tXtFL 3.5: Penalties, box scores, standings

Another epic Super Bowl is upon us with a new cast of characters. And to celebrate, a new release of tXtFL brings new features to better emulate the football experience. I hope it'll take you one step closer to reliving the 2012 season on your desktop, whether to take command of the Super Bowl yourself...or to coach your own team to the Bowl!

Let's take a look at some of the major features new to tXtFL 3.5. Note that these features and screenshots are for the desktop version, while the mobile version update is in the works as well.

Penalties!

At long last, penalties have come to tXtFL. For years the simulator has assumed that humans are generally good beings who never break the rules, but alas, history might suggest otherwise. And even the best will make a mistake or two. Penalties capture those mistakes, whether taking back a long rush for a holding call, tacking on an additional 15 yards for a face mask, or negating a punt returned for a TD. They can even alter the strategy of the game, making the long pass more enticing as a way to draw a pass interference call.

Difficulty levels

Conquered tXtFL? Now you can test your mastery against increasing levels of difficulty, ranging from easy to painful. By default, tXtFL is set to easy to offer a boost of confidence before venturing into less forgiving leagues.

New layout

tXtFL has a sported a 3-column layout since before version 1.0, but the left side has remained relatively unused throughout the game. Now we're making more use of the space by incorporating new control tabs on that side to help you strategize for the next play.

You'll also notice that the player stats table spaces out its columns better to make stats more readable. Those columns will also adjust their size as you change the window's size.

Season standings table
* Screenshot after fix for some Pct columns, coming in next release.

tXtFL Mobile has sported a dedicated table for season standings, and now we're bringing that to the desktop as well. The standings now also slice the seasons multiple ways, showing how your team stacks up against other teams within the same conference or division as well as your current win (or losing) streak. You can also track points-for/points-against as can be so important for fantasy games.

Game stats and scoring plays

Want to see how your time of possession compares with your rival? A new game stats tab show the collective breakdown by team, including total yards, penalty counts, and 3rd-down efficiency. Below the table is a new table of scoring plays for a quick summary of how you put your points on the board.

And of course we have a number of other improvements under the hood, including game model updates to rushing plays and punt/kickoff returns. Enjoy running your own simulations of the Bowl or designing your own seasons!

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