Here we started with buzzball-style sticks (but with some rules diferences and big board scaled sticks). It was fun.
Then, I readed that the TTQB was fun and was part of a competitive way of playing MF. Since I'm the first in my country (as far as I know) to play the game, I tried to play with the TTQB.
First, I trained, and trained again on targets, with decent results (I posted vids of it here).
Then, I organized a game against a friend. I explained him that TTQB was the way to do to play "like the pros" in USA. So...we tried.
The passing percentage dramatically fell
It's a way harder to throw on real figures, hinding behind opponent team, on game pressure. If I remember correctly, the game ended on a 7-6 or 7-7 something like that. Only running plays allowed us to score (not including FG).
We never played with TTQB again. Too bad...we'll probably never win ttqb pass tournaments and league in USA
What I mean, is that the "real passing" in MF is a sort of big wall beginners and newcomers will have to climb if they want to get involved in the game. A newcomer, already fighting with figures choices, bases choice, tweaking, choosing a ruleset, will have to deal with the real passing to play in a lot of leagues and tournaments, facing men with 10,20 or more years experience in the real passing skill.
With good bases and teams, and passing simulation, that beginner guy will be able to fight fairly against this "veterans" in a couple of weeks (since we all know that playing in an organized evinronement helps a lot to learn). He will be able to compare his strategic skills, his nerves under pressure, the way he read the game : not his dexterous hand. MF is a strategy oriented game, not a tablesoccer, table hockey game or even a pool.
So finally, "real passing" playing is great, no doubt. I perfectly understand that some MF players love it, to be part of the action, or show their 20years experience skills in tournaments. A new device like the TDQ seems to improve it a lot too. And a very motivated newcomer, training hard again and again, will be good throwing "real passes".
So I don't say that the ttqb is the past, and passing sim the future. It's important to note that point.
But just think about pass simulation in a way to bring newcomers, it is also a way to keep the game on a strategy point of view for coaches (experienced or not) who want to simulate a coaching game only, and not just a way to help physically disabled persons to play.
2 styles of play. Not one good and the other one bad. You can be a great player in both styles. But passing simulation is probably easier for newcomers.