Let's talk online "Fair Play"

[Ian_Cummings]

I've seen this posted quite a few times...people wanting the online "Fair Play" option from PS2 brought over to next-gen.

For those that aren't familiar, it did things like force you to not be able to go for it on 4th downs when it didn't make sense. This was an online mode...to encourage people to play a little "less cheese".

So, I wanted to open a thread...what were your favorite things and biggest complaints about Fair Play? What would you like to see added or changed?

Thanks,
Ian

[maddeninyoeye]

4th down and more than inches in your own territory should be punt all the way. In opponents territory should be optional. 4th and 4 or more inside opponents territory should be special teams no matter what. Shorter than that should be player's decision.

Inside own 20 4th and anything and going for it is ridiculous. Unless inches I think punt should be mandatory.

[mastershake88]

If I know what I remember about that if that is used online? all power to you...please impliment it.

[otis_coole]

I dont think anybody would have a problem with having the "option" for fair play. So please implement it. It was frustrating in some situations to not be able to go for it on 4th and 1 on the opposing 37 (too far for a fg, too close to punt). But I would still like it to be in online play, take the good with the bad yada yada yada.

[mvb34]

Their was nothing negative about fair play. It made people online play real football. This needs to be in NCAA as well.

[cdon2k]

Love fairplay, with it implemented online, I got far fewer disconnects overall. Without it, a game against a "noob", or cheeser goes like this... first series they get the ball, 4th and 4 or so comes up, they go for it, get stopped and disconnect because they realize they just put themselves down 7 points. So many games on PS2 at least went to the 3rd quarter before people would quit because the game was a back and forth struggle (fair play made it hard for the hardcore as well because we couldn't just convert or 4th and 4 either lol).

I also remember that it limited the no huddle offense to teams that actually run it or game specific situations. It punished people who ran no huddle all game with a false start. Again, awesome feature. I remember in an interview Madden himself even said he wanted to end players always going for it on forth down, so this is definetely in the spirit of his original vision.

As to what needs to be tweaked, I remember fair play being a little rigid at times. There were a few situations where teams may have gone for it, in enemy teritory, but too far for a FG for example. That did bug me a bit...

All in all, this was the most amazing feature ever in Madden. Acutally having to play 3 down football made the game closer to sim than anything, as I mentioned, even hardcore guys like myself would have to punt because 3 down football is tough.

Let me put it in the simplist of terms for everyone:

Let's say I run a FB dive or RB iso and dive forward an average of 3 yrds per carry each play (kinda hard to do this year tho). Take 3 yards x 4 downs and what do you get? 12 yards = first down. We need 3 down football, I rest my case

[o 99 PROBL3MS o]

I'm glad you decided to open this thread Ian. I have a few suggestions to improve upon "fair play" online. One thing I would like to see implemented would be the ability for opposing players to block the no huddle. One annoying and unfair thing about online now is when you run into an opponent that choses to run the "hurry up no-huddle" offense the entire game.

In past games I believe, you could block the no-huddle by pressing/holding the A button. This year you can not block it at all. My suggestion would be to allow people to run a no huddle offense inside the 2-minute warning of the 2nd quarter and inside the 2-minute warning of the 4th quarter. This would keep things alot more realistic.

One more thing I really would like to see added to "fair play" would be accelerated clock. I have run into opponents who will bleed the playclock all the way down to 1 second before snapping. These may not seem like a problem but as John Michael Montgomery mentioned in the Online Forum today:

NFL Teams have 40 seconds for 15 minute quarters

Madden Teams have 40 seconds for 5 minute quarters

The accelerated clock could maybe make the 40 second playclock actually be 30 seconds. Its only a 10 second difference per play but on a ten play drive that would save opponents an extra 1:40 seconds or so. Not to sure but you get my drift. I'll post more opinions if I think of them but those two along with the stopping of ridiculous 4th down attempts would go along way in cleaning up online play. Thanks!

[SteelerSpartan]

I Loved not having to worry about an onside kick every freaking time

This(Fair Play) not being included is a big reason why I don't play much online anymore