JoshC1977's Madden 20 CFM-only Sliders (User vs CPU Only)

[JoshC1977]

I am resurrecting this thread as Madden 20 is one of my favorite (if not THE favorite) Madden game since the 1990s. I have gone back to this game, and have "modernized" (if you will) my "take" on an appropriate slider setup for this game. One of my close buddies and I have been enjoying the crap out of this game and I wanted to share this joy with all of you. I have recently completed a season (in just a few days) on M20; something I had been unable to do on either M22 or M23 for various reasons. I'm not going to turn this into a "bash M23" post, but I will, later in this post, do some compare/contrast.

Let's address the proverbial "elephant in the room". M20 is no longer available via EA Play or in the Playstation or XBox store. If you previously purchased the game, you will still have access to it. However, if you do not already own a digital copy of the game, you will need to buy it on disc (a used copy at a gaming store should not run you too much).

My general goals for Madden are quite simple:
- I want ratings to matter
- I do NOT want artificial mechanisms to interfere with ratings aside from organically derived mechanisms like morale (and even those need to be moderate)
- I want to see injuries and penalties (I'm not necessarily looking for a 1:1 match to what we see IRL, but they need to be there)
- I play the CPU straight-up without cheese. In that context, I want tough games. I want to be beat without beating myself.
- I want to see defensive stops that are not strictly a function of sacks and turnovers.
- I want to see variety in games from defensive battles to shootouts to blowouts

Madden 20 has checked every one of these boxes for me. I went 1-15 in season 1 with the Giants (suffering through Eli's last season while Daniel Jones was developing as the number 2). Games were tough, the CPU run game devastating, but we had chances in many games; many decided by just a handful of plays (or even inches). This game gives me an illusion that I am playing football; something current titles have been unable to provide me. Now, let's get to the setup.

The Setup
Here is the basic setup we will be using for Madden 20. You will set these first in the main menu and then import into your franchise. I suggest shutting down the game the first time you set these in the main menu and reboot the game to ensure these settings load-up properly.

Offline CFM
All Pro/Sim
10 min quarters, no acc clock
Assists - Ballhawk and Autoflip defense must be on, all other assists off
Injuries - 40
Fatigue - 50
Threshold - 50
Gameplay Sliders/Penalties - all 50 or turned "on"
Superstar abilities - OFF (set this in the franchise setup screen - more on this below)

Someone may ask, "why are you using 40 Injury for this game when you said to not go above 26 Injury for Madden 23"? Good question but simple answer. Madden 20's franchise mode's default injury value is 40 - so THIS particular game has been tuned (by EA) around that value.

Turning Off Superstar Abilities is Key
As you all may remember, Madden 20 introduced the concept of Superstar abilities and X-Factor abilities. Some of them were quite overpowered (e.g. Enforcer) but they did provide a little added flash. What we did not realize at the time is that enabling abilities has some sort of a core impact on the gameplay - it really seems to open up the game (to a fault) and gives it an arcade-like feel. When I went back into M20 here recently, I wanted to see how the game would respond to turning these off - I was floored in the best way possible. The game has its moments where it "feels like Madden", but holistically, this game is a truly fun experience that has much stronger sim vibes than any Madden made since.

Comparison of Madden 20 vs M23 - Gameplay

- The is an "old gen movement" title. OK, I know some of you will scream that CG movement is "more realistic" in terms of footplanting. You're right and this is why M23 is the inferior title. Huh? What do you mean Josh? The old movement (and "canned" 2-man animations) actually work better for the game. The juke moves are more exaggerated for example, but it is because of this that the CPU can really make you miss and it makes their offenses much more dangerous (and fun to play against). The defensive 2-man animations actually work well in creating tight coverage windows at the point of catch; it not only makes catches more varied, but also adds to that "illusion". M23 no longer uses these and because of this, catch outcomes have a very binary feel (receiver catches it or it is a pick). The one wart of the old movement is that sharp cuts can be handled a bit wonkily in coverage. You can get separation in routes featuring a hard change of direction - but in my experience, the relative coverage ratings are crucial here (as coverage defenders can absolutely still stick to routes).

- M20 CPU QBs are not overly effective at scrambling. Few QBs in this game scramble. I'm collecting data right now to see if I can suss-out any specific trends, but I think it is tied directly to the QB archetype (which is based on ratings) vs traits. This is going to have to be a concession you accept. But in reality, the CPU does such a good job moving the ball, I'm not bothered TOO much by this.

- Lineplay. OK, so lineplay doesn't look as good on M20. You can also do the MUT-style scramble out of the pocket crap sometimes (if you abuse that, that's on you). That said, from an outcomes perspective, it holds up well-enough on M20. There's a balance to it even if it doesn't look quite as pretty as M23. But, M23's lineplay looks very scripted while M20s blocking looks messier and forces fast choices when making moves (something I appreciate) with defenders that close quickly if they are good.

- The "little things". I've seen a wider variety of penalties in M20 (pass interference calls, facemasks, holding, offsides, fals starts, roughing, etc.). Frequencies are predictably not in-line with real life, but there are just enough to have an impact. I do suspect that this will improve as we flush real players out of CFM. On the injury front, I have seen QB injuries (on scrambles) and a lot more RB injuries (though not egregious) than 23.

- QB (in)accuracy - this is done really well. You will flat-out miss short throws quite organically with mediocre QBs but can dissect defenses with elite QBs. Same goes for the CPU.

All of this adds up to an experience that is fun, challenging (for us AP guys), and ratings-based while keeping a larger proportion of "simulation" elements than current games. I fully expect my Giants rebuild to take a good 4-5 seasons before we have a chance to be a championship contender; which is exactly what I want.

Comparison of Madden 20 vs M23 - Franchise Mode

OK, I am going to be blunt. M20's franchise mode is miles better than M23.

"But Josh, tHeY AdDeD mOrE StUFf". Yes, they added a whole lot of stuff to franchise mode between M20 and M23. But it is worse because of it. Morale boosts are out of control on M23, coach skills boost player ratings, game planning boosts ratings, way too many scenarios (which the CPU does not get). What this results-in is a signficant boost to ratings in-game and the user gains huge benefits. As a result, you go from great competive games in the first few weeks of a franchise to blowing away the CPU afterwards. Unless you play M23 on All Madden or using extreme slider settings (neither is appealing to me), CFM in 23 is a waste of time.

Thoughts on franchise longevity
- One thing M23 features that I like is the player tag system for FA. What I suggest for M20 is that you restrict yourself with respect to in-season contract extensions (how you do it is your choice). The more of your players that go into FA, the more you will have to pay, and the harder it will be to maintain a team. Not a perfect solution, but given how infrequent in-season extensions are in real life, this is a good option. You might also consider not making any trades during the draft (as the CPU does not do them).

- Do not use the 5th year player option scenario. The CPU does not get this; so a user should not get the boost.

- Purely optional, but each off-season, I like to adjust the CPU QBs "sense pressure" trait based on their awareness rating. Makes no sense to me to see a QB start as paranoid and then get to a 90 awareness but still have the paranoid trait. The rough scale I use is:
85+: Ideal
80-84: Average
70-79: Trigger Happy
<70: Paranoid

- Final thing. Up to you how you implement this in your CFM, but you might want to consider lowering dev traits for older players on the decline.

Wrap-up

I'm having fun with Madden again...I hope some of you give this a shot and enjoy it as well.


Legacy thread info

Spoiler

April 25, 2020 Update

What is the goal of this thread?

First, let me tell you what the goals of this thread ARE NOT.

• It is NOT designed to get stats 'perfect'
• It is NOT designed to perfectly simulate the NFL
• It is NOT designed for people to watch the game (i.e. CPU v CPU)
• It is NOT designed for people who want their 'stik skillz' to dominate

The goals of this thread ARE:

• To make ratings matter as much as possible
• To allow people to connect with their franchise team by allowing their team building efforts to count ON THE FIELD
• To make strategy matter
• To avoid a heavily modified game that results in large amounts of Slider RNG.

What in the world is Slider "RNG"?

This is a term I coined. Now, RNG stands for "Ratings Number Generator" (referring to the game's 'dice rolls'). "Slider RNG" is where people adjust sliders to bias one outcome over another (i.e. you're using the sliders to manipulate the dice rolls). Now, that's sort of the point of sliders for most people....they try to force the game to play a certain way (and introduce loads of slider RNG to the mix).

I HATE...HATE....HATE Slider RNG. It's the cause for the most common complaint people have for sports games ("Every game feels the same!"). You skew things too heavily one way, you override a subset of player ratings to preferentially favor one outcome. This is the worst thing you can do - it not only skews that particular ratings subset, but it also changes the AI.

A classic example - person tightens coverage with sliders. Bad DBs are now too good relative to ratings and good corners are de-valued (ratings don't stand out). The bigger issue is that CPU QBs will become more hesitant to throw the ball (wouldn't you hesitate if a receiver was blanketed?). So, the CPU QBs check-down too much (too many catches by TEs - common complaint) and their completion percentages skyrocket ('Robo QB' - another common complaint).

We want variety in all outcomes, we want player ratings to be respected (good and bad). With the ratings stretch in Madden 20, this is VITAL. You can literally undo all of EA's hard work with the ratings stretch by changing sliders too much. With a wider variety in the player base, it's key that we take as much time as possible to really see just how much variety we will see....BEFORE touching anything.

Remember, the whole point of playing CFM is to see the story of our franchise unfold and our team building efforts to show up on the field. If we allow too much Slider RNG into the mix, CFM becomes a very stale experience very quickly.

The simplest way to avoid Slider RNG is to leave the gameplay sliders alone - which is the approach I've been using the last few years. Where I plan on changing things up this year is that I am planning on being more open to slider modifications if it is determined that the default slider value preferentially favors one outcome over another (i.e. a default setting is leading to Slider RNG). But....we have to have our baseline first....and that takes massive sample size to assess.

Sample Size and Madden 20

This is where I am going to lose many of you. The concept of a "good sample size" is so completely and utterly skewed it isn't funny. Mine was too....I used to say "3 or 4 games"...LMAO...I'm sorry...I was just SO wrong.

A "good sample size" is really around 3 seasons (and if M20 is the same, the gameplay improves greatly after season 1). Anything can happen in a single season...one hot streak, a few key players get on a roll...and blammo. The second year can be the total opposite. So, which is the "true" median? That's why a third season is key - it essentially is the 'deciding vote' if you will.

Now, there are two mitigating factors that will prompt me to make a change sooner.

1. There are animations that are 'off' or don't make sense.

2. A particular outcome is consistent over a small sample size of 8-10 games or so. If I am getting 10 sacks per game every game...that's a problem. But the problem is not that I got 10 sacks in a game, but rather that it is consistently happening. That means we're dealing with Slider RNG.

Because of the ratings stretch, the presence of X-factors, and so on...I am taking a very 'long burn' approach this year. With these things in place, we should be seeing a lot more variety without touching a single gameplay slider.

The Sliders

If you are new to my thread, this is how we roll. Every setting I have listed here has a purpose. If you wish to give feedback, please follow EVERYTHING listed below exactly. If something is not listed, it is consider to be your choice.


Step 1: You MUST enter the following Main Menu Settings/Sliders:

Difficulty - All-Pro (note: others have reported good results on All Madden as well)

UPDATE
Injuries - 10
Back to the default value here. Turning off ballhawk tightened coverage and was causing a lot of CPU passivity. This adjustment physically separates players just a wee bit without negatively impacting things. We've been testing this for a couple of weeks now and it has held up beautifully.


Fatigue - 50
Quarter Length - 10 Minutes
Acc Clock - Off
Min Threshold (Player Speed Parity) - 50

Ballhawk - Off
This is the major change here. I love the coverage with this off (first time I've said that for M20). Coverage ratings are standing out more for both sides (both good AND bad).

Heat seeker - Off
Switch Assist - Off
Flip Play - User's Choice (I recommend "off")

All gameplay sliders and penalty sliders in the Main Menu should be set at 50!! Keep Autosubs at the default 60/80!

April 25, 2020 Update: One massive exception here: in the main menu penalties, toggle the ineligible receiver downfield to OFF. This has a profound effect on the gameplay and in particular how the CPU QBs behave (Credit to Matt10L for this awesome find)


Step 2: In your franchise setup options (you can change this after starting a franchise as well):
Superstar abilities: ON
I know some folks don't like them, but after finally testing with them off, it's very apparent to me that something is very 'off' when you don't use them. I'm therefore adding this to the slider setup as a required setting.

Step 3: Once you start your franchise, go to your CFM sliders and hit the reset button
Step 4: MANUALLY enter the following values

User
QB Accuracy: 50
Pass Blocking: 50
WR Catching: 50
Run Blocking: 50
Fumbles: 50
Pass Defense Reaction Time: 50
Interceptions: 50
Pass Coverage: 50
Tackling: 50

CPU
QB Accuracy: 50
Pass Blocking: 50
WR Catching: 50
Run Blocking: 50
Fumbles: 50
Pass Defense Reaction Time: 50
Interceptions: 50
Pass Coverage: 50
Tackling: 50
ALL Special Teams 50

Injuries: 40
Fatigue: 50
Threshold: 50

PENALTIES
Offside: 50
False Start: 50
Offensive Holding: 50
Defensive Holding: 50
Face Mask: 50
Illegal Block In The Back: 50
Roughing Passer: 50
Defensive Pass Interference: 50
All Others: On

Step 5: Exit slider screen
Step 6: Important: DO NOT touch autosubs! They WILL mess up the game!

Schemes and Archetypes

Before we get into this topic, let's address one item I can speak confidently on: QB Archetypes.

On All Pro (not fully tested on other difficulties), only QBs who have the Scrambling Archetype as their top archetype (or tied for the top) will scramble past the LOS. Other archetypes will move around, but they never actually take off. The only way around this is to manually edit QBs within franchise (I personally do this for 5 or 6 guys in the default roster). Raising SAC/MAC and lowering DAC usually does the trick for guys on the borderline (like Trubisky). I don't know if this is a bug or a design choice - but this is where we are right now.

Let's get to it......

We all know that Madden 20 has offensive/defensive schemes and different player archetypes. Many people look at these as being purely cosmetic - a tool to assist more casual fans with team building. Many look at them purely as a means to maximize XP gains. Whether intentional or not, I believe the system runs deeper than that.

Here's the Qualifier - the following is based on my personal observations using default All Pro. I'm not stating any of this as "the gospel" but rather offering some thoughts for folks to ponder. People who adjusted gameplay sliders or play on other difficulties may have these impacts muted....so, YMMV.

It has been my observation that the team schemes alter some player tendencies. CBs playing in a zone scheme will tend to play off of the receiver and give a more zonal look (even during a M2M play) but will go after the ball more. In a Man scheme, they will play the receiver more closely. Slot scheme corners seem to be a bit more focused on reading the run and breaking up passes by hitting the receivers. Runningbacks, power scheme RBs tend to run to contact more, elusive guys do not. D-line - scheme seems to greatly influence how they play and the types of moves they predominantly use (i.e. PMV vs FMV). Pass protector-heavy OL (e.g. in Air Raid) suck at run blocking. I don't have a laundry list of every position but you get the idea. In theory, changing a scheme may have some effect on how players play and which skills they are predominantly using.

If the scheme IS altering the types and/or frequencies of moves/animations that players are using, that's going to trickle-down into a tangible impact. If your 250lb speed rusher RE with 85 FMV/65 PMV is using more power moves because of the scheme....you're going to have an issue - and you SHOULD (ask Rex Ryan what happens when you try to force guys into a scheme).

What does this mean? It means to choose your scheme wisely. It means to build your roster wisely with your schemes in mind. It means to accept the weaknesses of the approach you have chosen. It means to call plays that complement that scheme.

If you're having issues with certain aspects of the game, instead of looking for slider-based solutions, look at your team. Do your issues make sense based on the scheme you are running (i.e. being weak vs the pass when using a run-stopping scheme)? Do the player archetypes match the scheme well? Are your play-calls (and playbook) appropriate for the scheme? Are there ways to re-deploy your personnel in certain formations/situations (e.g. using better pass coverage LBs in nickel/dime formations)?

Doing a "roster purge"
One of the most unsung elements of Madden CFM is how the game develops throughout the CFM.

The number 1 issue with Madden is that the base rosters have way too much "oomph". Player weaknesses are not pronounced well and lots of players are incredibly well-rounded, diluting a lot of the impact of the "ratings stretch" M20 introduced. Let me say this though; M20 is far better than any Madden to-date, but it still needs lots of love.

However, something magical begins to happen in CFM...it gets better! There are a couple of factors that go into this.

1. Player OVRs begin to drop. Fewer guys hit 90 OVR ratings, there are fewer 80+ overall guys, and many teams start guys who have OVRs in the low 70s. As a result, fewer players hit specific rating thresholds that trigger many of the "high-end" animations. Many of these animations make the game far more arcade-like than it should be. As you lower those ratings organically, the game "looks better" and "feels better" and you begin to see more nuanced actions.
2. With lower OVRs, far fewer players hit that 80 OVR threshold for their first SS ability and even fewer hit 90 OVR for that second ability. This makes sense; very few players truly excel at more than one thing. When you go up against a guy with multiple SS abilities, they REALLY stand out now. What I love is that you will see veteran players that haven't regressed with SS dev but no abilities (i.e. guys that had that potential but never panned-out).
3. CPU-controlled teams tend to invest strictly along scheme fits when developing players. This is the key. Because players are developed along more focused lines, strengths are accentuated, weaknesses are more pronounced. So, instead of a starting corner with 80 MCV and 80 ZCV like in the base roster, it is more common to see guys with 90 MCV and 70 ZCV. Play that out across the board - the entire game morphs into a chess match. You'll be spending a ton of time looking at your players and your opponent's - looking for an edge in matchups. Teams that have been successful tend to have high scheme fit values as the coach has been around awhile...this makes sense. Players that have been subject to a number of different schemes are more rounded but usually not to high levels - again, this makes sense.

So how do we get there? We've got to do a purge. The idea of purging current guys from the roster is not a new one (we talked about this concept a fair bit in previous years but always in relation to using depressed XP sliders). With the improved game-generated draft classes and improved progression engine, simming at 100% XP is without a doubt the most desired option. A funny thing happens on default XP values, the positions where OVRs tend to drop the most also address the most glaring gameplay areas (e.g. lack of pass rush being addressed by a reduced number of highly rated O-linemen).

A quick aside: I greatly respect the work that guys like TDawg do with XP sliders. They do a great job coming up with values that keep things in-line with base rosters. But, that's not the goal here; I don't want to mimic the default roster paradigm.

How do we do this?
1. I HIGHLY recommend offline CFM. First, you can take over multiple teams. Second, I do feel it plays more smoothly. But the first one is the biggest key; I'll explain why in a bit.
2. Start a franchise with the default roster.
3. Take control of one team and set all roster management functions to auto (make sure auto progression and auto fill roster is turned on - I've forgotten this a couple of times and it was rather messy for the time I simmed with, lol).
4. Start franchise and advance week: click down and then left to change to sim for 10 years.
5. Walk away and do something else for an hour or so (if you're like me and working from home, just fire it up while working and it'll be done when you're off work).
6. Once complete; there will still be a number of real life players on the roster. You have choices; sim about 5 more years or just start at the 10 year mark. Remember, Madden franchises only go 30 years total (you COULD do a 2nd 10 year sim...giving you 10 years to actually play...your call). Mahomes and Lamar tend to be the hardest players to purge....if you get impatient, just edit them to punters; by doing that, you SHOULD be finished at Year 15. The coach of the team you sim with may retire; if he does, retire him and create a new character (you can literally control his replacement).
7. Once you've simmed-out and are happy with the state of your franchise; you'll need to do a little clean-up. This is where doing this offline is required. Game generated coaches often have mis-matched schemes and playbooks (e.g. Darius Turner has the Cover 2 scheme and TB's playbook (which is a 34). You'll want to resolve these disconnects (a good practice for CFM even if you don't sim-out). I personally change the playbook to match the scheme...but sometimes get creative just for fun...like giving a team Baltimore's playbook if they have a good scrambling QB.
8. Now, once all that is done, save your franchise as a "base" file. You can always choose to start a different franchise from the same sim later-on.
9. Pick your team, save the franchise under a new file name to preserve the "base".

You now have a completely fictional roster with improved dynamics, better player variety, and a paradigm that is more in-line with how it should be. The best part. You can do this over and over and over and it'll never be the same.

What to expect within CFM?
1. Team OVRs will be lower and in a tighter stretch. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM!
2. Expect to see very few 90+ overall players. Expect to see, at best, 6-8 players above 80 OVR on the best teams. Again, don't worry about it, this is what we want.
3. Expect to see lots of one-dimensional players (the team I chose had CBs with awesome ZCV and awful MCV - I'll be running a zone scheme I guess....). This is great because players are much more defined in terms of what they do and do not do well.
4. A nice variety in cap room. Remember, players sign deals based on their relative ranking within the league; not based on their overall.

What to expect gameplay wise? (Using the OP sliders of course )
1. Less jerky movements, less warping/suction.
2. Greatly improved tackling dynamics.
3. A greater variety of animations/outcomes.
4. More fluid and dynamic line play.
5. A marked contrast in bad, ok, and great players. This is why the team OVRs are meaningless. Because if a team has game changing players at key positions, they can be a lot tougher to deal with than you'd expect.

If you want to start a new CFM and need a new twist...trust me, this is the way to go!

[JoshC1977]

Thread rules/notes

• I'm not your customer service. I'll help offer advice as I can, but I am not here to 'fix' the game for you. I build a set per the central tenants of the OP and share it with the community. Nothing more, nothing less. I will NOT make suggestions to tailor the game in a manner that introduces Slider RNG. If you want to, that's your business....it's your game to break.
  
• Please do NOT post your own sliders in this thread. If you have your own custom setup, please post your own thread. You might be surprised, but I constantly read other threads to see what other people are doing. If you post it, I will see it.
  
• Numbers of penalties and subs are two things which trip people up. I WILL NOT adjust values STRICTLY for penalty calls or subs unless I deem that there is ZERO gameplay impact.
  
• I do not test anything in "coach mode". While my approach generally works for it, I can't vouch for it.
  
• I will not entertain any discussion of CPU v CPU mode in this thread. CPU vs CPU has traditionally played very differently than other modes (including "coach mode"). Please refrain from any discussion of "findings" derived from CPU v CPU play in this thread.
  
• Broad statements like "It's too easy" or "It's too hard" or "the run game is too easy/hard" will be ignored unless you provide further support. Provide full descriptions (or video) of WHY something is "too easy/hard". Broad generalizations based on tiny sample sizes (i.e. less than 48 full games in regular season CFM) will be ignored unless you have specific reaction/animation-based arguments to support the "why". If you have video of full games available, please refer to specific time-frames where you see things that look "off".
  
• I will not make adjustments based on stats alone. I will not respond to queries based on stats alone. Video is nice, but even text descriptions of what you are seeing is helpful (oftentimes, one small detail may resonate as something I have seen myself...having secondary confirmation often helps me realize that something may be wrong). If you just post numbers, it is meaningless.
  
• You're welcome to post box scores of games, but know that I usually ignore them (now, if you take the time to write specific details about how the game went and what you saw, I will totally read that). Box scores alone really don't tell me a whole lot. Stats lie all the time.
  
• Take ownership of your gameplay style. If you like to go overboard and maybe exploit the CPU a bit, own it. If you're not 100% "sim", there is nothing wrong with that; but my approach may not work for you on All Pro.
  

Having high quality feedback makes our efforts here much better. I greatly appreciate everyone's cooperation

How I Play Franchise Mode

I get lots of questions about various facets of franchise mode and "how I play it". So, I thought I'd put this all together. This is not to say you HAVE to play like me or making other choices is "wrong" - but I wanted to try to consolidate things a bit.

The "proper" mindset for franchise and choosing a team.

Remember, Madden is a role-playing game. Unlike many RPGs, YOU are the one driving the narrative. So, try to have a vision in mind...something that excites you or intrigues you. Remember, the people that complain the most about franchise are the ones that try too hard to mimic real life. Once you hit that 'start button', it is now your own universe...embrace it and be creative.

Don't be afraid to try something new that is outside of your wheelhouse. If you always run the same scheme, same playbook no matter who you use - it's always going to feel the same. If you're a vertical guy like me, try a franchise with the Air Raid (I am doing that now....and it's different for sure....but a lot of fun). If you ALWAYS run a 34, run a team with a Tampa 2 in a chise. It will offer a whole new challenge as you learn and add a ton of replayability to the mode.

Setting up the Franchise

Online CFM or Offline CFM
If you're doing a solo CFM, offline; every day and twice on Sundays. You have way more control over your world offline and online offers no benefit for soloers. Plus, you don't have to worry about the servers going offline

Rosters
I strongly advise using the default pre-season roster that ships with the game (worst-case, make sure you save the final preseason roster so you get more up-to-date rosters without the in-season boosts). This is doubly important later in the year because they will boost younger players and if you start a new season from week 1 with those younger guys already boosted, then in-franchise progression will boost it even more (so you'll wind-up with a league-wide roster that is top-heavy in young players...which can skew league balance and cap situations for 10+ years.

Single-team vs Multi-team Control
I'm a single-team control guy. My enjoyment in franchise comes from watching my team's story unfold in a fictional universe I created and I am far less concerned about micro-managing the CPU to make things "more realistic". I'll help them along if maybe their depth charts are a bit shallow or if I want to engineer a storyline, but not much more than that.

Coach vs Owner
I recommend using a Coach. The scenario engine is much more fleshed-out for coaches and it will add more depth and immersion to your CFM. That said....the scenario engine is skewed in favor of the user...so an interesting argument could be made to bypass some of those scenarios by going with Owner Mode to keep things on a bit more even footing.

Now, if using a coach, my decision to keep firing on for user coaches is dependant on the storyline. If I am just following one team, I may turn them off. If I am following a coach, I may turn them on and see what happens with a new team.

Draft Classes
I'm a huge proponent of using the game's generated draft classes. You have no pre-conceptions of players and who/what they "should" be. So, you are going to dive more into them from a scouting and evaluation standpoint. That's going to massively boost your immersion in your franchise.

XP Sliders
I'm a default progression guy.

Superstar Abilities
One of the most common questions on OS. Should I turn these on or off? You'll get better diversity and more challenge from the CPU by leaving them on. Challenge yourself and enjoy it! Remember, losing is part of winning!


In-mode tidbits

This is a haphazardly organized section. Just a few things I like to do in the mode to keep things going smoothly.

• I spend a lot of time evaluating my team, the scheme fits, player ratings (well beyond their OVRs), and how to best maximize their talents. Don't be afraid to change things up from the very beginning - especially on defense. I try to have a plan in mind up front....though for weaker teams, you may just have to adjust on the fly.
  
• If you've done a couple of CFMs with the default roster, they can begin to get a bit "samey". Spice it up. Edit the SS and X-factors for guys on every team. Nick Foles as a 77 OVR X-factor with the 'Omaha' trait? Sure! Lowering Brady to a SS? I can see it. Want to get rid of Luck and AB this time around? Edit their ratings, positions, and contracts so their teams cut them in preseason. You want to make the Tunsil and Clowney deals? Do it. Take an hour or two to create your own little world and save a 'base' file you can use again. Have fun with it.
  
• I WILL adjust some QB ratings to make their primary archetype 'Scrambler'. Lowering DAC and raising MAC and/or SAC can take care of this for many borderline guys. I do this at the start of the franchise and let things go from there.
  
• I HATE the training drills...I just sim them.
  
• Check your opponent's roster prior to each game. Make sure they have at least 2 healthy RBs. If not, take control of their coach (offline CFM for the win), pull a RB off their PS or a FA, and then retire the coach. With CPU teams usually only rostering 3 RBs, this can be a necessary 2 minute fix. If you need to cut a player to accommodate the move, you can nearly always find that the CPU has an "extra" guy (like a 5th tackle or OLB) that is easy to cut. If signing a FA, I tend to lean towards stories (I did this when the NYG needed a RB - I signed former Giant Orleans Darkwa..teams often go 'back to the well' for street FAs...so it made sense.
  
• Trading...I don't restrict myself here per se. But I do two things. I look at the trade from the other team's angle; does the trade really make sense for them? Second, I don't "walk up" my offer a dozen times until they accept. I make what I think is a fair offer and sometimes, I may overspend....that's OK. If I can't come to terms within 3 or 4 attempts, I move on. Whenever possible, I place my guys on the block and then accept the "best offer" or at least use that as a springboard for negotiation.
  
• Re-signing FAs. If there are guys I know I really want to re-sign, I make an offer during the season. They will cost more...but it will be in-line with the CPU expenditures. Waiting to re-sign everyone to just before the off-season where they often accept cheaper deals is a pretty easy way of cheesing the game....I don't do it.
  
• 5th year extensions. After their 3rd season, players can be offered a 5th yr extension to their rookie contract. They will be paid the average of the top 10 players (salary-wise) at that position. This is a scenario in the 3rd(?) Free Agency week. Because it is a scenario, the CPU won't get the chance to do this. My advice, take 30 mins, temporarily take control of each team's HC (offline CFM for the win) and go through the scenario (if they have one) and make the decision for them. I did this in my current franchise and it should greatly help keep the CPU competitive.
  
• Don't be afraid to engineer some deals for storylines. In my Miami franchise, the Eagles had drafted a solid X-factor QB but still had Wentz. They were up against the cap and Wentz had struggled. So, I set up a deal to trade Wentz back close to home to the Vikings (who had no QB). It added a fun little spin on things.
  
• Signing FAs. I have a rough rule. I make one offer to a FA. None of this "walk up the offer until you're at the top of the list" BS. If the guy makes it to the next week, you are free to adjust the offer another time. I like this because I have to decide how much a guy is worth to me. I may massively overspend or get severely out-bid.
  
• Position changes. I stick close to the vest with these. I'll move around o-linemen and edge rushers. If switching base fronts, I will sometimes move LBs around. Once in a while, I will move a veteran CB (who has slowed a step or two) to FS if he has the skillset (few do). The one thing I haven't done much of is doing this for the CPU...honestly, with the rush DE and DT sub positions, a lot of the need to do this for them has evaporated.
  

[bucknut7]

Absolutely loved your Show sliders, and your overall approach. Really excited for what you come up with.

I notice you're saying these are User vs CPU only. I'm doing a CFM with 7 users and 25 CPU. Is there any reason these wouldn't be a good fit for user games? Or is it that you're just testing these against the CPU, and putting that as a disclaimer?

[JoshC1977]

Quote: Originally Posted by bucknut7

Absolutely loved your Show sliders, and your overall approach. Really excited for what you come up with. I notice you're saying these are User vs CPU only. I'm doing a CFM with 7 users and 25 CPU. Is there any reason these wouldn't be a good fit for user games? Or is it that you're just testing these against the CPU, and putting that as a disclaimer?

Honestly, I've never played a H2H game of Madden - ever. In the past, I know a few guys that have said that my approach to sliders has worked well in User v User games. I just can't vouch for it personally.

[GoBlue81188]

Can you share your thoughts behind the penalty slider bump to 51? I know these are still being workshopped, just trying to understand your methods on Madden.

Absolutely giddy to get my full copy tonight. Based on my access trial, I see no reason NOT to start my Lions franchise. Too many years I delay waiting on perfect settings. Not this year, game has shown me enough at default. I think your adjustments will only enhance what I’ve seen.

I’m a HUGE fan of X factor/ superstar traits this year. Elite player impact is immediately evident. Love that wrinkle and really feels like all play styles can be successful with the right roster construction this year.

[JoshC1977]

I wanted to break down a few more things from my EA Access experience (2 trials so 20 hours) here before launch. This is random and in no particular order.

General Note on Sliders
I'm very much adapting an approach of keeping all sliders between 48-52 for All Pro. That SEEMS to me to be a safe range where you can mess around with tendencies without getting 'Slider RNG'.

Now, I am currently NOT using any gameplay slider adjustments. I have tested a couple of things out...but...we need sample size. I'm not adverse to making changes, but the changes need to make sense and be justified.

Coverage
There were coverage issues in-game during EA Access. I don't know if we'll get a Day 1 patch or not and even if we do, if it will address them. There were three primary components:
1. The amount of distance between the DB and receiver. At pure default, you could watch a DB following a WR on a crossing route, but the DB would be 3 yards downfield following him. Modifying the injury slider to 50 in MM and 50 in CFM cleaned this up. (Note: on All Madden, players tend to play 'tighter' to start - so this setting may not work as well)
2. CPU defenders would constantly LOOK for the ball (and not necessarily react) at the expense of covering the receiver (leaving some nasty gaps in coverage). This took me forever to figure out but turning Ball Hawk back "on" really helped us out here. It's very clear the game was tuned to have this on (and it IS "on" by default). This functionality is definitely different than past years.
3. There are some odd animations with how DBs turn their hips or react on change-of-direction patterns. Now, EA stated that they tuned DB movements post-Beta to try to get Post patterns to be less effective, but I don't think the tuning worked out as well as it should have. There isn't much I can do here and I am not going to try. The other 2 tweaks will help mitigate this from being a major nuisance.

Threshold
I spent a TON of time on this. There are a lot of big plays by default. It is very tough to catch guys from behind. In this case, THAT IS NOT A THRESHOLD ISSUE! The issue there is related to fatigue...I'll touch on that later.

I set threshold to 52 for a couple of reasons. One, it smooths out some animations. Two, I think it syncs-up the run game a bit better. It will help A LITTLE in closing the gap, but not as much as people think.

Fatigue
This was a late addition to the setup. As mentioned above, breakways were virtually unstoppable. The reason, watch the stamina drain on a defender on a long return....it doesn't go down fast enough.

Now, 52 fatigue helps that without rocking the rest of the gameplay. In fact, the gameplay is just a bit sloppier...which I love.

Penalties
In previous years, penalty sliders at 50 'gated' the number of calls and going to 51 would essentially remove that restriction. But in past years, going to 51 wound up causing a ton of issues with warping/suction and just generally imbalancing the game. Well last night, I was down to 30 minutes of EA Access and thought, "What the heck?". I plugged-in 51 for all the penalties and got into a game. About a quarter's worth of play, 3 DPIs, 1 IBB, 1 Hold later...I was like, "Oh man...we HAVE to explore this!". I think the subtle tweak to fatigue along with the 51 values may have got things to stand out. It also could have been dumb luck. But any chance of getting lots of penalty calls without causing major gameplay disruptions is well worth it.

(note: 51 RTP will introduce some odd calls that don't seem to be justified by the animation (e.g. QB is barely grazed)...I know this but for now, I really want to leave them all at 51 to see if there is a 'balancing act' here)

Fumbles
(insert sound of spoiled toddler crying)...."WAAAAAA too many fumbles!!! WAAAA!!! "

Suck it up kids. Use the protect ball button, don't make jukes in heavy traffic, get out of bounds, use the coach adjustment (especially in rainy weather). If you are reckless handling the ball, that's on you.

X-factors
You HAVE to gameplan for these guys and I LOVE IT! They can and will shred you. Be cognizant of where they are and what they can do. Related note: understand your opponent's personnel (even non-superstars) and where their sore spots are.

Franchise mode in-general
I basically spent 20 hours testing gameplay in CFM. I did not dabble much in the mode at all. The scenario engine stuff seems OK and I am hoping that we get far more interesting scenarios throughout the year.

[WCBasketball]

Do you have to change this and re-do every time you start a CFM? So it won’t work in a existing one?

[JoshC1977]

Quote: Originally Posted by WCBasketball

Do you have to change this and re-do every time you start a CFM? So it won’t work in a existing one?

No, you can apply it to an existing franchise.


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