The "Slider Tree"

[awffltony77]

OkThrough the years we've all spent gathered in here trying to straighten out the only option we have...I've always marveled at how similar the proverbial NFL "Coaching Tree" is to the slider gurus here and their disciples.

Everyone has one. That mentor, that first one that taught you the theory they subscribe to, and it worked for you too. Those values, beliefs and approach live on through the slider tree just as the Parcels to Belichick to Zimmer, Bill Walsh to Dennis Green and Mike Holmgren ect....

And even though most of us eventually wonder out and try different things and make sets of our own, your always looking back on that patriarch lol.

I will always be a "Josh Guy", wether I'm using his set or not. Because he is the first one that opened my eyes to some of the things that make other things work.

But one year (2015 I believe) his set wasn't working for me for the first time ever. So I sheepishly wondered out of his best (thread lol) and took a look around. And what I saw was this guy named Trojan, who seemed very well spoken and knew his $h!t, continue to profess his allegiance to a guy named King. And it was one post in particular that Trojan made that said "Message him, he will totally talk to you about sliders". So, I did....and that guy took me to Madden school, for like 18 months. I downloaded and saved most of our discussions from those days because of the depth of conversation that never strayed off of Madden and general football strategy. So with that I will always and forever also be a "King Guy".

Then once again, a cycle came out, and Kings set didn't work like it had for me....so I wondered out again. And I saw Rens set, and noticed the name Trojan man attached. That was enough for me, cuz Trojan is a king guy too. So off I went. And from that point I messaged Trojan Man (now Darth Raider) and told him how I'd gotten to King, from his posts, and to his thread, because of king lol. And since that time rarely does more than a day or two pass that Darth Raider and I don't contact one another and keep in touch.

I loved how that Flazko guy was gone for a long stretch, but his thread lived on and on because he has such a strong group of guys that learned under him.

Sorry if it's kinda rambling, I'm killing time before work and I've always wanted to come on here and point this out. I love OS. I couldn't even imagine what torture this game would be for me without all of this. Thanks everyone.

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[awffltony77]

The street cred and respect thing is fascinating too. Like, I know I'll never use Matt's set, but I sure as hell read every post in his thread, and I plug his set in and run it every year. Just because.

TDs all Madden sets, I will always always plug in and play even if I'm not looking for a new set because I have respect for his point of view.

Same goes for Armor, and that Mil guy before he booted for PC.....

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[awffltony77]

Schnidt1 out of the box approach is such that I will never not try his set when he posts it (even though he has the ugliest avatar on this website)

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[Big Bankhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by awffltony77

Schnidt1 out of the box approach is such that I will never not try his set when he posts it (even though he has the ugliest avatar on this website) Sent from my REVVLPLUS C3701A using Operation Sports mobile app

LMAO, that good ol Vikes - Packers rivalry!

[KingV2k3]

Well, these are two links that got me thinking outside the box re: Madden:

https://forums.operationsports.com/f...-download.html

"The Manifesto" was a roadmap to making the run / pass splits and aggression settings shine, which hellped engender the most realistic gameplay that the series had seen to date.

Another "Big Bang Theory" was KBLover's original take on how penalty sliders affected gameplay:

https://forums.operationsports.com/f...penalties.html

After that, it was possible to figure out how to "blend settings" incorporating mixed values in the Main and CFM (Franchise) menus.

Over the years, the "less is more" approach that Josh works, has appealed to me.

But, as always, I end up customizing / fine tuning things to my liking and just post them in my blog.

That being said:

Major Shoutout to ALL the slider thread / custom playbook and "workaround" folks past and present.

I'm a "research hound" for about a month before I even buy the thing in Mid September, so I can clock the current trends of what's working and what's not, etc.

[kennypowers88]

I too, am a "King guy". I'm a bit of a football junkie, and messed with sliders for years before ever finding this forum. I had conjured all of these wild theories regarding sliders and settings, and when I finally found this place, realized I wasn't alone. I stumbled upon the penalty sliders and the manifesto, and gravitated towards Josh's approach because it all felt helpless.

But I come from a more competitive sports gaming background, and the game just got too easy too quickly. So in an attempt to save Madden one last time, I found King. He was saying all the thing I thought I was crazy for seeing, and showing me how to fix them.

Fast forward, and I too look to Trojan and Raider Ren, as I trust that they can see the forest for the trees, saving me an incredible amount of time. And oh, what a forest it is.

Now, it feels like Madden gameplay and the sliders are stabilizing a bit. They still have unintended consequences, and the penalty sliders and auto subs are still a disaster, but things seem to be getting better. Maybe one day we'll have sliders that work perfectly, but then a part of me will always miss this group of mad scientists.

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[JoshC1977]

The Madden slider forum might be the most unique on this site. There's a TON of history (the roots go much deeper as King alluded to) and this is the one area on OS where there is still some exchange of ideas like there was more universally in the old(er) days.

As much as we might all complain about how Madden doesn't change quickly enough, it's ironically that (annoying) consistency which has allowed this slider community to grow and evolve over the years.

This is going to sound sappy, but all the guys in here who have (and in many cases, still do) shared their love of the game and shared their ideas (and ideals) have touched lives. I've said this to many people when they ask why I do sliders (and the associated threads), but if I can make just one person's life a little happier by sharing...it's all been worth it. I know a lot of the guys in here well and I think that they would share the same sentiments.

[awffltony77]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

The Madden slider forum might be the most unique on this site. There's a TON of history (the roots go much deeper as King alluded to) and this is the one area on OS where there is still some exchange of ideas like there was more universally in the old(er) days. As much as we might all complain about how Madden doesn't change quickly enough, it's ironically that (annoying) consistency which has allowed this slider community to grow and evolve over the years. This is going to sound sappy, but all the guys in here who have (and in many cases, still do) shared their love of the game and shared their ideas (and ideals) have touched lives. I've said this to many people when they ask why I do sliders (and the associated threads), but if I can make just one person's life a little happier by sharing...it's all been worth it. I know a lot of the guys in here well and I think that they would share the same sentiments.

Absolutely Josh. Elegantly worded as always.

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