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Rookie
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A diehard 2K gamer's FAIR take on Madden 07
I just bought Madden ’07 and I am writing this for a couple of reasons. First, as a long-time 2K player and probably one of its biggest supporters, I want to examine Madden in a FAIR way. Certainly, neither Madden nor 2K is perfect, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Also, I realize that some of my criticisms are just the result of me not having played Madden long enough, and I would be very grateful if anyone would clue me in on these things so I can get better at the game. Here goes:
First, I think the maximum passing is a very neat idea, but from my limited experience, the overall passing game in Madden is very problematic. First, let me explain the type of play style I like to use. I like to have a run/pass ratio of about 45%/55% and I like to use my entire playbook (so not using the same play more than 2 times or so throughout the course of the game). My time playing Madden has shown me that the vision cone is nearly impossible to use with great efficiency. The pass rush is WAY too pumped up, so that I have literally 2 or at most 3 seconds to throw the ball (I ran several replays and counted). So just count to yourself: 1 Mississippi…2MissSACKED. That’s what it’s like. I could max protect and only send 2 WRs on routes and then I have more time, but the fact that I would have to restrict most pass plays to 2 WRs in order to have time to throw just underscores the point I am making. At this point you are faced with a dilemma. You can lock onto your primary WR before the play starts, but this clues the Ss in on who you want to throw to and causes INTs. Then John Madden comes on talking about how you have to look off the safeties. But it is almost physically impossible to hike the ball, let your QB do his drop, press R2+Circle to lock on to the WR you want, then press Circle to actually throw it to him, all in the time it takes to say 1 Mississippi…2MissSACKED. This leads me to a possible solution, because I am not one to complain without thinking of a solution to what I am complaining about. EA could simply tone down the pass rush a bit. With 3-4 seconds instead of 2-3, manipulating the vision cone this way would be more reasonable. Another solution involves the right analogue stick (RAS). You can use this to move the vision cone, and in fact this feels like the most natural and intuitive way of doing it. The problem is, so far as I can see, you can only use the RAS to move the cone to the far left/right or over the middle. There is, for example, no way I have found to look diagonally ahead, and the cone is too small on most QBs for using the RAS turn to the left/right for anything more than a flat route by a TE of RB. So then, you could make the vision cone bigger for everyone, so that each turn of the RAS covers close to a third of the field, allowing of course for slight differences based on QB ability level. They could also make it so that there are diagonal zones for the RAS bringing the total number up to 5 instead of just 3 (right, left, straight ahead). To conclude about the vision cone, I love the idea, I think it is very creative and neat, but I think there are a few things that need improvement.
Another problem with the passing game is the trajectory of the ball when thrown. 2K had bullet passes (which Madden has), lob passes (which Madden also has), and intermediate passes (which I can’t seem to throw in Madden). This results in every pass being either a bullet, which an underneath LB jumps in front of, or a lob, which is essentially a jump ball. Not my idea of a skill-based passing game. For example, if I want to throw a post over the middle, I want an intermediate trajectory with more force than a lob so it doesn’t stay in the air forever, but high enough to get over the heads of the LBs. I have thrown so many INTs trying to throw such a pass (as I do all the time in 2K) unsuccessfully. So I hope EA can address this. The result is, 90% of the passes people are able to throw are either more than 20 yards downfield, usually on the outside where a WR streaks down the field, or a very quick route to the sideline, either by a WR/TE or by a RB out of the backfield. This is a shame, since it means you can consistently use only about 35% of the field to pass the ball. I would like to see someone with a killer pass game (i.e. they can complete about 15-20 different pass plays in a single game, NOT that they can complete the same 2 or 3 plays 6 or 7 times each- I could probably teach an ape to do this). Most games I play vs. people (granted I am only level 2 playing level 1s), we are lucky if either of us can complete more than 6 or 7 passes an entire game! (4 minute quarters)
As much as the pass game is nearly impossible, the run game is very pumped up. I have plays that I can run for about 15-20 yards every time against pretty much any defense. I would say that even the people on the Madden challenge run the ball 75-80% if the time. Well it doesn’t take a genius to realize that since we are not in the 1960s, this is not at all realistic. Of course they run that much because the game is programmed in such a way that the pass game is nearly impossible. I think a slight adjustment in this area is needed and would make the game a lot more realistic and fun.
I REALLY like the lead-blocking. That is a very innovative and neat idea which improves the overall quality of the simulation. I have only used it a few times, but so far it is very easy to use and well-programmed (i.e. no major glitches I have found involving it).
Online play is good as well. There is a fair play option that is always on for lower level ranked games that forces people to punt on 4th down and doesn’t allow onside kicks or going for 2 except in realistic situations. Combine this with the QB spy assignment and plays that actually work (I played some guy who wanted to run Vince Young and I was easily able to stop it just by calling plays in my playbook) and avoid people with a DNF ratio of more than 10% and you have already addressed 65-70% of the “no-sim”/cheese complaints in 2K5 online play.
Here is more stuff that I like about Madden, and there is actually a lot. I like being able to make my own plays and formations. Unfortunately, I cannot figure out how to use my playbook in either the franchise or the superstar mode, and I know I can’t use it online. Well that is about 95% of my playing time, so it makes being able to make a playbook pretty much a moot feature.
I like the superstar mode and the franchise mode. Both are very well done and a lot of fun to play. The tutorials are great also. The only problems I saw with the superstar mode are the practices, where I basically take my best run play and run it over and over since the computer just records average points per play. Maybe adding something like in Head Coach where you have a limited amount of plays you can run and where the ones you run help your performance of that particular play during the game would make practices more fun and realistic. Also, I hate having no control over the play-calling. I am a HB in my Superstar mode, and while my QB makes good calls sometimes, often he makes really inane calls too, like reversing my run into the strength of a defensive formation, or calling a deep pass on 3rd and inches when you have me (rated 89) and Fred Taylor (rated 90+). This is very frustrating. Again, even having some sort of limited situational menu (like 1st and 10, 2nd and long, etc.) like in Head Coach would be nice to give me some choice. I find that I have to switch myself out of the depth chart (so that I am off the field and can control the QB) almost every time a pass play is called because Leftwich is so terrible, unfortunately yet another testament to the near impossibility of passing vs. the CPU in this game. It’s a miracle if he can break 45% with the CPU controlling him, even when he has good pass protection. Leftwich’s career average in real life is 58%, while Garrard’s average this year is about 61% (Top 20 QBs in the league pass 60-68%; the worst pass 50-55%, the point being that no QB passing less than 50% would make an NFL roster even as a 3rd stringer, much less as a starter).
The Punting game is frustrating me as well. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do it. I can kick FGs just fine. In the Madden challenge I can put every one of them through the red zone (I think I hit 16 in a row through the red just yesterday). Here is the problem. I do the Madden punting challenge and get the gold trophy, 4 out of 6 are bulls eyes. I go into a game, follow the EXACT SAME procedure that got me the coffin corner in the challenge, only the meter now says bad and my P is shanking kicks sideways out of bounds. Someone please help me on this one. What am I doing wrong?
I also wanted to mention that I really like the level of control you have on both sides of the ball before the snap, and the game has come a long way in terms of individualized playbooks as well. Very encouraging to see that playing with different teams is now more than just using the same plays with different uniforms.
To conclude, there are many things I like about Madden ’07, and say what you will about the implementation of its new features, with QB Vision, Lead Blocking, and all the stuff for different positions in the Superstar mode, you would have to be crazy to say that Madden is not innovating and trying to improve the quality of the football gaming experience. I like the playbooks unique to specific teams and the right analogue stick moves for the RBs, but 2K5 had both of these 3 years ago so I can’t really call them Madden innovations. Anyway, Madden has long been the leader in specialized game modes, whether it be Head Coach, the Franchise, or the Superstar mode. I hope they will take a serious look at the actual game play and try to make it better reflect the football we see on Sunday, by which I mean, make it a little harder to run, a lot easier to pass, and add penalties within the game for using the same plays repeatedly (i.e. the CPU “learns” your plays better the more you use them), because let’s face it: whatever you think using the same 5 or 6 plays over and over is, it certainly is not very much like NFL football as we see it played. Hopefully some of these changes will be reflected in next year’s version, but for now, between online play, the superstar mode, and still playing 2K5, there will be plenty to keep me busy until then.
Last edited by tpaterniti; 12-30-2006 at 02:49 AM.
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12-30-2006, 02:46 AM
That's a HUGE part of the game of football and it's not included in Madden. Screw Madden 
