Franchise Mode Mini-Games
Mini Games in Franchise Mode
EA, the Franchise mini-games need improvements. Let me help if I can, first remember that Madden is a Football SIMULATION game. That said there shouldn’t be arcade aspects in the game as there are in the mini-games for player development. I suggest you send your developers and programmers to watch spring training at Jacksonville, Tampa or Miami. If they don’t see it there don’t put it in the games.
Specifically
QB Passing, The giant floating targets. This is really ridiculous. Get rid of it. You can have throwing accuracy drills but not ridiculous floating bullseyes that are more important to hit than the receiver downfield. Fix - Have pass timing and accuracy drills where the object is to hit the receiver not a floating bullseye.
QB Pass Skeleton, if my player is being improved based on his performance why is he punished by receivers that drop the ball. That’s the receiver’s problem. The garbage routes randomly selected is another problem. Fix - If I choose the right receiver at the right moment and put the ball on them thats the goal.
Pass Rush, spinning blocks on the ground. Do they have these for real? No? Delete them, they are terrible. There are a number of possible improvements but as I said go watch actual football training and see what they have.
DB Pass Skeleton. Again, it’s improving an individual. If I’m assigned a zone in coverage why am I penalized because a completion is made in another zone? If I’m playing man to man I shouldn’t be punished unless my man catches the ball. Also, why do I get a bonus for a tackle but nothing for pushing someone out of bounds? The sideline is the greatest tackler of all times. It never misses a tackle or so a coach I once knew used to say. Defenses like big hits but just as important is smart defense. Pushing someone out of bounds IS A TACKLE. Give points for yardage gained and the corresponding stop.
DB vs WR drill. Why is the multiplier so important? Again this is arcade junk not football. Any coach would tell you five interceptions are better than three even if the three are back to back. Also coverage sacks should be worth more. As a DB you can’t decide when and where the QB is going to throw the ball so blanket coverage is your goal. Deflections and interceptions are bonuses. Fixes mentioned but in general make it mirror actual football. This is a simulation game right.
Chase and Tackle. This is a drill that needs work. To develop a LB it's easier for me to do the trench fight than the chase and tackle but that's not realistic. Some LBs are better at chase and tackle than rushing the QB. The immovable blocks impede tackling unrealistically. The gamble should be on hard hits and form tackles not whatever this is. I have great LBs that too often get stiff-armed by crummy RBs.
THE MULTIPLIER. I mentioned it before but since it is in almost every drill let me repeat, it’s arcade game stuff not football simulation. Whoever thought it up has never played tackle football in their life. I promise you. It is a ridiculous gimmick. In football results are the only thing that really matter. Yardage gained, yardage lost, touchdowns, fumbles, interceptions, and sacks are all things that can be measured and used for scoring. The multiplier is silly. Four catches in a row is not more important than one catch for a touchdown. I dare you to find a coach that doesn’t agree.
