New Blocking Blog for both NCAA and Madden

[Nza]

It looks good, but it will come down to how well it scales. Great OL vs poor DL? poor OL vs great DL? will we see a difference? In every Madden so far, "no" has been the overwhelming answer.

Also, the downfield blocking *still* shows hints of suction blocking. I know it must be tough to code, but those last few yards before impact still needs tweaking in EA's football engine. It's like the players don't really brace for it and all of sudden, when they're a yard or so away, they get morphed into their animation. While other parts of the game look smoother and smoother, the blocking impacts tend to stick out more and more as a little unnatural.

[LeonM]

Assignment AI looks outstanding in the video. Once again, It is all how this is implemented but this and gameplan I like alot.

[cdiddy71323]

What they also need in part of the gameplan or a call on the field is the ability to double team a certain player. I like how they are getting double team blocks in, but if a team ever only put one guy on Albert Haynesworth, they would get destroyed. Kind of like how they have player matchups with the WRs and CBs, they should have that with the offensive line now as well

[lolfalconsbeatu]

impressive video, idk who initiated the dev of the new Run Blocking AI codes, I can only guess NCAA since they are talking about it first -- but it looks like they are stepping up basic fundamentals of gameplay which I like.

Definitely a step in the right direction.

[Valdarez]

Quote: Originally Posted by adembroski

You are 100% wrong here. Programming blocking on a play-by-play basis is exactly how it's done, because blocking is designed on a play-by-play basis. When you look at, oh, say, Iso, in a playbook, you don't see 1 diagram, you see several, detailing who is blocked in each front you would run the play against. Rules are set for the QB to look at to know when to audible out of the play because it's not blockable. Within a given play, there are reads the linemen make that adjust them to different fronts, but not every run play works against every front. Sometimes on-the-fly adjustments have to be made when unanticipated fronts appear in a game, but generally you have to run plays that are designed to attack any defense, and even then, the front can confuse things. There is no special set of rules that dictate who blocks who that are universal. Each play has its own scheme, because each play has its own purpose... its own target. Iso, inside zone, outside zone, power O, counters, traps, inside powers, cross bucks, bellies, blasts, draws... everything has its own blocking rules. I remember at CD we were running a play that wasn't working against the defense. The over-tackle was blowing the play up in the backfield every time. Me and BezO were trying to figure out how it should be blocked, but nothing made sense. We called Sven Draconian over, being the guy in the community who knows far more about run blocking than anyone, and had him take a look. He shrugged and said, essentially, that what was happening is exactly what should be happening... you simply can't run that play against that front. If that's the front you anticipated, your fault for calling it. If you didn't anticipate it, your fault for not audibling out. This got us into a conversation that was kind of eye opening. If Madden were ever truly 100% realistic as far as play design and on-field AI, nobody would play it... not even the hardest of the hardcore... because nobody would get it. The rudimentary understanding of the game I have compared to an NFL coach is too great a gap to make up in the hour or two I might play a day. It would simply be too much.

So you're saying that every single player on every single play is doing something completely different and unique to the play. I don't buy it. There will be a lot of functionality that is universal, as it should be. When the game is released, I'll come back with plays, play art, and video evidence to prove otherwise. That is, if they got the game coded right.

[roadman]

[quote=Valdarez;2041019634 When the game is released, I'll come back with plays, play art, and video evidence to prove otherwise. That is, if they got the game coded right. [/QUOTE]

Oh oh, turning OS into YouTube at that time.j/k

Just let me know ahead of time.

[johnnyg713]

blocking looks great for the run game.. When I play 2k, I love playing as a DE to get pressure on the qb. Last night I played madden 10 over a friend's and could not believe how "stuck" I felt when being blocked. I know locomotion is supposed to help with that suction feeling. What made me happy to see was after the double team, the offensive lineman pealed off the block and went up to block the LB. Looked really promising.

What we still need to see is how the rest of the blocking works. Im praying to see double teams on pass blocking this year but i doubt it. Its one of my biggest gripes because it all goes back to strategy. Top DL in the league need to be double teamed or else they'll kill you on the pass rush.