CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

[PSCMPUNK]

What's your method? I hope everyone realizes by now the cpu does not practice. Nor does it gain exp. points benefits of "practicing" ever week. So, in an effort not to gain an unfair advantage & become an outright powerhouse in 2 or 3 years what's your method to solve this dilemna? I just hope they address this issue in the last patch coming out. Yet another broken feature. I mean why even add it if the A.I. doesn't use it. Other than that I love the whole exp. point base system. Even the practices. I just don't want an unfair advantage. I know the salary cap after a few years will prevent me from re-signing all my top players but I don't want to develop the whole league either. As of right now, I started my connected career over and am not practicing at all since they don't practice at all. Your feedback is appreciated.

Thank You.

[Ian Iachimoe]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

same. I dont practice @ all.

i read in the other thread "practice will ruin..." a poster (timhere1970) only uses practice during the preseason, like a sort of training camp. I think i will be doing this from now on as its hard to progress the rooks who dont play.

[cl34v4g3]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

As it stands right now, the only option is exactly what you're doing; don't practice. Which puts us back at the problem we had last year about 2/3/4 stringers not ever progressing. I wish they would take it all the way back to ps2/xbox days where you would do drills with individual players to progress them. That way, if you have a project QB you want to develop, you can do so without overly progressing every other player of your team.

[roman_back]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

just practice once every 4 weeks, this will help lower the points, and not get to crazy of progression.. that or do all the pre-season, and maybe up to the trade dedline then quit.

[soccerjoe69]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

Yeah, only do it during preaseason. My original process was to do a practice every week, develop young players really fast, and trade them for draft picks to continue the process. That way other teams could have 90+ playrers. This plan worked really well until i ended up with 10 first round picks in one season. -_-

[timhere1970]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

The advantage to doing it all four preseason games versus every four weeks is that you get enough xp to make meaningful up grades to your players in week one; then readjust your depth chart for the season. The only other times I upgrade players is the beggining of the playoffs and before the super bowl if I am in it.

[PGaither84]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

As it stands right now, the only option is exactly what you're doing; don't practice. Which puts us back at the problem we had last year about 2/3/4 stringers not ever progressing. I wish they would take it all the way back to ps2/xbox days where you would do drills with individual players to progress them. That way, if you have a project QB you want to develop, you can do so without overly progressing every other player of your team.

But back in the PS2 days, the computer didn't do mini camp drills either. Same problem. Still not a solution.

The real solution is that Looman need to give computer controlled teams 1,500 points every week. that will simulate succeeding in practice one week and failing the next. It is balanced. That way when the computer progresses it's players, they can stay on par with the user and back ups can progress as well.

Another change I would like to see is the value of the different practice scenarios. I mean, they are not all created equal and yet all have the same point value. Starting down by 10 is not the same as a tie game, or up by 3, or playing a full game. I also think it would be nice if after each practice, the one you last attempted would be grayed out until you complete all of them, that way you can't just abuse the easy ones over and over again and have to at least try the others.

Right now, this is simply another classic EA move... a good idea that is incomplete/unfinished. Just what Josh said they were NOT going to do. That they didn't want to put something in CCM until it was working properly. that was the mantra of Madden 13, was it not?

[extremeskins04]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

But back in the PS2 days, the computer didn't do mini camp drills either. Same problem. Still not a solution.

The real solution is that Looman need to give computer controlled teams 1,500 points every week. that will simulate succeeding in practice one week and failing the next. It is balanced. That way when the computer progresses it's players, they can stay on par with the user and back ups can progress as well.

Another change I would like to see is the value of the different practice scenarios. I mean, they are not all created equal and yet all have the same point value. Starting down by 10 is not the same as a tie game, or up by 3, or playing a full game. I also think it would be nice if after each practice, the one you last attempted would be grayed out until you complete all of them, that way you can't just abuse the easy ones over and over again and have to at least try the others.

Right now, this is simply another classic EA move... a good idea that is incomplete/unfinished. Just what Josh said they were NOT going to do. That they didn't want to put something in CCM until it was working properly. that was the mantra of Madden 13, was it not?

Honestly man, I don't truly believe EA will ever get it right. I mean it's been what...8 years now? New devs for EA have come and gone, some have stayed, some still don't have a clue, and some of the leadership on their dev team and their project managers STILL don't understand what it takes to make football simulation, and not just that...but make what they do have work PROPERLY.

There was a guy on here a few years ago that said "EA's idea of Madden has turned to less football simulation and more towards two random dudes picking up a controller and playing a quick game of head to head, or ....online play.."

As you can see, it's gone straight in that direction and I don't believe it will change. And it's a shame.

[PGaither84]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

Oh, it has nothing to do with KNOWING how to make a football simulation. I have met some of those guys [many guys i met have moved on to other projects, but some are still there] and I think most know what to do, but [valid or not] they have plenty of excuses as to why they don't do it.

In a nut shell, it has to do with time and money. They can invest the resources to make the O-line play better, but those in charge of budgeting the resources required [man hours] don't feel the investment will pay off [increased sales.] Spending time creating Madden Ultimate Team [MUT] for Madden 10 and maintaining it, promoting it, expanding it has been a gold mine.

That is also why that whole "idea scale" thing was invented. People are supposed to vote up/down what they think is most important to improve to help give consumer feedback.

Also, these guys aren't lazy... even AJ [adembroski, former OS member who was offered a job at EA for a few years] talked about in his rant after leaving EA about how the "real problem" is the mentality and priority of those in charge. They are trying to chase Call of Duty numbers as though that were at all possible or a fair comparison [of which neither is the case.]

[EricFreakingBerry]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

The only thing I've started trying to do to offset this is to try to house rule myself when it comes to the good backups I have.

I don't practice except for pre-season and one time at the midway point of the season. That way, I can still progress the players who aren't really seeing the field. But then in the offseason, if I know I can fleece the AI in a trade, I simply try to take lower draft picks in exchange for them instead of 1st rounders.

They need to bring back restricted/unrestricted FA's. I don't freaking care if you don't understand the game, make it an option to turn on and off and those of us who DO understand it can use it. That way, I would let several of my backups go and just take a compensatory pick instead of fleecing the AI for all their picks.

[silver281gt]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

I don't practice or use my XP points earned from games. I just play every week and my games how they are.

[kpkpkp]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

Oh man I didn't even know this was happening....

So do players on CPU teams progress at all?

[EricFreakingBerry]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

Oh man I didn't even know this was happening....

So do players on CPU teams progress at all?

They get XP from games and meeting milestone goals, etc. just not from practice. So if you practice and use the XP from it, you'll eventually gain a competitive advantage because your players will be more "progressed" than the CPU players. The CPU will still use the XP earned from games/goals on the setting you set (every 4 weeks, end of season, etc.) But they never practice so they don't get the 1000 XP for losing a practice or 2000 XP for winning a practice like the human player can.

The argument exists that it's not a huge deal because you can't afford (if you use the salary cap) to keep stacked teams, so then the AI will benefit from you having to unload these players, but obviously it is still an issue. Because if you progress up your players and push out veterans for draft picks, you'll always be able to maintain an advantage over the AI through the draft and probably field teams strong enough to make the Super Bowl nearly every year.

So, with that in mind you have to control yourself somehow if you don't want that type of advantage.

[kpkpkp]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

They get XP from games and meeting milestone goals, etc. just not from practice. So if you practice and use the XP from it, you'll eventually gain a competitive advantage because your players will be more "progressed" than the CPU players. The CPU will still use the XP earned from games/goals on the setting you set (every 4 weeks, end of season, etc.) But they never practice so they don't get the 1000 XP for losing a practice or 2000 XP for winning a practice like the human player can.

The argument exists that it's not a huge deal because you can't afford (if you use the salary cap) to keep stacked teams, so then the AI will benefit from you having to unload these players, but obviously it is still an issue. Because if you progress up your players and push out veterans for draft picks, you'll always be able to maintain an advantage over the AI through the draft and probably field teams strong enough to make the Super Bowl nearly every year.

So, with that in mind you have to control yourself somehow if you don't want that type of advantage.

Thanks, this helps me to understand this better. I can see how CPU 2nd and 3rd stringers won't get much XP, but they should at least get some when filling in for fatigued players and injuries.

I'll just do the "preseason practice" only method to keep it fair. And maybe one mid season practice.

Thanks for the info guys.

[eraserx13]

Re: CPU not getting practice exp. points solution?

I am trying a new franchise where I am free to practice as much I want. That said, I have incorporated some in-house rules:

1. Sign my own free agents at 120% of what they are asking in negotiations. If I don't like the number, then I don't sign them.

2. I can sign anyone in FA since its open competition.

3. I cannot trade any bench players. If they haven't played and accumulated meaningful stats, then there is no reason why the CPU would want them. This applies to all players except the QB since we have seen in real life, backups like Matt Schaub when he was on Atlanta get traded for high draft picks.

4. If I trade a starter, my compensation from the CPU is tied to their age, regardless of what they are offering. So if my player is 27-28 years old, the most I can get is a 7th round pick. If they are 25-26, the best is a 5th round. If they are 24 and below, I get best offer from the CPU. If they are 29+, they cannot be traded and will get cut if I need to move them. To facilitate the trade, I will accept the best offer and then trade back that pick to get the aforementioned compensation.

I'll see how this goes and hopefully I wont get a stacked team.