The Unexplained Mysteries of Madden 10

[jvaccaro]

I think Madden 10 is the best football game yet. I'm very happy with the majority of the game, despite a few flaws. I'm also very optimistic that the current dev team at Tiburon can, and will, continue to tweak and polish the game to get it where we want it to be.


However, I have one huge pet-peeve.

Why are there so many features and settings left unexplained? A quick search on the OS forums and you will literally find dozens of threads asking how some aspect of the game really works. It can be pretty confusing for no good reason.

Probably the best example is the sliders. I love the customization in this game, but it's impossible to fully take advantage since it's so unclear what they actually do... There is no reason why EA shouldn't have a website dedicated to explaining this, and all the other question marks.

What is the difference between Advanced and Hardcore play calling?

How do the player attribute ratings truley interact?

How do the CPU skill and Player skill balance?

What is the true default skill setting? (All-Pro?)

EA should be really embarrassed with the instruction booklet, but I could look past that if the in-game explanation was any better. The controller layout actually says the R-Stick has no function for engaged defenders! What a joke. Again, why not at least put together a website to explain it? ...this is the closest thing we have, and it's weak at best: http://maddennfl.easports.com/news.a...=tipsandtricks


Please EA Tiburon... come back to the OS boards you praised so much during the dev cycle, and help us understand how to actually play the game. I know how to spin and juke, how about really explaining all the sliders?


I'd like to grab Ian and Phil by the shoulders and scream "You guys made the best Madden ever, with all these great customizable features... but you didn't tell anybody how they work!?!?!"


Some of the latest examples of why we need some clarification from EA:

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...n-sliders.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ally-work.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...calling-5.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...oves-list.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-scouting.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ttributes.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...threshold.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-safeties.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...gainst-ds.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...s-section.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ight-work.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...age-units.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...rogress-2.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-pressure.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...e-ratings.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ayer-game.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...hise-mode.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...awareness.html

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...eams-tips.html


...I could go on

[edaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by jvaccaro

I think Madden 10 is the best football game yet. I'm very happy with the majority of the game, despite a few flaws. I'm also very optomistic that the current dev team at Tiburon can, and will, continue to tweak and polish the game to get it where we want it to be. However, I have one huge pet-peeve. Why are there so many features and settings left unexplained? A quick search on the OS forums and you will literally find dozens of threads asking how some aspect of the game really works. It can be pretty confusing for no good reason. Probably the best example is the sliders. I love the customization in this game, but it's impossible to fully take advantage since it's so unclear what they actually do... There is no reason why EA shouldn't have a website dedicated to explaining this, and all the other question marks. What is the difference between Advanced and Hardcore play calling? How do the player attribute ratings truley interact? How do the CPU skill and Player skill balance? What is the true default skill setting? (All-Pro?) EA should be really embarrassed with the instruction booklet, but I could look past that if the in-game explanation was any better. The controller layout actually says the R-Stick has no function for engaged defenders! What a joke. Again, why not at least put together a website to explain it? ...this is the closest thing we have, and it's weak at best: http://maddennfl.easports.com/news.a...=tipsandtricks Please EA Tiburon... come back to the OS boards you praised so much during the dev cycle, and help us understand how to actually play the game. I know how to spin and juke, how about really explaining all the sliders? I'd like to grab Ian and Phil by the shoulders and scream "You guys made the best Madden ever, with all these great customizable features... but you didn't tell anybody how they work!?!?!" Some of the latest examples of why we need some clarification from EA: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...n-sliders.html http://www.operationsports.com/forum...calling-5.html http://www.operationsports.com/forum...oves-list.html http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-scouting.html http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ttributes.html http://www.operationsports.com/forum...threshold.html ...I could go on

Good post..What I don't understand is the lack of intetraction fro Ian and Phil now!!! especially when they were regulars on the board for months..thats the mystery to me..LOL

[RayAllen20]

the reason they arent interacting is because there on vacation. But great post! Especially agree with CPU and User skill confusion. I just dont get some of it.

[cpdfrank]

Well said, excellent post. I don't know the answer, but sometimes i get the feeling that we are lead to believe that all these bells and whistles, extras, attributes, and options are in the game only to make it more appealing, so we keep spending our money in hopes that we finally get the game we are looking for. When in fact half of these whatevers have no effect on the game. I hope im a hundred percent wrong. Im sure someone will come to the aid of EA concerning my take, with some smart *** remark, but thats ok, because what we see happening in this game year after year speaks for itself.

[NFLHITMAN]

Very good post! Can't wait for the answers

[jvaccaro]

I suspect Ian and Co are still lurking somewhere, just not actively posting...

Really, I was hoping to make it easier for them to respond to all the various answerable questions that have been popping up with this one central thread.

[Ian_Cummings]

Great post - thanks Mr. Vaccaro.

As someone stated above, we've basically just been on vacation. We're working on blogs now (videos included) to release soon, so I'll try to incorporate answers to these as well.

We'll get back here on the forums more regularly in due time...we all are just recovering a bit still.

[jeremym480]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

Great post - thanks Mr. Vaccaro. As someone stated above, we've basically just been on vacation. We're working on blogs now (videos included) to release soon, so I'll try to incorporate answers to these as well. We'll get back here on the forums more regularly in due time...we all are just recovering a bit still.

He's ALIVE!! J/K

Welcome back.