Madden 21 Beta: Are You For or Against the 'Film Study' Ability?

[ChaseB]

In terms of gameplay debates, the two biggest ones emerging from the Madden 21 beta have...

Written By: Chase Becotte

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[Find_the_Door]

For - brings more value to a specific player - perhaps make it to where it shows one side of the field instead or maybe the previously targeted receivers route only?

[Godgers12]

For. They had this feature like 15 years ago.

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[canes21]

Let me preface this by saying I think the trait is gimmicky as basically all of the traits are. It's a system that does bring about player differentiation, but not in a way I feel is authentic or that I really support. That being said, I think the idea of having a trait that allows the user to counter someone who is running the same plays over and over is a positive.

You might say, why not punish a player that cannot adjust or doesn't know X's and O's properly enough to counter something. I 100% understand where you are coming from and that is where I'd typically come from as well, but the truth with Maddenball is that this game is not a true X's and O's simulator. It's a very gamey brand of football that has metas. Madden scripts the way defenses react to certain offensive play calls, the defense does not truly read and react. Nearly every play is scripted, which is must be to some degree, but Madden uses scripting to the extreme and, like I said, there's virtually zero read and react in the game. This leads to real football knowledge not always working.

Granted, that isn't always the case. Stacking the box will still typically make running the ball harder, but Madden does not provide a game of checks and balances. Every year we see people are able to find a handful of meta plays that are just about unstoppable or on the defensive side these plays have nearly zero weaknesses. We know that isn't how real football works. When you tune your scheme to stop one thing, you open up another hole. Madden fails to capture that side of football and that is why I think a trait like this is a positive if we are stuck using the system we have. It gives users a counter for meta plays and it does bring about player differentiation.

If Madden was more organic and had true read and react defense and meta plays were nearly non-existent. If we the X's and O's were the king in the game, not labbing to find broken plays. Well, then I'd be all against a trait like this, at least in the way it is implemented. I'd typically prefer to see the AI have the "smarter" players sit on routes, jumping them, which could cost them, too, if the offense plays off of that like with whips/slants, outs/out n go's, etc., and I'd like to see smarter AI lead to them recognizing formations, tendencies, patterns, which leads to them leaning pre-snap. If a player is predictable, I'd love to see the AI organically pick up on their tendencies and lean in ways that shut them down. On the contrary, I'd love to have the ability to set up plays because I act predictable with the intention of getting the AI to sit on a route so I can go over the top, or I get them leaning strong side so a counter can rip off a big gain.

We don't have that level of AI in the game, so I guess if we are stuck with traits and Maddenball, Film Study isn't all that terrible with context.

[Madden08PCgmr]

Against.

This game is too geared toward player ratings for this to amount to anything.

Matchups are far more important than tendencies.

[4thQtrStre5S]

I am for the Ability. Some are opposed to it based on the premise that a good player would counter what their opponent is doing and such an Ability should not be in competitive.



I feel as long as it is available to everyone it is fair. I wonder if some of the opposition to the Ability are more concerned about opponents recording the results of the Film Study and posting key plays on Youtube which could reduce revenue from some of the e-book sellers.


Sure there are YouTube videos explaining top plays that beat "X" coverage, etc. But competitive players seem to not advertise their big play schemes for free. Plays that are revealed resemble advertisements for the better schemes.

[XtremeDunkz]

For. Definitely like it

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[snc237]

I liked it, even though I faced a guy that still crushed me using the same play over and over*