Menu Optimization (Franchise)

[cheez7]

Playing on Series X, which I can restart the console and be back running in seconds. I can load games and start playing them within seconds.

Which I why I don’t understand how navigating menus in franchise mode feels so laggy. Even switching categories (overview, attributes, etc) within a player page takes a moment for info to load.

I play/try out a ton of different games across all genres and within the current gen, Madden is the only one where navigating menus feels sluggish. On the sports side, FIFA doesn’t feel that way. The Show doesn’t. 2K doesn’t. NHL doesn’t.

Or perhaps considering I’ve played the franchise since the beginning, I’ve finally reached “old man yells at cloud” status. 😉

[PhillyPhanatic14]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

It straight up SUCKS. I have tried cloud cfm, offline cfm, mut, superstar... it's all delayed and laggy. It makes me feel stuck in mud. It takes longer to get from one menu to the next than it does to quick resume into a game i wasn't even playing.


Seen people talk about this on PC as well. It's a major issue that's not just affecting us on the Series X. I feel like half of my trial hours are going to waiting for menus to load.

[Kotter]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

It straight up SUCKS. I have tried cloud cfm, offline cfm, mut, superstar... it's all delayed and laggy. It makes me feel stuck in mud. It takes longer to get from one menu to the next than it does to quick resume into a game i wasn't even playing.

I think it partly has to do with the auto/save feature. But this “stuck in mud” feeling of menu navigation has been in the game for years. I wondered if they felt like it made the game “cool” by having “animations” between screens.

But in reality I think it may just be old code that can’t keep up with the modern day graphics and information. I have absolutely no expertise so I’m probably wrong, but that’s what makes sense in my head.

They can’t possibly think it improves the experience and you’d have to think enough people have complained and enough people working on the game have noticed it that they would fix it if they (easily) could.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[PhillyPhanatic14]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

I think it partly has to do with the auto/save feature. But this “stuck in mud” feeling of menu navigation has been in the game for years. I wondered if they felt like it made the game “cool” by having “animations” between screens.

But in reality I think it may just be old code that can’t keep up with the modern day graphics and information. I have absolutely no expertise so I’m probably wrong, but that’s what makes sense in my head.

They can’t possibly think it improves the experience and you’d have to think enough people have complained and enough people working on the game have noticed it that they would fix it if they (easily) could.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Madden has never had the snappy-est menus, but this year is just terrible. Things like this and the weird stuttering after plays and TDs just blows my mind. Like you said - how did nobody at EA notice this?

[Chubz]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

Heck, it isn't just Franchise mode. Go to Play Now, choose your teams, and then try picking your Offensive and Defensive game plans... It feels like it takes a good ~2 seconds for each choice to even register. The worst part is, there's no indication the game is even processing your choice (no "loading" icon or anything; just a button press that goes completely unignored for well over a second). It feels borderline broken at times.

[tdoggy57]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

It’s terrible. Unacceptable. Feels like they’re just kicking the can

[HoundsOfHowl]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

I think it partly has to do with the auto/save feature. But this “stuck in mud” feeling of menu navigation has been in the game for years. I wondered if they felt like it made the game “cool” by having “animations” between screens.

But in reality I think it may just be old code that can’t keep up with the modern day graphics and information. I have absolutely no expertise so I’m probably wrong, but that’s what makes sense in my head.

They can’t possibly think it improves the experience and you’d have to think enough people have complained and enough people working on the game have noticed it that they would fix it if they (easily) could.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

You know how when you have a real crappy computer, and you open too many things at once? That’s maddens code for you.

Heck I’ve even been having lag in the final two minutes of games, every game, it’s like once we get to the two minute warning, frame rates drop bad. (Solo cfm)

[ClassActFan]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

I feel like Madden has always had slow, rigid menus. I've commented before regarding how snappy and quick NBA 2K's menus are, and it seems like such complaints always fell on deaf ears. I'm really glad more people are talking about the slow menus this year, from this thread to comments I've read on Reddit.

I hope it's something EA will fix for Madden '25. Maybe they'll label it as a new feature. Totally joking! I promise. Just being silly and adding slight comic relief given EA's notorious track record of decisions. Best case scenario, it would be nice if they could make the menus faster for '24. I know absolutely nothing about video game development, so maybe they can't, but it seems like they would have made the menus faster over the years. To me, it has always felt like an absolute slog, and with other games being so efficient and smooth, Madden's menu infrastructure sticks out like a sore thumb!

[Hooe]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

Yeah the menus in Madden have been sluggish for years. Console generations even. There's no reason they should be this slow on systems as powerful as the PS5 and XBOX Series X.

At the same time, I fear that it's probably challenging for any development director to get a green light for their engineering team to fix the issue since "faster menus" isn't something EA Sports can put on the back of the box.

[oneamongthefence]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

Yeah it started when they redid the menus in 22. In fact in that game they still had the coaching the background doing stuff. I imagine when they redid it it wasn't optimized at all. We all know the franchise code is a mess and I think that's probably why they held off adding much to it for as long as they did.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[DJaxHTTR]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

Madden has never had the snappy-est menus, but this year is just terrible. Things like this and the weird stuttering after plays and TDs just blows my mind. Like you said - how did nobody at EA notice this?

Any chance they patch that stuttering during gameplay?

[PhillyPhanatic14]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

Any chance they patch that stuttering during gameplay?

Gameplay stuttering was in the beta and I reported it. I think others did as well. So if it's not in the Day 1 patch my thought will be that they don't know how to fix it. Or at least they don't know how to fix it without breaking a bunch of other stuff.


When I saw how slow the menus were in offline cfm that took away my thought that this may be a server issue too. I think this is just an old outdated piece of crap menu system that we're stuck with. It's embarrassing for them that this is their final product. And it's a shame because the game on the field and the modes i've played have been a lot of fun so far.

[Tbjohnson2]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

I didnt play the beta but I did follow comments from others. I thought people were saying the menus were better/snappier in the beta. Am I going crazy?

[PhillyPhanatic14]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

I didnt play the beta but I did follow comments from others. I thought people were saying the menus were better/snappier in the beta. Am I going crazy?

Can't remember anything with the menus in the beta, but I don't think it was bad like this. The beta stuff i reported and saw from others was about the stuttering between plays.

[Tonka3013]

Re: Menu Optimization (Franchise)

Between the lag and the organization of the menus, I am pulling my hair out.

I have to click through so many menus from week to week. Look at how much menu flipping you have to do to sign and assign scouts. Open scouting menu. Go to your scouts. Fire them. Menu back to prospects. Flip through those menus to see what positions to scout. Back to hiring coaches. Then hire. Then go to your coaches menu. Assign the coach a region. Repeat 4 times.

Then you get to move onto the weekly training and it’s 3 menus with various things inside each to click on and wait for the load.

Oh, and when that’s done, you get to open the upgrade menu, click on a player, click on the attribute to upgrade, exit the menu, and repeat a few times. All of this with a 4-5 second delay on every button push.