Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

[roadman]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

I feel like after watching the video, they are more concerned about improving the online cfm, as opposed to the offline.
Online is great, but I feel that ever since Madden first came online, CFM has taken a back seat to the developers at EA.
Modes like MUT that bring in money after release are the way of the future for EA and Madden. Until their is some healthy competition in the football video game world, we are going to keep dealing with them remvoing and readding features that we have grown to love over the last few years.
The improvements are awesome, but are they really worth the $60 upgrade?

To each their own on the last question.

Yeah, you do seem to keep bringing this removing and readding features into threads? Last Novembers interview with Rex Dickson said they aren't doing that.

Maybe refining and redesigning, but I'm not sure where we are seeing removing of features from last year to this year??

[bucky60]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Agree..

Sky, I read a post that said the drills or film study is only for X number of players per week. Do you know if that is true or not? Be very disappointing to me if this is true.

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

I'm going to have to wait and see until I say the above is actually true. If 7-10 years from now no features are removed and things are just added, I'd say you are right. If in 5 years we're starting over again for whatever reason (new leaders) or things are removed, then it's pretty much business as usual.

For me, I just can't stomach the progression system, having to reach statistical goals, etc. But this years looks a little better than M25 in that part of the progression can be due to film study. I too am leaning towards getting M15. I already know what I won't like, so it won't be a shock, and some good things were added to CFM and to game play. Hope we both enjoy it.

I have to hand it to you Bucky, I was giving the XP system the benefit of the doubt when it debuted but you were spot on about it from the jump, imo. I initially looked at it as a way to allow Users to handle progression manually, while others could still have it automated/under the hood by simming but it seems nothing of the sort at this point.

After the watching the CFM stream, I find myself wondering why XP is even necessary, when it just creates a "middle man" system for boosting ratings. I'm fine with all the drills and manual options available for a User to progress/maintain players, as well as improve their stick skills but can't figure out how the XP system compliments that. It seems redundant, imo, considering the work is already done, so the allocation could just be automatically applied gradually directly to certain ratings/DPP when simming or chosen upfront manually. At least then the UI could be football based instead of RPG-ish, I find the XP UI and system to be TMI that detracts from football immersion.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

The XP system is weird because it suggests that customization is big for EA.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Sky, I read a post that said the drills or film study is only for X number of players per week. Do you know if that is true or not? Be very disappointing to me if this is true.

Don't know my man.
The system I was hoping for was a time based system where you can do as many drills as time permits...per day. Each drill was a set time. Then you'd have to make the best of the time you have each day.

I don't feel that you should be able to hit every player every week for example unless you chose a "film study" day where all players got a minimal boost.. etc...
If you did individual drills then you had to plan out the time vs who to get work to.

[boritter]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

The inability to customize draft classes (like NBA 2K) might be a deal breaker for me. I'm much more motivated to play a 2nd season in any sports game when I can have more realistic draft classes. EA knows that a lot of gamers want that feature. Yet we still don't have it. Disappointing.

[Toupal]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

To each their own on the last question.

Yeah, you do seem to keep bringing this removing and readding features into threads? Last Novembers interview with Rex Dickson said they aren't doing that.

Maybe refining and redesigning, but I'm not sure where we are seeing removing of features from last year to this year??

It is not a year to year basis. Madden's franchise mode is still playing catch up to what the franchise mode used to be like before they made the jump from PS2/XBOX to PS3/360.
Free agents now choose where they want to play based on factors besides money? It use to be that way back in Madden 07
Relocating teams? Please, I had more options when I was playing Madden on my ps2. At least with that I could design the uniforms to how I wanted them.
Madden 12, the ability to edit rosters in dynasty... That option was taken away.
Turning off relocation... that was in last years game

What happened to customization in Franchise mode? I paid the $60, let me do what I want to in my dynasty.

Overall I am impressed with the improvement, but don't spoon food me old features as "new". I've been playing since 1995, I've grown up with the game. All I want is to see the game progress, as opposed to take features out every year for some lame reason like, "It won't work with the storyline."

EA I have seen what you are capable of, and i know you can do more than just give us a confidence rating, game prep, and random draft classes in a 12 month span.

[roadman]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

It is not a year to year basis. Madden's franchise mode is still playing catch up to what the franchise mode used to be like before they made the jump from PS2/XBOX to PS3/360.
Free agents now choose where they want to play based on factors besides money? It use to be that way back in Madden 07
Relocating teams? Please, I had more options when I was playing Madden on my ps2. At least with that I could design the uniforms to how I wanted them.
Madden 12, the ability to edit rosters in dynasty... That option was taken away.
Turning off relocation... that was in last years game

What happened to customization in Franchise mode? I paid the $60, let me do what I want to in my dynasty.

Overall I am impressed with the improvement, but don't spoon food me old features as "new". I've been playing since 1995, I've grown up with the game. All I want is to see the game progress, as opposed to take features out every year for some lame reason like, "It won't work with the storyline."

EA I have seen what you are capable of, and i know you can do more than just give us a confidence rating, game prep, and random draft classes in a 12 month span.

I've been playing since before 95 and playing football games since electric football and the talking football days. I've only enjoyed Madden 10 and 12 from the past.

In the initial post I quoted(not your only one on the topic) you stated the team will continue to take out and re-add features from the past. I said based on an interview from last November, those days are gone with this team. Even in the post above, you site taking out features every year. They didn't take any features out this year to my knowledge.

From last November interview with VSN's Mr. Bill:

Q: Do we see the war in the trenches as something that's a focus long term?

Rex: I'll take you a step further than that, everything that we build from this point forward is going to be a long term investment. The years of us building a back of the box feature like QB vision and taking it out a year or two later, those days are over. Two years ago we started working on our physics engine, and two years later we're still working on it. We started working on blocking last year, and we're working on it for next year, we have a 3-4 year plan for what this blocking team is going to work on. Obviously there are still a lot of other things we need to get to, gap play, true gap play, a overhaul of our play action system is another one of those things. Everything we do from now on is a long term investment.




You won't find much more customization to the game beyond sharing rosters and sliders probably from this point forward. This country seems to be a sue happy country, and based on what happened with the lawsuits from NCAA, once bitten, twice shy on that.


Marketing is marketing, I don't get caught up with any companies marketing ways or hype.

As far as franchise mode is concerned, anything is better than last years skipping over weekly difficult to achieve XP features. For myself, I'm intrigued, at the least, to try out confidence and game prep. Hopefully, it will keep me immersed, but to each their own on that one.

Anyway, here's to Madden progressing each year in all the areas, I'm just not expecting Madden to make huge leaps in progressing based on past history on a yearly basis.

I will say, though, starting to receive some sim features over the past few years, game play wise.

Go Rex, Clint and Brian.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Regarding the notion of taking things out and then adding them back in, I think that the issue is partly one of perception. I, as a gamer who soley plays offine franchise and wants a sim experience (ideally a GM simluator, essentially), am frustrated by this as much as anyone.

However, as customers, we see Madden as one continuous game from the early 90s to today. However, my guess is that those who make the game don't see it that way. They only see it in terms of their current team, or the current generation of consoles being developed for, and so what we as players had on the PS2 7 or 8 years ago, and however many development teams ago, has no factor at all in what they see as a "new feature".

I may be wrong, but thats my opinion. Whats an "old feature" that we once had and enjoyed isn't old to them.

[bwburke94]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

i'd rather have them fix the actual problem. roster requirements suck, we'll probably be forced to have 10 OL again when most teams only carry 9.

While I agree that roster requirements are generally a bad idea, they could be far worse. I've been around since Madden 2002, so I remember just how bad the requirements were back then.

As for OL, I generally carry a tenth anyway, but it could get ugly if I'm forced to sign an eleventh because my backup right guard is "probable".

[db56]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Great interview, lot of good points in here.


Thanks for posting!

[Shizz420]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

I wouldn't be surprised if the same legal issues that torpedoed the NCAA series are scaring EA away from letting people create their own draft classes.

bingo

there is also a class action lawsuit with former NFL players and EA that involved likenesses of the old-time teams, too. They are legally just covering their *** (at the cost of the consumer).

[mnuccio]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Very informative, and I'm actually guardedly optimistic about CFM this year. Seems like a huge leap forward if the walk matches the talk.

My one huge gripe with CFM is the user interface/menu system. It really needs to be changed next year. A better interface could make the mode so much more enjoyable and immersive. The designers MUST realize how much time franchise geeks spend menu-jockeying...

[oneamongthefence]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Very informative, and I'm actually guardedly optimistic about CFM this year. Seems like a huge leap forward if the walk matches the talk.

My one huge gripe with CFM is the user interface/menu system. It really needs to be changed next year. A better interface could make the mode so much more enjoyable and immersive. The designers MUST realize how much time franchise geeks spend menu-jockeying...

This. I remember when navigating the franchise menu was muscle memory. I could do it in my sleep. Now the menu hitches a lot and I've got to stop and think about Where the option I want to select is. It looks nice now but it's just Not very intuitive.

[King Austin004]

Re: Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Videocast with Josh Looman

Because they just settled a lawsuit in which they will pay millions of dollars to former college athletes who appeared in the NCAA video games. Part of the lawsuit stated that EA gave users (game players) the ability to edit player likeness and names and share them in a matter of seconds. EA is just protecting itself from further litigation. Once the Ed Obannon lawsuit verdict is announced 2K will probably follow suit.

Not true that wasn't in the lawsuit. And 2k is still using edit draft class in NBA 2k15