Being a coach means making a lot of important decisions in. Whether it’s dealing with injuries, signings, or allocating XP, every decision you make will influence your career. In Madden 17, Big Decisions will change your direction, and force you to find different approaches week in and week out.
Big Decisions: Season Goal
The first big decision you face is to set a season goal. Unlike many other titles, you set your own season goal, choosing whether you risk failure and potential sacking for that sweet extra experience point gain you get from tackling the harder objectives.
Big Decisions: Injuries
After coming back from an injury, players will take some time until they are fully fit. It is your choice whether you keep him sidelined or risk a potentially ending his season. Plus, giving that time to your injured star takes away XP that your back-up players could use to develop.
In game, there are new banners that highlight injured players, helping you to manage them. You will also get the opportunity to look at how your team fares “with and without” the injured player, with a neat comparison banner.
Big Decisions: Acquisitions
The new Acquisitions menu makes it easier than ever to pick up free agents and trade players. From this menu you will be able to browse for available players and compare them with your own. Position grades allow you to identify your weakest points at a glance, and immediately identify the players who could improve them. The commentators will even call out a new player if he does something impressive on the field.
Big Decisions: Re-Signing
Players with less than a year left on their contract can now be re-signed in a new, intuitive menu. Any information you might need is available to you, allowing you to make the right decision, whether that be to re-sign or release.
Big Decision: Spending XP
Every game and every training session earns your players experience points. Completing game goals, drive goals, fantasy goals, season goals, and career goals earn XP too, and it is up to you what traits you spend it on. When you play as a coach, you earn XP too, and you will be able to make upgrades with ease.
Big Decisions: Cutting Players
In the preseason, when you’re deciding who to keep and who to cut, your coaches will offer their recommendations based on player skills and position depth, allowing you to quickly make decisions and get your team ready for the oncoming season.
Big Decisions: Free Agent Bidding
In the off-season, as you attempt to strengthen your roster by signing free agents, you will have easy access to your depth chart, so you can make the right decision. You will also receive feedback from potential signings on how they view your contract, allowing you to readjust and land him. As happens in the real life free agency, top rated players will sign early, leaving teams scrapping over the lower tiers of players as they build their roster.
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