Madden NFL 10 Blog: Franchise Mode Improvements

[Krodis]

Priest Holmes, Age 30: MVP Candidate
Priest Holmes, Age 31: Injury-prone
Priest Holmes, Age 32: Essentially done

Shaun Alexander, Age 28: MVP
Shaun Alexander, Age 29: Injury-prone
Shaun Alexander, Age 30: Injury-prone
Shaun Alexander, Age 31: Done

Marshall Faulk, Age 27: MVP
Marshall Faulk Age 28: MVP Candidate
Marshall Faulk Age 29-30: Injury prone
Marshall Faulk Age 31: Essentially Done

Corey Dillion, Age 30: Starter on a Super Bowl team
Corey Dillion, Age 31: Essentially Done

Stephen Davis, Age 29: MVP Candidate
Stephen Davis, Age 30: Out for year
Stephen Davis, Age 31 Essentially Done

LaDanian Tomlinson, Age 28: Best RB in Football
LaDanian Tomlinson, Age 29: Injury prone, not as effective
LaDanian Tomlinson, Age 30: ??


The evidence is overwhelming. Almost without fail, runningbacks, even elite ones, DO fall off a cliff around Age 30. I just listed future hall of famers, and MVPs, and Super Bowl Starters.

[Pnutt6]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

I don't have a problem with them declining a bit, but rapidly? I think thats a bit overboard. Of course, none of us right now know just how "rapid" these declines will happen because we aren't playing the game, but it does raise concern for me. I don't want a guy having a great career and healthy to all the sudden hit age 30 and become "worthless" for lack of a better term. I don't know, its all subjective right now I guess, because we don't have anything other than own opinions, to base these concerns on.

In all reality, it is a pretty rapid decline RB's take when around 30. The only exceptions I can think of recently are Barry Sanders and Tiki Barber, both of which didn't stick around past 30 or 31 to see their decline.

Many even faulter right before 30. I just hope it isn't a set thing so exactly when they turn 30 they fall off 10 points. It should vary slightly.

[andre100672]

I want to say I have been playing John Madden since the 1993 sega genesis version and this game was always considered to be a SIMULATION style game. With that being said I have to commend Ian and the team on thier efforts to get this game back to where it should be. I love the fact they are incorporating OUR feedback whether good or bad to making a better product. I would just love to see these things addressed as well in the upcoming updates:

SPECIALS TEAMS BLOCKING> NCAA SEEMS TO BE RIGHT ON POINT

RUN BLOCKING> THERE ARE NO RUNNING LANES EVEN WITH THE VIKINGS???

FAIR PLAY> WHY IS THIS NOT ON NEXT GEN ONLINE

WEEKLY ROSTER UPDATES> I WAS LOVING THE WEEKLY UPDATES KEEP THAT GOING

DEFENSIVE LINE PLAY> I DIDNT LIKE THE ADJUSTMENT LAST YEAR THE ENDS WHERE FASTER

THAN THE SCRAMBLING QBS LIKE TAVARIS JACKSON WAS BEING RAN DOWN BY DT's?

PRESENTATION> PRE GAME HALF TIME SHOW POST GAMES SHOW WITH STATS IS HUGE AND ITS

THERE ON SUNDAYS!

SIGNATURE THROWING AND RUNNING STYLES> WOULD BE NICE TO SEE.

ESPN INTERGRATION DURING THE GAME> SIDELINE REPORTING ETC PLAYER INTERVIEWS COACH INTERVIEWS LIKE THINGS YOU NEED TO CHANGE IN THE SECOND HALF TO WIN

HIGHLIGHT STICK> THIS REALLY DOESNT WORK THAT WELL I WOULD LIKE MORE PLAYER CONTROL BETTER JUKES, SPINS, BREAKING TACKLES THE DBS THIS YEAR BROKE MORE TACKLES THAN THE RBS

Some of the issues I have had already been addressed in earlier posts but I just thought I would chime in

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Krodis

Priest Holmes, Age 30: MVP Candidate Priest Holmes, Age 31: Injury-prone Priest Holmes, Age 32: Essentially done Shaun Alexander, Age 28: MVP Shaun Alexander, Age 29: Injury-prone Shaun Alexander, Age 30: Injury-prone Shaun Alexander, Age 31: Done Marshall Faulk, Age 27: MVP Marshall Faulk Age 28: MVP Candidate Marshall Faulk Age 29-30: Injury prone Marshall Faulk Age 31: Essentially Done Corey Dillion, Age 30: Starter on a Super Bowl team Corey Dillion, Age 31: Essentially Done Stephen Davis, Age 29: MVP Candidate Stephen Davis, Age 30: Out for year Stephen Davis, Age 31 Essentially Done LaDanian Tomlinson, Age 28: Best RB in Football LaDanian Tomlinson, Age 29: Injury prone, not as effective LaDanian Tomlinson, Age 30: ?? The evidence is overwhelming. Almost without fail, runningbacks, even elite ones, DO fall off a cliff around Age 30. I just listed future hall of famers, and MVPs, and Super Bowl Starters.

I understand what you're saying, but I don't want it to be a set in stone ideaology. I mean, there are always exceptions to the rules. Like I said, maybe I'm getting too hung up on the word "rapid", but it does raise a level of concern.

Maybe in a future blog about franchise we could get some more detailed information about this.

[Matt Diesel]

Players need to exceed their potential ratings the same way they can not meet that mark. The potential rating should be tied into your scouting team's ability.

The height of a players performance during his career should be based on:

1. Playing time
2. Performance
3. Injury
4. The skill of the coaches that coach him

Say a player gets hurt and you have scouted his potential at 80. He tears his ACL. The potential for that players should go down, and/or he will never hit the 80 he was scouted at.

However, if your scouts missed their mark on the potential rating and he was actually going to be an elite player, say 90 and he tears his ACL he can still end up peaking at 80 , even though your scouts had that initial rating in the first place.

[kcarr]

Quote: Originally Posted by PacMan3000

And my point is that, if players aren't improving based on what they did the season prior, what is their reason to progress?

Training, potential, coaching, work ethic, learning, playing time for a few ratings such as awareness. Basically the things that actually cause a player to progress in real life.

[ChampN252]

Quote: Originally Posted by Matt Diesel

Players need to exceed their potential ratings the same way they can not meet that mark. The potential rating should be tied into your scouting team's ability. The height of a players performance during his career should be based on: 1. Playing time 2. Performance 3. Injury 4. The skill of the coaches that coach him Say a player gets hurt and you have scouted his potential at 80. He tears his ACL. The potential for that players should go down, and/or he will never hit the 80 he was scouted at. However, if your scouts missed their mark on the potential rating and he was actually going to be an elite player, say 90 and he tears his ACL he can still end up peaking at 80 , even though your scouts had that initial rating in the first place.

True that. Ever noticed how a not so great player can go to New England and becomes a star? It the great coaching mind of Ol' Bill and the rest of his staff.

[kcarr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pnutt6

In all reality, it is a pretty rapid decline RB's take when around 30. The only exceptions I can think of recently are Barry Sanders and Tiki Barber, both of which didn't stick around past 30 or 31 to see their decline. Many even faulter right before 30. I just hope it isn't a set thing so exactly when they turn 30 they fall off 10 points. It should vary slightly.

I don't see barry as really being proof of a back being able to be great beyond 30. He was 30 when he quit so no proof there. Just didn't see it because he wasn't playing so no proof either way. Tiki did actually play well at 31, even had one of his best seasons, but then he quit after that and one of the reasons mentioned was wear and tear on his body.