More interceptions

plasmoid · Post by **plasmoid** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:49 pm

Hi all (Galak),
I started this thread, and I'm playing with the "official" passing/intercepting timing.
I was hoping for some ideas/feedback.

plasmoid · Post by **plasmoid** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:51 pm

Speaking of "no plans to change" - wasn't it you that told me that Chet is playtesting VLL disallowing safe throw?
IMO, it is a bad solution, because only PHYS teams will have access to it. Here we've changed safe throw to a 3+.

Martin

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:09 pm

Galak, the impact of this house rule on the number of interceptions is minimal, to the point of being irrelevant to this discussion.

Assume that most passes are made at 3+ with either the pass skill or a reroll to spare (which i think is a good assumption when you consider accurate and all). To fumble, you need to roll under 3+ on the first roll, and a 1 on the reroll. That's a 1 in 18 chance. In other words, this house rule decreases interceptions by 5.6%. If it decreasd them by 30 or 40%, you'd have an argument, but not with 5.6%!

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:11 pm

In my opinion, the best way to increase interceptions is to make them worth 5 SPPs. They're rare enough, and have enough impact on the game when they happen, to be worth that much. It would make coaches go for skills like pass block et al. more often.

Artificial Penguin · Post by **Artificial Penguin** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:36 pm

I slightly disagree with you here, Zombie. In terms of their impact on the game, they are:

less than a touchdown (so < 3 SPP)
more than a completion (a turnover + instant possession, > 1 SPP)

So, 2 SPP seems fair. As for adjusting it for the purpose of encouraging more interceptions, I guess that's a possibility, but I think it would through the rest of the SPPs out of whack.

If someone just wants more interceptions in his league, why not just make them easier to get? Make the roll lower?

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:44 pm

IMO, they have a much bigger impact on a game than a touchdown. A touchdown is just the normal result of any offensive drive (though it doesn't always work out that way). An interception takes away the other team's TD, and usually puts you in a good position to get one yourself. If anything, it should be worth 2 TDs (6 SPPs) because of that, but i think that 5 should be enough and i wouldn't like to see anything that can give a player his first skill just by itself.

Artificial Penguin · Post by **Artificial Penguin** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 10:04 pm

Well I see your reasoning, though I feel otherwise. Yes it helps lead to a touchdown, but the same could be said of Strip Ball, Big Hand, or even Block for that matter (knock down the ball carrier). Anyways, I see where you're getting at.

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 11:02 pm

It's much more than big hand or strip ball. An interception instantly and automatically (if successful) takes away an automatic TD from the other team (they certainly had an automatic TD otherwise they wouldn't be passing over your head), leads to a turnover and puts you in a very good position to score your own TD, since the other team was all positioned for offense and not for stopping you from scoring. Like i said, it's better than a TD!

Grumbledook · Post by **Grumbledook** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 11:58 pm

thing about a lot of interceptions are just a lucky 6 roll and giving out 5 spp for that is rather generous, its enough that you get to score when its their turn on offence ;]

Cervidal · Post by **Cervidal** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:28 pm

Y'know.... one thing I've noticed is most players assuming, or at least making their arguments assume, that all interceptions only happen on a six. For any basic Elf, it's a 5+. Would you like to see an untouched Elf catching an opposing pass one out of every two times it is thrown over him?

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 3:04 am

Sure wouldn't, good point Cervidal. And that's why i don't want to make interceptions easier to make, just more frequent. Increasing the incentive is the best way i could think of.

Mestari · Post by **Mestari** » Sun Feb 23, 2003 7:28 pm

The fact remains that any change to make the actual roll easier will make interceptions more rare, as no-one wants to risk rolling over your head.

The only way to increase the number of interceptions is to force teams to throw passes over opposing players. This simply means that it has to be made harder to find open passing lanes.
Boost Pass Block to 4 squares and allow the 1-square pass block move to those who don't have pass block and you'll increase interceptions.

There is no other way. Period.

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 8:43 am

Well, my way would certainly increase interceptions. Less than yours i admit, but still. Don't say there's no other way!

Mestari · Post by **Mestari** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 8:59 am

Ok, ok, I admit it. But your way leads to the dark side of giving high-AG teams even more SPP's while low-AG teams still tread in the swamp of "wish I'd gain my first skill some day".

My interceptor line-elf in 3rd ed would've gotten over 20 more SPP's (around 7-9 interceptions he had) that way, which would not have been nice, as low-AG teams could only get the occasional lucky interception.

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 9:39 am

In my experience, players with AG2 and below are the ones who get the most interceptions, because the opponent is less scared to throw over them. Maybe it's different in your league.

If your line-elf is so good at intercepting, why didn't the other coaches figure out that they needed safe throw?