Random Fake UNFA's invading Franchise

[ghettoqball]

Quote: Originally Posted by Armor & Sword

I think I counted 8 UDFA as back up QBs (second string) I can live with that. Vick probably wants a ton of cash and has diminished skills. Same for Eli and Romo. IMO I am not alarmed buy this 5 years in. And 5 years is usually the max I play for one franchise before I start it all over again with a different team or a fantasy chise. Seems to me it is not as huge a problem as first thought.

See, I look at that list, and I see a pretty big problem. I'm counting 36 QBs on that list that are UDFAs. Maybe 12 of those guys are good enough that they could actually be backups. I've seen simmed games where all 3 quarterbacks end up playing. I definitely don't want to see these guys in franchise games. And this is only the quarterbacks. In my franchise, the packers have a 40-something overall LOLB as their second string player. There is a pretty good chance he will get solid playing time, when in real life that guy would have a hard time making a practice squad.

I'm torn on what I should do on this though. I HATE this issue, but I like the CPU picking up new guys via free agency, and also draft day trades. With 32 team control, those are both eliminated. But I think that's the way I'll have to go to avoid the CPU assembling a team that is partially made up of practice squad players.

[mpeterso]

Quote: Originally Posted by mercalnd

That's pretty much how I see it. You have every right to choose not to deal with this and I don't think anyone is saying it's realistic. You have certainly done your part in providing others with ways to work around the issue. What I myself took from the info you posted was that not a single UDFA was a starter at QB. I still have not seen any indication that the UDFAs are taking over the league (i.e. a lot of them getting significant playing time), especially since a few have reported the CPU teams sign a competent FA when they lose a guy to injury provided they have the cap room. As someone else alluded to, I personally don't really care who are the 10-15 bench warmers who basically never see the field for each of the CPU teams.

I want REAL NFL players and REAL udfa's from NCAA12 in my roster file; surely that can't be too much to ask for?

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by ghettoqball

See, I look at that list, and I see a pretty big problem. I'm counting 36 QBs on that list that are UDFAs. Maybe 12 of those guys are good enough that they could actually be backups. I've seen simmed games where all 3 quarterbacks end up playing. I definitely don't want to see these guys in franchise games. And this is only the quarterbacks. In my franchise, the packers have a 40-something overall LOLB as their second string player. There is a pretty good chance he will get solid playing time, when in real life that guy would have a hard time making a practice squad. I'm torn on what I should do on this though. I HATE this issue, but I like the CPU picking up new guys via free agency, and also draft day trades. With 32 team control, those are both eliminated. But I think that's the way I'll have to go to avoid the CPU assembling a team that is partially made up of practice squad players.

I am in that camp. I am torn. Really torn. I want to love this game as the gameplay itself is the best Madden in a long time.

But we have this AI logic wart. And yes it is a problem. What I am trying to figure out is my time investment and how to approach the mode.

My gaming time is precious. So I don't want to invest 100 hours into a game and 50 hours in be like "uh oh".

So I am trying to get as much feedback as I can. The game has been officially out for a little over 10 days.

But I have seen the you-tube stuff and of course I read the threads here a lot.

I guess it comes down to how much control I will need to employ to get the franchise experience I feel will satisfy me.

There have been some great ideas posted about 32 team control and I am heavily leaning that way. I have eliminated the thought of drafting for the CPU. If I use Madden generated draft classes I have seen plenty of posts stating the logic is improved (not great but improved) if I use an NCAA imported class I read the thread on setting position priorities before the draft.

Cutting UDFA is something I may do but not to the extent of just getting rid of them all.

I think finding a medium can be done. When it looks wonky I will save the CPU from itself. But if they are third stringers...so be it.

I will run in season contract extensions for all cpu teams to make sure they have good depth and keep key guys based on the random number method.

If I take that approach I will not get bogged down in 32 team control.

And that is really what i am trying to determine. I love playing Madden and I really want to love this game top to bottom.

I am at the point though of realizing console AI will never match a true sim/text sports game. It just won't happen. Cycle times are to short, and the focus in reality is online play, MUT and casual gamers.

And I can't blame EA. That is their meal ticket. We make up such a small % of Madden buyers.

Of all the sports games NBA 2K11 has nailed appeasing both camps IMO. The Show is a true hardcore baseball game.

Anyway Madden 12 is a great step this gen. I applaud the effort of at least attempting to add a lot of features in franchise mode. I like everyone else just wish the logic was much sounder.

But like I have always done in my sports gaming life....if you really like the game you find ways and methods to adapt and make the game as deep as you can. And this thread has been awesome. Instead of it being flooded with whining and venom we are all throwing around test runs, ideas and feedback on how to get this game playing the way we want it. I don't think anyone has the be all answer. But at least there are many options to make the game better.

That is what OS is really for. And that is why I love this forum.

[debauchlord]

Quote: Originally Posted by ghettoqball

I'm torn on what I should do on this though. I HATE this issue, but I like the CPU picking up new guys via free agency, and also draft day trades. With 32 team control, those are both eliminated. But I think that's the way I'll have to go to avoid the CPU assembling a team that is partially made up of practice squad players.

You realize that NFL teams, in real life, all by themselves, manage, sometimes, to assemble teams of nothing but scrubs? It does happen. The Cardinals were awful for decades, as were the Bucs. As were the Bengals. It is not beyond the scope of possibility. Fives years into franchise, and some team made themselves a 68 overall? Cheap owner, bad management....these stories play out constantly over different sports, including football.

[volstopfan14]

So are real players in the free agency list disapearing?

[Old School SD Fan]

Quote: Originally Posted by mpeterso

I want REAL NFL players and REAL udfa's from NCAA12 in my roster file; surely that can't be too much to ask for?

You wouldn't think so, huh? I mean what is the need to generate ANY players when you're importing from NCAA?????

[Manning2Harrison]

Quote: Originally Posted by Old School SD Fan

You wouldn't think so, huh? I mean what is the need to generate ANY players when you're importing from NCAA?????

One of the current problems is that the draft classes and the FA pool aren't large enough to support the expanded rosters without the use of the fakes.

I think I read somewhere that the FA pool limit is 280 players, which isn't even 10 per team if every single one were signed. I don't know how they came up with that number- it might have been disc space in the PS2/XBox days, but disc space is no excuse for the draft classes and FA pool not growing at all since last gen.

NCAA classes need to include ALL of the "Players Leaving" and the FA pool needs to be large enough to accommodate ALL of those that don't get drafted. Many is the time a player in NCAA racks up stats that defy his ratings, but he never gets enough progression from that to get exported. Now that we can edit in franchise mode, I'd like to be able to edit those kinds of guys into viable NFL prospects, but it'll never happen under the current export structure.

[Manning2Harrison]

Quote: Originally Posted by volstopfan14

So are real players in the free agency list disapearing?

Yes, both from sitting around too long or because of the size limit of the FA pool.