Transfer Logic is Illogical

[ignats75]

I'm astounded. I'm coaching WVU heading into 2029-2030. I have a senior C that has started for 3 years. He's a 4 star/4.5 pot I have a so 4.0 pot PG backing up a senior. My leading scorer is a 4.5 star SG. They all transferred claiming too much competition at their position. They're the freaking stars! Meanwhile, my two bad attitude players playing the same position stick around. This one really throws me for a loop. ITs almost ruined the save for me.

[Gary Gorski]

Well tbh the real life transfer portal is illogical. Its complete chaos. Rather than opting for the same chaos in the game I at least tried to make reasons for it happening outside of attitude issues.

Now in your particular case are you telling me that you do not have any other players at C and SG who are not highly rated players? No incoming recruits? If that is the case then yes I would say something is wrong there. You said the PG is a backup so that seems perfectly logical - nobody is going to want to sit and wait their turn in the current college environment. Players who have another highly rated player at their position in the game are going to consider transferring as well because they're going to ask what if he's going to play the other guy to make sure he doesn't transfer out for being a backup - they both can't play star minutes. Also it seems like maybe those guys on your roster are overrated star wise - it would be unusual for a star player to still even be in college as a senior - he would have gone pro already.

College basketball has also seen top players on teams transfer. Hunter Dickinson and Caleb Love were both big name star players who transferred out last year and certainly both would have continued to be starting and important players had they stayed at their school. This whole new world of players transferring like free agents IMO is not good but I do have to model it in the game. The good news is that if you don't like it you can choose to use the option of the old style of transferring where players only transfer out because of attitude issues really and then sit out a year when they transfer and you won't run into this kind of thing.

[ignats75]

Senior starters who are candidates for all conference aren't skedaddling over the fear of some incoming frosh. Now a sophomore or junior who isn't a A Plus player? yes. But not a star. The backup PG who averaged 14-16 min/game behind a graduated senior isn't going to transfer either over an incoming frosh unless that's LeBron coming in. I don't have a problem with realistic transfers, I just think the logic needs to be tweaked.

[jlemmen43]

Provided those Star ratings are from you as a coach and not the commissioner, and provided you and your scouting coach aren't near 100 for scout rating... I'd say that they could be getting an incorrect rating. And I wouldn't put too much stock in the Potential rating, because tons of players never reach their potential. It gives you an idea of what they could become given the right scenario...but players are either thinking in the NOW, or they think they have 5 star potential regardless of reality. Idk just my 2 cents.

[ignats75]

Provided those Star ratings are from you as a coach and not the commissioner, and provided you and your scouting coach aren't near 100 for scout rating... I'd say that they could be getting an incorrect rating. And I wouldn't put too much stock in the Potential rating, because tons of players never reach their potential. It gives you an idea of what they could become given the right scenario...but players are either thinking in the NOW, or they think they have 5 star potential regardless of reality. Idk just my 2 cents.

Read that again. I'm not basing my assessment of the players on star ratings, its based on their performance in the game.

[jolo240]

On another note, I noticed that there were no RS freshmen declaring to transfer, no matter what the percentage of them transferring is. Also in the transfer portal UI, there are no "Freshmen" filter, so I can assume that there are no RS freshmen transferring?

[Gary Gorski]

Senior starters who are candidates for all conference aren't skedaddling over the fear of some incoming frosh. Now a sophomore or junior who isn't a A Plus player? yes. But not a star. The backup PG who averaged 14-16 min/game behind a graduated senior isn't going to transfer either over an incoming frosh unless that's LeBron coming in. I don't have a problem with realistic transfers, I just think the logic needs to be tweaked.

Would you be happier if I changed the reason to he just felt like transferring in the game or he's transferring for personal reasons? Why did Caleb Love transfer? Why did Hunter Dickinson transfer? LJ Cryer? Those guys aren't like a Dalton Knecht situation where he moved from No Colorado to a bigger school. Those guys left UNC, Michigan and Baylor and were all super successful in their roles and their roles were not going to be in danger.

With the way its working now I am at least trying to provide a reason based on an action that took place - in this case perhaps bringing in a good freshman - rather than just making up a random or unexplainable reason to replicate things like Love, Dickinson, Cryer etc... If you bring in a legit good freshman he's got to play or else he's going to transfer. So if he plays then it means the other guy is going to play less probably. Maybe he's not afraid of giving up the starting job but why share some of his minutes? Also you're saying a "star". Even a 4.5 star player (if that rating is accurate) is not really a "star". He's a very good college player but he's not a star and certainly not a star on the level of a Zion Williamson or something like that. He's just a good college player. There's also like 40-50 5 star players in the league usually so while you mention a guy who could possibly be an all-conference guy not being afraid unless LeBron is coming in I would beg to differ - you're talking about players who might be all-conference - all-conference in the Big 12 this year was Jamal Shead, Tamin Lipsey, Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr and Dylan Disu

Hunter Dickinson was also all conference in the big ten before transferring out so literally the type of guy you're talking about did exactly what your player did being a highly thought of player winning all-conference in a power conference.

This is the reality of the portal. Players who should not transfer do transfer which is why again I have left the old way in so that you can play without that sort of thing if you liked college basketball better when hardly anyone transferred or they basically only transferred when there were serious relationship problems or didn't get any playing time. But it has to be replicated somehow and it is not illogical for the players you mentioned to transfer. Like I said, I can change the reason you are shown - I can make it totally random and make up reasons. In the future once NIL gets sorted out it will probably become straight up another school paid him more (I could imply that in the game now and make it like a thing where the collectives are operating in the background) - there can be any number of reasons for it to happen but I disagree with the premise that it is illogical those players should transfer for any reason because it is 1000% happening in the real world.

[Gary Gorski]

On another note, I noticed that there were no RS freshmen declaring to transfer, no matter what the percentage of them transferring is. Also in the transfer portal UI, there are no "Freshmen" filter, so I can assume that there are no RS freshmen transferring?

I believe the only way I have it set for RS freshmen to transfer is if it was really a situation where there is no way he should have been RS

[jolo240]

I believe the only way I have it set for RS freshmen to transfer is if it was really a situation where there is no way he should have been RS

Never thought of it that way. Haven't seen such a case for my save.

[jlemmen43]

I can see the "personal reasons" excuse as a pretty good one to have in the game. Like you said, players transfer for illogical reasons. Also for the OP to think about is that players probably lie in real life sometimes about why they leave. College is a whirlwind on this high of a stage...pressures, obligations and immaturity can definitely breed falsehoods.

Gary, is there any logic within the game where a player transfers to follow a head coach if they go to another school? If not, that would be a good addition.