Let's get to the bottom of player tendancies and attributes; WTF do they do?

[jello1717]

Quote: Originally Posted by nortobc

Here is the problem. We are still guessing if tendencies even have an impact on the game, and what they are. So if tendencies have an impact, then how would you explain SS tendencies of coverage vs hard hitter? Does the hard hitter SS not cover a WR? Does the coverage SS not hit a RB? I've seen coverage SS with higher hit power than some hard hitting SS. Who is the better hitter? The guy with the tendency or the guy with the higher attribute? Do tendencies trigger certain animations? My question is, how does tendency functionally effect the player? Why doesn't EA have a manual that explains all of this?

I think tendencies are just what they'll try to do, not how well they'll do it.
Using QBs as an example, with bugged rosters, balanced and scrambler are swapped. Thus Denard with his 99 SPD/ACC is bugged as balanced and some other guy with 70SPD/ACC is bugged as scrambler. He tendencies mean that Denard will rarely take off (but be crazy effective when he does) while the bugged scrambler will take off often (and not be very effective when he does).

Using your SS example, say a hard hitter tries to use big hits more often and say hit power is how effective he is at hitting with big hits (I made those both up). In this case a hard hitter with lower hit power than a balanced guy would go for more big hits, but they wouldn't be as effective as the balanced guy with more hit power.

[aerovt]

Jello1717 is correct. Coverage guys can, and sometimes do have better hit power than 'hard hitters'. The difference is coverage guys have attributes that make them better in .. coverage (ie speed, man coverage, catch etc).

In game tendencies dont make a player better or worse at anything, it just effects what they are more likely to try. IE if the SS is listed as coverage, he will be more likely to go for the pick rather than just trying to knock the socks off of the receiver and vice verse. Not saying a hard hitter will never go for the pick, but he would be less likely to do so.

The problem in game with the tendency switch is players end up not playing to their attributes. Scrambling QBs try to pass too often, slow pocket QBs try to run too often and are bad at it. On defense, the AI thinks its CBs are all hard hitters, so it tries to press coverage your WRs. As their actual stats are more coverage, they cant press very well and WRs blow by them etc etc

[aerovt]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mavmoses07

Completely agree. Although this might be a result of certain ratings have little affect on how well a players plays, yet these same ratings significantly affect the player's overall rating.

I agree. Its annoying that the OVR isnt really that good of an indicator for how well many players play at a position.

A perfect example was in Madden 10, there were some 'hidden' players in the FA, basically 2-3 people who won some contest. They were all rated pretty poorly, but got to choose their stats. One guy was named 'Makino' or something and was a HB with ~95 ACC, ~95 SPD, but super low awareness. He had a ~68-70 overall, but in the players hands was one of the best HBs in the game as a lot of those factors that made a low OVR didnt matter

[nortobc]

Great discussion we got going here. When I get some time, I'll update the first post to list all the tendencies and attributes, what they do and if they are used in SIM or Game Play.

How about Pass Rusher vs Run Stopper for DL

or

Coverage vs Run Stopper for LB?

[SonOfEd]

I cant say for '12, but while working on an overhaul on '11 I have seen a couple of things in ratings. The strength rating will often change the defensive players tendencies pretty quickly, yet I cant say I saw much of a change in their gameplay tendency wise. The hit pwr rating adjusts the type of tackle they will attempt, while the tackle rating reflects on its success. A lightweight CB will have hit pwr down in the 40's and you will see more tackles at the knees. Same for a lot of the smaller "hybrid" LBs.

[Playmakers]

Quote: Originally Posted by SonOfEd

I cant say for '12, but while working on an overhaul on '11 I have seen a couple of things in ratings. The strength rating will often change the defensive players tendencies pretty quickly, yet I cant say I saw much of a change in their gameplay tendency wise. The hit pwr rating adjusts the type of tackle they will attempt, while the tackle rating reflects on its success. A lightweight CB will have hit pwr down in the 40's and you will see more tackles at the knees. Same for a lot of the smaller "hybrid" LBs.

NCAA 11 IMO with edits done right plays just aswell as NCAA 12

RB's are amazing after edits and you can really seperate the type of defenders on each team....As you stated the ratings can dictate what type of hits the players try to perform

Most people had trouble getting the CPU to run the option in NCAA 11....I've had some fairly good results with Option QB's and teams by way of ratings/edits.

Here are some clips of a CPU created Michael Bishop executing the Georgia Tech playbook

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

[charter04]

As some have said the tendancies are the style of play. I can really see this with the team I use the most. I have been using the default rosters. RB #7 of Arkansas, AKA Knile Davis, is a power tendancy runner. He has 90+ spead but in real life he is more of a straight line runner. So I have notice that he lowers his shoulder to run people over more that my balanced or speed RB. All of the tendancy work like that. A pass rush end will rush the passer and not play the run as much.

[nortobc]

Quote: Originally Posted by charter04

All of the tendancy work like that. A pass rush end will rush the passer and not play the run as much.

Can you expand on this? I'm not sure I follow. If the QB drops back to pass, the DE will rush the QB. If the HB gets the hand off and runs, the DE will play the run. What the DE does is dictated by the play call, not his tendency.