Ratings and Playbook design/Play calling is the real key

[capa]

I am convinced that the majority of issues that people see in the game could be remedied by well thought out rating changes as well as better Playbooks and play selection AI.

Most of the dev cycles are spent on new/changed modes, animations, and fixing some legacy issues and animations. However, imagine what the dev team could do if they had 3-6 months of concentrating on nothing but adjusted player ratings and playbooks/play calling AI.

We often find users that update ratings, usually QB edits, in order to make them play more realistically and mimic what we see on the real fields each Sunday. I have seen the difference this makes, not only for QBs, but all other skill positions as well. The difference in gameplay is noticeable and sometimes striking. However, it is ruined by the next year's draft, so people rarely use this strategy.

It seems this gets cursory updates by EA each year, but not to the extent where it can bring out the best in the game engine. It is so critical and yet it does not get the focus it requires. Rather than breaking down the engine code, adjusting ratings is a huge first step to realism nirvana.

Playbooks, play selection/AI is so critical as well. The dev team could make the CPU teams play differently and more realistically if only this was an area they could concentrate on for months. Adding more plays is not the answer. Deleting plays that almost always fail is a start, but more attention is required so that same plays are not always chosen under similar circumstances (ie: 4verts).

I'd love to see the game after a dev cycle was spent on these things. Not that we will, but I think it is the key to getting the game to where the sim community wants it.

C

[zoguloth22]

Re: Ratings and Playbook design/Play calling is the real key

[QUOTE=capa;2048955269]I am convinced that the majority of issues that people see in the game could be remedied by well thought out rating changes as well as better Playbooks and play selection AI.

Most of the dev cycles are spent on new/changed modes, animations, and fixing some legacy issues and animations. However, imagine what the dev team could do if they had 3-6 months of concentrating on nothing but adjusted player ratings and playbooks/play calling AI.

We often find users that update ratings, usually QB edits, in order to make them play more realistically and mimic what we see on the real fields each Sunday. I have seen the difference this makes, not only for QBs, but all other skill positions as well. The difference in gameplay is noticeable and sometimes striking. However, it is ruined by the next year's draft, so people rarely use this strategy.

It seems this gets cursory updates by EA each year, but not to the extent where it can bring out the best in the game engine. It is so critical and yet it does not get the focus it requires. Rather than breaking down the engine code, adjusting ratings is a huge first step to realism nirvana.

Playbooks, play selection/AI is so critical as well. The dev team could make the CPU teams play differently and more realistically if only this was an area they could concentrate on for months. Adding more plays is not the answer. Deleting plays that almost always fail is a start, but more attention is required so that same plays are not always chosen under similar circumstances (ie: 4verts).

I'd love to see the game after a dev cycle was spent on these things. Not that we will, but I think it is the key to getting the game to where the sim community wants it.

C[/QUOTE}]

I agree with you but Madden only cares about mut tho and don't care about Franchise.

[edgevoice]

Re: Ratings and Playbook design/Play calling is the real key

This is easily one of the biggest problems I've seen as an offline-play-against-the-cpu-guy. Gameplanning for both user and CPU needs a complete overhaul.

I was surprised to read a tweet stating that CPU playcalling can't be improved because they don't have the programming capability. Huh? Madden 12 had dynamic gameplans and each team's playcalling reflected that. It would only take the developers a few days to put together reasonable gameplans for each team.

As for user gameplanning? Once again, in Madden 12, I could select up to 30 plays per situation. 5 star plays showed up in the 1st 3-call play box. 4.5 stars in the second and so on... I could quickly find the play I wanted to call without having to formation fumble through my playbook.

We have 20 gameplan slots now. However, only the first 9 plays highest rated will repeatedly show up under frequent play call window. 9 plays only, while the rest will rotate randomly under strategy plays. While I've found a bit of a workaround, it would give you major tired-head reading,

Two frequent and outstanding contributors to this forum put together your very same concerns last year. I also wrote a rather lengthy post teaching folks how to make the best of the poorly designed gameplan situation, but nothing was done to improve this area. Gameplanning and Play Calling are core functions regarding the game of football. How does this not be taken seriously? Not everybody wants call the same 10 plays all game. Since the advent of Connected Careers Mode in M13, CPU AI, except for the major zone coverage improvements in Madden 17, has not only taken a back seat, it's been locked in the trunk...

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: Ratings and Playbook design/Play calling is the real key

I believe the ratings and how the ratings are interpreted by the engine are all changing for the better so that the ratings across the board matter more and actually work properly within any given play to determine success or failure of each player vs another.

I also believe we can thank MUT for such changes that will ultimately benefit Franchise. In M17 I never really needed an OL above bronze or silver cards, for example. Bronze cards are cheap and easy to come by so it reduces the number of packs most would be willing to purchase, or feel they needed to purchase to remain competitive.

Thus to sell more packs, the ratings have to matter; the ratings have to provide a noticeable difference between lesser rated players and so on, so packs can be sold...The program has to implement these ratings and produce outcomes that show these differences in ratings. All around a great benefit for all of us who want ratings to matter, to have MUT around.

Also, we don't necessarily need another football game like 2k to compete and make madden better; Madden is now competing with its profits, mut card sales, to better its game each year.