Get rid of the "Overall" rating.

[RogueHominid]

I actually like this idea. I don't think the argument from tradition is a good one for keeping that number. Madden simply sells; it will sell if they put all the numbers and instructions in Martian.

The Show has a bar system which I like, and you have to look at things like R/L contact and power disparity between different players, get an overall sense of fielding ability, etc. There are specific numbers under the hood and in the editing menu now, but there's not an overall number and I think that's more realistic.

There aren't any 92's in the NFL. There are elite, above average, average, and below average players. I don't think overall numbers tell the whole story or even necessarily the right story. Let's say there's a speedy WR who is bad in traffic but has an 85 because of his speed, elusiveness, and maybe return ability or something. And then you have a guy who is slower, runs better routes, and is tough in the middle but is rated an 81. Well, if you run a ball control offense with a short passing attack, that second player is the better player for you, so the overall isn't necessarily meaningful.

The overall number doesn't tell you enough, I don't think. I'd be interested to know how that number is generated--i.e., which ratings are weighted more heavily and which less so per position when computing that overall rating.

In lieu of that, I'd prefer "characterization"-- player X is a road-grading tackle, a stalwart MLB vs. the run, etc. That makes more sense in football terms than the abstract numerical system.

[bang911]

There are plenty of occasions where I have put in players with lower OVR ratings because of one attribute that I feel is more important than the OVR rating.

The OVR rating is not a cheat that gives you the optimal depth chart for your team. It is a generic guide that leads your roster setup in the right direction. You still organize your team the way you want them to play and that means ignoring the OVR rating sometimes.

[seriousluboy83]

i believe what he's saying is having player types like MLB for ex. balanced, hard hitter or coverage.....i think that's more along the lines of what he meant....

[NoSubs]

I don't see how getting rid of the overall rating is beneficial.

Sure it is good to look at players ratings in each category and see his style of play, I agree that you may start a player with a lower OVR because of some key attributes, maybe one player fits your system better than another despite a lower OVR, but why get rid of the OVR? Why does the OVR inhibit your ability to do that?

Plus the OVR is extremely useful for saving time with trades, contracts, FA's, etc. Imagine the free agent list if you could not sort by OVR. If you are looking for a guard and you see:
Player A 80RBK 82RBF 84RBS 79PBK 81PBF 83PBS
Player B 78RBK 80RBF 81RBS 83PBK 84PBF 82PBS
Player C 80RBK 83RBF 80RBS 81PBK 82PBF 80PBS
...etc. down the list.

Who do you sign? How can you tell if the player is better than what you have? Are you going to sit there with a calculator and average those ratings and try and see who who has the highest combination? If so you are just replicating the OVR. Imagine trying to sign a HB, there are so many ratings that go into it, are you going to sit there for hours infront of the FA list trying to see who is best? Even if you are going to do that, why does the OVR offend you so much that you want it removed? Just don't pay much attention to it.

The OVR is a heuristic, it will help you come to a faster decision, it might not always result in an optimal solution, but nothing is preventing you from doing further analysis. Getting rid of the OVR would be terrible. If it was an option I would be surprised at anyone wanting to use it.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoSubs

The OVR is a heuristic, it will help you come to a faster decision, it might not always result in an optimal solution, but nothing is preventing you from doing further analysis. Getting rid of the OVR would be terrible. If it was an option I would be surprised at anyone wanting to use it.

That's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure if I agree. What does the OVR allow you to see or learn about a player? That he is "better" by one, two, five points? Again, how the OVR is calculated and how ratings are weighted in that calculation are significant factors in determining just what that number "tells" you.

IMO, football is about on-field skills and how they fit schemes. Good players are those who have the skills that fit the schemes their teams run. I think the gist of the OP's post is that there might be a better way to represent that real-world fact in Madden than overall ratings numbers. It sounds sensible to me, and it seems like a good idea, too, to ask just what that OVR really signifies if we're all so attached to it.

[NoSubs]

Quote: Originally Posted by The Autumn Wind

That's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure if I agree. What does the OVR allow you to see or learn about a player? That he is "better" by one, two, five points? Again, how the OVR is calculated and how ratings are weighted in that calculation are significant factors in determining just what that number "tells" you.

It's like a filter so you can focus on the top five or so players at a position. If not, imagine trying to pick which HB to sign. Rather than comparing the top 5 or 10 you would have to keep sorting by everything that goes into an HB.

You would sort by SPD, CTH, TRK, AGL, ELU, INJ, STA, etc. Each time it would be full of those outliers who are really good at one rating, but not good at others. So you keep trying to narrow it down to guys who are balanced across all the ratings, worthy of being your starter. All you are doing is replicating the OVR.

It's not about choosing a 92 over a 91, it's about not having your searches full of 65 OVR players who are really good at the rating you are sorting (i.e. 97 SPD), but not balanced enough to be your starting HB.

Nonetheless, the main point is that if you want to ignore OVR you can do so, but why take it out? At worst it shows you which players are worthy of further consideration, so why get rid of it?

[lgxjames]

I think something should be done, How do you seriously come up with a OVR of a player in real life??

[l NErd l]

Quote: Originally Posted by xtremedunkz

I've been thinkin about t his for a while. Ans even if this was just placed as an option in Franchise Mode it would be very useful. A lot of people see a linebacker rated 85 overall, and then a linebacker rated 80 overall. They will take the 85 rated guy 95% of the time. But if you were to get rid of or hide the overall rating. It requires the player to look throguh all the ratigns to decide what kind of player he wants. Does he want the backer with more speed and pursuit? Or does he want the strong hard hitting backer? I just think this would add more planning into franchise mode and would liek to see this option added at some point.

I honestly can give a damn about the overall rating. I take the time to do a quick scan at what rating is important enough to me at the time (Depending on my teams needs). You do have a valid point though. I see where you are coming from.


Then again, most Madden players think little to none enough to not care about the other ratings BUT the overall rating. They play for "fun"; EA is not going to make things too "difficult" for these "types" of gamers.


Sad to say.