UFC 3 is a great game when it comes to actual gameplay mechanics. Theres a few exploits there, but they don't overshine what is otherwise a highly realistic MMA game. However, playing online gets really boring quick, and with how good the AI has actually gotten, I really hope we get some more offline options. Tournaments are fun, quick fights can obviously be fun too, but the career mode is plain horrible. It's scripted, shallow and you have close to no control in terms of what kind of fighter you want to create. Maybe in broad terms, and late in the career (after the super fight), you might be able to have unlocked enough gyms to pick and choose between moves. But until then, you gotta just go with what you're presented. And it's too bad. So I thought I'd present my dream for the career mode in UFC 4. Hopefully the devs sees this, and takes it into consideration.
Dynamic roster
Broadly, I hope we get a realistic, customisable and dynamic mode in the next instalment. Where the UFC (at least your division) follows along as your career progresses. Guys retire if they're too old, their physical attributes go down. Some (especially high IQ fighters) might be able to stay relevant until they're 40 years old or something. But definitely not the majority. New CAF's emerge, who develop their skills until a certain age, as well as young fighters on the roster eventually reaching a level where they can be contender (Alexander Hernandez fx). Some are destined to never be more than fillers, some gatekeepers, some contenders, and on the rare occasion, you might see a legit future legend emerge through the ranks to threaten your position. I'd love for us to have more options to follow the roster or division. Like the leaderboards, standings and some of the historic options in 2K. Fx. give us a hub, where we can see the current standings, all the events that had passed throughout your career, how the fights went down (just who won maybe) and an ability to go into every fighters own hub, to see his current record, and who he has faced. Just creates a lot of immersion in the mode. Again, like 2K's MyLeague.
Customisation options
It would be really cool if we could actually create custom rosters as well. Maybe even allow us to edit the rosters while in the mode (think NBA2K's MyLeague). That way, if the division is looking a little think because you cleaned it out, you can insert some young lion to the division, and hopefully he'll blast through the division and give you a tough contender to keep you fresh. Also adds the possibility of creating your own storylines. Fx. I could see myself creating some 30 year old monster wrestler, with no MMA experience, and have him be like an olympic medalist or something. That way, I can give him high stats from the get go (like DC). I know, it's silly, but it would keep the game fun. That's often how I play MyLeague in 2K where you have these options.
Simulation engine
Also, the other fighters on the roster keep fighting, and the fights are simulated based on their stats (maybe styles) and of course a tiny bit of randomness (TINY!!!!). Hopefully that means, that guys like Khabib, Jones etc. is the ones you have to eventually dethrone (if you can), and perhaps they'll keep knocking on the door throughout a good chunk of the career., if they haven't stepped outside of their peak at that point.
Fighter creation
Now to the players' actual career. For me, the optimal thing would be if we were allowed to create exactly the fighter we wanted from the get go. If I want him to be an 18 year old GOAT, so be it. If I want to give him realistic stats in terms of the technical attributes like accuracy, grappling etc., but fx. have his physical attributes like speed, power and health already be elite (which is actually more realistic), so be it. You could always make it so, that achievement etc. only counts for those who chose the "grinding" playstyle, and have it be a choice you make before you start (customisable mode or non-customisable mode).
Ability to customise own fighter completely
So you open the career mode, create you guys appearance, background and style. Like you do already. Only difference is, if you play the customisable version, you can now also edit his specific stats to your liking, as well as his move-set. If you want to put a cap on how many moves you can have equipped from the get go, and how high you stats can be, then that's fine with me. As long as you allow us to define the style of our fighter, so we don't have to spend most of the career with a limited fighter, and once we've actually reached a point to where he stands out with his own style, the career is almost over.
Gyms and upgrading system
Throughout your career, you can of course upgrade his stats and moves. But none of that bracketed ****. I'm fine with it have to be earned through training etc., but allow us to allocate our XP to the specific stat we wish upgraded, as well as the specific move and move-level we wish to upgrade. If I don't need to learn a level 5 kneeler, it's pretty annoying that I have to do so in order to reach level 3 jab or whatever. Same goes for stats. It's literally impossible to end up with realistic looking stats as it is now because of the brackets. I always end up maxing something out in order to upgrade something else. Another thing tied to training is the gyms. I liked the inclusion of different gyms with specific traits. Keep that, but at least allow us the possibility to stay at the same gym throughout. If we fight someone who is also at that gym, give us some possibility to convince the gym, that they have to move forward with us, and not the guy we're facing. Ala Jones vs. Rashad and Perry vs. Cerrone, but where the young guy is actually favoured (again, realism, someone clearly on the brink of stardom, you don't just let that man go!).
Less scripted narrative
My last wish is for less scripted nonsense. The GOAT thing was pretty nice, but it doesn't have to be predicated on you being a two division champ. Allow us to do so (maybe even three division champ if we so choose), but also allow us the freedom to fx. stay at HW or something throughout. Let us have a bigger influence on the matchmaking. Give us a list of potenital fights within our reach in terms of the rankings (maybe even at different weight classes for either another strap or just a great matchup), and allow us to call them out. Even after becoming champ. We kind of have that option before becoming champ, where we can pick between three guys. That would be fine. Keep that option after becoming champ as well. Maybe even add call outs from these fighters if you're the champ, and make us able to respond to those and chose who we feel talked the biggest game to earn a shot against us. Also, have a bunch of goals we can achieve in regards to GOAT status. We already do, but even more of them, so that we can carve or own path towards GOAT status, and not just the path you guys decided. Like, if I'm 50-0 and a double champ, I'm the GOAT. No way around it. I'm pretty sure you can have a scenario in UFC 3 where you're 50-0 but not the GOAT lol. If you want to keep the cutscenes because of sales and marketability, have them be very broad, so that they can act in most scenarios. Don't know to what extend that is possible, I'm not a game developer and don't get the algorithms at play, but I hope that's possible! The reason 2K ruined their own career mode was exactly because of the scripted BS.
The only reason people still play 2K's career mode is because it's so closely tied to MyPark. 2K used to have great career modes, but they really dropped the ball since 2K15. An MMA game has GREAT potential in that regards, because we're talking about one vs. one fights. The landscape surrounding your fighter (the roster/division) should be fairly easy to simulate in a somewhat realistic manner, and every decision you make is about YOU. You don't have to add in factors like what teammates is on your team, what team you sign for etc. I really hope you'll take at least some of these points so UFC 4 can add some offline playability as I really want to properly enjoy the new amazing AI in this game, as well as have some other options than playing spammers and the likes online, who make me want to smash my TV on a daily basis.
Phew, that was a looooong as post. Feel free to add your own ideas, or comment on mine!
Dynamic roster
Broadly, I hope we get a realistic, customisable and dynamic mode in the next instalment. Where the UFC (at least your division) follows along as your career progresses. Guys retire if they're too old, their physical attributes go down. Some (especially high IQ fighters) might be able to stay relevant until they're 40 years old or something. But definitely not the majority. New CAF's emerge, who develop their skills until a certain age, as well as young fighters on the roster eventually reaching a level where they can be contender (Alexander Hernandez fx). Some are destined to never be more than fillers, some gatekeepers, some contenders, and on the rare occasion, you might see a legit future legend emerge through the ranks to threaten your position. I'd love for us to have more options to follow the roster or division. Like the leaderboards, standings and some of the historic options in 2K. Fx. give us a hub, where we can see the current standings, all the events that had passed throughout your career, how the fights went down (just who won maybe) and an ability to go into every fighters own hub, to see his current record, and who he has faced. Just creates a lot of immersion in the mode. Again, like 2K's MyLeague.
Customisation options
It would be really cool if we could actually create custom rosters as well. Maybe even allow us to edit the rosters while in the mode (think NBA2K's MyLeague). That way, if the division is looking a little think because you cleaned it out, you can insert some young lion to the division, and hopefully he'll blast through the division and give you a tough contender to keep you fresh. Also adds the possibility of creating your own storylines. Fx. I could see myself creating some 30 year old monster wrestler, with no MMA experience, and have him be like an olympic medalist or something. That way, I can give him high stats from the get go (like DC). I know, it's silly, but it would keep the game fun. That's often how I play MyLeague in 2K where you have these options.
Simulation engine
Also, the other fighters on the roster keep fighting, and the fights are simulated based on their stats (maybe styles) and of course a tiny bit of randomness (TINY!!!!). Hopefully that means, that guys like Khabib, Jones etc. is the ones you have to eventually dethrone (if you can), and perhaps they'll keep knocking on the door throughout a good chunk of the career., if they haven't stepped outside of their peak at that point.
Fighter creation
Now to the players' actual career. For me, the optimal thing would be if we were allowed to create exactly the fighter we wanted from the get go. If I want him to be an 18 year old GOAT, so be it. If I want to give him realistic stats in terms of the technical attributes like accuracy, grappling etc., but fx. have his physical attributes like speed, power and health already be elite (which is actually more realistic), so be it. You could always make it so, that achievement etc. only counts for those who chose the "grinding" playstyle, and have it be a choice you make before you start (customisable mode or non-customisable mode).
Ability to customise own fighter completely
So you open the career mode, create you guys appearance, background and style. Like you do already. Only difference is, if you play the customisable version, you can now also edit his specific stats to your liking, as well as his move-set. If you want to put a cap on how many moves you can have equipped from the get go, and how high you stats can be, then that's fine with me. As long as you allow us to define the style of our fighter, so we don't have to spend most of the career with a limited fighter, and once we've actually reached a point to where he stands out with his own style, the career is almost over.
Gyms and upgrading system
Throughout your career, you can of course upgrade his stats and moves. But none of that bracketed ****. I'm fine with it have to be earned through training etc., but allow us to allocate our XP to the specific stat we wish upgraded, as well as the specific move and move-level we wish to upgrade. If I don't need to learn a level 5 kneeler, it's pretty annoying that I have to do so in order to reach level 3 jab or whatever. Same goes for stats. It's literally impossible to end up with realistic looking stats as it is now because of the brackets. I always end up maxing something out in order to upgrade something else. Another thing tied to training is the gyms. I liked the inclusion of different gyms with specific traits. Keep that, but at least allow us the possibility to stay at the same gym throughout. If we fight someone who is also at that gym, give us some possibility to convince the gym, that they have to move forward with us, and not the guy we're facing. Ala Jones vs. Rashad and Perry vs. Cerrone, but where the young guy is actually favoured (again, realism, someone clearly on the brink of stardom, you don't just let that man go!).
Less scripted narrative
My last wish is for less scripted nonsense. The GOAT thing was pretty nice, but it doesn't have to be predicated on you being a two division champ. Allow us to do so (maybe even three division champ if we so choose), but also allow us the freedom to fx. stay at HW or something throughout. Let us have a bigger influence on the matchmaking. Give us a list of potenital fights within our reach in terms of the rankings (maybe even at different weight classes for either another strap or just a great matchup), and allow us to call them out. Even after becoming champ. We kind of have that option before becoming champ, where we can pick between three guys. That would be fine. Keep that option after becoming champ as well. Maybe even add call outs from these fighters if you're the champ, and make us able to respond to those and chose who we feel talked the biggest game to earn a shot against us. Also, have a bunch of goals we can achieve in regards to GOAT status. We already do, but even more of them, so that we can carve or own path towards GOAT status, and not just the path you guys decided. Like, if I'm 50-0 and a double champ, I'm the GOAT. No way around it. I'm pretty sure you can have a scenario in UFC 3 where you're 50-0 but not the GOAT lol. If you want to keep the cutscenes because of sales and marketability, have them be very broad, so that they can act in most scenarios. Don't know to what extend that is possible, I'm not a game developer and don't get the algorithms at play, but I hope that's possible! The reason 2K ruined their own career mode was exactly because of the scripted BS.
The only reason people still play 2K's career mode is because it's so closely tied to MyPark. 2K used to have great career modes, but they really dropped the ball since 2K15. An MMA game has GREAT potential in that regards, because we're talking about one vs. one fights. The landscape surrounding your fighter (the roster/division) should be fairly easy to simulate in a somewhat realistic manner, and every decision you make is about YOU. You don't have to add in factors like what teammates is on your team, what team you sign for etc. I really hope you'll take at least some of these points so UFC 4 can add some offline playability as I really want to properly enjoy the new amazing AI in this game, as well as have some other options than playing spammers and the likes online, who make me want to smash my TV on a daily basis.
Phew, that was a looooong as post. Feel free to add your own ideas, or comment on mine!
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