Blocking Problems

[slickdtc]

I like to use the Instant Replay function a lot, whether I'm playing Madden 2005 or ESPN NFL 2k5. So when I get stuffed in the backfield in either game, I want to see what went wrong. And a lot of the time it's the blocking, and it's not the opposing player making the right moves; it's the blocker making NO moves!

What I'm trying to say is, for example, on a HB Toss. You need the fullback and tightend to hold their blocks. But many times I've seen a FB just rub up right against a opposing player (LB's, S's, and CB's are the most common) and not even lay a hand on him, just let him go right by and tackle my HB for a loss. Very frustrating.

Also, I've seen the tightend's go to hit a LB, but when the LB moves to get to the ball, the TE doesn't know what to do, rubs him, then goes to pick up a safety. That LB goes over and runs down my HB in the backfield. Again, very frustrating.

I've seen this in both games, so I'm not saying that EA sucks or ESPN sucks because it's only in one game. I hope this is focused on in the 2006 brand of games, and by getting more people to share their views on it, I hope we can help nudge the game companies into fixing the blocking AI.

EDIT: Hope I'm not doubleposting this.

[slickdtc]

Alright, this is getting stupid. My WR's don't block for junk, my tackles and guards aren't fast enough on plays where they pull, and my FB would rather go after the DE on the opposite side of the field.

There is no doubt this is one of the top things on my list that EA needs to fix for 2006.

[Silock]

Quote: Originally Posted by slickdtc

Alright, this is getting stupid. My WR's don't block for junk, my tackles and guards aren't fast enough on plays where they pull, and my FB would rather go after the DE on the opposite side of the field. There is no doubt this is one of the top things on my list that EA needs to fix for 2006.

Welcome to Madden! It's REALLY annoying when it's your tackles and guards that are blowing right past their assignments to pick up LBs and letting DTs and DEs right through the line.

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by Silock

Welcome to Madden! It's REALLY annoying when it's your tackles and guards that are blowing right past their assignments to pick up LBs and letting DTs and DEs right through the line.

I think its arguably worse on ESPN. On pulling plays, the guard don't even pull in Madden when a player is across from them which is wrong but at least they block. In ESPN the guards do pull put get out so slowly that they are almost useless. The guards pulled almost perfectly in 2K4 so I don't know why they screwed that up.

Both games have mental mistakes on who to block but I found myself more frustrated with 2K4 this year as the FB was just awful but Madden has its share of stupidity. I thought the AI was better in last year's games myself and I don't know how they can justify it when it gets worse.

[ComfortablyLomb]

The way to think of it is not so much how it happened but what were the results. There are two schools of thought regarding this. There are the people who want the action on the field to mirror the NFL, which is a justifiable and reasonable demand... and then there are the people who are satisfied with reasonable results at the end of the game in the stats department. I'm in the latter category. Sorry, but it's just the way that Madden is...

[Solution]

Quote: Originally Posted by ComfortablyLomb

The way to think of it is not so much how it happened but what were the results. There are two schools of thought regarding this. There are the people who want the action on the field to mirror the NFL, which is a justifiable and reasonable demand... and then there are the people who are satisfied with reasonable results at the end of the game in the stats department. I'm in the latter category. Sorry, but it's just the way that Madden is...

I find it funny that people expect the blocking scheme to be perfect everyplay, like the defense is there just to be blocked, not to disrupt the play. I encourage you to watch a real NFL game very closely, and then come back to me and tell me how many blocks get missed. The defense is trying to avoid blocks and get to the ball. I think madden's blocking scheme is pretty good, and the better your players, the better the blocking. I'm averaging 4.4 ypc with Julius Jones on all madden level, with the cpu's break block +1, and awareness +1 as well. My offensive AI is default. If you expect to run the football and not get hammered for loss of yards occasionally, you're living in a fantasy world.

[Solution]

By the way, that wasn't targeted at you Comfort, I hit the wrong button and quoted you. It's just out there for everyone.

[slickdtc]

I just played some First Person Football on ESPN NFL 2k5 for the first time in ages, and I must say the blocking seems to be a ton better in that game.

Sometimes my players did miss blocks, but when they did, it didn't feel like it was because of stupid AI. It felt like the defense was just better.