Madden NFL 25 News Post

Madden NFL 25 Next-Gen War in the Trenches Q&A with Clint Oldenburg

02:06 PM - October 21, 2013 by Steve_OS

The EA Sports Madden NFL twitter account recently had a Q&A session with Designer Clint Oldenburg, as he answered questions about the War in the Trenches.

Thanks to jpdavis82 for the assist.

Will low Awr cost olineman to make wrong reads when targeting pre snap?

This year, physical ratings will have greater impact than intangible ratings up front.

Do holding penalties factor in these new line animations/interactions? Or are they randomly generated?

Holding animations will be slightly increased on Next-Gen.

Does oline Strength counter dline PMOV and Footwork counter FMOV?

Pass Block Rating (PBK) counters both.

what's biggest difference in next gen ?

The QB now must step up into the pocket rather than extend his drop which fundamentally changes the way Madden is played.

will D-lineman "win" more 1-1 battles against lesser rated O-linemen? Or will it be 50/50

Pass rush has been improved and ratings will have a heavy impact on 1v1 battles up front.

how do lineman make their calculations? Closest defender to ball carrier? Inside gap protection?

For pass blocking, O-Linemen calculate the location, speed, direction and angle of pass rushers to the QB.

what does impact blocking mean? And is it better than upgrading specifically run/pass blocking

Impact Blocking = Any block that occurs while both the blocker and his target are moving in the open field.

Will the QB now identify and say who the "Mike" is?

you will see either the C or QB point when identifying the mic, but you will not hear audio.

Will there be times where the o-line miss a assignment like on a delay LB Blitz or overloading one side

Yes, overload blitzes aren't as effective as they used to be but lineman will definitely miss assignments from time to time.

Does o-line block away from hole, so defender gets free if you run where you're not supposed to on runs like a dive outside?

In run blocking, OL will be more likely to block for the design of the play.

Does Madden next gen defese have true run fits and/or gap assignments?

They have gap assignments based on each play they run.

Will HB's pick up blitzes more often? Will lineman be able to report as eligible?

HB's are included in the pass protection. No, all formations in Madden are legal.

Is the snap count a factor in next gen? WIll you be able to draw the defense offsides?

Yup!

Does True Step affect every player or just the ball carrier?

Stay tuned for a Q&A on True Step in the future.

How are PMV/FMV used in calculating while rushing the passer? Does only get used in one play or both?

It's based on that players ratings, traits, and player type.

Will the blind side pass rusher (RDE) be able to consistently get pressure instead of how it is now where the LDE gets the most?

Yes, that's now balanced and ratings will determine pressure.

Will next gen stop the nano blitz?

Nano blitzes are less prevalent and w/ enhanced pass rush you won't need to nano based on the amount of organic pressure.

What determines the missed assignment rate? AWR or PBK or a combo of both?

Targeting is tied to the defense's movement, so physical ratings will naturally have a larger impact in such a dynamic atmosphere.

Will the secondary actually be able to keep up with WR's and play man defense decently?

Coverage has been improved and enhanced pass rush will make the defensive secondary's job easier.

Has blitzing been improved? Is cover 2 a usable scheme now with better pass rush?

Yes, you will feel more heat with blitzes, which also improved all coverages.

Can we adjust protections ourselves and not just slide protection? Can we single out an O lineman to focus on a guy or add help?

When you add a TE and HB to the protection scheme, they will determine targets as well as the offensive line.

Will a lineman break off of his double team to pick up a blitzing linebacker?

Yes, what we call sorting, due to our calculation power in gen 4, they are able to dynamically evaluate threats to the target.

Will certain pass rush animations only be available to players with higher rated PMV or FMV?

Ratings have a very high impact on pass rush animations.

Can you please change the penalty "Clipping" to "block in the back"?

That is a great suggestion and something that's already on our radar. Thanks

Best defense against Vernon Davis?

Nickel strong cover 1 robber but is susceptible to the TE Flag

Will fatigue be a factor? If defense is on the field for long stretches will it impact play?

Yes, when a defensive lineman is fatigued his ratings start to drop.

Will there be more moves for defensive lineman to use on next gen?

There is more defensive line moves and more they will be more effective at establishing a good pass rush.

How will lineman react to 1-3 man rushes? Too easy to get sacks when it's 5 o-lineman vs 1-3 rushers.

When blockers out number rushers you are going to see double teams when available.

Game: Madden NFL 25Reader Score: 5/10 - Vote Now
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Member Comments

# 21 roadman @ 10/21/13 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GQVikesFan


	Is it me or are the refs missing on the field?

It was proven in a picture recently.

# 22 PantherBeast_OS @ 10/21/13 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	It was proven in a picture recently.

What picture is that?

# 23 GQVikesFan @ 10/21/13 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	It was proven in a picture recently.

Great! So... by Madden 2017 they should be back on the field?

# 24 sk @ 10/21/13 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legend Killer


	What picture is that?

There was a photo around here where you could see the ref in the secondary from the offense's point of view.

# 25 LBzrule @ 10/21/13 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	I really doubt folks that Clint will take time from his busy schedule and capture a video. I know the crowd has turned to seeing is believing, but today, he was hit with a ton of questions and he said he needed to get back to working on the game. I'm sure there will be more video in the coming weeks.

I thought the game was finished per Vic Lugo?

# 26 LBzrule @ 10/21/13 06:19 PM

Anyways. One question to ask them for later is do they plan on working on goal line defense having the DL submarine and all that?

# 27 infemous @ 10/21/13 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dghustla


	I'm excited for this game. But that response is just a SMH moment. This was the perfect chance for the Madden Team to make Awr actually mean something for at least one position group on the field. I wish that signing that UDFA with great physical tools, turned out to be a liability in pass protection and makes me question if his abilities are worth giving up a few sacks or pressures a game. Instead they reverted back to a tried and true Madden philosophy which is physical ratings are the only ratings that truly matter. That's just a missed opportunity for this team to make players actually feel and play different. I would love to be able to make my opponent account for a guard with low awareness. Maybe next year.

This is exactly what I was gonna post.

I was so encouraged by everything but they completely missed the ball here and it's frustrating.

OL especially is a position where awareness is crucial to their collective success and to know that physical freaks are going to be dominant is a real sore point for some impressive additions to the series.

# 28 Captain Obvious @ 10/21/13 07:28 PM

anyone who plays online, anyone good rather knows now that there is a pocket it really will change how the game is played. there will be FARRRRR less cheesing, and in order to do well you must be able to read the defense and deliver the ball on time. no more sitting back there for 10 seconds, or dropping back 20 yards to deliver a pass. hopefully we get a tense feeling with the pocket being formed and collapsing while deciphering where to go with the ball all in the span of 2-4 seconds every time we drop back to pass. thats what i hope for.

oh and im ecstatic that the RDE/ROLB will get pressure just as much as the LE in current gen, based on ratings which i love. but like others im disappointed that awr dont mean a goddamn thing, again.

# 29 wordtobigbird @ 10/21/13 07:30 PM

There is no denying that if the 10+ yard dropback is finally dead alottttttttt of people are going to hate playing Madden. I can see the post now: "I thought the Seahawks had a good offensive line and Wilson is a scrambler, how do I get sacked every play?!?!?!?!?!" lol.

# 30 LBzrule @ 10/21/13 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious


	anyone who plays online, anyone good rather knows now that there is a pocket it really will change how the game is played. there will be FARRRRR less cheesing, and in order to do well you must be able to read the defense and deliver the ball on time. no more sitting back there for 10 seconds, or dropping back 20 yards to deliver a pass. hopefully we get a tense feeling with the pocket being formed and collapsing while deciphering where to go with the ball all in the span of 2-4 seconds every time we drop back to pass. thats what i hope for. oh and im ecstatic that the RDE/ROLB will get pressure just as much as the LE in current gen, based on ratings which i love. but like others im disappointed that awr dont mean a goddamn thing, again.

I'm waiting to make sure it is for the user team. They showed pockets with current gen only for it to be the cpu team against a user. I'm taking everything into account. Those MNF videos did not show a pocket at all. The latest videos do. So I'll wait to actually see before I say cheesing like it is now will be impossible.

# 31 dghustla @ 10/21/13 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBuddyHobbs


	You figure he played O-line in the NFL he would know these things, but I guess not. Then again they might have done it on purpose. If they made awareness mean something and a player has a bad LT then people would take more sacks. Guess what? That's isn't "fun" to the casual crowd. This game will never ever be everything we want. As long as they cater to the casuals it will only be a hybrid game at best. I would say 75% aimed at the casuals and the other 25% aimed at the SIM crowd. We may win some of the battles, but we will never win the war.

I wouldn't go that far. The new regime has stated that it's time ppl played more sim style ball. I'll give them a chance to back that up. They aren't responsible for. The old team. I just played FIFA PS4 demo and if the players in madden have momentum and move the way they did in the FIFA demo it should be an improvement and moving in a sim directions.

# 32 Danimal @ 10/21/13 07:59 PM

EDIT: Nevermind I have my answer.

# 33 RogueHominid @ 10/21/13 08:43 PM

I have a question for those in the know about next-gen line play: is Clint aware of WHY the RT/LDE issue is what it is? What about the way the positions and animations are coded has made that a legacy issue, and what has the team done to eliminate this issue going forward?

I ask because after watching the trenches videos on a lark, I noticed that the LDE for DAL got an incredibly quick run-around-the-OT animation that the RDE didn't seem to get in other videos.

Now that's a sample size issue for sure, but it raises the larger question about the status of that long-standing problem with the game. It'd be nice to hear that they figured out what caused the difference in the pass rush from the left to the right and made adjustments to next-gen.

# 34 Captain Obvious @ 10/21/13 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBzrule


	I'm waiting to make sure it is for the user team. They showed pockets with current gen only for it to be the cpu team against a user. I'm taking everything into account. Those MNF videos did not show a pocket at all. The latest videos do. So I'll wait to actually see before I say cheesing like it is now will be impossible.

look here, in current gen it was suction blocking, i havent seen that in any video, maybe i missed it but it didnt stand out. look at the seahawks/tittans vid. the RE and LT, the end engages with the LT seemlessly. more importantly the ends are now programmed to rush upfield and around the tackles. they wont always get around like in that vid, but maybe thats do to a superior LT against an inferior DE, the LT has better footwork. but on the other side its the opposite, the LDE is already parallel with wilson just as he finishes his dropback and is making his way behind wilson. besides thats 1 animation/type of rush in the DE's arsenal, we just saw 1 of them displayed. they aint gonna show the qb getting sacked when theyre showing off the pocket mechanic, cmon now.

i remember u once saying thats what we needed to see, for the DE's to launch upfield quickly and they are, because they are now programmed to. so that means it will be like that for the user as well, why wouldnt it be?

will D-lineman "win" more 1-1 battles against lesser rated O-linemen? Or will it be 50/50

Pass rush has been improved and ratings will have a heavy impact on 1v1 battles up front.

Will the blind side pass rusher (RDE) be able to consistently get pressure instead of how it is now where the LDE gets the most?

Yes, that's now balanced and ratings will determine pressure.
that wasnt an issue for the cpu, it was an issue for the user.

one thing i noticed though, in the panthers and chiefs videos, the defense was running zone blitz, the pass rush looked pretty bad. looked like current gen, thats what i dont like so far.

im with you btw on being skeptical, everyone should be, but they truly never worked so much on the trenches and detailed and spoke about it as much as they are now, u really think they trollin? that it will be the same as current gen?

edit: about those MNF vids, i read that wasnt next gen, that it was something else, that espn said it was next gen but someone from EA said it wasnt.

# 35 JayD @ 10/21/13 09:25 PM

I would really like to know if we will stop seeing offensive linemen subbing out on longer drives. For the past few years even with a auto sub setting of 0/1 and fatigue at default you will still see them come off the field.

# 36 SageInfinite @ 10/21/13 09:27 PM

It was definitely next gen on the MNF videos.

# 37 TheBleedingRed21 @ 10/21/13 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageInfinite


	It was definitely next gen on the MNF videos.

Does it even matter? Obviously those were skeptical to begin with and were taken down.

I think the trailer we saw looked a hell of a lot better and until we see actual gameplay, we have to stop basing stuff off those videos, which were super poor quality to begin with.

# 38 spottieottiedop @ 10/21/13 09:45 PM

I'm can say I'm excited about the line play and if the implementation is good to great then Madden 15 is looking really good.

# 39 poster @ 10/21/13 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpdavis82


	He replied during the q&a Has blitzing been improved? Is cover 2 a usable scheme now with better pass rush? Yes, you will feel more heat with blitzes, which also improved all coverages.

Huh? What does feeling the heat with blitzes and having that improve coverage have to do with what I asked?

Can a 4-3, 4 man rush get pressure if they are a dominant group playing against lesser O-Line opponents. There is no blitzing involved, so he did not answer the question, or did it in the vague EA way that he has been coached up on.

The original question someone asked about the Cover-2 was asked because it is predicated on the front four getting pressure w/o blitzing (if you have the talent up front).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious


	look here, in current gen it was suction blocking, i havent seen that in any video, maybe i missed it but it didnt stand out. look at the seahawks/tittans vid. the RE and LT, the end engages with the LT seemlessly. more importantly the ends are now programmed to rush upfield and around the tackles. they wont always get around like in that vid, but maybe thats do to a superior LT against an inferior DE, the LT has better footwork. but on the other side its the opposite, the LDE is already parallel with wilson just as he finishes his dropback and is making his way behind wilson. besides thats 1 animation/type of rush in the DE's arsenal, we just saw 1 of them displayed. they aint gonna show the qb getting sacked when theyre showing off the pocket mechanic, cmon now. i remember u once saying thats what we needed to see, for the DE's to launch upfield quickly and they are, because they are now programmed to. so that means it will be like that for the user as well, why wouldnt it be? will D-lineman "win" more 1-1 battles against lesser rated O-linemen? Or will it be 50/50 Pass rush has been improved and ratings will have a heavy impact on 1v1 battles up front. Will the blind side pass rusher (RDE) be able to consistently get pressure instead of how it is now where the LDE gets the most? Yes, that's now balanced and ratings will determine pressure. that wasnt an issue for the cpu, it was an issue for the user. one thing i noticed though, in the panthers and chiefs videos, the defense was running zone blitz, the pass rush looked pretty bad. looked like current gen, thats what i dont like so far. im with you btw on being skeptical, everyone should be, but they truly never worked so much on the trenches and detailed and spoke about it as much as they are now, u really think they trollin? that it will be the same as current gen? edit: about those MNF vids, i read that wasnt next gen, that it was something else, that espn said it was next gen but someone from EA said it wasnt.

If you have played the game during the past couple of years (perhaps an issue this whole gen), the non controlled d-lineman on your team are useless, no matter how good they are. It's been complained about for a long time. This is why he and many others are skeptical about it working for the team you control.

I can take any d lineman and dominate with the stick moves. If I control the LB or S, that same d-lineman just gets patty-caked all day long and is useless. No pressure at all. Clint knows this occurs. We'll see if he was able to fix it, or if they just don't care. No damn excuse at all for this to be in a new gen of systems, let alone any gen of systems.

# 40 Captain Obvious @ 10/21/13 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageInfinite


	It was definitely next gen on the MNF videos.

well i did see a headset in that chargers vid on the coach, thats not in current gen true. but IMO it looks nothing like the official gameplay trailer that was released last friday.

looks nothing like those mnf videos. i read the description on youtube, but that was by espn. i even remember seeing EA retweeting it, but i think soem guy named phil from EA saying it wasnt next gen.

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