Setting some early expectations

[Cryolemon]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

Tiered play calling means not just picking a defensive 'play' by itself...you could pick things like the front, blitz, and coverage shell independently. So if you like to run just a generic 3 deep shell, you could call that with every type of blitz up front.

I suppose one way would be to have much bigger playbooks if possible. I know I've been flogging a dead horse about the size of offensive playbooks since I joined the forum lol, but I think it is a top 5 priority thing for realism.

[SkinsBoYee]

Ah...Ian, the old EA adage of, "if we can make it better, better not count on it"...

This is where you guys have to look in the mirror, and ask yourselves, are we putting out the best product you can. The excuse of, "its too expensive" and "its to much work" is getting lost in the product that you are putting out due to its year after year of lackluster game play and overall craftmanship. You telling me that your profits over the years have been so minute that you can not overhaul mechanics, plays, animations, atmosphere, stats, franchise, CAMERA's...and gameplay? Or is it cause, hey, if we are still raking it in, why the hell fix it?

Look, this is no personal attack, as I am sure the higher ups, and others dictate what happens as far as development of the game. And I am sorry for highjacking this thread about plays, and how they are called...but this is the exact reason, or should I say, the reasoning put forth by you, as to why your product is well below that of other big sport video games. That midset is why Madden has fallen to the way side for true Sports Gamers.

You had me in the beginning of fall with, we are working to include camera's to DLC, but ya lost me with it's too expensive and too hard for our programmers to do.

I am sad.

[dave374]

Quote: Originally Posted by HitDoctor

2. Beta testing by the guru's on this forum

That would be nice.

[BezO]

Damn! I'm guessing you'd have to add a couple hundred plays to accomplish what tiered play calling would've. Looking for a defense to match the idea in my head was 25% of my frustration with the game. Eh well.

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

I realize it's a realism thing - without a doubt. No coach goes out and says "alright boys, let's run Cover 2 Man".

Realism, yeah, but it was more about all of the possibilities the current system didn't cover.

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

So being that this is the first bit of 'bad' news - I'm more interested in what functionality you currently feel like you just CAN'T create without that system. What do you find yourself wanting to do that you just can't accomplish with the combination of the current plays + pre-play controls on defense + defensive hot routes when it comes to defensive play calling?

I'm not sure where to start. It's more about all the combinations not already in the game. I'll have to be general. And I haven't played in a while, so some of my examples may actually be in the game.

-WOLB blitz Man-Free; Man w/Robber
-MLB blitz Man-Free
-SOLB blitz Man-Free
-WOLB & SOLB blitz Cover 0
-WOLB & MLB blitz Cover 0
-SOLB & MLB blitz Cover 0
-All 2 LB blitz combos Man-Free from 3-4 defense
-All LBs blitz leaving FB uncovered
-All of the above with DE/DT twist(DE & DT crossing 1st) & DT/DT(weak & strong side crossing 1st)
-Each DB blitzing with all stunt combos
-Each DB blitzing in combination with each LB blitzing with all stunt combos
-Zone blitz w/DE replacing WLB in all zone coverages
-Zone blitz w/DT replacing MLB(left & right in 3-4) in all zone coverages
-Cover 2 with all possibe blitz & stunt combos
-Cover 3(normal, cloud & sky) with all possible blitz & stunt combos
-Cover 4 with all possible blitz & stunt combos
-And all LB blitzes should include LB blitzing either of the nearest 2 gaps
-All possible blitz combos doubling FL, SE, Slot & TE
-All of the above w/look for run as a play call, not at the LOS
-All of the above w/look for pass as a play call, not at the LOS

These are some general things. I'd be here all day trying to cover every scenario from every defense. Here's to your playbook guy getting in most possible combinations.

[youALREADYknow]

In general, I think Madden should loosely follow the old NBA Live blueprint for assignments. In the game menu, you should be able to select a defensive position and their assignment (default, select by player, select by position). Whichever player is in that defensive position will have the assignment.

Group hot routes on defense would also be nice and effective if implemented correctly.

[dregnus]

1) Right now, I don't think the line stunts in the game would matter. Look at what happens when you call for the D-line to spread out. They'll each kind of jog parallel to the line of scrimmage for a while, and then come in.

There needs to be a better rush of the ball. I know this will open up more nanos, but have it beta tested with different possibilities of moving guys around until its right

2) As far as Robo QB, everyone's frustration is the fact they always seem to know who is open. There needs to be a progression of reads. In other words, code in the fact that a QB has eyes.

3) CPU play calling. The CPU needs to know the advantages on its team and call plays designed to get them the ball.

In playing the CPU there is no sense of the overall strategy of everything. You can't keep running to set up the Play Action. You can't keep passing to set up a draw. Defensive backs will let the same slant route or out route or crossing route beat them time after time. There is no awareness. No holdovers from a previous play. No overall strategy.

Tune the AI to the point where Madden is a game of chess, not checkers. Although, in all honestly I am pathetic at checkers

[Synkopated]

It really isn't that big of a deal. There is a video on YouTube explaining how to fix zone defense, I would work on that. It seems like players play the field, and not the opponent when in zone. There is no logic to how they cover their zone, that is.

[SoxFan01605]

I don't think it's a bad idea to address things like line play and covergae schemes, but I tink it's more important to address the root AI isues on defense first. Man and zone coverages (in any form) need to work and consistent OL/DL interactions need to be found before any of the playbook variety even matters. Not that I'm anywhere close to an expert, but I do think that once base issues are addressed that there can be ways to work more detailed schemes into the current system.