My Wishlist for the next Super Star mode.
 

Okay so I fully checked out EA's first attempt at Superstar mode....

I cant help but be a little bit let down. Not completely let down but Id be lying if I didnt say I was a little bit dissapointed. Its not all bad though..so here is my wishlist, fixes, etc for the next SS mode. Some people might not like some of what Im gonna say but this is geared more to the hardcore sim/realistic player.

1. The parents thing is okay, but EA needs to let you modify his skin tone, face, etc. I dont know why they took that out in SS mode.

2. They need to keep the weekly national and local newspapers in SS like they are in franchise mode. Maybe cater it more to the individual but I think it would add to this mode. Also if EA is gonna keep using the Tony Bruno show they bring this over into SS mode as well.

3. They need new creative people at EA to sit down and understand how people really are and talk. The black dude (im black so dont flame lol) who is the barber is ok. Thats believable..but him saying "what'll it be big guy" makes him sound like he might be "batting for the same team" lol. Seriously, Ive been in many a barber shops and you dont hear them say that. Heck ive been in white and latin barber shops and you dont hear that. They could have had him say something like "how you want it hooked up today dog?" or something. What they have now is just uber cheesey.

4. If youre gonna have a mentor wether it be Terrell Davis or whoever please do it right. Id rather the mentor thing be taken out if its just going to be half-arsed recordings that dont seem to really serve a purpose.

5. Text messages or emails from the coaching staff and other players. For example if youre the rookie QB for Oakland and youre starting and you havent been getting Moss invloved all that much, youre gonna hear about it from him.

6. Last but not least and for me this is the biggest thing on my wish list..hell so big that if they did this they could leave the rest of the stuff as is and I would still be a happy camper....*drumroll*.......... PUT A TRUE MAN-LOCK IN SS MODE!!!!! Some people might not like that cuz they are control freaks so lets make it where you can turn it on and off. What I mean by a true "man lock" mode I mean if you create a WR when gametime comes you are who you are. Everyone else is who they are. You line up where youre supposed to line up and you run your route or get open. If the QB spots you and throws you the ball great, if you cant get open or you are and the QB isnt that good and he throws to the other side of the field in double coverage, well that happens in real life. I think having a true man lock would add ALOT more realism to the game...plus it would tie into your press conferences. Lets be honest here, superstar mode is about you trying to be the best player ever at your position when you retire. So if youre a WR, you need catches, you need the ball in your hands. If the QB isnt throwing you the ball that much OR the coach (which would be CPU controlled) isnt calling enough passing plays THEN you hold your press conference and complain... maybe next game you get the ball more...or maybe you piss the team off enough that they trade you next year. The way SS is set up right now if youre a WR you can just throw yourself the ball 30 times in a game and pad your stats, thats just not realistic. For me I want to truly be one person on a team of many. For some that might not be fun but for me it would be. Id want to have it so when they DO decide to throw the ball to me I have to make every effort to make the play. As far as playing on defense though I dont really see where you can abuse SS mode though because the ball doesnt come to you and you cant force the CPU to throw the ball in your direction every play so you can try to get an INT or force them to run every play so you can take your LB and get tackels.

Maybe there can be different selectors in SS mode. 1 for a true man lock like I mentioned and then maybe one for CPU coaching. With it slected the CPU calls the plays and you just have to do whatever your job for that play is depending on your position youre playing. Have it so you can turn this off as well so you can pick your own plays but you still arent controlling all the action. I just think this would be more of a challenge to have a true man lock and a CPU play call option because like I said, if youre good you see action if youre not you might not get the ball that often. If youre not gonna start on a sunday, maybe have the game tell you before kickoff saying "youre on the bench starting this game! Do you want to sim?" or something like that...and if someone gets hurt and you are in have the sim pause and alert you and ask you if you want to get in the game.

Right now as SS mode stands outside of all the bells and whistels, on the feild its no different than you being able to create a player like in 05 or 04 or 03. For me there is no real true sense of individuality and until there is some kind of true man lock and an option for CPU play calling all the other stuff thrown in this year to make you feel like a superstar really does nothing for me. Its still fun to a degree but it could have been so much more. Part of me cant help but feel that EA kinda half-arsed SS mode for this year. Im sure some people will flame me for this and call me a *****. Im not really complaining about the mode I just know that they could have done more with it and it wouldnt have been that much more work. I think they should have taken a cue from 989 sports ala this years MLB. I guess I get frustrated when I see the amazing potential something has but the company doesnt tap it.

Re: My Wishlist for the next Super Star mode.
 

Since EA also publishes The Sims how about putting a The Sims NFL Superstar into the game as well, so you can watch your superstar burn his house down because you forgot to install an exstinguisher lol

I agree with some of the above pointers. Especially the one about feeling that you only control your player and only control the impact he has on the game, thus both playcalling and everything else but the control of your player should be handeled by the CPU.

Re: My Wishlist for the next Super Star mode.
 

I rather naively thought that both Race for the Heismann and Super Star Mode would have a true man-lock inherently built into them. I was very dissappointed when I found out otherwise, and agree that it would really make the mode work.

Re: My Wishlist for the next Super Star mode.
 

I agree. When I first heard about Super Star Mode, I thought it meant you could create a player and then control ONLY that player. Then build him up RPG-style based on his performance in games, drills, practice, etc. I thought it would have been great, if say, you created a RB, you would only get the ball if a running play was called (you would have no control of what plays are called of course). If not, you would need to stay and block, or go out for a pass, whatever it would be. You wouldn't be a starter unless you proved yourself on the field as well. To counter the down time you might experience if you were just a back-up player, the game could have a sort of quick sim screen, quickly letting you know what's happening on the field, and then it would cut to the action whenever you went in. It would really make you feel like the player.

There would probably have to be different camera options for different position, since you would need to stay focused on your player, but also know where the ball is and what is happening away from you. It might be tricky for positions like WR, CB and Safety, since you would need to possibly be far away from the line of scrimmage and still have the QB in view. But, with proper planning it could be worked out. I gotta say, I'm disappointed with how this mode turned out. Maybe next year.