JoshC1977's Madden 18 Sliders (for CFM only)

[Shogunreaper]

Quote:

I always use the team's default HC. For whatever reason, I feel that the CPU play-calling gets dumbed-down when you are using created HC. Possibly placebo, but I won't discount the possibility that this could have some impact as we know past games had coach 'sliders' (such as off/def aggression) which impacted the gameplay noticeably.

What about for the patriots? Isn't that coach basically a created one anyway?

[JoshC1977]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shogunreaper

What about for the patriots? Isn't that coach basically a created one anyway?

Not really considered, but I would say he's probably the same as any other "real" coaches....irrespective of the face/name being generic.

[gman2774]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

I did a bit of an update to the OP. Added in my recommendation to set the CPU's offensive scheme to 'balanced' for all teams. Also added a little section (more for fun) for how I go about things in franchise mode. Not "must-haves", but it might give you all some insight on how I like to play. I had been working on this for a while, but never got a chance to post it when I came-down ill earlier this week. A copy of that is in the spoiler below. Spoiler Roster Others are catching onto this now too....but use the default 75 man roster in offline franchises. First of all, I believe that the game plays better when you're not importing a roster. It's not fundamentally different, but the gameplay is smoother and I think allows for a better fidelity of animations. Secondly, EA roster updates cause problems in franchise modes. Your top performing young players get such a huge boost in the roster updates (think Marshon Lattimore....76 overall in default...up to like an 87/88 now). Now....add your franchise rookie progression on top of that.and that upper tier of young guys will essentially have "double progression". That can have a pretty profound impact on how things shake up down the road in your franchise. Type of Franchise I always use the team's default HC. For whatever reason, I feel that the CPU play-calling gets dumbed-down when you are using created HC. Possibly placebo, but I won't discount the possibility that this could have some impact as we know past games had coach 'sliders' (such as off/def aggression) which impacted the gameplay noticeably. Progression Don't update player traits for your guys. The CPU doesn't seem to do it, so keep things on an even playing field. Sim your training every week. This should be a no-brainer for sim guys. XP is the easiest way to cheese the game. Don't compound it by doing drills. XP sliders...I personally use default. TDawg's are well-researched and should keep things in-line with EA's rosters and I have even seen interesting ideas like setting them all to 0. Keep an eye on year-end progression for your backup o-linemen....sometimes backups make the pro bowl and earn insane XP when they shouldn't have....if it happens, just spend the XP and the edit the players back to their original ratings. Scouting I haven't adopted any house rules for scouting yet but I don't use any tools or guides...none of those "if player has storyline X, then he has superstar dev" things. One other little thing, I DO like to scout later-round guys regionally for fun. Example: I'm seeing several guys from Pitt in my Steelers franchise...going to scout them. Steelers also historically fond of Buckeyes so I will for sure look that direction. I like having lesser guys to "root for" in my franchises....and it can be as simple as that "6th round MLB from Pitt"...and it becomes a lot of fun if they outproduce their stats. Trades So simple, just keep it real. Just because the CPU offers you a 2nd and 6th for a mediocre veteran doesn't mean you have to take it if the value isn't there for them. Just like with every sports game out there, you need to police yourself in your own trade negotiations. Contract extensions/Free Agency I don't give a player more years than he is asking for. I see some pretty good variety based on player skill and stage of career. Locking-up all your good players to 7 year deals is a) unrealistic and b) a very easy way to build-up a powerhouse quickly, which is boring. I also like to limit the number of times I have to negotiate extensions during the season (maybe 2-3 times). For high-end players and above average or better QBs, I offer a fair bit more money than they are asking for....basing it roughly on the highest paid players at their positions. CPU roster management Let's face it, the CPU sometimes needs a little help. I monitor their injury lists and make sure they don't have a cascade, I make sure my opponent has a reasonable allotment of healthy players before playing them each week. If they are short at a position (maybe only 2 healthy RBs) I first see if they have a practice squad guy I can promote for them, if not, I will sign them a free agent. If signing a FA, I base it on who is left healthy. If their starter is healthy, I sign them another backup....if their starter is hurt and it is long-duration....I might go to a higher-end vet. I will also use past precedent and storylines to add additional layers here. Simple example, I needed to sign a 3rd RB for Jax before a game. Corey Grant (an ex-Jag cut during preseason) was available...so I signed him....this happens in real life a lot. If I need to make a roster cut for the CPU, I try to demote a low-end, redundant depth guy to the practice squad first. If not feasible, I pick it a redundant player (does a team really need a 27 year old fifth guard?). As I get deeper into franchise, I will help engineer trades for the CPU as needed....maybe simply to add some storylines. Remember, it's your world....so have some fun with this....you can add a lot to your own experience by diving into things a bit for the other teams. Starting to feel up to playing the game now. Going to see how I still feel about the OP over the weekend and then go from there.

Josh-under progression do you mean not to spend the xp points after each game?


Sent from my iPad using Operation Sports

[gman2774]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

I did a bit of an update to the OP. Added in my recommendation to set the CPU's offensive scheme to 'balanced' for all teams. Also added a little section (more for fun) for how I go about things in franchise mode. Not "must-haves", but it might give you all some insight on how I like to play. I had been working on this for a while, but never got a chance to post it when I came-down ill earlier this week. A copy of that is in the spoiler below. Spoiler Roster Others are catching onto this now too....but use the default 75 man roster in offline franchises. First of all, I believe that the game plays better when you're not importing a roster. It's not fundamentally different, but the gameplay is smoother and I think allows for a better fidelity of animations. Secondly, EA roster updates cause problems in franchise modes. Your top performing young players get such a huge boost in the roster updates (think Marshon Lattimore....76 overall in default...up to like an 87/88 now). Now....add your franchise rookie progression on top of that.and that upper tier of young guys will essentially have "double progression". That can have a pretty profound impact on how things shake up down the road in your franchise. Type of Franchise I always use the team's default HC. For whatever reason, I feel that the CPU play-calling gets dumbed-down when you are using created HC. Possibly placebo, but I won't discount the possibility that this could have some impact as we know past games had coach 'sliders' (such as off/def aggression) which impacted the gameplay noticeably. Progression Don't update player traits for your guys. The CPU doesn't seem to do it, so keep things on an even playing field. Sim your training every week. This should be a no-brainer for sim guys. XP is the easiest way to cheese the game. Don't compound it by doing drills. XP sliders...I personally use default. TDawg's are well-researched and should keep things in-line with EA's rosters and I have even seen interesting ideas like setting them all to 0. Keep an eye on year-end progression for your backup o-linemen....sometimes backups make the pro bowl and earn insane XP when they shouldn't have....if it happens, just spend the XP and the edit the players back to their original ratings. Scouting I haven't adopted any house rules for scouting yet but I don't use any tools or guides...none of those "if player has storyline X, then he has superstar dev" things. One other little thing, I DO like to scout later-round guys regionally for fun. Example: I'm seeing several guys from Pitt in my Steelers franchise...going to scout them. Steelers also historically fond of Buckeyes so I will for sure look that direction. I like having lesser guys to "root for" in my franchises....and it can be as simple as that "6th round MLB from Pitt"...and it becomes a lot of fun if they outproduce their stats. Trades So simple, just keep it real. Just because the CPU offers you a 2nd and 6th for a mediocre veteran doesn't mean you have to take it if the value isn't there for them. Just like with every sports game out there, you need to police yourself in your own trade negotiations. Contract extensions/Free Agency I don't give a player more years than he is asking for. I see some pretty good variety based on player skill and stage of career. Locking-up all your good players to 7 year deals is a) unrealistic and b) a very easy way to build-up a powerhouse quickly, which is boring. I also like to limit the number of times I have to negotiate extensions during the season (maybe 2-3 times). For high-end players and above average or better QBs, I offer a fair bit more money than they are asking for....basing it roughly on the highest paid players at their positions. CPU roster management Let's face it, the CPU sometimes needs a little help. I monitor their injury lists and make sure they don't have a cascade, I make sure my opponent has a reasonable allotment of healthy players before playing them each week. If they are short at a position (maybe only 2 healthy RBs) I first see if they have a practice squad guy I can promote for them, if not, I will sign them a free agent. If signing a FA, I base it on who is left healthy. If their starter is healthy, I sign them another backup....if their starter is hurt and it is long-duration....I might go to a higher-end vet. I will also use past precedent and storylines to add additional layers here. Simple example, I needed to sign a 3rd RB for Jax before a game. Corey Grant (an ex-Jag cut during preseason) was available...so I signed him....this happens in real life a lot. If I need to make a roster cut for the CPU, I try to demote a low-end, redundant depth guy to the practice squad first. If not feasible, I pick it a redundant player (does a team really need a 27 year old fifth guard?). As I get deeper into franchise, I will help engineer trades for the CPU as needed....maybe simply to add some storylines. Remember, it's your world....so have some fun with this....you can add a lot to your own experience by diving into things a bit for the other teams. Starting to feel up to playing the game now. Going to see how I still feel about the OP over the weekend and then go from there.

Josh—one more question. Are you seeing consistent production from the cpu run game? Some context: In my first 4 CFM games as the Browns, the cpu run game has been ineffective and not much of a threat. Now 3 of those 4 games were agains the Ravens, Colts (Gore was hurt), and the Bengals so the competition has been light. However, with fatigue at 48, the pursuit angles and DT block shed seem aggressive and sharp. I am using 60/80 auto subs as well and I’m not sure if that is much of a factor.


Sent from my iPad using Operation Sports

[JoshC1977]

Quote: Originally Posted by gman2774

Josh-under progression do you mean not to spend the xp points after each game?

What I was referring to was not playing the drills.

However, I also only spend my XP the same weeks as the CPU does with 4 week progression....it's a little more gratifying to me....that's all.

Quote: Originally Posted by gman2774

Josh—one more question. Are you seeing consistent production from the cpu run game? Some context: In my first 4 CFM games as the Browns, the cpu run game has been ineffective and not much of a threat. Now 3 of those 4 games were agains the Ravens, Colts (Gore was hurt), and the Bengals so the competition has been light. However, with fatigue at 48, the pursuit angles and DT block shed seem aggressive and sharp. I am using 60/80 auto subs as well and I’m not sure if that is much of a factor.

With the OP (i.e. 49/50 subs), the CPU run game has been consistently good in my experiences. And frankly speaking, I don't think rotation is all that much worse at 49/50 than at 60/80.

[hunterdawgs10]

Has anyone ever seen the cpu have an opportunity to kick a game winning fg only to purposely run out the clock and go to overtime?

[TizziBoy]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

Progression Don't update player traits for your guys. The CPU doesn't seem to do it, so keep things on an even playing field. Sim your training every week. This should be a no-brainer for sim guys. XP is the easiest way to cheese the game. Don't compound it by doing drills. XP sliders...I personally use default. TDawg's are well-researched and should keep things in-line with EA's rosters and I have even seen interesting ideas like setting them all to 0. Keep an eye on year-end progression for your backup o-linemen....sometimes backups make the pro bowl and earn insane XP when they shouldn't have....if it happens, just spend the XP and the edit the players back to their original ratings.

Hi Josh,

concerning the OL issue, I'm increasing strength: it's true that str is important this year, but one point costs so much that absorbs every overprogression. Problem is: if your whole OL wins awards year after year it means that other teams in your conference never get points. Because of this every 3-4 seasons I edit 4-5 team's OL in my conference and lately if I have 3 or more good seasons I don't renew OL contracts.
Also please remember that "best LB" awards get no points nor legacy: because of this I always edit winners.

Least and last: the CPU do buy traits! It just doesn't happen frequently if you update every 4 weeks. But check out OROY/DROY and you'll see they get traits. Some defensive traits like moves are almost impossible to be found in rookies, so whenever you see someone with 2-3 of them it's always because they bought them.

[awffltony77]

I've since resigned to the extremely un-fun option of letting the cpu handle my progression. That way I'm in line with those idiots, good or bad, and don't end up with those emersion killing thoughts creeping in down the road....

Sent from my REVVLPLUS C3701A using Operation Sports mobile app