-Overall player ratings don't match between in-game and the menus. This causes a LOT of problems ranging from starters being backups, backups being starters and overall, horrible roster management from the CPU.
-The only overall ratings that should matter is in-game because that's what you're playing...the games themselves. As a 49ers fan, I had to ignore the menus and setup my depth chart so I wouldnt have to do it every game. I re-rated nearly every player with a gap of a few points each so the CPU depth charts wouldnt get all screwed up.
-I remember playing against the Packers in the opener. A few of the offensive linemen were not only out of position but one or two of them werent even in the starting lineup. Defensively, a few starters were nowhere to be found. Checking the Packers depth chart in game saw starters listed as second or third on the depth chart.
-I remember in one game, Rodgers got injured and was replaced by the third stringer due to schemes listing him higher than the backup quarterback.
-Seeing a lower rated player higher on the depth chart than higher rated players drives me nuts. I want players listed on the depth chart in order of their overall rating. Not seeing the CPU do this drove me nuts.
-Free Agency is horrible because I would see players who are rated good in-game but crap due to my scheme but yet, in game, their overall ratings would be what they should be.
-Schemes also screws up what players are worth in regards to contracts. I remember being able to sign at least five top tier free agents because their overall ratings were low due to them not fitting my scheme but in-game on the field, they kicked butt.
-Schemes to me was a great idea but horribly executed and implemented. The overall ratings should match across the board. So, if I see a speed back rated 65 due to the 49ers running a power scheme, that's exactly what he should be in-game. However, that's not the case whatsoever.
-CPU Roster Management AI was horrible due to schemes. I would see good to great players, young too released or traded for either average players or nothing in return simply because they didnt fit the scheme yet were rated great in-game.
-Schemes also screws up how the CPU drafts. If a CPU team has a young franchise QB who's rated 85 in-game but 77 on the menus, the CPU would draft a QB in the first round to replace him. I remember one off-season where the Dolphins had Tannehill who was rated 80 in-game as a rookie get benched as they signed veteran Alex Smith AND still drafted a QB in the first round simply because they were rated higher due to the scheme setup. Funny thing is that while Smith was rated 85 overall in-game, no team is going to replace a first round rookie with a veteran QB after one year. That makes no sense. The rookie QB that was drafted was rated LOWER in-game. So, instead of the Dolphins signing a player on offense to help Tannehill and draft a player to help Tannehill, they basically tried to replace him twice in the same off-season.
If I still had Madden NFL 13, I could probably write a book and the funny thing is that these are all valid actual complaints and problems. I couldnt make this stuff up even if I wanted to.
Schemes should be as follows - simply, the overall rating should be the same on the roster menus and in-game. So, if I sign a CB who's rated 65 overall because he doesnt fit the 49ers defensive scheme, thats what his overall rating should be in-game. Once I improve the player, then the overall rating should increase exactly the same in-game and on the menus.
In short, schemes screws up pretty much everything when it comes to roster management and for someone like me, who wants everything as close to 100% accurate as possible, this is a huge negative and problem. That's why last year, I played Madden NFL 25 for a few days and traded it in simply because I dont have the patience and time to go nuts editing every player like I did in M13 to get around this problem and even then, I didnt solve the problem 100%.
What's truly sad is that those who like me are "picky" about the roster management havent even noticed any of these problems despite them being right there in front of them.
Sorry but no, they're not simply because they cause way too many problems. There's a reason why the games in "play now" in Madden 13 play better than they do in CCM. It's because all the rosters, ratings and depth charts are what they should be.