BuzzerBeater Forums

The reason that you need to dress 9 or fewer players in the manner that Tesse has described is that when the coach decides it is garbage time (occasionally late in the third quarter for very large leads, at the start of the fourth usually for 20+ point leads, occasionally later in the fourth), his primary focus is to ensure that every starter is sent to the bench. If you have ten players dressed and all are still eligible, and assuming that nobody is required to stay in at that time because they are shooting free throws, the five players declared as starters will all go to the bench.

The best way of ensuring 48 minutes is, in my opinion, to dress 8 players, with a configuration like:
A F F
B F F
C G G
D H H
E E E

as an example where you want the center to be in for 48 minutes and the player who must be backup at two positions is at PG/SG. The key is that you only dress 8 players, so that only three players are eligible to come in off the bench, so even if one of the other starters is at the free throw line, there are three other players who can be substituted for.

Ah thanks. so the free throw line is the reason for those other times when they make slightly less than 48 minutes. That makes sense.

But it still doesn't always work. I dressed 8, including two set to go 48. At the end of the 3rd qtr (garbage time), my backup POINT GUARD replaced my 48-min. PF. Just for one minute, then the PF was put back in for the remainder of the game, and he finished with 47 min. I wish this would be fixed, or the 48 minimum would be changed. Getting very frustrating, since it's practically impossible to train in the first place.

I think this has to do with the foul shooting or something. But 47 is pretty decent. That's still a near perfect training. I remember the percentages were less hard than we expected so I think more than 95% training.

Personally I can live with that. But then again in the last few seasons I usually train 2 players a 1 position or at the moment 4 players on 2-position. I like it better for my match performance.

Ah thanks. so the free throw line is the reason for those other times when they make slightly less than 48 minutes. That makes sense.

It's not the only reason, of course, but it's one that's definitely noticeable. I get the ultra low stamina substitutions a lot on my utopia team even when only 8 players are dressed, but since I'm already training in two positions with lower potential guys I don't get too concerned about the extra couple of percent inefficiency.

So, once again: trying to play one player for 48 minutes in a match is not supported by the game design. It's not what the original creators wanted to support nor do I support it. Just putting it out there.

I agree that it should not be supported or encouraged...except that it is encouraged, by requiring 48 minutes to train and only allowing one position at a time for effective training.

In my perfect world, training would not be by position, but any 2/4/6 players you choose each week on a sliding scale of training effectiveness. This would also mean we wouldn't have to play our center at point guard to train his passing.

I agree that it should not be supported or encouraged...except that it is encouraged, by requiring 48 minutes to train and only allowing one position at a time for effective training.

In my perfect world, training would not be by position, but any 2/4/6 players you choose each week on a sliding scale of training effectiveness. This would also mean we wouldn't have to play our center at point guard to train his passing.

How convenient it must be then that there is already a sliding scale of training effectiveness - a player who plays 46 minutes still receives quite a bit of training, even if they miss some last few percentage points from the ideal maximum. Of course, two position training is also possible, to allow even more players to receive training and to allow for more easily covering these lost minutes, though of course at a lower scale of training effectiveness. Likewise, now you can train a center in passing while playing him at center, at least as of this season, again with a lower rate of effectiveness.

Well said, Trainerman. I like the way game shape is managed by moderating minutes per week. Tying effective training to that concept seems logical. Right now the incentive is forced 48s and players out of position, or better yet, screw it all and just buy yourself a team. This is mostly a brilliant game, and I don't think any of that was the objective.

I wonder how many people give up on this game too soon because training a team appears futile.