More Madden NFL 18 Features Revealed

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

I'd be curious to know the age range of posters here, and how many Maddens you've purchased/played.

We're veering well off-topic from feature discussion here, but I'll humor you: I'm 30 years old and I've purchased and played every single Madden which had a franchise mode except Madden 2000. (I even, regrettably, purchased Madden 08 three times).

Quote:

There was a time 32-team control wasn't necessary.

I have never used 32-team user control in any franchise I have ever played, with the exception of one franchise in Madden 06 PC where I used 32 custom teams. I have consistently enjoyed the experience while controlling just one team. To that end, though I understand how others might enjoy playing God so-to-speak, I dispute that 32-team control is or has ever been necessary to enjoy franchise.

Quote:

There was a time franchise sim stats were accurate.

Given how many complaints I have seen over not only years but decades on this forum about sim stats - I've been around here for a while - I also dispute this. Heck I remember a huge "manifesto" thread of sorts from MaddenMania way back in the PS2 days where one particularly ambitious poster went through all the coach settings, all the teams, all the depth charts, etc. to try and maximize the accuracy of sim stats.

Quote:

There was a time franchise mode was engrossing. Possibly beacuse of its newness, but engrossing nevertheless.

Disagree that it is no longer engrossing, I think people's expectations have increased as the years have gone on and technology has improved. People's expectations by-and-large have also shifted as video games have become more social experiences over the past decade or so. As such, priorities for the development team change to react to those shifts.

Franchise mode is at its core the exact same thing it was in Madden 2001; though it has a lot more functionality and polish - you can play online, the in-game presentation has a ton of polish, the mode is much more approachable for new players - it's still play-multiple-seasons draft-rookies sign-free-agents win-the-Super-Bowl that it always ever was.

[young22]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

I'd be curious to know the age range of posters here, and how many Maddens you've purchased/played. There was a time 32-team control wasn't necessary. There was a time franchise sim stats were accurate. There was a time franchise mode was engrossing. Possibly beacuse of its newness, but engrossing nevertheless. I understand very well the issues that arose with the last console cycle. The economy wasn't the best either. But at those are just hollow excuses to me right now. If you read the board from 10 years ago, then come back to this, or the other threads from the past few days, you're going to find people asking for many of the same things. How crazy is that? Honestly?! Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

32 team control is far from necessary. I'll take control of other teams from time to time to do stuff like cut guys with bad contracts and change their gameplans if necessary, but it's alright for the most part.

Sim stats have really never been better.
And franchise is stale because the gameplay is stale, not because the mode is bad. It's definitely not great, but it's alright. I'd rather see great gameplay and a mediocre franchise than mediocre gameplay and a great franchise.

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[adembroski]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

Given how many complaints I have seen over not only years but decades on this forum about sim stats - I've been around here for a while - I also dispute this. Heck I remember a huge "manifesto" thread of sorts from MaddenMania way back in the PS2 days where one particularly ambitious poster went through all the coach settings, all the teams, all the depth charts, etc. to try and maximize the accuracy of sim stats.

A particularly infuriating Canadian friend of mine named Dave. I also worked on it, as well as Gommo's MaddenAmp and other tools over at Football freaks to make Franchise tolerable.



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[EricFreakingBerry]

Quote: Originally Posted by adembroski

No, there really wasn't. I've owned '17, '16, '13, '12, '11, '10, '08, '07, '06, '05, '04, '03, '02, '01, '00, '99, '98, '97, '95, '94. Played Tecmo before that. Sent from my SM-G930P using Operation Sports mobile app

Yeah, Madden has never *once* put out a product realistic with simulated statistics. Remember the mid 2000s when teams would literally never use a 2nd running back unless there was an injury? You'd literally have to user-control and rotate 2 good backs in where one guy would start 10 games or so and the other guy would start the other six, just to create the illusion of a 2-back system.

I've seen this game in recent and past years simulate seasons of 30+ sacks by a player. In recent years, you'll see that and then without editing QB pocket presence traits you'll see guys struggle to sack 10-12 a season when the game-generated players come into the league.

We used to get running stats that almost simmed a 2,000 yard rusher every single season, possibly multiples. Now, I've simmed years upon years in M17 and guys struggle to get more than 1,500.

Kicking/Punting stats have always been off.

Passing statistics have seen ebbs and flows and actually look pretty good today compared to what they used to look like. 5 years ago it was a 5,000 yard paradise where it seemed 10-12 guys would throw for 5,000 yards and 40+ TD's. Then you'd have games where guys would struggle to hit 30 TDs in a season ever.

[GameBreaker35]

As it pertains to NCAA Football coaching adjustments, I think some of you are forgetting how wonky it was - at least from the CPU execution. If you hit a couple of big pass plays, the CPU would switch to conservative and never look back allowing you to just sink and dunk the rest of the game. If they ever chose aggressive at some point, it was even worse. You could score at will with a go route the rest of the game.

It hasn't been confirmed that this is what the feature is describing, but if it is, I hope they do some common sense evaluation of their CPU execution. Not to mention that global adjustments are kind of counter productive if you are trying to simulate NFL. Install more true to life offensive and defensive concepts, and you won't need to implement "adjustments".


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[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

I'd be curious to know the age range of posters here, and how many Maddens you've purchased/played. There was a time 32-team control wasn't necessary. There was a time franchise sim stats were accurate. There was a time franchise mode was engrossing. Possibly beacuse of its newness, but engrossing nevertheless. I understand very well the issues that arose with the last console cycle. The economy wasn't the best either. But at those are just hollow excuses to me right now. If you read the board from 10 years ago, then come back to this, or the other threads from the past few days, you're going to find people asking for many of the same things. How crazy is that? Honestly?! Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I'm 39 yrs old.

There has NEVER been a time when 32 team control wasnt necessary. That goes for every sports game. AI has never been to the point where it can realistically simulate FA signings, trades and cuts in any game for me. Whether its the Show, NBA 2k or Madden. Most people who are stat and realism fanatics need complete control. Most people dont so its not an issue with them.

Madden has always struggled with aspects of sim stats but so have other football games. Its always something. Whether its passing yards one year or interceptions or sack numbers or tackles.

[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

I'd be curious to know the age range of posters here, and how many Maddens you've purchased/played. There was a time 32-team control wasn't necessary. There was a time franchise sim stats were accurate. There was a time franchise mode was engrossing. Possibly beacuse of its newness, but engrossing nevertheless. I understand very well the issues that arose with the last console cycle. The economy wasn't the best either. But at those are just hollow excuses to me right now. If you read the board from 10 years ago, then come back to this, or the other threads from the past few days, you're going to find people asking for many of the same things. How crazy is that? Honestly?! Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I feel your overall point, there are certainly things, like route based passing, position battles, defensive assignments, impactful coordinators/position coaches, etc, from past Maddens, that didn't carry over but unfortunately, legacy issues that did. I think as an older gamer, it's definitely harder for me to just accept where NFL gaming is today because my expectations are based on how realistic NFL gaming was, in relation to the tech, in the past, the trajectory NFL gaming seemed to be headed then and where other sports gaming, ie NBA and MLB, are now.

That said, hopefully some of the reveals for M18 lessen those feelings of nostalgia and "what if".

[Madden08PCgmr]

Quote: Originally Posted by adembroski

No, there really wasn't. I've owned '17 (XB1), '16 (360), '13 (PS3), '12 (PS3) '11 (PS3), '10 (360 ) '08 (PC) '07 (PC), '06 (PC), '05 (PC), '04 (PS2), '03 (PS2), 02 (PS2), '01(PS2), '00 (PS1) '99 (PS1), '98 (PS1) '97 (PS1), '95 (SNES), '94 (SNES). Played Tecmo before that. Sent from my SM-G930P using Operation Sports mobile app

2004 & 2005 are fine stat-wise, with or without 32-team control. Perfect? No. Manageable? Absolutely.

I believe it was 2005 which had the bad draft logic. CPU teams would draft 3 QBs. That was a bummer.

2006 is the version which lost the RB1/RB/2 slider, and where the stats went off the rails. That was a game killer.

Anyway, I'll stop with this.

Sorry that I can't do a better job of managing my frustration. I just want so badly for this game to mean something to me again.



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