Madden NFL 10 Blog: Franchise Mode Improvements

[Bump101]

Quote: Originally Posted by MRxAmazing

"• Older players will digress much faster. In fact, when a running back hits 30, he’s going downhill at warp speed." DO NOT LIKE. This better be addressed correctly. If a player has a great year, he shouldn't degress in overall just because he's getting older. Especially HB's. Thomas Jones, Jamal Lewis, Brian Westbrook and LaDainian Tomlinson are all going to be 30-31 by the end of our first year in Franchise. So does that mean that even if those guys have a few great years (in the Franchise), they're still subject to having their overalls decrease instead of increase?

Word. A player rating shouldn't decrease just because he reached a certain age. His rating should be determine by his production on the field.

Obviously, when a player reach 30, his window of opportunity to increase his rating is going to be smaller, in comparison to a player in his early 20's; But that window to improve or at least maintain his current rating should be there.

If a player has a big season, his rating should go up or stay the same, not decrease at warp speed.

[PGaither84]

This blog, like many others has stirred mixed emotions in me. The first responce i usually have is of excitment. I am happy to see things impoved and am greatful to Ian for the work he is doing with the community. The other feeling I get that I se many others have is the bitterness we all still feel twords EA and Madden. reading a new blog like this one noramly leaves me thinking "About f***ing time." We should be well beyond this point now in next gen. We lost 4 good years of improvments from 06, 07, 08, and 09. The improvements from 06-09 on 360/PS3 are miniscule, and are even more aparaent when you see what Ian and co. are doing this year.

That bitterness of what "could have been" and the wasted years are the same feelings one gets being a 49ers fan these last 10 years. Watching the team degrade from the league's elite to a 2-14 performance only to climb back to a 7-9 season two years ago, to then go to 4-12 and start last year off 2-9. Thankfully we went 5-2 over our last 7 and have bright hopes with Singletary, but all they are are bright hopes. However, untill next season starts and we play M10, they are only bright hopes.

[PlayaHataSupreme]

Hopefully with the draft classes, the Madden importer will stop turning NCAA Speed WRs into slow possession WRs...........

Hopefully the basic playing style of what the NCAA player was all about will at least be kept in tact when imported to Madden, so NCAA Speed players will still be at least pretty fast..........

Since there are new mental ratings and other ratings in the game, I don't think the athletic ratings (such as speed, strength) should have too much variance, but they should have at least a little variance in them so you can't just assume, without scouting, a 98 speed NCAA player will be 98 in Madden; he might be 92 instead.

[PGaither84]

Ian has preached the SIM mantra all year so far and I love it, however, this new blog has many people, including myself, worried that SIM won't be the mantra of Franchise mode. nothing is less sim than a robotic repetative draft class progression system and possible free agnecy pool like what we have read about.

[Guillotine 1]

...Just jumped back on my PC, read the blog and WOW!


Fixing progression is huge, salaries is even bigger, and they've addressed the hidden potential rating. On top of that they fixed the problem with older players, and the draft logic...plus the import draft class issue. I mean, everything that has an impact on putting a competitive team on the field and keeping them competitive has been addressed. The scouting issue, everything...this is seriously major news...

The salary cap will work the way its meant to work now...even coaches got tuned up...

This means, I can actually run a franchise...they addressed the FA issue, they took Age out of the players overall ratings factoring...

If guys don't like this blog then they must not really play a lot of franchise mode. No more workout warriors, they put a stop to the guys who just draft for speed & strength...

This blog alone makes the replayability factor of Madden 10 double. A brotha might go buy some EA stock if they keep this **** up...lmao...

[seveb]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bump101

Word. A player rating shouldn't decrease just because he reached a certain age. His rating should be determine by his production on the field. Obviously, when a player reach 30, his window of opportunity to increase his rating is going to be smaller, in comparison to a player in his early 20's; But that window to improve or at least maintain his current rating should be there. If a player has a big season, his rating should go up or stay the same, not decrease at warp speed.

I don't get it. Guys produce because they have good attributes, not vice versa. I think everybody is harping on age 30 because he mentioned that for RB's, and I imagine other positions have different ages where decline becomes likely. But seriously, football is a young man's game. At most positions, guys on the wrong side of 30 might not be finished, but they're past their prime. The wider range of ratings should help, since a great player can fall off a bit and still be very good, but he'll still fall off. Brainy players will be less affected because awareness and technique won't be hurt...

I hope there are rare exceptions, but they should be just that - rare. Just because my guy just had a great year doesn't mean he's still not one year older and one year more beaten up.

Just got an idea (obviously won't make it this year), but what if, for example, the amount of career carries a RB has factors into his decline? A guys whose carried the load for 7 or 8 years might have not have anything left, but you might be able to squeeze a couple more years out of a guy who was a late bloomer and rode the pine when he was young. The Durability rating could also play a role. Just a thought.

[PlayaHataSupreme]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bump101

Word. A player rating shouldn't decrease just because he reached a certain age. His rating should be determine by his production on the field. Obviously, when a player reach 30, his window of opportunity to increase his rating is going to be smaller, in comparison to a player in his early 20's; But that window to improve or at least maintain his current rating should be there. If a player has a big season, his rating should go up or stay the same, not decrease at warp speed.

I remember the great Darrell Green, at like 39 years old, had a 96 speed in the Madden. Even now, a 32 year old Moss has a 98 in speed. Hopefully the game allows rare instances such as these to still happen.




I also echo the poster who said no fixed retiring ages......... it's as disheartening to see Harrison retire every time after year 1 in Madden 09 as it was to see Jerry Rice retire after year 1 every time in Madden 2000 on forward...........

While there should be a certain age where players will definitely make an exit, it should be arbitrarily high (43 for QBs, 36 for HBs, 41 for WRs for example) and older players can randomly choose to retire when they get to retiring age...........but players on the "borderline" retiring age (let's say 32-38 for WRs depending on overall rating) will have a chance of retiring each offseason, but said chance wouldn't be 100% unless the player reached the max age for his position, which as stated would be arbitrarily high, which could help the Hall-of-Fame aspect of the Franchise Mode.

EDIT: Also, I should note that it would be fairly tough and very unlikely to get the player to the "max age" because he may regress a bit during the later seasons, thus increasing chance of retiring.

[Sausage]

This was great information. Even though many are complaining, I am glad we are getting the much needed tweaking and polish. For all of you new to OS and some of you veterans it is obvious that we are just getting a taste of the pie, you can't have the warm apples yet.