Let's Pretend ESPN Never Existed...

[humpdump66]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

But I got called a cheeser because at the end, when I was fed up with Randy Moss, he lined up in Shotgun Empty, so I sent 6 defenders. I controlled one of the blitzers and ran in and got the sack. I did this one time and he called me a cheeser. I'm NOT sorry, I'm not going to let someone sit there forever and get the pass off and destroy the pathetic coverage. Moss was on fire and I had enough of it. EXCUSE me for pulling the trigger like any real defensive coordinator would. He was like that's not sim. Well I'm here to say, 6 against 5 you should have no chance anyways. Second his desire to have a chance sitting in the pocket when he is outnumbered is NOT sim either. I wasn't about to let the A.I make my defender take a stupid angle when he shouldn't. I ran right in and it was LIGHTS OUT!!

From my experience, in Madden you can drop back further and still be accurate. I was playing the Eagles last night in Madden and the guy I was playing dropped McNabb back 25 yards and still completed one to T.O. for positive yardage. Often in ESPN, the ball is off target if it gets near the WR.

I can feel your pain about being called CHEESE for rushing 6 on 5. If he was in an "Empty" formation, a 6 on 5 is a legit disadvantage and MANUALLY rushing a LB or SS is SIM. In that case, the offense should have audibled out...or called timeout if they smelled a blitz.

However, in formations other than an EMPTY, where there is supposed protection, manual rushing gives the defense an advantage the Offense cannot always compensate for. I've had guys in ESPN have their LB's in the backfield before my QB got the ball! Most good leagues prohibit QB scrambling past the line of scrimmage AND Manual Blitzing. You can still Hot Blitz players in ESPN and make an impact.

On the other hand...Madden's computer controlled blitzes work too well. I use the Steelers and there is a play in the 3-4 where I can fan my LB's and get in uncontested every time almost. But it seems harder to Manual blitz in Madden.

Hopefully Madden will take heed and fix these issues. If VC makes a game, hopefully they will as well.

[jmood88]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

Individual Linebacker shifts. Advertised on page 14 of the instruction manual. This could have really done alot for creating different types of fronts in the game. It took away alot IMO. Because now you gotta manually move guys to places if you want them there and if you are playing online most people won't give you time to do anything.

Ok, I was just asking him because he keeps bringing up the qb spy without talking about anything else.

[LBzrule]

Quote: Originally Posted by humpdump66

From my experience, in Madden you can drop back further and still be accurate. I was playing the Eagles last night in Madden and the guy I was playing dropped McNabb back 25 yards and still completed one to T.O. for positive yardage. Often in ESPN, the ball is off target if it gets near the WR. I can feel your pain about being called CHEESE for rushing 6 on 5. If he was in an "Empty" formation, a 6 on 5 is a legit disadvantage and MANUALLY rushing a LB or SS is SIM. In that case, the offense should have audibled out...or called timeout if they smelled a blitz. However, in formations other than an EMPTY, where there is supposed protection, manual rushing gives the defense an advantage the Offense cannot always compensate for. I've had guys in ESPN have their LB's in the backfield before my QB got the ball! Most good leagues prohibit QB scrambling past the line of scrimmage AND Manual Blitzing. You can still Hot Blitz players in ESPN and make an impact. On the other hand...Madden's computer controlled blitzes work too well. I use the Steelers and there is a play in the 3-4 where I can fan my LB's and get in uncontested every time almost. But it seems harder to Manual blitz in Madden. Hopefully Madden will take heed and fix these issues. If VC makes a game, hopefully they will as well.

Both games have problems in this area. ESPN wants to give the offense too much time by making defenders take stupid angles when the shouldn't and therefore they slow down the blitz. Madden on the other hand, want the blitz to work so they make the offensive linemen do stupid and just let the blitzers in uncontested. Now 5 on 5 you should have some time unless the defender just beats his block. 6 on 5 you should die end of story. No one in real life is going to say, well I'll run a bad angle so this guy can have a chance. F that If you want to play on my football team in this league you better get your *** in there when I pull the trigger. Conversely, If you want to keep your job on the offensive line and they only have 5 guys coming and we have 5 offensive linemen and 1 RB blocking you better block your *** off.

The problem is what I stated on here along time ago. Neither game has clearly defined blocking schemes. Second, sometimes one side of the ball gets more sympathy than the other depending on the developer. I go back and forth although I play ESPN a hell of alot more, but I do notice one thing. When I'm playing madden, I never here myself yelling at the players to RUN DAMMIT!! STOP Jogging But when I play ESPN, I'm constantly yelling you better bust your *** men. You better run full speed to that damn football or I'll find someone (go play another game) that will. Where is the intensity and fire and enthusiasm from the defense? I don't FEEL it? Safety blitz?? I am given no reason to get excited about calling that. You can't blitz from way back there. You dont have a presnap animation that causes you to charge the line ala 2k3 so why should I EVER call a Safety blitz? I'll have to manually move the Safety and you already know what I'm doing. Whereas if he has a pre snap animation I could let him attack the line and call him out of it at the last second even though he looks like he's still coming. At other times I can just let him be and come get you. But noooooooooooo. You don't run full speed, so I'm not going to call it.

Every defense feels like the Colts and Chiefs of real life The Pats, Eagles, Ravens are only different in one way. They make your guys drop the ball. And they cause miraculous fumbles and interceptions. Other than that they play the same. I see the same false steps, the same bad techniques, the same lack of fire and intensity.

Now Madden. While every D in ESPN feels like the Chiefs and Colts, every D in madden feels like the 85 Bears or 2000 Ravens Almost every CB defends perfectly in single coverage. Quarters and Dime can blow up just about everything on offense

I just don't understand it. I know it is very hard to program a football game. But until they fix all the pieces........ everything is connected, when one piece is broke, several other pieces are also broke

One thing that makes BOTH games frustrating to play defensively however is SUCTION blocking. It's in both games in it's own little way.

[bkrich83]

I like both games.. I think there are some issues with both games. But how someone could claim that one is better than the other, as indisputable fact, as some in this thread have done, is beyond me.

I like ESPN's Run game, playbooks, and presentation better. I like Madden's defensive flexibililty (defensive hot routes, etc.) and franchise mode better.

If I could just find a way to combine the two games.

My biggest fear is, that with no competition, EA will let their game get stagnant. Lets face it, during the time Madden was basically unoppsed in the football gaming world, their product really took a dive.

[Rickster101]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

I like both games.. I think there are some issues with both games. But how someone could claim that one is better than the other, as indisputable fact, as some in this thread have done, is beyond me. I like ESPN's Run game, playbooks, and presentation better. I like Madden's defensive flexibililty (defensive hot routes, etc.) and franchise mode better. If I could just find a way to combine the two games. My biggest fear is, that with no competition, EA will let their game get stagnant. Lets face it, during the time Madden was basically unoppsed in the football gaming world, their product really took a dive.

I couldn't agree more and got lazy so this is pretty much my opinion also both games have there pros and cons and I've played both and both are good for me but like bkrich83 states here it'd be cool if the best of both could be combined,I've a feeling we've been here before on this subject.


Holla Back ya'll

[slickdtc]

And the winner is...

Nobody. Again.

These arguments will never sway anyone off their opinion. Personally, I was advertising ESPN NFL 2k5 pre-release, loved it for a month, picked up Madden 2005 and have played just a bit of NFL 2k5 since then.

I've tried to go back to 2k5, but some things annoy me to no end (the DB AI). Meanwhile, I've logged more then 4 days in Madden (compared to ESPN NFL's 2).

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by slickdtc

And the winner is... Nobody. Again. These arguments will never sway anyone off their opinion. Personally, I was advertising ESPN NFL 2k5 pre-release, loved it for a month, picked up Madden 2005 and have played just a bit of NFL 2k5 since then. I've tried to go back to 2k5, but some things annoy me to no end (the DB AI). Meanwhile, I've logged more then 4 days in Madden (compared to ESPN NFL's 2).

And there's nothing wrong with that. It's all about personal preference. Personally I tend to go back and forth between the two. I'll play one for a bit, then I'll play the other, etc.

Too bad next year, we might not have the same ability to buy a game that suits our tastes.

[slickdtc]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

And there's nothing wrong with that. It's all about personal preference. Personally I tend to go back and forth between the two. I'll play one for a bit, then I'll play the other, etc. Too bad next year, we might not have the same ability to buy a game that suits our tastes.

I really want to like ESPN NFL 2k5. The presentation and graphics and tackling is just awesome, it's so cool. But when I can't pass for the life of me or when my CB is still backpedaling when the WR has caught the ball and is running, a little part of me dies inside.