| New Franchise Features! |
| Feature |
Information |
Restricted
Free Agents |
- Allow your players to test the restricted free agency. Be careful, don't meet their needs and you'll be looking for a new player come free agency.
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Preseason
Position
Battles |
- There can be two or even three players battling it out for their chance to start. If they win their spot and you choose not to play them, watch out you just might make the papers. Keep your players happy, if they win the position, let them play, or else.
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Player
Personalities |
- Players will react to everything that happens to them. If things don't go their way then they'll demand a trade. Usually only stars will complain about playtime but every once in awhile you'll get a player that you don't care whether you keep or release him. If a bad player is complaining, release him, you don't need a trouble maker lowering your teams prestige. However if you have a star receiver who's not getting the ball as often as he'd like, you're going to hear about it and you'll most likely have to start giving him the ball more.
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| Franchise Tags |
- Have a player that has no interest in rejoining your team? Want to make his life miserable and force him to stay? Well with the debut of franchise tags you can! Make sure those "bad year" stars or "wining" rookies stay on your team by tagging them and forcing them to stay.
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Realistic
Off-Season
Free Agency |
- Usually the players in madden only care about how much money you offer them. This is no longer the case. Players now look at a teams roster, prestige and many other things. So even if you dont have the money to sign a player, you may stil have a chance.
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| Weekly Gameplan |
- Not to sure who the key players are in your upcoming opponent? Wanna know who's on fire and who should be tightly covered? Well that's what your coordinators are for. Week by week they will give you information on your upcoming opponent and let you know how to beat them.
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| NFL Icons |
- Finally those all-star players make an impact on your teams performance. The top players are now considered to be NFL Icons. The Icons on your team will affect the desire for other players to want to be a part of your organization. Drop or trade an icon and be prepared for the worst. Your teams prestige and players' morales' will most likely drop big time. So do yourself a favor and hold onto your icons, unless of course they demand a trade. If that happens you're really in a bad way.
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| Franchise Practices |
- Well in past maddens the practice mode was only available on the main menu. Now you can practice with your franchise team. Get to know your rookies or newly acquired free agents. Find their strengths and weaknesses to better help you decide where they will play best. Have a kick returner competition to see who will be mastering the special teams this year. Have a qb controversy? Try them both out for size. Whoever you feel more comfortable with should be in the starting position. The roster battles are endless so try them for yourself in practice mode.
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Improved Team
Management |
- Well normally in madden the computer will keep their whole roster until seasons end where they test free agency and the rookie draft. Not anymore. Teams will now cut their slackers and sign some relief if need be. If I were you I would take a look at the free agent pool before the regular season starts. You may just miss your chance to add some depth if you dont.
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Name Team
Captains |
- Here's your chance to pick your leaders. Captains can be changed at the end of training camp every year. So pick your top 3 players, or maybe a veteran or two (ex.- Cardinals: Emmitt Smith). Picking icons as captains will no doubt help the teams prestige.
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| Rivalries |
- Well rivalry games are now here! The crowds usually sell out and are extra loud for these games. Usually anyone in your division is considered a rival. Sometimes these games can prove to be tough, so play your cards right or you might send your hometown crowd home very unhappy.
Note:This is a good time to have a fan appreciation day. You're only allowed one a year though, so if you know you're going to have homefield advantage in the playoffs save it for then.
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| Team Prestige |
- EAch team now has a prestige meter to track how well they're doing. Take a losing franchise and turn them into the gods of the NFL. The higher your teams prestige the more likely you are to have a sellout crowd and even impress some free agent players. If your prestige drops to low, its very unlikely that any big timers will want to join your team, you'll be stuck with no-names again. So watch your prestige and keep the team on its toes.
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In Season
Player
Progression |
- Sick of your players only being able to gain at the end of the season?? Well now you dont have to wait so long! Now your players progress after weeks 5, 11, 17 and during the playoffs. Ever lower the time/quarter for the playoffs just to get it over with? Well don't anymore! You're wasting precious time to improve your players. Turn a young rookie with mediocre stats to an NFL icon in one year! The decision is yours for the taking. Try not to have make any one player have to bad of a year or else their skills will drop leaving you looking for some help.
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| Improved Draft |
- Everyone can admit that the NFL Draft sequence in previous Madden's was pretty weak. Now it offers the realistic draft surrounding that you need. Draft trades, a time ticker, announcer and even a draft summary ticker at the bottom of all the action. See who's being drafted and keep a close eye on your prospects. If you like to take your time and see whos being drafted leave the draft speed at default. If you just wanna get it over with then kick up the speed and get through the draft.
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Change Player
Positions |
- Have 2 really good ROLB's? Wanna change one of them to a LOLB? Its now possible in Madden '05. Position changes are a huge part of the new franchise mode and will help to greatly improve your team. No more waiting until the off-season free agency just to get a good lineman or linebacker on the opposite side. Take your young backups and switch them over. Watch them progress and BAM you got yourself a star in the making.
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