4.1What tactics actually do
Tactics set your team's overall lean: more perimeter offense, more work in the paint, more driving to create, and how you defend the perimeter, the interior and the pace of the game. They shape which shots you tend to generate, how your offense is shared out, how you meet an opponent, and how fast the game feels.
A perimeter-leaning plan sends your team looking for threes and mid-range looks more often; a paint-leaning plan puts the weight on scoring inside and winning physical battles. Neither forces the same shot every possession.
Players in RimAttack still decide for themselves, based on their abilities, the state of the game, the defense and the moment. Tactics give them a direction, not a remote control.
4.2Basic settings and the advanced editor
If you just want a workable style quickly, the basic settings let you pick an offensive lean, a defensive lean and a pace. That is enough for a new manager, or for anyone who wants to swing the team's tendencies in a hurry.
The advanced editor gives you finer control. You can:
- Build and save several full tactical setups.
- Set your starters and the logic behind your rotation.
- Give a player the tactical slot and role that suit him.
- Write rules that only fire for certain lineups or game situations.
- Set substitution logic so the team changes personnel or approach when conditions are met.
Conditional tactics are at their best for the problems you do not want to babysit — a different style when two particular players share the floor, or a change of approach at a certain score and time. The more conditions you add, the sharper your plan gets, and the more you owe it to yourself to check afterwards that it did what you expected.
4.3Player roles
In this game's engine, players already attack, defend and carry out the game plan in the ways they are best at. A role only nudges their behaviour so they focus more on the job you gave them; it does not mean they will play only that role on every possession.
If you assign a player a role that does not suit their abilities, they will still play to their own strengths, and the assignment may even backfire.
Role guide
Offense
- Core mission
- Creates offense directly off the dribble: breaks through the gaps between defenders, creates shooting space, attacks the rim, or draws the defense in to set up teammates
- Key abilities
- Scoring tools, Dribbling, Offensive IQ, Speed, Agility, Strength, Vertical
- Core mission
- Runs the offense through passing and reading the defense, raising overall efficiency with pick-and-rolls, drive-and-kick passes, weak-side swings, and mismatches
- Key abilities
- Dribbling, Offensive IQ, Passing, Speed, Agility, Leadership, Rim Attack or Three-Point Shooting (whichever is stronger)
- Core mission
- Sets screens for the ball handler, or off-ball screens for a shooter, to create an edge; then, based on personal strengths and how the defense reacts, chooses to Roll to the rim, Short Roll to catch and facilitate near the free-throw line, or Pop out to the perimeter
- Key abilities
- Strength, Offensive IQ, Inside Shooting or Three-Point Shooting (whichever is stronger), Speed, Vertical, Agility, Catching
- Core mission
- Cuts into the paint to catch and attack the rim once the ball handler has drawn the defense: slips into gaps when defenders turn their heads to watch the ball, cuts to the weak side or behind the baseline defenders, and goes Backdoor when defenders overplay the passing lanes
- Key abilities
- Speed, Agility, Vertical, Strength, Catching, Offensive IQ, Wingspan
- Core mission
- Stays on the perimeter (corners included) for long stretches to space the floor, so defenders cannot sag in freely, leaving driving lanes and post space for teammates
- Key abilities
- Three-Point Shooting, Catching, Offensive IQ
- Core mission
- Keeps moving, running off screens, handoffs, and baseline cuts, and looks for a shot on the move instead of standing still and waiting for the ball
- Key abilities
- Three-Point Shooting, Offensive IQ, Speed, Agility, Catching
- Core mission
- Attacks directly from the low post with back-to-the-basket moves, turns, footwork, and a size advantage, drawing help defenders before passing out
- Key abilities
- Standing Reach, Inside Shooting or Post Move (whichever is stronger), Offensive IQ, Strength, Catching, Passing, Leadership
- Core mission
- Serves as the offensive hub at the high post or elbow: catches, scans the floor, and links teammates with handoffs, cutting passes, high-low passes, and fakes; against a zone, catching in the middle gap near the free-throw line is the classic way to break it
- Key abilities
- Standing Reach, Offensive IQ, Mid-Range Shooting, Inside Shooting or Post Move (whichever is stronger), Passing, Leadership
- Core mission
- Dials down the player's involvement on offense: fewer touches and less fatigue, with fewer shots and turnovers to match.
- Key abilities
- None
Defense
- Core mission
- Guards the ball handler who starts the offense and applies pressure at the first point of contact; stops dribble penetration and lowers the efficiency of the offense's initiation; steers the ball handler so teammates have time to get in position to help
- Key abilities
- Lateral Speed, Wingspan, Perimeter Defense, Defensive IQ, Speed, Agility, Steal
- Core mission
- Rotates quickly after the first line of defense is beaten or the ball moves; protects the paint, helps against drives, covers holes, and forms a second line of defense when a teammate is out of position
- Key abilities
- Defensive IQ, Wingspan, Interior Defense, Perimeter Defense, Lateral Speed, Speed, Standing Reach
- Core mission
- Mainly limits the opponent's most important wing, shooting guard, or forward scorer; lowers the quality of ball-handling attacks, catch-and-shoot chances, and off-ball offense
- Key abilities
- Wingspan, Defensive IQ, Perimeter Defense, Lateral Speed, Speed, Interior Defense
- Core mission
- Protects the rim and the paint; contests drives, layups, and dunks; acts as the last line of defense so perimeter defenders can pressure with confidence
- Key abilities
- Standing Reach, Interior Defense, Defensive IQ, Strength, Wingspan, Vertical, Perimeter Defense
- Core mission
- Ends the opponent's possession and makes sure the defensive trip is truly finished: boxes out, secures the rebound, and prevents second-chance points
- Key abilities
- Standing Reach, Defensive Rebound, Strength, Vertical, Aggression
- Core mission
- Dials down the player's involvement on defense: plays defense and rebounding more conservatively, commits fewer fouls, and tires less.
- Key abilities
- None
4.4Rotation, positions and fatigue
Your rotation decides who carries which stretch of the game. Build it on more than ratings: positional fit, stamina, matchups, what the system needs and how deep your bench really is. Riding your best players for heavy minutes is not automatically right — if fatigue piles up, if there is no cover at a position, or if the pieces do not fit the plan, the whole team can get worse.
The system substitutes according to your settings and how the game is going. Position priority helps decide who gets picked, and you choose how quickly tired players come off. Match those settings to your squad: with real depth you can afford to protect your starters, and if you lean on a small core you have to balance this game against the rest of the season.
4.5Per-game tactics
Your default tactic covers the ordinary run of games, but you can assign a one-off plan to any fixture on your schedule. That is worth doing for the games that matter, for a playoff series, when you need something specific for an opponent, or any time you do not want to change your club's regular style for good.
A per-game tactic only touches that fixture; everything else keeps using your default. Opponents cannot see your private tactical settings, so your preparation stays your own.