Ever wonder if it was possible to have the experience of say
a call of duty online experience in a sports game? This is important in
understanding what Madden 13 developers are doing. They have seen the benefits
that are involved when you gain a mass online community. So what they have done
is scrapped the franchise mode. They claim that it was out dated and not
popular. I don’t agree but there are a lot of people who don’t like the
creativity if offers. In comes the new born Connected Careers. It offers you
the chance to play up to 32 users in one franchise, its online franchise on steroids.
This mode has offered so many new advantages and benefits. I am excited to embark
on this journey. We have run an online franchise since Madden 11 and it has
always had a great place in my heart. The best part is it offers you a chance
to do a franchise, but with your friends or people you run into along the way.
This can be the best Game mode ever introduced, and I am pleased to be one who
was here when it started.
First
off I have run 32 man leagues for 2 years. I ran two 32 man leagues in madden
11. Online franchise to me was an opportunity to stretch into the online
experience but maintain my obsession for stat tracking and team building. The
mode offered a basic franchise experience with the availability to invite up to
31 other users. I have seen this as a great opportunity to use my managing and
communication skills as a way to be different. I have not enjoyed the online
experience when you play a random person in a head to head match. Often you
find yourself playing people who have found a video game glitch, exploit, or
one play that worked every time. I would be stuck for an hour or wishing I never
got in a game. I don’t want to quit because I believe in a community that will
thrive off finishing what you started. I also have hope that the other user
will respect you as they would want to be respected. So enough of cracking down
on the head to head experience and let’s get back to why the CCM mode will
offer us the opportunities we have always wanted.
This
year offers us the availability to play as a coach, controlling the whole team,
a player, controlling just that player, or even a legend of both. For the first time since Madden 06 this game
mode has offered us the normal camera angle that you get while playing as just
one player. On defense you can still have the normal camera mode also. This is my
favorite part. I enjoy playing as one player but you only control that player
which limits you a little bit. You earn xp points that you can apply to your
players overall skill. As a coach you get to control the whole team, apply xp
points to every player to whatever skill you want, and also direct your team
with philosophy and scheme.
The
best part about all this is you can have the full franchise mode available to
you with 31 other users. I will be running two leagues this year. Reason why is
that I love being able to do the full franchise mode with other players. I first
experienced this with NCAA football and there amazing dynasty mode. I have
always preached that Madden needed to adopt the same principle. This year we
can go every week and practice with our team. Those xp points go to our coach,
and I do believe that the player performance in practice gives them xp that you
can progress your players with every week as well. You can scout the draft
class. At the end of the year you get to do a live draft with Trey Wingo
commentating on the experience. This
year offers us the twitter feed and a full news section. In that section
explains the whole leagues news, trades, injuries, and college player news. You
can find out if the guy you are scouting, got injured, is a bust, changed position,
or even decided not to enter the draft. You must pay attention to this stuff to
find out what to do in your scouting. Tip: you won’t have a lot of scouting
points so use them wisely with your team needs. In previous years you could
just do whatever and have tons of information. This year scouting strategically
matters.
All
these features are so awesome. But you must run your league in a way that
people will play their games and want to see the league succeed. So many people
I talk to are looking for a good league but get in one and its starts and
fails. One thing that many people will run into this year is that you must be
able to manage people. They will have to get there games done. Best way is to
make a rule. If you miss two of your games, you’re kicked. As league manager
you must be firm and up front so people know what you expect. Don’t have tons
of rules and never tell anyone till they break them. I have made this mistake. Encourage
people to message there opponent every day to tell them when they can play their
game. I always tell my users “when you
get on your console play my game first” message your opponent, and friend request
them. This helps when you see them online you can bother them to play or at
least talk to them to find out when they can play. You can play 1 game a week
or 1 game a day, or what I do is two games a week, I split the week in half. I advance
on Thursday morning, and Sunday morning. This gives people who can play only
the weekends a chance to have a Saturday game and Sunday. Just be up front with
people and they will let you know what they want. I make YouTube videos about
my league and I am messaging my users all the time to help them communicate. It’s
a great way to form the community.
In
closing this year will be epic. Many people will run into problems this year
that have to do with managing people. Some will step up and you will find great
leaders. Some will step up to invite and try to do what we do but cant. They will
leave a bad taste in people’s mouth about this game mode but we can fix that by
simple principles. Key features this year in online Franchise that were not
there last year are, Trade block (nice to let people know who you want to
trade, practice, scouting, players coming out of retirement, you can ready up
or auto pilot your team if you can’t make your game. That will allow your
opponent to play your team as the CPU. We get preseason, a live draft, salary
cap, coaching schemes, full stats, and the amazing progression system. The progression
system allows you to improve the players that you use that perform. If they don’t
perform, they won’t have xp for you to build them. So with all that, have a
great day and keep Gaming, think about others and respect people.
JJ
