Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

[UpNorthCatsFan]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

9. Ben wishes they could build in something that takes how long a team has been together

I actually have what I consider a pretty good idea on how to make this happen. Came up with it while brain storming on ideas for the next madden




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[scitychamps87]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Although the contract issues are annoying, at least it's something every team in the mode deals with.

It makes it slightly easier to keep a dynasty together, but if you play on higher difficulty levels that's no guarantee of winning a Super Bowl every year. In '18 it took me two seasons just to re-tool the Jets roster to a fair enough point to squeak into the playoffs. And though I've made the playoffs for 5 of the next 7 seasons, I've never been able to get over the hump into the Super Bowl with my core star players. I've let some veteran players walk as they neared their early 30s as NFL teams would as well. The mode isn't perfect. QBs are grossly underpaid in Madden, but I've had enough fun with it to still be playing in June.

With the additions of archetypes, scheme fits, the new UI, draft classes, snapshots, and draft presentation I'll have enough material to make it through almost a decade of franchise seasons again. Will I have to use my imagination sometimes to make the presentation more immersive over the long run? Yes. But, I'm going to enjoy Madden 19, even with its flaws just as I always have. Video games are what you make them, and I'm going to make sure I have fun.

Sent from my XT1650 using Operation Sports mobile app

[TheBleedingRed21]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Madden 18 credits list Ben Haumiller as an associate producer. He has been on the madden team since ncaa cancelled I’m pretty sure. If this was a text I would post a pic of the credits but I ain’t gonna do all that.

Madden 19 was still Rex and Ben was on the team. Madden 20 will be Ben and what he wants to do.

Smace. You’re not reading what I’m writing. 1st year in FRANCHISE. Do you think the dude is making it up when he literally says it in the interview? Lol

[canes21]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Although the contract issues are annoying, at least it's something every team in the mode deals with.

It makes it slightly easier to keep a dynasty together, but if you play on higher difficulty levels that's no guarantee of winning a Super Bowl every year. In '18 it took me two seasons just to re-tool the Jets roster to a fair enough point to squeak into the playoffs. And though I've made the playoffs for 5 of the next 7 seasons, I've never been able to get over the hump into the Super Bowl with my core star players. I've let some veteran players walk as they neared their early 30s as NFL teams would as well. The mode isn't perfect. QBs are grossly underpaid in Madden, but I've had enough fun with it to still be playing in June.

With the additions of archetypes, scheme fits, the new UI, draft classes, snapshots, and draft presentation I'll have enough material to make it through almost a decade of franchise seasons again. Will I have to use my imagination sometimes to make the presentation more immersive over the long run? Yes. But, I'm going to enjoy Madden 19, even with its flaws just as I always have. Video games are what you make them, and I'm going to make sure I have fun.

Sent from my XT1650 using Operation Sports mobile app

I haven't bought Madden in a year or two at least because I didn't like what I saw enough to upgrade. I haven't been playing Madden either, I continue to play NCAA 14. With 19 being on PC and implementing a lot of the new features it is, I will be back to playing the franchise again.


What you said about setting it up to not win it all early is so true. The most fun dynasty I ever had was not taking picking a terrible team to rebuild or starting low and progressing to a good job in a major conference, it was picking my favorite team, Miami, who was always overrated and a top 10-15 team, and setting up sliders that made it hard to beat anyone. Now, this does result in gameplay at times that makes you want to throw the controller, but it is very rewarding and fun. It took me 3 years just to make an ACC title game and another year or two after that to win the title. My buddy was Mizzou, he won the SEC year one, didn't go to the title game because he had multiple losses and the upset wasn't enough to propel him forward, but he then went on to not make the conference title game for another 2 or 3 seasons.


It took until year 7 or 8 before I finally was the first to make the national title. I won it, but then we realized it had gotten easier because while the CPU couldn't keep players from graduating early, we were keeping nearly all of ours. Once we set up the house rule to let everyone go pro early that chose to, our rosters came back down from 99's to mid to low 90's in the good years which is where the CPU was and we never even made a title game again.


The losses got irritating, the gameplay at times made me see red, but ultimately I had more fun overall with that dynasty than I ever had in any other sports game.



I'm excited to finally get to play Madden again and have a modern football game. I don't agree with everything in the game like the XP system(I do like the way we progress now more than it used to be) and I dislike the lack of features in franchise that other sports games have, but I think the game looks to offer me enough to where I can customize it to what I want and get back to having a franchise that is as rewarding, enjoyable, and deep as my dynasty in NCAA 14.

[schnaidt1]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

I want to say it was madden, but maybe it was a 2k series game. But there was one year in the mid 2000's where there was a weekly recap show. You would press triangle and or some other button and it would play. It wasn't anything special just a guy super imposed on a sports center like background going over weekly scores, top players, etc. The more I think about it I think this was a 2k game (either football or basketball). My point still stands. This was the early 2000's we are talking about how are we not able to achieve this with madden on this gen?

The crazy part is he last time franchise was good was madden '11 or '12. That was the year before the switched to CFM when nobody was complaining about franchise in the first place. Although back then the potential grades were pretty predictable. I remember one instance where jamaracus russel always capped out at 84 with B potential but still way better than what we have now.

just a guy super imposed? lol it was 2 consoles ago...and that guy was chris berman lol

[stinkubus]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Madden makes hundred of millions of dollars for EA every year (don't let them lie to you). Why else would they host madden bowls and other tournaments with cash rewards. This game is turning a profit literally every single year. I am not even get started on how much ultimate team brings in for them.

Doesn't this mean they are doing something right by delivering a game that millions of people want to play?

[PackBucks]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

The contract issue removes free agency. Very few players even hit FA. You have to build your team like you are Ted Thompson former GM of the Packers. Players sign for peanuts.

I don't understand how it would be any difficult at all to increase the % that players sign for. A higher % will force the cpu to let players hit FA.

I feel that most devs or even indie devs could fix the contract issue in a day. Not expecting it to be perfect but just increase the amount players sign for.

[PackBucks]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

It's 2018 we shold really expect contracts to be dead on in CFM. They should even be able to have the AI or cpu mess up and over pay players or watch aging stars get cut. Have the CPU shop players in last year of contract looking for a big pay day they don't want to pay. Should even have players get in trouble or become a distraction and get traded or not resigned. This is what we should have in 2018.

What I would be happy with would be just a increased % of what players sign or resign for based on rating and potential. Something simple.

I don't want to see Kirk Cousins resigning with the Skins for 5 years 25 mill. Or Rodgers getting a new contract for 5 years 40 mill.

The last 5 years when you play a CFM in year one and say you take a crap team with alot of cap space and your like I can get a couple good players in FA and there is not one good player available. Most the time there is only 1 good FA in the whole free agency.

[briz1046]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Doesn't this mean they are doing something right by delivering a game that millions of people want to play?

Could be it's the NFL that is doing the something right and EA is just piggybacking of its popularity maybe ?

[PVarck31]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Just seeing so much negativity in the Madden forum is a drain on me and many others. But the problem is most of it is valid so it's like a catch 22.

I know the negative posters come in here and post because they want Madden to be better. And there is nothing wrong with that if it's done constructively. But it adds up fast and is so tiring to read sometimes.

My biggest complaint is those who come into the forum to deliver a one liner about how bad the game is and some do it in multiple threads.

Again, I get it. Most just want the game to be better and offer many constructive thoughts.

But the people who post the one liners and basically just say this game is garbage, please go away. If you hate the game so much and have nothing constructive to offer then why are you wasting your time and energy coming in here?

For the people who post mostly negative things about the game, just keep being constructive. But maybe post a few good things about the game too. Like a complement sandwich. lol

[huskerwr38]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

The contract issue removes free agency. Very few players even hit FA. You have to build your team like you are Ted Thompson former GM of the Packers. Players sign for peanuts.

I don't understand how it would be any difficult at all to increase the % that players sign for. A higher % will force the cpu to let players hit FA.

I feel that most devs or even indie devs could fix the contract issue in a day. Not expecting it to be perfect but just increase the amount players sign for.

Maybe this can be modded in the PC version?

[stinkubus]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Anything that makes it more difficult to retain players would be a welcome change really. It's just way to easy to keep your key guys.

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Hi, my name is Debbie and I'm a downer, not to take anything away from what Ben was able to accomplish in NCAA Football's Dynasty mode but let's not forget Josh Looman was the architect of the glory years of PS2 era Franchise mode and HC09, yet gave us Connected Careers mode. What I've seen the last decade plus is that the in spite of whatever bonafides any given person(s) may have, at the end of the day it can only impact Madden in such a way as EA Tib allows or sees fit.

In a discussion, some gamers and I were trying to recall what nonfootball type features or whatnot, were in NCAA Football from 2005 next-gen until its' last release, in comparison to Madden in that same time frame. I think Ben did some good things for emulating real NCAA Football in Dynasty mode, as well as Looman did for real NFL in HC09 and older Madden franchise mode but the difference thus far in Madden seems to be EA Tib's interest in EA/Madden Football being its' own unique version of football, with NFL branding. Imo, until that changes, anyone they bring in, in almost any position, is limited in how much football authenticity they can deliver in Madden.

[adembroski]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

Hi, my name is Debbie and I'm a downer, not to take anything away from what Ben was able to accomplish in NCAA Football's Dynasty mode but let's not forget Josh Looman was the architect of the glory years of PS2 era Franchise mode and HC09, yet gave us Connected Careers mode. What I've seen the last decade plus is that the in spite of whatever bonafides any given person(s) may have, at the end of the day it can only impact Madden in such a way as EA Tib allows or sees fit.

In a discussion, some gamers and I were trying to recall what nonfootball type features or whatnot, were in NCAA Football from 2005 next-gen until its' last release, in comparison to Madden in that same time frame. I think Ben did some good things for emulating real NCAA Football in Dynasty mode, as well as Looman did for real NFL in HC09 and older Madden franchise mode but the difference thus far in Madden seems to be EA Tib's interest in EA/Madden Football being its' own unique version of football, with NFL branding. Imo, until that changes, anyone they bring in, in almost any position, is limited in how much football authenticity they can deliver in Madden.

I'm going to have to pull a tverts here and be real vague, but there's a world of difference between the two circumstances you're describing. Night and day.

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Shopmaster Interview with Ben Haumiller Part 2

I'm going to have to pull a tverts here and be real vague, but there's a world of difference between the two circumstances you're describing. Night and day.

Fair enough but even going beyond Looman specifically, my main point is that this is current Madden, not another game and it's been proven time and again, individual resumes haven't been a bellwether for Madden. Kolbe Launchbaugh, Cam Weber, physicists, Larry Richart, Mike Young, Scantlebury, etc yet Madden has still been EA Football the last 14 years. With Young specifically, I still remember him actually admitting that gamers want presentation like the real networks broadcast for M12, delivering that but then saying the opposite for M13 and going back to that beyond stuff.

What I'm referring to is way more of a defense of Ben than any criticism because whenever the masses perceive him as THE guy over CFM, IF that still doesn't translate into authenticity for the mode, like it did for Dynasty mode when he was THE guy, Ben would likely be blamed. However I see it differently based on what I've seen play out time and again.