ROOKIE SCOUTING CONFUSION

[macbranson]

There is definitely something wrong with the CPU's ability to scout rookies. In my franchise, the Washington Redskins have FOUR rookies rated over 80 and only on e of them was drafted in the first round. And I have encountered rookies throughout the league with low ratings (like 71) who were drafted in the first round and given big contracts. This doesn't make sense. I think the CPU is just as confused with this rookie scouting thing as we are.

Some guys think it's okay to have a steal in the late rounds or a bust in the early rounds. While I agree with that, rookies are rated based on how good they look coming out of college, not performance in the NFL. If someone looks like a 70 coming out of college, he's not going to go in the first round. Likewise an 85 rated WR isn't going to go in the fourth round. Now the 70 rated player may have a great rookie season and should progress accordingly.

Look at all of the Madden games. The highest drafted rookies are always the highest rated. Why? Because they look like the best players coming out of college. This game takes that and just throws it all out the window and random players are drafted at random times. The ability to scout rookies on this game is so poor, even the CPU is confused by it. What a shame.

[Beeks]

Where is the 'dislike' button?

You missed the boat completely on this one.

Apparently you're under the impression that scouting is a perfect science, when in fact, it NEVER is... See: Ryan Leaf.

I like the fact that not every first round player is a LOCK to be 80+ with A potential. That would be the most boring draft ever. That's the only reason I stopped importing draft classes, because they are so ridiculously predictable, and take any and all skill out of scouting.

You've made a terrible complaint here, and I hope I'm not the only one who disagrees with you.

[Old School SD Fan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Beeks

Where is the 'dislike' button? You missed the boat completely on this one. Apparently you're under the impression that scouting is a perfect science, when in fact, it NEVER is... See: Ryan Leaf. I like the fact that not every first round player is a LOCK to be 80+ with A potential. That would be the most boring draft ever. That's the only reason I stopped importing draft classes, because they are so ridiculously predictable, and take any and all skill out of scouting. You've made a terrible complaint here, and I hope I'm not the only one who disagrees with you.

Co-sign. I agree completely, I like this year's lottery approach, it mimics IRL.

[untrugby]

i think you guys are missing hes point hes talking about how madden rates IRL rookies vs how the turn out in the franchise drafts. IRL the rookies are saddled with the 50/60s rating and D potentials in the late rounds because most of the time they are and if one happens to be good madden just makes a roster update and their potential magically jumps to B or A. did they all of a sudden get bigger, faster or stronger? but in madden you can grab a late round pick whos already an 81 with an A potential before the ever step on the field. The difference being IRL picks have to prove it on the field to get better ratings and they are just given to them in madden. I like the gems you can find in the draft but it should just be expressed as potential instead of ratings and potential

[macbranson]

What??!!! Yeah, Ryan Leaf was terrible. We saw that AFTER he played in the NFL. But coming out of college, he was viewed as the best quarterback besides Peyton Manning. He was probably rated pretty high on Madden. But guess what, Madden's ratings are based on the previous year's performance, not how good the player is going to be. Why would a team draft a 71 overall rated MLB before he's played a single down in the NFL? They don't expect him to perform as a 71 overall or else he wouldn't be drafted so high. The highest rated players are picked based on how they performed and how they're expected to perform. Anyone drafted high, should be EXPECTED to perform well, and therefore have a high overall rating. If they play and perform poorly, their overall rating should drop accordingly.

You guys are saying that drafting isn't an exact science and I know that's true. But you seem to be missing my point that the draft is based on expectations and previous performance and ratings on Madden are based on previous performance alone. Madden ratings don't predict how good a player is going to be. You have it backwards.

Look at any previous Madden games. The highest draft picks are always the highest rated rookies. That's how it should be with a CPU generated draft. I understand some players are rated high, then perform poorly. That will be reflected in their rating the NEXT season.

[Beeks]

I'm not missing your point at all. But in a game where performance is based directly on OVR rating in CPU games, (unfortunately), busts must be pre-determined in franchise. Progression in the current system will never produce a bust, so it has to be done like this. I think it's stupid, but it's the only way to have any semblance of realism with the system Madden has.

On the same token, since OVR represents physical and mental attributes, a 70 OVR guy could easily be taken in the first round because he played well in college... but in Madden, since production is not an attribute, you won't see that. Back to my Ryan Leaf example, if he came into Madden as an 85 OVR, he would have NEVER been a bust in the game. I don't agree with HOW Madden does it, but within the current system, it works for me and I certainly don't mind it.

[Pandetta]

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

Look at any previous Madden games. The highest draft picks are always the highest rated rookies. That's how it should be with a CPU generated draft. I understand some players are rated high, then perform poorly. That will be reflected in their rating the NEXT season.

The problem is - as has already been pointed out - then they won't be busts because the rating has already been given, they won't suddenly be magically reduced next season when the prospects are supposed to 'bust'.

The current system is pretty good, if they changed it to what you are proposing you would never have any busts, which would not work at all.

The perceived high rating is mimicked very well by the projected draft rounds - why fix what isn't broken?

[untrugby]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pandetta

The current system is pretty good, if they changed it to what you are proposing you would never have any busts, which would not work at all.

you could still have bust in the system he proposed you would just have to have full time hidden potential and have players be able to have a potential below their OVR skill level. Like if you drafted a top pick bust he would have a 75 OVR rating but a D potential and he would lose ratings proportional to how much he played until he got to his ratings. IRL they say it takes about 3 years to judge a draft pick. So id say after they play roughly 30 games or so they show their real ratings.

Quote:

The perceived high rating is mimicked very well by the projected draft rounds - why fix what isn't broken?

it works well for the CPU but its easy to cherry pick the high potential players for a USER. They made it a bit tougher this year but overall still pretty easy.