Sooooo....what do you like to do?

[PointGuard]

One of the things that's great about DDS games is that different people like to play them is such a variety of ways. So, what are some of your favorite things to do with DDSCB?

Do you prefer to:

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
Play out your games or sim them?
Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
Recruit or play/sim games?
Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
Always use one specific offensive set?
Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
Link DDSCB with DDSPB?

Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?

{There are probably quite a few people who have rarely or never posted in the forums. This is your chance...there are no right or wrong answers and the more people who respond to his, the more interesting it will be. }

[TripLykely]

This is great, really looking forward to reading how others play because there are no right or wrong options. Ideally a post like this sheds light on ways to enjoy DDSCB we may not have thought about.

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
-Recently joined the CBGM and looking forward to MP but the vast majority of my time has been spent in Challenge mode

Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
-Exclusively in standard mode so far but my next run is most likely to be relegation

Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
-College mod with historical stats and real coaches exclusively

Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
-Now that I understand the game I only play on brutal recruiting, 200% injuries, high job pressure, and handicap my coach potential

Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
-All of these I've done and enjoyed

Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
-Most of my philosophy sliders are personnel dependent so given the composition of my team I've had full court and pace all the way to the right

Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
-It depends on the narrative I make up before beginning a save, I've tried runs of each kind and enjoyed the varying challenges of each

Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
-Recruiting is the best part, can't skip that

Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
-More of a camp data recruiter than a specific skill

Play out your games or sim them?
-Almost exclusively sim but playing them out is really pretty fun

Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
-Because I mostly sim seasons go pretty quick but I do spend time going over box scores, team/player stats, and advanced metrics so I know my teams pretty well

Recruit or play/sim games?
-If I understand the question correctly I pick recruiting, although March is always fun

Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
-While my teams do well offensively they typically win with defense

Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
-100% zone

Always use one specific offensive set?
-Varies each run as I like to try different team builds/strategies but I generally run 2-3 offensive sets but have run only one at times

Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
-It tends to follow what sets I ultimately go with, my current run is balanced between the 5-Out and Princeton so scoring has been pretty even between interior and outside players, really varies by run and personnel for me

Link DDSCB with DDSPB?
-Only in MP for the CBGM as I missed the big Wolverine Day sale

Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?
-I enjoy devising and testing various player and team ratings similar other more known analytics

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?
-Exportable .CSV tables for all tables in-game; stats, insights, recruiting, etc.

[alternativestats]

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
I always play on Challenge mode though I have been considering joining a multiplayer league

Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
The soccer fan in me wants to try relegation mode but I haven't yet

Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
Real World, College Mod

Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
No adjustments

Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
I always start at the bottom and work my way up

Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
I press constantly

Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
Low prestige

Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
Recruit

Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
Varies, but I focus more on stats and camps

Play out your games or sim them?
Play out games but I will probably start simming more to get longer runs in

Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
Slowly

Recruit or play/sim games?
Recruit

Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
I try to focus on defense

Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
Almost exclusively man

Always use one specific offensive set?
I typically use two

Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
Prefer interior

Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?
Not specifically

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?
I know you said one but I have two I really want to see.

Improved Assistant Coach career paths

Recruiting expanded to include at least adding in state high school juniors to call lists in order to help small schools steal a local recruit

{There are probably quite a few people who have rarely or never posted in the forums. This is your chance...there are no right or wrong answers and the more people who respond to his, the more interesting it will be. }

[Wayne23]

Except for the first item, pretty much "All of the above." I now play out all my games but at the super speed option. I adjust the D- level of intensity, and going to man or zone full time, as the game progresses.
I do both regular and Promo/Relegate. I usually start with a low rated coach, sometimes as low as 1 across the board, but potential ratings are always 85 or above.
I recruit Easy for the fist year, then normal from then on.
Injuries at 100%.
And so on.

[blazertaz13]

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
I mainly play Challenge mode along with Multiplayer (CBGM and NCBA)

Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
Standard Mode

Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
Real world mod, I usually use the up to date coaches, historical information

Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
I leave recruiting at normal, I turn off conference movement and illegal recruiting.

Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
I have set up medium coaches as I like to start at Hawai'i or Oregon State (first time this version)

Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
I like to open up the pace on offense. Depending on game situation, I might turn up the defense too. I do like a longer bench as well.

Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
See above. I like both schools as I like the rivalries, as I went to OSU and love the islands.

Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
All recruiting. MP leagues have helped me better my process. This is one way to fall in love your you players. You do get attached.

Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
I look at defense first (no one below a C), for PG I am looking at handles and passing, lastly I love shooters. Opens up the floor for the big guys.

Play out your games or sim them?
I play out games as it helps in the immersion. I have tried to sim to get through season quicker, but not as easy to love your team.

Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
I go slow to get to know the players (see above). I make up stories in my head as the season goes.

Recruit or play/sim games?
Both.

Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
When I first start out with a team it is high scoring, but I do like strong defensive teams as it helps when the offense is sputtering.

Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
Never been a fan of the zone, but will play if needed based on current roster.

Always use one specific offensive set?
I tend to use two (Motion and what other set my players have knowledge of).

Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
For my last couple of teams they have been down low. Hoping as get through more seasons with my teams, I can get a better split.

Link DDSCB with DDSPB?
I have not tried it even though I have both.

Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?
I love the excitement of march madness. Since I play out my games, I love the feeling of playing your rival on their home floor and send the fans home pissed (yes that would be you U of Oregon).

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?
I would like to see interaction with players where it can be a positive response to a game/ talk over why they are frustrated. Coaches do become father figures for players while at your school. So overall better player interactions.

[PointGuard]

Great reading what the 4 of your responses.

But disappointed there haven't been more.

Will add mine so we at least have a starting 5.

[PointGuard]

Do you prefer to:

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
**Normally use Challenge, but am running a Universe association that I like. Haven't participated in Multiplayer or used Sandbox.
Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
**Most often Standard, but have run some Prom/Rel associations and I like that mode, but it's probably better if sim most things to get through seasons quicker to see more of your team's progression. The Universe association mentioned above is using Prom/Rel mode though. i'm not really a good simmer though.
Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
**Use the College (Real World) mod ALWAYS!!!! (Unless I'm doing Alpha testing). Typically use Option 2 to get historical records for teams, but not really into real coaches.
Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
**Almost ALWAYS use BRUTAL. It seems more realistic to me...and prefer the challenge. Also usually adjust Injury level to 200% which I think makes it closer to realistic. Have Job Pressure be High. I think job firing should happen more often...doesn't occur much even when have pressure at high.
Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
**Usually create a low rep coach. Again, prefer the challenge that comes with that.
Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
**Philosophies vary with each coach I create. But for coach preferences, I usually have opt towards using younger players and high player rotation.
Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
**Almost always go with low prestige programs...challenging.
Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
**Almost always do my own recruiting unless I'm testing something. Recruiting is my favorite part of the game.
Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
**Look toward getting good defenders and rebounders. And for PG's, good ball handlers and passers.
Play out your games or sim them?
**Almost always play them out.
Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
**Slow go!
Recruit or play/sim games?
**Prefer recruiting, but like both.
Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
**While I want a strong defensive team, I do enjoy having some players with strong scoring stats...LOL.
Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
**Usually go with 75% to 80% m-2-m.
Always use one specific offensive set?
**No one offensive set that I always want. Usually practice and run 3 offenses, but use different ones with different teams that I coach.
Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
**While it really doesn't matter, I must say I enjoy having a team with a very strong (high scoring and high rebounding) center. I still fondly remember a center I had coaching lowly Eastern Washington many years ago.
Link DDSCB with DDSPB?
**I have a few times...But tend to focus mostly on CB and less on PB when I've done that.
Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?
**Move on to another low performing team if the team I'm coaching becomes too successful.

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?
**Of course there are many, but I really would like to see rare, weird, unexpected occurrences crop up occasionally that throw you a curve and have the coach/player relationship and response aspects greatly expanded...to the point where that becomes a 3rd primary component of the game (to be almost as important as recruiting and game play).

[jfsolo23]

Challenge

Standard

Real World Mod

Normal recruiting

I always create a boy wonder coach.

Always have very high pace, defensive Intensity, and defensive rebounding

Always start at a school with a rep between 25-35, usually I then go to a mid major and won't leave unless the USC or UNC job comes open, this cycle the UNC job came open and I was hired when I didn't think that I was worthy so I reloaded and have decided that I will stay at Santa Clara until I am fired or have to retire.

Do all the recruiting.

Really want kids that aren't troublemakers, work hard, and play defense.
Play out all games

I go slow to get to know all the players.

I like playing games and recruiting equally.

Strong defense, it rarely has a cold streak.

M2M

Always use 3 sets- Motion, Triangle, with a dash of 5 Out

Would prefer to have top scores be interior, but it's now harder to get good Bigs now, like it should be.

No don't link

Always have cheating turned off, on is more realistic of course, but having a utopian league of integrity is a more important to me.

I agree with PointGuard managing the personalities and issues of college kids needs to be expanded, with a lot more scenarios, and a lot more options to address the problems. Also, I'd the philosophies to be part of the pitches, for example, great athletes and high volume shooters aren't going to want to go to schools that play at a very slow pace, and if you change you style to one that a player doesn't like then he will be unhappy and be more likely to leave.

[hansmellman]

Great idea for a thread! Has been interesting reading others replies and look forward to seeing if more respond.

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
Challege so far but hoping to apply for CBGM

Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
Standard

Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
Using the real world mod with option 4, wanted as much realism as I could get to start off

Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
Havent touched them yet whilst getting used to the game but will bump up the recruiting difficulty as I go

Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
Low/Medium to start off so far in my saves but I would like to start at the top and just see what life is like there!

Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
Totally depends on the team at the time

Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
Low to mid - Started at San Diego Toreros for a few years then moved to Colorado as they'd had dropped down to the early 40's

Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
Do all the recruiting!! It's my favourite part.

Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
Seems like camp data is king, I was stung a lot at the start before I knew the importance of it by the allure of star ratings/national rankings

Play out your games or sim them?
I sim the games, more of a team builder than an individual situation coach

Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
Well, it's hard not to want to get back to recruiting and see my new class every year but for immersion sake I am now taking a much slower walk through my seasons as they happen, fleshing out the storylines from around the association and i've found that makes it more meaningful when it comes to March.

Recruit or play/sim games?
Tough to choose, I enjoy one because of the other really, If i've had a good recruiting class then im loving simming the games because im seeing what my new recruits are capable of and vice versa if i've had a good season simming games and know im in for an increase in prestige then i cant wait to see if it's generated anymore interest in me from new/higher rated recruits!

Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
Nothing like a blow out win but i have tended to favour teams that dont get blown out so far

Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
Has been personnel dependant for me at times but I like

Always use one specific offensive set?
I've been running the same 3 since moving to Colorado but after bringing in some different types of recruits im now toying with swapping out one/two of the sets in favour of something new.

Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
I've had some good bigs so far, so a lot of my scoring has come from the interior

Link DDSCB with DDSPB?
Havent done yet but wont rule it out in the future.

Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?
I enjoy having other peoples let's play's running in the background whilst I play, it could be a twitch replay of Cards via GMgames or Playing on a Potato or any of the other content creators out there really as I like to hear how others think through their process whilst in game.

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?

Hmm, I will say one that I think is more of a cosmetic change and one that is more mechanical.....

1) I would like to see more of a deal made when one of your players is drafted, I know you receive the pro draft email listing every pick each year but a separate message just letting you know one of your own players has been drafted and perhaps a little media blurb about it "Great News! Player A was drafted with the #insertnumber pick in last nights pro draft, here's his career stat line whilst at our school" and even a little bit of spiel like "Pro scouts were impressed with what they'd seen from Player A during his time at #insertschoolnamehere and think that his #insertparticularskillrating(scoring/defense/rebounding/passing/courtIQ) will translate well to the pro game". I just think something like that could help with immersion as I noticed one of my players names in the draft list once as I was playing as a lowly school, checked my HC profile and saw that i'd actually had 3 players drafted! Even though i'd never had a standout stud or whatever, I just thinking bringing it to direct attention would make it more of a satisfying moment, especially if you've worked a small school up from the ground, the first time you receive a message like that would be a real milestone!

2) So this one is based on an experience I've had over the last two days in my current association.....to set the scene, i'm browsing the news tab to try and see what the latest stories are from around the league and i can see that all within a month of each other the #1 Kansas Jayhawks, the #4 Kentucky Wildcats, The Alabama Crimson Tide and Creighton have all been busted for illegal recruiting......they've all been handed 4 year no scholarships and no post season play. Whilst I like the idea of this because it frees up some competition in the post season, it also felt a bit unrealistic to me at this extent. I know illegal recruiting is currently available to be turned ON/OFF in the settings but would it be possible to make it a slider setting whilst ON? As that way people could dynamically alter it to match their own idea of what's realistic. Just a little offshoot from this idea too was to further increase immersion it would be great to be able to receive big/important association news as an inbox item because i feel like this was a huge scandal in my game that deserved to be front page! Maybe you could toggle that on/off too if you dont care/are in multiplayer etc but for me in Solo play it's all about trying to get lost in the universe.

Loving the game and honestly have barely stopped playing recently, only to eat and sleep....but not really sleep cos im thinking about how to get that top recruit to stop hanging up on me.

[ShamWow17]

Create Challenge, Sandbox, Multiplayer, or Universe Mode associations?
Typically challenge. Used sandbox in the previous version to familiarize myself with the game a bit before jumping into a long-term save.

Standard or Promotion/Relegation Mode?
I've only tried standard thus far.

Use the default settings or to use the College (Real World) Mod? If College (Real World), which option do you usually use?
College mod, always with real stats, sometimes real coaches.

Adjust the Recruiting and Additional Options and if so, to what?
Normal job pressure and recruiting difficulty (though I'll probably toy with these two soon), 100% injury factor (injury stats for the NCAA are pretty easy to find, so I trust the game to keep this one reasonably close to real life), allow conference movement, illegal recruiting, and underclassmen declaring.

Create a low, medium, or high reputation coach?
Low reputation with high potentials

Set up some unusually high or low coach philosophies?
Generally uptempo with high defensive intensity... but very little zone or press

Coach initially at a low prestige, mid-major, or high prestige college?
Low prestige, and either turn it into a powerhouse, or work my way up through schools.

Do all the recruiting or skip summer?
I know the AI is good, but I'm reasonably confident I can beat it at this part of the game.

Focus on a few specific skills (if you do your own recruiting)? If so, which one(s)?
Mostly just camp results, then I'll use scoring and defense as tie-breakers if camp performances and likelihood to land recruit split me on who to offer.

Play out your games or sim them?
I forget to sub out my players with my own control, and watching the AI do the whole thing eventually gets a bit old, so slow sim on important/relevant games

Get through a lot of seasons rapidly or go slowly and get to know players or run test associations to check out stats, etc?
Relatively slow, but continue my saves for decades. Currently 40-60 years out on my main two saves.

Recruit or play/sim games?
Sim games

Have a high scoring team or a strong defensive team?
I personally like high scoring, but more defensive teams (or teams that win it all on offensive rebounding) seem to have a lot more success for me.

Play man-to-man or a zone defense?
Mostly man-to-man, typically.

Always use one specific offensive set?
Generally 2-3, depending on how well coaches can teach them. Always run Princeton at small schools I don't intend to stay at indefinitely, and motion anywhere I might finish a career out at.

Have your top scorers be perimeter or interior players?
Interior. The three is too hit-or-miss when heavily utilized for my liking.

Link DDSCB with DDSPB?
No, just because the only value I know for certain I would get out of buying the pro game is seeing how my guys do in the league.

Any other things you like to do with respect to playing DDSCB?
Just eventually accumulate decades of history to pour over, with multiple generations of coaches.

What is the ONE thing you'd most like added, changed, or improved for the next version of DDSCB?
Would love to see a hybrid of multi-player and challenge mode as a game option.