Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How to Change That

[Steve_OS]

Its fine to admit you are among the vast sum of sports gamers who simply do...

Written By: Chris Sanner

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[HenryClay1844]

Disagree quite a lot with the whole premise. It isn't the playing or the siming aspect it's the lack of customization and the lack of depth.  I only played one full season in NHL because players I wanted for season two where missing and I couldn't edit generic names. When I last finished a season of FIFA 16 with Monaco I didn't even get into season two because PSG had lost a ton of players and was already a distant second meaning I had no challenge at all. It wan't realistic and it was too limited. No one person has a catch all reason for why we don't play more franchise, but stripping these modes and making them less time consuming is not going to help make them better modes. I'd rather spend more real time and less virtual time with a good in depth Football Manager type mode than the weak gruel of most franchise modes, particularly those of EA. 

[actionhank]

In FIFA I would finish multiple seasons. My issue with the NHL series is that I just can't stay interested in the game long enough to make it through even one. With The Show it's generally related to the length of baseball seasons. I've had a year or two where I would get maybe 1 to 2 seasons past the first one, but with baseball there was definitely a lot of simming.
In EA's NHL there's the general delay for the first month or so where you have to wait to get everyone in the game because of roster release issues. Even when I wasn't turned off within a week by the gameplay itself, I had to do one of two things: Accept the incomplete rosters as they were, and just go forward with that (not fun when your team has a bunch of rookie call ups or players from Europe joining the team) or I had to wait forever to get the latest rosters and hope they were good enough. Another potential issue was trade deadline. If my team made some big trades, I often wanted to make similar trades in my game. But I couldn't force trades for myself and other teams, so there I was, restarting the season again.

If EA allowed access to a roster share and better player creation tools, those are largely issues that could be worked around by the community. Sadly, given the current state of the NHL series in particular, I don't see that change coming anytime soon. 

[bdsopgalaxy]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

I am playing a second season in The Show and plan to continue that franchise to it's end for one simple reason--you can continue your franchise in next year's game. It would be hard to be in the middle of a season in 2K18 (for example), and want to continue playing it on 2K18 after 2K19 gets released. If they allowed for old files to be continued, I would play franchises through in every sport.

[tinpanalley]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

It's so funny, even in your open analysis of people who "simply do not play multiple years of franchise modes" you then go ahead and literally ignore people who simply do not play multiple years of franchise modes.

Many people do what I do and the industry and its journalism ignores us completely. I take any game, I play one season from opening day with decent opening season rosters, I go to the playoffs (or don't, depending on my team) and when it ends, I either stop completely or try again with a different team I like. I don't want anything "progressing", "developing", "growing", "training", or players acting like "people" because in 30 years of sports games not a single game has accurately replicated human behaviour. Not one. That doesn't mean it can't be fun to some people, I can see very clearly that people love this stuff, or that it isn't exactly what they want. So I say play on, and play how you like, that's great. But it isn't real sports simulation and that's why a lot of us, typically older sports gamers, don't like franchises.
Anyway, I just found it funny that the title purports to suggest ways to "fix" those people who don't play multiple seasons in sports games. Like, we're the ones missing out. I see this sense of animosty towards not only myself but to all people who like to play like this by the industry and even by some other gamers who would love for us to stop whining about how much we hate Ultimate Team and continuing franchise modes.
Ultimately this is what I simply don't understand... are you really finishing 20 seasons of a franchise? Do you even have any real players by year 5 left in the game? "Well no, I simulate most of the games, I don't actually play them"... ok, then why does the game have to change for people who aren't even playing each match? I just don't get it but I guess, like many things, it simply is what it is.

[jkra0512]

It's a tough subject. I think stripping Franchise down or streamlining it even further would result in a "Season" mode. Some of the suggestions you came up with are pretty good.
Playing MLB: The Show I have a few house rules to get me through a season or two:

1. In a tie game, I hit and pitch.
2. If I'm winning, I'll just pitch
3. If I'm losing, I'll just bat
4. In a three-game series against a division rival, I will play two of the game. All other teams I will play one of the games.

That has helped me get through seasons quicker while also having an impact. I do like your suggestion of not having to return to a load screen after every game. RTTS is like that, hopefully, they can incorporate that into the Franchise Mode.

I get my GM fix from OOTP anyway.

[MelR2000]

The guy above nailed it.   Btw most of the authors suggestions to “fix” franchise  that he says nobody plays are already in Madden   I believe franchise needs to be deeper not more shallow.  Does the author not understand that when your franchise takes on a personal feel to it then it goes to another level. Sort of what MUT is trying to accomplish.  But MUT is flawed because you can just buy a team.  Not build one. 

[CujoMatty]

The way the show has the ability to continue your franchise every year seems to me to be the closest solution to get me through more years but one thing stops me from actually doing it. We need the ability to import player faces that SCEA do every version onto created players. It may seem dumb but I just can’t continue a franchise where I have a created player  face when  there is an official photo realistic version available. I guess I’m shallow lol.

[Cardot]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

Many people do what I do and the industry and its journalism ignores us completely. I take any game, I play one season from opening day with decent opening season rosters, I go to the playoffs (or don't, depending on my team) and when it ends, I either stop completely or try again with a different team I like.

Yes, I am in the same boat. I just play one season, then start over with a new team. I understand the appeal to the General Manager aspect of sports, and I am glad sports video games offer if for those who are interested. But for a number of reasons, I have just never been able to get into them myself. The biggest reason is probably the fact that I spend much of the day at my job looking at spreadsheets....so in my free time, I don't really want to negotiate contracts, plan a salary cap or map out team needs. I also don't like simming games which makes it challenging with time constraints.

[BA2929]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

The only sports franchises I've ever finished multiple franchise/dynasty seasons in is NCAA Football and NCAA basketball. Maybe that's because you're only playing 14/35 games a season and your roster turns over every 4 years, but it just seemed fun to complete years for me. I'd actually WANT to get to the off-season in those games.

Nowadays though I can't even be bothered to finish an entire season in most sports games I play. It's just a labor intensive grind because I feel like I need to play full length (or near full length) games to get accurate stats, especially with a game like NBA 2k. With pro sports games I'm constantly trying to trade guys to fill holes and make my lineup "that much" better that it ends up taking me forever just to finish a month of a season.

I play NBA 2k a lot, so I'd love some options:

1) Allow me to immediately load up the next game on the schedule from the end game menu of the previous game. That way I'm skipping a few minutes of load times.

2) Let me "redo" a simulation as many times as I want without having to reload the entire save. It can be an option you can turn off/on in the settings area so not everyone has to use it if they don't want. Sometimes I just want to sim past the (insert bad team here) and not have to worry about being upset when I know I'd roll them if I played myself. I know some people would think that was "cheating", but it's my franchise and I can do whatever I want in it.

I think both of those things would allow me to get through more seasons and in the end make the entire experience more enjoyable.

[BA2929]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

Anyway, I just found it funny that the title purports to suggest ways to "fix" those people who don't play multiple seasons in sports games. Like, we're the ones missing out. I see this sense of animosty towards not only myself but to all people who like to play like this by the industry and even by some other gamers who would love for us to stop whining about how much we hate Ultimate Team and continuing franchise modes.

Did you read the article or just the title? Because I think you completely missed the entire point of this article. It's not to "fix" you. It's to "fix" the franchise modes in these games to help more people who play them finish more seasons.

If you only want to play one season, that's wonderful. I've never heard of anyone who has animosity towards you because of that. I mean, we still have single season modes in every sports game I've ever played because of people like yourself who enjoy them.

[tril]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

most of the things you mention still exist or have existed in prior games.
NFL football is a non issue for me.16 games isnt much. just let us be able to set the simmed minutes for the entire league so stats can reflect this.

as far as the Show. they are on the right track with being able to carry over seasons, but what they need to do is implement a myleague type of feature. give us all the dynasty/gm features with the ability to play a shorter season, and customize tasks

NBA 2k is there already with my league. they just need toa dd a few more user settings. things like being able to set teh foul amount before you get into a bonus would go a long way.

total customization in a franchise mode would get more multiple seasons.

with that said, gameplay is the end all be all. Im still playing NBA2k15 because IMO the gameplay represents today's NBA and the stats are spot on. I play 82 games.
The SHOW I play 29 games with just a draft.
CHk28 and NCAA college football 11 and 14 no issues what so ever.

[JJones07]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

I am playing a second season in The Show and plan to continue that franchise to it's end for one simple reason--you can continue your franchise in next year's game. It would be hard to be in the middle of a season in 2K18 (for example), and want to continue playing it on 2K18 after 2K19 gets released. If they allowed for old files to be continued, I would play franchises through in every sport.

I agree 1000%. The first thing to fix the lack of playing multiple seasons is exactly this, allowing to continue our franchises files from last years game. Essentially being forced to restart our franchises each year is probably the single biggest reason most people don't play multiple years in any sports franchise. After they fix that, then yes work on this list.

Great article and great ideas, but us as sports gamers need to demand/request year to year saves in all sports games before these ideas are our focus. They are useless if we can't continue our progress in the next game.

[boxboy99]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

The Show became by go to game because of the carry over save feature. I’ve played all 162 games the last 3 years. The game play is simple but challenging so I keep coming back for more.

I quit playing NBA 2k due to lack of carry over feature. NCAA basketball would have been my go to if it still existed. I could get deep in a franchise.

NHL no longer play it even though it should be one of the most fun games. Just don’t like the EA product. Carry over saves again would help.

Madden, playing the computer is boring on all pro and all madden is garbage. I not longer have the time or energy for slideritis. Plus patch free patch means soon as slider are good things change. That said I can play multiple season easy with friends or in online franchise. NCAA was my preferred game by a mile.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[brianski71]

Re: Many People Don't Play Multiple Seasons in Games Like The Show or NHL, Here's How

I really thought this article would go a different direction. Here’s the long and short of it for me...at this point in my life, (early 30s with a family) I can’t possibly play as much as I did as a kid or in college. So, in NHL and MLB I rarely ever get past one season. There’s one simple fix that for whatever stupid reason, developers don’t give us. Let us change the number of games per season. It’s that simple. In Madden and NCAA, (which I still play) I have no problem rolling season after season. 12/16 game seasons are easy to get through. What’s the harm in NHL or MLB letting us play a 30/29 game (I’m thinking NBA Jam-style, play everyone once) season? Why does it HAVE TO be 82/162? I absolutely refuse to sim games. Having computer-generated stats for my team absolutely kills the experience for me and I refuse to do it. But, I couldn’t care less about playing the exact real-life schedule. The real schedules disappear after year 1 anyway. I’ve never for the life of me been able to figure out why shorter seasons in franchise aren’t an option. It’s even more maddening that The Show lets you change the season length for season mode, but not franchise. I like having GM control of my team and playing the offseasons. I’m just not going to ever get through more than one 82 or 162 game schedule in one year. It’ll never happen.