FG range 6) stopping a team on downs on your side of the field, so you are in FG range.

Wk 4 v WAS Plenty of opps. early, but Husted going 2/5 hurt, especially when all three misses were short misses- meaning short, as in the ball landed in the end zone aka didn't even make it to the goal posts. Apparently I should have researched the teams before choosing one with a terrible kicker. Anyway, lots of turnovers for WAS but there were the three missed FGs and any other turnover wasn't in position for a score. 27-6 is the final. I am officially changing this from the Defense Only Challenge to the Mission Just About Impossible challenge.

Week 3 Unlike the first two weeks I never really had a chance to win this game. After Nickerson's INT on the first play of the game, which was followed by yet another Husted missed FG (dude is terrible), I never had a chance. CHI scored two early TDs and then from about mid 2nd Q on it was a trading of FGs, as I lose 17-3. One thing I have noticed through three weeks is how bad TAMs punt coverage is. I'd say on average teams get 20 yards per return, so it pretty much negates any good punt I get. This is quite the challenge....

Ray- I am still waiting to get blown out in this challenge. I know it is coming....

Eric- Yeah I was thinking the same thing regarding wanting to see what kind of numbers you could put up. Nickerson has almost 60 tackles after two weeks. I've also managed 5 blocked punts in two weeks, but most of them have been at around midfield, out of FG range. These games are long. The CPU is getting a possession about every minute it seems, so on average five a quarter I'd say. Is that what you have found?

I am trying Eric's defensive only challenge I posted in another thread that I lost 10-3 to the Eagles in the opening week, with Husted going 1/3. In week 2 I was actually winning with one minute left before Leroy Hoard one on one against me (Everett) catches a deep pass at the one yard line, diving as he does so, and then proceeds to break my tackle for the go ahead score. TAM records its first INT of the season, but it was in CLEs end, so no points off of that. I lose 10-8. One thing: I actually should have won this game 13-10, but due to the classic fumble glitch I only received a safety on a return when it should have been a TD, and that ended up being the difference in the game. I knew the fumble glitch was coming, but I really felt like I needed to take any kind of points, so I opted for the safety instead of gambling and giving the CPU the ball at the one that would have set up like 3rd and a mile.

oh also: do you leave injuries on?

HUSTED WE HAVE A PROBLEM I decided to try out the defense challenge w the Bucs. In all I had 4 forced fumbles, only two of which I recovered. I also notched 4 blocked punts, but only two in field goal range. Michael Husted went 1/3 on FGs, and I lost 10-3 to the Eagles.

Hey Eric- Do you use 3 or 5 minute quarters with the defense only challenge? thanks man cc

Dusto- Punting can be tricky to get used to. There is an inherent delay (programmed in) from the time you hit the button to punt to when the meter stops, so you have to hit it a little early so the meter doesn't end up going back to the start. Seems like you are figuring that out anyway, but I just wanted to mention that the programmers actually built that in, I am guessing, to make punting more difficult.

hmmmm....I might have to try one of these challenges when I get a chance. Over on the NES board there is an informal Cardinal default playbook challenge. I decided to try it for the hell of out. I was cruising until I lost to the 49ers in the last seconds of the game. I then have failed to beat Philadelphia in like Wk 10 or so about four times in a row. It's a tough challenge b/c the playbook is terrible. You are more or less relegated to 3-4 plays max, as the season gets to the midway point (sometimes you can only use one of the pass plays since a good DLman will sack you on the PA passes). And the one pass play you can use without getting sacked rarely has anyone open. 2/4 run plays are pretty much useless almost no matter what. It's a tough one.

I'm down for the "face project". let me know, DH.

DeBerg- You play a lot of TSB III, and thus seem to be an avid fan of the game. You should try and venture out into the MAN v MAN world. It's a completely different experience. You might dig it.

I don't think there is any reason, other than it is a glitch....the immediate interception is because of the fumble glitch on the previous play, as I mentioned above. Call this the game's attempt to reconcile a glitch with another glitch. Classic Tecmo. At least the CPU offense gave the ball back, even if they have a funny way of doing it.

It's one of the various manifestations stemming from the "Fumble Glitch". If the defense recovers the ball too fast, meaning before the pause happens after the fumble (before the game 'turns over'), then the "Fumble Glitch" occurs, a situation where the offense retains possession even when the defense recovered the ball. If you notice, the screen often times becomes a little shaky (it will move up and down a bit) on the following play after a "Fumble Glitch" occurs. Anyway, the immediate "INTERCEPTION" is a product of the "Fumble Glitch" from the previous play. It's better than when the opponent, following the "Fumble Glitch", goes back to pass and the ball just lands on the ground, and no one can pick it up. The effects of the "Fumble Glitch" are numerous, and what you described is one of them. Beware the "Fumble Glitch". Make sure to try and avoid picking up a fumble before the game pauses for that brief second following a fumble.

DeBerg, I haven't seen you around in awhile. Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.

The Tecmo Legacy League, which started on January 15, 2012 with the 1976 season, has just completed its third season, concluding with Super Bowl XIII (in NFL terms). Making the Super Bowl in the TLL is especially gratifying since the season is such a grind. With all 28 teams MANNED by 5-6 coaches, each season takes approximately half a year (or sometimes more) to complete. The season is a long journey with plenty of peaks and valleys, pitting one with feelings of triumph and exasperation. So after a seven month journey there stood only coach deadfaulkner's PITTSBURGH STEELERS and coach cheapcatch's LOS ANGELES RAMS. As coach deadfaulkner uttered in game, "Someone has to win this game, and loser is going to be pissed." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXeunIApvLo

The Tecmo Legacy League's third Super Bowl, in the season of 1978, features two first time Super Bowl contestants, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams, and unites long time rival coaches, deadfaulkner and cheapcatch, on the grandest stage. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXeunIApvLo

Eric et al The "Book of Armaments" the TecmoSpectre referred to, which has all of the player attributes and such from TSB III organized by team, can be found here http://tecmobowl.org/topic/52859-attribute-value-spreadsheets/

Stay tuned. I wasn't able to complete the AFC Divisional game intro between Oakland and New England before the game was played, but I still might post that one. In the works is the TLL78 Super Bowl intro video which will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers against either the Los Angeles Rams or Washington Ethnic Insensitivities.