NFL Head Coach Slider Program, and Installation Instructions.

[TheRareButter]

NFL Head Coach was a brilliant idea from EA when it was made, but became a flop immediately because the AI wasn't even worth playing with, and they didn't include sliders. EA didn't realize that NFL Head Coach's market was mostly adults, who enjoy a challenging management simulator. Most of the target market was Front Office Football, or other text based sim players but EA didn't tailor the engine toward challenging gameplay, instead it's gameplay was so horrid it caused the death of the series until they finally got it right with NFL Head Coach 09.

Thankfully, the community created a slider program that EA failed to implement, that completely fixes the AI.

Here's a video tutorial I made if you'd rather install them that way.

https://youtu.be/QMf34hnIsa8

Here's how to install:

1. Download the slider program below.
2. Extract the files
3. Copy the mfc71 and msvcr71 FOLDERS and paste them into sysWOW64. (C drive > Windows > sysWOW64)
4. Copy the files within each of those folders (from your downloads, not the ones you placed in sysWOW64) and paste them into sysWOW64. (You'll need to copy and paste the files individually)
5. Go to C drive > Program Files x86 > EA Sports > NFL Head Coach, find and copy the "mscvr71.dll" file from there and paste it into sysWOW64.

Then double click on the HCSettings application and it's good to go! In order to change the sliders you'll need to have a career file already made.

Click "Load" on the HCsettings application, go to documents > NFL Head Coach > saved > then double click on your career file (usually "Career0") and adjust accordingly. I recommend my personal slider configs, they're listed on this website under the "NFL Head Coach" subforum under "Other Football Games".

[MikeWest502]

Thankfully, the community created a slider program that EA failed to implement, that completely fixes the AI.

Is it possible for you to list the game's AI issues that the slider program has completely fixed please?

[TheRareButter]

Thankfully, the community created a slider program that EA failed to implement, that completely fixes the AI.

Is it possible for you to list the game's AI issues that the slider program has completely fixed please?

The QB Accuracy slider effects everything from arm strength to accuracy, so it helps the other teams score points because the QBs put up respectable numbers instead of 4/15 40yards 3INTs.

It doesn't fix the AI directly, but tunes it in a way that makes the gameplay realistic. QBs will still throw into triple coverage if you haven't told them not too, but there's a slider for awareness and INTs.

It's just sliders, but the game needed them worse than any other game I've played.

It includes "game difficulty mode" like pro, all-pro, etc, injury sliders, qtr length, game logs and enables windowed mode.

[MikeWest502]

Thankfully, the community created a slider program that EA failed to implement, that completely fixes the AI.

Is it possible for you to list the game's AI issues that the slider program has completely fixed please?

The QB Accuracy slider effects everything from arm strength to accuracy, so it helps the other teams score points because the QBs put up respectable numbers instead of 4/15 40yards 3INTs.

It doesn't fix the AI directly, but tunes it in a way that makes the gameplay realistic. QBs will still throw into triple coverage if you haven't told them not too, but there's a slider for awareness and INTs.

It's just sliders, but the game needed them worse than any other game I've played.

It includes "game difficulty mode" like pro, all-pro, etc, injury sliders, qtr length, game logs and enables windowed mode.

Thanks for your input, I was interested in your take on the HC Settings utility. I have been using it for few years now. It's a great tool. I did adjust the sliders to what I play on Madden 08. But what I've found is the game engine on PC is flawed beyond what the sliders can help with, no matter the difficulty setting or adjustments made. I see the same AI failures on both PC and PS2 version. Oddly, what i don't get is why the issues I see during the game actually work when going through weekly practicing, except for the QB AI.

Also I noticed on quite a few default run plays the QB misses the handoff to the RB many times over on PC than PS2.

I'm looking for a copy of HC09 for PS3, checking with Gamestop weekly. I'm hoping someone does a trade-in.

Appreciate your content TRB

[TheRareButter]

Is it possible for you to list the game's AI issues that the slider program has completely fixed please?

The QB Accuracy slider effects everything from arm strength to accuracy, so it helps the other teams score points because the QBs put up respectable numbers instead of 4/15 40yards 3INTs.

It doesn't fix the AI directly, but tunes it in a way that makes the gameplay realistic. QBs will still throw into triple coverage if you haven't told them not too, but there's a slider for awareness and INTs.

It's just sliders, but the game needed them worse than any other game I've played.

It includes "game difficulty mode" like pro, all-pro, etc, injury sliders, qtr length, game logs and enables windowed mode.

Thanks for your input, I was interested in your take on the HC Settings utility. I have been using it for few years now. It's a great tool. I did adjust the sliders to what I play on Madden 08. But what I've found is the game engine on PC is flawed beyond what the sliders can help with, no matter the difficulty setting or adjustments made. I see the same AI failures on both PC and PS2 version. Oddly, what i don't get is why the issues I see during the game actually work when going through weekly practicing, except for the QB AI.

Also I noticed on quite a few default run plays the QB misses the handoff to the RB many times over on PC than PS2.

I'm looking for a copy of HC09 for PS3, checking with Gamestop weekly. I'm hoping someone does a trade-in.

Appreciate your content TRB

Ebay has a few used copies for the PS3 for $20, I'm sure you've already seen this but if not, the developers of 09 had a Q&A prior to its release with over 100 pages of useful info on Operation Sports Forums. I recommend it to all the guys on our reddit page