Reforming Player XP in Madden Franchise Mode

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
The way XP works in Madden has been somewhat frustrating for the past couple of years. Overall I think the game does a decent job of dishing out XP and, especially with adjusted XP sliders and game planning, you can do a pretty good job of building up your key players. However, there are still things that don't make a ton of sense and some positions are still much more difficult to improve than others. Here are some thoughts I had on how the XP system could be improved for Madden 18. Feel free to post any suggestions that you have as well!
  • Give out XP per snap played - Something small like 5 XP per snap played would only result in about 200-300 XP per player, per game which is less than one awareness point in most cases. However, it would incentivise users to get their young backups in games, especially in blowouts and on special teams, and allow you to build them up through game experience which in many ways replicates real life.
  • Streamline season performance XP - I have a 27-year-old TE who gets 3,712 XP if he gets over 65 catches in a season yet have a 25-year-old WR who only gets 1,400 XP for 1,500 receiving yards. The WR has quick dev while the TE has normal. That just doesn't make sense. It should be easier for me to build up the younger receiver with quick dev than the older TE with normal dev. I'd like to see these be more streamlined. In 2016, six NFL receivers had over 1,200 yards receiving while nine TEs had at least 65 catches. This goal should be 1,200 yards for the receiver and the XP (probably 2,000-2,5000) should be about the same or a little higher for the WR. I'm ok if the dev trait only effects the game planning but at least make the goals comparable across all positions.
  • Completely overhaul o-line XP - I have a 23-year-old LT with the following season goals: 3200 team passing yards - 116 XP, 3,600 - 232 XP, 4,200 - 5,568 XP, 4,800+ - 14,848 XP. What's the point of even having the 3,200 and 3,600? That amount of XP for a season is almost useless. I'd like to see the tiers maybe be 2,000 XP as the base and then something like 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000. If a young OT played 50 snaps a game with my above system and his team threw for 3,600 yards he would get 8,000 XP. That's enough for a couple blocking rating points (maybe 3-4) and a few AWR points. That seems about inline with what a young, average offensive lineman should get.
  • Adjust game planning XP - Obviously with more of an emphasis on game and season XP, game planning XP would have to be adjusted as to not overpower certain players or positions. I like the three featured players and the extra XP for quick and superstar dev. I think it should maybe be adjusted for all players to get 100 extra XP for normal, 200 for quick and 300 for super star. Even if a superstar player is used as one of the three featured players every week, that's only 6.300 XP for the season (including bye week and preseason). A super star player who hits a mid level goal and plays 50 snaps a game would get about 14k XP for the season if he was a focus player each week. For some positions, Like WR or DB, that's an insane amount. For others, like OL, TE and FB, that's just about right. Obviously, streamlining XP for all positions to keep it balanced would be necessary. There would also need to be an emphasis on reducing the game planning XP that all players get as snaps would now be more important. There should still be some small benefit of practice, maybe 100 XP per player, but game usage should probably be the focus for developing young players.
  • Streamline XP costs across all players - For my 25-year-old, 75 OVR WR it costs me 969 XP to upgrade his 86 route running and 86 release while it costs 1,881 to improve his 82 catch and 2,009 to improve his 83 catch in traffic. Meanwhile, my 25-year-old RT costs 3,187 to improve his 85 run block and 1,524 to improve his 82 impact blocking. While we could debate how much more important CTH is in game vs RLS and RTE, I don't think it's twice as important. It's much too easy to make guys great route runners and guys who get off the press, but extremely hard to improve their catching. I agree that RTE and RLS are skills that can be taught better than hands, but not twice as easy. I'd like to see RTE and RLS be closer to CTH and maybe CTH and CIT traffic being slight easier than now. On the flip side, one could argue that RBK for an OT is similarly important to CTH for a WR, so why is it nearly twice as expensive? Again, we need a better correlation between positions. Skills that are equally important across positions should be similar in cost as well as each player being able to acquire similar amount of XP for similar contributions to the team.
  • Completely overhaul milestone/award XP - This is probably the area that seems the least practical to me. Some milestones, like making a Pro Bowl, are reasonable with an 8,000 XP reward while others, like a 1,500 yard season or 12 TDs get only 1,000 XP. Typically, a 1,500 yard season and/or 12 TDs will probably get you to the Pro Bowl. We're kind of double-dipping there a bit while giving much less to solid but unspectacular players. Again, I'd like to see these milestones lowered to be more reasonable like 1,000-1,2000 yards and 8-10 TDs with a 2,000 XP bonus. Yes, the Pro Bowl player would get even more XP, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Especially if the key attributes are more balanced and you can't increase some over 90 while others are in the low-80's and high-70's.
  • Improve injury XP significantly - It is WAY too easy to build up a player's injury rating and toughness this year. Typically, if a player is injury prone, he stays injury prone. A good medical staff and a hard working player can probably reduce it to a large degree. However, it shouldn't be anywhere near as easy as it is to improve INJ and TGH right now. My recommendation would be around 1,500 XP for each. If a team wants to commit to helping a player stay on the field longer, they can, but they shouldn't be able to turn an injury-prone, 75 INJ player into a durable one in one year (with over 90 INJ) like they can now.
  • Streamline trait costs - I think things like the dev trait are just about right. It takes quite a bit to improve them which it should. Its rare that a guy with normal development becomes a superstar but it's possible with a breakout season and a good deal of focus by his team. However, other traits are much too easy to add on to all or most of your players (even veterans). Things like discipline, cover ball, big hitter, pass rush moves, etc are usually like 1,200-2,400 to improve. Even clutch (although you probably can't find 5 people to agree on what it actually does and if it actually works) is usually around 3,500. These should all be significantly more expensive. Clutch is something that can't really be taught (much like work ethic ie development). Unless it just plays a very minor role in the game (which should be improved if so) then it should be about as costly as an improved dev trait to acquire. Things like cover ball and discipline can certainly be taught, but it should take more than 2-3 weeks of focus to do it. Discipline should probably be around 5-6k XP while cover ball should be tiered at say 2,500-3,500-5,000-7,500. As we've seen with guys like Adrian Peterson, they can have years where they don't fumble as much, but its really hard to turn a player who fumbles often (or one who commits a lot of penalties) into one who doesn't.
As I mentioned earlier, I think the bones of this system are good and it does a decent job overall of accomplishing what it sets out to. However, there are far too many inconsistencies in both cost and acquisition of XP. Fixing/streamlining those would go a long way in improving the user's CFM experience and long term enjoyment within the mode.

What do you guys think? Anything I'm missing? Any other ideas I may not have considered?
 
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dspbuckle

All-Star
Scenario: You have a real franchise QB. Perhaps this is defined by his stats (games played, win ratio, consecutive years played, ect ect) who gets solid XP boosts via Pro Bowls and playoff appearances and such. This being true, the bench rider that you have should get a bump in his traits per week he is under his wing. Maybe not his accuracy or throwing power since you don't learn that. Perhaps his awareness, convincing playa action or elusiveness could get a bump. Then you could have the next Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young, ect ect.

Although that doesn't seem to do much for Tom Brady backups haha.
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
That's an interesting idea. I think a lot of that has to do with coaching though and would be effected by coach traits. I like the line of thinking though. It's definitely hard to develop backups like that in thyou game currently
 

georgiafan

Hall of Famer
Strength is one thing that should be easier to upgrade unless it's changed this past year as in real life that's easier for a player to improve on
 
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majesty95

Admin
Staff member
Strength is one thing that should be easier to upgrade unless it's changed this past year as in real life that's easier for a player to improve on in real life

Its pretty hard and expensive. I don't have a huge issue with it but you are right, its probably not as difficult to improve in real life. Although, I'm not sure NFL players improve drastically in that area these days. I think its like 5-6k which makes it possible to upgrade but difficult without a ton of XP in a year.
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
Look at Mack from rookie year to 2nd year. BIG CHANGE!

We've had that in here. Ezekiel Elliott went from like 82 to 91 in one season. I think Fowler, Jr. did too. Youb get a ton of XP if you make the Pro Bowl, win ROY and win best player at your position.
 

dspbuckle

All-Star
I meant in real life relating to the debate of strength XP being too hard/expensive to obtain. I imagine in the game if you had X amount to spend you could have to either use it on Y or on Z but maybe not both. In real life Mack got YACKED from rookie to sophomore year and probably learned a lot too. I doubt he had to choose between getting jacked and honing his discipline or technique.

You shouldn't have to relate on probowls to get stronger, but It is a game though so the reward based system of probowlsbonuses may make more sense in the gaming world. The game may just need more ways to obtain a reward xp bonus than a "real life" counterpart that "makes sense."

Does being the week leader in anything give extra XP? Or league leader? Cooper was a top WR last year (I think lead in TD's) and I think he got me a probowl bonus, but nothing for leading TD's. I would have to check though, do not quote me on that as I do not know.
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
You just have to be careful giving out too much XP otherwise guys can become severely overrated. Its not a perfect system. But not all guys add significant strength. And getting shredded doesn't necessarily equate to functional strength on the field. Mack has graded evenly each of his three years yet had fewer sacks this year. Did he get stronger? Did getting stronger slow him down? I think it's enough of a question that makes ti too complex to really focus on too much. If you want to add a couple of strength points for 5k XP each, you can, but its pretty rare that a player gets significantly stronger as far as functional football strength. And, typically, stronger typically means tighter muscles and less speed and agility. That would be incredibly difficult to simulate in the game I would think.
 

dspbuckle

All-Star
Be careful giving too much XP: Agreed.

Mack & less sacks: who knows, could even be a function of more double teaming, players role, ect ect.

Either way, a better reward system with clearer goals taken out of a more RPG-esque may be the solution. I like the season goals and weekly goals but some times the drive goals are out of whack. I'm trying to win, not focus on getting the ball to my TE for 80 yards this drive lol (exaggeration). Overall the drive goals got better from 17 to 18 as far as more realistic drive goals related to the drive situation. I assume they will get better next year as things get better fine tuned. I'm sure EA is treating this a test, adjust and revise as needed each year. They're doing great!

On that note: I SUGGEST the season goals be adjusted in regards to the length of the game. If we are playing 10min quarters then Carr should have to throw X% less yards at season's end to meet the goals which if they based on a full 15 minute quarter. I'm not sure if that's how it is now, but I believe it is set up to a default. I can actually think of a few items that should be more dynamic to the length of quarter in the season that are unrelated to XP.

- Hugo
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
Yes, season goal should be scaled. We play 12 mins to try and replicate real life but most leagues play 7-8 min quarters. If you're only getting 45 players per game, you shouldn't have to reach goals based on 60+ plays. I also agree with drive goals. I think they should do away with them. Let us focus on game and season goals not affecting individual drives.
 

dspbuckle

All-Star
Maybe not totally do away with them. Just make them more generic and allow the player to accomplish them in the manner they feel is best. Like the ones that are "force a turn over" or "allow less than 20 rush yards" VS "blitz 3 times" that do not allow for creativity.
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
True. I don't have an issue with small bonus like get a 1st down and rush 3 times, etc. The force a pass to x receiver 3 times and stuff is pointless to me though. If there were player personalities that had an effect where they would lose confidence or motivation it may be one thing but I'm not sure I'd want an arbitrary system like that affecting my team.
 

majesty95

Admin
Staff member
Another thing as I'm looking at this, its almost too easy to build up young players. Its very hard to get a true bust because so many of the ratings are 250-350 to improve when they are young. I wouldn't mind seeing this bumped up a little, especially if goals are normalized a little better and overall XP is somewhat easier to acquire though gameplay and stats.
 

Duv49ers

Starter
Instead of drive goals. Should get XP based on game goals based on gameplay planning.
Give extra XP if reached a certain goal if facing an Top 5 run defense or pass defense. And same thing for defense vs an Top 5 run/pass offense. (and little less extra XP for Top 10 offense/defense).
 

BigTexas18

Hall of Famer
Injury is huge for me. Making injury harder to upgrade could affect different aspects of the game. The obvious which is the player having more missed time due to injury, but also like free agent signings. I gave Lockett a big contract. Great WR with speed to blow the top off the defense, plus just a great all around receiver. Mindset being, just need to up his injury and we're good. Which is what I did. Now if injury was harder, that could affect signing some guys. Do I want to pay this guy if he's injury prone and will just get hurt? More decisions to be made!
 
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