Madden NFL 16: Analyzing the AI

Feature Article

Submitted on: 08/28/2015 by Robert Kollars

It’s that time of year again...EA’s latest version of Madden is upon us. If you’re a football fan there is no better time, and if you’re a video game football fan it’s, at the very least, an interesting and engaging time. The developers of Madden have gone on record that they truly understand the repetitive on-field issues that have plagued the Madden series over the last decade, and have promised the fan base to do all they can to eradicate them. Now having spent a solid 20 hours with the newest title, I take a look at just how realistic a game of football Madden 16 is on the gridiron. After all, football is a difficult game to faithfully recreate.

If you are like me, you want the AI in Madden to challenge you, but to do so in a realistic and acceptable manner. In years past one could manipulate the game by changing sliders and re-rating players, but honestly, should that be our job? Give me an AI opponent who can see my deficiencies and exploit them. I also want to see the AI understand the strength and weaknesses of their 53 man roster and run their offense and defense accordingly.

The question now is, does Madden 16 do that? Yes, for the most part. While the game may not capture the pure essence of playing another person head-to-head, on the higher difficulties it does it solid job of understanding what’s happening on the field, and adjusting accordingly.

On defense, if I blitz often, the AI will start to call quick hitch-and-drag routes to the slot receivers or tight ends. If I gravitate towards throwing the ball to a certain player on a certain route, the AI will adapt and adjust. If the AI is running a two-minute drill at the end of the game, will they utilize the sidelines and call timeouts accordingly? The answer is mostly yes, and definitely better than previous offerings from EA. Is the decision making on the field by the A.I. perfect all the time? Of course not, but neither is any head coach in real life. For the most part, Madden does a good job on the higher difficulties by providing a realistic challenge to most users, but still has room for improvements.

In previous titles is was rather simple to see patterns from the AI and exploit them. It was also very frustrating to see such things such as Robo-QB, structureless offense, poor secondary play and awful line interactions. In Madden 16, most of these issues have largely been improved upon, and while there is -- and always will be -- room for improvement, for the first time in a long while I can honestly say that I am pretty happy with the realism that the AI brings to the field.

What is your opinion on how realistic the AI is Madden 16?

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Member Comments

# 1 fistofrage @ 08/28/15 01:23 PM

You may want to reserve your opinions of the AI until after the patch or be prepared to revise them. I've seen robo QB patched back into the game before. I've seen penalties get removed. I've seen fumbles reduced to almost non-existent. I'm hoping the patches don't break what works well, but I see a lot of complaining that the passes aren't thrown with pinpoint accuracy so most likely EA with nerf that down.

# 2 sethisthegoat @ 08/28/15 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fistofrage


	You may want to reserve your opinions of the AI until after the patch or be prepared to revise them. I've seen robo QB patched back into the game before. I've seen penalties get removed. I've seen fumbles reduced to almost non-existent. I'm hoping the patches don't break what works well, but I see a lot of complaining that the passes aren't thrown with pinpoint accuracy so most likely EA with nerf that down.

My main complaint with the accuracy is that my throws are sometimes way off even when I'm standing still in the pocket. I would think a starting QB in the NFL could get reasonably close to a receiver within 20 yards if they're standing still in the pocket...

# 3 4thQtrStre5S @ 08/28/15 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sethisthegoat


	My main complaint with the accuracy is that my throws are sometimes way off even when I'm standing still in the pocket. I would think a starting QB in the NFL could get reasonably close to a receiver within 20 yards if they're standing still in the pocket...

You would think, but it is not true....THe best QB's have made some of the worst passes on seemingly easy throws; the best RB's have fumbled a hand off, etc...These people make big mistakes too, but they just so happen to make great positive plays.

# 4 2_headedmonster @ 08/29/15 04:22 AM

The a.i and play calling are pretty bad, pretty much in line with what it has been in yrs prior. 4 verts here, curl flats there maybe z-spot or sticks to spice things up. But yea, its pretty bad.

# 5 Jarodd21 @ 08/29/15 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fistofrage


	You may want to reserve your opinions of the AI until after the patch or be prepared to revise them. I've seen robo QB patched back into the game before. I've seen penalties get removed. I've seen fumbles reduced to almost non-existent. I'm hoping the patches don't break what works well, but I see a lot of complaining that the passes aren't thrown with pinpoint accuracy so most likely EA with nerf that down.

There is not a problem with the accuracy at all. The problem is the USER. The guy's that are having trouble with some passes being off don't wanna work on placing passes with the left stick. They want all the passes to be placed for them. If I'm able to make all the throws with the accuracy at 5, these guys shouldn't be struggling with passes with the accuracy high. These guys need to go into practice mode and work with the left stick. Take advantage of this great feature. I been preaching this before the even improved the the precision passes. The passing is perfect in my opinion. All you have to do is raise the USER accuracy higher if you want the passes to be placed for you.

# 6 bukktown @ 08/29/15 09:12 AM

The QB AI is a monumental improvement.

# 7 cmksalem @ 08/29/15 10:26 AM

in game AI is much better, except perhaps on the edge rushing. Play-calling is still dumb as bricks. In player mode I'd like to use gameflow, but running the same 10 plays don't make any sense. The re-sign AI is also a bit screwy. Players often wont sign for double asking proce during the season, then take a discount off-season. weird.

# 8 IlluminatusUIUC @ 08/29/15 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sethisthegoat


	My main complaint with the accuracy is that my throws are sometimes way off even when I'm standing still in the pocket. I would think a starting QB in the NFL could get reasonably close to a receiver within 20 yards if they're standing still in the pocket...

I'd like to introduce you to a gentleman named E.J. Manuel.

# 9 jerryrice4949 @ 08/29/15 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlluminatusUIUC


	I'd like to introduce you to a gentleman named E.J. Manuel.

Best belly laugh I have had in a while.

# 10 SageInfinite @ 08/29/15 12:19 PM

I think your ai's secondary play can be pretty bad at times. I've seen big plays given up because my secondary does some bone headed, head scratching stuff. Not enough to ruin a game for me yet, but some stuff just makes me mad. Guys are out of position far too often. They also HAVE to make secondary animations/movement priority next year. Some of that stuff is an eyesore. Which bugs me because I've seen some REALLY good reaction animations but they are far too inconsistent.

# 11 BleedGreen710 @ 08/29/15 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageInfinite


	I think your ai's secondary play can be pretty bad at times. I've seen big plays given up because my secondary does some bone headed, head scratching stuff.

along with the QB inaccuracies mentioned earlier in this thread, this is something that happens every game even by the best players. blown coverages and missed assignments are not uncommon.

# 12 therizing02 @ 08/29/15 01:06 PM

Something to consider though is that completion percentages are at all time high. Even Alex Smith went 16-18 last night! However, the QB AI has always been the root of the problem. It drives me insane when QB accuracy is talked about as the problem. Maybe they are too accurate, maybe not, but there are several factors over the years that contribute to ROBO or high pass accuracy ratings.

Maybe the most under discussed problem with the game in these forums over the years is the playcalling of the CPU. Z Spot, 4 Verts, Stick, Slants, Bench, Corners, Strong Flood, and Screens make up the majority of the calls and most NFL QBs without much pressure are going to be accurate on throws of less the 10 yards. That's the first issue and it's a big one. In M16 with the addition of shot plays it's easy to see how this has helped. A LOT of issues could be resolved if we were able to assign custom playbooks to the CPU opponent. I did this M11 and the gameplay was incredible. Why oh why can we not do this?????

Second problem is the zone coverage. While improved this year, there are still too many players standing around and not shuffling, strafing, or altering coverage based on the routes being run.

Lack of true pocket and pass rush causing hurried throws.

The biggest issue even in Madden 16 is the CPU QB's inability to read the defense, audible to the right call based on matchups, and throw the ball away under duress. I know it's improved in M16, but there's a long way to go. There are still too many cases (not as bad as M15) where every receiver is covered and the CPU QB just stands around.

I am happy with M16 but it seems that a lot of the incomplete passes are just based on a dice roll rather than a poor decision by a lower rated QB, excellent coverage, or hurried passes. Again, it's miles ahead of where it was last year, and I think the devs are on the right track, but there still a ways to go.

# 13 SageInfinite @ 08/29/15 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BleedGreen710


	along with the QB inaccuracies mentioned earlier in this thread, this is something that happens every game even by the best players. blown coverages and missed assignments are not uncommon.

It's not blown coverages though. It's just jerky animations that send them in the wrong direction for no apparent reason. I actually love seeing blown coverages in the game, as it tells me the game is not psychic and the defense knows what each offense is calling. What I'm describing is not that. It's just bad movement and dumb reactions.

# 14 SageInfinite @ 08/29/15 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therizing02


	Second problem is the zone coverage. While improved this year, there are still too many players standing around and not shuffling, strafing, or altering coverage based on the routes being run. Lack of true pocket and pass rush causing hurried throws. The biggest issue even in Madden 16 is the CPU QB's inability to read the defense, audible to the right call based on matchups, and throw the ball away under duress. I know it's improved in M16, but there's a long way to go. There are still too many cases (not as bad as M15) where every receiver is covered and the CPU QB just stands around. I am happy with M16 but it seems that a lot of the incomplete passes are just based on a dice roll rather than a poor decision by a lower rated QB, excellent coverage, or hurried passes. Again, it's miles ahead of where it was last year, and I think the devs are on the right track, but there still a ways to go.

This is exactly what I think leads to the high accuracy mark. The fact that defenders are out of position alot of the time, or just take themselves out of position. They just have BAD movement/animations for the secondary in this game. Add the lack of pass rush this year, and the lack of the pocket collapsing to cause bad throws, or throws being dead on the money after the QB being hit, and you got guys throwing for 80%.

As mentioned it's MUCH better than last year from a default standpoint, but I feel these areas Tiburon HAS to address next year if this game is to continue moving in the GOOD direction it's moving in.

# 15 Smallville102001 @ 08/30/15 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fistofrage


	You may want to reserve your opinions of the AI until after the patch or be prepared to revise them. I've seen robo QB patched back into the game before. I've seen penalties get removed. I've seen fumbles reduced to almost non-existent. I'm hoping the patches don't break what works well, but I see a lot of complaining that the passes aren't thrown with pinpoint accuracy so most likely EA with nerf that down.

I have never seen Robo QB came back and part of what made it bad last year was the QB taking so many sacks. For example last year in a lot of games you would have the CPU go like 26/33 but part of that was taking all those sacks because if they had just thrown some of those balls away or something they may have been more like 29/39 or something and that would help to bring down some of those high completion % games. Penalties have like never really worked like they do this year before in madden and I don't get why you say that about fumbles. The only time I can remember fumbles changing after a patch was like madden 08 but that was because u would see like 20 fumbles a game lol.

# 16 Smallville102001 @ 08/30/15 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PX4


	Something that upset me is that they still did not improve on the CPU ball carrier's decisions. CPU RB has a wide open run outside and does a random juke move in space and runs inside turning a 20+ yard run into a 2-3 yard carry. Same goes for CPU receivers after the catch. The CPU receiver is running a slant, post, or crossing route and when they receive the ball they immediately will turn upfield instead of running from the defender... or their is a defender in front of them and instead of turning upfield they run into the defender. I still do not see any improvement in the CPU passing. The CPU QB doesn't move in the pocket like he should, roll out to throw a pass (still runs like their stuck in mud, taking a sack), or run when they should. There might be the opportunity for a 5-20 yard QB run but instead they just stand there and take a sack or throw a stupid pass. I dunno, I personally don't see enough improvement from last year's title to be satisfied.

I don't know how you could not see any improvements in the CPU QB. Last year the CPU would hold on to the ball for like 20 seconds and would refuse to avoid a sack and would never try to get yards. This year the CPU QB if you get pressure on them will throw the ball away or step up to avoid the sack. I have had sever times where the CPU QB has avoid a sack by stepping up and moving to the right and then has made a nice pass. I was playing a game vs redskings and R3g got a 35 yard touchdown run on me and I even thought he may step out of bounds after like 20 yards but he ended up getting a extra block and cut it back for those extra 15 yards to get the TD. I also in the same game had him get a 80 yard run on a play where I never even really got that close to him. Also this year the CPU QB will try more down the field throws. I have only played like 4 games and already seen all of that. Those are things the CPU would never do last year. Last year the CPU QB AI on a 1-10 scale was like a 1 this year more like a 9. The difference is night and day.

# 17 TwoIsBetterThanJuan @ 08/14/16 01:19 AM

I think the A.I. is a lot better in m16 then in years past. I am someone who usually likes to mess around with sliders and whatnot to make it more realistic for myself, but I am finding that keeping it pretty close to default on AP is very improved. I think the penalties are still a little off, and would like if zone defenders would act throughout the play, instead of just when the ball is in the air or running play. But like I said it getting better and they seem to be headed the right direction.

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