Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

[Sheba2011]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

In previous years the player's overall rating in-game was their "true" rating, un-influenced by the coach's scheme. Often times, that made it appear differently than their front-end overall rating, which is influenced by a head coach's scheme choice.

They're saying that whatever a player's rating appears as in the front-end will carry into the in-game depth chart screen now.

Which should make schemes finally matter.

[Hooe]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

In-Game Overall Ratings
Another big change in Madden NFL 15 is seeing the same overall (OVR) ratings in game as the depth chart. If a QB is an 85 overall in your scheme in the front end, they’ll be an 85 OVR in game as well.

Can someone please explain this to me?

Sure.

In Madden NFL 13 and Madden NFL 25, each head coach has various player "scheme settings" in which he sets up what sort of player he values at each position. For example, pocket passer QB vs scrambling QB. Changing this setting affects the OVR rating calculation for that position group for that team. For user head coaches, that change in calculation resulted in new OVR ratings for players in that position group based on the desired player type. For CPU teams, the changed OVR rating would change what sort of players they targeted in the draft and free agency.

The issue the older games had - and what was corrected - is that this OVR rating calculation change did not carry over into played games. Within a game in progress, if a user paused and went to the Depth Chart screen, he would see the OVR rating calculation as if the scheme setting was not applied; i.e. the default OVR rating calculation that is used in the game's frontend outside of Connected Franchise mode. This has been fixed, the calculation is now the same in both places.

This inconsistency was a bit of a sticking point for a lot of people and IMO has resulted in a lot of confusion about what the scheme settings are actually supposed to do. It's a small fix, but a necessary and good one.

[zmonkey]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

In-Game Overall Ratings
Another big change in Madden NFL 15 is seeing the same overall (OVR) ratings in game as the depth chart. If a QB is an 85 overall in your scheme in the front end, they’ll be an 85 OVR in game as well.

Can someone please explain this to me?

Also a player's recent production was factored into the number as well, which led to weird things like an 81 OVR DT claiming to be a 90+ OVR DT after a hot streak, but he still played like an 81.

[loadedlux]

Random draft classes alone just might bring me back

[mmorg]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

EA not getting sued is what is most important. After the Sam Keller lawsuit in which they were sued for allowing users to edit the names and likeness of players I wouldn't be surprised if we never see editable draft classes again.

No they were sued for shipping the game with player likenesses. Courts ruled a few years ago that professional athletes don't have protection of their names, only their virtual likeness. This is how games like Front Office Football and OOTP can ship games with full rosters and not have to worry about obtaining a license from the NFLPA or MLBPA, but they can't ship the games with real logos or uniforms because those licenses are owned by the NFL and MLB respectively.

Being able to edit names doesn't have anything to do with the NCAA lawsuit and it doesn't even come close to being a legal issue.

[Sheba2011]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

Random draft classes alone just might bring me back

That might get me back into online CFM's. Nothing was worse than having that one dbag who would use a guide and amazingly draft a team of all future all pros. Now those owners actually have to take the time to scout players and play the game the right way.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

Wow, the changes look good!

I loved this part:

CPU teams have extensive logic that determines what they work on every week. Bad teams will focus mostly on developing their players, while contenders will focus on confidence first and then earn XP if confidence isn’t an issue.

My question about this:

Is this strictly based on team overall or how the team is actually doing? If a team with a low overall gets off to a good start and is winning the division at the halfway point, will they continue to just go for XP or will they then convert to trying to just be prepared every week? Likewise, if a team has high expectations but gets off to an 0-5 start, will they "pack it in" and start going for XP to get ready for next year? I'm hoping it will be dynamic like that.

[Sheba2011]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

No they were sued for shipping the game with player likenesses. Courts ruled a few years ago that professional athletes don't have protection of their names, only their virtual likeness. This is how games like Front Office Football and OOTP can ship games with full rosters and not have to worry about obtaining a license from the NFLPA or MLBPA, but they can't ship the games with real logos or uniforms because those licenses are owned by the NFL and MLB respectively.

Being able to edit names doesn't have anything to do with the NCAA lawsuit and it doesn't even come close to being a legal issue.

ESPN (and the actual lawsuit) disagrees with you:

"Though names are not visible on player jerseys in the video games, the lawsuit contends EA Sports intentionally circumvents the prohibitions on utilizing student-athletes' names by allowing gamers to upload entire rosters, which include players' names and other information, directly into the game in a matter of seconds."

[DeuceDouglas]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

I understand what you are saying but how realistic is that? If a guy is sitting at home in week 8 of the NFL season and the Patriots call him and say we need you to come play WR for us, his confidence is going to be either very high or neutral. He isn't going to walk into the locker room depressed and unsure of himself.

When you take into consideration that confidence is a loosely used term to describe ratings increases and decreases, it's very realistic. If you just go sign a QB off the street to start week eight, he's not going to get ratings boosts because he's happy to have a job and now he gets to play. Yes going to struggle and go throw some serious issues if you just throw him to the fire until he gets acclimated.

Look at Josh Freeman for the Vikings last year. They got him, through him in there immediately and he was like 20 of 53 passing. All this confidence rating is is a glorified hot/cold system.

[goravens2052]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

The redesigned uniforms have me intrigued, i wonder while relocating if we have the ability to choose any team we want or if its still restricted by location. For example i may like the Brooklyn Bulls Logo,Uniform but i may want to use them in San Antonio, id like to be able to do that more options is always better. i may want to move a team to London but if i dont like any of the logos or uniforms then i probably wont.


I would have liked to hear something about Elite older QBs, with both Brady and Brees talking about playing into their mid 40s (however unlikely) its a little disheartening seeing both guys gone in CFM after a year. Maybe let them get to 40-43. And speaking of old players i hope i dont see ray Lewis coming out of retirement at 50 like before.

Your two points is something I want to know about as well. The relocation thing, yes being able to choose any team name regardless of the city would be a very welcome addition. I also noticed they said that you may be better off building a new stadium, or relocating. In M25, the only way you could build a new stadium is by relocating, and you couldn't just build a brand new one in the same city. Does that mean we actually can build a new stadium in our current city?

Early retirements and players come out of retirement just killed CFM for me last year. Brady has said he plans on playing for quite a while, Brees is probably going to play for a long time as well. Yet somehow in Madden, it seems they had it based upon age. Age should be a factor but not the overall factor. Just stop with the players coming out of retirement, Favre was just a crazy old bat who couldn't make up his mind. Every other player has stayed retired. Keep it that way, and make it so we can keep a player from retiring, more money, promise of a SB, etc some incentive to make him stay.

[StL_RamZ]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

was really hoping for a live stream to see all this in action.

[Sheba2011]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

When you take into consideration that confidence is a loosely used term to describe ratings increases and decreases, it's very realistic. If you just go sign a QB off the street to start week eight, he's not going to get ratings boosts because he's happy to have a job and now he gets to play. Yes going to struggle and go throw some serious issues if you just throw him to the fire until he gets acclimated.

Look at Josh Freeman for the Vikings last year. They got him, through him in there immediately and he was like 20 of 53 passing. All this confidence rating is is a glorified hot/cold system.

He's not getting a ratings boost in the game either, he's going to start off at the baseline confidence level of 50 which is neutral, unless I understand the system wrong.

That's also only one player example. I could counter with Sealver Siliga of the Patriots. He was signed and became an immediate full time starter and finished the year with a sack in 3 straight games.

[l8knight1]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

ESPN (and the actual lawsuit) disagrees with you:

"Though names are not visible on player jerseys in the video games, the lawsuit contends EA Sports intentionally circumvents the prohibitions on utilizing student-athletes' names by allowing gamers to upload entire rosters, which include players' names and other information, directly into the game in a matter of seconds."

Interesting, as I had never seen this. What is crazy to me is that ''gamers...upload (and edit) rosters''. In other words, EA wasn't doing it, they were just supposed to prevent people from editing? That logic is so weak, because it also eliminates editing that is pure random, fantasy or fictional.

[mmorg]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

ESPN (and the actual lawsuit) disagrees with you:

"Though names are not visible on player jerseys in the video games, the lawsuit contends EA Sports intentionally circumvents the prohibitions on utilizing student-athletes' names by allowing gamers to upload entire rosters, which include players' names and other information, directly into the game in a matter of seconds."

That might be what the lawsuit says from the prosecution's perspective, but what did the judges actually legislate their decisions on? Find that and get back to me. It has been ruled in numerous courts, and is displayed evidently in games like OOTP and FOF, that people do not own the rights to their names and only their likeness.

[Sheba2011]

Re: Madden NFL 15 - Connected Franchise Deep Dive

Interesting, as I had never seen this. What is crazy to me is that ''gamers...upload (and edit) rosters''. In other words, EA wasn't doing it, they were just supposed to prevent people from editing? That logic is so weak, because it also eliminates editing that is pure random, fantasy or fictional.

This is from the Sam Keller lawsuit which EA and the NCAA recently settled for $20 million. The Ed Obannon lawsuit was the one based on player likeness and NCAA player rights. Based on the wording though it sounds like EA may never give the ability to edit draft classes (who could blame them?), if they do they probably won't allow sharing. I would not be surprised if 2k follows soon before they are also sued.