Something that hurt Madden that no one knows

[roll2tide]

Quote: Originally Posted by cdon2k

Thought i'd comment on this after reading this post from Radioactiveman: "The fact that user controlled defense is next to impossible. Meaning you can't switch to a man and make a play on the ball...the control just isn't tight enough. It's been like that since "next gen"...until they fix that and get the control back to last gen quality, the game is just another pile of crap imo. Madden and NCAA. I'm done with both until that happens. I used to drool over the annual football releases, now I could care less. It's sad." 1st of all this statement is completely false. I regularly make user picks where I switch to the defender while the ball is in mid-air. I also regularly switch while the ball is in flight and make hits that knock the ball loose and I also see these things done to me on a regular basis. --And I'm no master on the sticks....it's just really easy to do. After reading this I thought back to a theory about something that negatively affected Madden. Here goes, when Madden was brought to next gen, the combination of EA being in bed with Microsoft as well as the 360 being the 1st console out led to Madden going to the 360 as the lead platform. EA then based Madden's control scheme around the 360 controller leading to the heavy reliance on the triggers and diminishing importance on what would have been L1 and R1 buttons to suit the 360 controller. I never have liked the game's reliance on analog triggers for twitch moves such as strafe and sprint. If sprint was analog, I would understand, but it's not. The changes to the control layout along with the poor engine led to what Radioactive man was talking about.

This is just ridiculous, imo. The 360 came out first...EA had nothing to do with that. Was EA supposed to wait for Sony to put out a product? Of course Madden came to NG on the 360, and of course it became the lead platform, and of course the control scheme was based on the 360s controllers....because there was no other console on which any of these things could have happened. And once the PS3 came out what was EA supposed to do? Switch midstream? They were already putting out a crap product and putting the 360 2nd would've just made that worse.

Imo, this is nothing more than a guy who wishes PS2 was still the end all be all of consoles.

[Valdarez]

There's definitely a lack of control in the game, it's especially evident on very slow mode, and somewhat hidden in very fast mode.

[oneamongthefence]

I agree that the game controls are funky for ps3 especially since they took the ability away to customize them. The ps2 version the switch player was also a lot more smoother.

[cdon2k]

Quote: Originally Posted by roll2tide

This is just ridiculous, imo. The 360 came out first...EA had nothing to do with that. Was EA supposed to wait for Sony to put out a product? Of course Madden came to NG on the 360, and of course it became the lead platform, and of course the control scheme was based on the 360s controllers....because there was no other console on which any of these things could have happened. And once the PS3 came out what was EA supposed to do? Switch midstream? They were already putting out a crap product and putting the 360 2nd would've just made that worse. Imo, this is nothing more than a guy who wishes PS2 was still the end all be all of consoles.

Whether EA was int bed with MS isn't the point (but I do have my suspicions)... Missteps were made such as having "sprint" assigned to an analog button without the "sprint" having analog function. I think they panicked, they could have kept the PS2/2k scheme in tact as the LB and RB are functional, just not as easy to press.

It isn't about wishing the PS2 was the end all be all, it's just about responsiveness on defense. Some have been posting that the D is too responsive due to a lack of transition animations, but I think some of the responsiveness has taken a step back. Knocking down passes used to be commonplace, but since LB is out of the way, EA assigned Y to just be a catch all for all situations.

[RavensFan2k3]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

There's definitely a lack of control in the game, it's especially evident on very slow mode, and somewhat hidden in very fast mode.

hmm, how is it hidden on faster speed levels?

[PGaither84]

I have to disagree that basing the controls on the 360 controller is the cause of poor user control [can I fit the word control into this sentence one more time? I guess I just can't control myself... sorry...] IMO, and I know a lot of other people's as well, the 360 has the best controller on the market. The PS3 is long outdated and I have a friend who has modified a 360 controller to work on his PS3... but that's a whole other story.

Honestly, until Madden 10, I felt as a player that I could do a lot with user control. Over the years I have had a lot of user picks and user tackles and user catches that are not rocket catches. I think the real problem is behind the animation system and what EA tries to pass off as a physics engin. Players just flat out do not respond correctly to conroller input like they used to. Go into practice and throw lob bombs to randy moss and try to user catch them by tapping or holding the Y button and make him go up and fight for the football. Unless you try to do a rocket catch, he won't. The same is true when playing defense. I feel more like I am guiding my players than using them.

I am all in favor of realistic reactions instead of "turn of a dime" phsyics like in years past... the thing is, I think what we really lost wasn't user control so much as resposiveness. How many videos have we seen and how many times have we experienced it when the computer takes control away from the user to do something on it's own? Add in suction blocking and time warp speed bursts and poor animation AI... it becomes really frustrating to play at times. While i didn't like Madden 09, I do have to say the controls were smoother even when the game looked more arcade like.

[ODogg]

Yep, it's the animation system that's causing the issues with the lag when you take over a player. I don't even try anymore as it'll just get you burned. And anyone says that it's not there must be playing a different game IMO.

[Joeyland]

One of the things I find really offensive in Madden, the the lack of RT stick use. The sticks are key in every new game, especially sport, except Madden, Maddens stick controls feel ancient, and muddy. Sometimes working sometimes not.
In fact all the Madden controls, when applied to the effect on the game, feel muddy and loose compared to other games.