Console Ready

📢 Happy Tuesday Legend Bowlers!

We've been working diligently over the past several months getting the game polished up for our upcoming releases to the console world. (Stay tuned for more news on official dates and systems.) This update includes many fixes and improvements across the game, including performance, gameplay, franchise, and more!

There's so much jampacked in here, so put your reading glasses on and take a seat because there's plenty to read in the patch notes below.

If you despise reading as much as we do, then be sure to checkout this video below from one of our great beta team members to get more details on what's included in this update!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvPAvKmZRM8

HIGHLIGHTS

• New franchise stats menu "All-Time Leaders" shows all-time stats across various stat columns and player award tracking.
• Pre-Snap motions added for offense/defense.
• QB AI improved to run more when fast, check down more based on IQ, desperate throw based on GREED, and RUN vs throw away when with end blockers.
• ProSet 23 roster which resembles pro teams added to custom roster list.

GAMEPLAY

• QB sneaks and dedicated QB runs now occur in game.
• QB runner now chooses side with more blocker and also runs more to the sidelines for improved running.
• QB can no longer throw while performing ball carrier move sequence.
• AI QB passes should have less interception chance now.
• QB's now check to see if check down or delayed receiver is upright and ready to catch before targeting that receiver. Desperate throws will still throw to anyone because they are rattled and make mistakes throwing to players that may not be ready to catch.
• Faster QB's have a shot at dodging tacklers when 2 yard or more behind line and scrambling for their lives. Did this to help with constant sacks and no way out.
• AI QB logic updated to force longer throws during 4th down and onside conversions.
• HUMAN tries to throw with LT while within width of blockers (intentional grounding territory), then random receiver targeted with accuracy penalty.
• Break tackle tuned for superstar and legend.
• Delayed blocker timer changed from 2 seconds to range between room speed * .75 to 1.5 * room speed where room speed is 60 frames per second.
• Punt and Kick returners can now fumble when catching ball.
• Punt returner catch target moved down a little for less drops.
• Attempt to fix issue where losing team runs clock down during end of game situations.
• Sideline catches OB issue hopefully better now.
• Defensive line block shedding improved on the field for better human-controlled lineman play.
• Pass breakups now happen inside of endzone.
• SACKS!!! These were lacking in previous versions, but not now so get READY!!!
• Max field goal distance bumped up to 66 yards.
• Balls no longer get intercepted on super quick tips.
• Fixed issue where tacklers are unable to tackle from behind ballcarrier.
• Fantasy points formula changed sack points to 3 point modifier as opposed to 6 if player of the game or 9 if not.
• CPU calls more long pass plays on long down situations, including onside conversion.
• Fixed issue where clock would not stop after turnover on downs.
• AI no longer gets unlimited onside conversions.
• Fixed issue where audibles would remain enabled after delay of game or offsides penalty. should hopefully fix soft freeze issue after delay penalty as well.
• Tackles for loss no longer track on sacks.
• Reduced interceptions for AI QB passes.
• Reduced fumble chance for QBs.
• Fixed issue where diving or tackling player doesn't jump in air and just keeps diving or has a no movement dive.
• Fixed 2 point conversation banner showing incorrect score.
• Fixed issue where punt returner grabs ball that bounces and stands still.

SIM ENGINE

• Passing stats improved to match real life stats.
• Fixed issue where Away team was getting credit for tackles vs home team, fumble rate increased slightly, interception rate increased slightly,
• Sack stats improved.
• Defensive scrubs get a chance to play during SIM engine now.
• Max field goal distance updated to max 66 yards based on strength.
• Field goal stats tuned.
• Increased interception rate slightly.
• Bumped up chances for interceptions for free and strong safeties.
• Decreased fumble rate for RBs, increase for QBs, WR, and returnees. RBs fumble way too much. But statically it's good as a team per season. It might also help run heavy teams in sim games.
• Passing targets not spread out as much. Increased receiving percentage for the #1 and #2 WRs and if the TE is higher overall than other receivers bumped up their chance.

FRANCHISE

• Improvements to the draft class (lowered skill for more room for player growth).
• Career ending injuries can now happen during Franchise.
• Enhanced retirement logic based on skill/age.
• Fixed franchise file sorting because new 2023 year was causing newer files to be at the bottom and also cleaned up file date format.
• Fixed issue where dropped/traded players during Free Agency and Player Wire show up in list of players to decide on later on during the round. If you trade a player and he gets picked up to decide on (which is rare), then your team will get skipped for that round.
• Fixed issue where player wire dropped players were going to high salary teams vs low salary ones.
• Salary max/avg used to determine new signings now come from current roster vs being hardcoded to reflect a more accurate picture of your roster's salary structure.
• Career year defaults to 2023 now.
• Fixed button icon size issue in coach creator room.
• Added loading screens to Start Off-Season and League Leaders menus.
• Added coach mode sprite on team select screen to better notify the user when in coach mode.
• Draft no longer applies morale boost to overall, which was causing stars to appear on screen.
• Coach colors update when changing screen sizes now.
• Fixed number issue for salaries and ratings where space might be in front or back of number.
• Retired players based on injury logic changed to only include big injuries.
• Older players more difficult to persuade to not retire.
• Fixed issue where kickers and punters where not being drafted.
• Fixed experience bar extending outside meter when players get old.
• Fixed issue where original_roster.json was being updated during franchise.
• Skill max is now 95% of previous max (95%) to determine max skill for rookies.
• Increased chance for mobile QB in draft and practice squaddie creation logic.
• Re-signing player salaries now recalculate vs taking their old salaries and re-signs happen after progression now.

SETTINGS

• New Franchise setting that controls if new franchises start with blank all-time leaders file.
• New stadium shadows toggle setting under Graphics section for lower end machines.
• New setting to adjust size of draft class.
• New QB Vision value to lock the camera down for all players.
• FPS 100 setting removed as stadium fans optimized for better performance.
• Fixed window size and full screen not responding in settings > graphics.
• Fixed resolution issues.

MISC FIXES & UPDATES

• Renamed GOALLINE to JUMBO and added new SHOTGUN STACK formation to playbook.
• New suite of plays added to playbook.
• Catch sound added to hike catch.
• Replay camera controls now allow for multiple inputs to simultaneously happen for more control.
• "DEFENSIVE TD" changed to "INT RETURNED FOR TD".
• Resolved player sprite animation issue where players would flicker in/out of stance when triggering movement.
• Breast cancer awareness pink logo issues fixed.
• Fixed gamepad icon scale issue on team select screen.
• Fixed audible button overlapping news ticker issue.
• Fixed team photo trigger button spacing issue.
• Fixed lime green highlight issue in player lineups and HOF awards screens.
• Fixed various internal text coloring issues caused during message coloring events.
• Fixed issue where team select setting changes were saving to options file.
• Fixed crash when trying to view player stats during a game.
• Fixed issue where fans colors would reset to default red color when changing window size.
• Fixed crash when trying to change player header on player stats when grid has no results.
• Play art border issue fixed.
• Play art lines background missing fixed.
• Controller help screens updated to show motion buttons on pre-snap.
• Changed "QB Rating" text to "Passer Rating".
• Fixed crash when holding sort button to view roster sheet when no records found on player stats pages.
• Fixed security guards have no faces issue.
• Score banner now appears after conversion success.
• Memory leak fixes and performance improvements made across entire game.
• Countless number of fixes are included within this update. Too much to share, but they're included!
• Steam Deck keyboard popup now works as designed.
• Updated patch notes link.

If you experience any bugs or issues please report them here or more preferably in our Discord where you can chat with the community, report bugs, or give feedback on the game.

As always, if you've enjoyed the game so far and like what you're seeing out of the game it would be great if you can leave a review on Steam!

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Patch Version 1.0.3.9