Electric Sevens Field Covers

[nefgm.org]

Cool game play format. Would like to have a copy of your rulebook when you get it written up to include in the Museum. 

 

[Paul Kian]

3 hours ago, nefgm.org said:

Cool game play format. Would like to have a copy of your rulebook when you get it written up to include in the Museum. 

 

Definitely, I will make sure to make at least two copies and will upload the digital one here as well. I'm going to play a handful of exhibition games before finalizing them so it may be awhile, but the way 2022 looks there will be plenty of time. 😁

[Paul Kian]

Also, I just picked an arbitrary number (11) of drives. It seems like a good football game is one that lets both teams get around a dozen drives each, and a bad football game ends up lopsided with one team getting a ton more drives.

If 11 seems to drag on way too long, then I may cut it to 9 and see where that goes. I gave myself an out with the Mercy rule for games that appear to get way out of hand, but I also know that can inflate/deflate a lot of stats so I'm going to have to work on some formula for compensation. Otherwise, the bad team with 10,000 yards that chokes in the Red Zone will look way better than the dominant team that "Mercies" out every other game in the 5th series.

Edited January 22, 2022 by Paul Kian

[nefgm.org]

8 minutes ago, Paul Kian said:

Definitely, I will make sure to make at least two copies and will upload the digital one here as well. I'm going to play a handful of exhibition games before finalizing them so it may be awhile, but the way 2022 looks there will be plenty of time. 😁

Awesome, thanks. No hurry, take your time. 

[nefgm.org]

Last year, I played a short game week in my Solitaire League using the Tudor Red Zone Game Board and played a similar to baseball inning format. 4 quarters - 1 drive per team/ per qtr. / 4 plays per possession.  If the home team was ahead after the visiting team's possession in the 4th, the game was over. I did allow games to end in a tie, so no OT qtrs. It was fun and interesting. 

[Paul Kian]

I've been debating on getting one of those boards and doing essentially the same thing to try and get my friend and younger cousins into the game. $40 is right in my budget for gifting too, if they do end up liking them. 😁

[nefgm.org]

1 hour ago, Paul Kian said:

I've been debating on getting one of those boards and doing essentially the same thing to try and get my friend and younger cousins into the game. $40 is right in my budget for gifting too, if they do end up liking them. 😁

I love it!! Definity good for teaching kids how to play and inexpensive. Quick simple Game Play and using the spinner for passing and kicking is great for kids. I highly recommend!!

[Paul Kian]

Here's a sample scoring sheet for a fictional game between the Montana Miners and the Knoxville Pioneers. It should be relatively self explanatory, but I did want to point out a couple of key things:

1) Any returns on Defense (Punts, Returned Missed Kicks, Interceptions, or Fumbles) that do not score a Defensive Touchdown will be deducted from their subsequent Offensive Drive's starting position in the First Half. In the Second Half, it will be deducted from their next Kickoff Return. If it does score, then it counts as a Drive and the Next Series begins after their PAT. I figured this would give a good incentive for the Defense without giving the new Offense ridiculously good Field Position every single time. I definitely want the Offenses to work for it as much as possible. 😁

2) Scoring Plays will be Bolded, and Turnovers will have an Asterisk (*) next to the Play Number. H = Home Team, A = Away Team, P = Play, etc.

3) Penalties and PATs count both as Plays and as Offensive Yards. Most Football Leagues (electric and IRL) wouldn't count the yards, but in my opinion if the runner has to burn up his legs or the passer has to wear out his arm, then it should still count to his credit. Consequently, negative stats like Incompletions and Turnovers during PATs also count, because I feel the same "energy usage concerns" should be considered for the Defense too....😉

4) There are 3 types of Sacks: Overload Sacks, Coverage Sacks, and Bull Rush Sacks. Up to 3 Players can receive a Sack Credit:

i) Overload Sacks are credited when there are more Blitzers sent than Blockers set up in front of the Passer. Since each Defense can Blitz up to 3 Players, this can be a 3-on-2, 3-on-1, 2-on-1, or even 3-on-0, 2-on-0, or 1-on-0 if the Ineligible Players/Blockers are set up behind the Passer....not likely, but certainly possible (especially if you really screw up your tweaking 😬).

ii) Coverage Sacks are credited when every Eligible Receiver is Covered, and the QB is set up as an Ineligible Receiver and thus cannot cross the Line of Scrimmage while also refusing to Punt the ball. The nearest Pass Rusher(s) get(s) the Sack Credit, and each Defender in Coverage also gets a separate Coverage Sack Credit.

iii) Bull Rush Sacks are Credited when the same amount (or fewer) of Blitzers are sent as there are Blockers set up in front of the Passer (up to 3), and one or more players still sack the passer.

5) Lastly, good AND bad plays should be called out on the scoring sheet. Forced Fumbles, Missed Blocks, Broken Tackles, Intended Receivers, you name it. While I don't have one in this sample sheet, if a Blocker is straight up beaten by his Blitzer for a Bull Rush Sack, you can bet he's getting mentioned on there. 😋

Hope this helps,

-PK

[Paul Kian]

Oh I forgot to mention, Coverage Sacks are an automatic 7 Yard Loss, unless the team is inside the 43 Yardline, in which case it is spotted at the 49 YL. 7 Yards seems to be a fair number (I was going to do 10 but that seemed a bit harsh) but if you think I should adjust it let me know. 👍

[nefgm.org]

2 hours ago, Paul Kian said:

Oh I forgot to mention, Coverage Sacks are an automatic 7 Yard Loss, unless the team is inside the 43 Yardline, in which case it is spotted at the 49 YL. 7 Yards seems to be a fair number (I was going to do 10 but that seemed a bit harsh) but if you think I should adjust it let me know. 👍

I think I would do the spot of the QB, i.e. If the QB is lined up 7 yds behind the line of scrimmage on a stationary base, then the spot of the QB would be a loss of 7 yards. If the QB starts out under center and fades back or rolls out to pass and after your turn the board off he is 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage then the loss would be 5 yards, Basically, what ever amount of yardage he is behind the line of scrimmage when the board is stopped to attempt the pass and there are no eligible receivers open resulting in a coverage sack, that is the amount of yardage loss.  

[Paul Kian]

Just now, nefgm.org said:

I think I would do the spot of the QB, i.e. If the QB is lined up 7 yds behind the line of scrimmage on a stationary base, then the spot of the QB would be a loss of 7 yards. If the QB starts out under center and fades back or rolls out to pass and after your turn the board off he is 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage then the loss would be 5 yards, Basically, what ever amount of yardage he is behind the line of scrimmage when the board is stopped to attempt the pass and there are no eligible receivers open resulting in a coverage sack, that is the amount of yardage loss.  

That's a good point; I was trying to avoid having any ambiguity as to when to call the Sack and whether the QB was scrambling or not, but your idea is more realistic. I guess I'll set a Sack Timer of like 3 seconds and run the board to see whether a receiver gets loose or not and then call it at that point.

I actually got the idea from Tallguy, he has a coverage sack rule of something like 3 stops and then you have to scramble, throw it away, or call it a Coverage Sack. I'm not entirely sure what the different criteria are again.

Since my games will have the option to choose whether the QB is Eligible or not, I obviously only want the scramble to be legal for the Eligible ones. I also wanted to add the option to "Quick Kick" it, since punts are recoverable by either team. I know, I'm absolutely destroying the basis of football. 😆

[nefgm.org]

Quote

I know, I'm absolutely destroying the basis of football.

Don't worry about destroying the basis of football. LOL. It's your game and your rules. That's why we play solitaire. I have always said that solitaire coaches are the most creative and innovative players of the game. Long after league and tournament competitions have ceased to exist. guys will still be playing Solitaire Electric Football. 

The main thing: "Just have fun and play the game!!"

Edited January 24, 2022 by nefgm.org

[Paul Kian]

14 minutes ago, nefgm.org said:

Don't worry about destroying the basis of football. LOL. It's your game and your rules. That's why we play solitaire. I have always said that solitaire coaches are the most creative and innovative players of the game. Long after league and tournament competitions have ceased to exist. guys will still be playing Solitaire Electric Football. 

The main thing: "Just have fun and play the game!!"

Oh I know, I'm being tongue-in-cheek. 😁 But you're right, that's what I like about Solitaire so much. If I absolutely hate a rule, I can amend it and no one else gets mad. It's one of the only loci of control we probably have in our lives, at least ones that won't land us in the klink or the unemployment line anyway.

In some exciting news, my last order of figures and paints shipped today! I'm looking forward to finalizing my rosters and getting them ready for some repaints and Numbers. I'm currently saving up for some additional TTQBs and those GBN motors you sent me awhile ago. I should be able to order stuff in mid February (dang you rent, so inconvenient for my Football endeavors 😆).

[Paul Kian]

I think I finally have a logo that feels complete. I worked really hard on the lower right quadrant, because cropping is not intuitive in Inkscape AT ALL. I decided that instead of raw flags, that I'd take elements of each flag and place them on plain colored backgrounds.

I also added the flag for Sudbury on the Maple Leaf on the top left, as well as the scrolls and text of course. The only thing I'm thinking about trying to edit is curving the text in the scrolls.... it's a pain to curve text, but I'm going to watch a tutorial over the weekend and see whether it's worth the trouble.

Enjoy!

 

-PK

[Paul Kian]

Just as an update, my four new teams came in today, perfectly in order and unscathed. Sometimes when I've ordered multiple teams I end up with one bag that has the incorrect number of players or (way worse) some broken players. Tudor has been very good about making it right when either of these misfortunes occur, but it's always best for everyone when they don't. 😁

I went ahead and ordered two Tudor Motors and some additional Tudor paint before they went out of stock again; I'm hoping to start painting my personal touches on some of the Pre-painted Figures in mid-February. Decided to go sans-facemask for now, but may change my mind later depending on time and budget.

I wanted to order more stuff this time, like TTQBs and the bases for the defense, but I'm trying to keep my budget tight until I know for certain what tax season is going to look like. I have a feeling I might have a surprise on there due to changing jobs and pay. 😬

My to-do list, in semi-order:

1) Finish Designing Field Covers, including making a Logo for the American League and finalizing the International League Logo this coming week. Once done, send them off for printing ASAP (and ASAICAI 😆).

2) Paint Figures as well as come up with Logos and/or Typefaces for each Team. Shop around for Number and Logo Decals, including DIY options if possible.

3) Order 12 more TTQBs (giving each team 3 in total), 72 more TTC Bases in either Yellow or Blue, 2 more Feldherr Maxi-180 Figure Cases, a Tudor Ultimate Converter Box, a Tudor Ultimate Player Controller, and wire up the boards with spare cable/power supplies if possible.

4) Build Field Frame, Buy 24" x 48" Plexiglass & cutter, and Design sideboard decals (possibly on a magnet or piece of metal that goes over a magnet so I can easily swap out for different Teams or Leagues).

5) Type up Ruleset. This one is higher priority than this list makes it look, but it's also dependent upon other stuff getting done so I can run some exhibitions and tests before spending the money and time to print them.

6) Design cool LED circuit for Time Out/Challenge/Penalty Indicator Idea (will provide more details once I put some pen to paper, subject to change as I finalize my ruleset).

Have a great weekend!

-PK

Edited January 29, 2022 by Paul Kian

[nefgm.org]

Awesome!! Thanks for the update. 

[Paul Kian]

I think I finally have the Field Cover for the International League Finished! I decided to just say goodbye to the scrolls entirely over trying to curve the text. It gives me a smaller overall logo to work with anyway, which you'll see is a benefit in the next picture.

 

I was torn between putting the logo in the End Zone or on the field, but eventually decided that the Defensive End Zone would be best to provide some sense of balance with the other one. That and the transparency just looked awful regardless of yard line marking I put it near.

It seems like a lack of Logo, but trust me there will be plenty of branding on the side and end boards to make up for it. 😁

I will try to knock out the American League logo ASAP. I basically only work on this during lunch breaks and immediately after work since I don't have a good computer at home yet. That will be changing soon.... but I digress.

Best,

-PK

[MK1603]

Looking great man. Seems to look better and better as the days and weeks progress!

Love the work on the logo for the international league and what you did with the maple leaf designs. The conch republic section looking very polished since your first logo

Is this the line of work you do or do you design things like this just as a hobby? Because it looks very professional and I think there will be some people in this community and the extended EF community on other forums that may want you to design board covers or logos for them 🙂 

Looking forward to your updates

[Paul Kian]

Thanks man, that means a lot! This is just a hobby that I'm learning as I go; I'm not a professional graphic designer by any means, but my old roommate that I lived with for several years is so I picked up a couple pointers from him over the years.

I'm basically just finding royalty free images online and tweaking them to my liking. All of the flags generally come from Wikipedia, and the other images are from various Free to Use sites. Since I'm doing this for personal use I should be safe, but if I were selling these I'd be a lot more hesitant/careful with documentation and sourcing. Intellectual Property Usage rights get pretty confusing, and I don't want to end up in court over essentially a children's board game. 😬

The main part I did from scratch was the field markings. I originally majored in Physics and took a few Drafting/Product Design classes in high school, so I'm pretty good with scaling stuff. 😁 If I get some time later, I'll start drawing some "field marking only" fields in various scales and post them here so that people can download and use for their own designs. 👍

I have a basic design for the American League, but I'm having some scaling issues inherent to the original image I sourced so I will have to work on it over the weekend and into next week most likely. Hopefully it will be ready for posting then!

Best,

-PK

[Paul Kian]

Good evening all, just a quick update that my Tudor motors came in a day early so I'm excited for this weekend. 😁 It looks like they take standard 1/8" (3.2mm) mono audio type jacks. I should have some old headphone extension cable lying around somewhere I can test out, but I'll probably have to order some anyway due to the length of the board.

I also trimmed up a quick audio clip that I will totally play during every made field goal and PAT if I ever get around to filming or streaming. I got it from the "Hot Kool-Aid" skit from Julian Smith....yeah, 2010 was a weird time for YouTube humor. 😆

I Made This For You.mp3

Edited February 4, 2022 by Paul Kian

[Paul Kian]

Forgot to post the video, my bad. 😁

[Paul Kian]

Good evening all,

I finally finished making a Logo for the American League. It's just a shield with an American Flag on it, not super original but I couldn't think of anything else. I did use a cool Cowboy Western font though. 😁

 

Here's what I believe I'm going to go with for the American League and International League Field Covers. I've redesigned the International Field a lot since my last post, but with a storyline reason- this takes place in the future, where space and manpower is conservative compared to the requirements of the big 11 man game. While International Teams are still sticking mostly to the traditional American and Canadian style Football Field look (sideways numbers, End Zones facing opposite ways, logos in the middle at a side-angle view for television, and a super large scoring End Zone like the CFL), the American League teams have evolved into a mostly Offense-Focused Field (the End Zones and numbers all facing the same way- descending with a camera focused at the back of the End Zone).

I'm still getting the logo size right for the Int'l field, let me know if you think I should make it larger or smaller. I'm also debating on doing the same design for the white 10-20-30-40 lines as I did for the yellow 45-35-25-15 with the crosses and gaps, except in white of course. I may also re-add the numbers for the 45-35-25-15 in the same style as the white numbers- I'm not actually sure why I took them out other than I got lazy. 😆

The reason for the Gaps/Sideways Hashes that I added to both fields (at the same widths as the numbers) is that I want to experiment with either a fixed tackle box (i.e. for Intentional Grounding, since theoretically you could have as few as 1 Lineman on the Line of Scrimmage) or for a blitz box/runner's alley (i.e. for Defensive Linemen and Linebacker alignment, kind of like the AFL and other Indoor leagues use to open up the passing and running games, respectively). They won't be used for spotting the ball to hike from, although I'm looking into maybe using them for onside kickoffs.

Once I have officially signed off on these fields, I will get started on making some sideboards to go with them. Since they'll only be 7/8" high, I'm debating on printing them as magnetic vinyls and putting thin strips of metal on the sideboards so that I can swap them out per team and per league. May be more headache than it's worth, so it's still conceptual at this moment.

Lastly, I tested out some gold paints this past weekend and have decided on a shade for the Charleston Cryptids. I will try to finish painting them this weekend and get some pics in my Team's thread. 😁

 

Til next time,

-PK

Edited February 10, 2022 by Paul Kian

[Paul Kian]

Good evening all,

Just wanted to update that I ordered the Ultimate Converter, the TTQBs, and 72 Yellow TTC Bases for the Defensive players. The next couple of weeks are going to be busy (sister's birthday, wrapping up year end books, and entering a lot of new purchases for January) so I will probably not be able to paint the figures until later in the month, but you never know. 👍

To expand upon my LED Circuit idea, once I receive the Ultimate Converter I am going to do some designs on running a splitter from it to power a simple series of parallel circuits that power a couple of LEDs that I will locate right behind the Rebound Net Plexiglass. I'm looking to wire up a Red for Ineligible Receiver Penalties/Missed FGs and PATs, Green for Eligible Receiver Penalties/Made FGs and PATs, Yellow for Defensive Penalties, and two Blue LEDs for Timeouts. Since each team gets one TO per Drive, this will stay on during the remainder of their Drive. It sounds complicated, but LED circuits are super easy compared to other stuff I've wired before, not that I'm an expert by any means. Once I have a final design, I will share the schematics. 😁

 

My remaining to-do list, not particularly in order:

 

1) Finalize Field Covers and Design sideboard decals. Send all off for printing.

 

2) Paint Figures as well as come up with Logos and/or Typefaces for each Team. Shop around for Number and Logo Decals, including DIY options if possible.

 

3) Order 2 more Feldherr Maxi-180 Figure Cases, a Tudor Ultimate Player Controller, and wire up the boards with spare cable/power supplies if possible.

 

4) Buy and Build Field Frame, Buy 24" x 48" Plexiglass & cutter.

 

5) Type up Ruleset after running some exhibition games.

 

6) Design cool LED circuit.

[Paul Kian]

Decided to give the American field a final update, moved the logo to the center and made the markers black to contrast with the White logo better. Let me know what you think. 👍

[Paul Kian]

Big update today, I took the plunge and bought an Ultimate Play controller, the Tudor cables for the splitter/motors, and the Tudor 6 Volt Center Positive (I think) power supply! This supply chain crunch has made all the electronics I'd normally buy super scarce and expensive, so Tudor is actually cheaper than buying direct. All of my spare power supplies are either 9 or 12 Volts and Center Negative, and I didn't feel like cutting into them and trying to do a bunch of resistors, step down, etc when I could just drop $16 and be done with it.

This basically just leaves the Field Covers and sideboards being printed, the plexiglass "nets" to be purchased and cut, and the framing to be built, then we'll start having some exhibition matches while I do the painting and other tertiary tasks. 😁

Lastly, I decided to go the easy route and buy some of those LED light strips with the color changing remote. For some reason I forgot they existed until a couple of days ago. I will still wire up something for a pair of Time Out Indicators if I'm still able to. 👍

Edited February 18, 2022 by Paul Kian