The birth of BTS came from these early workings but exactly how far did Francis Cole (Lead Developer) get before joining forces with OOTP Dev’s and sharing the news?

From the looks of the video available from the developer’s YouTube channel (which GM Games has uploaded to our own channel in case of removal) it looks as if the initial concepts are quite strong. This includes the 2D engine, the statistics available. The UX interface needs some work to look modern but then again, we are talking about a text sim. Many fans still love games like Front Office Football regardless of the bells and whistles.

Let us take a look at what exactly we see in each of the videos:

Video #1 – Menu System

– UX Theme Changing
– Schedule, Upcoming Dates
– Cap Information by Year (Drop-downs)
– Salary cap summary review with notes from the internal staff
– Statistics by Year (Drop-downs)
– Player Profile has (Information, Contract Details – with negotiations, Career History – with Stats and Transactions, Health and Scouting)

Video #2 – You Call the Plays

– Plays are called by Formation.
– Base Formation
– Play as per Formation. Red defines passing play, white line from RB reveals running

Video #5 – 2D Match Engine

– 2D Match Engine. Turning play calling on and off.

All in all there is work to be done and we are still a ways away from any type of BETA release to the public. The foundation is being laid but there is always room for improvement. Seems like a lack of media, player personalities, no online league concepts but if the nuts and bolts of the attributes and simulation engine is there, the rest would be icing on the cake.

The good news is, here is a guy, who works at Sports Interactive (the makers of Football Manager) that knows a thing or two about making a 2D engine. If the correct algorithms are applied, the sky is the limit but a limited product may lose its momentum.

Thanks again and we look forward to the day that more information is available to us. (As per Chris at GM Games)

The post Sneak Peek Videos of Future Beyond the Sideline (BTS) Football? appeared first on GM Games - Sports General Manager Video Games.

OOTP Developments today introduced Beyond the Sideline Football, the latest franchise in its ever-growing lineup of sports management games. The game is currently in development by Francis Cole, a former Sports Interactive programmer who worked on Football Manager and who is a lifelong NFL fan.

“I’ve known Francis since my days working for Sports Interactive,” said OOTP Developments co-founder Markus Heinsohn. “He is a tremendously talented programmer who knows American football as well as anyone I’ve ever met. He has also been working on his own football gaming projects for years. I am convinced that his skills, combined with our experience creating excellent sports management games, will result in an amazing American football game which will bolster our product lineup for years to come.”

“Having known Markus from our time at Sports Interactive together, and playing OOTP every year since, I was delighted at the opportunity to bring my football game to OOTP Developments,” said Beyond the Sideline lead developer Francis Cole. “Beyond the Sideline will be an amazing American football GM game, thanks to technology such as FaceGen, releasing on PC/Mac/Linux, and having an existing code base that enables players to easily customize their leagues.”

Beyond the Sideline Football isn’t expected to reach Beta for a year, with a shipping date sometime in 2015. The game will offer these features:

* A realistic modern day American football experience with all current rules and regulations.

* All 32 real American football teams with their real players and current rosters.

* A 2D engine that represents all the action on the field, with the ability to call plays and watch them unfold, complete with the roar of the crowd and other sound effects.

* FaceGen support allows realistic images of all players.

* You dictate the action on the field: Set depth charts and develop strategies around your preferred style of play.

* A complete box score for every game played in the league during its history, so you can always look back on thrilling victories and agonizing defeats.

* The ability to sim decades into the future and watch teams’ fortunes rise and fall as dynasties emerge, crumble, and eventually renew themselves.

* You call the shots from the front office: Participate in the draft for your team every spring; trade players; and negotiate contracts with draft picks and free agents.

* All of the (non-playable) Division I colleges as well as many more, with real players, so you can draft the next crop of superstars every year.

* A living, breathing world full of news articles from around the league and a message system that lets you field offers from other GMs and hear what your players have to say.

* A realistic sim engine whose creation was informed by 15 years of experience developing OOTP’s sim engine

* Complete histories, including stats, transactions, injuries, and contracts, for all players who have participated in a training camp during the past decade.

* Nearly 50 tracked stats, allowing you to go beyond the usual numbers and dig deep into players’ performance.

* Each player features a Health Scan that lets you quickly assess their current situation by showing you which areas of their body are hurt, which areas are okay, and which ones are worn.

* A clear, clean interface that lets you easily find the information you need.

* Customization options, including the ability to change team names, the number of teams, the league structure, the league’s country, and a variety of settings.

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