AALoA Changes

With the new features EA is rolling out, I'll be making a few changes to speed the franchise up.

Pre-Season 
It's gone. 
We'll be skipping it in full because A.) a handful of peeps abuse the no injury settings we implement and sub their starters back in after the 1st quarter to develop them quicker, B.) it saves us 4 days of games, and C.) we get a real practice mode to test different players and packages in our own time.

Season 1 will be skipped automatically to start thanks to the new Madden improvements. We'll use a mostly official roster (I need to move Shea McLellin from OLB to MLB for example). Season 2+ pre-seasons will just be simmed outright after the draft.

Contracts 
Offering 7 year contracts will be banned.  We never make it that far into a franchise to see the impact of users spamming long-term deals to fill their rosters.  Offering 6 year deals are tougher because some free agents do ask for them, but very few. I want to restrict them, it's just harder to monitor outside the honor system. I will probably allow 6 year deals to be offered, but only if the free agent in question is asking for it. A screenshot will be needed as proof prior to offering a contract.

No 1 year deals will be offered during Free Agency. The only 1 year deals allowed will be when applying a franchise tag, resigning your own players that ask for them, or signing players in-season.  Basically, we'll be operating under an honor system of offering +/- 1 year deals to what the players wants.  So if star QB Tim Tribow wants a 3 year deal, users will offer between 2 and 4 year deals.  If RB Cobie Ross wants a 4 year deal, users can offer between 3 and 5 years. If SS Javien Reese wants a 5 year deal, users can offer a 4 or 5 year deal.

4-3 vs 3-4 Defense
I spelled it out last year, and will make it an official part of the rules.  3-4 DE's must be 280+ lbs. Exceptions will only be allowed for real NFL players that have a specific player scheme/position type. Like Run Stuffing 3-4 DE (only a few exceptions will actually exist).  All fake/generated players will have to fit the size requirements regardless of the scheme they're labeled with since those are completely random at times.

Forced/Simmed Game Outcomes
As commish, I will now be able to force who wins a simmed game.  
Scheduling user games via the forum will be the sole decision making process in granting a win/loss if a game is not getting played. Screenshots of social media messages, texts, or the PS App will not be allowed.  The AALoA forum works on PCs, PS4s, and mobile devices just fine via desktop and mobile browsers.

This ability adds a couple of different elements as well.  We can try to force an all user team playoff field now that I can try to settle tie-breakers in the final couple of weeks between CPU games.  This also adds another form of punishment for rule-breakers separate from player suspensions and expulsion.

Let me know of any thoughts or concerns you may have. I feel this will balance things a bit more, while also shoring up any gray areas.

What's our stance on the new Extra point rules? I would imagine most would kick the 33-yd Extra Point but if a game is laggy or shitty weather I could understand going for 2. I know I'm definitely on the XP side but I'm conservative

Plusch24 wrote:What's our stance on the new Extra point rules?

Good question.  PATs are tough to regulate.  Do you have an idea of how to easily express when a team should go for 2 in a "sim style?"  Do we develop a standardized play-card like the NFL coaches routinely use? 

 I think it's a standard feature we just have to live with, unless we find certain plays that guarantee two points.  It's not like the surprise onside kick feature where there was no skill needed to recover it a couple years back.

While not a change, I want to point out my intention of using owner mode again. I know small market teams had a rough go of it in past years. EA is said to have balanced the lack of funds issues from past games.

You'll have to weigh whether it's worth taking a small market team if they're your favorite versus a big market team.

As it stands, there will be no relocation, unless Los Angeles is officially named during the franchise as the new home of the Chargers, Raiders, or Rams, and that owner has the money to move the team.

What about the ability to actually catch deep balls like Gods with aggressive catch.. Like 90% of the time.. Plus it's super easy to intercept as well..