Some love for the OL

[Dawkins#20]

Now we all know that OL isn't the most glamarous position but it is arguably the most important unit on the field. I've been keeping track with Ians comments on OL/DL and how things are progressing, i just want to make a few points on gameplay and then other aspects of the game involving OL.

Gameplay

Now i know this is being fixed but i'll throw in a couple of things i haven't read much off.

One thing that is bugging me is that the movement of the lineman. The Ts kinda of stand upright and glide about in pass protection, i would really like to see a kickslide animation brought in and used, as this is really how the tackle position works.

Also i'd like to see an adjustment to pass protection. This idea is a bit too much to implement for 10 but i'll continue. In 09 when pass protecting a tackle will engage with a DE and thats sort of it. The two players will lock into an animation. In the real game you see lineman punching in, and working there hands in and out of a defensive players frame. I think by including this it could make OL/DL interaction better as well, because it would provide more points in the interaction for the DE to get past the lineman. By all means keep bits of what we have but add this sort of play into the game.

I just ran a counter play to the left side and saw something that summed up a problem with run blocking. The play ran to the left side and the center/LG and LT pulled and went downfield to block. The RG + RT and TE who were blocking on the right side engaged the defensive player opposite them and locked into a block and stayed there the entire play. Three identical animations where the players involved did not shift at all. What we need is some form of drive added to the blocking. It needs to be less extreme than pancake or still engaged block. OL should be able to drive players back and keep them engaged in blocks. This would massively improve the blocking and also get rid of the problem where players disengage automatically. With a few new animations and some programming i think this could be done hey guys? Also it would allow you to finally make the strength + weight ratings important. A lighter DE would get dominated by a big tackle who would drive him back and finish the block. The differential in weight and strength would be seen in action.

There are other issues but this is all on the gameplay side for now.

Progression and Draft

Quick word on the draft, please add some elite OL prospects into the first round. I could never find any and the problem was partially down to the progression.

OL progression is something that bugs me a little. I find that a lineman will only go up in two categories when there are about six total blocking related stats. I'm not a fan of how the game decides how well your player has done. I personally think you should eliminate the pancake stat. This is partially because unless i manually control guys and get pancakes the CPU doesn't. This means at the end of the season my guys usually take a ratings hit just because of the lack of pancakes.

When deciding how much a lineman progresses i think it should be based on the sacks allowed for pass protection and a little more complicated for evaluating run blocking. Without the pancake stat, you should look at the performance of the RB and how well he has done. Particularly look at YPC. Also try and break down the YPC on the left centre and right side of the line. So a RG should mainly be asssesed on how good the YPC were on the right side and partially through the middle. As the line is a unit all areas would have to be included to some degree.

As a result Olinemans awareness and PBK and RBK should go up with a good year. I think the run/pass blocking footwork should be improved by coaching a guy. Leave the strength blocking workouts as they are and that would be fine.

Just a few things, i'm not telling you what to do but i'd like some feedback from the Devs on the ideas and some words on how easy/difficult it would be to implement things.

PS: Wow im playing as my LT on superstar in 09 and just saw a crazy glitch. MY guy misses a block and stumbles forward about a yard outside the left hashmark and then warps all the way to the middle, bizarre lets hope this doesnt happen in 10.

[da ThRONe]

Im not sure if double team blocks are in(they should be) but they should allow us to choose who we want to double team presnap and with whom.

[Dawkins#20]

Quote: Originally Posted by da ThRONe

Im not sure if double team blocks are in(they should be) but they should allow us to choose who we want to double team presnap and with whom.

They do have double team animations, but it would be good to be able to select a player to double team

[LBzrule]

As far as lineman mechanics especially on pass plays that was talked about and is still being talked about

[Kevin_D]

I have also noticed, that the games I play in, there is never any pancakes.

[Dawkins#20]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

As far as lineman mechanics especially on pass plays that was talked about and is still being talked about

Expecting a none respone but did you see anything i mentioned being used. I personally don't think they have, my guess is that they are just tweaking their old system to play better.

[NYyankz225]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dawkins#20

Expecting a none respone but did you see anything i mentioned being used. I personally don't think they have, my guess is that they are just tweaking their old system to play better.

The fact that the community guys are specifically told not to even utter a word about the OL shows that the entire thing is being revamped. That's why they've already hinted at a REAL pocket this year.

[Dawkins#20]

They've been told not to say anything because no information has been released on the OL improvements. They've been told they can only talk about things that have been talked about in blogs