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Re: Time for Madden to shush the presentation critics
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Originally Posted by Joborule |
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Presentation hasn’t been Madden strongest asset since the early PS2 days you could say. This year, bringing back play-by-play and improve of the TV presentation has improved it, but it has quite a way to go before it reaches the level that it should be at and finally put down the critics that preach NFL 2K5 presentation.
Front End – The current menu is too busy and not very user-friendly. All this take menu off to see your rings and trophies/stats and whatnot isn’t very efficient. Plus the background isn’t all that great either. What should be done is take a step back and just keep things simple and not so busy. Instead of rings and trophies, just have a standard user’s stats and progress record in the My Madden menu. An EA Sports Media HUB (for user generated videos and screens) should be reachable from the main menu section rather having to go to My Madden first because it is such a popular feature. Rosters and Strategy should split away from the My Madden menu and be part of its own Team Management Section. Therefore My Madden would only be left with settings and profile options and would make searching for an action easier since it would relate to the category and they would see it from the first menu tab.
Play Now
Game Modes
EA Sports Media HUB
Online
Team Management
My Madden
EA Sports Extras
Next would be to get away from that altar type of background and go back to the old school flavour. Favourite teams (or All NFL) wallpaper mixed in with video clips and images from the season like in Madden 06 would be just right.
Road Team Fans – The home stadium isn’t filled 100 percent by home team fans. There are some away fans that show up as well. Sure there is very few, but they’re still around.
Full Starting Lineups – You add the feature of showing the starting lineup, but just showing the key players isn’t enough. Give the whole team some love and show every player starting on offense and defence. The key players can’t do it on there own! (All the time)
Teammates Celebrations – Football is a team game. When a player gets a touchdown, a big hit, or a big play, there should be some love shown by players near the playmaker when he does something great for the team. Besides, they contributed to the result.
Custom Stadium Sounds (& Menu Music) – Giving us the ability to create a custom playlist for each NFL stadium, as well add music stored in the consoles into the main menu playlist would be one highly requested feature knocked down. A key player of you gets a big touchdown for the home team, and his theme song is playing in the sound system while the crowd goes wild. That’s the NFL experience.
Cheerleaders – The sidelines and prolonged break entertainment. Seeing the girls on the sidelines trying to pump up the crowd and actually have reactions to what is going on during the play would be very cool. They would be very still and then try getting some encouragement back when the other team pulls a big play or touchdown, while cheering greatly when the home team does the same thing. During quarter breaks and obviously the halftime, the cheerleaders should perform on the field.
It would be very cool and improve the immersion factor if the cheerleaders actually had their authentic uniforms for all types of weather rather then just a generic uniform.
Improved Sidelines Interactions – The sidelines needs to recognize and react to the actions going on the field better, while actually doing more things then just stand around. And while we’re at it, get better resolution players. If a player pulls out a big play for a touchdown or very big gain, the sidelines for the benefit team should erupt.
When there is a situation that may call for the kicker to come onto the field soon, they should be practicing kicking the ball into the net on the sidelines. Coaches and players could be talking to each other or amongst themselves. Players that got injured on the field could be seen being treated by the training staff. Just seeing more variety and interaction between personals going on at the sidelines would enhance the presentation a bunch.
Might as well mention to have the camera truck move with the drive actually (just like the chain gang) instead of just staying still at one place.
Horizontal Score Overlay – The idea of having a full width score overlay on the bottom of the screen was just fine and was less in the way of play then the current score overlay on the top of the screen. The current score overlay is quite big and boxy, and I think everything that the score overlay holds can be done in the old way (timeouts can fit in there somewhere).
When it comes to showing detail stats, it could just extend up from the horizontal score overlay if that was the reason for the change.
The standard look of the score overlay. It has all the basic features of quarter, time, play clock, teams, score, and timeout. Ball spot is absent since that not fully necessary to know during pre play after the huddle is has break.
When a flag pops up during the play, the penalty notice replaces the play down area. For player actions such as hit stick, highlight stick, ect. It can be done at this same area or above the team score area.
This is the score ticker added above the score overlay. It’s seamless enough that it doesn’t take up much space and can be kept up for a long while even during plays, but users should be mostly checking it out in the play call screen and during pre and after snap. The score ticker can also work as a way to show quick player or team stats. Similar to how it was done for Madden 08.
This is the bigger version of showing stats. Logo or player picture can be shown along with the statistic. It would be smaller and less in the way then it is currently.
Improved Post Injury Presentation – Having instants diagnostic on injuries is the worst art of the presentation currently. Having no suspense and giving a futuristic feel of injury reporting was a big no-no. You have to bring back the injury report that comes up at a later time after a diagnostic has been reached. Heck, we should be to tell the severity of the injury on the players’ reactions. If it’s a little bump and the player can walk off quickly, then it’s a very good chance that it’s a light injury and he’ll be back soon enough. If he has to be checked up by training staff before he walks off along with them (limping if it’s a leg injury), then it may be a moderate injury. If he needs help off by training staff and even players, it may be a more serious injury.
This is a lot more authentic to real life and adds suspense and prediction by players reactions to there injuries.
Weather & Environment – I remember when the time when the game actually changed real time and the sun and shadows moved across the field in Madden 07. That was really cool and needs to make a return, but it should come along with some newer additions.
If the weather is partly cloudy, it would be very cool to have periods of sunlight, and periods of cloud cover. And if it’s just a small cloud that can’t cover the whole area in shadow, then you can actually see the cloud shadow travel across the field. This can also open up the feature for weather to change in the middle of a game. It can be sunny at first, but forecast for rain later. And later on in the game the clouds roll through and it starts raining. It can also be done in the reverse matter. If it begins snowing, the field should accumulate real time rather then be a blanket of white from start to finish. It would be even neat to see the field cover in snow since it was snowing prior to the game then it stopped.
Next on the to-do list would be to add variety to the type of perception. It’s not always heavy rain or snow. It can be heavy or light at first, stay that way, or stop. It normally doesn’t stay constant throughout the whole game. And while on the topic, give users more control in the weather options before the game. How come we cannot have a cold, sunny whether game? Give us control over temperature and perception like in the past on PS2. As well bring back the feature for the game time to be in sync with the system (console) clock.
Atmosphere – Aside from TV feel, that whole NFL Sunday atmosphere is one of the biggest flaws in Madden presentation. The crowd is a big part of the atmosphere, and when the reactions are delayed or the volume is on low, it just makes the game feel boring. The crowd AI (and volume) needs to be reworked so it can work in some form of ‘Smart Crowd AI.’
The crowd doesn’t seem to recognize the time and situation of the game. Aside from the volume always being at a constant medium most of the time, it doesn’t treat a 3rd and long in the first quarter, and a 3rd and long in the forth quarter that different. And when it’s a key play situation, the crowd doesn’t get loud enough! The crowd in Madden doesn’t get that amplitude that you hear in pretty much all packed NFL stadiums at big play times. When I walk into Lucas Field as a visiting team, the crowd should be very hostile to me and make it a tough ride. If the game is exciting, the crowd should reflect that and the place would be rocking because it’s exciting and the fans enjoy it.
Not only the crowd doesn’t know when to use their lungs appropriately at certain points of the game, it doesn’t know that when it’s a key late season game, or it’s the playoffs (or Super Bowl heaven forbid), that you should be louder then you would have been during the regular season or pre-season. When a pre-season game can sound as loud as a playoff game, that’s just not right.
Out of Town Highlights – If you’re playing Franchise Mode, it’s likely that your game isn’t the only one going on unless it’s at a primetime schedule. Getting live highlight updates from other games would be a terrific feature to finally bring back to the series. This would require games be simulated simultaneously (live) rather then having updates from a game that is quarter behind.
This would be very neat to not only see for franchise mode, but as well online mode. Getting updates from top ranked playing opponents, league/tournament games, or mutual a friend games.
Upgraded Jumbotron – The current method of just playing animation clips over and over again is lame and has run its course. It’s time to take advantage of next gen scoreboard and have it done right. The use of it at actual football games is to show the live play (in broadcast camera) and replays, then show animation clips and announcements (when appropriate). It should be done the same way it is in real life for Madden 2010.
Referees & Chain Gang – Probably the most requested item for presentation. Don’t have to say all that much but we should see the refs on the field as well as the chain gang. Heck, for actions that may be debatable, you could see the refs have a conference. Or see the refs pulling the pile when fumbles occur. Lets not forget having a real coin toss back as well.
It would be neat to have the animations take place when the refs and chain gang have to do an action. When a ref calls the play dead, you see the ref blow his whistle. Their head follows what they are looking at (meaning penalty calls are actually calls they see), and of course the signals for field goals. As well as the chain gang moving to their new spots and flipping the down marker.
Commentary Improvements – The commentary has always felt ‘blah’ in Madden. Collinsworth did a good job in his first year actually, but Hammond is lacking the emotion and live feel. In general, the commentary also lacks the awareness of what is truly going on in the field. A running back gets one nice gain in the first quarter, and they react like he’s been doing it constantly and the defence isn’t stopping it. Or a runner pulls a decent return, and coverage was just blocked off well. Collinsworth thinks that it was brutal coverage and exaggerates his response. If commentary is going to be improved, it has to feel live. In order to do that, it has to make comments that are actually reactions to WHAT HAS HAPPEN SO FAR. NHL 08 actually made good use of this in a way that a team doing one thing in particular constantly and whether it’s working or not, they would comment on that. Madden needs to adopt that formula for the whole game. The commentary is watching the game, so they should have opinions and analyst on the game when they speak about something. This would really shine in franchise mode since the commentary team would be using references to previous games during the season. It’s important though what they say is accurate however.
Other things that have to be worked upon other then reacting to the play of field is to have emotion! If a big play has been pulled off, or the atmosphere is at an exciting peak, the play-by-play should sound like it has life instead of just a monotone reaction. Nothing is worst then a big game winning field from almost 50 yards or more goes in and the commentary doesn’t even mention it was a game winning field goal and treat it like any other kick! When a big play was pulled off or is in development, let’s see the football fan love show! They like a good football game too as well no?
After those two, the next and perhaps as important thing to have is variety in the lines. When frequent situations pop up, the commentary gets old fast since they always say the same thing. Adding variety into the lines for all situations, especially if it takes into consideration how the game has been going so far, or who the player is, will make the commentary stay fresher longer.
Overall though, the play-by-play has to be re-recorded, or Hammond has to be replaced for someone who can do a better job of making video game commentary feel live.
Replays Analyst (Semi Backtrack) – Backtrack is a neat and useful feature for those that want to learn from there mistakes. It’s cool to have the commentator actually analyze the play and said why this happen and such. But for those of us that don’t use backtrack, and because it’s very long, doesn’t mean we should lose that whole replay analyst concept. In fact, a semi version of backtrack, like it’s done in real life, should occur more then EA Sports Backtrack.
What I mean is this, after a play that had a result instant replay worthy enough, then instead of just showing the replay, the commentary (mostly the colour commentator) should give an analyst of how that play got to its result; making use of the marker if it’s required. This can be done in a seamless method that it can even be shown in the PIP window in the play call screen.
Broadcast Shows – The game needs some broadcast shows placed in during times of no gameplay as to fill some TV presentation in, while also helping the user with giving him some analyst on the game.>>
Pre Game: This year, try to get this done as close as possible to the way it is done in real life. Majority of the team run out between a path made up of props (fireworks, fog generator, ect.) and cheerleaders if the team has one; then they create their own for the individual player introductions. Getting the authentic prop that the team actually runs out of would be sweet as well. Afterwards get the team to come in and introduce themselves and talk about the present matchup, and analyze how the teams and players have been playing and what needs to be done in order for them to win the game. During this, clips of the players warming up prior to the game (ala Madden 2003-2005) and even some highlights from recent games in franchise modes can be shown. After that breakdown of the game is done, the coin toss would come next.
Halftime: During halftime, the cheerleaders could perform first, then the broadcast would head over to studio, and if it’s a primetime game, give a recap of the game so far and analyze key plays. During afternoon games when other games are going on, highlights from other games can be showcased.
Post Game: After the final whistle is blown, the team that wins celebrates, the team that loss sulks, good games would be handed out between players and coaches, and the media would come onto the field. (Especially in playoff and big late regular season games) The commentators would say their closing comments and send it back to the studio where the crew there would give their analyst of the game and review over the key plays.
Quick Notes:
- Having a quick box score showing on the right side of the pause screen would be a nice touch. See the basic stats, and how many timeouts and challenges are available for both teams. As well as a score ticker (on real world stats) on the bottom.
- Crowd graphics could be improved and not look like sub-PS1 character models.
- QB towels & hand warmers
- Field goal net movement; the net should move in reaction the ball hitting it.
- NFL Head Coach 09 has some good NFL Films tunes. We know all the hardcore Madden fans love the NFL Films music featured in the menu and key plays replays at the end of the game. How about we expand the library to include some tracks from NFL Head Coach.
- The stitching on jerseys should not look pasted onto the jersey like those replica jerseys in sports stores. The numbers and name, ect. Should look stitched on actually; like a different layer on the jersey.
- When the home team is getting blown out and the game looks over, fans should start leaving the game early like in previous Maddens.
- Fan accessories should be visible in the crowd. From fans wearing the home team jerseys, to swinging around team coloured towels.
- Super Bowl needs to have a unique or bigger presentation then any other game in franchise mode
- Helmets pops need to make a comeback. Just not at the rate they happen before. Make it more of a rare scene from real good pops.
- Mascots should be added to the game. Leaving the option to celebrate with them.
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I know this thread is kinda old, but I thought I'll bump every thread that would help make madden 10 better and this is one of those threads. If EA would put half the stuff in this thread in madden 10, as far as presentation goes, it will be the best football game ever. EA would finally get that monkey named NFL2k5 off it's back. I hope Ian and company get a hold of this. I going to bump every thread that's worthy of being bumped, and hope we can create a better madden. Let's go EA, time to step your game up. Give us what we want as far as presentation goes. This thread has some amazing ideas in it. 
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02-14-2009, 09:11 AM
