Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

[ghostlight85]

I would spend a lot of time in practice mode if it were improved in a few key ways. First of all, you should be able to switch playbooks at any time (except in franchise mode) without having to back out and reload with a different playbook. Second, situations and scrimmage/ simulated games should be available.

Lastly, I really want a true offseason minicamp for franchise. It would be awesome if after the draft you could hold a rookie minicamp and see what you've got. You could hold off showing the ratings until after the minicamp so that it keeps a bit of suspense. This could even impact descisions regarding contracts because we should have training camp rosters and the ability to bring in players for tryouts during this time. This would require a greater number of UDFA (these could be largely random, but throw in a few of the handcrafted ones from the draft classes) and a larger free agent pool.

I'm a franchise nut and a Dolphin fan. It would be awesome to be able to recreate the type of situation that happened last year with Davone Bess. Or what may happen this year with Lewis Ellis. Every year there are dozens of players across the league that make rosters as undrafted free agents, but in madden it is pretty rare and doesn't carry the same feeling of reward when they become contributors. In madden all you have to do is see their overall in the free agent list and press a button to sign them. It would be nice to have to see them on the field and possibly offer them a contract BEFORE you know their overall.

[MattIntellect]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I would spend a lot of time in practice mode if it were improved in a few key ways. First of all, you should be able to switch playbooks at any time (except in franchise mode) without having to back out and reload with a different playbook. Second, situations and scrimmage/ simulated games should be available.

Lastly, I really want a true offseason minicamp for franchise. It would be awesome if after the draft you could hold a rookie minicamp and see what you've got. You could hold off showing the ratings until after the minicamp so that it keeps a bit of suspense. This could even impact descisions regarding contracts because we should have training camp rosters and the ability to bring in players for tryouts during this time. This would require a greater number of UDFA (these could be largely random, but throw in a few of the handcrafted ones from the draft classes) and a larger free agent pool.

I'm a franchise nut and a Dolphin fan. It would be awesome to be able to recreate the type of situation that happened last year with Davone Bess. Or what may happen this year with Lewis Ellis. Every year there are dozens of players across the league that make rosters as undrafted free agents, but in madden it is pretty rare and doesn't carry the same feeling of reward when they become contributors. In madden all you have to do is see their overall in the free agent list and press a button to sign them. It would be nice to have to see them on the field and possibly offer them a contract BEFORE you know their overall.

I think that there will be a lot of improvements to franchise mode this year and hopefully some of your suggestions made it into the game!

[thekodinator]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I would spend a lot of time in practice mode if it were improved in a few key ways. First of all, you should be able to switch playbooks at any time (except in franchise mode) without having to back out and reload with a different playbook. Second, situations and scrimmage/ simulated games should be available.

Lastly, I really want a true offseason minicamp for franchise. It would be awesome if after the draft you could hold a rookie minicamp and see what you've got. You could hold off showing the ratings until after the minicamp so that it keeps a bit of suspense. This could even impact descisions regarding contracts because we should have training camp rosters and the ability to bring in players for tryouts during this time. This would require a greater number of UDFA (these could be largely random, but throw in a few of the handcrafted ones from the draft classes) and a larger free agent pool.

I'm a franchise nut and a Dolphin fan. It would be awesome to be able to recreate the type of situation that happened last year with Davone Bess. Or what may happen this year with Lewis Ellis. Every year there are dozens of players across the league that make rosters as undrafted free agents, but in madden it is pretty rare and doesn't carry the same feeling of reward when they become contributors. In madden all you have to do is see their overall in the free agent list and press a button to sign them. It would be nice to have to see them on the field and possibly offer them a contract BEFORE you know their overall.

War what you just said broski. I spend 8-10 hours a week in practice mode, and would likely spend double that if they had significant improvements in regards to play calling, scenarios, etc.

Also, that off-season training camp idea is really good; probably the best franchise mode-related comment I've read yet. The weekly "training sessions" that are now in franchise are mundane, boring and repetitive. I just skip them. Your training camp idea would make the off-season amazing

[PantherBeast_OS]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

Yea good idea. But that would be for next year wishlist. But again it might be in madden 10. But don't hold your breath.

[KensaiKatai]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

great idea, i would like to see an offseason like head coach as well. Where we are forced to cut a lot of players, etc. plus everything the original TS stated in regards.

[djKianoosh]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I like the idea of being able to switch playbooks without going back out.

Here's another idea: playlists
think of your mp3 playlists, but for plays. this way, if there's a series of 10 or 15 plays I want to practice in a row, or random, I can just select the plays out of the playbook that "I" want to practice (not the awful random play mode that has been in practice mode for years now, since that doesn't cycle through all the formations).

same for the defense. say I want to practice a single play against a variety of defenses. I could select my offensive play, then select like 3 or 4 specific defenses that I want the CPU to select from to practice against.

[Brandon_c993]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I would spend a lot of time in practice mode if it were improved in a few key ways. First of all, you should be able to switch playbooks at any time (except in franchise mode) without having to back out and reload with a different playbook. Second, situations and scrimmage/ simulated games should be available.

Lastly, I really want a true offseason minicamp for franchise. It would be awesome if after the draft you could hold a rookie minicamp and see what you've got. You could hold off showing the ratings until after the minicamp so that it keeps a bit of suspense. This could even impact descisions regarding contracts because we should have training camp rosters and the ability to bring in players for tryouts during this time. This would require a greater number of UDFA (these could be largely random, but throw in a few of the handcrafted ones from the draft classes) and a larger free agent pool.

I'm a franchise nut and a Dolphin fan. It would be awesome to be able to recreate the type of situation that happened last year with Davone Bess. Or what may happen this year with Lewis Ellis. Every year there are dozens of players across the league that make rosters as undrafted free agents, but in madden it is pretty rare and doesn't carry the same feeling of reward when they become contributors. In madden all you have to do is see their overall in the free agent list and press a button to sign them. It would be nice to have to see them on the field and possibly offer them a contract BEFORE you know their overall.

More like hundreds...The Colts alone sign around a dozen every year :wink:...good idea's though, hope it happens...

[Tengo Juego]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

This thread needs to be bumped. I would like Practice mode to get an improvement.

-I don't want guys wearing game uniforms in practice. They should be wearing the same stuff they wear in the mini games.

-Scrimmaging is a MUST! I want the ball to move after each play accordingly. LOS/First down lines(don't need a chain gang or anything), penalties(maybe don't enforce them, but if they happen tell me so I know NOT to do that in a game i.e. PI calls).

-The playlist idea for plays is brilliant. Maybe have an option where you mark the plays you want and then once you've marked those plays, put them in a random order for you to work on in a playlist-like playbook. And LIKE an mp3, have an option to repeat a certain play that you would like to work on.

-I'd also like to be able to practice just pass skeleton BUT minus the mini game scoring. I want to continually throw the ball 7v7. And have the option for the ball to move after each pass, or reset to where we started.

[Maelstrom-XIII]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

You realize that to have hundreds more free agents for this to work? If each team signs 20 more players on top of the 53 on the roster...that's over 600 more FAs needed to fill those holes...you'd need more than that in the event of injuries/retirements, etc...so you'd need a FA pool of 750 players or so...

[Tengo Juego]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I don't know about that 20 player business. But an 8 player practice squad would work for me.

[ghostlight85]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

You realize that to have hundreds more free agents for this to work? If each team signs 20 more players on top of the 53 on the roster...that's over 600 more FAs needed to fill those holes...you'd need more than that in the event of injuries/retirements, etc...so you'd need a FA pool of 750 players or so...

If they are randomly generated, I don't see why it would be so difficult to add more. But as another poster stated, even just having a practice squad would be an improvement.

Personally though, I think it would be good if they randomly generated more free agents and then if for space reasons they need to cut it down, just cut it down to size at the same time the teams cut down their rosters.

[Smoke316]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I like the idea of being able to switch playbooks without going back out.

Here's another idea: playlists
think of your mp3 playlists, but for plays. this way, if there's a series of 10 or 15 plays I want to practice in a row, or random, I can just select the plays out of the playbook that "I" want to practice (not the awful random play mode that has been in practice mode for years now, since that doesn't cycle through all the formations).

same for the defense. say I want to practice a single play against a variety of defenses. I could select my offensive play, then select like 3 or 4 specific defenses that I want the CPU to select from to practice against.

GREAT idea, even when you pick random they tend to pick the same plays.

For some reason im not care for a practice squad to much if its in its in but to me its not that serious

[Tengo Juego]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I dont want them to be randomly generated. I dont want Joe Schmo on my practice squad.

But I dont think there would be any serious constraints on having 8 Practice players on each team.

[djKianoosh]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I dont want them to be randomly generated. I dont want Joe Schmo on my practice squad.

But I dont think there would be any serious constraints on having 8 Practice players on each team.

especially with the roster updates.

and what would be best is if they are actually used in franchise mode for practicing against your upcoming opponent's tendencies, which is what these guys do in real life.

[ghostlight85]

Re: Practice mode improvements, and franchise thoughts.

I dont want them to be randomly generated. I dont want Joe Schmo on my practice squad.

But I dont think there would be any serious constraints on having 8 Practice players on each team.

I meant randomly generated as opposed to the handcrafted draft classes. I don't expect them to make several hundred players for each draft class, so I'm saying they could use the random player generator to fill out the free agent pool and then you still pick who you sign as you otherwise would.