Play calling and difficultly level

[Dice]

Does anyone know if the CPU play calling is affected by the level of difficultly?

[rocknroll1968]

Since EA never gives us nice inside details like this, the only way to find out is though continuous repetitive study. A scientific approach that monitors and notes the type of play is run, in the purpose of outlining trends after multiple iterations of repetitive scenarios.

One would watch for how many times the CPU chooses run v pass. How many pass plays use 3,4,5 WR? How many Pass plays are run with multiple crossing routes? How many times out of those plays run was a crossing route the one the QB threw to? You need to monitor these things at multiple slider settings and see if there is a consistent change in play call choice from "easy" sliders to "hard" ones.

I think you can see how tedious finding the correct answer to your question would be.

I can't say for sure that play calling is altered much from hard sliders to easy ones. However, I can say that CPU decision making (during the play) changes substantially with slider settings.

[Boregard]

OK, this sort of relates -

I use the Cowboys and they are a team that uses white home unis, so i used to select the opposing team change their unis to the dark color and then exit from that team and go back through the options for my team (Dallas), but I noticed that the game is not nearly as difficult when I do this. The games where I just change the unis of the CPU team, the difficulty changes. Now it does not change any settings, but I swear the game is too easy, and I have begun playing games up to the 2 min warning one way and then playing it again the other and it is definitely not just in my head!

I wish I had an answer for you, but I wonder if EA even knows the answer to your question because there are things in the game that I have to think they did not intend to be there!

[Valdarez]

I have been doing a lot of testing for the sliders, and I can say no. It's bad all the way around. You'll see them coming out in wrong package sets. Test the Ask Madden feature if you don't believe me. Use the A option and play several games. You'll end up with a Madden IQ somewhere between 400 and 520 (highest I have seen). This will not change regardless of what the slider settings are set to, or the game difficulty is set.

Based on what I have seen, the Ask Madden feature is using the same logic as the CPU play calling, so at any given point in time your not playing anything harder than a 400-520 coach. This is unfortunate, because it's fairly easy to get your Madden IQ to the 700's, just by calling the right package sets and making the right situational choices.

That's why I use Beginner Playcalling and let the CPU call the game, because at that point you are actually playing a fair game. It sucks because you don't get to employ your own strategy, but it's more challenging from a gameplay perspective. If you want a challenging game, give the NFL Simulation Sliders a try and couple that with a challenge from Make Madden 10 More Challenging.

[countryboy]

Cpu playcalling is effected by the playcall setting you have: advanced, hardcore, and I don't recall what the other settings are.

[Swingking77]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

Cpu playcalling is effected by the playcall setting you have: advanced, hardcore, and I don't recall what the other settings are.

False, this is only for your play calling, not the computers. It determins if the computer picks the plays FOR you in the basic levels, if it gives you a broken down version of the play book with limited passing and running plays, etc. or if you have full control over the playbooks with everything open to you... That's all it does.

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Swingking77

False, this is only for your play calling, not the computers. It determins if the computer picks the plays FOR you in the basic levels, if it gives you a broken down version of the play book with limited passing and running plays, etc. or if you have full control over the playbooks with everything open to you... That's all it does.

I understand what it does for the user, but the cpu's playcalling is effected as well, as they adapt quicker to what the user is doing and your playcalling tendacies, at least from advanced to hardcore. I haven't played on any other playcalling settings other than those 2, and the cpu is quicker to adapt to my playcalling on hardcore vs advanced. So yes, it effects the cpu's playcalling

[Valdarez]

Quote: Originally Posted by Swingking77

False, this is only for your play calling, not the computers. It determins if the computer picks the plays FOR you in the basic levels, if it gives you a broken down version of the play book with limited passing and running plays, etc. or if you have full control over the playbooks with everything open to you... That's all it does.

Your right, it doesnt make the play calling by the CPU and easier or harder. It only affects the menu settings and the options available for the user at the line of scrimmage (per the description for the setting). I have played several seasons now on Hardcore AND on Beginner, and there's absolutely zero difference. The CPU is going to be calling bad plays regardless of the setting. This is one of the areas I hope they fix in Madden 11. At the very least they need to make sure the right package sets are out there. It's lame to have a 4LB 2CB 2S set out against a 4WR 1HB set.