Sabo's The Revival Gameplay Mod - Madden 20 Edition

[Eduardo_Pena]

Quote: Originally Posted by xSABOx

Sorry for the delay, for those not in the discord been working to fix something thats been bothering me for a while in coverage that hopefully narrowed down.. Here's a a list of whats to come in 1.4 -Revamped franchise sim stats -Revamped end of half logic -Increased chance CPU misses field goals -Increase CPU throwing ball instead of random escape left animation under pressure -Incorporated Landeyes head tracking/contextual awareness to improve CPU ball carrier logic -Increase throw out of sack chance -Increased fumble chance -Increased penalties for undisciplined and normal trait -Reduce travel distance of tipped balls -Turned on whiffs for conservative tackles -Retooled play ball time and deep zone logic

Thanks for all of the hard work Sabo!



Recently I have been noticing something in my game play. I wanted to get through a healthy sample size to see if this was something random or if it was just a fluke game.


1) Lots and lots of sacks when I watch CPU vs CPU: I am not speaking about a guy with crazy superstarX abilities. Even lowly guys on my team like Willie Henry, Christian Wilkins, Charles Davis, and Godchaux are getting 2-3 sacks a game and I am totaling 7+ sacks per game. The opponent usually has 5 or more on me.


2) Inability for either team to find the endzone: They seem allergic to the endzone. Unless somebody hits a long bomb pass or a broken play run for a long gainer, nobody is getting in the endzone and it becomes a FG kicking contest. This is usually due to the CPU's horrendous play calling.



3) CPU has horrendous play calling: The CPU has a propensity to call the same failing plays twice or even three times in a row. Usually the Jet Sweep and the play action sack (the one that gets turbo sacked every single time it is run). Then on 3rd down and 30 the team will usually run a quick out to the WR or that pass behind the line of scrimmage to the WR on the edge which never gains any yards at all.



4) Players randomly just slowing down to a crawl: I am not sure if this is a normal Madden thing or not. It usually happens to running backs and QB's rolling out. They will be running normal speed and then all of a sudden they appear to be stuck in mud and slow down to a walk. This isn't after they've gone for a long run and lost their stamina. It happens on hand offs right up the middle or little bootlegs. It generally leads to them being tackled for a big loss or getting sacked.



5) Super high comp% for both team's QB. Unless it is a wildly inaccurate passer, most QB's will only miss a hanful of passes and have comp% in the 80's. While that is not unheard of once in awhile, it surely doesn't happen every single game.


It seems to have been a recent thing as well. I want to say right around the new patch for Madden that came out. I don't know if EA did anything to tweak the game play? I love to do franchises and be the coach/owner and allow the players on the field to determine the outcome of the games with no input from me. I am not the greatest Madden player in the world and I don't want to have cheese stats like my MLB picking off 30 passes a season because I user him in zone all day long. So having some game play that simulates games on watch would be excellent for me.

[Eduardo_Pena]

I decided to compile some data for non-mod games as well with the same team, same offense and defense, and the same players. I am using All-Pro on default sliders, 11 minute quarters with no accelerated clock. I find that usually gives me the 120-130 total plays like simming a game is supposed to do.


1) There are less sacks going on without the Sabo Mod. You see more of the suction blocks. The most I've gotten in a non-mod game is 4. Most of them come via the play action pass, usually non from just straight rushing pressure. Sometimes with the Sabo mod my players would break through on a straight rush and I think that's where the difference is. If I happen to play a team that doesn't use playaction passes, I won't get many sacks without the mod.


2) The ground game is vastly different. 10-12 yard gains are pretty common for any decent running back. My Disguise 3-4 is pretty stout against the runs up the middle and usually holds most teams in check, even the better backs. Without the mod these runners are still contained, but they still break off good runs. I no longer see ball carriers with a 1 YPC. Though it does happen in football at times where even the best ground games get contained, it seems to happen more often with the Sabo Mods. Teams without the Sabo mod find the endzone from goal line quite a bit easier whereas with the mods it seems like a very rare thing.


3) Playcalling has nothing to do with the Mods apparently. It is all based on the playbook and what the default ratings are for those plays in certain situations. I've seen the same silly play calls with or without the mod. The cure for this is to make your own playbook and if you are a CPU vs CPU person you are going to have to remove the big playaction passes where the QB rolls out about 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Even the fastest scramblers (Lamar Jackson) are too slow to evade the automatic turbo sack that results from this play. RPO's aren't very effective either as it seems the CPU just doesn't understand the timing or logic of that call. It will call for it on the worst situations (3rd and 20) and toss it without regard to anything that is going on around the receiver. The outcomes are usually the WR getting tackled immediately, or if the receiver does manage to be open by some miracle he will run backwards a couple of yards before making a slow turnaround to head back up field and get tackled for a loss of 3-5 yards. All the time. I know it isn't popular to speak in absolutes but I have seen this play being run 10 times or more a game for many games and it never works.



4) I haven't noticed the player slow downs without the mods. I found out an interesting thing though when looking for sliders. Apparently each play has an injury rating set to it and on plays where the injury chance is greater, some players get conservative and will "take that play off" in an effort to avoid injury. I don't know why this would be different between Sabo mods and non, since the injury setting is 50 for both.



5) Without the mods the QBs are a mixed bag. At times they will go on tears of 8-10 completions in a row and then they will not be able to hit the broad side of a barn. Better QBs are less prone to this like Drew Brees. I am still testing this though and want to compile more data.


In conclusion from what I've witnessed it seems that these mods do impact the game quite a bit. It probably does make for a more enjoyable player vs CPU game. For CPU vs CPU watching it might require some more tweaking which I might experiment with after running more data.


If you have read this long thing I appreciate your interest. If you have any ideas/input or anything to add or suggest I am open to hearing from you.



Thanks again Sabo for all of your hard work.

[Mac_Arone]

Interesting...I also play every game on slow sim...which I'm assuming is same as cpu vs cpu so I appreciate your work here. Maybe we can find out from Sabo whether or how different user vs cpu and cpu vs cpu (if that's what simming a game in slow is) are for his mod. I've definitely been happy with the mod but I'm also very forgiving when it comes to EA. It seems there are a few people that have done a LOT of work, so maybe you don't have to reinvent the wheel here...hopefully.

I am very interested in finding out what Sabo's next update does since it mentions stats...I haven't noticed anything horribly and consistently off yet in my season ending stats with me watching my games on slow and the rest being simulated on weekly advance.

Anyway, thanks for the interesting post.

[Eduardo_Pena]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mac_Arone

Interesting...I also play every game on slow sim...which I'm assuming is same as cpu vs cpu so I appreciate your work here. Maybe we can find out from Sabo whether or how different user vs cpu and cpu vs cpu (if that's what simming a game in slow is) are for his mod. I've definitely been happy with the mod but I'm also very forgiving when it comes to EA. It seems there are a few people that have done a LOT of work, so maybe you don't have to reinvent the wheel here...hopefully. I am very interested in finding out what Sabo's next update does since it mentions stats...I haven't noticed anything horribly and consistently off yet in my season ending stats with me watching my games on slow and the rest being simulated on weekly advance. Anyway, thanks for the interesting post.

I am talking about how you play the game. CPU vs CPU slow sim and then quick simming long field goals and punts. Those two items are one of the major differences I should have pointed out. Sabo's mods GREATLY improve the outcome of long field goals and the punting game. Without the mods even the big leg kickers don't have enough juice to hit 40 yarders and a guy with 92 power doesn't try to kick a 57 yarder. Punting is almost broken without the mods if you slow sim it.



I am wondering what you see in terms of game play since we're both playing the same way. I just completed no mods game one of the season with my stripped down Miami team against the Ravens. Miami won, but not because they played well. The Ravens turned the ball over (2 fumbles and 1 pick) and my team blocked a FG and ran it back.



Mark Ingram tallied about 65 yards for a 4.5YPC, but it was Lamar Jackson that gashed me often for 77 yards and a couple TDs. He threw for 265 yards for an 85% completion rate. While that does seem high, it made sense for how he was playing. Not a single pass of his went for more than 30 yards. He was checking down a lot and hitting short stuff. My pass defense is also not really what you'd call amazing. My secondary consists of Lowe (72), Murphy-Bunting (73), Melifonwu (70 slot), Apke (66) and Cravens (70). The Ravens sacked me 5 times, some of them being Tyree Jackson trying to scramble and failing. Miami sacked Lamar 4 times and 3 of those all came at the end of the game when Lamar was trying to run a 2 minute hurry up and needed to pass deep. My hidden gem Willie Henry (75 LE) got one of them.



I intend to run a full season like this and then once again, perhaps with the newest 1.4 version mods run an exact replica season (same players, same team) and compare the results. Might be interesting to see what the differences are.

[Eduardo_Pena]

A full season of watching games with no mods, 11 min qtrs with no accelerated clock, default sliders, and all pro with a horrible Miami team gave me these results:


Somehow we went 6-10.
QB: Tyree Jackson: Just over 3,000 yards with 18TD 12INT ran for about 500 yards
HB: Kalen Ballage: Ran for over 1300 yards 4.4YPC 5TDS (progressed to SS)
WR: Albert Wilson: top threat gained about 800 yards 4 TDs
TE: Mike Gesicki: Favorite Target, 700+yards 5TDs
OL: Actually held up decently, big sack #'s let up at RT/RG.
DL: Wilkens led the way with 5.5 sacks, Willie Henry 3.5
OLB: Charlton led the team with 7.5 sacks
MLB: Devon White 130 tackles 12 TFL 2.5 sacks, Baker 110 tackles 11TFL 1 sack
Secondary: Stephen Denmark led the team with 4 INT


Using a slightly modified LAR playbook (removing screens, RPO's, and deep drop PAC which leads to insta sacks) the team ran the ball amazingly well. Ballage rolled, when Spencer Ware (converted to FB) came in he also ran for a healthy YPC. Even Donnell Pumphrey JR ran for a 3.8 YPC in limited action.



The passing game was miserable. With Tyree's horrible accuracy and my receivers dropping everything the passing game really let the team down. Tyree did scramble often and when it usually made sense and could turn in some big gainers.



The team struggled to get the ball in the endzone whether running or passing. On the defensive side running a disguise 3-4 the team held up against most ground games pretty well. Any decent QB would tear us up and down the field for lots of yards and high COMP%. Pressure was hard to come by and coverage was abysmal. Then again when your highest rated players are just over 70 or under, that's bound to happen.



Special Teams play was horrible. Punts going 80 yards. Kickers with big legs not being able to make 40 yard fgs. Kickers with 92 KPW attempting 58+ yard FGs.



I am now going to run a season with Sabo's mods, sliders, etc.

[xSABOx]

Quote: Originally Posted by Eduardo_Pena

A full season of watching games with no mods, 11 min qtrs with no accelerated clock, default sliders, and all pro with a horrible Miami team gave me these results: Somehow we went 6-10. QB: Tyree Jackson: Just over 3,000 yards with 18TD 12INT ran for about 500 yards HB: Kalen Ballage: Ran for over 1300 yards 4.4YPC 5TDS (progressed to SS) WR: Albert Wilson: top threat gained about 800 yards 4 TDs TE: Mike Gesicki: Favorite Target, 700+yards 5TDs OL: Actually held up decently, big sack #'s let up at RT/RG. DL: Wilkens led the way with 5.5 sacks, Willie Henry 3.5 OLB: Charlton led the team with 7.5 sacks MLB: Devon White 130 tackles 12 TFL 2.5 sacks, Baker 110 tackles 11TFL 1 sack Secondary: Stephen Denmark led the team with 4 INT Using a slightly modified LAR playbook (removing screens, RPO's, and deep drop PAC which leads to insta sacks) the team ran the ball amazingly well. Ballage rolled, when Spencer Ware (converted to FB) came in he also ran for a healthy YPC. Even Donnell Pumphrey JR ran for a 3.8 YPC in limited action. The passing game was miserable. With Tyree's horrible accuracy and my receivers dropping everything the passing game really let the team down. Tyree did scramble often and when it usually made sense and could turn in some big gainers. The team struggled to get the ball in the endzone whether running or passing. On the defensive side running a disguise 3-4 the team held up against most ground games pretty well. Any decent QB would tear us up and down the field for lots of yards and high COMP%. Pressure was hard to come by and coverage was abysmal. Then again when your highest rated players are just over 70 or under, that's bound to happen. Special Teams play was horrible. Punts going 80 yards. Kickers with big legs not being able to make 40 yard fgs. Kickers with 92 KPW attempting 58+ yard FGs. I am now going to run a season with Sabo's mods, sliders, etc.

heads up, I'm about a day away from finalizing 1.4

[Eduardo_Pena]

Quote: Originally Posted by xSABOx

heads up, I'm about a day away from finalizing 1.4

Cool! I will just tool around with this franchise then until the release and then I will try out what you've come up with.


Now that I have something to compare it to I can see a difference in the game play. Scoring is down by quite a bit. The opponents QB accuracy is definitely being affected by the pass rush, something I didn't really see in the non mod run. Coverages do seem to be tighter, but whiffs on plays are also up...not that I mind it. It happens in the NFL. You gamble and win sometimes, you gamble and lose sometimes.



Not sure if there is a glitch on a play in my playbook or if this is something slider related because in the whole season of playing no-mod I never saw this happen. My QB acts as if he will play action pass, looks to be aiming for the HB running open in the flat, and then fires a ball right over his center's head instead about 3-5 yards past the LOS. His arm motion is actually going right to left, but the ball looks like it warps when it comes out of his hand. I saw it twice with two different QBs. I know these guys aren't the epitome of accuracy but that seems to be a bit much.

[xSABOx]

Updated download link for 1.4

VERSION 1.4
GENERAL
-Revamped franchise sim stats
-Revamped end of half logic
-Decreased tip ball distance
-Increased injuries
-Increased penalties
-Increased run percentage for all teams
-Increased awareness rating distance factor

OFFENSE
-Changed QB order of progression
-Changed QB reaction to pressure
-Changed ball carrier direction logic
-Increased break tackle after catch
-Increased non hit stick fumbles

DEFENSE
-Increased man coverage
-Decreased break on throw in zones for ratings 75 and lower
-Made changes to stop cornerbacks letting the ball go over their head
-Decreased max hit power to tone down WWE style hit sticks

SPECIAL TEAMS
-Increased CPU kickoff power
-Increased CPU miss field goal chance
-Increased fair catch chance
-Revamped punting to get more downed punts inside the 10
-Changed distance to catch a punt from own 10 yard line to as own 7 yard line