Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

[N51_rob]

Awareness is an old, antiquated rating of a by gone era. It needs to go. It has no place in football games as a rating. Football players have been playing the game for most of their lives by the time they reach the NFL. To say that they are not aware of what is happening on the football field is a little asinine.

We hear all the time about "technique" and if you know about football there is a technique to just about everything from snapping the ball to getting the laces out (sorry viking fans). I think that having Technique (TNQ) replace awareness and not just over changing the timing but using it in combination with animation both new and old would go a long way to differentiate players.

We see and hear it all the time when watching a broadcast. They talk about good and bad technique to explain how and why plays happen. Offensive linemen gets his feet to wide in bad technique they get run over. CB has bad technique in opening his hips WR runs right past him or they can't recover as the receiver breaks off his route. RB has poor ball carry technique they put it on the turf (hello Matt Jones).

With madden depending on animations as much as they do, adding a technique rating that limited the animations and effectiveness of certain players in certain situations would IMO be a vastly superior rating than that of awareness which has no real use in football and way to powerful in game.

About the only position I don't think this would apply would be quarterback. They would need something like a 'Mechanics" rating. IDK just a random thought I had sitting in traffic listening to local STR.

[Dj_MyTime]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

I hear what you are saying but I look at awareness as a modifier to the existing position relevant stats, especially for defensive players, and offensive lineman.

In regards to the offensive skill positions outside of the occasional holding penalty I don't see much use for awareness development at all. but on defense I see it's impact much more clearly.

And while players may be aware as they've played the game most of their lives, each jump in competition has a learning curve, and anytime you're trying to figure things out your astuteness, or awareness in this case is impaired due to processing new information, schemes, match-ups, speed of the game etc.

I think awareness has a place, but I'd like to see it influence things like a receiver running the wrong route, not reacting to an early throw, running backs not releasing on the 'check with me' routes, etc.

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

The more I think about this, the more I like it because it seems to take a monumental factor for differentiating players and replication, tiered animations, that have been harped on forever and streamlining it into one comprehensive rating. I feel like sometimes when trying to discuss and/or explain this topic, it's easy for it to get convoluted and confusing but a Technique rating could alleviate that. It seems like a simple concept for gamers to understand and sets a clear guideline/goal for devs/programmers to follow.

[mrprice33]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

Awareness as a rating has been downplayed a lot and replaced by others over the last few years. I think eventually it'll be done with for good.

[Hooe]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

Personally, I'd rather not simply replace AWR with a one-size-fits-all Technique rating, because it'd essentially be the same thing, right?

If we were to break down Technique into different position-specific skills, then absolutely I want those ratings in. To continue the cornerback example, maybe there's a rating for a DB's back-pedal, how well he flips his hips to turn with a receiver running past him, his ability to recognize a receiver's break based on the stem of the route and other receivers' route combinations (and thus cut off the route), his understanding of pattern-match assignments and responsibilities, etc. etc. For pass rushers, maybe you could have ratings for certain pass-rush moves (bull rush / swim / rip / club), how well the DE plays with his hands to keep blockers off of him, his "hustle" / second effort if he's blocked initially, and so on. For receivers, maybe you could even break down the route running rating into a rating per-route; maybe Randy Moss gets 99 on go routes, but his rating for the square in and slant are lower on account of his reputation for not exhibiting a willingness to make plays in traffic. Maybe there's also a rating for how well the receiver keeps himself from tipping his hand in the route stem. This would allow Tiburon to properly rate Jerry Rice like the 4.71 40 time player he was (as opposed to dramatically inflating his SPD / ACC ratings), but because he'd have 99 STEM he'd almost always be able to get separation against CBs because they would never be able to tell what's coming.

Even with all these new ratings, I still think there's a place for Awareness - used specifically as a player's concept of spatial awareness - but it'd be a far more limited scope and far less of a catch-all rating than it is now.

[cusefan74]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

Awareness as a rating has been downplayed a lot and replaced by others over the last few years. I think eventually it'll be done with for good.

If that's the case why is the overall rating so heavily attached to it?

[Mattanite]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

If it almost performs the same function as AWR but under a different name, why not just keep awareness? Plus, if the current game build/code has relied upon having AWR since its rebuild from the last gen converson, replacing it might cause all types of chaos??

[N51_rob]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

Personally, I'd rather not simply replace AWR with a one-size-fits-all Technique rating, because it'd essentially be the same thing, right?

If we were to break down Technique into different position-specific skills, then absolutely I want those ratings in. To continue the cornerback example, maybe there's a rating for a DB's back-pedal, how well he flips his hips to turn with a receiver running past him, his ability to recognize a receiver's break based on the stem of the route and other receivers' route combinations (and thus cut off the route), his understanding of pattern-match assignments and responsibilities, etc. etc. For pass rushers, maybe you could have ratings for certain pass-rush moves (bull rush / swim / rip / club), how well the DE plays with his hands to keep blockers off of him, his "hustle" / second effort if he's blocked initially, and so on. For receivers, maybe you could even break down the route running rating into a rating per-route; maybe Randy Moss gets 99 on go routes, but his rating for the square in and slant are lower on account of his reputation for not exhibiting a willingness to make plays in traffic. Maybe there's also a rating for how well the receiver keeps himself from tipping his hand in the route stem. This would allow Tiburon to properly rate Jerry Rice like the 4.71 40 time player he was (as opposed to dramatically inflating his SPD / ACC ratings), but because he'd have 99 STEM he'd almost always be able to get separation against CBs because they would never be able to tell what's coming.

Even with all these new ratings, I still think there's a place for Awareness - used specifically as a player's concept of spatial awareness - but it'd be a far more limited scope and far less of a catch-all rating than it is now.

You hit on what I was going to post next about how there would be position specific ratings tied to technique as well. You can be an excellent off-man CB, but struggle in press. That has more to do with your hands, feet, strenght and "fluidity of hips". I've been writing a more thought out idea/explanation but you've said it in far fewer words.

As far as spacial recognition that could be tied to play recognition or whatever its called.

[N51_rob]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

If it almost performs the same function as AWR but under a different name, why not just keep awareness? Plus, if the current game build/code has relied upon having AWR since its rebuild from the last gen converson, replacing it might cause all types of chaos??

But it wouldn't perform the same functions. Given that this game is animation driven, it would be used with position/situation specific animations to allow you to see a visual difference between players with good/bad technique.

[mrprice33]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

If that's the case why is the overall rating so heavily attached to it?

The formula has to be reworked but awareness is not nearly as important as it used to be. PRC has all but replaced it for most defensive situations, as an example


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[Brightline]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

How Awareness should function:

QB: Ability to recognize coverage and/or go through progressions. Perhaps even 2 minute drill clock management.

RB: See holes; pick up blitzers

FB: Choose who to block; pick up blitzers

WR: Identify holes in zones and option route intelligence

TE: Same as WR and blockers

OL: Identify blitzers

DL: Reaction to play action; susceptibility to trick play

LB: Reaction to play action; susceptibility to trick play; "learn" offensive plays and routes

DB: Reaction to play action; susceptibility to trick play; "learn" offensive plays and routes; reaction to double moves.

K/P: N/A

[khaliib]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

If that's the case why is the overall rating so heavily attached to it?

It drives the "Player Contract" mechanism.

[mrprice33]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

It drives the "Player Contract" mechanism.

That too.


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[RogueHominid]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

I would have to respectfully disagree with the idea that technique should replace awareness.

I think Madden should have more nuance to players, and I could see technique playing a part in the process of player differentiation, especially if it were tied to a robust set of tiered animations.

But the real NFL is indeed full of players with relative degrees of awareness, and with significant gaps between elite and league average players.

All you have to do is watch the all 22 tape of any team any week to see multiple missed assignments. These can be blown coverages, mistakes on run fits, mistakes in basic alignment--the list goes on and on, and it covers offense and defense.

More really easy evidence that awareness matters is the QBs for whom offensive coordinators have to shrink the field by limiting reads to 2, or for whom they have to shrink the playbook. How is that not a lack of awareness?

What about backs that can't be trusted in the passing game. It's not just because they lack proper blocking technique. Sometimes they actually just aren't good at figuring out where they fit in the dynamic protection scheme that develops at the LOS when the defense declares its front. They lack awareness.

More evidence could be the importance of having that mike backer or that safety whose job it is to make sure the younger players are in the right spot for the formation, down and distance, and playcall. How is that whole situation not awareness related?

I don't want to belabor the point, but all of this stuff is part of the game and it's hard to reduce to technique. Awareness seems to be a critical part of the game on both sides of the ball. To call the concept of such a rating asinine strikes me as both uncharitable and, frankly, wrong.

[berad88]

Re: Do away with Awareness replace with Technique

Awareness is more of the odds of a cpu player performing at his maximum ability. It also impacts how often a player will do something stupid. Such as not being aware of something ( yes that actually happens in football and often) or causing a penalty.