Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

[HeelGreenRanger]

So after many failed attempts at starting an offline CFM. Mostly due to CPU AI cutting guys like Joe Mixon, or ATL trading Coleman for scraps. (Not even my teams and it makes me not want to play it)

I finally set up a 32 team control. And got through preseason.

I started as the Jets owner, with full intentions of simming year 1, and then "firing" Todd Bowels, by replacing him with myself.

All well and good.

Fast forward after a solid offseason, even if I did miss out on a QB in the draft (traded for Davis Webb after NYG signed Garopollo in FA)

I get to preseason and start working on sliders. Basically the only reason I play preseason.

Going into week 4 I think I'm pretty solid slider wise. And am about to start the game to make sure.

And I just don't feel like it.

Because what's the point?

I play it. Then advance. Then play another game. Then another.

Blaaaaaaaaaah.

Madden's Franchise mode was never super story driven in the past.

But why do I feel so mind numbingly bored with it now?

[canes21]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I didn't even start it up as I didn't get Madden this year. Franchise mode lost it's luster to me a couple of years ago when they went with the XP model and made it incredibly easy to draft due to scouting being so overpowered. The twitter updates and all of the news stories were cool and I love that kind of immersion, but I absolutely cannot stand the current progression system or the way scouting and the draft works. I don't want to be that in control of a player progressing. I don't like progression being so tied to stats. To keep it simple I want to draft someone with a high ceiling and let the numbers behind the scenes dictate if they pan out or not. I don't want to have more knowledge in this game than I'd have if I was a real GM/coach. A huge part of team building is finding that magical combination that all came together at the right time. When you already know you can just progress everyone how you want and busts are basically eliminated from the mode, then the GM side of franchise mode is ultimately killed and that kills the entire franchise mode for me.

[Lexicon]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

Because you know this story well. We all do. If you're not enjoying playing the games, that's the only real thing to enjoy in FM.

And this is why gameplay isn't everything for me. I could be perfectly happy playing Madden 17 and just continue playing my franchise I have going in that. The improvements aren't enough to justify moving over to the new game, and that's not even considering how bad a state offline FM is in Madden 18 right now.

[feeq14]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I make it 5-7 years depending on how I play. I enjoy the game play for the most part, although I hate CPU playcalling and I'm too lazy to controll all 32 teams and then fix a bunch of playbook.

My biggest fault is I eventually breakdown and create a super team by year 4 and then by year 6 I'm bored and barely make it past year 7.

Just started a new franchise where I'm swearing that I won't break the game.

[roll2tide]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I started a week 1 game last night. Jags at Texans. I had worked through roster issues, sliders, excessive penalty issues, and was hoping to really dive in. Then 2 things happened:

1. I realized why I love playing fifa online and off and why I struggle to play madden offline. The crowd. Online (h2h) madden, I'm focused so it's not a huge deal. But offline, I need immersion.

First downs, touchdowns, turnovers, there's just no crowd. In fifa the crowd explodes. In madden, nothing. No chants, few boos, just blah.

2. So I'm driving for a td and I'm just inside the redzone. I've called a corner route for the TE and get the look I want. It's zone, but he's going to be 1v1 on the SS. Just as the TE is about to cross the face of the SS, I fire a pass to the corner. A sure td.

Until the TE hit a wall. Literally. Inexplicably, his motion is stopped and he flails backwards a yard or 2. The SS did not make contact. He just ran into an invisible wall at full speed. And the CPU knew it. And here's the quirk: the CPU anticipated it. Watching the replay you can see the qb start the throwing motion (button press) while my TE is running. A step later he hits the wall. Ball flew out of the corner of the end zone, right? No. Not only did the ball not go the corner, but it to where my TE ended up-which was 2 yards inside of where he was when I threw it. So the balls flight path was aligned with where my TE was after stumbling backwards. TE arms flailing, the SS picks it and kneels. Nice.

Then I played fifa.

Be Good Or Be Gone
Sent from Galaxy S8+
GT roll2tide
Let's play Madden or Fifa!

[SteelD34KC]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

Just got through game one last night. My almost all rookie defense, Jalen Ramsey being the only non rookie. Got 8 sacks, 2 pick sixs.

I threw two picks, one was basically right to the MLB on a slant. My bad for sure.

The second though was a deep out. I throw the ball high, lofting it over coverage. The LB, with a 72 jump, and 59 catch leaps literally 10 yards in the air and picks it off.

I mean I won the game, and it seemed fun. But I know that If I continue to get 8 sacks a game Im just done.

[SteelD34KC]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I started a week 1 game last night. Jags at Texans. I had worked through roster issues, sliders, excessive penalty issues, and was hoping to really dive in. Then 2 things happened:

1. I realized why I love playing fifa online and off and why I struggle to play madden offline. The crowd. Online (h2h) madden, I'm focused so it's not a huge deal. But offline, I need immersion.

First downs, touchdowns, turnovers, there's just no crowd. In fifa the crowd explodes. In madden, nothing. No chants, few boos, just blah.

2. So I'm driving for a td and I'm just inside the redzone. I've called a corner route for the TE and get the look I want. It's zone, but he's going to be 1v1 on the SS. Just as the TE is about to cross the face of the SS, I fire a pass to the corner. A sure td.

Until the TE hit a wall. Literally. Inexplicably, his motion is stopped and he flails backwards a yard or 2. The SS did not make contact. He just ran into an invisible wall at full speed. And the CPU knew it. And here's the quirk: the CPU anticipated it. Watching the replay you can see the qb start the throwing motion (button press) while my TE is running. A step later he hits the wall. Ball flew out of the corner of the end zone, right? No. Not only did the ball not go the corner, but it to where my TE ended up-which was 2 yards inside of where he was when I threw it. So the balls flight path was aligned with where my TE was after stumbling backwards. TE arms flailing, the SS picks it and kneels. Nice.

Then I played fifa.

Be Good Or Be Gone
Sent from Galaxy S8+
GT roll2tide
Let's play Madden or Fifa!

It happens to defenders as well. I had one play where I wanted to hit Corey Davis in the corner of the end zone.

Perfect route, shucked the CB out of press coverage. Perfect throw, but the CB was STILL RIGHT THERE. I mean either one of them could have gotten this ball.

BUT, the CB hit a wall, stopped and looked as the pass went over his head into Corey's hands.

I took it and went on. But man, when are they going to get this stuff right?

[reyes the roof]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I'm at week 2 in year two. My first game of the season featured a combined 11 turnovers, hopefully that isn't the norm

[HeelGreenRanger]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I'm in a couple 32 man leagues. So I get a good fulfillment "storyline" wise from those.

Beyond that usually me and my brother start up a CFM. Teambuilding. And just straight sim every game that we don't play.

We've gotten 25 years deep once doing that.

But there's just nothing to it.

And I know that. But for some reason it was like a hard reminder the other day.


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[Haze88]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

3 games then joined a 32 man CFM. I can't take the computer anymore. Its so poorly programmed that it saps the fun. Even knowing the playcalls because I can only control one guy playing defense is too unrewarding and 56-42 shootouts lose their luster really really quickly

[fballturkey]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

Two seasons and a little bit of a third.

At the end of the day it's not the missing CFM features that kill the game for me (although if they were there they might be able to save it for a little bit) but the AI gaps.

The first and biggest thing is how terribly transparent it is that the AI knows your play call. I run almost exclusively a 3WR 1RB 1TE offense, and when I'm on the goal line I'm still running that offense. If I come out with a run play called the AI is always in goal line, and if I come out with a pass play they are in base defense (or nickel, I'm not sure but it's not goal line.) This means you're never tricking the AI. They aren't looking at your tendencies and adapting. It's just choosing to not run the perfect defense against you each time. That choosing is the "game scripting" that a lot of people complain about.

The second and almost as big (but less frequent) is the brain dead clock management. At the end of the game even with time outs and down 3 the AI will not make the right play calls and manage the clock correctly to kick the FG. What should be the most exciting games are spoiled by watching the AI run a toss play from your 20 as the clock expires down three. Or the glitch where they line up and just don't snap the ball as the clock expires.

Those two things killed the game for me and I've shelved it. If they get fixed (the second might, the first is a fundamental flaw in the game that they could just hide better) I might come back.

[Toupal]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

Because you know this story well. We all do. If you're not enjoying playing the games, that's the only real thing to enjoy in FM.

And this is why gameplay isn't everything for me. I could be perfectly happy playing Madden 17 and just continue playing my franchise I have going in that. The improvements aren't enough to justify moving over to the new game, and that's not even considering how bad a state offline FM is in Madden 18 right now.

I echo exactly what you say

[NDAlum]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

I haven't touched offline CFM and I won't this cycle. No love for the CPU AI so what's the point? I can't get any type of legit challenge from them and the roster management proves even more dull.

Playing MUT and seeing the resources & content poured into it really makes CFM looks even worse.

[JayhawkerStL]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

The last solo season I completed, in any sport, was in NHL 10. And truth be told, I rarely made it in any other. Sim gameplay was always about multiplayer, because then there was a point.

The connect franchises ruined it, because no matter how they dress it up, playing a franchise mode versus the AI is just tedious and awful. They don't work unless you play a full 32 man franchise. And really, that can even be worse, as herding 32 owners is hard.

The best online leagues I played in, from console games to text sims, were smaller head-to-head leagues, with 6-12 teams. But those don't exist anymore.

Yeah, EA stopped pouring resources into solo franchise play a long time ago. But it's not because of anything nefarious. It's just, literally, the worst mode in sports games. There is telemetry across many sports. While there is a strong community here, overall, it is a dud.

Armor mentioned it last week as he talked about waiting in line for the midnight release of NBA 2K18. He was the only one there that played franchise mode. Everyone else was talking about MyPlayer and and MyTeam. And 2K has a great franchise mode. But I thought I read before that it was the least used mode even in the 2K games.

[HeelGreenRanger]

Re: Offline CFM: How far did you make it?

My favorite thing I've seen so far CPU AI wise.

After S1, with an 82 ovr Alex Smith, and an 80 ovr Pat Mahomes.

The Chiefs signed an 83 ovr Teddy Bridgewater.

Sigh.


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