(07-12-2024, 10:37 AM)cland Wrote:

(07-11-2024, 04:37 PM)Caldrac Wrote: Usually a lot of these ratings will fluctuate and change throughout the season. If Lawrence gets off to an MVP like start the first two months and the team is undefeated? They'll patch him up to an 85+ quickly.

I haven't bought any Madden games since 2017 to be honest with you. The game is still flat, the franchise mode has rarely been touched or modified, the scouting and draft aspect of the game is still bland.

I just don't care for it anymore. I know 2K was coming back, however, it's at the mercy of the NFLPA rights being in the hands of EA exclusively, so, they're only able to create a game that is more arcade and simulation based instead of Franchise mode enabled, etc.

I think the last great Madden I ever played was Madden 2003 and Madden 2004. That was peak EA in my opinion. After that? Madden 16 and Madden 25th Anniversary were pretty good.

The last time I played Madden was 2013, and I only play the game for the franchise mode.  The great thing about 2013 is that there was a spreadsheet you could dig around and find that had all of the draftable players "development" grade (hehe, I just found a link to it in my browser favorites bar).  This was by far the most important rookie "stat" in the game, it was essentially a "Tom Brady finder" for all positions.

Basically you intentionally tank for 2-3 years by selling off your best players for draft picks, while creating a roster chock-full of potential All-Pros.  Once you start playing, your draftees players increase in rank by 10-15 each year.  By year 6 you have a full roster of high 90 players.  Win multiple Superbowls, then trade your older (29 and up) highest graded players for multiple draft picks to replenish your roster.

Is it cheating? Yes.  Is it fun? Yes.  I used to create teams that only ran, or only passed for the entire season.

You should go back and play NFL Head Coach '09.  It's what you describe but with a lot more detail and offseason events.  You are the head coach but you also have real life position coaches and GMs that are skilled in different areas and you can fire them and hire new ones each offseason if it's not working out.  Ultimately, you're trying to unearth what a guy's true potential rating is during scouting and draft season by having a GM capable of evaluating some or all position groups well.  You are able to achieve full knowledge of a guy's potential if your GM is capable and if you spend enough time scouting him by picking which schools' pro days you're going to attend and by bringing in certain guys for visits.  You also go through free agency and bid on guys against other teams.  You don't have to structure the contract in detail, you just have a timer and teams drop out of negotiations as the price rises until the player is signed.  I was addicted to this game for a long time.  You also achieve points over the years that you can use to level up different skills for coaches and the GM for evaluation of players and specific position groups or play calling etc.  

The game had its flaws when it came to actual on the field game play, but it was a great game that a lot of people apparently missed out on.  You only call plays and substitutions and can throw the challenge flag in game for instance, you don't control any players.  You can design new plays as well if you want or just pick an existing playbook on a particular offensive or defensive philosophy and just go.  A lot of times I would fast sim the games to get to the next offseason which was my favorite part.  You have to be careful about tanking too badly though, because you can be fired and then in the subsequent offseason there might be a short list of teams interested in hiring you.  

They did away with the Head Coach series after '09 and that's what franchise mode became in Madden moving forward which I've never played (I played the early Madden games in the 90's when I was a kid), but heard it was a really watered down version.  Anyway, HIGHLY recommend for those who are big into the NFL offseason and draft.  I sold my copy with my old Xbox years ago, but wish I hadn't.  I wish it was available on PC.

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