Wishlist for a hopeful future - Heroiczero13's Blog

Heroiczero13's Blog

Wishlist for a hopeful future

Posted on August 1, 2010 at 03:30 PM.

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Now that I have settled into trudging through the muck that Madden 11 will be, I figure I might as well tease myself with what may lie in the future if, as promised, there will be major changes in franchise mode for Madden 12. So if you will humor me, here is my humble list (in no particular order):

* More variety in contract negotiations--
Right now the current structure of a Madden is contract is as follows: 80 rated Guard needs to be re-signed, offers 5 years 30 million...Guard scoffs at pitiful amount knowing that they are in fact Russ Grimm, instead demands 5 years 60 million...Guard on street looking for work. There is no form to the Madden contracts, there are no different ways to structure the deal. The cap hit only goes up, and must massively overpay for just about anyone with a rating higher than 75. Now the technology to be able to structure contracts in different ways has been around for 5 or 6 years since ESPN NFL 2K5, yes Madden I named the creature of your nightmares.
It shouldn't be that hard to do.

*Restricted Free Agency--
This one is easy. RFA's have been a major storyline this off-season, and it is a major part of any NFL offseason. EA stresses realism in Madden, so why leave out an important aspect of the NFL offseason? Also they have done it before. However it was lost in the rushed translation to the Next-Gen consoles.

*The NFL Draft--
Now whether it is because it is truly an event or NFL fans just get too bored during the offseason, the NFL Draft is now a spectacle, and for better or worse Madden should emulate that. The first few picks should be given the stage treatment. Besides, from the new Super Bowl Celebration videos they already have a model of Roger Goodell to use, and I doubt he would have any objection to recording a few lines for the game. Admittedly it would be more than a few what with thousands of possible draft picks, but oh well, such is life.
Also CPU draft picks should not be taken so fast, they should take their time. Obviously there should still be a skip option, but allow the player time to evaluate the prospects and trades between picks. On that note: Why cant the player see their list of scouted prospects when it is not their pick? That makes no sense and is not realistic at all.

*Make it more personal--
NFL players are not mannequins, there are an abundance of characters and stories to tell every NFL season. Let them be told. However, don't do it through a tacky weekly show that feels completely out of place, there is a very limited reach for pre-recorded video to apply to many seasons down the line. Instead apply a personality to future draft picks and have a preset means of factoring in personality to a story-telling mechanic. Now I admit this is kinda vague with no details of how to make such a technology, but I'm not being paid to make Madden now am I?
While playing my Franchises I tend to get connected to some players, I try to figure it as a real person's career I'm watching over, tracking the stats and successes and their story overall. I think each year you could designate a player to follow that year and it keeps track of how they do and creates story throughout the year following them. Or at the very least, allow the player to create their own player story on a website, much akin to what NCAA Football recently did.

*Make the Super Bowl the Super Bowl--
EA has bludgeoned this idea to death. They always say they are taking it further and further, but it just doesn't feel right. If you win a Super Bowl, you join a very exclusive club. You reach a plateau that every NFL strives for, all-time greats have struggled to reach that point and failed. This is a special moment. Very few people appreciate that. Some people will tell you to enjoy that night then put that behind you and get ready to start the new season. To heck with that. Love them or hate them, the Saints have the right idea, enjoy it, revel in it. That is something Madden still lacks, although I also realize that I don't think they ever will truly reach the equivalent video game emotional high. But for what it's worth: Make the build up to the Super Bowl special, make it nerve-rattling, this is what you have strive for your entire career, most people do no even get this far, so are you going to seize this chance? Heck EA throw in a real halftime show if you want, take a band from the soundtrack and throw them in there. Might be fun.

*Owner Mode--
When Madden 2004 introduced Owner Mode, it was such a great experience for me. There was a limited amount of options at the time, pretty much just changing prices at the stadium but it was so filled with promise, however it seems to have been left by the wayside. Return Owner Mode to glory, allow full pricing of everything team-related, have the ability to put your stadium up for a Super Bowl bid, be able to manage the front office, with having to maintain a scouting department consisting of different scouts with different strengths and weakness, hire a GM, or be Al Davis and ruin your franchise. Also have a functioning economy in Madden so that you do not end up with -29.50 million to spend for no reason whatsoever.

*Creation--
Okay here we come to my last point (for now), and its a big one. I love the ability to create things in games, to put your own personal print on them. So it is with great despair I see EA's recent efforts on that front. Well I will start with the okay. Create-A-Player is not entirely awful, but there are parts in need of improvement. More customization of the actual player model, specifically the face. Admittedly it is hidden behind a mask most of the time, but it makes it all the more jarring when it isn't and you had to select a pre-fab face that looks nothing like you want it to. So add full facial customization, and throw in hair styles too.
Create-A-Team is steadily becoming more of a joke. There are I believe somewhere around 18 different logos to choose from....that is pitiful. I understand that EA went through the surely "laborious" process of making team based giant statues in the stadiums, but that is completely unnecessary. Give more options, or add a teambuilder like functionality where people can upload their own logos. That would seem to be the easier option so surely EA will take it. Also I believe that EA should instead of having some preset roster types should allow more customization with that. Take each of the different categories the teams are rated in and put sliders on them. Allow full flexibility, if I want a 100 Passing and 20 Pass Defense team then I should be able to.
Create-A-Stadium is worse. There should be even more customization, full ability to put objects wherever you want them (within reasonable logistic locations) and also to change smaller things such as seat color, orientation, and sideline design (not sideline wall, actual sideline).
You should be able to create your own coaches and put them into the game. You are allowed a certain amount of points to give them bonuses and have certain goals for them. If they reach those goals then you get more points to make them even better coaches. This would make a much more personal connection with the fate of the team.

Well that is all the hopes that I can list right now, but surely I will think of more later. For now, all I wish is that EA really reads through their forums and related websites to comb for ideas and if not mine then someone else's which will help Madden 12 to redeem the series for me.