Lessons from Madden Franchise Mode...(things I should already know)

[Renegade7]

 

I know what you're thinking, this conversation should've ended at "Lessons from Madden"...

 

But what I want do is jus share some stuff I thought I should already know with full disclaimer that I havent owned a football video game in 15 years.  A lot has changed in franchise mode, it's more familiar now.  Additionally, not once during franchise mode did I actually play a football game, watching sim mode doesnt work in franchise mode, it used to with 2K. So I couldnt jus watch the team play to see what was actually going on.  I had to guess based on week to week results and stats applying and learning things I should already know.  I intentionally did not play in order to hurry this up and focus on experimenting with running the franchise.

 

So I bought Madden 20 with soul intent of treating myself and proving I could win a championship with Haskins as QB.  Figured as long as I had him as QB and developed properly things would work out.  Again, things I should already know, that turned out not to be true.

 

I made the playoffs once in 10 years in my first franchise mode attempt.  Haskins not only didnt develop properly, I let him leave in free agency and drafted another QB.  I started in owner mode as a life long fan with $200 million cash in reserve.  The first thing I did was upgrade the stadium and drop prices to make the fans happy to make the growing pains worth it.  I bankrupt the team in 10 years and it made me start over a new franchise on top of not making the playoffs in 10 years and trying not to overpay folks.  I should already know it's not that simple.

 

So when I started over with a new franchise, I realized I was missing out on all the added features and options on a weekly basis.  Somethings I didnt figure out until the end of my first attempt that made me realize this was more realistic then I expected in terms of stuff we hope our franchise thinks about and we can tell when they dont. Things we should already know.

 

For example, selecting scheme and matching players to that scheme is a huge factor in player development (things I should already know but didnt know I could do in this video game).  In franchise mode, you can pick offensive and defensive philosophy plus who's playbook you want to use (I almost immediately started using Patriots playbook when I figured this out). When you pick a overall scheme (in second franchise I picked one's with most flexibility on both sides) it let's you know how well it fits your personnel and the players that fit that scheme develop the fastest while players that dont have a high chance of regressing instead (things I should already know).

 

Additonally, Jay Gruden is a horrible f'n coach and is rated that way in Madden.  It wasnt until the end of the first franchise that I realized you could focus developing specific players each week as part of each weeks game plan. So in my second franchise Haskins was an 88 by time he was a free agent instead of bust in my first franchise attempt. And jus because Jay picked a specific game plan for offense and defense didnt mean it was the best one, so I would start overriding it to make sure it fit our personal not what he wanted to do. Makes sense, right? Things we should already know.

 

So at this point in the OP I'm officially in my second franchise attempt.  Same thing, not playing the game, just doing the owner, coach, and GM roles and reviewing the week to week results.  This time I picked the Owner with most money, starting with $300 million, and left everything for the stadium itself alone to see if the option for moving to another stadium ever came up.  Each time it does it looks like a new city, I could be wrong, but I refuse to do that. Next time it pops as an option, I'll confirm.  The thing I should already know is that FedEx Field is a dump and no amount of upgrades can make up for that.  I don't think the current lease situation is built into Madden franchise mode, but I'm going to look into that.

 

Now that I've started over better understanding scheme, gameplan, and development options, I realize I need to be more aggressive either getting blue chips players or players that can develop into blue chip.  What I avoided was blue chip players at a certain age even though they fit the scheme, because at a certain age they start going backwards in rating because of age and you  age paying for who they were not who they are anymore.  This has always been true in football games, things we should already know.

 

So I only signed blue chip players that we're just entering their prime to contracts that kept them here until 30. At that point I should either have a replacement or be able to look at how much longer they want to stay in respect to how much they want to be paid for it.  Makes sense?  Not that simple, especially because I was increasing signing bonus money in attempt to keep cap hits lower with respect that at a certain point in their development they would be rated higher then i was actually paying them in order to get them to sign here, save money, and sign more of them.

 

Despite best intentions, this lead me straight into cap hell the same year Haskins was eligible for free agency. Now the original plan of second franchise mode was to see what would happen if I put what I could around him and win a Superbowl before his contract was up.  But that's not what blew up my franchise the second go around.  The year before he was in his contract year I lost in the NFC championship game.  His contract year I was losing every single game up to the trade deadline, some of them blowouts.  How is this possible? Things I should already know.

 

As a consequence of having all these great players in their prime, I wouldn't afford any depth.  What was happening was Allen, Ionnidas, Payne, and Chris Jones were on the field so much that they were getting exhausted with their backups being really bad and cascading to the rest of the defense.  I had the best starting dline in the NFL with the worst run defense because if it.  Not only that, but my oline was made up of young players developing out of position in an attempt to make sure they could all play multiple positions.  You'd think I should already know that players play best at their intended position, but this couldn't become anymore excruciatingly painfully obvious then when players started getting injured.  All the sudden Madden started moving folks automatically leaving someone at 61 center because he was technically the only one that actually was a center.

 

So I had a choice, trade Haskins, McClaurin, and Sweat who were all free agents and I could hope to draft their replacements, or admit I had failed again and trade away all my blue chip players for draft picks to build around those three instead.  I chose the later seeing my original plan didn't work and probably never would work, I'm not convinced the choice I made will work, either, but I'll share where I'm at so far.

 

By the time I traded away all my blue chip players and contracts I didn't like, I had 9 first round picks and 8 second round picks between that year's draft and the next one.  I was able to keep Haskins and McClaurin on 7 year contracts, but because half my cap was allocated to dead cap money (around $110 million one year alone) I didn't have enough to even franchise Sweat, who left in free agency.  Things I should already know? Maybe, but that's what that looks like, I didn't win a single game the year I did that, most of them blowouts.

 

But what I was doing was scouting every week for players I wanted to fit the scheme I wanted run with the patriots playbook whether Jay liked it or not. I eventually fired him and kept his interim as head coach during the tank.  That's right, I tanked, and I hate doing that in real life, but I wanted to what that looks like in football.  I've never heard of any franchise having that many first and second rounders in two drafts just to see what that would look like. 

 

Because Madden let's you see if players are actual first round grades despite their expected round to be drafted, every single first and second round pick i made in those two drafts were first round grades that fit the scheme i wanted.  That meant every week the players were developing at a faster rate then normal and within a year or two getting into high 70s low 80s. Madden has option to import a a made draft class, but year Chase Young was available I had already made the playoffs and signed Antonio Brown, so I didn't want to trade up for him and switch to 4-3.

 

Because with plenty of cap space in the second offseason after the tank I could plug holes with free agents I had no intent to commit to longterm just to fill gaping hole needs I hadn't drafted someone for (sound familiar? It should). It made no sense to draft for need when I already had a QB, so BPA made more sense just to get as many first round grades that fit my scheme as I could, but that doesn't mean I drafted redundantly.  Makes sense, right?  Not that simple, things I should already know. 

 

I just finished my second full season since blowing up the franchise.  They won 6 games and single score loses in every single game except for two.  The games I had blowouts was when I realized that even if the coach had a bad gameplan, it didn't mean I had the right one.  So now I review what the coach wants to do, then find a middle ground between what I think he should and what he wants to do.  That was to compensate for reality I was just some dude playing franchise mode and the coach was designed to simulate a professional.  I eventually hired the best coach I could. Things I should already know.

 

So now I realise a couple last things I should already know:

 

1. These players are developing quicker then normal, but none of them will be blue chip until Haskins is 30 at best.

 

2. Because so many of them have first round pick contracts it limits my ability to sign blue chip players even if I wanted to.

 

3. This is going to create a bulge of first round grade players wanting new contracts in back to back offseasons.

 

In my head, Im hoping Haskins can stay at a high quality level by time these players reach their primes and a quality game manager by time they reach their potential.  And by time this bulge of players start declining Haskins replacement will be entering his prime. What I don't know is what will happen once that bulge of players start retiring even if Haskins replacement is a pro bowl QB by then. At this rate, their first new contracts might not kill me, but not sure what will happen when they all reach 30 or start retiring in mass.  The majority of my roster is from back to back draft classes.

 

I told my wife everything I just told y'all because she noticed all the sudden I was playing video games again and wanted to see what shed say.  I told her I was experimenting from a business perspective and she nodded her head in approval.  She added as someone who doesn't follow football that many businesses struggle at first and many more fail before they ever get it right.  That despite our best intentions, not all good ideas work.

 

Things we should already know.

 

 

 

 

[Renegade7]

And yes, I've unplugged the PlayStation and leaving it alone until I take the CISSP end of this month.  Wife said that's extreme, but supportive.

[Koolblue13]

I haven't played Madden in close to 20 years. Wow.

[PartyPosse]

I feel like I should get a medal for reading that whole thing.

[Renegade7]

51 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I haven't played Madden in close to 20 years. Wow.

 

Honestly, I was impressed, and jus unloaded all this information without expecting responses because of how long the OP got.  Maybe I shoulda made it a blog post, but it made me ask myself a lot of questions in regards to my stances on certain things, like BPA vs need.  I changed my mind on coach vs GM because it doesnt matter what players you get if the coach wastes them.

 

In context, it's still a video game.  But in hindsight, I cant think of a single thing in the OP that really shocked me outside of what franchise mode can now compared to 15-20 years ago.  We joke about stuff like "that only works in madden", not anymore.  Even madden trades are very strict now,  but its hard to tell if pick values are closer to Jimmy Johnson model or Rich Hill type models.

 

I didnt get a bunch of first round picks for the players during the tank because teams hated the contracts they were on even if they fit needs, plus it was in the middle of the season. All those 1st and 2nd rounders I mentioned earlier were end results of trading up a lot and with teams and some that sucked as well so their value being higher then I trade for the following year. 

 

That would suggest Rich Hill model because the pick values arent astronomical different from each other like Jimmy Johnson model.

[Renegade7]

4 minutes ago, PartyPosse said:

I feel like I should get a medal for reading that whole thing.

 

I can only imagine trying to reading this on your phone and realizing that scrolling it kept going into some sort of singularity.  No doubt in my mind some folks saw that and left, others saw that and realized they had to come back later.  

 

So ya, thanks, hope you got some value from it, and if no one else responds that's fine and completely understandable.  If people pick certain things from it to talk about that's fine as well.  If it falls off the front page, that's fine, too.

 

"No offense..."

 

"None taken."

 

: )

[Renegade7]

I think the last thing I'll say in this until anyone else responds is Madden has done much better job of simulating the delicate balance in relation to not being able to pay everyone what they are worth and having to rotate veteran contract that are worth it with rookie contracts while staying within striking distance of a championship. 

 

That's actually really f'n hard even in real life and makes what the Patriots have done all the more impressive.  And I'm probably convinced now more then ever that tanking in the NFL will never work, the rosters are jus too large for a single draft class to have the impact you need and too many draft picks developing at the same time can be far more trouble then its worth.

 

Extremes dont work, need balance and luck. No **** right?

[757SeanTaylor21]

As an avid madden franchiser...you could of done this differently and got different results lol 

[Koolblue13]

2 hours ago, PartyPosse said:

I feel like I should get a medal for reading that whole thing.

Impressive. 

[Renegade7]

47 minutes ago, 757SeanTaylor21 said:

As an avid madden franchiser...you could of done this differently and got different results lol 

 

No ****, 15 years, bro, feeling this out : )

[Voice_of_Reason]

2 hours ago, PartyPosse said:

I feel like I should get a medal for reading that whole thing.

I did not make it through. I was reading on my phone and didn’t realize the post rivaled War and Peace in length.  

 

I think I’ll feel somewhat bad when 2030 rolls around, and I get to collect on my “Jay Gruden will never win 10 games as a HC here or anywhere” bet from @Renegade7.  Like stealing candy from a baby.   

[Renegade7]

33 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I did not make it through. I was reading on my phone and didn’t realize the post rivaled War and Peace in length.  

 

I think I’ll feel somewhat bad when 2030 rolls around, and I get to collect on my “Jay Gruden will never win 10 games as a HC here or anywhere” bet from @Renegade7.  Like stealing candy from a baby.   

 

I offered it early, if he goes somewhere else and learns from his mistakes, you have no one to blame but yourself : )

 

I thought about giving you a shoutout where in the OP I got rid of him, I actually did it twice, lolz

 

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

19 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

I offered it early, if he goes somewhere else and learns from his mistakes, you have no one to blame but yourself : )

Believe me when I tell you I’m not worried at all.  

 

And a bet is a bet.  I said “ever” and I stand by it.  If he gets another opportunity and gets to 10, then I’m wrong and I’ll pay up.  And honestly, I’d give him kudos for presumably learning and adapting. 

[Renegade7]

6 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

Believe me when I tell you I’m not worried at all.  

 

And a bet is a bet.  I said “ever” and I stand by it.  If he gets another opportunity and gets to 10, then I’m wrong and I’ll pay up.  And honestly, I’d give him kudos for presumably learning and adapting. 

 

More then fair, and he does deserve credit for if and when he never pulls that off : )

 

I wonder how many folks made to part where I had as many first rounders in the second franchise in two years as some have in a decade.  In fairness, that's some Madden **** right there.

[Voice_of_Reason]

3 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

I wonder how many folks made to part where I had as many first rounders in the second franchise in two years as some have in a decade.  In fairness, that's some Madden **** right there.

Not me  

[Gallen5862]

I read the whole thing and that was amazing. I like how you tried different models to get a feel of what ideas might work. There are so many different ways to build a team. How many seasons have you been able to do before you find it is a crossroads wt Have you tried it with Riverboat Ron as the Coach?

[PartyPosse]

Even in Madden Jolly Jay won’t get ten wins unless you’re playing on mentally challenged mode.

[Renegade7]

5 hours ago, Gallen5862 said:

I read the whole thing and that was amazing. I like how you tried different models to get a feel of what ideas might work. There are so many different ways to build a team. How many seasons have you been able to do before you find it is a crossroads wt Have you tried it with Riverboat Ron as the Coach?

 

Appreciate the feedback, the experimenting part has been the most fun : )

 

Riverboat Ron and 4-3 is next and trade up for Chase Young if neccesary (likely have to jus switch schemes because firing Jay would still need Panthers to fire Rivera to get him), I did about 10 seasons first time and on my 8th season the second time.  Going to wait until the bulge starts retiring to see what the team looks like with another QB in his prime with those picks all about as good as they going to get to.  At this point I'm hoping this next season is a wildcard then unsubstainable contender until the bulge is gone.  

4 hours ago, PartyPosse said:

Even in Madden Jolly Jay won’t get ten wins unless you’re playing on mentally challenged mode.

 

Not true, I set the AI as high as I could and made the playoffs the first season in both franchises then the second franchise all 4 of Haskins first 4 seasons until the collapse in his contract year.

 

Again, a video game, if I actually played the games myself thatd be a different story because I'm still pretty good at this, like riding a bike.

[757SeanTaylor21]

Essentially...over a career they will have breakout games...you'll get a message that says breakout players etc. Those are crucial for team development. I ran a franchise just simming and seein how soon I could win a ring. The real development aspect is you doing the breakouts.  Won a ring in year 5 and 8. Had drafted players but people in real life develop into superstars/x factors....those are important to actually do. You can play the offense moments or defense just to get the stats needed and then sim rest. Dont use the time to pad stats tho

[Conn]

The most impressive part of this is that you convinced your wife that this was a valuable use of your time, and possibly even capable of imparting some business savvy. Well done.

[NickyJ]

Anyone who plays Madden just to sim through results is insane to me. Imma just spend $60 on a meal at the restaurant, take a picture of it, and then throw it in the trash.

 

I bought this awesome Tesla, it's even-self driving. The self-driving part is extremely important, because I'm not going to be in it when it drives. I just want to look at the odometer when it comes back from it's 5 hour trip along the Parkway.

[Renegade7]

1 hour ago, NickyJ said:

Anyone who plays Madden just to sim through results is insane to me. Imma just spend $60 on a meal at the restaurant, take a picture of it, and then throw it in the trash.

 

I bought this awesome Tesla, it's even-self driving. The self-driving part is extremely important, because I'm not going to be in it when it drives. I just want to look at the odometer when it comes back from it's 5 hour trip along the Parkway.

 

I own the game, I can do what I want with it as long as I want with it.  All my friends suck at Madden, i reserve the right to get the most out of it before actually playing the game, and yes, want to see if i can export at least one of my superbowl winners to try playing with.  

 

Like to each their own, but not fond of your comparisons its offbase.  That many features, tou know how long it would take through jus one season playing 15 minute quarters?

[NickyJ]

12 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

I own the game, I can do what I want with it as long as I want with it.  All my friends suck at Madden, i reserve the right to get the most out of it before actually playing the game, and yes, want to see if i can export at least one of my superbowl winners to try playing with.  

 

Like to each their own, but not fond of your comparisons its offbase.  That many features, tou know how long it would take through jus one season playing 15 minute quarters?

I was joking, but not as clearly as I should have put it. I do know of people who prefer to just sim, and if that's what they want to do, so be it. I still can't find the fun in doing it though. The games are about the only strong point I can find in Madden (I put mine at 8 minute quarters, usually a solid 45 minutes of game time). The way the AI handles contracts and playing aging players over younger ones makes it hard for me to really feel like I accomplished anything after the first couple of seasons instead of the other teams just shooting themselves in the foot.

[Renegade7]

On 2/16/2020 at 2:51 PM, NickyJ said:

I was joking, but not as clearly as I should have put it. I do know of people who prefer to just sim, and if that's what they want to do, so be it. I still can't find the fun in doing it though. The games are about the only strong point I can find in Madden (I put mine at 8 minute quarters, usually a solid 45 minutes of game time). The way the AI handles contracts and playing aging players over younger ones makes it hard for me to really feel like I accomplished anything after the first couple of seasons instead of the other teams just shooting themselves in the foot.

 

It's all good, and I wish there was more flexibility in making front loading or back loading contracts with respect to age.  My preference would be to front load contracts so players arent being so overpaid by time they start declining, but again, this was more so about me experimenting and commenting about how much better franchise mode is then it used to be.  If I had a choice, I'd rather play the game, but at this rate I'm falling back until March. 

[volsmet]