thoughts from a 30-something madden player

FM is a great game and it has come a long way since I first played it 4 years ago.

However, since the 90s, I've played some incarnation of Madden. I left for the 2K series but now it is the only deep game of football that exists (hard to say that with a straight face). But the move to the PS3/XBOX360 realm has really not impressed me. Numerous glitches, statistical errors, and very few customization options make it harder and harder to deal with each iteration.

The bottom line is that I'm on the fence. I really want to come over to FM full time but it needs to be more user friendly and as deep as Baseball Mogul for me to do that.

First and foremost, lets not kid ourselves. Even if the game is not affiliated with the NFL, a quick scan of the Mod forum shows everyone wants to make it as close to the NFL as possible. So why not make it easier to do so? Let us simply import photo files from websites (.jpg or .gif) for helmets, logos, etc. And make it idiot proof with a simply import function like when we attach files to an e-mail.

Second, rosters change daily in the NFL so that should be easier to replicate as well. Frankly, reading the "how to update rosters thread" sounded like a seriously difficult process. I'd love an ingame process that allows that to occur effortlessly.

Third...player photos. This is a cool part of Baseball Mogul that is missing from FM. It really adds to the immersion factor and makes the player profiles seem more like real life. But, if getting all those photos and editing the logos out like BM is too hard, simply add a feature where we can upload photos. I know sizing is an issue so (best whisper voice here) make it the same size as the photos used on NFL.com. That way we can always get the latest photos.

Fourth, and I read this in a link on the forum, make it like Baseball Mogul only with football. That game is great and I have played it a lot. In fact, I dropped console baseball all together for BM (and OOTP) about three years ago and haven't looked back. Just imagine these options in FM that the current BM has:

•NEW 2009 Rosters and Ratings
◦Carefully edited and tested for maximum accuracy
•UPDATED Statistical Database
◦Includes the complete 2009 MLB Season Schedule
•IMPROVED Expansion Team Options
◦Take control of your team before the expansion draft
•NEW Historical Simulation Engine
◦More realistic ratings and results from 1901 to 2009 and beyond
•NEW League Options
◦Easily match-up teams or all-stars from different eras
•IMPROVED Roster Management
◦Adjust the number of pitchers each team carries
◦Decide how minor league pitchers are used
•IMPROVED Fantasy Draft
◦Better Interface and Artificial Intelligence
•IMPROVED Player Development Engine
◦Pitchers and batters match player types for their era
•IMPROVED Play-By-Play Mode
◦More realistic results and better manager AI
•NEW FEATURES for multiplayer leagues
◦Commissioner Mode "cheats" fixed
◦Easy Lineup Import and Export
◦New Scouting Options
•IMPROVED Baseball Mogul Encyclopedia
•IMPROVED Help Files and User Interface
•More than 300 new Player Photos
•More than 100 new Season Schedule Templates
•Over 150 other fixes and improvements...

So why write this? Well, I think there is a market for gamers who are tired of the button mashing, cheesing that is console football. EA saw this and tried to make Football Head Coach. It fell short mainly because it lacked customizability and solid gameplay. That is where FM comes in. It has the ability to fill that niche and, personally, I'd rather my money go to guys like Clay and Marcus (OOTP) than EA who simply upgrades 1-2 features and rolls out the same crap each year. FM is almost in a position to fill the need of lot of frustrated console gamers who want an alternative.

Just my two cents. Love FM2010 and hoping FM 2011 really knocks my socks of and lets me retire as a Madden player for good.

good post

i agree.

Yep, I agree too.

I voted ***** on this. Guys, add your votes.

Sports Mogul guys should be aware that there is a HUUUUGGEEE customer base chomping at the bit for a deep Franchise-focused football simulator. We are all 30-something pissed off Madden haters.

At the moment, I only own a PS2 and have several versions of Madden for it. However, I have played Madden on the 360 before (I assume it's no different on the PS3) and it's MUCH worse than even the old PS2. I agree that if Clay made FM as deep as BM- for example going back to 1920 when the NFL was formed, or even just 1933 (when the NFL was split into 2 divisions and the Championship Game is first scheduled) or 1950 (free substitution is made permanent after first being used during WWII, marking the beginning of the end of the two-way player) as one possible addition among others, I'd probably switch full-time to FM, and leave console football for good.

I like the idea of FM, but as had been said before. It really feels like almost a throwaway game. I'm sure a lot of effort was put into it, but it's a product that if it was in beta mode would be acceptable, but coming from the people who make Baseball Mogul. I'd think it would be a bit better.
I'm hoping there will be some major improvements but it's definitely something I wouldn't purchase at this point in time.

At the risk of supporting the competition if you guys are not aware of Front Office Football you REALLY need to check it out. It is a fantastically deep front office sim of the NFL. There is also a college version. What it lacks is the ability that Clay has been trying to bring in, the historical leagues. It's also got a little steeper learning curve than BM/FM but its well worth it.

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Originally Posted by mkarau

At the risk of supporting the competition if you guys are not aware of Front Office Football you REALLY need to check it out. It is a fantastically deep front office sim of the NFL. There is also a college version. What it lacks is the ability that Clay has been trying to bring in, the historical leagues. It's also got a little steeper learning curve than BM/FM but its well worth it.

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Hmmm. Tried to d/l the demo. Didn't work. Does it use actual NFL teams and players? Also looked at the College game, it seemed to not use actual conferences.

FOF does use the actual teams and players, though the Jets are called the New Jersey Jets, there seems to be some kind of issue with having two New Yorks. The latest version has the 2008-9 rosters.

People have also done rosters for this year. There's also rosters dating right back to 1960, and draft classes made for every subsequent year. The downside is that the game is hardcoded with a 32 teams league, so older leagues still have all the teams that exist now.

There is no 2008 draft class.

The computer knows the rookie ratings and so ACTUAL 1st round picks like Alex Smith dont even get drafted.

The playcalling in games is about as stimulating as petting a hamster.

Expansion doesnt happen.

There is no scouting.

Coaches dont exist.

For some reason there are 26 and 27 year old players in the drafts.

Trading is absolutely retarded. Try to move up in the 1st round. You have to give away all your money and 100s of draft picks and your highest rated players.

Yeah, the virtual inability to trade up or down in draft position is really annoying, and I don't get what scouting does in the game since the AI seems to trade and draft based on actual ratings.

Though it may be in bad form to bump your own post, I wanted to put my post from last year out there again. Madden continues to decline (read all the posts about the complete lack of defense, an unotouched franchise mode, and an increased focus on on-line play). Unfortunately, at least at face value, FM continues moving forward at 10% of the pace of BM when it could be so much more. Would love to see this be the year for it to get much better since us former Madden players still want a football fix!

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Originally Posted by renojedi

Though it may be in bad form to bump your own post, I wanted to put my post from last year out there again. Madden continues to decline (read all the posts about the complete lack of defense, an unotouched franchise mode, and an increased focus on on-line play). Unfortunately, at least at face value, FM continues moving forward at 10% of the pace of BM when it could be so much more. Would love to see this be the year for it to get much better since us former Madden players still want a football fix!

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I agree.
Having given the demo a spin, it doesn't seem to have been too much of an improvement and the ratings still aren't up to par in my opinion.
The trading seems still a bit crazy. I traded a 4th in 2013 and a 1st in 2012 for LB Keith Rivers and Rey Malauga.
I'm still on the search for a great football text sim game.

THIS thread is exactly what i'm doing here... ready to give up on EA sports, haven't played Madden in years and NCAA Football was pretty much a bug-filled crapfest on a stale engine. I've been playing baseball mogul off and on for close to ten years and i would love to see just a little bit more in this game to be able to dive into it

Part of the issue of no madden competition is the fact that Madden still holds the NFL exclusive liscense and have held it for years. The developement of this game and others really relies on madden losing its exclusive. I was almost wondering if the lack of updates last year had something to do with that.

Back again guys with the same comment. Madden now takes away even MORE options...no editing, no created teams, no relocation, no fantasy draft, no created players in the new connected careers franchise mode. Please, Clay, give us a much improved game so this isn't a totally wasted football gaming year. Baseball Mogul got me off MLB and 2K; now I need FBM to get me off Madden!

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Originally Posted by renojedi

Back again guys with the same comment. Madden now takes away even MORE options...no editing, no created teams, no relocation, no fantasy draft, no created players in the new connected careers franchise mode. Please, Clay, give us a much improved game so this isn't a totally wasted football gaming year. Baseball Mogul got me off MLB and 2K; now I need FBM to get me off Madden!

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Until then, try out Front Office Football. It's a dead game but, it's fun.