Does "Coach mode" warrant new features to be integrated into Madden?

[TheButter]

There's a bunch of GM/coach mode players for Madden, at what point does EA integrate"coach mode" type features?

When NFL Head Coach 09 dropped all the coach mode players were happy with it, it's regarded as an all time classic alongside (but slightly below) 2k5 and NCAA 14.

It sold poorly initially, only 60,000ish per each console for the first week, but I have no doubt that if EA were to make another one in 2022 it was sell just fine.

Some people are coach mode players by choice, they simply love to orchestrate a winning team from the front office and on the sidelines. The number of these people grows daily since the text based sim series Front Office Football has died.

Others were forced into coach mode, and began to love it. Playing Madden and getting cheated into losses can lead people to evade the gameplay aspect and get their football itch in a mode that disregards BS.

There is no option on the market for coach mode other than Madden.

Coach mode players have been around since the beginning of football gaming, and will be around until the end of it. Many people didn't buy NFL Head Coach 09 because they had already bought Madden and they weren't gonna buy another separate game for a mode that many believe should have been integrated into Madden to begin with.

Let's be practical here. EA isn't gonna go above and beyond to appease this crowd, but here's some simple features that could be added to the "coach mode" toggle:

1. Playbook knowledge: (09)

This ads another dynamic to building a dynasty. As a new coach you have the choice to either use the teams playbook from their past coach or install your own at the expense of a hindered season because everyone doesn't know the playbook. If the players don't know the play, they will miss blocking assignments, WRs will run the wrong route, and QBs will get flustered.

2. Player learning attribute: (09)

Adds an incentive to draft players that can easily be plugged into your system. Some players will never fully understand the playbook because of a low learning attribute, but have lightning quick speed. Are they worth paying a huge amount of money towards?

3. Dynasty progress: (06 and 09)

The best thing about 09 was that going to play Bill Belichick and Tom Brady actually felt like a huge challenge. They would routinely mopped the floor with your team until you had leveled up your staff. There was a dynamic that built success based on how long a coach had been with a team.

4. Play creator: (06 and 09)

This would be a huge feature. Both 06 and 09 had play creators, but with the modern day playbooks with built into scheme AI, RPO's, (and soon to be designed, down the field laterals in my opinion) a option to create your own plays would be amazing. (HC09 had a "steal plays" option, CPU teams would steal your created plays and run them against you. Amazing experience.)

5. Player personalities: (06 and 09)

Remember the old franchise mode in Madden where a player wouldn't sign with a bad team because they had a low reputation? We want that, alongside the traits that HC09 had. Superstars were extremely good on the field, but cause distractions toward the media. At they work the hassle?

6. Coaching commands: (06)

If your developing your newly drafted franchise QB and he throws a INT on a screen play you can talk to him on the sidelines. Giving either strategic orders or positive/aggressive motivation to cater to his development.

Some examples for strategy:

"Focus on the short routes"
"Scramble in you need too"
"Focus on a specific player"

These would be for either a play, a drive, or the entire game.

Some examples for motivation:

*QB throws a INT*
"You keep playing like that you'll be riding the bench!"
*QB responds negatively, throws 5 straight incomplete passes*
You've learned how to adequately coach your QB, with positive encouragement instead of aggressive motivation.

7. Approval rating: (09)

Most of the coach mode guys enjoy a challenge, so having to balance a constant scale of your coaches approval makes for a great feature. If you're approval gets too low you'll be fired.

These factors effect the scale:

Media approval
Staff approval
Owner approval
Players approval
Fan approval

8. Giving authority away to sign a big staff member: (09)

So you want to sign the SB champ, Andy Reid protegee OC Eric Benimey? Well if you offered him full control of your offensive playbook, play calling, the type of players at each position group, or cut a player he doesn't like his interest in your team would increase.

9. Wear and tear injury system: (09)

I honestly can't believe they got rid of this, it's the perfect injury system. If you draft a player who had torn his ACL in college his knee health would be around 80% as a ceiling for his career creating a injury factor into management. The players would be tender to areas they had previously injured.

10. Staff meetings (06) and game film (neither):

Each Monday and Friday you meet with your staff to discuss playcalling tendencies, key players, the progress of rookies, etc to prepare for the upcoming gameday.

06 nearly had game film but it didn't make the cut. Seeing on field attribute display adds an entirely new dynamic to player scouting. You'd be able to watch the highlights of the previous game your upcoming opponent had played, and get to scout the college draft class on field as well as with the simple text based scouting system.

[Madden08PCgmr]

Head Coach 09 is the most in-depth franchise mode EA has made.

Too bad we can't just get a graphic mod.

[TheButter]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

Head Coach 09 is the most in-depth franchise mode EA has made. Too bad we can't just get a graphic mod.

Its losing it's replayability now that the NFL has been increasingly using RPO's, and more advanced play calling. I think NFL Head Coach 09 is probably near it's death due to old age, we need some of it's best assets in Madden at this point.

Suprisingly, EA has recently used things from it. Madden 19 had all the camera angles that HC09 had, the on field AI improvements, in season scouting, etc.

[Art01]

Hello All,

I have been away from Madden and NCAA 14 Football and this forum for several years. I notice with interest that EA is planning a 2023 return of NCAA Football. I will follow that development.

I still own an original XBOX, an XBOX 360 and an XBOX One. My latest version of Madden is Madden 19 for XBOX One.

I am still only interested in Coach Mode play style. My questions are:

1. Is Coach Mode Play available in Madden 22? If so, is it fully Coach Mode (ie no control of player movements other than snapping the ball needed)

2. If CM is not in Madden 22, what about Madden 21?

3. Can I update Rosters in Madden 19 to represent the NFL 2021 season?

4. Anything else I should consider?

Thanks for all suggestions and comments.

Lastly, as always from me: ROLL TIDE!

Best regards to everyone

Art

[TheButter]

Quote: Originally Posted by Art01

Hello All, I have been away from Madden and NCAA 14 Football and this forum for several years. I notice with interest that EA is planning a 2023 return of NCAA Football. I will follow that development. I still own an original XBOX, an XBOX 360 and an XBOX One. My latest version of Madden is Madden 19 for XBOX One. I am still only interested in Coach Mode play style. My questions are: 1. Is Coach Mode Play available in Madden 22? If so, is it fully Coach Mode (ie no control of player movements other than snapping the ball needed) 2. If CM is not in Madden 22, what about Madden 21? 3. Can I update Rosters in Madden 19 to represent the NFL 2021 season? 4. Anything else I should consider? Thanks for all suggestions and comments. Lastly, as always from me: ROLL TIDE! Best regards to everyone Art

Yes to all the questions. I also have Madden 19 coach mode, but I feel the franchise mode is so dry it's hard to enjoy the game. Any tips?

[tommycoa]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheButter

Yes to all the questions. I also have Madden 19 coach mode, but I feel the franchise mode is so dry it's hard to enjoy the game. Any tips?

,
Art,

Long time buddy. You and I did some work on NCAA14 years ago. Good hearing from you.

Don’t bother with coach mode on madden. They never got it right. You have to cpu vs cpu.

[NoleFan]

I think this is where I differ from most coach mode players. NFL Head Coach was just too much for me. I don't care to manage practice and all that stuff. I just want to build the team then not have to control them in-game. To that end, for me, they need to make it a real thing where QBs don't just drop back and take sacks but move around in the pocket up to and including scrambling and NOLEFAN will be happy....though I've recently been REALLY enjoying slow supersim gameplay style.

[TheButter]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoleFan

I think this is where I differ from most coach mode players. NFL Head Coach was just too much for me. I don't care to manage practice and all that stuff. I just want to build the team then not have to control them in-game. To that end, for me, they need to make it a real thing where QBs don't just drop back and take sacks but move around in the pocket up to and including scrambling and NOLEFAN will be happy....though I've recently been REALLY enjoying slow supersim gameplay style.

I agree that the practices in HC06 were too tedious. Maybe just 1-3 team practices or text based ones. This thread was mostly about the HC09 features though since nobody really like the 06 version other than myself and a few others.