THE Ultimate Madden Debate...

[SA1NT401]

ratings need to matter 99% more than they do now. That way, weaknesses would be exposed and strengths can be played up to.

As it is now...EVERY SINGLE team and PLAYER feels and acts the same way. Madden10 seems to be righting the ship. I just want CLEAR differences between EVERY team. If i play the RAVENS, they should be pounding the hell out of me. If i play the EAGLES they should be chucking it 75% of the time and blowing it on 3rd and inches (sorry had to take the shot)...JK, but you get my point.

Football is a VERY VERY difficult game to replicate, most of us know that (but we are getting restless), but if teams would just play more realistic to they way they actually play OR how their head coach plays.

Hoping for the best come 8/14...4yrs and counting without a great football title.

[ghostlight85]

No offense to the OP as this is an interesting and important topic, but I hardly think it is "THE Ultimate Madden Debate."

If a team as bad as the Lions as assembled last year were able to dominate or even really contend with any sort of consistency, then the game would be severely lacking in realism. That said, "any given sunday" must apply, especially in a video game.

[parrothead]

A good test for this MIGHT be, to sim the first season of a Madden 09 Franchise multiple times. Are there differing results, are the Lions always the worst? The results should be consistent every time. I don't have the game, but from what I gather the results would be all over the place. The teams with the lowest rated players should finish last most of the time. I'm sure there would be discrepancies, but if the game works like it should the results should be consistent, not to the real world, but to the game and the ratings.

[mastershake88]

Quote: Originally Posted by turfguy23

The great thing about video games is that you can create your own fantasy world. I don't feel I should be hindered because the "real Lions" sucked last year. This is not "real life". We want the game to ultimately feel, look, and play real, but with user control affecting the outcome of the game. Not what happened in real life. The Lions couldn't stop anyone on Defense last year. We were one of the worst defenses of All-Time. But should I give up 40 points per game to reflect the "real Lions?" That would be like kicking me while I was already down. Why play the game? Madden football gives me the ability to control my own destiny. As a fan of the Lions I have no control over what happens when I watch us get destroyed on Sundays. Madden gives me control. That's what video games are about. So NO, I don't think we should be penalized. We should be given total control over the outcome of the game.

being a lions fan I think a "Game" is the only way to see that team coming out on top.

[stux]

Play as they should in real life!

[Vikes1]

With the goal of Madden '10' to be as "sim" as possible, first things first...it then must play to the ratings. If not...it's not a simulation then, plain and simple. So with a true sim...and you chose to play as the Lions, you should lose quite a bit.

However, I have nothing against a person manipulating the game level or sliders to win the Super Bowl with the Lions ten straight years. It's your game, do as you please. But that isn't 'sim'. But again...thats your choice.

This is actually my biggest concern about Madden '10'. Does this game at long last, really play to the ratings? If not...why bother?

[turfguy23]

Quote: Originally Posted by CreatineKasey

Here's the catch though... do you think it should be just as easy to win with the Lions as it is with the Giants or Patriots? Don't you think the Lions should have to call a better game, maybe catch a break or 2 to win decidedly? I think so. What's the fun in having every team "good"? We may as well not even have ratings then. We can all just play with different jerseys and pretend we're all good.

I think it should depend on the USER. If you suck and play with the Patriots, well,..........you still should suck.

If your a great player with some stick skills, and play with the Lions (I'm talking about myself now), then you should be able to make the Lions play great.

It should be left in the hands of the USER. Your logic above is right on point as far as the ratings. The Patriots have better players and therefore it should be easier to win (user skill being equal). It should be more difficult to win with the Lions because we have crappier players (last year of course).

Not every team is "good" as you say. All the teams play differently and have different strengths and weaknesses. The difference, ultimately, is the USER.

[cdon2k]

As the OP, I really liked "Gaither's" post about players doing their jobs. I have never really thought about it that way and it's for reasons like this that I started this thread.

And to the ***** who said, the thread title is overstated... I think this one is pretty high up there. Should Madden be a "game" or should it be a simulation of NFL football? I never really thought about it until I struggled to run with the Colts (mostly due to OL glitches, but also due to their weakness of running). Should I be happy that they can't run at all (which again, is probably mostly due to glitches which weren't EA's intent, but maybe should've been?), or should I be mad that I do not even have a chance to run....

Now, back to the Lions. Here's one more arguement that they should play to the ratings and be bad... A lot of fun of franchise comes from rebuilding a team. Even if it means losing in the first few years and drafting well to get your team to where it needs to be. If teams were basically on a level playing field as in PS2, I could win the championship with the Lions in my first year and where do I go from there? Teams need to be bad and play to the ratings. The only issue is that no one wants to matchup online sadly.