First of all, I want to acknowledge the improvements to last years mode. Josh Looman inherited an absolute disaster, so kudos for him to getting franchise mode back on track. There is still a lot of work to be done, however, and I am optimistic this will be a central focus of the dev team this year. I do always prepare myself for disappointment with Madden, though.
I believe franchise mode is the most important aspect of Madden. Yes, gameplay is essential as well. But with the way Madden is now, improve the gameplay and it’ll still bore me after a month. There is no sustainability. Franchise is terrible, and there are way too many glitchers online. I just don’t get satisfaction out of playing single CPU games, and don’t have enough buddies as into Madden as they are other games like Fifa/NHL. Therefore, franchise (to me) is essential. Here is a long-winded attempt to sort out what I consider to be improvements essential to an entertaining franchise mode. They say brevity is the soul of wit. For my sake, I sure hope that’s not actually the case
Coach Ratings/Schemes/Potential
As I’ll touch on later, I think it is imperative that coach experience be taken into account. Head coaches need leadership ratings, and their assistants ratings need to be flushed out and really matter. I feel as though scheme and coaching should impact development, rather that potential. If you break it down, all these players are exceptional athletes. All have the ability to thrive and be productive given the right role, system, and coaches. I highlight this point with the Colt McCoy selection in the draft. I can’t tell you how much I read about how McCoy’s skill set played into the W.C. offense perfectly. Stats, schemes, and coaching should play a big role in development. However, younger players who sit shouldn’t be inhibited by the fact that they aren’t putting up stats. They should be able to sit , learn, and develop.
As I said, all of these guys are exceptional athletes. There are freaks, however, like Jason Pierre-Paul and Taylor Mays. These guys should come in a bit raw (with low AWR and technical ratings), so some potential should play a part in determining their overall. I don’t think potential should put a ceiling on someone’s development, though. Also, it is essential that “A” potential players can absolutely fail. Start a franchise and in 5 years there are a disproportionate amount of players rated in the 90s. This is because all the 1
st round rookies come in with A potential.
Schemes are even more important with gameflow. I personally feel as though this makes the game MORE SIM (though I’m sure some respectfully disagree). Of course we’ll have to wait and see how it all pans out, but coordinators are very, very important this year. Their ratings need to be detailed and really matter, as should their schemes. There is a great thread on schemes by xblake16x here:
http://www.operationsports.com/forum...play-idea.html
Team Chemistry/Player Morale and Personality
The latest off-season demonstrates just how imperative team chemistry is. Individual player happiness can affect the locker room atmosphere, and GMs are forced into difficult situations a la Brandon Marshall and have to make very hard decisions that make franchises and, more specifically drafts, exceptionally interesting and unpredictable. Starting from the top down, a head coach should be given a leadership rating. I’m of the school of thought that believes one can lead on the field, and as such I don’t find a need for a player leadership rating. However, your captain should have a high morale in order for chemistry to be maintained.
Player morale ties into playing time, touches, contracts, and player interests ( i.e. winning franchise/city and climate preferences). I truly believe players need some amount of personality and preferences in order to make franchise interesting and create story-lines. I know the NFL won’t allow Madden to put in shenanigans like the escapades of Big Ben. As such, giving players preferences and personalities can create situations where I have to trade Jay Cutler for a first rounder even if I might not want to.
Player morale will affect team chemistry, especially with a new coach like McDaniels. On the flip side, a veteran coach like Bellicheck can afford to bring in a Randy Moss and because of his leadership, it won’t affect chemistry that much. Oh, and please bring holdouts back. This will alleviate the issue of signing that steal of a 5
th round pick (that you know is a steal) to a 7 year deal cheap. Gives the player an inherent advantage due to the fact that CPU logic dictates they sign these later round picks realistically to 1 year deals.
Seeing as NCAA does a fantastic job incorporating personalities into their players (preferences like playing time/tradition/etc), I see no reason why the same can’t be done in Madden. Doing so would increase the importance of the head coach and captains, while creating interesting story-lines that keeps franchise fresh.
Drafting and Scouting
The drafting process is the foundation of any successful franchise. I was very hopefully with Josh Looman hopping on board, and it is clear many strides were made. There are several things I’d do differently/add however. The first is to remove the potential bar for these players in pre-draft scouting. It was full proof, and an awful way of organizing players. I suggest a different mode of organization. I think there should be multiple boards/positional rankings/projected rounds with Kiper and Mcshay (throw in Mayock and I’d be ecstatic). Something like this from MORE THAN ONE SOURCE:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09...s&confirm=true. This forces a player to scout thoroughly and sort things out for themselves. You really need a working board you can reference for organizational purposes during the draft. Obviously, any presentation upgrades to the draft would be more than welcome. It is clearly a very entertaining and important aspect of the NFL, and I’m sure the Madden team will do something in this respect.
In a thread I saw LSX propose the following: “I want to have a team of scouts who suggest what players to watch for, more info on what type of player they are and who they are comparable to (West Coast Offense QB, 3-4 defensive end, slot receiver, etc), their college stats, ASSUMED potential (not locked in), and what we can expect from them in the NFL.” Couldn’t agree more. You should have different coaches/scouts vying for “THEIR GUY,” as each decision is ultimately a difficult one for the user. Again, detail each players projection in terms of scheme. “this guy is a tweener DE/OLB could play in a 3-4 as an edge rusher.” I want very detailed scouting reports…”This guys strength and explosiveness allow him to set the edge, but his motor is suspect.” Or, “with exceptional accuracy and mobility but suspect arm strength this guy fits into the west coast offense.”
Lastly, I think one of the coolest moments I’ve ever had in any sports game was the All American game I could play in College Hoops 2k8. The ability to play with players you could potentially sign was just epic…there is simply no other way to put it. Give me a Senior Bowl and I’d be absolutely thrilled. This would add a totally new facet to scouting, as you could get a real tangible “feel” for each player.
Other stuff that comes to mind:
-Contract holdouts
-Expansion mode back (teambuilder, anyone?)
-Rebuilding stadium/relocating options expanded (ability for commentators to pronounce new cities and teams)
-Training camp/positional battles
-Restricted free agents
-I don't know how to feel about pre-made draft classes. If they are to remain, however, names and schools need to be randomized to maintain unpredictability.
-Online franchise should include everything offline does
Lastly, I took some ideas from some other guys and tied them together with my own wishes. I tried to give credit wherever I took stuff, but if I left you out my apologies.
04-26-2010, 08:31 PM
