Madden 2005: Worthwhile career sim?

[JimboJ]

I've been a fan of FOF since the beginning, but as much as I hate to admit it, the dry, "spreadsheet" feel of it is really starting to bore me. So I started looking for alternatives, and the only comparable games out there seem to be Total Pro Football, which looks like a dead-end product at this point, and the console games, ala Madden.

The impression I've always gotten from people on this board is that Madden is ok, but lacks the depth of FOF when it comes to the GM functions. But I've been looking at the feature list, and it looks like it has pretty much everything FOF has, plus graphics. It even has coach mode now, so you can call plays and not have to worry about the dexterity of your fingers.

On paper, it would seem like this is the perfect football sim. So why don't more people talk about it here? Is it still that inferior to FOF? Or is there some sort of bias against console games, like they could never actually catch up with text sims in terms of depth and realism? Isn't it bound to happen one day? I realize that the target audience for consoles is younger than that for text sims. And in general younger people tend to focus on the graphics and other bells and whistles, hence the designers focus on the same thing. But after a while eye candy only goes so far. Isn't that why they added the GM functions in the first place? Aren't these aspects bound to get better over time?

So I'm asking the people who have played Madden 05 (not last years version, or the year before) what do you think? How does it compare to FOF? I'm just as interested in the coaching aspects of the game as in the GM, and I'm willing to overlook some minor flaws (as I am with FOF) if the game is generally pretty solid.

Thanks for your opinions.

[Cuckoo]

I don't know. I may be in the minority, but I think Madden 2005 is a solid career sim. It has its problems, but so does FOF.

Contracts are pretty well done, and the player interaction stuff is good as well with guys demanding trades if they feel they should be starting and hold-outs. The RFA system in it is not implemented very well, but isn't present in FOF at all. I enjoy the draft quite a bit, and this year's player progressions don't have the glaring problems present in last year's Madden. It also has the media interaction with the newspapers and stuff this year which is outstanding, in my opinion. Overall, I have very few complaints about it, and I think it is up there with FOF.

Where it lags behind, in my opinion, is in the areas of statistics (which don't always seems as right as FOF but are still pretty good), GM functions (there is no franchise moving, and the owner mode stuff is pretty worthless to me), and gameplanning (FOF just has far more options and is much more in depth in this regard).

[Ben E Lou]

I tried to play last years Madden as a sim-only game, and I ran into the following three problems that really detracted from the fun, and were completely deal-breakers when it came to enjoying the game for any length of time:

1. stat tracking & presentation was very, very weak
2. The player's history (ie when he was drafted) was barely tracked at all.
3. Team and career records were very poorly presented (if tracked at all).


I'd love to know if any of these have been improved.

[Cuckoo]

.

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I tried to play last years Madden as a sim-only game, and I ran into the following three problems that really detracted from the fun, and were completely deal-breakers when it came to enjoying the game for any length of time:

1. stat tracking & presentation was very, very weak This isn't much better. It's still difficult to find a lot of the stats and sorting is a pain as well. Plus, it doesn't track near as many as FOF.

2. The player's history (ie when he was drafted) was barely tracked at all.It is tracked, but again not with much detail. On the player cards, it has draft position and how he was obtained by the current team, but there is not history of trades or even drafting team (you have to discern by first year stats)

3. Team and career records were very poorly presented (if tracked at all).Someone may correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think these are there either


I'd love to know if any of these have been improved.

Overall, none of the issues you mentioned have improved much at all from last year.

[Troll]

its a solid yearly sim. Just don't look for career stats or the ability to track teams record's from year to year unless you write it down. The salary cap also increases enough each year, 25 mill. I believe that you never really have to worry about it.

[Tom E]

Its easy to see where a guy got drafted, go to Player Managment and click the white or black button until you get to the desired screen.

I also enjoy creating my own plays and Madden has a easy and great program to do so.

You can move your franchise, after the season go to the Stadium options and you can upgrade or relocate

[Ben E Lou]

Thanks for the answers guys. You saved me both the money and the time/trouble.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by Tom E

Its easy to see where a guy got drafted, go to Player Managment and click the white or black button until you get to the desired screen.

Yeah, it's easy to find, but there's not a lot of detail there, not near as much as FOF.

Originally Posted by Tom E

I also enjoy creating my own plays and Madden has a easy and great program to do so.

Agreed. I enjoy this quite a bit as well.

Originally Posted by Tom E

You can move your franchise, after the season go to the Stadium options and you can upgrade or relocate

Thanks, I had tried the upgrade, but for some reason just missed the relocate option. Other teams don't relocate, or at least if they do, you don't ever get notification of it.

[Tom E]

Originally Posted by Cuckoo

Yeah, it's easy to find, but there's not a lot of detail there, not near as much as FOF.




Agreed. I enjoy this quite a bit as well.




Thanks, I had tried the upgrade, but for some reason just missed the relocate option. Other teams don't relocate, or at least if they do, you don't ever get notification of it.

Enjoy and Good Luck

[Eaglesfan27]

Madden's cap does not go up 25 million each year, it goes up about 16 million the first year, and then about 4-8 million each year after that. That being said, I haven't had to worry about the cap yet. The coach mode is great fun, and I'm enjoying my franchise. However, the big flaws are the lack of stat tracking over the long haul. However, I'm getting great stats with sliders on coach mode, and am enjoying it quite a bit as an alternative to FOF.

[GMO]

Is there still a 30-year limit to the franchise mode?

If yes, why is there a limit?

[Super Ugly]

I'm almost certain that there is a 30 year limit. I have no idea why, though. I guess EA thought nobody would want to play it that long.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by GMO

Is there still a 30-year limit to the franchise mode?

If yes, why is there a limit?

Because franchise mode is so weak that no one would bother to play it that long?


Seriously, I had forgotten about that problem in my list of deal-breakers. It didn't make my list of deal-breakers because there's no possible way I'd play 30 years of this game. If I recall, I think I gave up on franchise mode in the preseason of year 3. I'll dust it off to coach an exhibition game every now and then. Other than that, it was a wasted purchase.

[Cuckoo]

I definitely disagree with SkyDog on this one. I'm not by any means suggesting this is a wonderful career sim, but a "wasted purchase" is so far from what I would call it. I'm in year 16 or a career, and I'm having a blast with it. I recommend renting it and taking a look for yourself.

[Ben E Lou]

To each his own, but the lack of records, stat tracking, and other key elements of a career sim made it a waste of my time, and from what you've told me, I would still regard it as a waste of time.

[MizzouRah]

It's not FOF 2004, period. BUT...

it's one hell of a console game... I really don't know why people try to make console games into text sims. The game requires a joystick, and it's darn fun to play and as close to accurate as you can get with a console. It's VERY immersive, quite challenging, but not FOF like in franchise. I can tell you it's 90% more immersive for me than FOF is. Rosters were just updated so I'm off to re-start my Rams franchise.

Coach mode games went out with High Heat baseball, boy do I miss HH 2003 .

Todd

[Eaglesfan27]

The coach mode is very fun if you want to play that way. This years Madden does that mode better than any console game I've ever played. I like coach mode. I also like playing joystick mode sometime, and I'm enjoying both franchises depending on my mood. It's a fun game.

[JimboJ]

Thanks for the info guys. Interestingly enough, the limitations with the stats and 30 year career limit would not be deal breakers for me. I'm more intersted in solid gameplay and realism.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by JimboJ

Thanks for the info guys. Interestingly enough, the limitations with the stats and 30 year career limit would not be deal breakers for me. I'm more intersted in solid gameplay and realism.

That, you'll have.


Todd

[Apathetic Lurker]

Does Madden 2005 allow the use of a mouse or is it only Keyboard/gamepad?

[MizzouRah]

I'm 4-0 to start the season with the Rams and every game has been a close, tough battle (well except for Arizona).

I would have to say this year's version is a keeper for me.


Todd

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by JimboJ

I've been a fan of FOF since the beginning, but as much as I hate to admit it, the dry, "spreadsheet" feel of it is really starting to bore me.

Blasphemer!!!!!



Yep, that's all I have to add.

[Ben E Lou]

How did I miss that the first time? I should've banned him!

[Calis]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

The coach mode is very fun if you want to play that way. This years Madden does that mode better than any console game I've ever played. I like coach mode. I also like playing joystick mode sometime, and I'm enjoying both franchises depending on my mood. It's a fun game.

Hmm, know this is old but I missed it.

I'm shocked to hear that coach mode is actually better, as I think that would be the last thing they'd worry about tuning up. This almost makes me want to buy it however.

[TeotihuacanYaxK'ukMo'II]

SkyDog 2005 is much better than 2004. Watching the games is awesome especially on my XPS.

[TeotihuacanYaxK'ukMo'II]

Now off to try online with my new DSL!

[Kodos]

I guessing some folks are going to have trouble with the spelling of your name there. Grantdawg is doomed!!!

[sony]

Madden's gameplay is solid. The franchise mode is superb. Especially when you have 8 draft classes from NCAA 05

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by TeotihuacanYaxK'ukMo'II

SkyDog 2005 is much better than 2004. Watching the games is awesome especially on my XPS.

I ended up buying it, giving it a chance, and taking it back about 3 days later. I never bothered to watch a game in 2005. I simmed a few seasons, and the stats, presentation, and lack of detail really stunk to me.

[IwasHere]

Originally Posted by Apatheric Lurker

Does Madden 2005 allow the use of a mouse or is it only Keyboard/gamepad?

Yes, you can play with a mouse.


BTW---EA's NCAA series is a console game that has no equal in the text-sim field. Of course TCY is now older than a lot of people's children.

[JPhillips]

I enjoy M2005, but its not a great career sim. I still am working on a career, but its way too predictable for my tastes.

First, while you can have mini-busts its almost impossible to see a late round draft pick develop into a star performer. The draft is too weighted towards the predictions of where a player should be taken.

Second, there is still a general talent inflation. Look at the team ratings in year one and then check again ten years later. Every team is better overall.

Third, stats are fine within a year, but as Skydog says there is a big limit on career stats.

Fourth, the cap is too high. I can assemble a dominant team and still be twenty million under the cap.

Those are the big problems for me. Draft AI and especially trade AI are much better. I like the limited RFA period. The news is nice, although SIGAMES news is still far superior. The gameplay in coach mode is finally playable.

I have fun, but if I really want to play a career I use FOF with TCY drafts.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I ended up buying it, giving it a chance, and taking it back about 3 days later. I never bothered to watch a game in 2005. I simmed a few seasons, and the stats, presentation, and lack of detail really stunk to me.

Ben,

When are you going to learn that console games are meant to be played.

Playing the game is so much fun, that I forget about FOF and how accurate it is in respect to "franchise" mode. Just watching Archuleta cream someone is worth the price of admission. Yeah, it's not a long term career game... but its fun!


Todd