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Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

Hey guys. I added this section to the 2nd post of the thread. As I say below, I get a ton of franchise mode questions (here in the thread, via PM, and on-stream) along the lines of "How do you handle ___________?". I'm hoping that this may inspire some thoughts/ideas for folks along with consolidating my approach for reference. Feel free to ask any questions here..... How I Play Franchise Mode I get lots of questions about various facets of franchise mode and "how I play it". So, I thought I'd put this all together. This is not to say you HAVE to play like me or making other choices is "wrong" - but I wanted to try to consolidate things a bit. The "proper" mindset for franchise and choosing a team. Remember, Madden is a role-playing game. Unlike many RPGs, YOU are the one driving the narrative. So, try to have a vision in mind...something that excites you or intrigues you. Remember, the people that complain the most about franchise are the ones that try too hard to mimic real life. Once you hit that 'start button', it is now your own universe...embrace it and be creative. Don't be afraid to try something new that is outside of your wheelhouse. If you always run the same scheme, same playbook no matter who you use - it's always going to feel the same. If you're a vertical guy like me, try a franchise with the Air Raid (I am doing that now....and it's different for sure....but a lot of fun). If you ALWAYS run a 34, run a team with a Tampa 2 in a chise. It will offer a whole new challenge as you learn and add a ton of replayability to the mode. Setting up the Franchise Online CFM or Offline CFM If you're doing a solo CFM, offline; every day and twice on Sundays. You have way more control over your world offline and online offers no benefit for soloers. Plus, you don't have to worry about the servers going offline Rosters I strongly advise using the default pre-season roster that ships with the game (worst-case, make sure you save the final preseason roster so you get more up-to-date rosters without the in-season boosts). This is doubly important later in the year because they will boost younger players and if you start a new season from week 1 with those younger guys already boosted, then in-franchise progression will boost it even more (so you'll wind-up with a league-wide roster that is top-heavy in young players...which can skew league balance and cap situations for 10+ years. Single-team vs Multi-team Control I'm a single-team control guy. My enjoyment in franchise comes from watching my team's story unfold in a fictional universe I created and I am far less concerned about micro-managing the CPU to make things "more realistic". I'll help them along if maybe their depth charts are a bit shallow or if I want to engineer a storyline, but not much more than that. Coach vs Owner I recommend using a Coach. The scenario engine is much more fleshed-out for coaches and it will add more depth and immersion to your CFM. That said....the scenario engine is skewed in favor of the user...so an interesting argument could be made to bypass some of those scenarios by going with Owner Mode to keep things on a bit more even footing. Now, if using a coach, my decision to keep firing on for user coaches is dependant on the storyline. If I am just following one team, I may turn them off. If I am following a coach, I may turn them on and see what happens with a new team. Draft Classes I'm a huge proponent of using the game's generated draft classes. You have no pre-conceptions of players and who/what they "should" be. So, you are going to dive more into them from a scouting and evaluation standpoint. That's going to massively boost your immersion in your franchise. XP Sliders I'm a default progression guy. Superstar Abilities One of the most common questions on OS. Should I turn these on or off? You'll get better diversity and more challenge from the CPU by leaving them on. Challenge yourself and enjoy it! Remember, losing is part of winning! In-mode tidbits This is a haphazardly organized section. Just a few things I like to do in the mode to keep things going smoothly. I spend a lot of time evaluating my team, the scheme fits, player ratings (well beyond their OVRs), and how to best maximize their talents. Don't be afraid to change things up from the very beginning - especially on defense. I try to have a plan in mind up front....though for weaker teams, you may just have to adjust on the fly. If you've done a couple of CFMs with the default roster, they can begin to get a bit "samey". Spice it up. Edit the SS and X-factors for guys on every team. Nick Foles as a 77 OVR X-factor with the 'Omaha' trait? Sure! Lowering Brady to a SS? I can see it. Want to get rid of Luck and AB this time around? Edit their ratings, positions, and contracts so their teams cut them in preseason. You want to make the Tunsil and Clowney deals? Do it. Take an hour or two to create your own little world and save a 'base' file you can use again. Have fun with it. I WILL adjust some QB ratings to make their primary archetype 'Scrambler'. Lowering DAC and raising MAC and/or SAC can take care of this for many borderline guys. I do this at the start of the franchise and let things go from there. I HATE the training drills...I just sim them. Check your opponent's roster prior to each game. Make sure they have at least 2 healthy RBs. If not, take control of their coach (offline CFM for the win), pull a RB off their PS or a FA, and then retire the coach. With CPU teams usually only rostering 3 RBs, this can be a necessary 2 minute fix. If you need to cut a player to accommodate the move, you can nearly always find that the CPU has an "extra" guy (like a 5th tackle or OLB) that is easy to cut. If signing a FA, I tend to lean towards stories (I did this when the NYG needed a RB - I signed former Giant Orleans Darkwa..teams often go 'back to the well' for street FAs...so it made sense. Trading...I don't restrict myself here per se. But I do two things. I look at the trade from the other team's angle; does the trade really make sense for them? Second, I don't "walk up" my offer a dozen times until they accept. I make what I think is a fair offer and sometimes, I may overspend....that's OK. If I can't come to terms within 3 or 4 attempts, I move on. Whenever possible, I place my guys on the block and then accept the "best offer" or at least use that as a springboard for negotiation. Re-signing FAs. If there are guys I know I really want to re-sign, I make an offer during the season. They will cost more...but it will be in-line with the CPU expenditures. Waiting to re-sign everyone to just before the off-season where they often accept cheaper deals is a pretty easy way of cheesing the game....I don't do it. 5th year extensions. After their 3rd season, players can be offered a 5th yr extension to their rookie contract. They will be paid the average of the top 10 players (salary-wise) at that position. This is a scenario in the 3rd(?) Free Agency week. Because it is a scenario, the CPU won't get the chance to do this. My advice, take 30 mins, temporarily take control of each team's HC (offline CFM for the win) and go through the scenario (if they have one) and make the decision for them. I did this in my current franchise and it should greatly help keep the CPU competitive. Don't be afraid to engineer some deals for storylines. In my Miami franchise, the Eagles had drafted a solid X-factor QB but still had Wentz. They were up against the cap and Wentz had struggled. So, I set up a deal to trade Wentz back close to home to the Vikings (who had no QB). It added a fun little spin on things. Signing FAs. I have a rough rule. I make one offer to a FA. None of this "walk up the offer until you're at the top of the list" BS. If the guy makes it to the next week, you are free to adjust the offer another time. I like this because I have to decide how much a guy is worth to me. I may massively overspend or get severely out-bid. Position changes. I stick close to the vest with these. I'll move around o-linemen and edge rushers. If switching base fronts, I will sometimes move LBs around. Once in a while, I will move a veteran CB (who has slowed a step or two) to FS if he has the skillset (few do). The one thing I haven't done much of is doing this for the CPU...honestly, with the rush DE and DT sub positions, a lot of the need to do this for them has evaporated.

My approach is incredibly similar. I'm having a really fun time with Madden right now. I'm in a year 2 Bengals franchise and I decided to have fun with it. I signed every FA I could from arkansas colleges and I start them over other guys, with some exceptions. In scouting and drafting I intend to target arkansas guys first and then look exclusively in the SEC. Lemme tell ya. Trying to win a game with either of the 46 OVR Allen brothers at QB is a struggle. 3 out of 6 games I've played were decided in overtime

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