Running video games (and consoles) thread

It depends on the versions over the years, but - Some of them allowed me to import URI, and they basically fill out your roster with one-star players. Usually at best, I could get them to winning records in OK conferences, but yeah, I couldn't ever land more than three-star recruit, and even then, it wasn't more than a couple three-stars a year. However, one version of the game *did* upgrade your facilities if you stayed at a school and continued to win, and in that one, I was able to get the Rajun Cajuns to regular national championship contenders.

 

What was your recruiting strategy? You can't go after the big out-of-state fish right away. The first couple of seasons you always get shitty recruits. One season with Iowa State I think I got one player to sign with me. The trick was to recruit the hell out of your in-state players first, and go after the one-, two- and three stars with potential the first year or two. After they're gone, work your surrounding and pipeline states.
After a couple of seasons the four- and five-star players would start showing interest. It helps if your school is in an area where you can recruit talent-rich states like California, Florida, Texas or Pennsylvania.

I mostly played with mediocre-to-shitty Power 5 teams in my NCAA 08 dynasty (Arizona State, Minnesota, South Carolina and Iowa State; the latter two were ranked in the 100s when I took them over). I turned Arizona State and South Carolina into juggernauts, didn't play with Minnesota long enough to get there, and had Iowa State trending upward when I stopped playing. All of them followed similar arcs.
In earlier versions I turned Baylor (early 2000s version, not respectable late 2000s version), Alcorn State and Wyoming into national championship contenders. Same formula — recruit who you can, find a QB that can run, win games 65-58 for the first season or two, crank out one or two 8-5 type seasons, and then the recruits usually start paying attention to you in Year 3 or 4.

 

Mmm, that was the problem with URI - Rhode Island would have like, one recruit a year, haha. You couldn't even field a team with New England recruits. Whereas if you picked a Texas school - any of them - or California or Florida, you could eventually just find enough in-state talent to be competitive.

 

The NCAA news has me wondering if 53 is too old to buy a new game system.

 

There are adjacent states you can recruit. But, yeah, it does make it harder. That was one of the reasons I tried playing as Minnesota and Iowa State in my dynasty. Those states had almost no talent. Minnesota, especially, had very little and neither did the adjacent states which meant you had to nuke your recruiting budget by going into Illinois (not a pipeline state) and beyond for players.
I think I played three seasons with Minnesota. Won the Big Ten once, somehow, and went 8-5 and 6-6 the other two years. The 6-6 record was the only time in 30 years of that dynasty that I didn't have a winning record, and the team was also on probation so it was the only time I didn't play in a bowl game.
I played those Minnesota seasons right before I took an extended break from the game. When I came back I wanted to start fresh and switched teams. I wasn't real eager to go back to them, though.

 

I'm 44 and still play. Plus, depending on what kind of TV you have, you can justify it as a streaming device. Our living room TV is from right before the era of smart TVs, so I use my PS4 to stream shows as well as play games.

 

This is so stupid. Walmart is doing releases in waves today of the PS5 and they're out of stock literally the second the wave opens. Fucking these stupid fucking bots buying everything up.

EDIT: Finally got an add to cart, clicked it, out of stock. I'm done. Wake me up when Sony releases enough of these to not have to go through this bullshit.

 

43 here and probably game more now than when I was 25! I got lucky and got a PS5 and use a Switch a ton. My kids use them too, but they are mine. I don't buy into the age and video game crap. If you like it you like it and honestly it probably unwinds me better than any other outside entertainment. If you're interested in a game I say go for it. Might find other stuff you like too!

 

So this NCAA thing is like Whatifsports?

 

51... ACNH and Supercell games.

Games are always fun.

 

It’s super frustrating. I totally get where you are coming from. However, I scored mine without any extra edge or bots.

I was of the same mindset after getting shut out of preorders in September and then seeing a console in my cart at Walmart and Target several times only to have it sold before I could complete the transaction.

But my kid really wanted one. He knew I wanted one, and during one of those releases leading up to launch day, he had heard me say there was going to be a drop at 6 pm. We were eating dinner and he begged me to try. Through sheer luck I got one.

You don’t need a bot or to pay a scalper. Persistence may or may not pay off. You’ll get one eventually. But it’s not a wasted effort to try whenever there’s a drop. Regular people get them, too.