Madden 15: Making Free Agency Better

Feature Article

Submitted on: 03/17/2015 by Matthew Coe

The following suggestions are my own, following a pretty strong brainstorming session and watching the first couple of days of real-life NFL free agency happen in early March 2015.

Here are my top ideas, in no particular order.

1) After the season, have an NFL Network style “Free Agency Preview” show that highlights the top 3-4 players at every major position with rumors about where these players may end up. It should be done in the form of a 3-4 minute show (maybe similar to College Hoops 2K8's NCAA selection show) with player specific audio and either CGI faces like Madden NFL 15's Nantz and Simms or real faces like Fran Charles from Madden NFL 11.

Either way, this should really set the table for the free agent market to come. Leverage ESPN here. Use Adam Schefter, Chris Mortenson, John Clayton, and other network personalities, even if it's just audio recordings. The NFL Live Crew with Trey Wingo would be fine, just something to spice up the pedestrian off-season.

2) On the bottom of the screen during free agency, have a ticker with “Breaking News” and the ESPN alert sound to show when a big name signs a FA contract. The NFL is a 24/7, 365 league now and Madden needs to go a long ways to begin to somewhat reflect that. The off-season is as major a part of Connected Franchise mode as the season games themselves are for some gamers. Similarly, the NFL Draft needs it's own pre-show with mock drafts from McShay and Kiper Jr., but I'll save that for another article. For now, the offseason free agency period in Madden 16 needs to feel important. It needs to extend beyond menus, text boxes, and sliders for salaries. It needs an injection of personality and urgency.

3) It would also be nice to see some tangible feedback if you land or lose a superstar free agent. Maybe an email that season ticket sales have risen, or that fans have began to call into local sports talk radio and criticize the franchise. Any of these little things will go a long way towards immersing the player in their Madden world.

4) Free agent boom/bust system – Similar to the draft, some free agents should either thrive with their new team (think Drew Brees in New Orleans) or struggle (Albert Haynesworth anyone?) and under-produce. This would also add a sense of urgency to signing the right free agents and not just the highest rated players available. Scheme fit is a great step but we can go further. Is the player considered a team player or more self-centered? Is he coming off of a contract year where he's performed well above any prior season? Does the player have potential off the field issues? Is he a locker room leader or a locker room cancer? Give the player GMs more context and more variables to think about and deal with. Make it more interesting, basically.

5) Allow us to split the contracts up into guaranteed money vs overall money and allow us put performance incentives in the contracts (pro bowls, MVP awards, statistical milestones, etc). This too would more closely mirror the actual NFL landscape and allow the gamer to play yet another mini-game of risk/reward. Do you offer that can't miss stud WR with off the field concerns more guaranteed money to lure him away from his old team? These kind of decisions would be FUN above all else!

These are my top ideas OS. Please share some of yours in the comments below!

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Member Comments

# 21 DiscountCleric @ 03/22/15 02:36 PM

I still miss the contract negotiation style of Head Coach 09. That would be revolutionary as it is, not to mention the tweaks that could've happened over the years.

# 22 jhigginsluckow @ 04/13/15 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	Just like EA ignored franchise mode in Madden 12 - but they added over 100 community-requested features. Just like EA ignored franchise mode in Madden 13 - but they introduced a completely redesigned online-enabled version of the mode. Just like EA ignored franchise mode in Madden 25 - but they brought back a rebuilt Owner mode. Just like EA ignored franchise mode in Madden 15 - but they added brand new gameplay mechanics and retooled portions of the mode based on user feedback from the previous two years of player usage. EA is not ignoring franchise mode and they are well-aware that franchise players are a significant portion of their player base. You may see some franchise achievements tied to rewards in MUT, but franchise mode itself is not going anywhere and is not getting passed over for exclusive attention to MUT.

Lmao, you mean all those things that were already in the game a decade ago that they took out for no reason and/or are still broken? Now that they can make money on online features of the game, offline modes get little to no attention.

# 23 cowboy_kmoney @ 04/13/15 07:01 PM

Yeah I would like to see player stats and award history and the team's that player has played on. This is neededso all teams kan see what this player has done tthrough out his career.

# 24 mjavon @ 04/14/15 01:17 AM

Some type of "hometown" dynamic would be cool to have - making it slightly easier for a team to sign a player who is either from near their location or attended college near their location.

# 25 jbrew2411 @ 04/19/15 12:13 PM

I am sure this has been said but I hate the fact we can only see a players overall rating during FA period. I always seem to sign the same players each CFM I do because I know their ratings beyond the overall. I call this "blind signing." No NFL teams signs any player without having full info on the player. That is my biggest thing right now.

I do like any ideas of improving the offseason. It is the lifeline of any CFM. It is hard to build a team with limited information. It is also hard to keep playing a CFM when one of the key parts of the game is so bland. Investing a little more time making the CFM better could greatly improve the game. I think a sign of a good dynasty/career mode is when you want to spend more time doing the off the field/court then playing the games. Madden is not there yet for me.

# 26 dragonmonkeyface @ 04/26/15 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by splff3000


	I like alot of those suggestions and have one big one of my own. I always thought FA should have an element similar to recruiting in the old NCAA football franchise. You should be graded on different categories and be able to "pitch" those strengths to free agents. You lost in the AFC Championship game last season? Well pitch that to the free agent prospect to separate your team from the 2-14 team that is making the same offer as yours. Your city has nice weather all year round? Pitch that to the free agent to separate your team from the Buffalo team that has the same offer as you. Just upgraded your team facilities and got a new stadium? Pitch that to separate your team from the Raiders team that's making the same offer. I could go on and on with this. I assumed when the NCAA series was canceled that something like this would be coming to Madden, but it's been years and we've not seen anything like this.

Probably the best idea I've ever heard

# 27 fringeelement @ 04/29/15 04:09 PM

All good ideas and yes, having full access to "Player Cards" is a must but most importantly (for me, anyway) is that the CPU stop signing players based on ratings alone. Non-user teams really need to start factoring in performance and production first and foremost. I can't count how many times I see a reigning Defensive Player of the Year or sack leader sign as a back up with a team because, despite their great season, their overall is still in the 70s or low 80s.

It makes me wonder why the developers even put the Production rating in he game.

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