Madden NFL 16 Features All-New Controls to Dominate Air Supremacy

[JKSportsGamer1984]

Quote: Originally Posted by shaunlmason

Did you know (I do because I dug into the data in the CFM site for a project I'm working on) that each player has a running style attribute? I'm not sure if they do anything in game, but they are there.

Really? Interesting.... I just hope they address the animations in the game. Adding interactions & giving more user control is a welcomed addition, but if they dont improve the animations & start to really differentiate how players animate to make them look like their real life counterparts (ala NBA 2K) then Madden will still be way behind the pack when it comes to sports games. It's year 3 into Next Gen so I'm expecting big things this year & not baby steps anymore.

[RACZILLA]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

Not directed at you specifically and I have no really strong opinions on user catching, but this most directly gets at what I think a lot of people are talking about in this thread - the focus on the user control at the potential expense of authenticity vs the focus on authenticity of the experience of user control. Madden NFL is a video game. Video games by definition have outcomes influenced by user interaction, and console games in particular are far more real-time action-oriented than PC games. To that end, any feature Tiburon considers adding probably has to impact directly how the user plays the game. The CPU is to use any tools that are added for the user to use in order to create a compelling single-player experience, but by and large the focus in the game mechanics will center on what the user is able to do with his button presses in a variety of contexts. If on the drawing board Madden is considering two implementations of a thing - one which is all non-interactive AI and one which the user can affect the result - I fathom to guess the thing which the user gets to influence is what gets implemented in the game, always. From the perspective of the average Madden player - the "casual gamer" I suppose - anything with user interaction adds more to the game than anything that doesn't. They don't have the eye for authentic WR/DB jostling and therefore don't notice and don't care. They see no new gameplay mechanics for the current year and thus the game is "just a roster update". They do know, however, that the Madden series to this point doesn't attempt making receivers dynamically attack an airborne football, so they switch players to do it themselves, and this requirement makes the experience more compelling and enjoyable to them. When they see new ways to interact with the game while controlling a receiver, there's something new to do, a new wrinkle in the game. There's immediate dividends, and the game is new and fresh. Basically, Tiburon's approach in Madden from my perspective is an action-oriented approach to the game of football. Under this paradigm, don't expect user catching to ever go away or even be deemphasized. To be honest, don't even expect a fleshed-out coach mode beyond the token implementation that already exists. Do, however, expect new gameplay mechanics for that component of the game if wide receivers and defensive backs are indeed a focal point for this year's game. Do also expect the AI to use the tools that are added for the user to use, and do complain loudly when they don't (for example, the user can steer blocks as a defensive lineman in Madden NFL 15 depending on player ratings, while the AI never attempts to do this; this is a problem and Tiburon should fix this). Do not expect Tiburon to focus on something solely for the sake of improving the authenticity of the game (the exception possibly allowed being the offensive line because the user never has control over that) if the something in question doesn't directly impact how the average person interacts with the game and influences the outcome. And to be clear, I'm not making a judgment on whether Tiburon's approach is good or bad, right or wrong - opinions certainly vary, I have mine, you all have yours. Rather I'm attempting to explain what I observe as their approach to developing the game as objectively as I can. Until this creative direction doesn't return multi-millions of sales and widespread media critical praise for Tiburon, don't expect their approach to change and spend your money and attention accordingly.

I don't know that those two things have to be mutually exclusive (though maybe sometimes when it comes to implementation in sports games they can be).

The best outcome is when you get a gameplay feature that allows you enhance realism by way of more control rather than control taking you out of a realistic experience.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's easy to do.

[RACZILLA]

Quote: Originally Posted by JKSportsGamer1984

Really? Interesting.... I just hope they address the animations in the game. Adding interactions & giving more user control is a welcomed addition, but if they dont improve the animations & start to really differentiate how players animate to make them look like their real life counterparts (ala NBA 2K) then Madden will still be way behind the pack when it comes to sports games. It's year 3 into Next Gen so I'm expecting big things this year & not baby steps anymore.

This would be really nice to see. There was a little work done in Madden NFL 07 along these lines that I wished we'd seen progress. Mostly on making some distinction between running backs for that game. Would be cool to see more varied throwing motions for QBs, etc.

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by shaunlmason

Did you know (I do because I dug into the data in the CFM site for a project I'm working on) that each player has a running style attribute? I'm not sure if they do anything in game, but they are there.

The running attribute also displays on the draft prospects screen. Go all the way to the right and you will see everyone has running attribute "0."
When I saw it I could not help to shake my head. Pretty sure it is a holdover from back when they did slightly vary running animations. Rebuilt the code from the ground up my ***

[dsk1317]

Quote: Originally Posted by shaunlmason

Remember that air supremacy is the end result of winning a conflict.

You nailed it! We have no idea how this is going to impact the game, period. Ratings will still impact the outcome, and that's with user interaction. We SHOULDN'T assume the A.I. has not been improved based on that one little snippet of marketing.

[oneamongthefence]

I have a feeling it will be the same passing but with a modifier. Holding down L2 will add another degree in which you can alter your passing trajectory or speed.

[shaunlmason]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

The running attribute also displays on the draft prospects screen. Go all the way to the right and you will see everyone has running attribute "0." When I saw it I could not help to shake my head. Pretty sure it is a holdover from back when they did slightly vary running animations. Rebuilt the code from the ground up my ***

They are still in there, just likely haven't been assigned at that point. I pulled 25 players out of my database to show you.

PHP Code:

{ info: { name: { first: "Jimmy", last: "Graham" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 12 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Joe", last: "Thomas" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Tyron", last: "Smith" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Solomon", last: "Henry" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 1 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Trent", last: "Williams" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Greg", last: "Robinson" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Mike", last: "Iupati" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Alex", last: "Mack" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Von", last: "Miller" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 15 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Jadeveon", last: "Clowney" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 3 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Aldon", last: "Smith" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Robert", last: "Quinn" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 15 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Nick", last: "Fairley" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Geno", last: "Atkins" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "J.J.", last: "Watt" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Muhammad", last: "Wilkerson" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Marcell", last: "Dareus" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Gerald", last: "McCoy" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Justin", last: "Houston" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 15 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Khalil", last: "Mack" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 3 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "NaVorro", last: "Bowman" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Immanuel", last: "Alva" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 1 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Patrick", last: "Willis" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Lavonte", last: "David" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 5 } }
{ info: { name: { first: "Joe", last: "Haden" } }, ratings: { runningStyle: 3 } } 


[Fist Of Kings]

It was revealed by pastapadre months back that they were going to finally address wrs not fighting for the football in madden 16. Personally, I'm tired over waiting for ea's yearly gimmicks, giving us football in parts, instead of doing what other sports games have done by delivering a full, high quality game.

Something as basic as a wr going up to catch a football shouldn't be a game's selling point in this day and age.