Madden NFL 12 Blog - Franchise Mode in Madden 12

[Thinking Out Loud]

Quote: Originally Posted by GGEden

Sorry if this has been asked, but the Depth Chart enhancements...will there now be (across all modes) a 3-4 depth chart and a 4-3 depth chart for the one team? Also, will there be a offensive package depth charts? Instead of only having package substitutions in the middle of a game. Thanks.

Yesterday I was wondering the same thing and hoping they added this BACK but just now I remembered something Looman stated in his blog:

"Practice Mode

This may seem like a small addition but, to me, it’s big. Being able to practice with your Franchise mode team at any point in the preseason, regular season or playoffs without having to export them allows you to get a look at your team at any time."


So with practice mode being available in the franchise hub, we can almost certainly just make individual formation substitutions there, that will carry over into games. In Madden 11, if we made formation subs during any franchise game, they were permanent and were the same for following games.

Even if they didn't add back the pregame formation subs from past Maddens, using practice mode for this should be work well. I would think we can even take Gameplans into practice mode and make individual formation substitutions in them too.

Man, I just got myself hype again thinking about this! LOL

Can't wait.

[TLF]

Quote: Originally Posted by Thinking Out Loud

Yesterday I was wondering the same thing and hoping they added this BACK but just now I remembered something Looman stated in his blog: "Practice Mode This may seem like a small addition but, to me, it’s big. Being able to practice with your Franchise mode team at any point in the preseason, regular season or playoffs without having to export them allows you to get a look at your team at any time." So with practice mode being available in the franchise hub, we can almost certainly just make individual formation substitutions there, that will carry over into games. In Madden 11, if we made formation subs during any franchise game, they were permanent and were the same for following games. Even if they didn't add back the pregame formation subs from past Maddens, using practice mode for this should be work well. I would think we can even take Gameplans into practice mode and make individual formation substitutions in them too. Man, I just got myself hype again thinking about this! LOL Can't wait.

yea Practice Mode was my Favorite thing to do in Madden 05 and 07 for my XboX id spend hours a day in that mode doing plays i had one play where my best Run Blockers were in on a formation that i ONLY used for screens it was trying Random stuff out and with different Personnel

[JaySmooov]

Quote: Originally Posted by mjussawalla

True, but the problem is if the User can initiate trades in the off season and season but the CPU can't, it alows you to 'cheat' the league. I know for my franchise I won't initiate any non-draft day trades, but it does take a lever away from building your team.

Sorry to break it to you guys, but after doing extensive research (ok, maybe not-so-extensive) I found that most trades are generally done, in fact, in the offseason period. Consider these numbers, from the 2010 season:
14 trades in April
2 trades in May
1 trade in June
1 in July
9 in August
9 in September
2 in October (The Marshawn Lynch trade, and the Mike Bell/Jerome Harrison trade)
The trade deadline generally is in the 6th week of the season, or Mid-October

What this shows is that most trades occur around the beginning and ending periods of the off-season. In the beginning, where teams are trying to make speculative adds on talent, and the end, where teams are trying to fill out rosters (though a lot of the trades, all in all, were for future draft picks - another good reason why having them added to Madden improves the franchise mode).

April was generally around draft time, as there were a couple draft-day deals listed, as well as trades for picks before the draft.

The heavy activity in August/Sept. was generally the end of August/beginning of September, or when a new year in football would begin in Madden. So basically, the CPU offering trades in the off-season in Madden would be enough, depending on the volume in which it happens.

All in all, there were only TWO (2) trades in the regular season. Most roster additions were from preseason cuts and signings, which is ANOTHER reason why the expanded rosters were well needed. If you're on your job, you can expect to be scouring the waiver list for ways to upgrade you're team.

It would be nice if the CPU did trade during the season, but why add it if it doesn't work? I'd rather have zero CPU-CPU trades than 5-10 unrealistic ones, such as trading Asante Samuel for Vernon Davis or something. The only trade from the entire year that had a true impact was the Marshawn Lynch trade; however, if Lynch was on ANY other team, he would've been traded on draft day, as the Bills, for some reason, couldn't pull the trigger.

[GGEden]

Create a play - practice mode was my #1 addiction during those years.
I wish they would bring back this feature in future and further enhance it (trick plays, special teams, more routes, DL stunts, etc etc) and tie it all in across all modes. Think about online h2h, how cool that would be. Or in franchise mode where different coaches you hire give you perhaps different sets of creation tools specific to those coaches and you can unlock more as your coach is also dynamically performing (ratings etc).

[RGiles36]

Quote: Originally Posted by Thinking Out Loud

Yesterday I was wondering the same thing and hoping they added this BACK but just now I remembered something Looman stated in his blog: "Practice Mode This may seem like a small addition but, to me, it’s big. Being able to practice with your Franchise mode team at any point in the preseason, regular season or playoffs without having to export them allows you to get a look at your team at any time." So with practice mode being available in the franchise hub, we can almost certainly just make individual formation substitutions there, that will carry over into games. In Madden 11, if we made formation subs during any franchise game, they were permanent and were the same for following games. Even if they didn't add back the pregame formation subs from past Maddens, using practice mode for this should be work well. I would think we can even take Gameplans into practice mode and make individual formation substitutions in them too. Man, I just got myself hype again thinking about this! LOL Can't wait.

I didn't even consider that -- you could very well be right. I barely make any subs in-game b/c of the way it is now, not to mention I use Ask Madden.

[TLF]

Quote: Originally Posted by GGEden

Create a play - practice mode was my #1 addiction during those years. I wish they would bring back this feature in future and further enhance it (trick plays, special teams, more routes, DL stunts, etc etc) and tie it all in across all modes. Think about online h2h, how cool that would be. Or in franchise mode where different coaches you hire give you perhaps different sets of creation tools specific to those coaches and you can unlock more as your coach is also dynamically performing (ratings etc).

we need this!!!!

[JaySmooov]

Quote: Originally Posted by ThisIsReality

Well no one is asking for the garage selling-esque trading that happens in MLB The Show... we at least want it to actually happen. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth when all you see from the CPU teams in the league transactions is releasing and signing for 10 seasons. Also, you're pretty pessimistic about it all! Relax, with adembroski testing the franchise mode extensively and Josh's knowledge about creating a great franchise mode with the work on HC 09 you can be sure this is in good hands.

The thing is, as I just posted, around 80-90% (rough guesstimate, based on actually researching) of total transactions throughout the reg. seasons are Cuts, signings, and practice squad additions. Only two trades happened in 2010 in the reg. season. Only one of those had an impact, the Marshawn Lynch trade, and that trade wouldv'e been a draft-day trade if the Bills would've pulled the trigger and gotten more than a 4th round pick for him. The other trade was Mike Bell for Jerome Harrison, and as far as I know, neither had even a small impact on the field in any way. Both will probably end up being cut this year. So I think it's a good thing they don't add that option anyway, especially if it won't work correctly.

[GGEden]

Online h2h there'd be a big surge in madden school type sites, all promoting their custom formations and plays, could be monthly EA blogs, competitions for best play designs etc. Could get some former HC involved. h2h would open up a world of more fun, bragging rights about how good they are at play design, and lead to more general innovative madden thinking by the consumers.