Why I'm afraid of Madden 13 (Online Franchise)

[tfctillidie]

I'm afraid because they are going to work on it. I'm afraid that it's going to come with flaws that take time to patch, time that simply cannot be wasted when it comes to Online Franchise.

When you join an Online Franchise with a true intent of being a simulation of the NFL you have to be prepared to make some serious ground during the 12 months the current version of Madden is relevant. If you're not developing your draft picks and busts, seeing through your big contract signings, then there's no point to actually doing any of it.

If you look around the web you can find a few places where custom made Online Franchises exist, complete with all the fancy features you would like the in-game mode to have. Some of these custom user built OF's have automated tools much like the oft advertised League Manager site.

Guess what happens if these custom built OF's run into a glitch, problem or bug? They are addressed as quickly as the commish decides. There's no patching, there's no delay, there's no mandatory Microsoft/Sony grace period, there's just a resolution on the spot and the OF keeps moving forward.

What if there's quality features provided by these custom built OF's that aren't featured in a newly built in-game mode? EA owns this game and I sure as heck can't go in and make a quick edit to how it works to add in the addition that's now missing to me. Potentially a new Online Franchise could be less featured than the ones I run, and others run now.

What happens next year when Madden 13 drops and there's a problem found in the mode that ruins the experience or at the very least causes the OF to have to pause for a period of time. It kills the flow and wastes the invaluable time, if it takes a month to fix that could cost you a season. Not to mention keeping 31 people lingering around while we wait on EA and the patching process can make things even more difficult for the commish's out there.


I almost hope that when Madden 13 rolls around, the current bare bones OF is a selectable option for OF as well as the new one they are creating. I know there's a snowball chance in hell of that happening though and that bothers me. Whatever EA gives us next year we are stuck with, broken or not. I can't fix a broken/unpolished game mode but I can create something when things are missing and therefore I'm afraid of the future based upon what EA's given us this generation.

I'm not writing this to bash EA's lack of quality of late, I simply have a great group of players that I've been playing an OF with since Madden 10, we've pumped through plenty of seasons and had a blast. I just don't want that to be ruined when I can no longer do things my own way.

[Helios12787]

With any new game comes the possibility (and likelihood) of bugs and glitches, especially when revamping a mode that is already in place. For miniscule problems that don't have a "london riots" effect on your franchise, you just keep truckin through until they are fixed.

For major problems that will delay your franchise, of course you are going to lose some people. But to be perfectly honest if those said people can't wait around for a little bit for a fix, you don't want those sort in your league anyway. Those are going to be the same people who bail when a player they want gets traded to another team, or loses a few games, or gets complaints because of shady play.

Good leagues and players will persevere. There may be some casualties along the way but in the end there won't be too many issues.

During the ps3 downtime, we complained, we were irritated, but when it finally came back up everyone who was a worthwhile member of my leagues came back and got right back in stride.

[cgalligan]

Quote: Originally Posted by tfctillidie

I'm afraid because they are going to work on it. I'm afraid that it's going to come with flaws that take time to patch, time that simply cannot be wasted when it comes to Online Franchise. When you join an Online Franchise with a true intent of being a simulation of the NFL you have to be prepared to make some serious ground during the 12 months the current version of Madden is relevant. If you're not developing your draft picks and busts, seeing through your big contract signings, then there's no point to actually doing any of it. If you look around the web you can find a few places where custom made Online Franchises exist, complete with all the fancy features you would like the in-game mode to have. Some of these custom user built OF's have automated tools much like the oft advertised League Manager site. Guess what happens if these custom built OF's run into a glitch, problem or bug? They are addressed as quickly as the commish decides. There's no patching, there's no delay, there's no mandatory Microsoft/Sony grace period, there's just a resolution on the spot and the OF keeps moving forward. What if there's quality features provided by these custom built OF's that aren't featured in a newly built in-game mode? EA owns this game and I sure as heck can't go in and make a quick edit to how it works to add in the addition that's now missing to me. Potentially a new Online Franchise could be less featured than the ones I run, and others run now. What happens next year when Madden 13 drops and there's a problem found in the mode that ruins the experience or at the very least causes the OF to have to pause for a period of time. It kills the flow and wastes the invaluable time, if it takes a month to fix that could cost you a season. Not to mention keeping 31 people lingering around while we wait on EA and the patching process can make things even more difficult for the commish's out there. I almost hope that when Madden 13 rolls around, the current bare bones OF is a selectable option for OF as well as the new one they are creating. I know there's a snowball chance in hell of that happening though and that bothers me. Whatever EA gives us next year we are stuck with, broken or not. I can't fix a broken/unpolished game mode but I can create something when things are missing and therefore I'm afraid of the future based upon what EA's given us this generation. I'm not writing this to bash EA's lack of quality of late, I simply have a great group of players that I've been playing an OF with since Madden 10, we've pumped through plenty of seasons and had a blast. I just don't want that to be ruined when I can no longer do things my own way.

I have an idea that might help...

Now here me out... This might sound crazy, but, I think it really might work...

How about, BEFORE releasing the game next year the guys over at EA...

ACTUALLY PLAY THROUGH AN ENTIRE 10 YEARS OF ONLINE FRANCHISE!!!

Wow... What a novel Idea right??? PLAY THE GAME "BEFORE" you release it??? huh, damn, I'm surprised nobody else has ever thought about doing this...

95% of the problems people run across in Franchise mode, would have been caught had they PROPERLY TESTED the freaking game BEFORE they released it... The same thing can be said about NCAA Football... My god what a travesty that game is with all its bugs related to Online Dyansties...

[Broncos86]

I love this place. M12 gets no online franchise love, and it's an outrage. M13 to get online franchise love, and it's a problem.

[Marino]

No need for Madden 13 threads yet.

Closed.