(Requesting) Madden 12 Draft Class Guide

[mkk255]

Quote: Originally Posted by PMG_HART

How about people stop trying to get an advantage and just play your freaking franchise like every GM in the NFL?

Video games, do not equal real life. Realism (or the lack-of) in Madden is appreciative but there's a difference from taking it as serious as a real life GM and having some fun.

I'd also like to mention that I don't play online franchise's because they always fail after a year 99% of the time.

Quote: Originally Posted by courtjester12804

So in ending, if your purpose is merely to flame others who have a different opinion than you, go visit another forum that better meets your adolescent needs.

That couldn't have been said better by anyone.

[mkk255]

Quote: Originally Posted by courtjester12804

Since everybody is random in each season's draft, what about setting up the guide based on position instead of draft year? It would require people to look through a list of names (which could be sorted alphabetically by then in Excel) to find the player they are looking for, but it would ideally be easier to create the guide would it not? Just set up each sheet tab based on the position and I think it would be pretty easy to compile and should ideally only require one run through an entire franchise.

I'm gonna get the game tomorrow (I've been playing early release) and begin creating a trade. It'll prob be by position as you suggested.

[rdm1800]

Quote: Originally Posted by courtjester12804

Since everybody is random in each season's draft, what about setting up the guide based on position instead of draft year? It would require people to look through a list of names (which could be sorted alphabetically by then in Excel) to find the player they are looking for, but it would ideally be easier to create the guide would it not? Just set up each sheet tab based on the position and I think it would be pretty easy to compile and should ideally only require one run through an entire franchise.

Sounds interesting, but some people (including myself) like to view each draft class as a whole to see what players are available throughout said draft to fill needs on their teams. Draft classes can be "re-rolled" to find a different one, etc.

Our only real option, regardless of how the players are categorized, is to identify each player by college and height / weight, assuming those are not also randomized. I've heard that those things would not be random, but I've yet to confirm it.

The construction of a guide this time around, if possible, will be quite a bit more time consuming due to the randomization. That said, I would like to make it more extensive and add a few more stats in addition to the OVR. Each stat item added, though, also adds significant time to complete the guide.

I also have yet to determine a method of identifying each draft class so they can be indexed and found by users easily.

Assuming I can work around these issues, I'll post here again with my findings and most likely ask for help and suggestions as to the stats I should provide for each position. I will most likely limit it to 2 or 3 additional stats. Any more and this guide won't be completed until Christmas.

-rdm

[R9NALD9]

Quote: Originally Posted by rdm1800

Sounds interesting, but some people (including myself) like to view each draft class as a whole to see what players are available throughout said draft to fill needs on their teams. Draft classes can be "re-rolled" to find a different one, etc. Our only real option, regardless of how the players are categorized, is to identify each player by college and height / weight, assuming those are not also randomized. I've heard that those things would not be random, but I've yet to confirm it. The construction of a guide this time around, if possible, will be quite a bit more time consuming due to the randomization. That said, I would like to make it more extensive and add a few more stats in addition to the OVR. Each stat item added, though, also adds significant time to complete the guide. I also have yet to determine a method of identifying each draft class so they can be indexed and found by users easily. Assuming I can work around these issues, I'll post here again with my findings and most likely ask for help and suggestions as to the stats I should provide for each position. I will most likely limit it to 2 or 3 additional stats. Any more and this guide won't be completed until Christmas. -rdm

Man you are a monster!
Thank you for being willing to do this guide!

Would love for you to do one...as I suck at scouting and for me personally having a guide makes franchise that much more fun.

If you need any help pulling up the guide, just post it here, I'm sure me or anyone else would be more than willing to help!

Maybe to distinguise(spelling?) between the different draft classes you can use a position that doesn't have that much players...for instant kickers/punters. The chances of having two QB's from Alabama with 6'0 height and 200lbs weight is much better than having the two same kickers...as there are far fewer of them.

My two cents...use it, don't use it

[madden1976]

Quote: Originally Posted by rdm1800

Sounds interesting, but some people (including myself) like to view each draft class as a whole to see what players are available throughout said draft to fill needs on their teams. Draft classes can be "re-rolled" to find a different one, etc. Our only real option, regardless of how the players are categorized, is to identify each player by college and height / weight, assuming those are not also randomized. I've heard that those things would not be random, but I've yet to confirm it. The construction of a guide this time around, if possible, will be quite a bit more time consuming due to the randomization. That said, I would like to make it more extensive and add a few more stats in addition to the OVR. Each stat item added, though, also adds significant time to complete the guide. I also have yet to determine a method of identifying each draft class so they can be indexed and found by users easily. Assuming I can work around these issues, I'll post here again with my findings and most likely ask for help and suggestions as to the stats I should provide for each position. I will most likely limit it to 2 or 3 additional stats. Any more and this guide won't be completed until Christmas. -rdm

I seem to remember a few years back (06, 07?) when the draft classes were sort of organized like this. There would be definite player models but their name and height/weight/face would be different, like there was a DT who was 84 and sometimes he would be 6'6 320, face model 1 or sometimes he'd be 6/4 310, face model 2 i.e. but his main attributes wouldn't change like tackle and speed. I remember saving before the new year started to get this player with the attributes I liked because sometimes he's be 5'11, 280 pounds and sometimes 6'6 330 so you would want to get him as a beast.

What we know is that there are 30 fixed draft classes, however their names will never be the same. So it would seem this guide would be a player attribute guide where you would have to find the players by attributes versus names. So for a example the guide could be like this:

Draft Class 1 (the number doesnt matter really)

QB, 6/4, 250, THP 90, THA 88, 84A, 1st round
QB, 6/2, 230, THP 92, THA 90, 86B, 1st round
HB 6'1, 220, 88 SPD, 92, ACC, 82A, 2nd round
LT 6/5, 300 88 PBK 82 RBK, 83B, 3rd round
and so on and so forth with other positions...

So if there are 30 pages written up like this, when it's time you come across a draft class, in theory, you'd be able to recognize which draft class you're in based on these attributes versus names. Since I have read OLs have their most important attributes revealed earlier, maybe they are the anchor. You could kind of cross check and be like "Oh yeah, this is the draft with 2 LTs in 1st round with 82 PBK 84 RBK and 85 RBK, 78 PBK, therefore in the draft I can also grab that SS in 2nd round I see in draft guide who looks good."

Maybe some of the attributes that should be chosen in this guide are the ones not revealed by the normal scouting (save the 5 where you know all) Maybe you make it like what a real NFL scout would have access to like 40 time, etc...and it would feel less like cheating. Though personally, if you are playing offline franchise, it's not really cheating, since you are doing it for yourself. And I agree, to each their own as far as what they want revealed in draft class. No one is being forced to open up and read a draft guide.

And another thing to those people on here complaining saying "draft like a real GM." Let me emphasize, this game does not give you the tools to scout and draft like a real GM. Besides the obvious point everyone has said about not knowing basic combine results like 40 time everyone on earth would know, GMs in real life also know which other teams may possibly draft a certain player. Thats why you see in the real life draft, teams trading up right before a specific team's draft pick to grab a player so they wont lose him. A more realistic franchise model for Madden would also include who are possible suitors for each player, but obviously they are far away from this reality if the CPU is drafting kickers in first round. Also, real GMs interview players before the draft to determine their character. This would be a great feature to add and maybe if someone has good character that would give you a sense of their "potential" attribute, i.e. A,B,C...So to those accusing others of "cheesing," A: mind your own business and B:defend a game that truly is a realistic model of real life scouting/drafting which this game is certainly not.

So is all of this kind of what people are thinking for draft guide or is there a better, easier method?

[rdm1800]

Quote: Originally Posted by madden1976

So is all of this kind of what people are thinking for draft guide or is there a better, easier method?

Some good ideas there. I think the main thing is being able to quickly identify which draft class you have with little, or preferably no, scouting. With last year's guide, you could get to the regular season, go to the Scouting tab, check the top potential QB, then find your draft in my guide without too much trouble.

My current plan (obviously a work in progress) is to choose a position (QB, or possibly K or P as was suggested above) and name the draft after the college, height and weight of one of the players.

I'm currently in the process of creating my saves in the 32-team controlled franchise. It takes about 15-20 minutes to sim a full season and make three saves throughout (Start of reg. season, pre-draft, post-draft). Once this is done, I can start creating a mini-guide (perhaps QB's only) that I will use to test.

The testing phase will include starting new franchises until I get a match to one I have done in my guide so far. I will then cross-check several players between the saves. This is to make sure that the attributes I think are constant, actually are.

If all the players' attributes except for name and number are, in fact, always the same, then I can move forward with the data entry.

-rdm

[R9NALD9]

Quote: Originally Posted by rdm1800

Some good ideas there. I think the main thing is being able to quickly identify which draft class you have with little, or preferably no, scouting. With last year's guide, you could get to the regular season, go to the Scouting tab, check the top potential QB, then find your draft in my guide without too much trouble. My current plan (obviously a work in progress) is to choose a position (QB, or possibly K or P as was suggested above) and name the draft after the college, height and weight of one of the players. I'm currently in the process of creating my saves in the 32-team controlled franchise. It takes about 10-15 minutes to sim a full season and make three saves throughout (Start of reg. season, pre-draft, post-draft). Once this is done, I can start creating a mini-guide (perhaps QB's only) that I will use to test. The testing phase will include starting new franchises until I get a match to one I have done in my guide so far. I will then cross-check several players between the saves. This is to make sure that the attributes I think are constant, actually are. If all the players' attributes except for name and number are, in fact, always the same, then I can move forward with the data entry. -rdm

You deserve a medal buddy!
Thanks a million for all your hard work!

[rdm1800]

Quote: Originally Posted by R9NALD9

You deserve a medal buddy! Thanks a million for all your hard work!

Haha...thanks. Long way to go yet for this year's guide, but hopefully everyone interested will find it useful.

-rdm