Madden 12 - Computer Generated Draft Classes to Renew Franchise Mode

[cranks12]

--Draft Classes are no longer active--


For those who do not want to spend the time reading -

If you still play Madden 12, below is a link to 5000 generated Madden 12 draft classes to help revitalize what I consider to be the last good franchise mode in Madden.

You can use Xan’s editor to import these. Just be sure to hit “Fix Draft Class” before saving the file to address any player ID issues. Let me know in the comments about notable players that you find here.


For those more curious, read on -

I have been playing Madden since I was a kid. I have most the newer versions, but I always find myself coming back to Madden 12 whenever I want a decent franchise experience. However, I have played so many franchise modes that when it comes time to draft, I immediately can look at the draft class and know which of the 30 default classes I have and what players are the ones to go after. This eventually got stale and I wanted to see if I could breathe some life into my franchises by generating draft classes.

With these draft classes, I wanted to achieve these things:
1 - Classes that just -work-, with minimal adjustment needed
2 - Classes that maintain the overall balance of M12
3 - Players that have a bit more variability
4 - The chance for truly Legendary players (think 98 speed, 99 throw power QBs)

So to do this I went ahead and stripped every single potential draftee from all 30 draft classes into an excel spreadsheet. All 7700+ of them, with their physical models and attributes ready to be analyzed.

I then separated them into position groups and ran a statistical analysis on the distribution of their skills. This way, I could pseudo-randomly generate skill attribute points and potentials which aligned with players that were actually found within the class. I linked some skills together, such that it was more likely a fast player would also have high agility.

This then leaves a pool of 7700 player models with newly generated attributes, from which I randomly selected a pre-set number of players from each position and generated a .csv file which can be imported into a franchise save via Xan’s editor. The generated players utilize the physical models already in the game so skins, portraits, and proportions should all be ok.

What to expect?

I have played through a franchise with these, and OVERALL the game plays the same. However, be prepared for a few changes.

First - the generator is capable of producing some very elite players, far beyond what could be found in stock draft classes. While these players are rare, expect to find one every 10-20 draft classes which starts off as a 90+. About every 100 draft classes, there will be a player who starts off 99 overall. A literal once-in-a-lifetime player.

Second - these draft classes are intentionally not balanced. While the average class will feel balanced, any given class could contain four great QBs, or zero. You could have a run of a decade without a superstar HB entering the league, or the draft could pop out three in one year.

Third - Draft positions have changed a bit. Players with higher overalls are more likely to go higher in the draft, with certain positions receiving a bump (QB in particular) and others receiving a downgrade in draft position (fullback, kickers).

How to use!

After pre-season in any given year, save your game and do the following:

1 - Download any one (or all) of the 5000 draft classes using the link below.
2 - Download Xan’s editor.
3 - Open up your save file via Xan’s editor.
4 - Import draft class and select which draft class you want to use (I suggest picking first year at random, and follow the drafts in order after that).
5 - Be sure to “Fix Draft” in Xan’s editor to account for player ID issues.
6 - Save your franchise file and continue to play as normal.
7 - Post any ridiculous players you find in the comments below, along with the draft class they belong to!

Known Bugs

• The generator produces the occasional FB who is 100+ overall. I plan on tweaking at some point, but it doesn’t impact gameplay.
• Player Birthdays will be wrong relative to your current year. Doesnt not impact the game.
• Thats it. Please let me know of any issues you find.

[cranks12]

**Reserved for Discovered Players

[frankinho]

just started a franchise on M12 so gonna try this out

[rkocjay]

just for 360?

[cranks12]

Quote: Originally Posted by frankinho

just started a franchise on M12 so gonna try this out

How did these end up working for your new franchise??

[cranks12]

Quote: Originally Posted by rkocjay

just for 360?

I am using them on a ps3 emulator, so they should work for both.

[Zoober23]

Are the download links gone?

[Zoober23]

Quote: Originally Posted by frankinho

just started a franchise on M12 so gonna try this out

Do you happen to have this spreadsheet downloaded still?