Madden NFL 15 News Post

Madden NFL 15 Connected Franchise Details, Trailer and Screenshots

11:49 AM - August 6, 2014 by Hooe

EA Sports released a plethora fresh new details of connected franchise today, with big changes coming to the mode and how it will work this year. You can check out the full details here.

Here are some highlights:

Confidence is new this year, and replaces hot and cold streaks. Really high or really low confidence is going to affect player ratings, all players start at a neutral 50 confidence level.
Game prep will allow you to earn XP or increase player confidence from week to week, allowing you to practically choose whether you are a rah-rah coach or a down to business type of coach.
CPU teams have extensive logic that determines what they work on every week. Bad teams will focus mostly on developing their players, while contenders will focus on confidence first and then earn XP if confidence isn�t an issue.
Free agents now take much more than money into account when deciding to sign with you or not. Playing time, scheme, your coaching prestige and more will be factors.
Draft classes are now random.
Owner Mode is now much more challenging when it comes to making a profit, and teams with older stadiums in smaller markets may be better off building new stadiums or relocating altogether.
You can now sim to points in the season, with an option to actually sim 10 years into the future.
New screen to see how players progress/regress.
Relocations are tuned way down and can be turned off.
You can now fire your head coach during the season.
The simulation engine now includes things like consistency, confidence and development. In Madden 15, young players with great development traits will have slightly better �simmed� stats than normal. This allows great young players to progress quickly and become stars in the league.

What do you think of the additions to the mode this year?

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Game: Madden NFL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 42 - View All

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Member Comments

# 361 underdog13 @ 08/07/14 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel77733


	Was hoping that "schemes" would have been removed but sadly, I see that it's still in the game. Basically, im going to have the exact same problems that I had with Madden NFL 13. UGH. Any chance that there's an on/off option for schemes?

What? Schemes are cool.

# 362 CT Pitbull @ 08/07/14 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charter04


	Yes. It's either just like madden 25 or possibly easier to select all 32. It's still in though.

brother I pray that it is MUCH easier. It has to be, right? Offline it should be able to be done by hitting the LB button like it used to be. One button and done...PLEASE..lol

# 363 rkocjay @ 08/07/14 03:38 PM

stream at 5PM est

https://twitter.com/EAMaddenNFL/status/497464432092385280

# 364 Aggies7 @ 08/07/14 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkocjay


	stream at 5PM est https://twitter.com/EAMaddenNFL/stat...64432092385280

What is this stream in reference too?

# 365 Cowboy008 @ 08/07/14 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggies7


	What is this stream in reference too?

They will be showing CFM and answering questions.

# 366 Scrollbar @ 08/07/14 05:07 PM

can we disable relocation? god please let this be so.

# 367 ggsimmonds @ 08/07/14 07:30 PM

1. EA says that the ratings will be the same in game as they are listed in menu now. They both will reflect scheme.

Your other complaints are either not directly a result of schemes, or they are simply because you place too high a value on overall.

I personally love schemes. Not every player is rated the same by all teams.

# 368 huskerfan4life @ 08/07/14 08:01 PM

I was also wondering that s CFM yr to yr with madden 16 kind of like The Show is where don't have to restar our franchises every yr, I really hope that it is like this

# 369 ggsimmonds @ 08/07/14 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel77733


	Well, if number 1 is true, then the majority of my complaints from M13 should no longer exist. Complaints are based on schemes because I didnt have these problems in M12. The attributes are important but the game, the CPU goes by the overall rating...nothing else. That's why I do the same. I personally hate schemes. I agree with what you said about players being viewed and rated differently based on the team. That right there though was the problem...the game didnt do that when playing in-game. It was just a cosmetic gimmick yet didnt exist in-game. Anyway, if the overall ratings now match, hopefully, I'll actually be able to play Madden for more than just a few days.

Only issue with what you said is the bolded. It actually did matter in game as that was the basis for some of your complaints. Teams had guys with lower in game overalls further down their depth chart. This was because the depth chart was determined by schemes and not the base overall that was seen in game.
Overall rating in itself is just a pure cosmetic thing

# 370 jmurphy31 @ 08/07/14 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrollbar


	can we disable relocation? god please let this be so.

you could last year

# 371 shatah123 @ 08/07/14 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	Wow, the changes look good! I loved this part: CPU teams have extensive logic that determines what they work on every week. Bad teams will focus mostly on developing their players, while contenders will focus on confidence first and then earn XP if confidence isn�t an issue.

yeh I'm pretty impressed

# 372 ggsimmonds @ 08/07/14 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	Well, if scheme only effects overall and CPU depth charts and doesn't actually effect player production, then I agree with the other guy in that schemes are somewhat cosmetic. If your 65 overall running back who is out of scheme can produce as well as your 85 overall running back, then scheme is somewhat cosmetic. I would be able to pay that 65 RB a lot less and not lose production. For scheme to not be cosmetic, then scheme would have to effect individual ratings and not just overall or there should be more of a direct relationship between attributes and scheme. I like the idea of schemes in games, but I don't think it was implemented very well.

Overall has no effect in game; players will only perform according to their individual attributes. However overall may impact the simulation engine. I never tested this myself so I cannot say whether it does or does not.

Schemes primary purpose is to serve as a tool for AI roster management and to a lesser extent to help the user in making roster decisions. The best example is for DEs. A 88 3-4 DE is very different from a 88 4-3 DE.

Regarding the last sentence, I completely disagree with what you said if I am understanding you correctly.

" For scheme to not be cosmetic, then scheme would have to effect individual ratings and not just overall or there should be more of a direct relationship between attributes and scheme."

Why should scheme effect ratings? Makes no sense to say that because a RB is a one cut RB his agility should increase. The reverse is true, that is ratings affect scheme. The second part also leaves me confused as there is a direct relationship already. If you got a WR who is 6'5" with high jumping then he would make a good red zone threat and teams that want those types of WRs would view him higher than a team who wants a quick route running WR.

Finally when it comes to compensation, I am fairly certain that what you pay a player or what he asks for is determined by their baseline overall. If you have your WR player type set to red zone threat and attempt to sign DeSean Jackson he will still want DeSean Jackson money. You will not be able to lowball him.

Schemes are more than cosmetic because they dictate AI decisions.

# 373 DCEBB2001 @ 08/07/14 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba2011


	While I would love to see a combine, realistically you can't take much from it. Real NFL scouts/coaches call it the underwear Olympics for a reason. 40 yd dash was originally designed for gunners because the average punt was 40 yds. It doesn't tell you how fast a player will be in an actual game situation, it tell's you how fast he is in perfect conditions, running in a straight line while wearing underwear. While we have to spend points to determine speed, NFL teams have to spend ridiculous amount of times in the film room to determine just how fast or strong a recruit really is. They mainly use the combine for two reasons: one it's the first chance you have all the recruits practicing together and interacting with one another. Two it's the first chance many teams have to interview every player on their draft board.

I have a few issues with this post.

1. The phrase "Underwear Olympics" goes back to its use in media vernacular, not coaching/scouting vernacular. Brad Sham, the play-by-play commentator for the Cowboys Radio Broadcasts, was one of the original commentators to use it, circa 2008. Mike Florio made it even more popular with an article in 2010. I know several scouts that started their careers out as interns with NFLDS, and I have never ONCE heard any of them use that term to describe the combines/pro days. So your assumption that "scouts/coaches" refer to it in this way is erroneous.

2. While true that the 40 yard dash was used as a metric to calculate how fast a player would cover 40 yards, keep in mind that all players who run it are running it in similar conditions. The distance is the same and the timing method is the same. This allows scouts and coaches to decipher the differences between players utilizing their split times to determine their "ideal" rate of acceleration and maximum velocity.

3. Although it may not tell you how fast a player moves on the field while attempting football-specific movements, what it does tell you is the level of the prospect's overall POTENTIAL for raw acceleration and speed, knowing full well that this will likely never be fully reached. Other drills also utilize the same logic. It gives the scouts an opportunity to apply numeric data to a player in the effort of quantifying his traits. If his traits are "marginal", you may pass on the player because you will not think that he possesses the minimum physical attributes required for his position. Or, you may have to recommend that the player move to another position because of physical limitations relative to the competition in the NFL.

4. The film is used more to determine a player's technique. "Game Speed", a term which in itself is problematic, does not necessarily describe the raw velocity of a player while on the field of play during a match. Instead, it incorporates a multitude of attributes, that when combined and utilized during a play, contribute to the motion of each body relative to one another on the field of play. For a RB, for example, one may have inferior athletic abilities compared to his counterparts, but may possesses great ability to employ moves and vision at his maximum speed, albeit, to a lesser extent than that of a faster player. Meanwhile, the faster RB may have better raw ability, but his ability to react to defenders may be inhibited by his lack of ability to read his blocks and the closing defenders. In this way, speed and velocity are static, while "game speed" is a very dynamic attribute that employs several skills all at once.

5. The film is used to determine how well a prospect utilizes his physical attributes on the field, not to necessarily quantify his physical attributes. A player can have great physical attributes, like a 1 rep max of 780 in the squat and 500 in the bench, but if he does not employ it correctly with proper leverage, waist-bend, and footwork, he will not realize the potential of his overall strength. Think of these, for linemen in Madden, as the RBS, RBF, PBS, PBF attributes. They determine how well the player's strength and footwork are utilized while blocking, not how strong or how much of a "dancing bear" he is. The film tells you how well such raw physical traits are applied. This is the "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane" analogy.

6. You make it seem as though the combine is useless for quantifying the results of the tests. One thing you did not mention was how important the injury testing and physicals are for the teams. These are critical, even more so than the interviews according to many coaches and scouts. However, consider the fact that 30 of the 32 teams pay Pro Scouting/BLESTO in excess of $80,000 for the official results presented to the teams each year for all of the drill data. This data is released a full week after the combine's conclusion. The times you see on NFL Network and NFL.com are not the official times. Believe it or not, there are several instances during the combine where the timing mechanisms break. This is recorded each time it occurs for any player during a test, especially the 40. In fact, all players that run twice actually have 6 times; 3 from each run. Two are hand timed and one is electronically timed. All of the times are complied, reviewed, and altered should a break be found. Some teams use the average of all 6, some throw out the best and worst and average the rest, while others only use the best time. It all depends on your scouting department.

# 374 ggsimmonds @ 08/07/14 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	But if it doesn't effect played games, then what good is scheme to your team?

It helps you to make roster decisions. You set a scheme to fit your style of play, and scheme helps you identify players that fit your style of play.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	Scheme should somehow effect player production. Whether that's by internally adjusting ratings or by the players attributes having more of a direct effect on performance in a particular scheme. If my 65 rated RB outperforms my 85 rated RB, then what good is scheme? There should be some kind of correlation between scheme and production not just scheme and depth chart/salary.

I disagree. Why should scheme adjust player ratings? In theory it would affect production because players would fit your style of play and therefor perform better. But that is if you know what your scheme is and how to benefit from it. If you sign a bunch of cover 2 corners and they try to play man defense that is on you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	If I'm resigning my 65 rated RB to peanuts while he performs just as well in the game as my 85 rated RB, then scheme is not really working. Schemes have to effect more than just CPU AI rosters. If the 65 rated RB doesn't fit in the scheme, he should not be productive in the scheme. And yet my 65 rated D. Harris performed just as well as my 85 rated Lacy. I could dump Lacy, save a lot of salary, and use my out of scheme D. Harris.

That may not be a problem with scheme as much as it could be a problem with ratings in general. He may be rated a 65 ovr, but what is his speed? What is your team scheme and what RB type do you have set? What kind of plays do you call? If your RB type is set to power and you like to run outside zone stretch plays then the problem falls on you. And again, I am fairly certain that scheme does not affect player salary. It may cause a team to overpay someone, but a player will not take peanuts if his base overall is 85 but your scheme rates him as a 65. He only cares about scheme if it results in you overvaluing him.

# 375 ggsimmonds @ 08/07/14 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel77733


	I'm not going to continue arguing about schemes. I hate them and to me, schemes are the main cause for all the roster management AI problems. If the overall ratings in the menus match in-game and do so after signing free agents, then hopefully, I'll finally be able to play the game for more than a few days. If not, I trade it in, lose a few dollars and move on.

Last comment on the matter I promise.

The AI made very poor roster decisions well before schemes were introduced.

# 376 mmorg @ 08/07/14 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	I like the idea of scheme in the game. But it was implemented missing some significant depth to make it meaningful.

I think everyone can agree on this statement. The logic behind schemes is sound. The implementation is flawed.

# 377 ggsimmonds @ 08/08/14 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	That only means something if there is a penalty in performance if players don't fit your scheme. If my 65 rated, out of scheme, RB performs just as well as my 85 rated, in scheme RB, then what good is scheme? In theory it should effect production. But in practice, I found it didn't. My 65 rated RB was just as productive as my 85 rated RB.

There could be a penalty in performance depending on position and playcall. It affects some positions more and some less. RB is a position where scheme matters less and we all know the reason. If you have a fast RB he will be effective. The penalty in performance would come when you got something like a cover 2 corner and try to play man defense. This happened to me. I was in a online CFM and got stuck with the Vikings roughly two years ago. I use the Ravens. Believe me relying on Winfield in man coverage cost me. In general it affects defense more than offense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	My scheme is set to whatever GB's scheme is set to. D. Harris's overall goes down because he DOESN'T fit in the scheme. Yet he performs just as well as Lacy who's overall goes up because he DOES fit the scheme. I call the same plays for both RB's. Why should speed have anything to do with this and how is this my fault? It's a problem with how scheme is implemented.

No, it is a problem with how speed, acceleration, and agility are nearly the only things that matter for RBs. And forgive me but if you cannot even recall what scheme you used it does make me question exactly how much you payed attention. Aside from that, I already granted that for RBs it does not matter quite as much unless you call specific plays. What running plays did you call? But if you think a player should run slower, be less agile, etc simply because he is playing out of scheme then we have reached a fundamental disagreement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	Scheme effects overall, overall effects salary. If A effects B and B effects C then A effects C. It's simple math.

No it is not simple math, because there are different overalls. The scheme influenced overall is not the real overall, i.e. it is not the overall driving the engine. In this case the scheme overall is shown only for your benefit. But the under the hood mechanics that determine player salary is driven by the baseline overall that is displayed on the front end. Madden just released all the ratings, now if you start a CFM and change scheme that will result in overall changes, but the game still calculates salary based on the overall that was recently released.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	I like the idea of scheme in the game. But it was implemented missing some significant depth to make it meaningful.

I actually do disagree with this statement. The problem is not with scheme but with the player ratings and their impact on gameplay such as the aforementioned speed of RBs. And while schemes were introduced partly to improve AI roster management, there are still problems in the roster management code and I think that is separate from schemes. Tied to this is the small rating scale for important attributes. Take route running for example, the range for WRs s quite small. The majority of WRs have RTR in the mid 80s. So there is not much variation to make route running WRs a viable option.

# 378 ggsimmonds @ 08/08/14 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel77733


	Agreed but schemes made the roster management AI worse. Two and a half more weeks to go. Hopefully, I can play a few seasons with my 49ers.

Same here.And hey your team played my team tonight. Now usually I am not one to brag about preseason outcomes but...we stomped you guys!! j/k...kinda

# 379 evanreyes @ 08/08/14 01:29 AM

They should add old jerseys for when you move cities.
THEY NEED TO LET US CHANGE POSITIONS IN FRANCHISE. WHY IS THAT NOT ALLOWED? IT IS SO SIMPLE. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE FROM A 4-3 TO A 3-4 IN THE FIRST YEAR.

# 380 HozAndMoose @ 08/08/14 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Smif


	I have a bad feeling that they are trying to make MUT their main mode much like NBA 2K has made MyPlayer (or whatever its called now) their main mode. We will need to wait for the MUT reveal but from what Ive read, seems like they are putting more effort/resources towards MUT than CFM or any other mode.

They will make more money off of MUT than they will actually selling the games. Its a good business strategy.

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