What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

[Toupal]

During EA Play almost a month ago, a few developers from the game shared what is/ isn't coming to CFM in Madden, and after reading the forums, it is clear that there are A LOT of people upset by the lack of attention (IMO) the most important game mode in any sports game has been receiving.

I have read multiple articles, forums, and threads regarding things such as Franchise Improvements, wish lists, people stating that EA doesn't care because CFM doesn't make money, and so on and so on.

One of the biggest complaints I hear about Madden is "replay-ability". Especially after just one season.

There have been several REALLY good forums and mock-ups on what kind of improvements EA should make with Franchise Mode regarding replay-ability in Madden such as:

DeuceDouglas Improvements http://forums.operationsports.com/fo...e-rebuild.html

http://forums.operationsports.com/forums/madden-nfl-football/856587-connected-franchise-mode-improvements.html

However at the end of the day, we are left with what we currently have. My question to the community is "What can madden do to make you want to invest more than one season into the game?"

[DeuceDouglas]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

I've got two main points:

1. There needs to be far more to do and it all needs to be far more dynamic, challenging and unpredictable. Nothing you do in CFM feels like it has any impact or consequence. For example if they had coaching staffs it needs to be something that affects your team in multiple spots over the course of the season so if you hire a bad coach, you feel it all year and it incentivizes you to hire someone new in the off-season. Wear-and-tear stamina, multiple injuries, expanded injuries, there's a multitude of things that they could add for the user to deal with that revolved around more than divvying XP or re-signing players. If there's no challenge or no sense of reward for accomplishing anything, the mode gets stale unbelievably fast and there's no incentive to continue to play outside of the games. Team-building needs to be a challenge and you should have to fight hard to get and keep players and be forced to make sacrifices and tough decisions. It needs to be chess, not paint-by-the-numbers.

2. Atmosphere. Part of what makes CFM feel like nothing more than a bunch of play now games is the complete lack of atmosphere throughout the season. Opening day doesn't feel any different than a week 17 game between two teams that are 2-13. Playing in Seattle doesn't feel any different than playing in Jacksonville. The playoffs don't feel any different than a random mid-season game. There's no sense of big games throughout the year, no storylines or league development outside of what you create in your own imagination. Big games aren't something you should have to create, they should be something you can feel.

[ASZEMPLE]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

Team building needs to be more challenging, the trade system needs to be reworked, It's way to too easy to just sign a FA in plug in.

New guys that are sign to your team, maybe there awareness drops and gets better as they learn the playbook ex. 4 week to get to 100% learn, so that guys you sign before preseason are good are good to go, but some one you sign during season needs that time before they are effective player. This could also be coupled with coach schemes.


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[goillini03]

What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

Some good suggestions here. I am admittedly a NCAA guy first, so I had to move to Madden to get my football fix. This has been my biggest complaint overall.

I think some of it has to do with the fact that the NFL is what is. I agree with the points above that there needs to be more to do. There needs to be a better tie into all of the guys in the draft, like being able to edit draft classes before the next season. Stories to tie their performance into the scouting etc.

I also think that there needs to be a much better "story of the season." Every game I play feels no different than the game before. I have to go look at the standings, players of the week, and scores to have any feel for what is going on. I am not the type of person that can create the story in my head, or on some website. I simply do not have the time or desire. The game needs to draw me in, which it severely lacks in this department.

There also needs to be better career stories for each player.

[BreakingBad2013]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

Make every single rating matter and have a bigger rating difference between tiers of players. As we stand now you can rebuild the Browns in a season, maybe two. You can draft or sign multiple 80 overall QBs in one season. Ratings should literally be on a scale 1-99. And I'm a firm believer that ratings should be hidden to. This would make roster management much more difficult, much higher chance of draftings busts, and would make gameplay more immersive.

Players need personalities, to tell you no, to not re-sign, to have bad games etc.

[KickassJohnson]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

There needs to be far more to do and it all needs to be far more dynamic, challenging and unpredictable. Nothing you do in CFM feels like it has any impact or consequence.

I agree with your entire post but at this rate, we won't see anything close to this for 5-10 years.. maybe the new consoles can speed things up some but I'm not confident in saying that.

It sucks for people such as myself that rely on CFM every year for replayability. There's no point in buying the game every year now.

[cjacks17]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

I agree with your entire post but at this rate, we won't see anything close to this for 5-10 years.. maybe the new consoles can speed things up some but I'm not confident in saying that.

It sucks for people such as myself that rely on CFM every year for replayability. There's no point in buying the game every year now.

I agree. I buy the game every other year now, sometimes I wait for the 3rd year.

I bought 17 because of the Big Decisions and it was just way too gimmicky. A re-packaged product basically. I find it crazy that we still don't have coordinators to hire for example. Like if I currently have an OC that runs a WCO but I fire him and bring in a run first coordinator the playbook should change. Perhaps include an option where you, as the HC, can influence the playbook? Make it a part of the offseason called "Coordinator Meetings" where you review the playbook or something.

I agree with the comment that there's just not enough to do. It gets very boring. They could also offer two options, one being a streamlined version because some don't care to get into the nitty gritty.

DeuceDouglas proposed what I have been dreaming of for Franchise Mode. I'm a GM nerd and to get to do all of that would be just amazing.

[Toupal]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

I agree. I buy the game every other year now, sometimes I wait for the 3rd year.

I bought 17 because of the Big Decisions and it was just way too gimmicky. A re-packaged product basically. I find it crazy that we still don't have coordinators to hire for example. Like if I currently have an OC that runs a WCO but I fire him and bring in a run first coordinator the playbook should change. Perhaps include an option where you, as the HC, can influence the playbook? Make it a part of the offseason called "Coordinator Meetings" where you review the playbook or something.

I agree with the comment that there's just not enough to do. It gets very boring. They could also offer two options, one being a streamlined version because some don't care to get into the nitty gritty.

DeuceDouglas proposed what I have been dreaming of for Franchise Mode. I'm a GM nerd and to get to do all of that would be just amazing.

I just wish they would take a page out of another EA football games book, and use what NCAA had with coordinators, where you can start of as a coordinator with a bad team, and based on your success, you get offers to move up.

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

I've got two main points:

1. There needs to be far more to do and it all needs to be far more dynamic, challenging and unpredictable. Nothing you do in CFM feels like it has any impact or consequence. For example if they had coaching staffs it needs to be something that affects your team in multiple spots over the course of the season so if you hire a bad coach, you feel it all year and it incentives you to hire someone new in the off-season. Wear-and-tear stamina, multiple injuries, expanded injuries, there's a multitude of things that they could add for the user to deal with that revolved around more than divvying XP or re-signing players. If there's no challenge or no sense of reward for accomplishing anything, the mode gets stale unbelievably fast and there's no incentive to continue to play outside of the games. Team-building needs to be a challenge and you should have to fight hard to get and keep players and be forced to make sacrifices and tough decisions. It needs to be chess, not paint-by-the-numbers.

2. Atmosphere. Part of what makes CFM feel like nothing more than a bunch of play now games is the complete lack of atmosphere throughout the season. Opening day doesn't feel any different than a week 17 game between two teams that are 2-13. Playing in Seattle doesn't feel any different than playing in Jacksonville. The playoffs don't feel any different than a random mid-season game. There's no sense of big games throughout the year, no story lines or league development outside of what you create in your own imagination. Big games aren't something you should have to create, they should be something you can feel.

AGREE.

These areas also need to be improved together, IMO. If the game is improved in areas of dynamics, challenges and unpredictability, then the rewards and atmosphere must be made to represent those new hurdles to winning. People would drop the game mode if they had to spend more time to create a winning team, make the playoffs, and win a Super Bowl if all they got in the end was a few cut screens with fans holding sparklers.

The UI for me has to be one of the most depressing parts of the game; many people probably know that blue is the most popular color, but then too much blue becomes depressing. There needs to b some flash. In M17 the background shows hints of a football field, which should be green grass, not Idaho blue grass, IMO.

It is the little things, which I understand are not easy to implement, but they make a huge difference. Essentially what I am leading to is an atmosphere that Head Coach created. I think with Frostbite, the future could be good in allowing for more visuals such as what we saw in Head Coach, but updated of course, and could still be easy to navigate through visual cues like a computer, phone, clip board etc. that represents what can be accessed.

It should be harder to create a Super Bowl winner team, and almost impossible to maintain a dynasty, but if a user can create a dynasty, they should reap benefits such as players asking to play for the team, and players stating they are willing to take a restructured contract, etc.

Let the rewards match the difficulty, and make the user feel accomplished in their endeavors when they perform well.

For playbooks I would like to see them become dynamic in that plays that increase in success are called more often until they are stopped and then there should become a natural replacement play or evening out of plays called; essentially a Game Plan is formed through the dynamic weighting of plays by success; and the success hopefully would be based on player ratings for each team, so that over time each team's play style changes as their key players and stars change.

Just my few views on the topic.

[NDAlum]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

I'm gonna control all GM duties of each team and I'm going to create 10-12 PB's for different offensive styles and possibly some for defense.

When I play a game I'll make sure the CPU team has the right kind of play book for their personnel

Going to eliminate all the plays that dont work on O and D for the CPU


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[jsteele14]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

Some good suggestions here. I am admittedly a NCAA guy first, so I had to move to Madden to get my football fix. This has been my biggest complaint overall.

I think some of it has to do with the fact that the NFL is what is. I agree with the points above that there needs to be more to do. There needs to be a better tie into all of the guys in the draft, like being able to edit draft classes before the next season. Stories to tie their performance into the scouting etc.

I also think that there needs to be a much better "story of the season." Every game I play feels no different than the game before. I have to go look at the standings, players of the week, and scores to have any feel for what is going on. I am not the type of person that can create the story in my head, or on some website. I simply do not have the time or desire. The game needs to draw me in, which it severely lacks in this department.

There also needs to be better career stories for each player.

Well said. I was also forced to Madden once NCAA stopped and have become disinterested after the first season. College football has the benefit of such high forced turnover that keeps it interesting (graduation). Also the story lines keep you informed around the league in NCAA that is missing from Madden. Plus the on going Heisman race in NCAA and dynamic toughest stadiyms to play in.

Also, recruiting in NCAA was just more entertaining than FA signing in Madden. Maybe if in Madden you could try to sway the players in ways other than money by stresding playing time or play style or close to home like NCAA featured.

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[kennypowers88]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

The reason I stop playing is because I struggle to find a realistic challenge when playing the games as the year goes on. This is due to patches catering to non sim crowds and a lack of any real way to customize the difficulty and gameplay without ruining something else.

Hopefully sim mode fixes the first issue, but until sliders actually work, the problem will likely persist.

[timhere1970]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

I agree. I buy the game every other year now, sometimes I wait for the 3rd year.

I bought 17 because of the Big Decisions and it was just way too gimmicky. A re-packaged product basically. I find it crazy that we still don't have coordinators to hire for example. Like if I currently have an OC that runs a WCO but I fire him and bring in a run first coordinator the playbook should change. Perhaps include an option where you, as the HC, can influence the playbook? Make it a part of the offseason called "Coordinator Meetings" where you review the playbook or something.

I agree with the comment that there's just not enough to do. It gets very boring. They could also offer two options, one being a streamlined version because some don't care to get into the nitty gritty.

DeuceDouglas proposed what I have been dreaming of for Franchise Mode. I'm a GM nerd and to get to do all of that would be just amazing.

Coaching needs to matter. Every coach and player should have their own playbook. If your head coach, coordinator, position coach all have the play in their book it should be a very effective play. If you hire a coach or sign a free agent or draft a player that has a book that is not like yours it should affect performance.

Players and coaches should start with a basic book based on player/coach type. The longer under the head coaches tree the more plays they become good at. If you are a 3-4 zone blitz defense and you draft a coverage olb the learning curve should be steep. Each player and coach should have different abilities to learn of course. This would strategize the game and would allow a franchise to evolve through the years. So many good ideas by people on this site. The technology has been there to do it for years, only the will is missing.

[extremeskins04]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

Hanky's scouting tool

[SilverBullet19]

Re: What can Madden do to make Franchise mode worth playing after a season?

DuecesDouglas hit the biggest things, really. Atmosphere. Everything is the same. The only way a game is noted as different is the announcer at the start saying its the season opener, thanksgiving, playoffs, etc.

Every stadium is the same aside from graphics. Playing in a dome is no louder than open air. An 80,000 seat sellout is exactly as loud as one that is say 55,000 at Oakland. The only difference is a few simple graphics.

If the NFL would butt out a bit, I'd love to see half empty stadiums for bottom dwellers, or stadiums start to empty out in a 4th quarter blowout. I remember Madden 04 (I think) when franchise mode first came out with financials etc. I would have like 94% capacity. Advertising made it go up, fan appreciation day was always 100%, and my ticket sale income went up that week, etc. Jacksonville was half empty. They used to have this, and the NFL forced them to take it out if I remember right. I'm sorry, but if I'm on the road at Jacksonville that is 1-10 and the stadium is packed, that doesn't feel real. Unless I'm some super team, a stadium is never 100% sold out. I should be like "ok, so I make $10m per home game" and that be like clockwork. The amount I bring in at home should vary based on success (and...bring back the advertising to impact it).

I want more variation in play style: Every game feels like playing the same team with a different roster. There's no real unique aspect to any team, except for ratings. Playing the Seahawks feels the same as the Patriots, except you might get Russell Wilson to scramble. In NCAA 14, there's tons of play styles and playbooks, so each team is unique to play. Army will be an option attack, Texas Tech will throw the ball every down, etc. I'm not expecting an option running game in Madden, but when I'm playing against Tom Brady or Manning (back in the day), I would expect a pass heavy approach, not a 50/50 balance.

Harder/more in depth trades: It's too easy to dump guys for high level draft picks. I was trading guys in mid-low 80's, in a contract year, for 1-2 rounders. That's unrealistic and it took me a few trades to realize how unrealistic that was.

I want more convoluted trades, not limited to 3 players/picks on each side. I want some variation. More teams involved, like a 3 way trade, more ways to sweeten the deal, etc. Think back when the Cowboys traded Hershel Walker for SIX guys...wild stuff like that should be able to happen. Not often, but sometimes.. Team should WANT to dump high salary guys under performing. Oh, Gronk sucks now but is getting $15m a year? The Pats would WANT to get rid of him for a couple middle-of-the-road guys. Say he's a 90, but has under performed, they would take 2 guys who are 80 or so to dump the salary.

Right now its just way too ratings driven on the trading block. There needs to be more to it to bring in realism.

That's all I've got for now.