OPINION: What would make Madden 21 FEEL Next Gen?

[Madden08PCgmr]

Quote: Originally Posted by SashaBanksFan4Ever

Classic teams Situation mode (was in ps2 maddens)

We can thank Jim Brown and Ed O'Bannon for that ^^

... doesn't matter though. The mod community releases are better than anything the factory could dream of.

[CM Hooe]

Make the AI smarter in every facet of the game - pass progressions, play calling, team building, literally everything - and also surface how and why the AI is making its decisions.

Did the AI cut a player for salary cap reasons? I want to know the AI is doing that. Did the AI trade for a player to finalize what it sees as a championship roster? I want to read an in-game news story about that. Did the AI change its play calling because of certain plays I was calling over and over? I want an assistant coach to tell me the AI made an adjustment so I can set up a counter-punch. Is a certain AI receiver getting open repeatedly against me? I want my defensive coordinator to tell me I need to consider kicking him over some help.

[GbrSD]

For me, it would be if they actually focused on the depth of the game headed into the next generation. Tired of "need to build the base before we get to features then getting less than I had on playstation 2 in 06 after 10 years". Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy this Madden, I'm just disappointed of constantly not getting what it could be/less than playstation offered for franchise.

I'm not asking for it all at once, I'll take bit by bit at this point with yearly polish. Unless they want to be generous and get it all in at once. A lot of this couldn't be added to madden 21, but some of it could and would show me they are planning on moving in the right direction.

Allow me to put my custom playbooks into the coach where I can actually scheme around it and do formation subs outside of the game etc etc.

Bring back create a play.

Create a team. Yep, from the ground up without having to move teams.

Go deeper on scouting, think like 60% of the way between what we have now and what NHL does, tho the last NHL I played was 19.

Make owner mode more in-depth. Not saying make it more challenging, make it fun and interesting. Create uniforms(full scale), stadium editing(deeper than playstations version) etc.

Add assistant coaches, position coaches, trainers, you name it. Add actual depth to them too, not just 1 rating.

Custom schedules within reason.

More depth for x-factor/ability options that are player influenced. (Heard this is coming)

*Big Dream on this next one*

Connect NCAA with Madden in the SAME game. I'll pay for both to be under the same game with fluid connection.

I'd love to be able to play through college season and NFL at the same time while having my NFL franchise react to what is happening in my college season. Imagine being able to directly take coaches and players from your NCAA league directly into your NFL league with the draft class being taken from your NCAA league. Imagine being able to scout your own players throughout the season and seeing them improve from start to finish.

The options there are endless.

TLDR: Add features instead of animations/cinematics for a bit.

[HennyHefner]

A total equipment overhaul would be nice and for zone coverage to just be more realistic.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Cory Levy]

Quote: Originally Posted by StayODD

Great idea in concept but chances of getting licenses from the networks would be next to zero. I would for them to have a few different options for commentary though. Maybe even go the FIFA route and add "Mexican Spanish" announcers for those games played in Mexico City lol

Instead of striving to obtain licenses from every network, I would be thrilled if Madden just acted like EA Sports was its own in-world network (as it does now) but ALSO presented multiple presentation styles (IMO seems like it would be the 'obvious' next step). That way instead of having to obtain licenses and mimic real life, they would have cart blanche to design their own styles. Instead of literally every single game in franchise having the same graphical layout/presentation style outside of rare on-field graphics or special commentary for the Super Bowl/the SB victory cutscene, there should be different styles for 1:00 games, 4:15 games, SNF, MNF and Playoff games.

For 1:00 games and 4:15 games you get commentary team A with simplified scoreboards and less cut-away graphics, except for one 4:15 game every week that gets branded GOTW. SNF and MNF games get commentary team B, more in depth scoreboards and gets loads more cut-away graphics. Playoff games have an entirely new presentation style that feels more impactful than the regular season. If you're a poor team you might even play a 1:00 game that isn't even televised so you don't even get a commentary team. How fun would it be to begin playing as a lower ranked NFL franchise and constantly be playing very simplified 1:00 games until you have a winning season. Then you see a sprinkling of commentary teams and maybe a Prime Time game or two. Then you almost make it to the Super Bowl and you're playing in front of commentary a lot during the season.

There's a visual, easy to see but still subtle reward for continually becoming a better team that would be really damn cool. Instead you're given a randomly generated schedule that rarely reflects where you're at in terms of the NFL landscape (it's also ridiculous we can't even alter the schedule ourselves in any manner).

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cory Levy

If you're a poor team you might even play a 1:00 game that isn't even televised so you don't even get a commentary team.

I get what you're driving at, but every NFL game is televised now. This would be more of an NCAA thing. Love the rest of your ideas though.

[illwill10]

For me, AI and Physics go hand and hand. For the last 2 generations, Madden has felt so scripted and animation based. Its like they have to script everything for CPU because they don't have the intelligence to do things on their own. The game feels so animation based with constant dependence on 2 man animations and probability based animations.

I long for the day that I can get a truly great realistic experience from the CPU. Playing the CPU, you know what to expect. AI needs a complete overhaul for it to feel next gen to me. I want a different experience from playing a well coached team versus a bad team. I want to face a dynamic playmaker and him knowing what to do in the open field. I want OL to not just follow the play art and not ignore what is happening in field. I'm running curl flats and CPU is running cover 4, I don't want CPU to keep back peddling and give up easy looks when it is clear and obvious. I want the CPU to track my tendencies and adjust to it.

Physics needs an overhaul as well. I'm tired of seeing the same 2 man animations over the last couple generations. It's like the players can't be trusted to interact properly without the 2 man animations. Feels like it is Animations + Probability based on opposing ratings. I don't want to see the same consistent tackling animations and suction tackling. If I have a WR/3rdTE at TE and he is guarding Khalil Mack, I want to see Mack ragdoll him. If I have Derrick Henry going full steam towards a 5'9 180 DB, I expect to win that battle

For me, those two things would make a big difference. This would have been the best time to build from ground up. I rather them have a new foundation to build off of for next 6-7 years then to continue seeing these bandaid fixes on this broken foundation. I just don't want to see a higher fidelity port with same legacy issues from past 2 generations. I don't want to see a prettier Madden that plays the same.

[Cory Levy]

Quote: Originally Posted by IlluminatusUIUC

I get what you're driving at, but every NFL game is televised now. This would be more of an NCAA thing. Love the rest of your ideas though.

Of course but I don't see it being feasible to include like four or five completely different commentary teams. It would be a nice juxtaposition though between earlier games that are viewed as less important and more impactful ones.

It would be cool to have 3 commentary teams: one for SNF/MNF prime time (I would love to see a former player plus someone exciting for this team), one for America's GOTW/4:15/playoff games (Gaudin/Davis) and one that would be the "local" team of fictional commentators that would play for 1:00 games (a more comedic take akin to 2K5's Stevens/O'Keefe). It would be optional to pick one of the 3, no commentary or "flexible" which would vary depending on the game you're playing.