07-23-2020, 05:50 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-23-2020, 06:46 PM by kingsleigher.)
Tier 2, Task 12
As a rookie prospect in the upcoming DSFL draft, I have found my time so far in this league to be a wholly unique experience. I’m a veteran of table top and text based RPGs both on the internet and on pen and paper with friends locally. Still, this league scratches an itch I didn’t even know I had as I am a massive football fanatic. So far I don’t think any kind of forum “game” or role-playing experience I’ve had in the past really has come close to matching the excitement I feel on game nights when I get to watch teams full of players controlled by people I’ve met and spoken to. It feels like there’s a whole new level of depth and connection to the ISFL that is really unique when compared to similar forum systems.
Several team GMs have reached out to me in a sort of interview process and all have been incredibly helpful and friendly. Most specifically, Jamar Lackson (co-GM of the Minnesota Grey Ducks) has been a great help in welcoming me to the league. We bonded over being fellow Ravens fans (Big Truzz!) and they helped me to fix an issue I was having in creating my player’s wiki page. Being a prospect, I’ve also received invites to join a few DSFL teams’ discord servers, which has been a really fun experience. It’s awesome to see the different atmospheres between each team’s chat and it makes the league feel that much more immersive and exciting when you see all these different users getting really excited about the games.
Building a new character was a lot of fun, as I got to really feel like they were my own creation, unlike some of the limitations included in something like Madden NFL’s created characters. It was great to be able to add my own flavor to the character and create his backstory. I think my favorite part of the league so far has been getting my player set up with his own twitter account and having him interact with team accounts and other players around the league.
I have to admit, the whole setup of the forum can be a bit daunting as a newcomer. It’s a little bit difficult getting off the ground as a new create, though the YouTube video walkthrough was incredibly helpful. I do kind of wish that it maybe went a little bit more in depth with how media writings and point tasks work, but I think if you hang around the league long enough, you’re likely to figure it out eventually either way. Once you do get the hang of the way the forum works, it’s a lot of fun to look through everything there is to see. I had a great time earlier this morning browsing through a few teams’ wiki pages and getting a feel for the history of their franchises. I think the inclusion of a Sim Football Wiki is an excellent idea and really helps make this whole league feel more real and immersive.
Tier 2, Task 6
It’s here. Ultimus Week. The greatest two words in all of simulation sports. Eight teams entered the playoffs and now only two remain. The best of the best. It’s the Yellowknife Wraiths vs. The Austin Copperheads. The casual Sim Football fan might be looking at this matchup and thinking the Snakes are out of their depth in this matchup, that a team with a .500 record going into the playoffs could only get to the big game on a fluke. Well I’m here to tell you that is certainly not the case. The Copperheads are for real, and they stand a great chance at handing Yellowknife their fifth Ultimus loss in six years.
So let’s take a look at how Austin got to the big game. Many may remember the Snakes’ first season in the league as less than spectacular, and even that description is generous. After opening with the worst single season in league history though, the Copperheads quickly began to prove themselves as a legitimate team. Two ultimus appearances in only eight seasons is a testament to that fact. It’s part of what makes Austin such an interesting team to follow. From the top down, the team embodies the term of wild card. Some may even say that losing every single game in the franchise’s first season was a strategic move, and that same strategy of doing whatever it takes to be a championship team is exactly what has them back in contention for their second title in four seasons.
It all starts with quarterback Easton Cole. The Copperheads QB came into the postseason touting the third most passing yards (3821) while being second in completion percentage (58.1%) and third in overall passer rating (83.2) amongst qualified quarterbacks. While Cole was largely left out of the MVP conversation, the quarterbacks ahead of him are now all sitting on the couch at home as Cole makes another run for a title and bolsters what should be the resume of a future Hall of Fame player. Cole hasn’t been perfect throughout these playoffs by any means, but he’s made plays when it counts and he’s done more than enough to help his team win games. A couple of touchdown passes early in the second quarter of the championship game in Orange County helped the Snakes stay in the game into the fourth quarter, though he likely isn’t the one being lauded as the hero of that game...
Last but most certainly not least, I would be remiss to not mention the astounding play of the Austin defense in this postseason run. In the ASFC Championship game, the Copperheads played the game of “bend don’t break '' against an offense that ran amuck on teams all throughout the regular season. Their strategy paid off when, just thirty seconds into the fourth quarter, Honda Edmonds picked off a pass from Armstrong in Otters territory and ran it back for a score, putting the Snakes up for good. Cole then marched Austin’s offense down the field where runningback Kichwa Jones was able to punch in a touchdown from the 1 yard line to put the final nail in the coffin.
One thing is for sure come kickoff time for Ultimus Bowl XXIII, the Austin Copperheads are not a team to be taken lightly.
As a rookie prospect in the upcoming DSFL draft, I have found my time so far in this league to be a wholly unique experience. I’m a veteran of table top and text based RPGs both on the internet and on pen and paper with friends locally. Still, this league scratches an itch I didn’t even know I had as I am a massive football fanatic. So far I don’t think any kind of forum “game” or role-playing experience I’ve had in the past really has come close to matching the excitement I feel on game nights when I get to watch teams full of players controlled by people I’ve met and spoken to. It feels like there’s a whole new level of depth and connection to the ISFL that is really unique when compared to similar forum systems.
Several team GMs have reached out to me in a sort of interview process and all have been incredibly helpful and friendly. Most specifically, Jamar Lackson (co-GM of the Minnesota Grey Ducks) has been a great help in welcoming me to the league. We bonded over being fellow Ravens fans (Big Truzz!) and they helped me to fix an issue I was having in creating my player’s wiki page. Being a prospect, I’ve also received invites to join a few DSFL teams’ discord servers, which has been a really fun experience. It’s awesome to see the different atmospheres between each team’s chat and it makes the league feel that much more immersive and exciting when you see all these different users getting really excited about the games.
Building a new character was a lot of fun, as I got to really feel like they were my own creation, unlike some of the limitations included in something like Madden NFL’s created characters. It was great to be able to add my own flavor to the character and create his backstory. I think my favorite part of the league so far has been getting my player set up with his own twitter account and having him interact with team accounts and other players around the league.
I have to admit, the whole setup of the forum can be a bit daunting as a newcomer. It’s a little bit difficult getting off the ground as a new create, though the YouTube video walkthrough was incredibly helpful. I do kind of wish that it maybe went a little bit more in depth with how media writings and point tasks work, but I think if you hang around the league long enough, you’re likely to figure it out eventually either way. Once you do get the hang of the way the forum works, it’s a lot of fun to look through everything there is to see. I had a great time earlier this morning browsing through a few teams’ wiki pages and getting a feel for the history of their franchises. I think the inclusion of a Sim Football Wiki is an excellent idea and really helps make this whole league feel more real and immersive.
Code:
510 words
Tier 2, Task 6
It’s here. Ultimus Week. The greatest two words in all of simulation sports. Eight teams entered the playoffs and now only two remain. The best of the best. It’s the Yellowknife Wraiths vs. The Austin Copperheads. The casual Sim Football fan might be looking at this matchup and thinking the Snakes are out of their depth in this matchup, that a team with a .500 record going into the playoffs could only get to the big game on a fluke. Well I’m here to tell you that is certainly not the case. The Copperheads are for real, and they stand a great chance at handing Yellowknife their fifth Ultimus loss in six years.
So let’s take a look at how Austin got to the big game. Many may remember the Snakes’ first season in the league as less than spectacular, and even that description is generous. After opening with the worst single season in league history though, the Copperheads quickly began to prove themselves as a legitimate team. Two ultimus appearances in only eight seasons is a testament to that fact. It’s part of what makes Austin such an interesting team to follow. From the top down, the team embodies the term of wild card. Some may even say that losing every single game in the franchise’s first season was a strategic move, and that same strategy of doing whatever it takes to be a championship team is exactly what has them back in contention for their second title in four seasons.
It all starts with quarterback Easton Cole. The Copperheads QB came into the postseason touting the third most passing yards (3821) while being second in completion percentage (58.1%) and third in overall passer rating (83.2) amongst qualified quarterbacks. While Cole was largely left out of the MVP conversation, the quarterbacks ahead of him are now all sitting on the couch at home as Cole makes another run for a title and bolsters what should be the resume of a future Hall of Fame player. Cole hasn’t been perfect throughout these playoffs by any means, but he’s made plays when it counts and he’s done more than enough to help his team win games. A couple of touchdown passes early in the second quarter of the championship game in Orange County helped the Snakes stay in the game into the fourth quarter, though he likely isn’t the one being lauded as the hero of that game...
Last but most certainly not least, I would be remiss to not mention the astounding play of the Austin defense in this postseason run. In the ASFC Championship game, the Copperheads played the game of “bend don’t break '' against an offense that ran amuck on teams all throughout the regular season. Their strategy paid off when, just thirty seconds into the fourth quarter, Honda Edmonds picked off a pass from Armstrong in Otters territory and ran it back for a score, putting the Snakes up for good. Cole then marched Austin’s offense down the field where runningback Kichwa Jones was able to punch in a touchdown from the 1 yard line to put the final nail in the coffin.
One thing is for sure come kickoff time for Ultimus Bowl XXIII, the Austin Copperheads are not a team to be taken lightly.
Code:
551 words