Fourth down and short

[Dirk9827]

This is a non-scientific inquiry into fourth-and-short when deep in opposing territory. Does it seem to anyone else that the computer goes for it too often? Perhaps it's because I am coaching inferior teams that the computer thinks it *should* be able to pick up a yard or two against my undermanned defense. But I've played some close games where a field goal would have been a blow to my comeback hopes. As it was, the computer's insistence to keep going for it has kept my team in a couple of games. Again, I may be full of it. Perhaps if I were coaching, say, LSU, the computer would just attempt the field goal and eschew the first down.

[Azamien]

In real life, there are a lot of 4th down attempts outside the redzone in opposing territory because there just aren't enough quality kickers to go around. From what I've seen so far, the game mimicks it fairly well.

[govols]

I agree with Dirk9827. It seems to me that the computer AI is going for 4th and short way too much. I haven't done a study either but it seems like if a computer coached team gets inside the 50 and it is 4th and less that 5 it goes for it almost everytime. Even inside the redzone, it goes for it a lot of the time instead of kicking a FG. I may try to put some numbers with the feeling in the next day or two.

[Arlie Rahn]

It's going a little too much deep in opposing territory. We will adjust this in the first patch.

[Meat]

Dont mean to pile on here... but I had a situation in OT where my team had the ball (we got it 1st) about the 10 yard line and it was 4th and 2. We went for it... made it, then got stuffed 3 straight plays and kicked a FG. I'm thinking the combo of OT, getting the ball 1st and being an easy kick should've triggered the sure FG try.

[Old Boiler]

[QUOTE=Arlie Rahn]It's going a little too much deep in opposing territory. We will adjust this in the first patch.[/QUOTE] You might consider making this a variable to attach to computer coaching profiles. I think the computer is more aggressive than most college coaches, but arguably most coaches are too conservative. Here's an interesting research paper on the topic: [url]http://www.cs.uic.edu/~piotr/cs594/FourthDown-paper.pdf[/url]

[Arlie Rahn]

yeah, I've seen similar research. My goal is to make the AI the toughest opponent possible, so they sometimes to "non-traditional" things that may actually help them win (but many coaches in real life may be too chicken to do).