Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2014 20:40:38 GMT -5
Originial post by Nevada_Ballin
Guidelines For A Successful Online CFM
As the Madden series continues to evolve around its Connected features, the world of Online Franchises has begun to gain a lot of momentum. Madden gamers who had never experienced the thrill of playing in a league have begun to gravitate towards the excitement of playing through a regular season schedule, get a playoff berth and hopefully win the Chip – not against the CPU – but against other Madden players. It’s 32 guys fighting for one end goal – winning the Chip.
I wanted to take some time to talk about what it takes to have a successful Online Franchise. The league I run here at maddentips.com, NGML, has been going on in one form or another ever since the PS2 days. Some years weren’t as good as others but overall, NGML has been credited by a lot of the members as one of the best leagues they’ve played in over the past couple of years.
Getting a league to a point where its members say something like that isn’t easy. As a commissioner, you will need a lot of dedication, patience, perseverance, free time and the ability to know what you can control and what you cannot control. As a member of a league, you will need much of the same.
Let’s start with the commissioner . The size of your league will determine how busy you will be. If you are leading a 32 person league the first thing you need to realize is that you aren’t going to please all of the members all of the time. And you aren’t a babysitter either. This is where having a cohesive and understood structure with set of rules becomes very important. It is also important to have a “go to” place on the internet where the commissioner and members have a place to communicate with each other.
COMMUNICATION – I can’t stress how important this is for a successful league. The formula I have for my league has worked extremely well. We have a forum section here on maddentips. We have an AIM Chat Group. I also gather everyone’s email address.
Your forum section will provide you a place to post up owner contact info, rules, trade blocks, signup/waiting list, trash talking and other league information that owners may want to check from time to time. This keeps you from answering questions like “What’s the 4th down rule?” 18 times a week.
When I have an important item to tell the league, typically I’ll send a mass email, post a message in the group chat and post a thread in the forum section. I draw the line at texting 31 different cell phones - but most people do get their email to the phones these days so the mass email message is a great way to directly communicate to all owners with one typing. Copy and paste that email text to the forum and in your group chat to make it easy on yourself.
The AIM Instant Messenger Group Chat feature has been the most fun and efficient for those who participate. I will be making it a requirement instead of an option in NGML this year. The ability to chat with the league members in real time is fantastic. Members find each other for games quicker, trade negotiations get wild, the trash talk levels up, members who broadcast games on TwitchTV will post their links at kickoff with the group is suddenly in spectator mode with comments and critique. It provides a “live” comraderie among the ownership that is very unique. And there is also a phone app for it.
Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have at least one place your league members can go to communicate with you and each other. If your league needs a forum spot, ask ZFarls here at maddentips if he can give your league some real estate in the forum’s League section.
RULES – Most people find Online CFM enjoyable because it is set up in a controlled environment. It’s up to you to decide what areas of the game will need rules. Very few leagues have an “anything goes, no holds barred” setup that isn’t any different than a Play Now game against random people. I recommend keeping your rules simple. Too many rules make for a lot of arguments amongst the ranks. Your rules should also be direct and concise. Try not to leave too much open for interpretation. Your biggest “trap” will be determining what is a “glitch” and what isn’t. You’ll have some people say “That play is a glitch, it should be banned” while the argument against it will be “there is a counter to it so it shouldn’t be banned”.
While some glitches are obvious, others will have points of contention. You may want to consider having your league members vote on something like that if it becomes an issue.
Some items that are standard for Rule Books are level of game play (All Pro, All Madden, Customized Sliders. Etc), minutes per quarter, how often each play week will be advanced, expectations of conduct (sportsmanship), no quitting in game, what to do if a game is disconnected during play, etc.
Another item you will need to address as a commissioner is what to do when one owner has been trying to contact another for a game but has not heard back. Last year, there were 2 options – put the unresponsive owner on Auto Pilot and let the other guy play the CPU …. or leave to the Sim Gods at advance. There will also be times when members just have conflicting schedules and the game simply cannot be played. It isn’t anyone’s fault, it’s just life itself. Do NOT let yourself get bamboozled by one owner to try to get a game against the CPU by saying he hasn’t heard from the other guy. Always follow up yourself with both owners when this is the case.
Some leagues will appoint 3 owners as a “Rules Panel”. Whenever an interpretation is needed on a complaint about an issue in-game involving the rules, the Rules Panel makes a determination instead of the commissioner.
ADVANCE DEADLINES – Something I believe strongly about is sticking to the schedule. If it’s stated that the league will advance every Wednesday and Saturday at 10pm PST then DO IT. Stick to it. Don’t waver. Don’t give an extra day extension because 2 guys can’t get on point to play their game. There should be very few exceptions to this rule. Last year, I extended for about 10 days because of Hurricane Sandy and rightfully so. But outside of something like that, make sure you are an iron fist when it comes to advancing. Also make sure your members KNOW you will not make exceptions. This makes you dependable and reliable. It’s part of your leadership role. The importance of keeping the league moving is utmost. It keeps everyone engaged. It’s the member’s responsibility to play their games on time. Do not let them hijack the schedule and screw up everyone else in the league.
There will come a point when your Madden league will run into 2 big roadblocks with advancing. These are solid exceptions though. Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s week. This is heavy family time for most people. I recommend having these periods as a week long play week for the schedule. Meaning one week to play one game.
OFF SEASON – Madden’s off season schedule can be very intense, involving many phases replicating a real NFL off season. From re-signing Free Agents before letting them hit the open market to Free Agency itself to the rookie Draft to preseason and cutting players, there is a lot to do. I recommend setting a schedule ahead of time for the entire offseason.
Typically I like to give owners 48 hours for each phase to do their owner tasks. Understanding that everyone has a life outside of Madden is important. You will always have some guys who can jump into the game right away and do their thing. Sometimes you will have a select few who will complain that the 48 hours is too long but they will get over it. If you are lucky, you may have ALL owners get through a phase (or even a play week) ahead of the set schedule. This will allow you to advance ahead of schedule but remember to notify ALL members that you have advanced and what the new deadline is, if there is one.
Let’s talk about being a member of a successful league. The members are the heart and soul of every league. The league exists because of you. It is the dedication and commitment of all the members that determines how successful a league is. Your commissioner is just a facilitator and administrator. YOU, as a team owner, are the ones who determine whether the ship sails or sinks. The following items are some general guidelines that will help the league and also help you get the most from your participation.
1. Before you join, check the rules. Be sure that the league plays in an environment you will enjoy.
2. Be sure you have the time to be in a league. More than ever before, Madden 25 will ask a lot of your time as a team owner. It isn’t just “find your opponent, play the game and wait until the next game”. There will be owner tasks, coaching tasks, practice tasks and possible player movements/injuries for you to deal with each play week.
3. When a play week opens for play, make the effort to find your opponent’s contact info and schedule a time to play. Don’t be a diva and think that the other guy should contact you. It’s a 2 way street. Both owners need to get on it. It’s always a good idea to follow up your contact info attempt with a console system message (PSN or XBL message) just for good measure.
4. Adhere to the rules and schedule set by the commissioner.
5. Understand that other team owners count on you to do your part each play week, just as you count on them to do theirs.
6. If you have an issue with the game or an opponent, bring it to the attention of your commissioner and the Rules Panel if you have one. Let him/them do the job and sort things out.
7. Play hard and have fun. Enjoy the crew in your league.
Guidelines For A Successful Online CFM
As the Madden series continues to evolve around its Connected features, the world of Online Franchises has begun to gain a lot of momentum. Madden gamers who had never experienced the thrill of playing in a league have begun to gravitate towards the excitement of playing through a regular season schedule, get a playoff berth and hopefully win the Chip – not against the CPU – but against other Madden players. It’s 32 guys fighting for one end goal – winning the Chip.
I wanted to take some time to talk about what it takes to have a successful Online Franchise. The league I run here at maddentips.com, NGML, has been going on in one form or another ever since the PS2 days. Some years weren’t as good as others but overall, NGML has been credited by a lot of the members as one of the best leagues they’ve played in over the past couple of years.
Getting a league to a point where its members say something like that isn’t easy. As a commissioner, you will need a lot of dedication, patience, perseverance, free time and the ability to know what you can control and what you cannot control. As a member of a league, you will need much of the same.
Let’s start with the commissioner . The size of your league will determine how busy you will be. If you are leading a 32 person league the first thing you need to realize is that you aren’t going to please all of the members all of the time. And you aren’t a babysitter either. This is where having a cohesive and understood structure with set of rules becomes very important. It is also important to have a “go to” place on the internet where the commissioner and members have a place to communicate with each other.
COMMUNICATION – I can’t stress how important this is for a successful league. The formula I have for my league has worked extremely well. We have a forum section here on maddentips. We have an AIM Chat Group. I also gather everyone’s email address.
Your forum section will provide you a place to post up owner contact info, rules, trade blocks, signup/waiting list, trash talking and other league information that owners may want to check from time to time. This keeps you from answering questions like “What’s the 4th down rule?” 18 times a week.
When I have an important item to tell the league, typically I’ll send a mass email, post a message in the group chat and post a thread in the forum section. I draw the line at texting 31 different cell phones - but most people do get their email to the phones these days so the mass email message is a great way to directly communicate to all owners with one typing. Copy and paste that email text to the forum and in your group chat to make it easy on yourself.
The AIM Instant Messenger Group Chat feature has been the most fun and efficient for those who participate. I will be making it a requirement instead of an option in NGML this year. The ability to chat with the league members in real time is fantastic. Members find each other for games quicker, trade negotiations get wild, the trash talk levels up, members who broadcast games on TwitchTV will post their links at kickoff with the group is suddenly in spectator mode with comments and critique. It provides a “live” comraderie among the ownership that is very unique. And there is also a phone app for it.
Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have at least one place your league members can go to communicate with you and each other. If your league needs a forum spot, ask ZFarls here at maddentips if he can give your league some real estate in the forum’s League section.
RULES – Most people find Online CFM enjoyable because it is set up in a controlled environment. It’s up to you to decide what areas of the game will need rules. Very few leagues have an “anything goes, no holds barred” setup that isn’t any different than a Play Now game against random people. I recommend keeping your rules simple. Too many rules make for a lot of arguments amongst the ranks. Your rules should also be direct and concise. Try not to leave too much open for interpretation. Your biggest “trap” will be determining what is a “glitch” and what isn’t. You’ll have some people say “That play is a glitch, it should be banned” while the argument against it will be “there is a counter to it so it shouldn’t be banned”.
While some glitches are obvious, others will have points of contention. You may want to consider having your league members vote on something like that if it becomes an issue.
Some items that are standard for Rule Books are level of game play (All Pro, All Madden, Customized Sliders. Etc), minutes per quarter, how often each play week will be advanced, expectations of conduct (sportsmanship), no quitting in game, what to do if a game is disconnected during play, etc.
Another item you will need to address as a commissioner is what to do when one owner has been trying to contact another for a game but has not heard back. Last year, there were 2 options – put the unresponsive owner on Auto Pilot and let the other guy play the CPU …. or leave to the Sim Gods at advance. There will also be times when members just have conflicting schedules and the game simply cannot be played. It isn’t anyone’s fault, it’s just life itself. Do NOT let yourself get bamboozled by one owner to try to get a game against the CPU by saying he hasn’t heard from the other guy. Always follow up yourself with both owners when this is the case.
Some leagues will appoint 3 owners as a “Rules Panel”. Whenever an interpretation is needed on a complaint about an issue in-game involving the rules, the Rules Panel makes a determination instead of the commissioner.
ADVANCE DEADLINES – Something I believe strongly about is sticking to the schedule. If it’s stated that the league will advance every Wednesday and Saturday at 10pm PST then DO IT. Stick to it. Don’t waver. Don’t give an extra day extension because 2 guys can’t get on point to play their game. There should be very few exceptions to this rule. Last year, I extended for about 10 days because of Hurricane Sandy and rightfully so. But outside of something like that, make sure you are an iron fist when it comes to advancing. Also make sure your members KNOW you will not make exceptions. This makes you dependable and reliable. It’s part of your leadership role. The importance of keeping the league moving is utmost. It keeps everyone engaged. It’s the member’s responsibility to play their games on time. Do not let them hijack the schedule and screw up everyone else in the league.
There will come a point when your Madden league will run into 2 big roadblocks with advancing. These are solid exceptions though. Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s week. This is heavy family time for most people. I recommend having these periods as a week long play week for the schedule. Meaning one week to play one game.
OFF SEASON – Madden’s off season schedule can be very intense, involving many phases replicating a real NFL off season. From re-signing Free Agents before letting them hit the open market to Free Agency itself to the rookie Draft to preseason and cutting players, there is a lot to do. I recommend setting a schedule ahead of time for the entire offseason.
Typically I like to give owners 48 hours for each phase to do their owner tasks. Understanding that everyone has a life outside of Madden is important. You will always have some guys who can jump into the game right away and do their thing. Sometimes you will have a select few who will complain that the 48 hours is too long but they will get over it. If you are lucky, you may have ALL owners get through a phase (or even a play week) ahead of the set schedule. This will allow you to advance ahead of schedule but remember to notify ALL members that you have advanced and what the new deadline is, if there is one.
Let’s talk about being a member of a successful league. The members are the heart and soul of every league. The league exists because of you. It is the dedication and commitment of all the members that determines how successful a league is. Your commissioner is just a facilitator and administrator. YOU, as a team owner, are the ones who determine whether the ship sails or sinks. The following items are some general guidelines that will help the league and also help you get the most from your participation.
1. Before you join, check the rules. Be sure that the league plays in an environment you will enjoy.
2. Be sure you have the time to be in a league. More than ever before, Madden 25 will ask a lot of your time as a team owner. It isn’t just “find your opponent, play the game and wait until the next game”. There will be owner tasks, coaching tasks, practice tasks and possible player movements/injuries for you to deal with each play week.
3. When a play week opens for play, make the effort to find your opponent’s contact info and schedule a time to play. Don’t be a diva and think that the other guy should contact you. It’s a 2 way street. Both owners need to get on it. It’s always a good idea to follow up your contact info attempt with a console system message (PSN or XBL message) just for good measure.
4. Adhere to the rules and schedule set by the commissioner.
5. Understand that other team owners count on you to do your part each play week, just as you count on them to do theirs.
6. If you have an issue with the game or an opponent, bring it to the attention of your commissioner and the Rules Panel if you have one. Let him/them do the job and sort things out.
7. Play hard and have fun. Enjoy the crew in your league.