Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How to Change That

[Cardot]

Quote: Originally Posted by tinpanalley

Many people do what I do and the industry and its journalism ignores us completely. I take any game, I play one season from opening day with decent opening season rosters, I go to the playoffs (or don't, depending on my team) and when it ends, I either stop completely or try again with a different team I like.

Yes, I am in the same boat. I just play one season, then start over with a new team. I understand the appeal to the General Manager aspect of sports, and I am glad sports video games offer if for those who are interested. But for a number of reasons, I have just never been able to get into them myself. The biggest reason is probably the fact that I spend much of the day at my job looking at spreadsheets....so in my free time, I don't really want to negotiate contracts, plan a salary cap or map out team needs. I also don't like simming games which makes it challenging with time constraints.

[BA2929]

The only sports franchises I've ever finished multiple franchise/dynasty seasons in is NCAA Football and NCAA basketball. Maybe that's because you're only playing 14/35 games a season and your roster turns over every 4 years, but it just seemed fun to complete years for me. I'd actually WANT to get to the off-season in those games.

Nowadays though I can't even be bothered to finish an entire season in most sports games I play. It's just a labor intensive grind because I feel like I need to play full length (or near full length) games to get accurate stats, especially with a game like NBA 2k. With pro sports games I'm constantly trying to trade guys to fill holes and make my lineup "that much" better that it ends up taking me forever just to finish a month of a season.

I play NBA 2k a lot, so I'd love some options:

1) Allow me to immediately load up the next game on the schedule from the end game menu of the previous game. That way I'm skipping a few minutes of load times.

2) Let me "redo" a simulation as many times as I want without having to reload the entire save. It can be an option you can turn off/on in the settings area so not everyone has to use it if they don't want. Sometimes I just want to sim past the (insert bad team here) and not have to worry about being upset when I know I'd roll them if I played myself. I know some people would think that was "cheating", but it's my franchise and I can do whatever I want in it.

I think both of those things would allow me to get through more seasons and in the end make the entire experience more enjoyable.

[BA2929]

Quote: Originally Posted by tinpanalley

Anyway, I just found it funny that the title purports to suggest ways to "fix" those people who don't play multiple seasons in sports games. Like, we're the ones missing out. I see this sense of animosty towards not only myself but to all people who like to play like this by the industry and even by some other gamers who would love for us to stop whining about how much we hate Ultimate Team and continuing franchise modes.

Did you read the article or just the title? Because I think you completely missed the entire point of this article. It's not to "fix" you. It's to "fix" the franchise modes in these games to help more people who play them finish more seasons.

If you only want to play one season, that's wonderful. I've never heard of anyone who has animosity towards you because of that. I mean, we still have single season modes in every sports game I've ever played because of people like yourself who enjoy them.

[tril]

most of the things you mention still exist or have existed in prior games.
NFL football is a non issue for me.16 games isnt much. just let us be able to set the simmed minutes for the entire league so stats can reflect this.

as far as the Show. they are on the right track with being able to carry over seasons, but what they need to do is implement a myleague type of feature. give us all the dynasty/gm features with the ability to play a shorter season, and customize tasks

NBA 2k is there already with my league. they just need toa dd a few more user settings. things like being able to set teh foul amount before you get into a bonus would go a long way.

total customization in a franchise mode would get more multiple seasons.

with that said, gameplay is the end all be all. Im still playing NBA2k15 because IMO the gameplay represents today's NBA and the stats are spot on. I play 82 games.
The SHOW I play 29 games with just a draft.
CHk28 and NCAA college football 11 and 14 no issues what so ever.

[JJones07]

Quote: Originally Posted by bdsopgalaxy

I am playing a second season in The Show and plan to continue that franchise to it's end for one simple reason--you can continue your franchise in next year's game. It would be hard to be in the middle of a season in 2K18 (for example), and want to continue playing it on 2K18 after 2K19 gets released. If they allowed for old files to be continued, I would play franchises through in every sport.

I agree 1000%. The first thing to fix the lack of playing multiple seasons is exactly this, allowing to continue our franchises files from last years game. Essentially being forced to restart our franchises each year is probably the single biggest reason most people don't play multiple years in any sports franchise. After they fix that, then yes work on this list.

Great article and great ideas, but us as sports gamers need to demand/request year to year saves in all sports games before these ideas are our focus. They are useless if we can't continue our progress in the next game.

[boxboy99]

The Show became by go to game because of the carry over save feature. I’ve played all 162 games the last 3 years. The game play is simple but challenging so I keep coming back for more.

I quit playing NBA 2k due to lack of carry over feature. NCAA basketball would have been my go to if it still existed. I could get deep in a franchise.

NHL no longer play it even though it should be one of the most fun games. Just don’t like the EA product. Carry over saves again would help.

Madden, playing the computer is boring on all pro and all madden is garbage. I not longer have the time or energy for slideritis. Plus patch free patch means soon as slider are good things change. That said I can play multiple season easy with friends or in online franchise. NCAA was my preferred game by a mile.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[brianski71]

I really thought this article would go a different direction. Here’s the long and short of it for me...at this point in my life, (early 30s with a family) I can’t possibly play as much as I did as a kid or in college. So, in NHL and MLB I rarely ever get past one season. There’s one simple fix that for whatever stupid reason, developers don’t give us. Let us change the number of games per season. It’s that simple. In Madden and NCAA, (which I still play) I have no problem rolling season after season. 12/16 game seasons are easy to get through. What’s the harm in NHL or MLB letting us play a 30/29 game (I’m thinking NBA Jam-style, play everyone once) season? Why does it HAVE TO be 82/162? I absolutely refuse to sim games. Having computer-generated stats for my team absolutely kills the experience for me and I refuse to do it. But, I couldn’t care less about playing the exact real-life schedule. The real schedules disappear after year 1 anyway. I’ve never for the life of me been able to figure out why shorter seasons in franchise aren’t an option. It’s even more maddening that The Show lets you change the season length for season mode, but not franchise. I like having GM control of my team and playing the offseasons. I’m just not going to ever get through more than one 82 or 162 game schedule in one year. It’ll never happen.

[Lexicon]

I don't think that the reason people tap so quickly in Franchise Modes is that they can't get through enough seasons quickly enough, but rather that there's just no reason to keep going.

These modes are dull, boring, and lifeless for the most part. There's no thread to follow, most of them do a poor job with recognizing the history that you create in your league, and in the case of Madden, there are not many opportunities to make the mode your own with customization.

NBA 2K does the best, but even then, I'd say the immersion could be way better than it is now.