Hey EA Sports UFC fans and developers,
Over the next few days I plan on detailing my dream career mode for EA Sports UFC 3. This is simply one fans opinion of what he would like to see in the upcoming games. Career mode is likely my favorite mode in sports games. I’ve experienced Career mode in WWE games since the N64 days, and have played through all MMA/UFC titles throughout the years. These posts will be lengthy, but if you read nothing else please take a look at these key points and themes below.
KEY POINTS / THEMES
- Career mode should first and foremost be based on player choice. Give me choice in when I decide to go to the UFC, which fight I take, which camp I train at, or which weigh class I’m competing in.
- Career mode needs to do a better job at encompassing the overall depth of the MMA world. Include small promotions as you work your way up (WFA, RFA, Strikeforce, Cage Rage, etc.) and layers of UFC shows (Fight Pass, FOX, PPV)
- With player choice comes a better Cause and Effect relationship with events that happen in career mode. Don’t randomly tell me I twisted my knee in training and can’t train jujitsu and therefore I can’t train that. The choices that I make throughout my career or the events that take place in my fights should be the determining factor of what effects my training. I should have the choice to bring in key sparring partners, take short notice fights, participate in a media tour before my fight, etc.
- Special events like feuds or a promoter approaching you to compete in a kick boxing only tournament, a pride revival show, open weight fight, or jujitsu match would add tremendous depth to career.
Character Creation & Choosing a Team
Career mode begins with the player being given the option to create a new fighter or choose a real fighter from the game.
After the player creates their fighter or has selected to use a real fighter, the player is given the option of various camps to join. The list of camps might look something like this:
American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) – San Jose, California, USA
American Top Team (ATT) - Coconut Creek, Florida
Cesar Gracie Jujitsu - Pleasant Hill, California, USA
Jackson Wink Academy - Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Kings MMA – Huntington Beach, California, USA
Long Serra MMA – New York, New York, USA
Roufusport - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Team Alpha Male - Sacramento, Califronia
Tristar Gym – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Straight Blast Gym (SBG) – Dublin, Ireland
Wolfslair MMA – London, England
Team Rough House - East Midlands, England
EVOLVE MMA – Singapore
AKA Thailand - Phuket, Thailand
Black house - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nova Uniao - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Introduction, Tutorials and Amateur fights
Once the player has decided which team they would like to start out with, they are introduced to the head coach. The head coach asks the player they would like to go over the basics (In game tutorials) or if they are ready to show off what they can do.
If the player selects that they are ready to proceed, they are then paired up with a computer-generated fighter to fight in a two round amateur fight in the gym.
If the player loses the fight, the gym’s head coach suggests that they go over the basics (in game tutorials) before being offered another amateur fight against a computer-generated fighter.
If the player wins the fight, they have the option to fight another amateur fight in their gym, or start their professional career.
STARTING YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Depending on the gym the player has selected to start with determines which promotions offer fights to the player. All of the promotions listed have a relationship with the UFC through Fight Pass. (Note: I realize some of the promotions are no longer active, but I still love the idea of being able to fight in them)
King of the Cage
RFA
Titan FC
Victory FC
Cage Rage
Eurasia Fight Nights
If your gym is located in Asia, you are offered fights/contracts by…
Shooto Japan
Pancrase
International Vale Tudo Championship
Once the player has accumulated 4 professional MMA wins, the player starts getting larger contract offers with bigger MMA organizations (PRIDE, Strikeforce, WEC or Invicta for Female fighters) or an opportunity to fight on The Ultimate Fighter.
Gaining the UFC’s Attention
If the player continues to win in the smaller promotions, they increase the interest the UFC has in singing them. The UFC offers players more in terms of Salary, position on the card and potential title shots if they have made a name for themselves in the smaller shows. For example…
A fighter with over 4+ professional MMA fights with a 50% or more winning rate can receive offers to fight on the Ultimate Fighter.
A fighter with of 8+ professional MMA fights with a 65% or more winning rate can receive a shot to fight in a UFC prelim or UFC Fight Pass show.
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 70% or more winning rate can receive offers to fight on a UFC Prelim, Fight Pass, or Fight Night Main card.
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 80% or more winning rate who has won a title in a smaller organization can receive offers to fight on Fight Pass, Fight Night or FOX cards (including main events)
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 90% or more winning rate who has won a title in a smaller organization can receive offers to fight on Fight Pass, Fight Night, FOX (including main events) or PPV main card (Up to the Co-Main event).
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 90% or more winning rate who has won titles in multiple organizations may receive offers to fight on FOX or PPV main card, Co-Main Event or receive an immediate title shot.
What is important to stress here is that the player has the CHOICE to decide when they go to the UFC, or if they go to the UFC at all (think Fedor Emelienanko here). The more attention they create for themselves outside of the UFC by winning in smaller organizations determines how badly the UFC wants to sign them.
Over the next few days I plan on detailing my dream career mode for EA Sports UFC 3. This is simply one fans opinion of what he would like to see in the upcoming games. Career mode is likely my favorite mode in sports games. I’ve experienced Career mode in WWE games since the N64 days, and have played through all MMA/UFC titles throughout the years. These posts will be lengthy, but if you read nothing else please take a look at these key points and themes below.
KEY POINTS / THEMES
- Career mode should first and foremost be based on player choice. Give me choice in when I decide to go to the UFC, which fight I take, which camp I train at, or which weigh class I’m competing in.
- Career mode needs to do a better job at encompassing the overall depth of the MMA world. Include small promotions as you work your way up (WFA, RFA, Strikeforce, Cage Rage, etc.) and layers of UFC shows (Fight Pass, FOX, PPV)
- With player choice comes a better Cause and Effect relationship with events that happen in career mode. Don’t randomly tell me I twisted my knee in training and can’t train jujitsu and therefore I can’t train that. The choices that I make throughout my career or the events that take place in my fights should be the determining factor of what effects my training. I should have the choice to bring in key sparring partners, take short notice fights, participate in a media tour before my fight, etc.
- Special events like feuds or a promoter approaching you to compete in a kick boxing only tournament, a pride revival show, open weight fight, or jujitsu match would add tremendous depth to career.
Part 1: So You Want to Be A Fighter?
Character Creation & Choosing a Team
Career mode begins with the player being given the option to create a new fighter or choose a real fighter from the game.
After the player creates their fighter or has selected to use a real fighter, the player is given the option of various camps to join. The list of camps might look something like this:North America
American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) – San Jose, California, USA
American Top Team (ATT) - Coconut Creek, Florida
Cesar Gracie Jujitsu - Pleasant Hill, California, USA
Jackson Wink Academy - Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Kings MMA – Huntington Beach, California, USA
Long Serra MMA – New York, New York, USA
Roufusport - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Team Alpha Male - Sacramento, Califronia
Tristar Gym – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Europe
Wolfslair MMA – London, England
Team Rough House - East Midlands, England
Asia
AKA Thailand - Phuket, Thailand
South America
Nova Uniao - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Introduction, Tutorials and Amateur fights
Once the player has decided which team they would like to start out with, they are introduced to the head coach. The head coach asks the player they would like to go over the basics (In game tutorials) or if they are ready to show off what they can do.
If the player selects that they are ready to proceed, they are then paired up with a computer-generated fighter to fight in a two round amateur fight in the gym.
If the player loses the fight, the gym’s head coach suggests that they go over the basics (in game tutorials) before being offered another amateur fight against a computer-generated fighter.
If the player wins the fight, they have the option to fight another amateur fight in their gym, or start their professional career.
STARTING YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Depending on the gym the player has selected to start with determines which promotions offer fights to the player. All of the promotions listed have a relationship with the UFC through Fight Pass. (Note: I realize some of the promotions are no longer active, but I still love the idea of being able to fight in them)
If your gym is located in North America, you are offered fights/contracts by…
King of the Cage
RFA
Titan FC
Victory FC
If your gym is located in Europe, you are offered fights/contracts by…
Cage Warriors
Cage Rage Eurasia Fight Nights
If your gym is located in Asia, you are offered fights/contracts by…
Shooto Japan
If your gym is located in South America you are offered fights/contracts by…
Shooto Brazil International Vale Tudo Championship
Once the player has accumulated 4 professional MMA wins, the player starts getting larger contract offers with bigger MMA organizations (PRIDE, Strikeforce, WEC or Invicta for Female fighters) or an opportunity to fight on The Ultimate Fighter.
Gaining the UFC’s Attention
If the player continues to win in the smaller promotions, they increase the interest the UFC has in singing them. The UFC offers players more in terms of Salary, position on the card and potential title shots if they have made a name for themselves in the smaller shows. For example…
A fighter with over 4+ professional MMA fights with a 50% or more winning rate can receive offers to fight on the Ultimate Fighter.
A fighter with of 8+ professional MMA fights with a 65% or more winning rate can receive a shot to fight in a UFC prelim or UFC Fight Pass show.
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 70% or more winning rate can receive offers to fight on a UFC Prelim, Fight Pass, or Fight Night Main card.
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 80% or more winning rate who has won a title in a smaller organization can receive offers to fight on Fight Pass, Fight Night or FOX cards (including main events)
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 90% or more winning rate who has won a title in a smaller organization can receive offers to fight on Fight Pass, Fight Night, FOX (including main events) or PPV main card (Up to the Co-Main event).
A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 90% or more winning rate who has won titles in multiple organizations may receive offers to fight on FOX or PPV main card, Co-Main Event or receive an immediate title shot.
What is important to stress here is that the player has the CHOICE to decide when they go to the UFC, or if they go to the UFC at all (think Fedor Emelienanko here). The more attention they create for themselves outside of the UFC by winning in smaller organizations determines how badly the UFC wants to sign them.
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