The Worst Trade AI/Player Management in History: A Case Study

[Zhariken]

Allow me to preface this by stating that I really enjoy Madden 10, once I'm actually on the field. I've worked with sliders and I believe I'm actually zeroing in on an incredibly realistic experience in all facets of the game, be it passing..****nning...defense...etc.

However, I just experienced a scenario so shockingly bad, as I was going through it...one of the first things that popped into my head was "wow, I need to share this with someone...I can't believe it!"

Let me set the stage...

Franchise, Year 1, Eagles (w/Vick on roster)

I've been looking at trade possibilities for Michael Vick all season, can't manage a 1st or 2nd round pick out of anyone, or a player I feel would help me, so I still have him. I have no desire to play him, so much so that when McNabb went down for the season (!) I turned to Kevin Kolb, and later made a trade for Sage Rosenfels (Excellent accuracy for an easy-to-acquire player) who stepped into the starter spot with a 300yd, 4td performance in his first game (well more than I've had in any other game yet, no matter the QB).

I digress...

Week 3, the trade deadline is approaching, so I decide to check out which teams have injured starting QBs and poorly rated backups, figuring they would be more likely to be interested in acquiring Vick.

As soon as I open up the injury report, I find my target: The Pittsburgh Steelers.

B.ROETHLISBERGER QB BROKEN FIBULA (LEG) OUT FOR SEASON (went out in Week 3 to Bengals)

But wait...it gets better....

C.BATCH QB BROKEN JAW 4 WEEKS (also went out in Week 3 loss to Bengals)


A dream scenario, right? The Steelers lost both Ben and Batch in the same game, and are left with just Dennis Dixon under center. In case you aren't familiar with Dennis, he's a 2nd year QB with an OVR rating of 42. 37 AWR, 80THP, 59SAC, 47MAC, 36DAC.

I can't imagine a better potential trade partner for a 73ovr, starter-quality QB.

So I start in with the trade offer....1st rounder? no.....surely a 2nd...? no.... Out of curiosity...how about Vick for just a 3rd round pick? NO!? Really....?!

I go round and round for at least 30 minutes, trying to put together different trade offers to the Steelers, all the while they keep shooting me down like an offensive lineman at the buffet line.

Surely the Steelers have a master plan, where they feel they don't need to acquire another QB...RIGHT AWAY.....right?

Oh...they have a plan alright...

Enter Daniel Sepulveda. Punter....Daniel Sepulveda (4th on the QB dept charter, just above...Jeff Reed...and below Dixon). Apparently, that one pass he completed in 2007 really left an impression on the coaches. Not so much the roster creation folks though: 45THP, 30SAC, 30MAC, 25DAC. That won't stop the Steelers though! Read on...

Prior to their Week 4 matchup with the Chargers, the Steelers sign Gus Frerotte. Finally, some sanity at least...he was one of the best options in the free agent market, albeit a bit long in the tooth...and I would consider him a step below Vick when it comes to leading their team out of the tunnel.

On to Week 4....

CHARGERS 6 @ STEELERS 12
Score: 6 / 12
Total Offense: 182 / 321
Rushing Yards: 50 / 55
Passing Yards: 132 / 266 (!)

Gus must still have it after all! Well...not quite.

D.SEPULVEDA 79.3 RTG, 13-for-24, 185yds, 0td, 0int, 7 punts.
G.FREROTTE 95.4 RTG, 7-for-10, 84yds, 0td, 0int

Wow.

The Steelers skipped Dixon altogether....and somehow managed to share the workload between their PUNTER and the QB they just signed. They ran 35 times.

Week 5

18-9 win @ Lions

G.FREROTTE 48.6 RTG, 12-for-26, 150yds, 0td, 1int
D.SEPULVEDA 78.8 RTG, 3-for-5, 32yds, 0td, 0int, 5 punts.

They ran 26 times.


Week 6

28-14 win vs. Browns

G.FREROTTE 117.8 RTG, 25-for-36, 280yds, 4td, 1int
D.SEPULVEDA 8 Punts


The Steelers will get Batch back soon, which I can only assume will cause them to cut Ben Roethlisberger, move Charlie Batch to punting duty, and turn Willie Parker into the starting center.


I don't even know how to sum all this up. I suppose there are two prevailing thoughts in my head regarding all this:

1) Well, they DID win...I guess....so that has to count for something.

2) How in the world did they win? How did someone with those ratings...complete...well...ANY passes? What about Dixon? Why skip the 3rd slot on the chart to go with the 4th slot (that is, the first non-slot...since it's just a grayed-out name by time you go down that far...)

I just shake my head and move on.

[NextAI95]

LOL I l'mao
Just goes to show you how poorly madden was made technically. At least you didn't have the computer put isah stanback in as qb and throw for 321 yards and 1 int in a Monday night football game when they had 2 qbs go down with an injury after romo was hurt and their kicker/punter {not joking}

[Segagendude]

Maybe....just maybe.......the Steelers didn't want Vick as he was a late add-in in the game. Also, both he and Favre had the following stats: 0 td,0 passing yards after they were added. So maybe the CPU was looking at them like they were unproven rookies? Remember, this is a computer, and it probably read the stats, as wrong as they are, and was programmed to say "no thanks".

Don't understand the punter though. That's pretty messed up...

[Steve Slaton #1 Fan]

I don't see anything wrong here. I use Brian Moorman as my QB and he is like Vick reincarnated.

[CSL]

Quote: Originally Posted by NextAI95

LOL I l'mao Just goes to show you how poorly madden was made technically. At least you didn't have the computer put isah stanback in as qb and throw for 321 yards and 1 int in a Monday night football game when they had 2 qbs go down with an injury after romo was hurt and their kicker/punter {not joking}

You do know Stanback played QB in college as well as WR right?

[skudplayr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Segagendude

Maybe....just maybe.......the Steelers didn't want Vick as he was a late add-in in the game. Also, both he and Favre had the following stats: 0 td,0 passing yards after they were added. So maybe the CPU was looking at them like they were unproven rookies? Remember, this is a computer, and it probably read the stats, as wrong as they are, and was programmed to say "no thanks". Don't understand the punter though. That's pretty messed up...

The computer AI is based on the ratings of the players not the stats. If I played all 16 games and Hank Baskett had 130 Receptions for 1600 yards and 20 touchdowns (I would never be able to do this but I'm sure some guys would), he'd probably only go up 1 or 2 points because of his potential and still only be a low 70's rated player. You still couldn't trade him for anything more than a late round pick.

In real life, he'd probably go for a kings ransom if he had those type of stats.

Back onto the original poster's topic. Yeah, that's kind of ridiculous. I wouldn't think it was so terrible if they actually played Dixon because perhaps they view him as a potential QB of the future but with them playing Sepulveda instead is a joke.

[Cnada]

I dont think any team would sign Vick for anything more than a 5th right now.
Just because the steelers dont want him doesnt make this Trade AI or Player man, bad at all.
No its not perfect but this is the best ive ever seen. They will cut at one position to improve another i love it its very life like

[Exonerated]

Why would the trade for Vick, when they can easily pick up someone from FA?

Trade logic is pretty good in this years Madden. Save there are some errors, for the LARGE PART its very good.