Madden's future of CFM is alarming

[Toupal]

My issues are not with the bugs.
Bugs are usually fixed in a patch.

One thing that patches don't do is add new features.

Maddens' franchise mode needs GROUND BREAKING features.

The three biggest additions that CFM has impressed me with are:

Improved/ Updated Commentary: I still play Madden 17 and I do not get tired of the commentary between Davis and Gaudin. EA really hit the nail on the head with these two.

Play-Now-Live: This is huge if you want a realistic franchise mode, but you don't start until mid-december.

Super-Sim: Personally, the only time I use this is if I am blowing a team out and get bored. That is not to say that I don't appreciate the feature, because this is some next level stuff and I am sure other greatly appreciate it.

What separated Madden from any other sports title for me, and the feature that originally got me hooked and choosing Madden over 2K was the incorporation of loading draft classes from NCAA to Madden. Granted that is no longer an option, I am just holding my breath for Madden to hit a homerun with a feature like that. This community has shared some phenomenal ideas to incorporate big ideas like these, however we just need EA to listen and action these items.

[SteelD34KC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Toupal

My issues are not with the bugs. Bugs are usually fixed in a patch. One thing that patches don't do is add new features. Maddens' franchise mode needs GROUND BREAKING features. The three biggest additions that CFM has impressed me with are: Improved/ Updated Commentary: I still play Madden 17 and I do not get tired of the commentary between Davis and Gaudin. EA really hit the nail on the head with these two. Play-Now-Live: This is huge if you want a realistic franchise mode, but you don't start until mid-december. Super-Sim: Personally, the only time I use this is if I am blowing a team out and get bored. That is not to say that I don't appreciate the feature, because this is some next level stuff and I am sure other greatly appreciate it. What separated Madden from any other sports title for me, and the feature that originally got me hooked and choosing Madden over 2K was the incorporation of loading draft classes from NCAA to Madden. Granted that is no longer an option, I am just holding my breath for Madden to hit a homerun with a feature like that. This community has shared some phenomenal ideas to incorporate big ideas like these, however we just need EA to listen and action these items.

Yeah a big gripe I have is that people here on OS have, for YEARS, fixed there game.

Literally custom playbooks make the AI look like a genius most of the time.

When they worked on the QB Traits, here on OS I mean, the QB's started to act a little better.

On and on it goes. Yet EA has never taken any of these fix's that we have, and incorporated them. Its a real shame.

[T4VERTS]

Quote: Originally Posted by SteelD34KC

Yeah a big gripe I have is that people here on OS have, for YEARS, fixed there game. Literally custom playbooks make the AI look like a genius most of the time. When they worked on the QB Traits, here on OS I mean, the QB's started to act a little better. On and on it goes. Yet EA has never taken any of these fix's that we have, and incorporated them. Its a real shame.

One thing is there is a definite disconnect between the experience people have when they play CPU's and when they only play other users. If you only play other users you'd never even notice or care about the way the CPU calls play or the QB AI. I sometimes wonder if that point gets missed at multiple levels. I only play against users and really never understood until I came here the other issues around those two items.

[SteelD34KC]

Quote: Originally Posted by T4VERTS

One thing is there is a definite disconnect between the experience people have when they play CPU's and when they only play other users. If you only play other users you'd never even notice or care about the way the CPU calls play or the QB AI. I sometimes wonder if that point gets missed at multiple levels. I only play against users and really never understood until I came here the other issues around those two items.

Yeah Ive joined and been part of several different leagues. And the rules that they have to lay down to get a good game is pretty hefty.

MUT online? Never again. I literally see the same 2-3 plays on offense and defense EVERY game.

No AI issues there, other then zones just NOT working at all. But man, the playerbase. Forget about it.

[Other Guy]

Quote: Originally Posted by SteelD34KC

Yeah a big gripe I have is that people here on OS have, for YEARS, fixed there game. Literally custom playbooks make the AI look like a genius most of the time. When they worked on the QB Traits, here on OS I mean, the QB's started to act a little better. On and on it goes. Yet EA has never taken any of these fix's that we have, and incorporated them. Its a real shame.

This really bothers me too. Sabo uploaded playbooks for all 32 teams two weeks after the game's release. Playing the CPU is now more challenging and more realistic. Again, one guy got them all done in two weeks. Why on earth has the entire Madden team not been able to get this done in all these years?

[SteelD34KC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Other Guy

This really bothers me too. Sabo uploaded playbooks for all 32 teams two weeks after the game's release. Playing the CPU is now more challenging and more realistic. Again, one guy got them all done in two weeks. Why on earth has the entire Madden team been able to get this done in all these years?

And Im 100% sure that if EA were to go to those dudes who fix there game, and be like hey we want to incorporate this into the game.

Those guys would be like, here, how can I help. lol.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by Other Guy

This really bothers me too. Sabo uploaded playbooks for all 32 teams two weeks after the game's release. Playing the CPU is now more challenging and more realistic. Again, one guy got them all done in two weeks. Why on earth has the entire Madden team been able to get this done in all these years?

These make all the difference, and Sabo is an MVP for the sim community.

They should be able to get playbook utilization, team differentiation, and game planning right at EA on their own, but the playbooks and game plans have been in a state of disarray for years. They'd do well to reach out to guys like Sabo.

[khaliib]

Quote: Originally Posted by T4VERTS

One thing is there is a definite disconnect between the experience people have when they play CPU's and when they only play other users. If you only play other users you'd never even notice or care about the way the CPU calls play or the QB AI. I sometimes wonder if that point gets missed at multiple levels. I only play against users and really never understood until I came here the other issues around those two items.

For Offline User vs CPU gamers only, greater "Customization" is just "mandatory" now.

What works for User vs User rarely translates into an improvement for User vs CPU mainly because users will do things during gameplay that the AI would not for any given scenario while staying within the realm of "realistic" across a multitudes of varied perspectives.

In this area (Customization) EA has always gone the opposite direction that 2K has gone.
Both run about even with the game issues that each community has to deal with, but it's providing the tools for gamers to customize certain aspects of the game that helps alleviate some of the issues in Franchise.

An example of this was the "Coverage" issue that was just Tuned.
Instead of a universal application, provide working Sliders that would allow gamers the ability to tweak to their perspectives.
- not just a single Slider, but "Sliders" that affect the minute details of what's being tweaked.

That was one of the questions I wished you could of asked during your interview.
Why not provide more sliders (aka 2k) that would allow gamers the ability to tweak their on/off field experience in Madden?
- every sports game has provided such tools except Madden.