Am I the only one who wants to keep it realistic?

[kehlis]

I usually wait a few weeks after realease to actually start the franchise I will be using (gives me time to get my accurate sliders and whatnot) so that will take me through a few accurate roster updates.

Once I start my season all bets are off, I don't want it to necessarily replicate real life because this is MY franchise.

That said, I don't make crazy and unrealistic trades, in fact I rarely do anything until the first off season.

[IndyColts2]

What is the point of playing a franchise then? You should just do play now and keep the updated rosters and then play your teams real schedule if you want to keep it realistic. Other than that their is no point in playing a franchise if you are going to quit because someone isn't on the team in real life anymore.

[Scarface-93]

Quote: Originally Posted by IndyColts2

What is the point of playing a franchise then? You should just do play now and keep the updated rosters and then play your teams real schedule if you want to keep it realistic. Other than that their is no point in playing a franchise if you are going to quit because someone isn't on the team in real life anymore.

Its about the story, the schedule, the rankings, just like a real season.
I couldn't be playing a franchise with for example LT as RB in New Orleans because then i think: These are not the real saints anymore. This is not the team I support in real life.
It even disturbs me that at the begin of year two, the worse teams have got a high draft pick as a starter. A guy who even doesn't exist. And all the trades and free agents, i just bothers me that a other team picks up a star player who, in real life, plays for another team. I just feel like: This is not the NFL anymore. This is some fantasy league or something like that.
I don't care when my team picks up a player, i didn't even know, his rating is bad and he plays on third string or something like that in real life.

[mavfan21]

I gave up on keeping the rosters aligned with real life a long time ago. Impossible to enjoy or have a long running franchise if you start over because your starting RB gets cut in real life. I enjoy the alternate reality of Franchise mode. Once you finish your first off-season you lose any semblance of reality so why worry?

[IndyColts2]

Ok, but how can you maintain the story, rankings and other stuff if you started your franchise over at week 13 in the regular season? Now your at week 1, with the rosters of the week 13 season, which is technically not keeping it realistic because you have rosters of the team before the team had those players. The only way to keep it realistic while still playing FRANCHISE MODE, is to control all 32 teams and make every single trade, free agent pick up, cuts and retirements. There is no way to keep it realistic in franchise mode because franchise mode is not meant to be a season of roster updates. It is meant to let you the player own your team and do whatever you want with it. If you want to keep quitting and restarting to get realistic rosters, what is the point of a franchise mode? Like I said before, if you want to keep it realistic, either play as 32 teams in franchise and make all the moves, or play exhibition matches while recording all the stats and rankings and follow the real NFL schedule as it is happening in real life.

[jfsolo]

It is the NFL, its an alternative reality NFL, but the NFL nonetheless. Many people like the OP, are bothered by this, and take steps to try and mimic the NFL "Prime" universe.

I'm in the camp that says, once I start my franchise, it no longer has any tether to what happens in reality. Its very fun and quite liberating.

Way back in the day, during the Earl Weaver Baseball, and then Front Page Sports Football days, I use to try and mimic reality. Man, it was a pain in the ***. I'll glad I got over caring about that sort of thing.

[billyboy316]

Well im trading the Bear's 1st round pick to Denver for some scrub to keep it somewhat realistic. After that though all things are possible because it's all about how we would run a team. If I want to trade for Randy Moss then I will (highly unlikely though).

[jeremym480]

Quote: Originally Posted by mavfan21

I gave up on keeping the rosters aligned with real life a long time ago. Impossible to enjoy or have a long running franchise if you start over because your starting RB gets cut in real life. I enjoy the alternate reality of Franchise mode. Once you finish your first off-season you lose any semblance of reality so why worry?

I agree with you Mavfan. I'm not one to make any crazy trades. I try to make trades that my team would make in real life and keep it as close as possible. However, you will NEVER be able to run a franchise with "real life" accurate roster's. Especially, with ongoing injury's and free agent signing's. Well, unless you want to start over after every week once the season starts.

And what's the point of even starting a second year? Because you may not be able to sign all of your free agents, older player's will retire and you'll draft rookies. The your original roster is all out of whack, as well as, every other teams.

My advice is: just let the real life football be real life football and let Madden be your own "alternate football universe". Don't sweat every little transaction to much or it's going to suck the fun right out of your franchise, IMO.

That's just my .02.