Board Speed- what do you like?

[Michigan Joe]

New Castle, I saw your post where you seemed surprised at the speed potential of the game. If you haven't seen WRs run 100 yards in ~3-4 seconds then I'm not sure that you've seen the best this hobby has to offer. The board speed is probably the single most important aspect to the hobby that is not discussed as thouroughly as other topics. The fast board speeds actually help to eliminate the scrums that we see with the S-L-O-W style of play. Scrums are not pretty to watch and when I see them I think of the game I played as a teen. Speed of the board allows WRs to break free from DBs, allows D-line to make a move and get past the O-line, and yes it creates a 1 second pass rush when the defense out schemes the offense. It creates the big hits, big holes, exaggerate's mismatches, and overall breathes life into the game. The speed of the game is what got me excited about actually PLAYING miniature football. No offense to anyone who likes the slow board style, but to me a fast board speed is absolutely the way to go. If you're playing with a board speed in which you are able to sit back there with your QB and easily distinguish whether the route of a pass rusher is on target to miss your QB by 1/4" then that is way too slow for my taste. Now the critical factor with a faster board speed is to insure the board is smooth enough for the players to still run on it. This is where is think new factors in the hobby come in to play like tweaking for softer/thinner prongs to absorb heavy vibration, the ultra balanced Pro Line rookie bases, and yes even weight.

I'm curious what other people think about board speed. What board speed is JUST RIGHT for you?

Lemme show you how I like to roll. I miss playing this fast and I often find myself finding an excuse to move back to Cali just to play with those guys. We gotta find 9 more guys in Chicago, Joe, that like it FAST!!!

[Electric Coach]

I strive to find that happy medium. I don’t want the speed too light because the players will move slowly. Your best bases will under perform in this situation. It’s no fun to watch slow moving players. The flip side of that is I don’t want the speed too high because the players will fall the moment the board is turned on. When the motor is set just right, the players fire across the board. Sometimes depending on the sensitivity of the bases, the motor will cause certain players to slightly jump when the board is initially switched on.

I find that the best motors are on the boards that were made with the thicker sheet metal. Motor performance changes when they are mounted on a custom board. I use three motors on my board. Due to the size of the board, I can crank the motors up a little beyond what is normal for a traditional board.

Maurice

The Electric Coach

[RPD]

Fast, as long as the players are not falling over. So to me a fast board is the way to go.

[WEIRDWOLF]

Originally Posted by RPD

Fast, as long as the players are not falling over. So to me a fast board is the way to go.

ditto...If 1 or 2 guys take a dive during a play that is fine but not more then that. I love it when the guy runs the length of the field and then falls over the goal line. TD celebration!

[detroitchild]

I think fast play on one of the big boards is the way to go. Amp it up right before the point of players tipping over. (Now if I can only tweak my bases to run smoother).

DC

[5-13 Studios]

fast enough to break away, but not so much that my ball carrier starts doing jumping jacks in the middle of a play.

[detroitchild]

Originally Posted by 5-13 Studios

fast enough to break away, but not so much that my ball carrier starts doing jumping jacks in the middle of a play.

LOL! Jumping Jacks! How about back flips at mid field....with no defenders in front of him?

[NEW CASTLE HiTMEN]

I play with an older style 620. We have the speed set so there are no scrums but you can tell when a ball carrier is tackled. I guess it would be faster than medium but slow enough so the players dont topple over.