How far away are we?

[Cantgetright69]

How far do you think we are from seeing game play being mastered and franchise mode being extremely deep? With unlimited replayablity?

[Valdarez]

As the only provider of a NFL game, they have a fairly guaranteed audience. As such, it's not really in their best interest to make too many changes at once. As long as they produce something that is better than last year, with a few changes, then they'll make sales. While perfection will always be out of reach for any game, I'm not sure we'll ever see anything that approaches it without competition in the football genre.

[Cantgetright69]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

As the only provider of a NFL game, they have a fairly guaranteed audience. As such, it's not really in their best interest to make too many changes at once. As long as they produce something that is better than last year, with a few changes, then they'll make sales. While perfection will always be out of reach for any game, I'm not sure we'll ever see anything that approaches it without competition in the football genre.

So where do sports sim purist go for great gameplay and franchise mode?

I have yet to play the show but from what i read its not there yet either.

[rocknroll1968]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cantgetright69

How far do you think we are from seeing game play being mastered and franchise mode being extremely deep? With unlimited replayablity?

While what Valdarez says is true, I do think the op asks a valuable question.

I think a few things need happen to make a football video game both more immersive as well as more realistic.

1) Move away from an animation based system, which restrict you to pre-scripted movements. This needs to be something more dynamic. Look at the way randy moss runs. Look at how Brian Leonard dives for the first down marker. Blocking schemes..... I could go on...

2) Move away from subjective 0-99 player scaling. Anyone in the NFL will tell you, it's not the "measurables" that make a complete football player. Lets have a system to input the measurables like 40yrd times. And from there, a more advanced system needs to be implemented to determine things like decision making, etc....

3) More focus and variety on the coaching side of things. So much of making a winning team is done through coaching. There are a lot of great coaches in the NFL. Most often, what makes the best ones stand out is their ability to scheme faster than the competition can figure them out.

Look at how different the screen game looks for the Cowboys, Eagles, Colts, Browns, etc (IRL). That is a coach drawing up who is going to block who. While the central ideas may be the same, no two team's playbooks should be alike. As well coaches will use their teams to best work with the players they have, not just running the ball while they have the lead....

These three things are extremely complex things to consider writing in code. So much so, that I don't think it's realistic to expect things like this in a video game, unless a seriously motivated and football-fanatical game studio takes the reigns. I shudder at the notion of possibly explaining myself any further, as the subject of football is not shallow if you're trying to consider the game from the perspective of a head coach or GM.

[KlassiK]

Well the NFL-EA contract ends in 2013, I think then.

[Cantgetright69]

Quote: Originally Posted by rocknroll1968

While what Valdarez says is true, I do think the op asks a valuable question. I think a few things need happen to make a football video game both more immersive as well as more realistic. 1) Move away from an animation based system, which restrict you to pre-scripted movements. This needs to be something more dynamic. Look at the way randy moss runs. Look at how Brian Leonard dives for the first down marker. Blocking schemes..... I could go on... 2) Move away from subjective 0-99 player scaling. Anyone in the NFL will tell you, it's not the "measurables" that make a complete football player. Lets have a system to input the measurables like 40yrd times. And from there, a more advanced system needs to be implemented to determine things like decision making, etc.... 3) More focus and variety on the coaching side of things. So much of making a winning team is done through coaching. There are a lot of great coaches in the NFL. Most often, what makes the best ones stand out is their ability to scheme faster than the competition can figure them out. Look at how different the screen game looks for the Cowboys, Eagles, Colts, Browns, etc (IRL). That is a coach drawing up who is going to block who. While the central ideas may be the same, no two team's playbooks should be alike. As well coaches will use their teams to best work with the players they have, not just running the ball while they have the lead.... These three things are extremely complex things to consider writing in code. So much so, that I don't think it's realistic to expect things like this in a video game, unless a seriously motivated and football-fanatical game studio takes the reigns. I shudder at the notion of possibly explaining myself any further, as the subject of football is not shallow if you're trying to consider the game from the perspective of a head coach or GM.

I have yet to give up the dream. I have plans on raising the funds to compete with madden come 2013 or whenever they dont have the license.

Even if they do still have the license i will have to leave up the logos and player names to the consumers and just build the solid gameplay and franhcise mode.

Theres just gotta be a way us hardcore sim gamers can get what we crave.

We may not be able to play or coach or be a gm in the nfl. But i will be damned if we dont get our simulation!

[Jump]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

As the only provider of a NFL game, they have a fairly guaranteed audience. As such, it's not really in their best interest to make too many changes at once. As long as they produce something that is better than last year, with a few changes, then they'll make sales. While perfection will always be out of reach for any game, I'm not sure we'll ever see anything that approaches it without competition in the football genre.

Spot on. EA can regulate the growth of Madden, and as long as it improves from year to year, they will do well. If EA had competitors, Maddens growth would have something else to be measured against, and if they were slacking, their sales would drop.

[Swingking77]

PLEASE 2-3 YEARS!!! 2012 and the EA deal is done! Please...