Franchise Mode Too Easy????

[scitychamps87]

Hey guys, I've been a Madden player for years, almost exclusively in Franchise mode. I think we can all agree the mode needs more immersion and improvements. But, on a very basic level it just seems Franchise mode is a little bit too easy.

I play on default All-Pro. Playing every game either with Play the Moments or playing the full game. This year I started a Franchise with the Bengals. The first season I went 6-10. Pretty realistic. Traded AJ Green and Dre Kirkpatrick to get a couple more picks. Let Dalton go. Signed Bridgewater. Got some O-line help with Austin Blythe and Jack Conklin as well as in the draft. Drafted CeeDee Lamb, Collin Johnson, and Xavier McKinney. I added Jalen Mills and Kyle Van Noy in free agency.

In 2020, I went 10-6 and won the Super Bowl. In 2021, I went 12-4 and again won the Super Bowl.

Now in 2022, after continuing to add to my O-line and adding some linebackers I'm just dominating. I'm 11-1. Turning Joe Mixon into an X-Factor player in 2020 really started to make it easy to win games.

It just seems no team, especially one in as bad of a spot as the Bengals (despite some good offensive weapons) could turn it around this fast.

My question is twofold:

Has a team in NFL history actually turned it around this quickly on a dime?? (My only thought is Jerry Jones with the 90s Cowboys, but Teddy Bridgewater is no Troy Aikman. Recently, the 49ers made a quick turnaround but they didn't win back to back Super Bowls, they just made it there).

Alternatively, is there anything I can do to make Franchise mode slightly more challenging or realistic, short of going to All-Madden, which I believe simply makes the game unnaturally difficult and move away from ratings??

If anyone else had the same experience, feel free to chip in. This isn't unique to Madden 20 either. In Madden 18, I took the Ben, Brown, and Bell Steelers to 3 straight Super Bowls.

I'm just trying to keep the spark of the game alive. NHL 20, for example, has a Franchise mode that is a little more of a challenge.

Sent from my XT1650 using Operation Sports mobile app

[Cardot]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I think this is by design. EA knows that most people want to take a mediocre/poor team and turn them into a dominant SB champ after a few seasons. There are probably a few of us here on OS that would actually enjoy the realism of playing with a team stuck in 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 mediocrity for several years, but we are in the minority.

The NCAA series was even more pronounced. I always found it interesting that some folks who are very sim oriented gameplay wise, found enjoyment taking a low level school and over a handful of season turn them a dominant team that would win multiple NC's.

[Richie71]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

It's better than it was. Salary cap is tighter. You can no longer feed any player the ball to force progression. The draft is more realistically random. It is too easy still. Human teams get better progression, and breakout scenarios. Play five years and you will most likely have a top 5 player at almost every single position.

As per cardot, it's probably by design to invoke a sense of progress and success in players.


You can put some house rules in place. around trades, re-signing, but that's about it. Play on All-Madden by the way. With the right sliders, it's good.

[The Black Redneck]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

It's better than it was. Salary cap is tighter. You can no longer feed any player the ball to force progression. The draft is more realistically random. It is too easy still. Human teams get better progression, and breakout scenarios. Play five years and you will most likely have a top 5 player at almost every single position.

As per cardot, it's probably by design to invoke a sense of progress and success in players.




You can put some house rules in place. around trades, re-signing, but that's about it. Play on All-Madden by the way. With the right sliders, it's good.

What are the All Madden sliders you use?

[JoshC1977]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

Hey guys, I've been a Madden player for years, almost exclusively in Franchise mode. I think we can all agree the mode needs more immersion and improvements. But, on a very basic level it just seems Franchise mode is a little bit too easy.

I play on default All-Pro. Playing every game either with Play the Moments or playing the full game. This year I started a Franchise with the Bengals. The first season I went 6-10. Pretty realistic. Traded AJ Green and Dre Kirkpatrick to get a couple more picks. Let Dalton go. Signed Bridgewater. Got some O-line help with Austin Blythe and Jack Conklin as well as in the draft. Drafted CeeDee Lamb, Collin Johnson, and Xavier McKinney. I added Jalen Mills and Kyle Van Noy in free agency.

In 2020, I went 10-6 and won the Super Bowl. In 2021, I went 12-4 and again won the Super Bowl.

Now in 2022, after continuing to add to my O-line and adding some linebackers I'm just dominating. I'm 11-1. Turning Joe Mixon into an X-Factor player in 2020 really started to make it easy to win games.

It just seems no team, especially one in as bad of a spot as the Bengals (despite some good offensive weapons) could turn it around this fast.

My question is twofold:

Has a team in NFL history actually turned it around this quickly on a dime?? (My only thought is Jerry Jones with the 90s Cowboys, but Teddy Bridgewater is no Troy Aikman. Recently, the 49ers made a quick turnaround but they didn't win back to back Super Bowls, they just made it there).

Alternatively, is there anything I can do to make Franchise mode slightly more challenging or realistic, short of going to All-Madden, which I believe simply makes the game unnaturally difficult and move away from ratings??

If anyone else had the same experience, feel free to chip in. This isn't unique to Madden 20 either. In Madden 18, I took the Ben, Brown, and Bell Steelers to 3 straight Super Bowls.

I'm just trying to keep the spark of the game alive. NHL 20, for example, has a Franchise mode that is a little more of a challenge.

Sent from my XT1650 using Operation Sports mobile app

Two things about your write-up stood out:

1. Trading away aging vets for draft picks. It doesn't happen that often in real life and is a quick and easy way to manipulate things a tad (especially if you're milking the top value). Now, not saying it's "cheese" or anything...but showing restraint in making those kinds of moves can add a ton of longevity. What I do in these cases is I put the guys on the block and see if another team offers me a deal. If they don't, I keep the vet rostered or release him and take the cap hit.

2. You used custom draft classes. Every custom draft class I've seen has inflated player potentials in comparison to stock draft classes. That's going to make things much easier. But even if you had a custom class that really aligned with the stock classes and was super balanced, you STILL have the advantage. If you follow college ball, you know who "the guys" are - it makes grabbing a superior class very easy. I highly recommend using the stock classes.


A couple of other things I'd suggest:

1. Try to ignore breakout scenarios. Let things develop naturally during the course of the game. He gets the stats, he gets them. If he doesn't, he doesn't. (I know...this is super hard )
2. Do not use the 5th year player option scenario (CPU doesn't get it). Alternatively, if in offline CFM, go through and take control of each team's coach the week of that scenario and run through the scenario for them (making the call for them).
3. Extend the contracts for key players during the season. They will cost more than if you wait to just before the off-season.


Madden's franchise mode isn't so much easy as much as it is easy to manipulate. To paraphrase Ian Malcolm, "Just because you CAN do it, doesn't mean that you should."

[patsfan1993]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I agree with the sentiment here. It's definitely too easy and most likely by design. You really have to implement your own house rules in order to make an attempt at maintaining a challenge.

When playing a franchise by myself, I don't try to re-sign players until the off season. I don't sign anyone in free agency until week 3 so the CPU has first shot at the best players. If I win any awards then I edit the highest CPU player for that award- I up the development one and adjust all the ratings up to the next 5 or 0 attribute (62=65, 66=70). Any time I trade up for a pick I have to make a 3 for 1 trade. I also edit the teams in my division a lot to make them better, both players and contracts.

[SolidSquid]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

It’s easy bc there is no drama.

There’s no holdouts, you don’t have to worry about player morale, don’t have to worry about managing your cap, don’t have to worry about your old qb getting pissed you drafted a new one, don’t have to worry about filling a stadium for that sweet tv money.

Then on top of that the game plays the same regardless of player ratings. There hasn’t been any life to franchise mode since the PS2 era

[Mackrel829]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I agree with much of what the previous posters have said. However, I would add that some elements of your franchise should feel easy, and it’s important not to lose sight of that.

For example, I’m second in the league in rushing and frequently rush for 150-200 yards a game. At times it’s felt too easy for me to run the ball and this can be annoying. However, my offensive line is ridiculously good (started with the Eagles and improved it even further) and is easily the best part of my team. Rushing should be easy because that’s what my team is good at.

There are other areas of my team that aren’t so good, and I try to be proactive about ensuring that those elements of the game are hard. My defense isn’t great, for example, so I bumped the run block slider up substantially for the CPU so they can actually run on me.

I used to get annoyed when I led the league in a particular category because I figured it must have meant that the game was too easy. But you have to remember that all teams are good at something, and records are even broken basically every year in the NFL.

Try to find ways to make things harder, but don’t lost sight of what should remain easy.

[reyes the roof]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I think it’s more that the other 31 teams are inept than it is that the mode is too easy. The fact that you can use common sense, for example starting a 78 overall rookie over a 79 rated 32 year old gives the user a huge long term advantage

[Nickda55]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I think it’s more that the other 31 teams are inept than it is that the mode is too easy. The fact that you can use common sense, for example starting a 78 overall rookie over a 79 rated 32 year old gives the user a huge long term advantage

Pretty much. It's why I handicap myself to use the Auto-Adjust for Depth Chart. And if I have a player on my team starting over someone I want to start, I cut that player or just deal with the consequences.

It will allow you to not house good players over potential starters for the CPU and have them on your bench.

[sinthros]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

The draft is more realistically random.

I know you provided arguments to both sides, but I need to point out that this particular point isn't true. In regard to how the draft plays out in franchise may be more realistic in terms of what positions are selected in what spot, or where value lays, but the draft actually simulates the exact same every single time for a given draft class. Pick by pick, the exact same. It isn't random each time, or different at all.

When I tested for our PC community offline Start Today file (shameless plug btw) I specifically tested to see if the CPU would ever pick different players, and they won't.

For a little more insight on how Madden's draft works, we actually know that as well and can determine the 'range' of players they look at (Sabo found that out). Unfortunately, altering this still doesn't enable the draft to play out differently if simmed multiple times.

By default in Madden, teams go need based for two rounds and then BPA after. We changed it to need based for the first 3 rounds and then BPA for the last 4. Madden's draft logic actually isn't so bad compared to other facets of the game, but the fact that it never plays out differently irks me.

Also, another shameless plug, on PC Sabo created a CFM mod that alters position requirements (so the CPU doesn't carry 2 RB's and a FB into a game), makes sure top FA's actually gets signed, fixes regression, etc. I bring that up because it alters the difficulty level, but these are all things that should be in the base game.

[AkihaKotani]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

It has both its advantages and disadvantages. Just like in everything.

[ShadyFan25]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I still think trading is waaay too easy. They need to add "untouchables" like NBA 2k has in MyLeague. Either that or a trade difficulty slider.

[stinkubus]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

I still think trading is waaay too easy. They need to add "untouchables" like NBA 2k has in MyLeague. Either that or a trade difficulty slider.

Why would any of that development work be necessary? If the user thinks a trade is unfair all they need is the self-discipline not to propose or accept it.

[ShadyFan25]

Re: Franchise Mode Too Easy????

Why would any of that development work be necessary? If the user thinks a trade is unfair all they need is the self-discipline not to propose or accept it.

Because I think the game should be well balanced out of the box so I don't have to "self-discipline."