Madden 23 Beta Impressions (Very, Very Early Edition)

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by canes21

I'm pretty sure the walkup was removed because they had some serious issues with the player pathing and locomotion once they moved to True Step or whatever its successor was. You'd get the linemen doing some odd sidesteps to get into position, QBs and TEs would sometimes take multiple steps in slow motion essentially that would literally force the user or CPU to not be able to snap the ball for 5 or so seconds longer than needed. They really did mess the system up and it had legit issues. Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

The primary reason the huddle break and walk up was removed was to speed up the game and reduce dead times between live-ball moments.

In my anecdotal experience, the wall clock duration of my games of Madden (with 10 minute quarters or longer) is roughly ten minutes shorter since this change was made, compared to Madden games I played before M20.

That’s not to say there weren’t ugly pathing issues, and surely making the game look better by removing those instances was a secondary motivation (I think Tiburon even said as much), but the primary reason was to make the game play faster.

[canes21]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

The primary reason the huddle break and walk up was removed was to speed up the game and reduce dead times between live-ball moments. In my anecdotal experience, the wall clock duration of my games of Madden (with 10 minute quarters or longer) is roughly ten minutes shorter since this change was made, compared to Madden games I played before M20. That’s not to say there weren’t ugly pathing issues, and surely making the game look better by removing those instances was a secondary motivation (I think Tiburon even said as much), but the primary reason was to make the game play faster.

This is me putting on the tinfoil hat a bit, but I feel they did want to speed the games up, and the issues they had with the walk ups after the locomotion change gave them an opportunity to remove them. And instead of saying we can't even get walk ups done right, they just said it was all about speeding the game up.

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[TheBleedingRed21]

Quote: Originally Posted by Playmakers

No disrespect man but this line of thinking is strictly why EA continues to eliminate small details of gameplay. As the previous guy stated he just wants the option to have it be turned on or off. Right now there's no option for us. For those who prefer ref's on the field, players breaking the huddle and walking up to LOS or even bad snaps doing a game make it optional for the USER. Right now it's EA's way or the highway and way too often they get the backing of guys saying "It doesn't bother me because after a few games I hardly notice it anymore". The sad part is all those things mentioned are actually apart of what you see on Sundays in the NFL regardless if you prefer to see it or not. I'm with Armor & Sword on this they have taken things away from us slowly each and every year. Now I'm not going to say I won't buy Madden because I'm huge Football fan and right now Madden is the only option we have to play a football game. I'm guilty of still buying the product despite it's issues but again for those of us enjoy the sport we can't go somewhere else and play.

None taken man. That’s how the game industry works right now, is what it is. I’ve learned to understand that over the years and while it sucks, it’s made me be able to enjoy the game more honestly. I promise my line of thinking isn’t going to influence EA one way or the other. That’s the $$$ that does that. To be fair, I would argue that you continuing to buy the game does more harm than my words.

It really comes down to resources and priority, this is how game development works, especially when you are on an annual cycle. I would love to have all the options, all the features, as I said earlier, that’s not how it works though.

[TarHeelPhenom]

The main reason the walk up would be good to have in the game is to give the User more time to make Pre-snap adjustments against the CPU. As it stands now, your fingers have to be as fast as Usain Bolt's legs were in his prime to do anything before they snap the ball.

[RGiles36]

Quote: Originally Posted by PVarck31

Not that I'm saying it shouldn't be in, or other little things as well, but I am betting the walk to the line thing was removed because 90% or more just hit the button and had the linemen run to the line.

Agreed. “TheWatcher” and myself campaigned for the developers to add the walk-to-the-line animations during the M10 Community Day. And they got it in there that dev cycle which was sweet. I give that little bit of background to say even as someone who’s pushed for it in the past, I don’t miss it. I certainly have hated when they’ve stripped broadcast presentation elements out over the years but this one they got right IMO.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Removing the player walk to the line made it really tough to get through any significant # of defensive audibles. Online that can be a huge pain. If they could make audibles "sticky" from play to play I wouldn't complain as much.

[VoltSwoosh]

Quote: Originally Posted by Americas Team

Good preview but the broadcast presentation is the worst I've seen in a major sports game. Way too many transition wipes. Pre game you only get to see the stadium exteriors for a second before you're hit with a wipe, there is a ton of pre game wipes, can't even enjoy the atmosphere. Timeout wipe, field goal wipe, 2min warning wipe, Team celebration wipe, quarter end wipe. No post game replay collage and no player of the game. Madden presentation leaves a lot to be desired. The game presentation has a fast pace flow. In the future I'd like them to add different presentation types like MLB The Show. Madden's presentation is currently Hybrid, they need a Full Broadcast presentation type that has everything even the refs, chain gang, sidelines commentators,etc.

The splash screen wipes are one of my biggest gripes. Not sure who thought they were a good idea every 30 seconds but it’s like something off the ps2. They are always ugly and a waste of time. Madden 16 on ps4 doesn’t have them as bad and it’s a much better experience.

For ex. Call a time out and it shows the crowd and slowly goes black like it’s going to a commercial break, in madden 22, it shows the wipe splash screen with TIMEOUT written in a huge ugly font.

They need to kill off the splash screens in most cases. Bring back the TV broadcast feel. Oh wait, that’s not what UT players want so we get a glorified Madden Mobile type presentation.

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheBleedingRed21

None taken man. That’s how the game industry works right now, is what it is. I’ve learned to understand that over the years and while it sucks, it’s made me be able to enjoy the game more honestly. I promise my line of thinking isn’t going to influence EA one way or the other. That’s the $$$ that does that. To be fair, I would argue that you continuing to buy the game does more harm than my words. It really comes down to resources and priority, this is how game development works, especially when you are on an annual cycle. I would love to have all the options, all the features, as I said earlier, that’s not how it works though.

I totally get it too. I simply play what I love. I was an enthusiastic supporter of Madden 21 and on release I was in love with Madden 22 despite the almost complete removal of penalties. 1-3 flags a game is simply unacceptable.

At least in Madden 21 I was able thru sliders to trigger holding, facemasks, DPI, offsides, false starts and the now famous illegal block in the back (where I would suspend reality and pretend some were holding calls).

All that was severely nerfed. Couple that with the nerfing of Next Gen Player Movement 2.0 and it became crystal clear to me……it’s over for offline simulation players like me (not everyone I only speak for myself) to really enjoy a game of realistic football.

It is not what the vast majority of Madden players want. They listen to that majority.

They even gave their rational for the virtual removal of penalties triggering at a realistic rate. Flags are a huge part of football…..and in a 15 minute per quarter game of Madden I was seeing almost nothing game after game after game.

But Madden 22 was so good OOTB I still found a lot of joy and was head deep into my 32 team manifesto franchise and I really was sinking my teeth into the new scenario engine, weekly game preparation and gave a lot of feedback to a developer who hangs but does not post on OS on tuning the fatigue system which was bugged due to CPU logic being flawed with assigning practice reps incorrectly after week 8. They eventually patched a viable logic fix…..but then update 1.7 hit and the rest was history for me.

I have never been one to be an alarmist….but after sinking in 120 plus hours into Madden 22, it was a major gut punch how they fundamentally changed the speed and movement of the game from beta to retail to that mid point in the cycle.

I can’t jump in with blind faith anymore on Madden.

I will play the 10 hour trial. Why not? I have EA Play.

But even if I love it…..I will wait a long while and see how the patch cycle runs it’s course.

Believe me….I want to love a new Madden game. I have been a Madden Freak since 1991. I have owned every version of the game, great, good, bad or indifferent.

So my fingers are crossed that at some point this year we can be “in”

So yeah there is always a chance. But no more blind faith, automatic purchases for me on the game. And for me it is not about the money.

It is what is the best allocation of my sports video gaming time. Time is the most precious commodity for me with sports gaming because I am hardcore to tuning the game and making it an experience for myself (and sharing that with others so they can find joy).




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