Requesting feedback on 5-step drop animation

[BezO]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

If you press down to run backwards, he should slip and lose his footing LOL. I kid but I am actually being serious at the same time. Time to put an end to people who just hike and take off running backwards. Make the dude slip and lose his footing.

Probably one of the few times I'll disagree with you. I don't want anyone slipping and falling because they turn & run. A realistic plant and turn will do for me.

I would like to see folks able to drop back manually and the QB stay in drop back animation through the planned drop back steps(3, 5 & 7 steps assuming this is in). Any stick movement after that should trigger suttle pocket movements(stepping up, drifting back, shuffling to either side). If the user wants to "run", force him to hold a trigger or bumper(I believe this is/was in the game). While running, the QB's accuracy should be diminished like in real life.

The key though is detaching the blockers from the QB/ball carrier. The reason users can drop back 20 yards & break the "pocket" successfully is because their blockers or psychics. Let users drop back all they want, but it should destroy the OT's angle and give DEs a b-line to the QB. Let users roll out all they want, but again, it should destroy the OT's angle and give the DE a free shot on the QB. But I guess you'd have to get rid of the sticky, suction blocking 1st.

[LBzrule]

Quote: Originally Posted by BezO

Probably one of the few times I'll disagree with you. I don't want anyone slipping and falling because they turn & run. A realistic plant and turn will do for me. I would like to see folks able to drop back manually and the QB stay in drop back animation through the planned drop back steps(3, 5 & 7 steps assuming this is in). Any stick movement after that should trigger suttle pocket movements(stepping up, drifting back, shuffling to either side). If the user wants to "run", force him to hold a trigger or bumper(I believe this is/was in the game). While running, the QB's accuracy should be diminished like in real life. The key though is detaching the blockers from the QB/ball carrier. The reason users can drop back 20 yards & break the "pocket" successfully is because their blockers or psychics. Let users drop back all they want, but it should destroy the OT's angle and give DEs a b-line to the QB. Let users roll out all they want, but again, it should destroy the OT's angle and give the DE a free shot on the QB. But I guess you'd have to get rid of the sticky, suction blocking 1st.

Dropping back manually I don't have an issue, I'm talking about hike and then holding sprint as soon as you hike. This should not be allowed to happen. Plant and turn animation would perhaps solve it. But then there is the issue of shotgun which changes things a little bit.

[BezO]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

...I'm talking about hike and then holding sprint as soon as you hike. This should not be allowed to happen. Plant and turn animation would perhaps solve it. But then there is the issue of shotgun which changes things a little bit.

Maybe force the QB to finish the normal drop, whether auto or manual, before the drop back animation can be broken.

But I think the real issue is the blocking interaction. Users wouldn't sprint around if d-linemen could actually take advantage of the angles created by a QB fleeing the pocket.

I don't want to stop users from doing anything that is possible. I just want the game to respond accordingly.

[ProjD989]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

Since this is all hypothetical (i.e. it's not in the game yet), I don't have an answer. What do you think should happen in those cases? Should you even be able to "break out" of the drop with d-pad movement? Thanks much. It definitely hasn't been done within EA before...not sure about other games.

I agree with most people the drop would be good for some QBs but not for all. There should be more variety in drop back animations.
I think Qbs should be able to break out but if they are running and throwing their accuracy should take hit if they dont re settle there feet to throw ball. The further the throw down the field while on the run the less accurate the throw should be. But your just dumping ball to a rb or fb thats like 5-10 yards in front it should be more accurate.

Hopefully there is a drop back animation for right handed qbs vs left.

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

Improve gameplay? What the hell do you think they are doing? Anyways.....

LOL. I know. It's like the minute something gets posted about a want or an improvement, people start popping up with "I don't care about that! Fix the gameplay!" Even when the improvement IS about gameplay, lol.

Ian, it's looking better already. Keep grinding man, you're on the right track. And oh yeah, the breaking out would be a definite plus. I find it difficult to do now and wind up running into too many sacks as a result, but I imagine this will be hard to pull off when tempering the breaking out with not making it so easy that it makes sacking or being sacked virtually impossible.

With that said, I have every confidence that you'll find a way and I appreciate you sharing the progress. I can't wait to see the final results next season.

[chris luva luva]

I will check out this video when I get home but I'm afraid of being locked into any animation due to poor offensive line blocking. Madden will turn into a total sack-fest if this is not handled right.

I think that this will open a flood of issues for you guys to fix and won't be shocked if this doesn't make it in for 2010. This IMHO further proves that Madden needs a complete overhaul that will sadly never happen due to time constrictions.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

If you press down to run backwards, he should slip and lose his footing LOL. I kid but I am actually being serious at the same time. Time to put an end to people who just hike and take off running backwards. Make the dude slip and lose his footing.

Agreed. The notion of "breaking out" of a 3 step drop, or even a 5 step drop is somewhat nonsensical. The steps in the drop are pre-programmed in real life, and can't really be altered or the entire timing of the play, not to mention the mechanics of the quarterback, will be all screwed up. You can of course scramble after you hit your last step, but that's entirely different from "breaking out" of your drop. Check those Billick videos LBZ posted from NFL.com, go do that in your back yard, and try to "break out" while you're in the 3rd step of a 5-step drop.

This gets to one of the basic issues in Madden gampeplay, and that's the twitchy and hyper-actuated mobility of the players. It's like the contact between their feet and the ground, as well as the momentum created by that contact, have little to no meaning. If this were to be changed, for example, in the instance of the QB dropback, it would go a long way toward achieving the realism that the crew wants to achieve.

[thudias]

Looks Ok to me.