Was/has there been any franchise info released?

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

Since we are talking about practice changing, my hope is that they fixed the fact that CPU teams do not do their practices.

Since each player on your teams gets 1,000-2,000 XP for each practice depending on if you win/loose, you accumulate thousands of extra XP which CPU players never get since the CPU teams never practice.

This stunts the growth of CPU players big time, compared to Human controlled teams.

That simple fix alone will make a big improvement.

I hope they fixed it.

Yeah, but if they just let CPU teams sim practice every week, the whole league will be filled with players with 90+ ratings, several per team, before very long.

The whole progression system needs work. It's a tough balance: users want to be able to improve their teams through effort and be rewarded with competitive advantage. On the other hand, if you allow for too much reward, it breaks the sompetitive sim.

This is not a problem unique to Madden. In NBA 2K14, the Association mode lets you skill up your GM and training facilities to the point where any drafted overall 60 rated rookie could be so boosted that he's playing at an overall of 90+ before his rookie contract is up.

[stooge 1010]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

I really had my hopes up for practice squads to be put in, but now I'm really doubting it.

[oneamongthefence]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

Yeah, but if they just let CPU teams sim practice every week, the whole league will be filled with players with 90+ ratings, several per team, before very long.

The whole progression system needs work. It's a tough balance: users want to be able to improve their teams through effort and be rewarded with competitive advantage. On the other hand, if you allow for too much reward, it breaks the sompetitive sim.

This is not a problem unique to Madden. In NBA 2K14, the Association mode lets you skill up your GM and training facilities to the point where any drafted overall 60 rated rookie could be so boosted that he's playing at an overall of 90+ before his rookie contract is up.

isn't that how it is anyway in the base rosters? most teams already have 90 plus players and many with more than one that are 95 plus. in most of my cfms that I've played I'm basically a farm team where the league is filled with a lot of my former players since most teams don't know how to progress their players logically.

[Grey_Osprey]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

If changes to practice mode become the main advertising point for CFM this year...the only question I have is what has Josh Looman been doing for the past 10 months?? And how is this the guy who gave us Head Coach 09 brought barely any of those aspects over into Madden??

With that said I'm cautiously optimistic that they have some big reveal for the mode they're waiting to unveil....but with EA I just don't know.

My thoughts exactly! Not sure what exactly falls under Looman and his teams responsibilities, but it would be nice to see upgrades to A LOT of features within CFM.

Scouting
Offseason
Free Agency - to include RFA
Drafting - better CPU draft logic.
CPU roster management - to include player progression/release logic
The XP system - it's bad enough, but upgrading 1 pt at a time? SMH
Realistic player contracts - make the cap matter!
Assistant coaches and coaching contracts
Auto/formation subs
Schemes - do they really work/matter?
Ability to change pass/run ratio after creating your coach
32 team control - absolutely cumbersome. Took the fun right out of it.
Ability to advance (sim) more than one week at a time
Team Chemistry

[friscob]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

Yea the game is nothing to me without offline franchise mode and online ccm leagues, just like how a lot of you feel.

Really want the xp system fixed so a few years down the road my team isn't basically an all madden team while cpu teams never really progress. Sim injuries need to get fixed so we can reach a level where its on par with what i experience in my games.

A better set of sliders would be amazing. Bring back a blockshedding and rb ability slider to help out the CPU. Allow me to set formation subs outside of games b/c its an absolute pain to do once the game starts.

Re-signing players should be more difficult when they reach their last year in a contract. A player who might have an overall rating of 85 but just won the DPOY shouldn't resign without costing me a pretty penny. They should allow an option to restructure contracts. There should be the short term IR (or whatever its called) where guys can come back after being placed on it. A lot of additions they could make to make the experience more immersive

[Cowboy008]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

When should we start expecting to see the developer blogs about everything like they did last year?

[Robo COP]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

Since we are talking about practice changing, my hope is that they fixed the fact that CPU teams do not do their practices.

Since each player on your teams gets 1,000-2,000 XP for each practice depending on if you win/loose, you accumulate thousands of extra XP which CPU players never get since the CPU teams never practice.

This stunts the growth of CPU players big time, compared to Human controlled teams.

That simple fix alone will make a big improvement.

I hope they fixed it.

So glad you brought this up. I believe I was actually the one who brought this to the attention of the OS community. Of course, some people still try to defend the whole aspect of it.

But like others said after you, if practice is handled nearly the same way within a couple years all teams would have highly rated players. Hopefully with them going towards drill type practices maybe they are focusing on you only being able to earn xp to only a few players per week (whoever you use in the drill). That would be a far improved system.

I personally would rather see them do away with the entire xp system. It was an interesting concept, but it just doesn't work right. CPU teams do not know how to utilize it and it is also unrealistic to be able to make these types of improvements to veteran players. They just need to have some sort of system where players make most of their improvements their first couple of years in the league (so basically throughout their rookie contract). And then in rare occasions have players improve a little bit more down the road to mimic those types of players who don't really hit their prime until a little bit later in their career.

They also would need to make progression only slightly affected by statistics at the end of the year. Some people think it should be based off of player performance but I don't agree with that. You can use Vince Young as an example. After some of the things he was able to do in his rookie year I think many expected him to become a star in the league. What happened instead was he had a sophomore slump and was never able to come into form. So even though he had a solid rookie year with some great comeback wins he never panned out and now he is unemployed.

In that sense I would like to actually see players able to regress earlier on in their careers. Maybe somebody has a big year the final year on their rookie contract and signs a big contract in FA. Then their overall ends up dropping off a bit. Players often have big years but then fall off the map. As a Dallas fan I can think of two such players. Roy Williams and Roy Williams. The safety used to be a force in the middle and the WR at least had 1 big year in Detroit and two respectable ones before going to Dallas. Both continued to decline in play well before you could blame it on their ages. Another person that comes to mind is Albert Haynesworth after leaving the Titans. Anyway, even though I would like to see this I feel it would turn off to many gamers as they wouldn't like a player that they were expecting to be their star regress after a good year statistically.

I personally would like to see the training camp from way back when come back in some aspect. For those who didn't play back on xbox and PS2, they used to have minigames (drills) for training camp that you would run a player through. They had like 8 or so of them pertaining to different positions (for some reason they had 2 QB ones while only having one for DBs and whatnot). You could only run one player through the drill and, depending on how you did, got somewhere between 1-7 points to add to the players attributes (it was restricted to only certain attributes, so you couldn't boost speed by 7 or anything like that)

Anyway, I'm starting to get off course. I won't be able to bring myself to buy madden again until they fix the way CPU teams handle player personnel. Teams allow their franchise QBs to walk in free agency far too often and I just can't take how unbelievably unrealistic it is

[BuckGross27]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

My thoughts exactly! Not sure what exactly falls under Looman and his teams responsibilities, but it would be nice to see upgrades to A LOT of features within CFM.

Scouting
Offseason
Free Agency - to include RFA
Drafting - better CPU draft logic.
CPU roster management - to include player progression/release logic
The XP system - it's bad enough, but upgrading 1 pt at a time? SMH
Realistic player contracts - make the cap matter!
Assistant coaches and coaching contracts
Auto/formation subs
Schemes - do they really work/matter?
Ability to change pass/run ratio after creating your coach
32 team control - absolutely cumbersome. Took the fun right out of it.
Ability to advance (sim) more than one week at a time
Team Chemistry

Good points; with CPU roster management - I think they should also add some type of logic for starters just because a player has a higher rating doesn't mean he should start. For example if a 90 rated QB had 10 or so int's in a three week span the fans, media, and maybe the owner would be begging for a replacement. And if a 71 rated WR has a hot 5 or 6 game streak maybe he might move up the depth charts even know other WR are rated higher then him. There's a lot of little things they could add to make CFM more involved.

[Robo COP]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

Good points; with CPU roster management - I think they should also add some type of logic for starters just because a player has a higher rating doesn't mean he should start. For example if a 90 rated QB had 10 or so int's in a three week span the fans, media, and maybe the owner would be begging for a replacement. And if a 71 rated WR has a hot 5 or 6 game streak maybe he might move up the depth charts even know other WR are rated higher then him. There's a lot of little things they could add to make CFM more involved.

I remember back when they used to have that, at least in individual games, if a QB was doing terrible (like throwing 5 picks) they would put the back up in.

Also, anyone remember position battles? When guys were close overall wise in the preseason there was a "position battle" thing going on and whoever did the better statstically the CPU were reorder the depth charts and start whoever had the better preseason. It wasn't perfect but at least it's better than them just starting the higher ovr guy no matter what

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

On the issue of practice, I hope they added actual practice aside from the mini game drills. If I want to practice plays with my team I should be able to. It was in NCAA.

To the broader issue of CFM improvements, we were told when they switched to this connected careers mode that one of the benefits would be the work and features they would be able to add on in future releases. I have not forgot that promise so EA better deliver.

Specific things I want to see:
1. Create/edit a draft class: Always wanted this but with the absence of NCAA it becomes a necessity. It ain't that hard EA

2. Coaches should matter: Not just "traits" or "skills" but tendencies and philosophies. I could post an entire blog on the subject but here I will leave it at giving coaches personality. Speaking of personality...

3. Personality: Make CFM lifelike. Bring HC 09's personality system over and implement a morale system. I want to see holdouts and unhappy WRs if they don't get the ball enough.

4. Owner mode improvements: Currently it feels empty and meaningless. I can jack my prices to absurd levels and not see any impact when I play a game. And add more graphs and charts! Track attendance week to week and year to year.

5. Advanced stat tracking. I want to look back at previous years and see who led the league in a category. And add more stats, especially catches allowed for corners. The more advanced metrics the better.

6. Change the offseason format: I know this is as likely as Vulcans coming to visit us next week, but for the offseason instead of "advance week" can we pretty please get a calender similar to MLB The Show? Purty please?

7. Add some offseason goodies: Maybe it is because it is camp time but I think it would be cool if some type of camp was added to the offseason. Make it skills trainer and open practice but I want it to feel like it belongs. The primary reason is another topic but lets just say I think they should do away with "development speed" as is and make potential and possibly other ratings for rookies kinda hidden. The only way to reveal the ratings is give them reps in practice and preseason.
Lets use Manziel as an example. The Browns did not magically know every attribute (development speed included) when they drafted him. They need to see him in camp, practice, and game situations to get an idea of the player they have. Find a way to mimic this in game. It would make practice/preseason important and it would make for an interesting in game decision on whether or not to start that rookie.

I need to stop now before I start writing a small novel. Lets just say there is a lot I want added to CFM

[bucky60]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

7. Add some offseason goodies: Maybe it is because it is camp time but I think it would be cool if some type of camp was added to the offseason. Make it skills trainer and open practice but I want it to feel like it belongs. The primary reason is another topic but lets just say I think they should do away with "development speed" as is and make potential and possibly other ratings for rookies kinda hidden. The only way to reveal the ratings is give them reps in practice and preseason.
Lets use Manziel as an example. The Browns did not magically know every attribute (development speed included) when they drafted him. They need to see him in camp, practice, and game situations to get an idea of the player they have. Find a way to mimic this in game. It would make practice/preseason important and it would make for an interesting in game decision on whether or not to start that rookie.

I need to stop now before I start writing a small novel. Lets just say there is a lot I want added to CFM

I would like to see this tied to Scouts/Gm's and coaches evaluation attributes. We don't know a persons true potential, but some evaluators are a lot more accurate than other evaluators in trying to determine this. It's what I call actual vs perceived values. The perceived values would be more accurate with staffs better at evaluating and how much time the player has been on your team or in the league.

Not just potential, but for all non-physical/measurable attributes, I would like to see the actual attributes be hidden and show perceived attributes.

This would help give a realistic importance to scouts and coaching staffs being hired. Spend the money on better coaches (including coordinators and positions coaches) and better scouts and your view of your teams abilities and potentials will be more accurate.

For this to really make a difference, you would have to tie in other coaching staff qualities and how they would effect other aspects of the game, like teaching ability, some way to tie in gameplanning, etc. So when you hire a coaching staff, you have to decide which coaches will best fit your team and philosophy. You want better evaluators, better teachers, better game planners, etc. Do you want to spend the extra $'s on the best coaches that do most aspects of coaching well. Hire a mix of coaches in your coaching staff to try and strike a balance between evaluating, teaching and game planning.

The GM/Scouting staff can concentrate on evaluating rookies and players on other teams, while your coaching staff can concentrate more on evaluating your own players.

There are just so many ways to make the off field more realistic and with much more depth. This XP system just absolutely drives me crazy. I'm afraid the new practice stuff will be more of the same. Continue to be an arcade, unrealistic progression system.

Choice would be good here. One progression system for those that want the arcade stick/stat/mini game progression and another option that tries to implement real world factors in player progression. Take a guess which one I would prefer.

I would also like to see a hidden peak age start and peak age end to help distinguish between early and late bloomers and long distinguished careers.

For drafting rookies, the hidden actual values, along with the shown perceived values would help facilitate early round busts and late round gems in a draft. Also, draftees should immediately have their physical/measurable's displayed and your scouting staff would give perceived values for the more subjective attributes.

Add practice schedules for training camp, preseason and regular season, both team and individual drills. Mold the team the way teams are molded in real life. Make the practices simulatable that doesn't penalize for simulating them.

So much could have and should have been in this game by now.

[Ueauvan]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

so they went the skills trainer route for a franchise/sim game? as i play coach i would have preferred design the weeks schedule and it happens (ala 2k5) rather than use my l33t stick skillz (which i dont have, which is why i play coach in real terms less "arcade-ey"

this schedule would have a chance for each roster member to improve in areas that the schedule affected, film, physical, 7 on 7, scrimmage with pads etc., every week. the cpu would design what it needed to enable its roster members to meet their scheme expectations at that position. therefore practice helps all teams

[Hooe]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

so they went the skills trainer route for a franchise/sim game? as i play coach i would have preferred design the weeks schedule and it happens (ala 2k5) rather than use my l33t stick skillz (which i dont have, which is why i play coach in real terms less "arcade-ey"

The problem with weekly prep scheduling mechanics is that, based on previous implementations, they simply aren't fun in the general sense of the word. There's no interactivity on the part of the user and no ability for the user to influence the result, which in a video game that isn't a text sim is paramount to its fun factor.

Madden NFL is not a text sim and is not designed to be purely a coaching game, therefore it must have active components. I argue that thematically a weekly prep scheduling mechanic does not fit the from a game design standpoint for the overarching vision of the game.

[bucky60]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

The problem with weekly prep scheduling mechanics is that, based on previous implementations, they simply aren't fun in the general sense of the word.

To who? You're not speaking for me.

There's no interactivity on the part of the user and no ability for the user to influence the result,

The user has a lot of ability to influence the result if a realistic progression system is designed well. Just a different type of control. A more realistic type of control.

Madden NFL is not a text sim and is not designed to be purely a coaching game, therefore it must have active components. I argue that thematically a weekly prep scheduling mechanic does not fit the from a game design standpoint for the overarching vision of the game.

The game has an auto pass feature and has had CPUvsCPU in the past. It is not purely a joystick game. A realistic progression system may not have the "fun factor" for you and a significant % of others, but it still would for a significant % of us.

A real solution would be having the choice of an optional unrealistic arcade progression system or a realistic progression system.

[Hooe]

Re: Was/has there been any franchise info released?

To who? You're not speaking for me.

The user has a lot of ability to influence the result if a realistic progression system is designed well. Just a different type of control. A more realistic type of control.

The game has an auto pass feature and has had CPUvsCPU in the past. It is not purely a joystick game. A realistic progression system may not have the "fun factor" for you and a significant % of others, but it still would for a significant % of us.

A real solution would be having the choice of an optional unrealistic arcade progression system or a realistic progression system.

I know I don't speak for you in specific and I'm not trying to. I also don't think that the game is directly targeted for you given its current vision and design aims. Madden has almost _always_ kept user control at the forefront of its experience, with some small optional concessions shoe-horned in to accommodate niche players (e.g. auto-throw).

I think I do speak for a large number of people in that it's more fun to throw passes and to shed blocks than it is to manage a spreadsheet and solve a scheduling problem, especially in a game where the primary game mechanics involve throwing and shedding blocks moreso than scheduling. Personally, if I wanted to make a spreadsheet, I'd boot up Excel. Conversely, when I boot up my XBOX, I want to actively play a video game.

It's neither right nor wrong that Madden is designed as it is; Tiburon is free to make whatever game they want. It's worth keeping in mind what their aims are when considering potential additions and changes to the series, however. If Madden is directly taking away user control with a feature add or change, they are doing something counter to the rest of their game design and thus weakening the cohesiveness of their total package. Just look at the rest of their feature adds so far this year - be it the new defensive line controls, the new tackling controls, or the new camera controls - the features which give the user more control and freedom as to how he plays the game are always the ones being added.