Kotaku's Owen Good has posted what Madden NFL 13 Connected Careers gives and takes away. He also spoke with Josh Looman on something they might add to the game.
Quote:
Looman, when I revisited this subject with him in L.A., told me that the development team was still on the fence about one meta-game feature in Connected Careers, which I pleaded with him to keep. In an early build, he told me that creative director Mike Young created himself as a 37-year-old journeyman quarterback, rated in the high-70s but with declining attributes. At that age, the XP spend to improve or maintain skills is also more expensive, creating a considerable challenge even at Pro difficulty. But Young gutted it out and was named Super Bowl MVP, in a great story of a veteran plucked from the scrap pile to win it all.
If they said they were going to do everything they could to get editing players, importing classes, multiple team control, and couch co-op into CC for Madden 14 I'd be much happier with the direction they're taking.
As far as I know none of this has been said and my biggest concern going forward is that we will be without these features for more than just one year. I wouldn't be surprised if all of these features (except editing) are still absent from CC in Madden 14.
Pretty much, I think people are more concerned with the direction Madden is potentially going. Yes they say they didn't have time but I believe that was just a cop out, editing and multi user control wasn't a priority. It isn't ironic that the features that aren't included does nothing for online play, its a matter of them choosing whats important for us instead of asking and IMO it had nothing to do with not having time to put it in, it never was in their mind in the 2 years developing CCM.
If they come out with an official statement (not from twitter) saying they are doing everything they can to include it in the future, then I think people will be happy.
Pretty much, I think people are more concerned with the direction Madden is potentially going. Yes they say they didn't have time but I believe that was just a cop out, editing and multi user control wasn't a priority. It isn't ironic that the features that aren't included does nothing for online play, its a matter of them choosing whats important for us instead of asking and IMO it had nothing to do with not having time to put it in, it never was in their mind in the 2 years developing CCM.
If they come out with an official statement (not from twitter) saying they are doing everything they can to include it in the future, then I think people will be happy.
You really think people would be happy then? Looman has already commented on multiple places that they ran out of time to include everything and will be getting to those other features as soon as possible. I am wondering if they are going to patch these other things in because his answers on Twitter are different for certain features. When asked about two different players controlling two different superstar players on one team, and a couple other features like fantasy, he says "not this year". But when it comes to editing stuff, and some other smaller stuff, he says "we're working on it" and "some point in the future".
Also, I don't know why people are so shocked that EA is catering to the online experience in M13. In the last few Madden releases the online user has pretty much been ignored when it comes to quality features and modes. All we got was a pretty bare bones and broken online franchise mode. Now for a change it seems we are the focus and that is awesome.
Furthermore people should understand that the features they want in CC and are complaining about, are things that will cause balance issues in the mode so it's no surprise at all that they didn't have time to include them in a working and balanced manner for release day.
You really think people would be happy then? Looman has already commented on multiple places that they ran out of time to include everything and will be getting to those other features as soon as possible. I am wondering if they are going to patch these other things in because his answers on Twitter are different for certain features. When asked about two different players controlling two different superstar players on one team, and a couple other features like fantasy, he says "not this year". But when it comes to editing stuff, and some other smaller stuff, he says "we're working on it" and "some point in the future".
Also, I don't know why people are so shocked that EA is catering to the online experience in M13. In the last few Madden releases the online user has pretty much been ignored when it comes to quality features and modes. All we got was a pretty bare bones and broken online franchise mode. Now for a change it seems we are the focus and that is awesome.
Furthermore people should understand that the features they want in CC and are complaining about, are things that will cause balance issues in the mode so it's no surprise at all that they didn't have time to include them in a working and balanced manner for release day.
"Warning, turning on the full customization may cause the following:
draft class issue...blah....blah
Cpu trade logic..blah...blah
Storylines...
Twitter feed....
xp...
achievements/trophies
By clicking yes you will be dumped into a bare bones franchise mode without fail safes in place for those features, Cpu trade logic will revert to custom mode, while story lines and twitter feed, xp, achievements/trophies will be turned off.
Contniue?"
Yes No
Provide the player with a separate custom offline cc save and you have a suitable satisfied situation for this complaint.
The one other crucial thing it would provide is answers as to why the features didn't work in the first place. Are we at least worth the answers if not the features.
You really think people would be happy then? Looman has already commented on multiple places that they ran out of time to include everything and will be getting to those other features as soon as possible. I am wondering if they are going to patch these other things in because his answers on Twitter are different for certain features. When asked about two different players controlling two different superstar players on one team, and a couple other features like fantasy, he says "not this year". But when it comes to editing stuff, and some other smaller stuff, he says "we're working on it" and "some point in the future".
Also, I don't know why people are so shocked that EA is catering to the online experience in M13. In the last few Madden releases the online user has pretty much been ignored when it comes to quality features and modes. All we got was a pretty bare bones and broken online franchise mode. Now for a change it seems we are the focus and that is awesome.
Furthermore people should understand that the features they want in CC and are complaining about, are things that will cause balance issues in the mode so it's no surprise at all that they didn't have time to include them in a working and balanced manner for release day.
Yea I believe they would if like I said came out and made an official announcement.
Seem to me and its evident in your post that they are giving people the run around.
I don't care what those guys say on a message boards or an twitter account, as a business I am asking them to make it official, I'm not taking there word...
And for the record, this isn't about online vs offline...
And prior to last year, franchise mode was ignored as well, it just happen to be better than a bare bone new feature which was online franchise because it was an old feature.
If they'd build the mode with offline multi user(don't see how that screw online up in balance) and editing in mind, we wouldnt be having this discussion. That is the issue here.
It's hard to believe its not as simple as making editing an option for the commish..
You really think people would be happy then? Looman has already commented on multiple places that they ran out of time to include everything and will be getting to those other features as soon as possible. I am wondering if they are going to patch these other things in because his answers on Twitter are different for certain features. When asked about two different players controlling two different superstar players on one team, and a couple other features like fantasy, he says "not this year". But when it comes to editing stuff, and some other smaller stuff, he says "we're working on it" and "some point in the future".
Also, I don't know why people are so shocked that EA is catering to the online experience in M13. In the last few Madden releases the online user has pretty much been ignored when it comes to quality features and modes. All we got was a pretty bare bones and broken online franchise mode. Now for a change it seems we are the focus and that is awesome.
Furthermore people should understand that the features they want in CC and are complaining about, are things that will cause balance issues in the mode so it's no surprise at all that they didn't have time to include them in a working and balanced manner for release day.
I think I for one would appreciate and relent if some sort of timescale was mentioned in regards to possibility of patches , M14 or the more distant future and which features pose the most difficulty and why maybe rather than vague comments via twitter and so forth.
As for being the 'year of online' in all honesty maybe it is due but the only absent feature that would disrupt ' competitive balance' is editing where simply making it available to only the first user( league creator/commissioner) would be a fairly obvious solution.
Btw I keep hearing of misuse of editing ruining online leagues and can't help but wonder, if I was in a league where anybody used such obvious 'cheesing' one of us wouldn't be in that league long.
You wonder what would make consumers happy? How about NOT continually removing significant features?
I'm not buying the game this year because I spend most of my time editing. But isn't it time to let this go and just accept that's the way it is this year? You and a few others are going around in circles at this point.
I'm not buying the game this year because I spend most of my time editing. But isn't it time to let this go and just accept that's the way it is this year? You and a few others are going around in circles at this point.
This! I'm tired of seeing the same arguments in every thread by the same people.
Btw I keep hearing of misuse of editing ruining online leagues and can't help but wonder, if I was in a league where anybody used such obvious 'cheesing' one of us wouldn't be in that league long.
I don't think it would be that easy to catch if it were a fairly bright person doing it. If progression is set to every four weeks, progress your players, add an extra couple of points here and there, and go about your business.
Not having played the mode yet I'm only left to speculate, but I'd be surprised if we got any notification of other teams' players hitting goals plus with the scheme and development and coach stuff, it would be hard to get a handle on how much xp someone had.
EA Tiburon would be foolish to make any official statement that includes a timetable about the return of the various missing franchise features. As mad as people are now, it pales in comparison to how people simply lose their minds when EA or any developer doesn't "keep their word"
They should just put the stuff back when they can, without any hype or fanfare, and when asked if X, Y, and Z is back just say "Yes, we able to return this functionality back to the game" no self congratulatory statements, no condescending nods to the customers, just get it back in and move on.
One of my beefs is, that's the response EVERY year.
Which is why I stopped playing Madden and started playing FIFA. You can count on FIFA to be good to great every year. Yet another year of wait-and-see with Madden is no surprise to me, that's why I can just let it go... again.
Not necessarily you personally but this post seems to contradict what some others are saying. You have posters claiming that it is all about this one year for them and what has been left out but they have been content in the past. So in spite of the other 8 years, if they could just get back everything they had last year in offline Franchise, the game play upgrades from M13 but nothing that came with CCM, then all would be well with them.
That seems like the easiest solution. If customization screws with cc so much simply enhance 12's gameplay to offline franchise. Separate mode maybe. No one knows how easy or hard it would be. People with the customization issue would be left without an argument though. Make an announcement regarding the features and you will definitely increase early attachment to the title or lose them if they won't make it in. I'll gladly put in a pre order and trust the direction if they simply don't ignore this area.
Agreed but at least CCM is a better blueprint for achieving a great mode for everyone, opposed to 3 separate modes, each requiring their own allocation of resources. I don't see CCM as "more of the same" at this point but a potential sea change for more options and features for everyone, going forward.
That said, if next year, that doesn't hold true, we all should be united behind OUR mode not improving, no matter how we choose to play it.
Thats a big step forward overall and long overdue. I'll be interested to see how EA decides to handle full editing and custom playbooks in the future. I really hope that EA will put all the features they took out back in and keep adding new features that could be turned on and off so that whether you're playing online or offline you can have choices in how you want to play.
There's been so much made of how things can be abused online that I hope EA uses some intelligent thought processes to work through the challenge of policing online without it affecting how offline can be played.
Please note that this isn't about offline vs online, its just thoughts on how anyone can enjoy both modes at different times if they chose and carry over the same experience.
And who really cares if they do? If it's an offline franchise that's just his, why do you give a rats behind if that's what he/she does? Really, SO WHAT?
Josh Looman cares because, as he said in the videos, he wants connected careers to be a grind it out thing that the gamer doesn't cheat. That makes it more fun. But then again it is their game that they bought, they should be able to do what they want, whether it be challenging and fun or easy
I totally understand the need to combine all modes, for faster development purposes. I also understand that the vastness of that project does not leave time to implement everything in the first year. If those are the only reasons that some functionality was left out, and they bring that functionality back next year, then I'll be back next year. If not, I'll be playing Madden '12 in '14, too.