Madden Ultimate Team: Questioning some design decisions

[Tengo Juego]

I really enjoy the concept of this mode. It's the perfect supplement to not having a major improvement to any of the three career modes(Superstar, Franchise and Online Franchise) in this year's iteration.

BUT, a few things changed from 10 to 11, in MUT. Particularly, the auction house.

The auction house. In Madden 10, you were not limited to any set selling price(starting bid and buy it now price). If you had a duplicate card, too many cards, or just didn't like a card you got, you could take it to the auction house and sell it for whatever you felt was a reasonable price. Ask too much, it wont sell. Ask too little, and well a lucky buyer snags the card he was looking for dirt cheap.

Now we have cards with a minimum predetermined price. For example, selling your 65OVR bronze FB card will be set to a minimum starting bid price of 500 coins, or 1000 to buy it now. And each card, in each tier has a set price depending on what value it's been given. At the rate in which you earn coins, that is a very expensive amount for such a low value card. If you're shelling our real money for your coins, you probably dont mind. But to anyone who is not playing the mode that way, it is very hard for them to team build. In any event of injury, you're stuck without cards until you've earned at least a 1000 coins to purchase a bronze pack. Or if you luckily scored an injury card in your first pack.

On top of this, you must pay a 50 coin auction fee. After my first two games, I'm in danger. If either of my safeties, or receivers goes down, I'm screwed. I cannot replace them. I'll be forced to have guys play both sides of the ball. While that may be interesting, it's not fun in the slightest having to play against NFL teams.

In conclusion, the jacked rates in the auction house have made it very difficult to build a team up. It is far too expensive to acquire a single card.

[Exonerated]

yeh mut auction house is whack. They should have kept it the same as last year.

Although, FIFA UT10 had a free market auction house. THere was a 5% listing tax, which only happened if you sold it. So if you sold something for 50k, you would only get 47.5k.

however, the prices for fifa ut10 are insane....

[Tengo Juego]

Yeah the posting fee is the least of the problem. The prices have basically made the auction house useless. Unless you get into a bidding war that is below the buy now price, it'd be better to just save up if you're turning to the auction house for a replacement or upgrade card.

[ajaxab]

I'm in complete agreement, but I think the decision was intentional. Short-circuiting a freer market means people pretty much have to use MS points to buy coins and subsequently put more money in EA's deep pockets.

[TheRunAndShoot]

For next year they ought to hire an intern w/an econ degree. All EA has to do is relay their vision on how they want auction house to function and bam... The intern will come up w/an answer

[Exonerated]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheRunAndShoot

For next year they ought to hire an intern w/an econ degree. All EA has to do is relay their vision on how they want auction house to function and bam... The intern will come up w/an answer

They know how to get an auction house to work. FIFA has had UT for quite a while.

Its an intentional design decision.