Madden 2005 Don't buy it or return if you did. Major exploit for online play found.

[druez]

Guys,



I appreciate all the reports of this serious exploit. We, through your help, have identified a game play issue regarding formation switches on offense that could affect the fatigue level of the defense. This issue would affect both online and offline play.



This issue can be resolved in one of two ways. The first is to turn fatigue off; when this option is off, the issue can not be observed or exploited. The second is to audible to your original play (audible L2) if the offense shifts; while this works, it makes it very difficult to make pre-play adjustments, as the audible resets any adjustments.



For online play, we will be patching the servers and disabling fatigue, so that this issue will not be used as an exploit online. This change will be made tomorrow morning at 1 AM PST for both the Xbox and PS2 servers. The update will be invisible to users and will not require a client side patch. Online games will still show fatigue as “on” but it will really be off. While this isn’t a perfect solution, we felt it was the best way to counter the exploit.



We have also modified the settings at the Madden Challenge events and alerted the staff to this so that this issue can not be used as an exploit in the events.



We wanted to make you aware of this so you could inform your members for their normal offline games, and wanted to take this chance to thank you for helping identify this issue and bringing it to light, the power of the community really helps make Madden the great game that it is.



Be sure to send me any questions.



Thanks,



Nathan F

EA SPORTS Community Producer

Basically online play for ranked games is ruined. Now, Mike Vic gets to run and never get tired. No fatigue = not real football.

BOO EA you screwded this one up.

[General Mike]

Heh, I don't care. I don't formation switch, and I don't play online, so it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the game.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'd return it if online play was a major consideration for me. However, it is not and I'm enjoying my single player franchise quite nicely.

[druez]

Heh, I don't care. I don't formation switch, and I don't play online, so it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the game.


Good point, though the only way EA will care is if people hit them in the pocket book.

I'm going back to NCAA 2005 though.

[stevew]

How about holding onto you copy now, and waiting til they do an extra copy like they did last year, by sending in your instruction manual. Then you get 2 copies!

[Troll]

How about holding onto you copy now, and waiting til they do an extra copy like they did last year, by sending in your instruction manual. Then you get 2 copies!

eh?

[MizzouRah]

Good thing this doesn't affect solo play. Considering ESPN is unplayable for solo play, that would suck.


Todd

[stevew]

eh?
Last year when the xbox version wouldnt properly import draft classes, if you sent in a certain page from your game manual, they sent you a copy that was fixed.

[druez]

I read they didn't plan on doing that this time. But, I could be wrong.

[stevew]

I read they didn't plan on doing that this time. But, I could be wrong.


The game is fatally flawed. They are gonna have to do some sort of recall/exchange.

[Troll]

I was wondering how this guy beat me pretty badly the other night. I'm usually very capable of playing in a good game with anyone by just matching up on defense, doing the well timed all out blitz, and running the ball for 4-5 yards a carry, however this guy beat me 49-14. He formation shifted from I form to strong I to 5 wide every time on offense and never ran once. My players couldn't get to the QB or keep up with any of his WR's. Now that I read this the 3rd time and it really sinks in I'm kinda upset about that loss. I was trying every D I could come up with and this guy was just cheating.

[stevew]

I was wondering how this guy beat me pretty badly the other night. I'm usually very capable of playing in a good game with anyone by just matching up on defense, doing the well timed all out blitz, and running the ball for 4-5 yards a carry, however this guy beat me 49-14. He formation shifted from I form to strong I to 5 wide every time on offense and never ran once. My players couldn't get to the QB or keep up with any of his WR's. Now that I read this the 3rd time and it really sinks in I'm kinda upset about that loss. I was trying every D I could come up with and this guy was just cheating.

what a classless jerk. I cant believe someone would cheat just to win a meaningless online scrimmage.

[Troll]

what a classless jerk. I cant believe someone would cheat just to win a meaningless online scrimmage.

I was just telling my friend about him today too. I told him it was the 1st guy I couldn't stop what he was doing when I knew exactly what he was doing. I was the Panthers and he was the Redskins. It got to the point where I was running quarters and dropping everyone back but clinton portis(lined up as a WR when he was done formation shifting) would just run past everyone on a fly. There was nothing I could do. Portis had 0 carries, but had 7 catches for 362 yards and 5 tds. :eek:

[stevew]

You should ping that guy, then cuss him out.

[Troll]

You should ping that guy, then cuss him out.

While that sounds like a good idea, all I wasted was 1 game against him. And now that he hasn't been playing the right way when they make this change this guy will be dead in the water. Thats punishment enough.

[stevew]

It may be more fun to play him again, pretend like the last whooping didnt happen, then beat the crap out of him, and then if he starts to quit, taunt him and stuff.

[Maple Leafs]

So what exactly is the bug here?

[Honolulu_Blue]

So what exactly is the bug here?


My question exactly...

[korme]

I'd return it if online play was a major consideration for me. However, it is not and I'm enjoying my single player franchise quite nicely.
amen bretheren

[HornedFrog Purple]

If I remember the recall was on just a smaller portion of the xbox discs. This problem seems to be universal so I don't expect them to recall it.

[KevinNU7]

How come the defensive players get tried from the formation switches but the offense doesn't?

[stevew]

How come the defensive players get tried from the formation switches but the offense doesn't?

Thats why it is a bug. Cause it doesnt work properly.

[MikeVic]

Basically online play for ranked games is ruined. Now, Mike Vic gets to run and never get tired. No fatigue = not real football.

BOO EA you screwded this one up.

Damn right I'll run and never get tired! :D

[rkmsuf]

Thats why it is a bug. Cause it doesnt work properly.

man you're sharp

[druez]

The bug is essentially this. Formation shifts on offense cause the defense to get exhausted. So you can pancake them and they walk instead of run.

Turning off fatigue online means speedsters like Vic can be used in the no huddle over and over again and not slow down.

[stevew]

man you're sharp

As a Hanzo sword, baby.