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:

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ 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]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

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∞]

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∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

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∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ 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∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ 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∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ 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]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

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.