Community ManagerVegasBorn1717 You are not alone. Those preseason depth chart resets have been driving people crazy for years. It is hard to test rookies or tweak your lineup when the game keeps auto-flipping your choices. If we are managing a team, we should be trusted to manage it, not fight against the system.
You are right about training camp. It feels like a missed opportunity. It could be a cool, immersive feature, but instead, it just ends up frustrating. The bucket drop is a weird throwaway drill, and the rest feels like it was not even tested with real gameplay in mind. Fullbacks not blocking, quarterbacks lobbing floaters like it's backyard football. It does not teach, it does not challenge, and it does not reward. Oh, how I miss backward football in the cold on the holidays!
You are not bothering anyone by speaking up. Feedback like this is what helps the community rally for change.
Out of curiosity, here are a few things I would love your take on:
Keep speaking up. It matters.
I know you didn't really ask for my opinion, so my apology if this is unwarranted, but I think the mini games really shine in training camp, even more so than week to week training which can become tedious, especially within user leagues. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I think the mini games were fine last year and just needed some tweaking so they have some balance and work appropriately. If they were to redo anything, adding something like the 40y.d. and weightlifting like they've had in the beginning of Superstar would be a great opportunity to increase speed and strength for players. Being able to gain skill points in Training camp is greatly rewarding, especially to high overall or older players that take a ton of XP to level up. They adjusted that slightly this year offering 2 skill points for gold on a couple and I really like the thought of that and feel that's a good direction to go. They games just need to function appropriately is all. Scrimmage Scenarios would be best for week to week imo, where the amount of time/reps taken in scrimmage determines the XP gains, but also increases fatigue/wear & tear, and the chance of injury. Stat boosts are offered enough under the Coach Abilities, so focusing on skill points within Training Camp, Reps/HIgh XP Week to Week, and Stat Boosts for Coaching is a good more balanced approach.
Overall, just simply opening up the mini games within Training Camp making them available to train more players which gives them the opportunity to level up, allowing the choice of which minigame to play for each player, and adding the Superstar speed/strength/ agility training, and just making sure it all functions appropriately would be a very good start.
Community ManagerGVRH There is no need to apologize; feedback like this is exactly what helps shape the direction of the game. I think you make some strong points about how mini games fit better in Training Camp than week-to-week training. A lot of folks feel that training can get repetitive in leagues, so tying scrimmage scenarios and XP gains to reps, fatigue, and even the risk of injury is a creative idea that actually lines up with the balance we try to keep between realism and progression.
I also like what you said about Training Camp being the best spot to push skill growth. Having the mini games reward older or high OVR players with that extra skill point boost makes sense, especially since their progression usually slows down. The thought of bringing back things like the 40-yard dash and weight room lifts from Superstar as ways to impact physical ratings like speed and strength would be a cool throwback, too.
Opening up mini games in Training Camp for more players and letting users choose which activity fits their roster goals is a simple but powerful idea. You’re right. The most important part is making sure everything functions smoothly so the rewards feel earned and fair.
Quick question for you: If you had to choose between more variety in the mini games and deeper long-term impact from the ones already there, which would you lean toward?
EA_Shepard I'm glad you like the idea of tying the scrimmage scenarios with the Reps, XP Gains, and Wear & Tear essentially. I agree it would both be more balanced and better for user leagues as the week to week usually just leaves most people wanting to hop in game quick and get about their day. The idea of the balance is essentially that Training Camp would almost function the opposite of Week to Week. Training camp would allow older players a chance to makeup what was lost in offseason to remain impactful, and higher overalls the chance at faster growth and the opportunity to start the season a little better than they were before training. Week to week would then remain more impactful and beneficial to rookies and lower overall players.
Adding the Superstar games would be perfect for getting those SPD/AGI/STR upgrades at a time that makes more sense in real life than how they have been randomly received in the past so far. Nothing more exciting than receiving a random +2 SPD in past years, but this would specifically allow users to target some of those slower 88-90 SPD players and make them a little more impactful on field, as just one example. It would also help balance some of the regression that you get with aging players as another example since speed and agility often take pretty big hits many times.
To answer your question: As much as I'd love more variety, the likely best thing for both devs and players initially would be to take what's already there, make sure it's functioning properly, and focus more on long-term impact. Can always add more variety later, but focusing on what's there now and making sure that it operates as intended gives a much better foundation for what can be added later.
Community ManagerGVRH It makes a lot of sense. I like how you broke it down between Training Camp and week to week. Flipping the focus so camp helps older or higher overall players stay relevant, while weekly work benefits rookies and lower overall players feels like a smart balance. It mirrors real life too, where vets are sharpening up at camp and youngersters are the ones grinding week to week for growth.
I’m with you on the Superstar activities being a better fit for things like speed, agility, and strength upgrades. Having those tied to training instead of just random rolls would not only feel more rewarding but also give users more control over shaping their roster. The example you gave about bumping up those 88–90 speed players hits home, because just a small boost there can change how impactful a player feels on the field. And for aging players, it would be a nice way to soften the blow of regression without making it feel unrealistic.
Locking in a solid foundation with the mini games that are already in place and making sure they matter long term sounds like the best path forward. Variety can always be layered in later, but having that meaningful base is what keeps people engaged season after season.
If you could pick one area for long term impact to focus on first, would you want it tied more to player progression or to roster management and team building?
