EA Sports is already hard at work on Madden 21 but there is still time to add in some new features and tweaks.
This is an especially important year because Madden 21 will be released on both the current generation XBOX One and PlayStation 4 consoles as well as the next generation consoles.
In today’s article, we are going over 4 changes we think would make online franchise mode much more enjoyable in Madden NFL 21.
The Ability To Lose Development Traits Or Limit How Many Can Be Active At Once
Most default rosters start out with somewhere around 3-5 players having a Superstar or X Factor development trait. Obviously really good teams have a few more and a poor teams have a few less but 3-5 per team is fairly accurate as an average.
Since once you have a development trait, you have it forever, if you get past season 5 you start to see teams loaded with 15 out of their 22 starters being Superstar or X-Factor.
While the intention from EA Sports was to have Superstars make a huge impact on the game, once you get deep into an online franchise mode, you are at a huge disadvantage if you don’t have a superstar at every position.
It just isn’t realistic for every player on the field have abilities that are meant to be reserved for the best of the best.
There has to be a way to balance out these development traits or limit them like in Madden Ultimate team to a specific number per team.
Offensive Line Development Traits
With how dominant pass rushers are, it is as important as ever to give offensive lineman the ability to become Superstars or X-Factors.
As you get past season 3 in franchise mode, you have 20+ new superstar pass rushers resulting from development increases.
During that time, the number of superstar offensive lineman stay about the same. Many of the best offensive lineman are old to begin with so they retire and are only replaced by a few superstar rookies.
This results in a complete imbalance between the OL and the DL. There has to be a way for offensive linemen to earn development increases so they can keep up with their defensive counterparts.
Fix The Salary Cap Or Provide More Flexibility In Structuring Contracts
The NFL salary cap generally rises somewhere between 4-6% each year. In Madden, it rises much slower. We put together data on how the salary cap changes with each passing season in Madden 20.
It doesn’t keep pace at all with the rising salary demands of players in the game. After 10 seasons, the average salary cap raise per year is a little over 1%.
This isn’t something new to Madden 20. The salary cap in franchise mode was structured this way in Madden 19 and other Madden games as well.
If this isn’t something that can be fixed for Madden 21 and players will be artificially constrained by a low salary cap, then we as general managers must have the flexibility to better structure contracts.
We should have the ability to offer front loaded or back loaded contracts. Contracts with guaranteed money in the first years of a big contract but the ability to cut that player with no cap penalty in the later years of the contract.
There needs to be more control over how each general manager is able to build his team in Madden 21.
Fix The Running Game
There are basically 2 running concepts that you will face in Madden 20. HB Dive and HB Stretch. Every other running concept is a waste of a play call.
Those runs need to be toned down (or increase the effectiveness of other running concepts).
What do you want to see changed for franchise mode in Madden 21? Sound off in the comments!
We could start with eliminating the helium ball effect after a pass touches any receiver’s hands and floats in the air until a defender with 65 catching suddenly has 99 catching and picks the ball. Then we delete the code for the animation where all receivers jump in the air and bump the ball straight up for a volleyball spike. After that we could limit the ability to spam the same two plays all game for CPU games to kill boosting in leagues that aren’t full. And maybe make it so that 95% of all injuries don’t happen to HB’s in a game where running is the meta because db’s can miraculously be five yards behind the WR and still get the pick. That would be a start. I’m doing great in my leagues but that doesn’t mean I like playing the way I have to play in order to be successful.
I agree with you on this 1000%
That tipped pass stuff is annoying what’s even more annoying is that wr outside of using possession catch can not catch any pass that’s contested with a db.
Revamp the run game where a back can’t just sprint straight to the sideline spin and go the distance smh
I also agree with the play spam at the same time the game is so animated that only a few plays work so you see everyone running the same stuff.
1. The ability to scrimmage with in the the league, so to better get a feel for your team against other users.
2. More combinations of trainings/drills for the weekly trainings. We should be able to do drills that focus (RB and WR) together, and there should be more options for (QB and OL) or (WR and OL) together.
3. A better companion app with more functions and features.
Balanced is the key.. every team In the NFL has pass blockers even though they’re not superstars (not all
I want to see co-op online franchise. Like me and a couple of my buddies be able to create players ON THE SAME TEAM. Or one be the owner, one be the coach, and one be a player. I think that’s be AMAZING!
I think they should let people play ultimate team offline to because some people don’t have internet
I’ve been a commish in a long standing online franchise that’s been around since 2012/2013
This post is a mini vent as I am upset that it appears the developers have just giving up on the online franchise. I don’t play madden for mut I play to have fun with my guys on CFM for bragging rights in building the best dynasty over usually a 8-10 season period. If I’m rambling my bad but these are the things that need to be fixed in my opinion as well as the vibes I’m getting from our league.
The general consensus is that this madden (20) has been the worst of a declining product. We are always full with 32 users and keep it pretty interesting on our Facebook page (fantasy Madden 281) but guys are legit talking about being done with the game overall.
With that said, I along with the other 31 guys would see a ton of changes starting with the gameplay settings. We have sim and competitive, competitive fits our league but with competitive comes a lack of penalties and replays. I think they need give us the ability to customize a game mode so that we can include penalties and replays which is a major part of today’s game. The game has gotten so dumbed down that as you stated in your article, people only run dive and stretch, however in comp mode they can run the ball 30 times and not get one holding or block in the back penalty. Some catches are counted even though the receiver or DB only got one foot in yet you can not challenge that. It needs to be fixed. We need to the option to add those. I wouldn’t love anything more than some guy running that fake ass dive. Bouncing it outside breaking for a 30 yard gain only to have it called back.
For me and about half of our league, we are passers, however it seems the developers have taken away that ability meanwhile defensive backs play receiver better than the receivers making some of the most asinine interceptions with the ability to get up and return it almost 90 percent of the time. They need do away with the aggressive and run after catch stuff bc receivers 10/10 times will have a animated drop during those catch interaction with a defensive back which is a whole other argument. They can maybe keep the possession catch but give user back the ability to control their receivers when the ball is in the air like we can control dbs and may the best man win like the good old days. Ultimately the pass catch animations need to be revamped to a more realistic feel with receivers being able to catch some of these passes. It’s just ridiculous on the amount of drops, you can legit only catch a pass if your guy is wide open smh it is a passing league now and dbs just aren’t doing the bull this game is allowing them to do, the tip passes ??? That’s another argument as well smh, whose bright idea was that?? Some of the fakest stuff ever and they are ruining games smh
When this edition first dropped, they limited the user lurk and it was great, there is no way a backer can chase a drag jump a dig and in the same sequence sprint 30 yards down the field to intercept a post route, the developers have since patched that nonsense back into the game they need to look at that again it’s ruin vibes in online leagues. Guys can sit in cover two and run all over the place with backer picking passes. If anything male fatigue matter, it seems no matter the slide adjustments fatigue just doesn’t affect anyone on comp mode.
They need to update the scouting system and make ratings matter, as with every year, the C+ across the board wr who runs a 4.2 will be drafted and dominate despite his ratings bc of his speed, John Ross has since proved that speed really isn’t be all tell all. I think scouting points should be used only in the off season for players not attending the combine and only doing pro days, there really isn’t a point to scout combine players when we see their drill times once the off season begins they need to somehow make that interesting.
Bring real emotion into the game, get the crowd into the game on third downs, show interactions between players showing players upset or excited after big plays
Update the news to feel the playoff races man there is a ton I can talk about but I’ll leave at this.
That’s my small vent with that said I believe that stuff needs to be looked at and they need truly adjust the run game and the catch interactions for dbs
The Football Gaming Gods sent us an Angel
No more comments are needed
Bryan nailed it from A-Z you fix all these issues and the game will be more enjoyable. Until then just another lame reboot.
I would love for the scouting process to be more complete for the upcoming drafts. Maybe feature a Mel Kiper big board. Maybe show who won what college award or how someone came in 2nd or 3rd for an award. Have more interesting notes on players. Led SEC in tackles. Etc.