After 2 solid years of full time development, I am happy to announce the Steam Early Access release of ‘Greats of the Gridiron’: An (American) Football Franchise Management and Game Simulator.
You build your teams from drafts (or use a procedurally generated team), create your playbook with offensive/defensive/special teams plays, play full seasons thru championship games - use extensive statistics to analyze your players and playbook - reassign injured players.
Run in the UE4 3D physics simulator and data driven statistical attributes for AI, games are played out in the stadium and your play-calling and coaching abilities will show. Simulated table-top games can also be run, using playbook data in the process of determining rolls.
It is hard to express how grateful I am for UE and the entire Community. I could not have done this project without the UE4 engine, and the community knowledge base - thanks so much.
Trailer:
[VIDEO]Greats of the Gridiron :: Release Trailer - YouTube
Available on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1553880/Greats_of_the_Gridiron/
1 Like
Greetings @devlyn811 !
Your Game Simulator is amazing! I’ve played many sports games and have never seen one where the player is able to be this immersive as a coach! Football is not just physical gameplay. It is strategic, scientific, calculated, and risky. Your game seems to have incorporated this quite well in an old school meets new school kind of way!
What would you say was the most challenging aspect of the two years of full time development you’ve dedicated to this project? What was your favorite? What are your favorite American Football teams?
1 Like
@Get_DOVAH_it Thanks for checking it out and the kind words!
To answer your excellent questions:
I think probably the most challenging aspects, is after the ‘honeymoon’ period of working on the project, basically probably the first year, is maintaining motivation to FINISH.
Basically, since by that time, it was less about learning, which with UE4 is a very fun process, for things such as AI and materials, and the sort of ‘sexy’ things to work on, every project gets to the very tedious and time consuming tweaking and fixing - a lot less of the learning and ‘sexy’ work, and much much more the tedium of plying a craft as detail oriented as a video game, or any other software for that matter. There was and still is, a lot of simple and straight up discipline and elbow grease to actually get a project to a finish line.
My favorite part of the project was when, at some point, there was a moment something magical happens, when the project goes from being an assemblage of different systems, playbook editor, team editor, stadium field, scheduler - all these different part suddenly come together, and you all of a sudden you realize - Hey, I’m actually playing my game!
As to my favorite American Football Teams, I don’t actually have a specific favorite, but due to my friends and social circles, I’d say probably the one I prefer is the Baltimore Ravens. However, I live in Wyoming 
1 Like
Thank you for such great responses!
“Are ya ready for some football”? 
I have a few follow-up questions, if you don’t mind. What level of football have you personally played (recreational, varsity, college, professional)? What are your top three football coaches of all time?
In your opinion, what is the most impenetrable defensive formation? On that same token, what would you say is the most unstoppable offensive formation? Finally, are you able to call live audibles in game?
haha hey, no problem
No, I’ve never played any organized football, just pick up games with friends as a kid.
For me the top coaches would be (based on personal opinion, because I like em lol)
- Tom Landry
- Don Schula
- Bill Belichick
For defenses, I don’t think I have a good opinion on a ‘most impenetrable’ defense formation, but overall, I think well balanced defenses, depending on the skill level of the defense, would cover and handle most pass and run plays. Mostly have a good strong side setup and have a LB also read and key on the possible run and cover a zone if it comes as a pass play, while the typical CB will cover the receivers man-to-man. I usually template with a 4-3 formation to start with…
For offense, yeah, lol - it depends!
This game takes all the control out, and calls all the plays based on your Play Calling Acumen settings. Thus, no, as the player (coach) you don’t actually call audibles live in game. However, if I can get some Steam networking stuff working (i.e. I’m attempting to upgrade the project to 4.26.2 and now the networking doesn’t work!), I plan on adding some additional settings to the PCA to analyze the defense after they take positions to a basic extent and then another play can be called - but that is for after some other necessary work gets done!
1 Like
Hi devlyn811,
Thanks again for your great answers! Those are some really good coach picks! All of them had great victories - some legendary!
I love the direction in which you would like to take the game! This has potential to spark some really exciting PVP gameplay. My family is full of football people - from fans, to varsity coaches, to players (professional, varsity, college). I ran the concept of your game to a few of them, and they had really good things to say!
My uncle, who’s a varsity coach, really liked the idea of controlling your own plays. My cousin, who plays at the college level, loved the nostalgic top-down look of the field.
You have my support and I wish you the best of luck in migrating your project and improving it to its best potential!
1 Like
@Get_DOVAH_it Thanks very much for the kind words of support! FYI, I did get the project fully migrated all is working great with it - so now it time to get workin!
1 Like
You’re most welcome! I’m very happy that your project is fully migrated!
Happy Developing!
1 Like