Update on feedback from yesterday's franchise blog...

[Bears_16_and_0]

Just a couple comments: I think it would be a very good idea, to have injuries have an impact on the minimum rating (and Maximum/current for that matter). Peyton being a 92 is cool and all, but I think it would be really cool if he had a serious injury like blown out both knees etc, that it could have an effect on the minimum rating. It doesnt have to be like 'ok x injury decreases the minimum rating by y points', but have the more serious injuries have a chance (more of a chance and for more points) to lower the minimum ratings. This would allow for cases where people come back fine from injuries, Drew Brees's shoulder comes to mind.


Also, Id advocate neither a rating nor a letter grade for the potential. That is too much information, but there should be some sort of indication of if the player still has some potential. I.E. 'skills starting to diminish.' , 'appears to have lost a step', 'poised for a breakout year' etc...

I say this because anyone who follows an NFL team can pretty much tell if a player is fullfilling their potential or not. Adawale Ogunleye has probably seen his best days (although he might have a good year cuz he is in a contract year, would be cool at some point to see contract years have an affect sometimes in the game), Lance Briggs keeps getting better but probably isn't going become a dramatically better player anytime soon. Then you have a kid like Matt Forte that looks like he has a ton of potential.
On the flipside you have Mark Anderson who had double digit sacks as a rookie in 2006 and fell off the map. So going into the 2007 season you would have thought Anderson had a ton of potential, but he didn't fullfill it. Unfulfilled potential should definitiely happen in the game (especially for draft picks). There can also be players that come out of no where a few years into their careers (Matt Cassel springs to mind immediately)

Basically, we should have some sort of indication of a players potential but I wouldn't want it to be so clear. Also potential should not be static, and the indication given to us in game should have a chance to be wrong. The actual values should be hidden from both the players and the AI in franchise modes (so the CPU doesn't get to unrealistically take players with the best potential)

[Sanchez_Mareno]

Id rather a potential scale of say 80-85 or 92-96 or whatever for a player rather than a letter

[jfsolo]

Quote: Originally Posted by kcarr

I agree 2000 yard seasons should be a true feat once in a lifetime deal that takes perfect situations and a great overall roster along with a great back who runs the ball a lot and doesn't do much sharing carries. It should really take the stars aligning perfectly. Same with 5000 yard passing seasons, 45 touchdown passing seasons, 20 touchdown rushing seasons etc. I want it to feel like I acomplished something if I do this because I want this to be extremely tough to do.

This is why the gameplay and A.I. must be exponentially improved. The scouting, the drafting, free agent signings, etc, will be much less enjoyable if Users can just stick wiggle, use the same four plays on offense and defense and produce whatever statistics they desire.

[94niners]

Quote: Originally Posted by ghostlight85

I hate overall ratings. I wish that they were just taken out completely or hidden or estimated or something. Evaluate a player's individual abilities and how they fit the scheme you want to run. NFL players don't have exact ratings, why should they in a video game.

Because in a video game you don't get to watch film on every single player to estimate what his strengths and weaknesses are, nor do you get to read detailed scouting reports done by professionals, nor do you get to put the player through enough realistic tests to see exactly what his strengths and weaknesses are, etc.

Putting the things into a video game that would simulate the information that real teams get from players just isn't a realistic option.

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by 94niners

Because in a video game you don't get to watch film on every single player to estimate what his strengths and weaknesses are, nor do you get to read detailed scouting reports done by professionals, nor do you get to put the player through enough realistic tests to see exactly what his strengths and weaknesses are, etc. Putting the things into a video game that would simulate the information that real teams get from players just isn't a realistic option.

No, but you can have your CPU scouts and coaching staff provide you with information w/o having to go through the everyday details of watching film and evaluating. Those tedious tasks are left to your staff. The staff then provides you with information accurate to their abilities as scouts and coaches. The information you have does not have to be set in stone just because it's a video game.

[94niners]

Quote: Originally Posted by ghostlight85

[...] I think potential should be partially derivative of other things. [...]

I come to Operation sports to FORGET about math... and now you have to go and remind me...

Partial Derivative...

Quote:

Even the best of the 49er teams...

Well, the 94 team had a future Pro Bowl fourth string WR, a Pro Bowl back up defensive end, a Pro Bowl back up line backer/DE, and a Pro Bowl defensive end on IR, and the 88/89 team had a hall of fame back up QB. :shrugs:

[stux]

I want my numbers. I really don't like the letter idea.

For the lowest overall ratings idea: This must be based on injuries, DNA, and use (meaning how many carries a running back gets etc. for other positions). You can give an idea to the players (us) about this number by keeping tract of injuries and other stats to let the player know the likely hood a guy is gonna last or not last. Maybe you can get advice from your scouts and trainers about this ratings.

For the potential rating, you should allow us to scout other teams players. This is realistic. Have it so you can't scout as many players in the draft if you do this. So, like in Head Coach at the end of the year when you bring in players to get the full report, allow us to do that to players on other teams. There was something like this in the first Head Coach.

Premade draft classes:

I really don't like this as the only option. There is no reason why you can't make a decent random draft class. If you need ideas on how to do that I can tell you plenty of idea:

• For every predicted round make a certain number of players with higher potential ratings. For example, first round 2-10 players with ratings ranging from 90-99; second round 1-4 players rating ranging from 85-95. What I would do here is actually look at the NFL and the last 10-15 drafts and see how many players of different ratings (a OVR to match the players) came from each round. I would then make a variable to match that. So, in the last 15 years if the frist round had 1-5 great players that I would rate 95+ then that would be my base variable. There would need to be other variables for positions to prevent there from being a surplus of great QBs or RBs, etc.
• To prevent players from having 60 quickness and 99 speed I would make a certain number of players with predetermined ratings with a tighter set of variables. For example, if in my previous example the first round had 7 players with potential over 90 and two were wide receivers then I would make another variable for those receivers. I would make several premade players (of every postion) and have those players be a variable as to which one is in the draft class. So, you might have a speed (spd94-99, agl 94-99, quickness 94-99) , a possession (catch 80-90), a after catch guy, a all around guy, and a very rare combination of all of them.
• You can give us the option of choose a random draft class OR your premade class at the same time as we are given the option of importing from NCAA.
• You could take your premade draft classes and assign random names, while still stoppping a repeat of the same rated palyers just with random names.
• Give us a Draft Class editor and let US make the draft class. Combine this with the option of adding random names to the class so we don't know who is who. This would REALLY go over well with people on this website in my opinion.

There are a million way to make an accurate random draft class that creates a realistic experience close to the NFL. If will take some research and will require a lot of premade variable sets. But it would deliver great results if the time was taken.

With your premade system if you make a Draft Class Editor and allow us to share our creations with each other you would REALLY make all of us happy.

[Josh_Looman]

Franchise mode is still 30 years