Worth buying?

[Antonin]

FBCB has been out for a while and I'm thinking of buying it. Are people still playing it? Is it still enjoyable?

Are the individual player stats at least somewhat believable? Stats are one of the most important things for me in this type of game.

I have and enjoy the demo, but I'm wondering if the game continues to be fun for multi-season careers. In the demo I am playing as Cleveland State University, and if I buy the game I would almost always play as CSU or Ohio State.

Is it possible to create your own conferences?

If/when I buy it I want to use one licence to play one school on our Win XP desktop, and the other to play a different school on our mid-range Win 7 laptop. Are there any differences in how it runs on Win XP vs Win 7?

[jhart05]

I don't know about others, but I am playing it all the time right now. And I know Brian is still improving the game while working on an NBA version.

If you like college hoops, this is a fantastic game. The game engine is spot on. I just can't say enough good things about it. I don't see how a text based game like this could be much better.

You have to be careful thou. A lot of times I sit down to play it, I look up and 3 or 4 hours have passed.

[jhart05]

"Is it possible to create your own conferences?"

Yes.

You can do anything you want. You could even create an entire DII schools league if you wanted. The files used to start up a Career are all .csv files. Very easy to change the conferences and teams to your liking.

In the conf/team alignment I'm working on. I have all 350 teams that were at some point D1 programs during the 2000's. I started with the 2005 season (before C-USA basically broke up) then made my adjustments from there.

[Matt23134]

I would say definitely. This is the best text sim I have played, regardless of sport. It does a great job of being a very deep game but presenting itself in a quick and easy to understand way.

I can't say much about technical differences or license issues, but as far as I know there is only one other college basketball text sim besides this one, and this one is far and away the better of the two.

[jhart05]

If/when I buy it I want to use one licence to play one school on our Win XP desktop, and the other to play a different school on our mid-range Win 7 laptop. Are there any differences in how it runs on Win XP vs Win 7?


I don't believe I've heard of any compatibility issues with any Windows OS.

I don't see why you would need two licenses or two computers in order to do that.

You could even run the two teams in the same career if you wanted. I set up a career once where I was in control of about 12 teams spread out over the country so I could recruit in every area.

Or if you want them in different Careers, you could still play them both from the same computer. (Not at the same time of course.)

[Antonin]

My understanding is that when you purchase the game you get two licenses. Are you allowed to install it on two computers using only one license?

The reason I want to have it on two computers is that sometimes my wife is using one or the other computer.

[Antonin]

...It does a great job of being a very deep game but presenting itself in a quick and easy to understand way...

This is particularly important to me.


...as far as I know there is only one other college basketball text sim besides this one, and this one is far and away the better of the two.

I have the first version of this other game you are talking about, and was very disappointed that it does not have a "can't get fired" option. Such an option is absolutely necessary for me. An essential part of enjoying text-based sports sims is, for me, managing my favorite teams. I want to have the freedom to build my team and watch my players' careers develop [or not] at my leisure.

These are games, after all. They are not training you to be a real-life coach. They are a way to live out a fantasy.

Also, as far as that other college basketball game is concerned, I don't need so many bells and whistles. I don't need to call my players on the phone and I don't need to see little player icons moving around on the screen during games. I do, however, want believable stats and I enjoy making in-game substitutions.

[Matt23134]

This is particularly important to me.




I have the first version of this other game you are talking about, and was very disappointed that it does not have a "can't get fired" option. Such an option is absolutely necessary for me. An essential part of enjoying text-based sports sims is, for me, managing my favorite teams. I want to have the freedom to build my team and watch my players' careers develop [or not] at my leisure.

These are games, after all. They are not training you to be a real-life coach. They are a way to live out a fantasy.

Also, as far as that other college basketball game is concerned, I don't need so many bells and whistles. I don't need to call my players on the phone and I don't need to see little player icons moving around on the screen during games. I do, however, want believable stats and I enjoy making in-game substitutions.

I hated that!! I think I read on their forums that your assistants could handle that, though it was still one of the big things that turned me off on the game. The whole recruiting part of the game just seemed like all razzle dazzle and no substance. FBCB's recruiting is not overwhelming (at least not in a bad way :) ) On the surface it is very simple and straight forward, but just like in real life there are many variables taking place beneath the surface.

I've played a good many text sims across various sports. This is by far my favorite. I probably don't enjoy pouring over stats as much as most text simmers. I like a brief overview and then I want to gameplan, recruit, and do the more concrete tasks that impact the outcome of the game more directly. This game offers a plethora of stats, but never makes you feel like you're just staring at meaningless spread sheets. It is a fantastic game.

[Antonin]

...FBCB's recruiting is not overwhelming (at least not in a bad way :) ) On the surface it is very simple and straight forward, but just like in real life there are many variables taking place beneath the surface.

This is also the way I prefer it. I want to recruit players, since that is an important part of the college game, but simple and straight forward is the way to go. When a text-based sports management sim become too much like work, then it's time for me to go do something else.

I've played a good many text sims across various sports. This is by far my favorite. I probably don't enjoy pouring over stats as much as most text simmers. I like a brief overview and then I want to gameplan, recruit, and do the more concrete tasks that impact the outcome of the game more directly. This game offers a plethora of stats, but never makes you feel like you're just staring at meaningless spread sheets. It is a fantastic game.

Your approach is similar to mine, although I do very much enjoy stats. The more the better. They increase my sense of immersion and help me visualize my players. I also love to manage a game--deciding who will start and who will sit on the bench, etc. Going "small," going "long," going defensive...although I'm not sure height really matters in basketball management sims. :)

[Brian Nichols]

My understanding is that when you purchase the game you get two licenses. Are you allowed to install it on two computers using only one license?

The reason I want to have it on two computers is that sometimes my wife is using one or the other computer.

While I'd love it if we could offer a steam like system where you can install it on any computer you own and then log in to play it, Elicense does not offer that. You would be able to install it on both computers however. The licenses are mobile licenses as well so if you want to use it on a third computer you can move the license from one of the other computers to that computer.

[Antonin]

While I'd love it if we could offer a steam like system where you can install it on any computer you own and then log in to play it...

Oh, I'm glad you don't offer a steam-like system. Having to log in somewhere to play a game is just not my cup of tea. I don't play games that are distributed via steam and probably never will. It sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

I don't particularly like the elicense system, but it's there. I buy very few computer games these days, and that seems to be the only way to play the ones I buy.

But what will happen when Viatech goes out of business and can no longer reset my licenses when I lose the contents of my hard drive due to a crash? I'm not a person who plays a game for a few weeks and then is done with it. I don't rent games. Some of the games I own I have been playing for 10 years. I will continue to play them as long as I have a computer that will run them.

The computer game market has, for the most part, passed me by--and that's fine. There's just not much out there that appeals to me. So many games today just seem like interactive movies that only a high-end computer purchased yesterday will run. And with a bunch of real-life expenses to worry about, having the latest computer [or phone] is very low on my list of priorities.

What can I say? I'm old and old-school. Games like BBCF, FBCB and OOTP Baseball are just fine. Sitting in front of the laptop managing my little football or basketball or baseball dynasty, with my wife sitting a few feet away knitting, with the Cavaliers or Browns game on TV...that's my idea of a perfect winter evening. :)

[Antonin]

Well, I did buy it and I'm glad I did. It's a fun game and I look forward to making Cleveland State University a basketball powerhouse.

The level of complexity for recruiting is just right. I have not yet completed my first full season, but I hope that the stats are believable.

It will be nice whenever the NBA game comes out so I can follow the professional careers of my student athletes. Hopefully the NBA version will have a basic financial model. I'm eager to see how much my excellent CSU point guard George Mason will demand once he reaches the big stage. :D

[jhart05]

Go Horizon League !!!

(Milwaukee is my Alma Matter.)

[Antonin]

Maybe I'll begin a Cleveland State University dynasty thread. I graduated from there [many!] years ago. They have a very good program now and it's fun to be able to play them in FBCB.

I'm very surprised that there isn't more activity on this forum. It's a good game and more people should be talking about it and buying it.

[Brian Nichols]

The user base is pretty spread out over a number of forums. I try to communicate in all of them.

[Vatechfan24]

What can I say? I'm old and old-school. Games like BBCF, FBCB and OOTP Baseball are just fine. Sitting in front of the laptop managing my little football or basketball or baseball dynasty, with my wife sitting a few feet away knitting, with the Cavaliers or Browns game on TV...that's my idea of a perfect winter evening. :)

Seriously this actually sounds like the greatest night too. My fiance isn't into knitting yet but the whole sitting there watching a sporting event on TV with a laptop playing this game sounds darn right amazing!!! I'll go one step further with adding a beer/cocktail while playing...................Now all i have to do is get a laptop.

[Petrel]

This is definitely a great game and definitely worth purchasing!

[amazedbygrace86]

Hey, all! I am a newbie at this game, but enjoying it as well. Trying to take Alcorn State somewhere, but I'm not going anywhere fast!

I was curious to know how you guys play the game to get the most enjoyment out of it? (i.e. sim all games, coach games, be the assistant coach, etc.)

Do any of you make game by game adjustments to your gameplan based on upcoming opponents? Does this work? Any tips?

Thanks!

[Antonin]

I sim two games out of three. I always play out games against rivals, however. In my Ohio State game of course that means Michigan.

I do make adjustments in my game strategy for certain opponents, mainly just for the sake of trying out new things or giving certain players more playing time. I don't know if changing one's strategy really matters; I'm still learning the game.

My Ohio State team has a great point guard with very low stamina, so I'm experimenting with having him only play late in the first half or late in the second half, to give the team a spark.

It's a very fun, detailed game. I'm even enjoying the recruitment process.

[nothingface]

Welp thinking of buying this. One problem I had with the other bball game was the home court advantage seemed WAY OVER DONE! Too frustrating to continue on. How is it in this game?

[yeah826]

Well if you mean like if you had a better team and you were going away to a mediorce team your better team would still win. But honestly half the time no top rank team would schedule to play a low rank team away on this game any way but yeah home court advantage is only really noticeable if the teams were in reality pretty close in terms of ability. Unless the other team just got lucky but thats another story.

[scoman]

Brian,when you gonna give up some info on when the pro game will be ready,dying to get my hands on it.

[amazedbygrace86]

NothingFace, great question! I sent you a private message as well.

And as far as home court advantage goes, I haven't found it to be too much of an issue. I find the game to be pretty realistic statistically. That's one of the most enjoyable parts of the game.

[Antonin]

Brian,when you gonna give up some info on when the pro game will be ready,dying to get my hands on it.

I recently discovered the earlier version of his pro game, called Fast Break Basketball. For some reason I had never heard of it until now. I bought it the other day and I'm enjoying it a lot. It loads quickly, has lots of statistical depth, and is much more enjoyable to me than the other company's pro game.

I'm looking forward to the next version of Brian's pro basketball game.

[cadmus2166]

I know that I am really glad I purchased this game. It is a lot of fun, pretty addictive, and very realistic in all aspects. Also, the one thing that made me hesitate to purchase the game, the lack of current "real" team rosters, turned out to be one of my favorite things about the game. I love being able to mold my teams to what I want.

[Antonin]

I find that I become quite attached to fictional players. The game feels more immersive when I have players I recruited myself. In my second season as Cleveland State University I've been surprised at the way a power forward who was nothing in my first season is now stepping up to become my top scorer. Nice!

I wish the FBCB community here was more active for those of us who have questions and want to talk about our game experience. The fbbgames.com forum is also very quiet.

I bought the pro game Fast Break Basketball a few weeks ago, but then recently noticed the FBB Special Edition. I downloaded the FBB-SE demo and found that I like it more than the original FBB, partly because of the way players are represented on the screen when you play out games. You can see how tired your players are without going to another screen, and FBB-SE even shows you who has the ball when you are playing out games.

I suppose that FBB-SE is being sold for the same price as FBB, so it would not be a big deal to go ahead and buy it to keep my NBA itch satisfied until the new pro version is out.

Still, I wish there was a bigger community for FBCB and the earlier pro game. Brian has done some great work that really deserves a bigger player base.

[Smiller]

Antonin: Agree about the disappointment that the forum is not more active. I've been playing for about a week and a half and am really enjoying it. Surprisingly, I don't follow college baseketball so have had to learn some of the terminology and strategies, but that has, in turn, got me more interested in the real thing. I do wish there was more info about the players, especially from scouts. Had a player who was unhappy about playing time, so I upped it and just noticed he's now okay. Would have liked an e-mail telling me that as it makes you feel more involved.

[Antonin]

My wife and I watch a lot of college basketball, but we are not experts by any means. We just enjoy watching the games.

Each year I buy one of those college basketball preview magazines. Athlon or Lindy's. I just like to read about what changes have taken place on different teams and what players to watch.

Until I began playing FBCB I had no idea what RPI was. I still am not sure how it influences the game.

And I have never paid attention to how colleges recruit players.

I began my Cleveland State career almost as a test game, but one problem with that is that it is easy to become attached to the players and the story that is being told. I recently read one dynasty report where the fellow talks about putting most or all of his coach attribute points into recruiting. Well, now that I think about it, I should have done that as well!

But I'm in my 3rd season in my Cleveland State career and I'm enjoying it so much I don't want to start it over.

I have never had a player who was unhappy about his playing time. Or, maybe I have but have just not noticed it.

One thing I love about FBCB is that it is easy to print out box scores. I love stats--the more the better.

[Petrel]

Until I began playing FBCB I had no idea what RPI was. I still am not sure how it influences the game.

And I have never paid attention to how colleges recruit players.


This game will definitely make you start paying attention.



But I'm in my 3rd season in my Cleveland State career and I'm enjoying it so much I don't want to start it over.



Most games out there people want to play fast. This is one of the few games I like to play slow - after a day of game play I'll visit the other teams and conferences and see how they're doing.

[Ragin Cajun]

The forums are not as lively as in the past which is too bad.

However, if you want to step your game up and get into a multiplayer league with other human owners there are some great communities out there that are pretty active. My top community now is Sim Nation (they are a community not a developer) and they boast the IAA (which uses FBCB2010 as it's game engine). Unfortunately the commish had to step down recently after running the league since the game came out. They are currently in a reorganization mode with a new commish and probably a rebranding from IAA to WWCB (to tie in with their college and pro football leagues). They also have OOTP leagues, a soccer (futbol) league and a ski jumping league (no kidding!!!).

With the restart for the FBCB2010 league it's a great time to get in. http://www.simnation.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?140-Intercollegiate-Athletic-Association is the link to the IAA forums. Always looking for some more human interaction as that's the fun of MP leagues.

[HansLanda11]

I am addicted to Adam Ryland's WMMA games now but before that I was a Fast Break Basketball and Fast Break College Basketball junkie and I would play these games all the time. I don't play FBCB 2010 as much as I did when I first got it but around this time of year I just can't help myself. It's a great game and I am eagerly waiting for Mr. Nichols to release another pro game. :)