Last week, we learned a ton about what Madden NFL 16 is bringing to the table when it comes to connected franchise mode. Several intriguing new features are coming, which will include a visual depth chart and a new weekly goal system. However, it is in that latter feature where the staff finds its biggest hang-up with the announcement of the mode. Is Madden sacrificing realism to create a more RPG like experience in Connected Franchise? We discuss after the jump!

Ben Vollmer: Unfortunately, this year's slate of changes have done nothing to convince me that Madden is looking to become more simulation and less arcade. There is a ton of examples of over-thinking what should be a simple process.

Player performance should dictate player progression, not a series of arbitrary goals (which one can only muse will be something like: "achieve two sacks with X player!"). There are so many things that go into playing a good game of football that it seems silly for it to all boil down to a few player goals. It marginalizes the team aspect of the game and puts far too much emphasis on stat-padding.

For instance, lets look at the example given in the release: "Breakout Running Back." The "Breakout Running Back" goal will almost certainly have an arbitrary number attached to it - let's say 1,000 yards rushing in a season. All that serves to do is promote an unrealistic style of team management in which you're doing everything in your power to achieve that goal for better player growth. Why not, instead of the whole goal system, have player progression be dictated by all-around performance and playing time? Rushing for 1,000 yards doesn't make my running back a better player, especially if that's coming at 2.0 YPC. It just means that I, the user, spam-rushed the ball in order to achieve some silly goal.

In the end, there's still a lot we don't know about the goal system (the vernacular used seemed almost intentionally vague), so it's best to hold off on judgement for now. Though, if the past is any indication, Madden 16 may do more to push players away from realism than it does to pull them toward it.

The details we are seeing from EA so far on Connected Franchise leave me with mixed emotions.

Jeremy Chisenhall: I really like the Sim-A-Win feature because it can allow me to control division races, and the Combine Stats so I can get a better look at potential draft picks. However, the goals system sounds like it is going to make progression even less realistic than it already was, as users will be earning XP more quickly to upgrade their players even faster. Not only that, but achieving little goals aside from winning games to earn extra boosts gives the game more of an RPG feel than a simulation football feel.

Aside from the lack of movement towards a more simulation game, the Free Practice mode is just another example of Madden taking something away just to advertise it as a selling point in a later release.

I'm sure the mode will still be fun to play, but the "weekly goals" and the additions of features that should have already been there shows that this series still is not where it should be.

Kevin Groves: As with most Madden news these days, I'm left with conflicted feelings. On one hand you have the welcome additions (or re-additions depending on how you look at it) of Sim-to-Win, Free Practice, and visible Scouting Reports. On the other hand you have the RPG-esque goal system which, IMO, takes steps away from a simulation based approach and could possibly lead to players focusing their efforts on solely trying to achieve these outcomes as opposed to incorporating realistic football strategies. Perhaps a better solution could have been a combination of these weekly/in-game RPG elements with a yearly, user selected set of goals. For example, I would haved loved to take over the Bucs and set a realistic goal for Jameis Winston along the lines of throwing for at least 3,000 yards, positive TD/INT ratio, increase in wins from the year before, etc.

Team based yearly performance goals (e.g. a +40% 3rd down conversion %, positive giveaway/takeaway turnover ratio, etc.) would also be a welcome addition as would be a more finely tuned regression system.

It's still early in the news cycle for Madden 16 so there's still hope for further expansions to Connected Franchise. The re-introduction of Formation Subs would go a long way towards gaining positive momentum for this franchise.

Chris Sanner: I'll just say this, we are early in the cycle and who knows what exactly the weekly goals are going to do. Its possible we are going in a fully RPG and not quite realistic route -- but it could be a fun mini-game within your connected franchise experience as well.

What does bother me though, is that you could take the news of the player confidence fluctuating and really come up with some fantastical scenarios that could really mess with the rating. If I'm Demarco Murray and I rush for 250 yards, but I fumble twice -- is my confidence up or down? What if I rush for 99 yards, one short of my game goal -- does that mean I'm less confident now?

Outside of that, at least getting that information to you on a more accessible basis is a good thing. However, I do fear the goals are going to be completely stupid at times. If I'm the head coach, I don't want a goal telling me to pass for 50 yards on this drive after running the ball down my opponents throat -- and if I don't meet it while scoring a touchdown my team's confidence goes down. Nuts.

Everything else sounds ok, but there's nothing in the release that I'd go out on a limb and say it's going to change how we play sports games. Connected Franchise is still an intriguing mode, but I fear it's trying to do too much, when the experiences within could be better tailored in a separate manner.