[Benzhiyi]

Quote: Originally Posted by jip4

I posted this on another thread, but I'll repost here: It's important to realize what "progression" is. It is a player increasing their ability level. It is not a re-evaluation of the players ability level (which is what mid-season roster updates are, and what mid-season/preseason progression simulates). It makes no sense to re-evaluate the a Franchise player's ability level, because we know precisely what that ability level is. This isn't true in real life. Matt Cassel probably started last season with his Madden rating at ~70. He probably finished it at ~85. Now let's think about what happened. Did he really get 15 points better over the course of the season? Or was he really an 85 all along, and we just didn't know it (this one)? The difference between real life and the game is that, within the context of the game (and more specifically, within the context of Franchise mode), we do know exactly how good every player is. It's in a nice little spreadsheet, with all kinds of sub-categories that we can sort. It's those numbers that determine how players perform, not how good they "really" are. Give a 70 OVR running back a great offensive line and he can have a great season, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a 70 OVR. And just because I decide on a whim not to throw a single ball to my 99 OVR receiver all season doesn't mean he's suddenly a 65. Or even a 95. The "performance-based potential" arguments mistake the cause and effect relationship between ratings and performance. High ratings are not a reward for performing well. High ratings cause you to perform well. If a bad player plays well, one of three things is happening: 1. There's a flaw in the game (and this is entirely possible: if you're getting 1600 yards with a 65 OVR running back, something ain't right) 2. You've designed your system around the player, and/or put him in a position personnel-wise to be successful (i.e. he's a product of the system) 3. You just got lucky (i.e. he's a one-year-wonder) What isn't happening is that the player is suddenly 15, 10, or even just 5 points better. Heck just from knowledge the game, we know that players get better from practice, from working out, from studying film, from training in the offseason; but not from catching 6 balls instead of 3 on Sunday. Sorry if this seems kind of rambling, but IMO performance-based potential is a franchise killer, and it worries me just how much some are pushing for it.

I'm with you.

So often in real life a skill player who's been drafted early won't get hot until their second or even third year. Or an underrated player suddenly comes good after a year or two on the practise squad. The current progression model nicely mimics that. The one people are clamoring for does not - it means the only way of improving a late round QB or WR is to keep playing them, when in real life they would learn from being on the sideline and training every week. I absolutely HATED the old progression model for that exact reason.

Please don't go back, EA. Please.