**NFL Head Coach 09 Developer Q&A Thread**

[Jistic]

Thanks for taking questions Josh.

I had heard that we can only do 15 seasons? Is that true?

[Blazelore]

You mentioned that there would be roster updates. Will this apply to our current coaching tenure. Meaning during the middle of us playing or would we have to start again in order to utilize it? You still didn't address if there would be future capability with Madden.

[mvb34]

Is there a weekly practice and game planning during the season? Thanks for stopping by!!

[Steve_OS]

Great stuff Josh! Much appreciated!

[JRod]

Quote: Originally Posted by Josh_Looman

Yes. Each coach has his own unique playbook and philosophies that match that style of play. If a college coach who runs the option comes into the NFL, he's going to want a fast QB to run his offense. The other cool thing is that when a coach leaves a team for a new job (which ambitious personality type coaches will do), he will take a piece of his old team's playbook with him and he spreads that around the league. And...CPU teams will download plays that the community creates and use those in their playbooks against you. The first time I saw that in-game was a great feeling. It's almost like a Spore like feature in a sports game. And...at the end of every game, as long as you have good coordinators, you will be able to steal plays from their playbook that they successfully ran against you. That way you can grab some of the cool plays other teams are running with.

Thanks for answering...

Just a follow-up, How else does the CPU design their playbook for their talent.

Let's take for example the 07 Patriots. They acquired Moss and used him deep. But their coaching battery stayed relatively the same. If an AI team acquires a huge star like Moss, do they add plays to highlight that player?

Could you talk a little bit how the CPU downloads plays from the community? Maybe give us the nuts and bolts how the CPU decides what plays will work?

[bcruise]

Hi! I'm really liking the new approach EA is taking this year with getting in touch with the community.

My question is one that's raised a bit of a red flag for me in the first few videos that have come out. In the gameplay videos I've seen with the accelerated clock, after a play the play clock runs normal while the game clock speeds up for about 20 seconds. This would make it very easy to kill off a huge amount of clock (over a minute!) between plays, barring timeouts. I'm concerned about the AI being able to kill off the last two minutes of the game in two plays, or similar such situations. Is this a bug, and if so, can it be fixed?

If not a bug, I can understand the purpose for it - to give the user plenty of time to make their adjustments, which does make sense. If that's the case, and it is not a bug, can the accelerated game clock at least be turned off? I don't mind going another year with lowering the quarter length to compensate for the quick snap, but not being able to turn off that uber-accelerated clock would be a problem...

Thanks, looking forward to the game!

[Ninjoid]

Heroic effort in answering my questions Josh - the answers that you've given to all of our questions just make me more pumped for the game, and I'm sure the rest of the guys feel the same. Spelling and grammar seemed spot on to me to! ;-)

Pity about the cpu v cpu games, but I'm glad you like the idea and that it could make a future version of the game (fingers crossed). I really think it would add even more depth to the game (not that it's deep enough already of course!)...viewing a game will give you an idea of other team's tendencies along with being able to view games you're not involved in. For example when you're playing on a Sunday you wouldn't really be able to watch those games irl as you're busy coaching but the ability to 'watch' those games later would I think be beneficial, just like a scouting tape. Again, with the playoffs, that would be awesome as irl you would watch these games in realtime (unless you're really upset following a poor season and have locked yourself away) on tv. Alternatively you could be picked up by a network and provide guest analysis to their broadcast - hypothetically of course!

Loving the fact that the CPU will actually sporn plays from the community and learn from you - that is great stuff.

A few further questions for you if I may :-

1. Regarding the graphics, is there any difference between the 360 & PS3 version? ie. framerate etc?

2. You may not be able to answer this one Josh but I'll pose it anyway. From what I've read coming back from last week's community event it's look like HC09 won't be getting a PAL release. I can sort of understand this with this being a 'market tester' for want of a better word for future version. Given the success of management sims in Europe/Australia etc I think EA should really consider making the title region free therefore allowing people to import the title - that way there would be more sales. I'm in the fortunate position that I own a PS3 so that console is region free and I can import titles to the UK. However, there are a lot of 360 owners who won't have the same opportunity as the PS3 owners. I'm not sure as to what is involved into making the 360 title region free but I'm sure it would benefit everyone if this was the case. More sales for EA, more happy Europeans and Aussies!! and more chance for a future version.

3. On the play now option do we have the ability to play 1P v 2P (so I can play my son) or with the menus/play calling screens is this not possible?

4. Hot & Cold streaks during the season - variable player form based possibly upon a consistency rating? Is this in?

Thanks again for your time Josh, I know I and all the rest of the guys appreciate the interaction. If it can help to make the game better in any way then everyone benefits. I'm so looking forward to the PS3 version landing in August with my Madden Special Edition (via snail mail across the Atlantic). Great stuff.
Mark

[Step2001]

Josh

How many College players will available in the draft? I ask because of the ability to sign undrafted rookies.
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Down the road do you see adding compensataion draft picks?
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Are we still going to see the CPU teams drafting heavy at certain positions even though they are set at the position?
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Trading in the draft, is this based on the "Value Chart"?
Thus ruling out of a CPU trade accepting a 30+ year old player for a #1 pick, heck a pick in the first 3 rounds!
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How realistic is the Salary Cap?
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Will coaches up and leave a meeting when there suggestions are not acted upon?
Last time I looked, it's the Head Coach who arse is on the line.
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Will QB coaches insist on you starting your 3rd string QB over your Pro Bowl QB?
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Are there mass player sub packages for Offense and Defense?
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Can we resign coaches (extend their contracts) during the season?
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After an injury, lets say a QB. If you sign one off the street will his overall be at it's lowest point based on not knowing the offense?
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Any player should not be signed off the street and be able to come in and start for a team. (unfamiliar with the playbook, conditioning etc. etc.)
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How does the Injury system work?
Do we have a training staff? Do we get a update on injuries after the game or on Monday?
Will some injuries during the game be labeled as "Will get an M.R.I. on Monday"?
Will a player heal enough during the week to have a chance to play? Will the training staff chime in with their opinion on whether or not the player should play?
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After a successful season will assistant coaches get better job opportunity offers from other teams?

When a coach leaves, will he take coaches off your staff?

When an assistant leaves, what is the interview process like with adding a new coach?

Will some coaches be loyal and stay? Can we offer them more cash or increased job responsibilities?

Will the G.M. leave for a better opportunity with another team? Will he raid your coaching staff?

Can scouts get hired away at season end?

Is negotiating a deal with a coach as difficult as dealing with a player? Will the coaches look at the schemes and talent to see if they fit your team before signing?
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What are the practice sessions like? DO we only get to run 20 plays in a session a day during week?

Will all players study film? Is this something we as coaches have to tell them to do?
Obviously this should increase the players readiness for the upcoming game.
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Are practice squads something your looking to add in the coming years?
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[georgiafan]

Can you change quarter length ?

In the first game it had the 25 greatest coaches of all time and allowed you to move up the ranks. Is that in in this years game ?

I haven't heard anything about player ratings ranges like was in the first game. Is that still around or is it a flat number.

One of the best things about the first game was all the player ratings (espically at QB). It really allowed me to find a guy that fit my system. Can you tell me if they are any new player ratings? Or they the same as madden 08 ?

Are they draft bust/gems? I know in madden last year they was suppose to be in, but I never saw any. It would be real cool to draft the next ryan leaf even though it would hurt my team.

Will you be able to go back and look at draft results after your several years into the season. This way I could see what mistakes I made.

How doess the scouting work ? In madden scouting players seems useless and in the first HC all the players reset at the end of the year and I lost everything I gained from scouting.

Has the turnovers been turned down? The past few EA games seems to have way to many interceptions

Will it be easy to rip the CPU off in trade like in madden ?

Will they be formation subs ?

Will the PS3 run at 60 FPS ? or will that not matter since you don't control the players

Will the clock run like normal while using supersim ? In NCAA/ madden that wasn't the case.

Can you tell what college your ficitonal player went to school at? In the first game you couldn't.

How is player progression?

[ForeverYoung]

Will this game be released in Europe?