Is Madden 17, w/o patches the greatest Madden gameplay ever ?

[vrtkolman]

I feel like the CPU AI is too bland in 17 to this day. It's still a great game though. I'm glad I didn't buy 18. I might even go back to 16 because the Madden 17 QB AI is really starting to annoy me.

[BigSexy]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingdevin

Specifically In what ways is it better in the single player context

Exactly. Single player is the worst aspect of the entire game. AI is ridiculously dumb. CFM was left untouched. Longshot was okay, felt too linear, but it definitely showed some promise. There's no balance between difficulties and there's hardly a difference between Simulation and Arcade modes. The offensive line play is absolutely atrocious; funny how they have a former NFL OL-man on their Dev team, and they still can't get blocking assignments right. This game relies far too heavily on animation and looks rather than how it feels and plays.

I feel like I need to get this out of the way: I don't hate EA. I know I've bashed the absolute hell out of them. But their MVP Baseball series, and even early Maddens made my childhood great and I even enjoy their NHL and UFC series. I absolutely loved the Mass Effect trilogy, too. It's their tactics that piss me off: buying an "exclusive license" (another term for "monopoly in disguise"), making promises they can't keep (Madden 13 physics, anyone?), and being downright slimeballs in some areas.

I think if they went in a different direction, maybe went with different people behind the scenes, then they could possibly produce the football game we deserve. That's in a perfect world, however, where game developers actually listen and I'm a gazillion-aire.

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingdevin

Specifically In what ways is it better in the single player context

Plenty, as soon as you get past the "woe is us" single-player franchise crowd.

All the various on-field features improvements - ID The Mike, the WR / DB interactions and controls, off-ball injuries, updated ballcarrier moves, coaching adjustments, position-specific defensive hot routes, QBs actually throwing inaccurate passes this year, and so on - benefit all modes including user vs CPU.

Speaking to modes, Franchise didn't go completely untouched. Progression / regression tuning across the board (including limits on SPD / ACC decay for skill position players), better Franchise in-game commentary and presentation, the scouting board feature, additional rules in CPU draft logic, the removal of the artificial Cut Days mechanic, adjustments to preseason substitution patterns per-game, star players putting off retirement, and other minor changes all add up to make the mode better than last year's edition, even if the core experience is not a radical departure from what you played last August.

Away from Franchise, MUT is a quite good single-player experience even if you don't spend any money on it, it is plenty playable that way. Finally, Longshot is a fun diversion if nothing else (I personally mildly enjoyed but won't be replaying it). There are a ton of things to do in this game.

There are some issues, as with any Madden game. The instances where the CPU QB just sits in the pocket forever is probably the most glaring. However, my league only has about a dozen players in it, I still have to play a good number of CPU teams, and I have zero desire to go back to last year's game.

[BigSexy]

As soon as you get past the braindead safeties, missed blocking assignments, statue quarterbacks, wonky and nonsensical animations, dumb AI, dumb CPU play-calling logic...it's not a bad game.

Also, as much as you have the right to enjoy the game, we have as much a right to be unhappy with CFM. It's felt the exact same for over four years.

[reyes the roof]

The one thing that stuck out to me about 17 was the CPU QB consistently firing the ball out of bounds from within the pocket the second you get pressure, with no intentional grounding being called. 17 and 18 are pretty much a wash for me

[svensenk86]

M17 was awesome, but it is not better than 18.
17 was too easy at the end, you had too many plays which always worked, that was boring. after a certain speed level receivers had, it was too easy and the cpu always chose wrong Defensive plays.
18 is more challenging what I experienced!
Everyone has his opinion, that is mine, I think Madden improves every year, except on the CFM mode maybe something for next year.
Longshot I liked pretty much as well, but I will not play it a second time. But great 4 hours which I could invest there.

[timhere1970]

Quote: Originally Posted by reyes the roof

The one thing that stuck out to me about 17 was the CPU QB consistently firing the ball out of bounds from within the pocket the second you get pressure, with no intentional grounding being called. 17 and 18 are pretty much a wash for me

To me that was the most frustrating thing about 17. 20+ throw aways in many games, the lack of inaccurate passes and the qb refusing to take off. It did no good to build a pass rushing team. Didn't think qb ai could get worse. EA surprised me in their ability to make that happen.

[Ueauvan]

i still play m17 but with patches, however ootb is madden 08 pc