Varsity High School Football Devs Share New Dynasty and Gameplay Details

Spear Interactive and Pyramid Lake Games recently shared more details on Varsity High School Football with much of the latest work focused on Dynasty mode, defensive AI, player development and some of the smaller details that come with the high school game.

Dynasty is shaping up to have quite a bit going on beneath the surface with each program carrying a letter grade that is separate from its school classification. Two schools in the same class could be in completely different spots with one ready to compete for a title and another needing several seasons to rebuild. Prestige is separate from school size as well, so a 1A school can become a powerhouse, and players will be able to start a Dynasty with any of the hundreds of programs available in each state.

Programs are judged by tradition, boosters, brand exposure, facilities, coaching stability, academics and how many seniors move on to play college football while prestige affects the talent coming through the door. The developers recently put all of this through a 50-year simulation, where nine out of 10 schools finished with a different grade than they started with, more than 31,000 coaching changes took place and 920 different schools won a state championship.

On the field, defensive logic has been reworked so players understand what is happening around them instead of simply following their own assignment. Zone defenders can pass receivers into deeper coverage while Cover 2 and Cover 3 should behave the way those defenses are supposed to. Offensive schemes are getting similar attention in simulations, meaning a Wing-T team will lean on the fullback while an Air Raid offense will spread things out and throw the ball around.

Two-way players are another big part of the roster system with the developers noting that 77 percent of high school rosters feature players who line up on multiple sides of the ball. Conditioning tracks the snaps each player actually takes, so a small roster can start feeling the effects of a long game. Player DNA adds another layer with 28 individual ratings and nine broader grades, allowing for everything from specialists who fit one particular role to versatile athletes who can help just about anywhere.

Motion capture work is moving along too with field goals, punts and kickoffs captured and scheduled to be implemented this month, along with running back motion capture. There is still more to come, but the combination of changing program prestige, coaching movement, two-way players and scheme-based football is starting to give Varsity High School Football its own identity.

A release date still hasn’t been revealed for the game but interested fans can join the Patreon to support the team and join ongoing playtests.