CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

FINAL EDIT:


If you are wondering when Madden 18 determines the ORDER of the games of schedule of the next season in offline CFM, that order is determined immediately after the results of week 17 of the previous season.

So if you don't want to have 5 straight road games, it would be best to have one save right before week 17 (assuming you don't make the playoffs, of course; if you make the playoffs I don't think it's feasible to fight your way to the Super Bowl, do the off-season, and then restart because you got a terrible schedule).



But if you're not in the post-season, here is how to get a decent schedule:


(1) Save the franchise to something like "ScheduleTest" BEFORE you sim past week 17.
(2) Immediately make another save called "ScheduleTest2." (this will be at wild-card weekend)
(3) Simulate to the draft. Check the schedule. If it sucks, then reload ScheduleTest and do it again. If it DOESN'T suck, then instead, load ScheduleTest2 (because at this point you will be on "ScheduleTest2-Autosave"), and then save over your original franchise. When you finish the Super Bowl and off-season, you will now have the good schedule that you found when you simmed with ScheduleTest2 (and it became "ScheduleTest2-Autosave").




In short, if ScheduleTest2-Autosave gives you a good schedule by the time you reach the draft, that mans that ScheduleTest2, which is at the wild card week of the previous season, will give you that same schedule.


This is what I've discovered today during testing, but as with all things, I might have made an error. But this should work.




...............Original post plus edits................


Simple question. I know the opponents are determined by standings ( or they should be...), but when is the exact order determined? Post-Super Bowl? Post-Free Agency? Etc.


ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION EDIT:- I am NOT talking about WHO you play. 14 of 16 game are division, the other division you play all 4 games against, and the division from the other conference. I'm talking about the ORDER.


EDITED TO ADD: I am talking about OFFLINE CFM.


EDITED TO ADD PART DUEX:

I can confirm that it is generated AT LEAST by stage 3 of Free Agency. Doing some further testing to see how early it goes.

Just did another test.

The schedule is determined BEFORE you even play the Super Bowl in the year prior.

Next I'm going to test the end of the regular season.

And now I've tested starting at the end of the regular season (wild card week), and once again, you end up with the same schedule the next season.


The next test will be from week 17, but once again with the exact same wins and losses determined before hand.

CONFIRMED. Schedule is determined after week 17. I was able to get two different schedules after simming before the end of week 17 to the next draft, with all wins/losses being identical.

Tested this a few more times and got two instances of starting @Broncos, one starting @Rams, and one starting @Seahawks.


I can't say how many possible perutations are in the game, since true randomness is not possible in programming, and I sure as heck and not going to do this test 100, 1000, 100000 times. BUT, the schedule is determined on Wild Card weekend.

As you can see, the magic place is in between week 17 and Wild Card weekend. When you sim past week 17, the next season's schedule is determined.

[T4VERTS]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

Simple question. I know the opponents are determined by standings ( or they should be...), but when is the exact order determined? Post-Super Bowl? Post-Free Agency? Etc.

I believe it is generated on advance to draft.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

I can confirm that it is generated AT LEAST by stage 3 of Free Agency. Doing some further testing to see how early it goes.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

I can confirm that it is generated AT LEAST by stage 3 of Free Agency. Doing some further testing to see how early it goes.

Just did another test.

The schedule is determined BEFORE you even play the Super Bowl in the year prior.

Next I'm going to test the end of the regular season.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

I can confirm that it is generated AT LEAST by stage 3 of Free Agency. Doing some further testing to see how early it goes.

Just did another test.

The schedule is determined BEFORE you even play the Super Bowl in the year prior.

Next I'm going to test the end of the regular season.

And now I've tested starting at the end of the regular season (wild card week), and once again, you end up with the same schedule the next season.


The next test will be from week 17, but once again with the exact same wins and losses determined before hand.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

I can confirm that it is generated AT LEAST by stage 3 of Free Agency. Doing some further testing to see how early it goes.

Just did another test.

The schedule is determined BEFORE you even play the Super Bowl in the year prior.

Next I'm going to test the end of the regular season.

And now I've tested starting at the end of the regular season (wild card week), and once again, you end up with the same schedule the next season.


The next test will be from week 17, but once again with the exact same wins and losses determined before hand.

CONFIRMED. Schedule is determined after week 17. I was able to get two different schedules after simming before the end of week 17 to the next draft, with all wins/losses being identical.

Tested this a few more times and got two instances of starting @Broncos, one starting @Rams, and one starting @Seahawks.


I can't say how many possible perutations are in the game, since true randomness is not possible in programming, and I sure as heck and not going to do this test 100, 1000, 100000 times. BUT, the schedule is determined on Wild Card weekend.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

I can confirm that it is generated AT LEAST by stage 3 of Free Agency. Doing some further testing to see how early it goes.

Just did another test.

The schedule is determined BEFORE you even play the Super Bowl in the year prior.

Next I'm going to test the end of the regular season.

And now I've tested starting at the end of the regular season (wild card week), and once again, you end up with the same schedule the next season.


The next test will be from week 17, but once again with the exact same wins and losses determined before hand.

CONFIRMED. Schedule is determined after week 17. I was able to get two different schedules after simming before the end of week 17 to the next draft, with all wins/losses being identical.

Tested this a few more times and got two instances of starting @Broncos, one starting @Rams, and one starting @Seahawks.


I can't say how many possible perutations are in the game, since true randomness is not possible in programming, and I sure as heck and not going to do this test 100, 1000, 100000 times. BUT, the schedule is determined on Wild Card weekend.

[coach422001]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

Simple question. I know the opponents are determined by standings ( or they should be...), but when is the exact order determined? Post-Super Bowl? Post-Free Agency? Etc.


EDITED TO ADD: I am talking about OFFLINE CFM.


EDITED TO ADD PART DUEX:






As you can see, the magic place is in between week 17 and Wild Card weekend. When you sim past week 17, the next season's schedule is determined.

So are you saying the week to week schedule is determined then by the game (it is a computer system so I don't see why not) or the opponents are determined between week 17 and WC weekend. If the latter that should then all be consistent with NFL Operations. ONLY 2 opponents are determined by record and position finished; all other games are already pre-determined by rotation of intra- and inter-conference opponents so every few years each team does play each other. From NFL operation website (https://operations.nfl.com/the-game/...fl-schedule/):

Here’s how each team’s opponents are set:
Every team plays six games against the other three teams in its division, facing off twice per season — once at home and once on the road.
The NFL’s scheduling formula ensures that all teams will play every team from every division in the other conference once every four years.
The NFL's scheduling formula ensures that all teams will play every team from every division in the other conference once every four years.
Every team plays one game against each of the four teams from a division within its conference — two games at home and two on the road. Which division a team plays is determined by a rotation system ensuring that the teams in one division will play the teams in every other division in its conference once every three years.
Every team plays one game against each of the four teams from a division in the other conference once per season — two games at home and two on the road. These matchups are also determined by a rotation, which ensures that all teams play every team from every division in the other conference once every four years.
Every team plays its remaining two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference — one game at home and the other on the road. The matchups are determined by where the teams finished in their divisions in the previous season. For example, a team that finished the previous year in third place in its division will play the third-place teams from the two other divisions in its conference.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

So are you saying the week to week schedule is determined then by the game (it is a computer system so I don't see why not) or the opponents are determined between week 17 and WC weekend. If the latter that should then all be consistent with NFL Operations. ONLY 2 opponents are determined by record and position finished; all other games are already pre-determined by rotation of intra- and inter-conference opponents so every few years each team does play each other. From NFL operation website (https://operations.nfl.com/the-game/...fl-schedule/):

Here’s how each team’s opponents are set:
Every team plays six games against the other three teams in its division, facing off twice per season — once at home and once on the road.
The NFL’s scheduling formula ensures that all teams will play every team from every division in the other conference once every four years.
The NFL's scheduling formula ensures that all teams will play every team from every division in the other conference once every four years.
Every team plays one game against each of the four teams from a division within its conference — two games at home and two on the road. Which division a team plays is determined by a rotation system ensuring that the teams in one division will play the teams in every other division in its conference once every three years.
Every team plays one game against each of the four teams from a division in the other conference once per season — two games at home and two on the road. These matchups are also determined by a rotation, which ensures that all teams play every team from every division in the other conference once every four years.
Every team plays its remaining two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference — one game at home and the other on the road. The matchups are determined by where the teams finished in their divisions in the previous season. For example, a team that finished the previous year in third place in its division will play the third-place teams from the two other divisions in its conference.

No. The MATCHUPS remain the same after week 17 no matter what you do. It's the ORDER that I'm concerned with.

Allow me to elaborate. In the REAL NFL, say you're an NFC team slated to play the AFC WEST, and it's March 19th. You know exactly who you're going to play. You just don't know the order. That won't be revealed until April.

What I am testing here is finding out exactly when Madden determines the ORDER of who you play.


And as it turns out, the order of who you play is determined at exactly the same time the actual opponents of who you play are determined (unlike in the real NFL, where it is determined right before the draft). Obviously, games against the other conference rotate every season, but standings still determine two of the 16 games on the schedule (in the real NFL, 6 games are divisional, 4 are versus a division from the other conference, and 4 are against a division in your conference. The final two depend on standings- that is NOT what I'm interested in here. I'm interested in the ORDER).




The relevance:

What if I don't like having four straight road games? It would be nice to reload another save and fix that with another randomly generated ORDER of the standings/rotation determined schedule. Unfortunately, you'd have to go clear back to the end of the previous regular season to do that.

[coach422001]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

No. The MATCHUPS remain the same after week 17 no matter what you do. It's the ORDER that I'm concerned with.

Allow me to elaborate. In the REAL NFL, say you're an NFC team slated to play the AFC WEST, and it's March 19th. You know exactly who you're going to play. You just don't know the order. That won't be revealed until April.

What I am testing here is finding out exactly when Madden determines the ORDER of who you play.


And as it turns out, the order of who you play is determined at exactly the same time the actual opponents of who you play are determined (unlike in the real NFL, where it is determined right before the draft). Obviously, games against the other conference rotate every season, but standings still determine two of the 16 games on the schedule (in the real NFL, 6 games are divisional, 4 are versus a division from the other conference, and 4 are against a division in your conference. The final two depend on standings- that is NOT what I'm interested in here. I'm interested in the ORDER).




The relevance:

What if I don't like having four straight road games? It would be nice to reload another save and fix that with another randomly generated ORDER of the standings/rotation determined schedule. Unfortunately, you'd have to go clear back to the end of the previous regular season to do that.

OK I got it. I figured you knew how the opponents are determined. I think there are folks that still think that the determination of opponents is as it was in past where many of the matchups were determined by finishing position. That's disappointing to have to go back that far to fix the scheduling (and you won't know it until you get to that same point in the offseason). Though they should from the outset be able to schedule a relevant league schedule such that teams aren't all scheduled on Thursdays, or no more than 3 road games in a row, etc. It may be worth calling to their attention to shift the generation of the schedule to the off season (and maybe get it right from the outset!). In the Show last year I made a blunder and lost the ability to sign my draft picks after getting through the championship series....it pained me to have to reload a save before the playoffs as it changed the outcomes had enjoyed the previous weeks and took me out of the immersion.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

OK I got it. I figured you knew how the opponents are determined. I think there are folks that still think that the determination of opponents is as it was in past where many of the matchups were determined by finishing position. That's disappointing to have to go back that far to fix the scheduling (and you won't know it until you get to that same point in the offseason). Though they should from the outset be able to schedule a relevant league schedule such that teams aren't all scheduled on Thursdays, or no more than 3 road games in a row, etc. It may be worth calling to their attention to shift the generation of the schedule to the off season (and maybe get it right from the outset!). In the Show last year I made a blunder and lost the ability to sign my draft picks after getting through the championship series....it pained me to have to reload a save before the playoffs as it changed the outcomes had enjoyed the previous weeks and took me out of the immersion.

Well, the preseason schedule is the same every season... with the 49ers playing the Rams in week 1. Realism schmealism.

But IF you aren’t a playoff team (because why would you go backwards if you win the sb), you can protect yourself with an extra save at least.

[bwburke94]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

Even if you are a playoff team, this should still work, shouldn't it? All you'd need to do is make another save.

• FIRST SAVE: In Week 17, after all games are played but before advancing.
• SECOND SAVE: At the start of wild card weekend. (If you get a bad schedule, go back to the first save, sim back to wild card weekend, and overwrite this save.)
• THIRD SAVE: The autosave generated by the second save. Should be at draft week - but you'll never actually need to do anything from this save.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: CFM: Precisely when is the new schedule determined each season?

Even if you are a playoff team, this should still work, shouldn't it? All you'd need to do is make another save.

• FIRST SAVE: In Week 17, after all games are played but before advancing.
• SECOND SAVE: At the start of wild card weekend. (If you get a bad schedule, go back to the first save, sim back to wild card weekend, and overwrite this save.)
• THIRD SAVE: The autosave generated by the second save. Should be at draft week - but you'll never actually need to do anything from this save.

I think it should (haven't tested it after all games are played but the advance hasn't happened yet, FYI), but I just figured no one wants to go through the playoffs and then restart. Because you won't KNOW what the next schedule is until after Free Agency, even thought it's already determined.