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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Member Comments

# 81 trey2k198003 @ 08/06/14 01:53 PM

FINALLYYYYYYYY THANK YOU PREORDERED!!!!!

# 82 Hooe @ 08/06/14 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeffy


	It looks like the CPU logic is still pretty bad in FA. Why would the Ravens, typically a team to build through good drafts (Ozzie Newsome), pursue such a back in FA when they have Ray Rice locked up and rookies behind him developing? Not to mention why the Cowboys let Murray walk, though I suspect that it has something to do with their ability to screw up their cap situation every year.

1 - how can you interpret the quality of the CPU free agency logic from a screenshot without any other context available? For all we know, the Ravens could be controlled by a different user from a different console in this screen. In which case there's no CPU logic involved whatsoever.

2 - From the ratings reveal, Ray Rice is rated an 82 in Madden 15, whereas DeMarco Murray is an 89. Not even factoring in scheme settings here, which could change how the CPU values either player (if in fact the CPU is even making the roster decisions, again it could be a user). It's within the realm of possibility that the hypothetical CPU decided to upgrade at RB by bringing in Murray, a younger and (in the game) better player.

3 - With how fungible the RB position is in the NFL, I wouldn't be but so surprised if the Cowboys let Murray walk. Speaking as a Cowboys fan. And again, if the Cowboys are controlled by a user here, that user could have let Murray walk.

# 83 bad_philanthropy @ 08/06/14 01:59 PM

The Ravens did sign a 35 year old Steve Smith.

# 84 RogueHominid @ 08/06/14 02:00 PM

Man, I didn't expect to be this pleased by the CFM announcements.

A refrain that I'm hearing across the various interviews, streams, blogs, etc., is "we listened to our hardcore fans." I really like that.

More customization would be nice, but I think there's enough here to warrant a day-one purchase.

In addition to the content, I'm also feeling the menu screens we've seen so far. The UI looks very clean and crisp.

Can't wait for the 26th!

# 85 Aggies7 @ 08/06/14 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmorg


	It says right below it that the money sign means highest bidder.

Good eye. I completely missed that. Excited about it either way.

# 86 NY4Life @ 08/06/14 02:00 PM

I know that it all has to work well (In addition to play well), but to me, these changes are enough to get excited. The key for me is enough content to keep me busy between games. Glad I Pre-ordered my Madden/Xbox1 bundle. Cannot wait for the 26th.

# 87 Sheba2011 @ 08/06/14 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmurphy31


	I like this addition ,but I wish you had the ability to toggle the amount of time. 10 is pretty far away.

You could always just keep hitting "sim to the next season" for as many seasons as you want.

# 88 sticks323 @ 08/06/14 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsSB2015


	For user controlled teams, are we going to be forced to game prep/practice? If so, I'm down for for that. I'd rather skip it.

You can skip it and it uses the CPU logic and automatically updates your players

# 89 slingblade73 @ 08/06/14 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EASPORTS_AJ


	You'll notice from this screen, that FA's take more into account than just money. They also take into consideration: Coach Ability Scheme Fit Team Need Contract Length Salary Amount Signing Bonus Location

The only thing missing from this screen is player type.

# 90 Sheba2011 @ 08/06/14 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeffy


	It looks like the CPU logic is still pretty bad in FA. Why would the Ravens, typically a team to build through good drafts (Ozzie Newsome), pursue such a back in FA when they have Ray Rice locked up and rookies behind him developing? Not to mention why the Cowboys let Murray walk, though I suspect that it has something to do with their ability to screw up their cap situation every year. I really hope that this is not the case, and especially in the draft. It bothered me so much that teams like the Colts, Saints, etc. would draft amazing QBs every year seemingly, only to have them sit on the bench behind their durable star and never do anything. Then they'd get to be like 4 year pros and cut, still at like 76 OVR, pretty much where they started at. If a team has an older QB like the Pats, Saints, Broncos; fine, let them draft a QB. But not every frickin' year, let them pick a successor and move on. If they picked a bad one, maybe they try again, but not year-after-year. The Patriots went with Ryan Mallett and now Jimmy Garapollo (sp?). They didn't take one every year high in the draft.

We don't know what year they are in or what happened during the season so we really can't judge the CPU logic based on one screen shot. Rice could have had a horrible year, he could have been traded or they could have a new coach who likes to use multiple RB's. Look at San Diego they had Ryan Matthews and Danny Woodhead but they still brought in Donald Brown, drafted Marion Grice and signed Brandon Oliver as a UDFA.

# 91 sir psycho @ 08/06/14 02:12 PM

I'm way more excited than I thought I would be...so happy they brought back random draft classes.

# 92 Sheba2011 @ 08/06/14 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakeness23


	They should try to make relocation jerseys fully customizable next year. Along with being able to create an expansion and new jerseys for current NFL teams.

They may one day allow you to customize your own jersey for your relocation team (like in the past) but they will probably never allow you to customize real NFL team jerseys. The NFL and it's sponsors won't allow it due to licensing reasons.

# 93 DeuceDouglas @ 08/06/14 02:14 PM

I liked a lot of what I read and saw but that interface has to go. Unless things have been changed I imagine it to still be extremely slow and clunky. And looking at the Free Agency screenshot they have all that stuff and space on the screen but no attributes. My guess is that you have to click through every guy like you're making an offer to him just to see his attributes which is completely ridiculous. Hopefully I'm wrong on that. The older Maddens had such quick and simple UI's that were easy to navigate which I'd like to see them go back to.

Outside of that I liked seeing the coaches in there but the fact that they weren't mentioned at all leads me to believe they're simply cosmetic and not fireable or hireable and have zero affect on anything in-game.

Another thing just off the top of my head, I'd like to see players who just join your team have their confidence be at 0 from the start. If you trade for a guy or pick up a free agent put his confidence at 0 to start and make him build it up. This way you can't just pick up anybody off the street and plug them in on the Saturday before the game and have them perform like they've been there the whole time.

Still would like to see more though. 90 man rosters need to happen. Practice squads. I thought the way they talked about IR was stupid. You can just take one guy off IR a year if they heal quickly? Why not just represent the real NFL IR that goes 8 weeks into the season before you make your decision on whether they go onto the full IR? Or add the PUP? And they didn't say anything about IR guys not counting towards your roster which has been a problem again and makes the IR completely useless.

# 94 VinnyVegas28 @ 08/06/14 02:14 PM

Quick question regarding the Pro Bowl, will it be playable?

# 95 DeuceDouglas @ 08/06/14 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba2011


	They may one day allow you to customize your own jersey for your relocation team (like in the past) but they will probably never allow you to customize real NFL team jerseys. The NFL and it's sponsors won't allow it due to licensing reasons.

They never will. Even back in Madden 2004 when they were more lenient and let you make custom uniforms the colors were off and you couldn't put logos anywhere on the uniform.

# 96 Sheba2011 @ 08/06/14 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeuceDouglas


	Another thing just off the top of my head, I'd like to see players who just join your team have their confidence be at 0 from the start. If you trade for a guy or pick up a free agent put his confidence at 0 to start and make him build it up. This way you can't just pick up anybody off the street and plug them in on the Saturday before the game and have them perform like they've been there the whole time.

A player who is just signed of the street his confidence is going to neutral to start. He wasn't on your team for any of the positive or negative stuff, all he knows is he has a new team and a new shot at playing football. Having 0 confidence means he is at a disadvantage to start the year even though he didn't really do anything to warrant that. A player who is traded is a different story as he could be happy or mad that he was traded. If he was traded from say Seattle to Jax I would think that would be a negative confidence going from a contender to a rebuild.

# 97 yardz23 @ 08/06/14 02:21 PM

Anyone have the YouTube link to the trailer? It won't load on my tablet...

# 98 DeuceDouglas @ 08/06/14 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba2011


	A player who is just signed of the street his confidence is going to neutral to start. He wasn't on your team for any of the positive or negative stuff, all he knows is he has a new team and a new shot at playing football. Having 0 confidence means he is at a disadvantage to start the year even though he didn't really do anything to warrant that. A player who is traded is a different story as he could be happy or mad that he was traded. If he was traded from say Seattle to Jax I would think that would be a negative confidence going from a contender to a rebuild.

I'm just talking about guys acquired during the season. Any guys acquired in the off-season should be fine. I'm just talking about going out and signing a QB (or any player) off the street prior to your week whatever game. If you just go and sign guys during the season there should be some sort of penalty that comes along with it so you can't just plug guys in immediately off the street and immediately get their full potential.

# 99 charter04 @ 08/06/14 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeuceDouglas


	I liked a lot of what I read and saw but that interface has to go. Unless things have been changed I imagine it to still be extremely slow and clunky. And looking at the Free Agency screenshot they have all that stuff and space on the screen but no attributes. My guess is that you have to click through every guy like you're making an offer to him just to see his attributes which is completely ridiculous. Hopefully I'm wrong on that. The older Maddens had such quick and simple UI's that were easy to navigate which I'd like to see them go back to. Outside of that I liked seeing the coaches in there but the fact that they weren't mentioned at all leads me to believe they're simply cosmetic and not fireable or hireable and have zero affect on anything in-game. Another thing just off the top of my head, I'd like to see players who just join your team have their confidence be at 0 from the start. If you trade for a guy or pick up a free agent put his confidence at 0 to start and make him build it up. This way you can't just pick up anybody off the street and plug them in on the Saturday before the game and have them perform like they've been there the whole time. Still would like to see more though. 90 man rosters need to happen. Practice squads. I thought the way they talked about IR was stupid. You can just take one guy off IR a year if they heal quickly? Why not just represent the real NFL IR that goes 8 weeks into the season before you make your decision on whether they go onto the full IR? Or add the PUP? And they didn't say anything about IR guys not counting towards your roster which has been a problem again and makes the IR completely useless.

IR already worked as far as having a roster spot open in online CFM. I thought it didn't but, I put a couple of guys on IR in the online CFM and I was able to sign a guy. I always had 53 players so it wasn't that I had 52.

I'm not sure about offline CFM

# 100 RogueHominid @ 08/06/14 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeuceDouglas


	Another thing just off the top of my head, I'd like to see players who just join your team have their confidence be at 0 from the start. If you trade for a guy or pick up a free agent put his confidence at 0 to start and make him build it up. This way you can't just pick up anybody off the street and plug them in on the Saturday before the game and have them perform like they've been there the whole time.

I see your point, but I think having a hit to confidence for players who get traded is a really good starting point, as it seems to reward roster stability. That will be especially important for online leagues, where trades can go crazy.

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