TheGame
09-16-2002, 03:40 PM
I have simulated 26 years into a franchise, and I have learned a trick or two to pick up players. I was going to make one last year, but it was a little too late, so my flawless planing is going to be given to you this year.
Chapter 1: Signing and Releasing players
first of all, when signing anybody to your team, years are a lot more important than $$$
Base signings off of overall ratings and Age:
Rating: 95-100
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 7
6-10 years pro: 7
11-15 years pro: 5
15+ years pro: 3
Rating: 90-94
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 7
6-10 years pro: 7
11-15 years pro: 3
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:85-89
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 7
6-10 years pro: 3
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:80-84
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 5
6-10 years pro: 3
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:75-79
Rookie years: 5
1-5 years pro: 3
6-10 years pro: 3
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:70-74
Rookie years: 3
1-5 years pro: 3
6-10 years pro: 2
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating: 69 and below
Rookie years: 1
1-5 years pro: 1
6-10 years pro: 1
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Explanation:
There is a thing called Cap penalties in this game, and they suck. You can't just release any guy on the team like you could do in the Psx generation Maddens. Plus, chances are that lower rated guys are the most likely to be released. So the low rated guys have to be set up with the shorter contracts.
Age has a lot to do with this system too. Through my years playing I have noticed something. The curve of improvement gets worse and worse the older a player is. This means contract signing has to be based off of potential too. A rookie who is 80 overall should get a longer contract than a 15 year vet who is 80 overall. Why? Because next year that rookie has a much better chance of improving. Not only that, they ask for a lot less money.
Tip: Look at where your signed player will be at the end of his contract, and that should spell to your how long you should sign him for. A 80 overall rookie in 7 years has the potential to be rated over 90... while a 13 year pro in 17 years most likely will be retired or as bad as in the 60's. Also, the contract stays solid til it's over, so that 90 overall guy could be making a lot less than he's worth (until a holdout happens, then there's a problem). Look at how much PT the guy you signed will be getting. If he is a key player sign him longer than a player that will sit the bench his whole career.
The is always an off season the comes along, and a guy has went down hill very far, and he is over paid, and has too many years left on his contract. Trust me when I say, Never release a player. The best way to get rid of these poison players is to trade them away for draft picks... which brings me to my next chapter.
Chapter 2: Successful Trading
Like I was saying, trade them for draft picks. One on one trades rarely work. Unless the guy is over 80 overall, don't expect not to be giving up more. Here is the simplest trade on my "Trade/Release" strategy:
Your team:
-Player who you don't want
-7th round draft pick
Team you are trading with:
-7th round pick
as simple as that, you released a guy without paying cap penalties. :)
Now, if your team is great, and you have a lot of Cap room, and you are looking for that special guy to fill that last position. And all of your great players are securely signed. Don't trade any players. Stick to using the draft picks again. Just take pick 1, 2, and 3 from your team and they should be the easy way out of giving up a great player in a trade.
Tip: If you are planning on making an even 1 on 1 trade of evenly rated players, weigh your side of the trade down with any two draft picks (6 and 7 preferred).
Chapter 3: Drafting tips
Madden 2003 features the hardest drafting for a Madden game ever. It all depends on pure luck. This is my system for the draft, it is FAR for full-proof, but it has brought in some beasts.
Step 1: Think about the positions you want players at. Write it down. Lets pretend that you need a QB, WR, HB, CB, and SS
Step 2: Go to those positions and get the top two people listed for expected first round picks. Then get one more guy who is listed in a round that you think is a realistic pick. (QB's tend to be listed as first rounders. That position would be one where you wouldn't want to just have the top 3 listed. Most other positions you should just do the top 3. Hit start and go to the next stage
Step 3 (where it gets confusing): At each of those positions, scout the fastest person and strongest person who is already a target at the position. If one guy is both, just scout that one guy. Then go out to the full list of players and get the fastest guy(s) at the needed position selected. Press start and go to next step.
Step 4: Go back to your targeted list. Then at each position, scout the players with the top cone running speeds and the highest verticals. Once again, if one person is both, just scout him. Then go back to the full list and get the strongest player at each needed position. Press start and that's the end of controlled scouting.
If things worked out perfect you should have 25-35 players scouted If you have more or less, you didn't go by my system correctly.
Now you must go over the list. You can view player information now. This will bring you to the part that doesn't make this plan full proof. You will now know who are the biggest physical specimens out there to scout, but you won't exactly know who is the most skilled. That's where player info comes in. The more you scout a guy, the more info they give on the guy. If he has a lot of bad reports, he is fast and strong, but not skilled. The good thing is, you have a good chance of getting him in a later pick.
Tip: If a player is that physically great, but not skilled, pick him up anyway. Why? Potential. He can always get better at specialized skills like kick returning or throwing, but speed is not gained nor lost.
Once you can see the reports, it's all your judgements. Better players should have the bigger reports. But it's still all chance.
Chapter 4: Conclusion..
Simulate franchises and use my tips, and report back if they work or if there are any flaws to my program. If there is something I need to improve tell me also. From what I have done, all the trial and error, methinks... hell, meknows this can take a program like the Texans and turn it into a winning team over a long enough span of years ;)
Chapter 1: Signing and Releasing players
first of all, when signing anybody to your team, years are a lot more important than $$$
Base signings off of overall ratings and Age:
Rating: 95-100
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 7
6-10 years pro: 7
11-15 years pro: 5
15+ years pro: 3
Rating: 90-94
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 7
6-10 years pro: 7
11-15 years pro: 3
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:85-89
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 7
6-10 years pro: 3
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:80-84
Rookie years: 7
1-5 years pro: 5
6-10 years pro: 3
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:75-79
Rookie years: 5
1-5 years pro: 3
6-10 years pro: 3
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating:70-74
Rookie years: 3
1-5 years pro: 3
6-10 years pro: 2
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Rating: 69 and below
Rookie years: 1
1-5 years pro: 1
6-10 years pro: 1
11-15 years pro: 1
15+ years pro: 1
Explanation:
There is a thing called Cap penalties in this game, and they suck. You can't just release any guy on the team like you could do in the Psx generation Maddens. Plus, chances are that lower rated guys are the most likely to be released. So the low rated guys have to be set up with the shorter contracts.
Age has a lot to do with this system too. Through my years playing I have noticed something. The curve of improvement gets worse and worse the older a player is. This means contract signing has to be based off of potential too. A rookie who is 80 overall should get a longer contract than a 15 year vet who is 80 overall. Why? Because next year that rookie has a much better chance of improving. Not only that, they ask for a lot less money.
Tip: Look at where your signed player will be at the end of his contract, and that should spell to your how long you should sign him for. A 80 overall rookie in 7 years has the potential to be rated over 90... while a 13 year pro in 17 years most likely will be retired or as bad as in the 60's. Also, the contract stays solid til it's over, so that 90 overall guy could be making a lot less than he's worth (until a holdout happens, then there's a problem). Look at how much PT the guy you signed will be getting. If he is a key player sign him longer than a player that will sit the bench his whole career.
The is always an off season the comes along, and a guy has went down hill very far, and he is over paid, and has too many years left on his contract. Trust me when I say, Never release a player. The best way to get rid of these poison players is to trade them away for draft picks... which brings me to my next chapter.
Chapter 2: Successful Trading
Like I was saying, trade them for draft picks. One on one trades rarely work. Unless the guy is over 80 overall, don't expect not to be giving up more. Here is the simplest trade on my "Trade/Release" strategy:
Your team:
-Player who you don't want
-7th round draft pick
Team you are trading with:
-7th round pick
as simple as that, you released a guy without paying cap penalties. :)
Now, if your team is great, and you have a lot of Cap room, and you are looking for that special guy to fill that last position. And all of your great players are securely signed. Don't trade any players. Stick to using the draft picks again. Just take pick 1, 2, and 3 from your team and they should be the easy way out of giving up a great player in a trade.
Tip: If you are planning on making an even 1 on 1 trade of evenly rated players, weigh your side of the trade down with any two draft picks (6 and 7 preferred).
Chapter 3: Drafting tips
Madden 2003 features the hardest drafting for a Madden game ever. It all depends on pure luck. This is my system for the draft, it is FAR for full-proof, but it has brought in some beasts.
Step 1: Think about the positions you want players at. Write it down. Lets pretend that you need a QB, WR, HB, CB, and SS
Step 2: Go to those positions and get the top two people listed for expected first round picks. Then get one more guy who is listed in a round that you think is a realistic pick. (QB's tend to be listed as first rounders. That position would be one where you wouldn't want to just have the top 3 listed. Most other positions you should just do the top 3. Hit start and go to the next stage
Step 3 (where it gets confusing): At each of those positions, scout the fastest person and strongest person who is already a target at the position. If one guy is both, just scout that one guy. Then go out to the full list of players and get the fastest guy(s) at the needed position selected. Press start and go to next step.
Step 4: Go back to your targeted list. Then at each position, scout the players with the top cone running speeds and the highest verticals. Once again, if one person is both, just scout him. Then go back to the full list and get the strongest player at each needed position. Press start and that's the end of controlled scouting.
If things worked out perfect you should have 25-35 players scouted If you have more or less, you didn't go by my system correctly.
Now you must go over the list. You can view player information now. This will bring you to the part that doesn't make this plan full proof. You will now know who are the biggest physical specimens out there to scout, but you won't exactly know who is the most skilled. That's where player info comes in. The more you scout a guy, the more info they give on the guy. If he has a lot of bad reports, he is fast and strong, but not skilled. The good thing is, you have a good chance of getting him in a later pick.
Tip: If a player is that physically great, but not skilled, pick him up anyway. Why? Potential. He can always get better at specialized skills like kick returning or throwing, but speed is not gained nor lost.
Once you can see the reports, it's all your judgements. Better players should have the bigger reports. But it's still all chance.
Chapter 4: Conclusion..
Simulate franchises and use my tips, and report back if they work or if there are any flaws to my program. If there is something I need to improve tell me also. From what I have done, all the trial and error, methinks... hell, meknows this can take a program like the Texans and turn it into a winning team over a long enough span of years ;)