Ask Madden: Playcalling's Best Kept Secret?

[RGiles36]

Ever since getting my hands on M11, I've been trying to settle on a method for playcalling. I bounced around from Gameflow, to conventional w/ gameplanning, back to gameflow, and around again.

Anyway, I stumbled upon Ask Madden as a result of not taking the time to create a gameplan for most teams. To my surprise, I had a ball using it! Here's what I like:

• The challenge of being presented 3 plays to execute. It's not as easy to beat the AI when you can't just run to your 'money plays'.
• More variety to my playcalling
• Team identity: I feel as though team personality shines. Playing with the Titans or the Jets, I'm presented with a steady dose of run plays. When I play as the Cowboys, I usually am given more pass than runs which is realistic.
• I spend less time sorting through the playbook. If Gameflow taught me anything, it's that I don't want to be bothered scrolling through the entire playbook after every play. Ask Madden gets me in and out of the playcall screen

I know I'm late to the party, but does anyone else prefer Ask Madden? If not, how are you calling your plays in M11?

[phenomenal_waffles]

I always use Ask Madden in franchises to maker it more challenging.

[happymadison]

this year is the first time i'm using 'ask madden' i do it to make the game more challenging also.

[guaps]

Quote: Originally Posted by rgiles36

I know I'm late to the party, but does anyone else prefer Ask Madden? If not, how are you calling your plays in M11?

I haven't use Ask Madden a lot in Madden 11, but I'm wondering if it's similar to NCAA's Ask Coach?

NCAA's Ask Coach has got 6 plays based on the current situation and then 12 others from the playbook. Furthermore, on defense, Ask Coach is based on the offensive personnel. In short, everything I've wanted from the Gameplan/GameFlow feature in Madden.

[PGaither84]

Quote:

I know I'm late to the party, but does anyone else prefer Ask Madden? If not, how are you calling your plays in M11?

Well, I call by play type on offense most often. On defense I call by formation. When you go into practice, you'll see that the Jets offensive play book, for example, has like 35 or so inside runs by play type, 20 of those have a FB along with 7 nice pitches, 2 nice "Outside Runs", and 5 nice Counters also all with a FB, all of which are not counting goal line plays. That's 32 "unique" run plays that I can call in a game without calling the same run twice. Add in a FB dive, a run or two out of the shotgun or plays w/o a FB, and I have more run plays that I should need in one game, not even thinking about Draws. that same playbook also has 39 Standard passes, 43 Shotgun Passes, 9 Screens, and 46 Play action passes [I don't care for 3 step drop passes in Madden 11.] I shouldn't ever have to call the same play twice in Madden.

*****

Quote:

It's not as easy to beat the AI when you can't just run to your 'money plays'.

I don't know. I think this goes deeper than just Madden. My friend and I were watching the NFL Network the other day and they were talking about play calling. In the NFL today, teams call a ton of passing plays. Just watching the Jets on Monday night I was asking why they didn't try to run that often. Most of their runs were a success. Greene and LT combined for 80 yards on 16 carries for an average of 5ypc. That doesn't count Brad Smith's 2 runs for 27 yards and Edwards nice 4 yard gain. On the 2ed to last drive of the game LT came out on first down, ran for 18 yards, then ran for 6 yards to set up a 2ed and 4 where the Jets, for some reason took LT out for 1 play to throw a dump off pass to Greene [LT is a far better receiver out of the back field, and couldn't be that tired after only two runs off of the bench could he?] and then another pass on 3rd and 4.

Spoiler

1st drive
Run 4 yards
Pass to the HB - 1st down
---
Run/Pass/Pass/Punt

2ed drive
Run/Pass/Pass/FG

3rd drive
Run/Big Run
Run/Pass/Pass/Punt

4th drive
Penalties/Run/Run/Scramble/FG

5th Drive
Pass/Run-Fumble

*6th possession: Kneel/End of Half*

6th Drive [last one wasn't a drive]
Pass/Pass/Pass/Punt

7th Drive
Run/Run/Run [4th and 2]/Punt [great stop by Ray Lewis]

8th drive
Big run
Run/Pass/Pass/Punt

9th Drive
This is where I was really confused:
Big run by LT - 1st down
6 yard run by LT
LT comes out and they throw to Greene in the flats who drops the pass. Why not LT?
3rd and 4, Pass and punt.

10th Drive with 1:37 left, you kind of have to pass now.

My point is that almost the entire game was Run/Pass/Pass/Punt. Last year the Jets were a running team. The Jet's Bengals wildcard playoff game the Jets HB's got the ball 36 times and they had some trick runs by Brad Smith. Sanchez was only asked to throw 15 times, which he complete 12. I get the impression the jets wanted to see what their 2ed year QB was made of at the expense of winning the game.

My point with all of this is that I think part of the reason Madden may be too easy, aside from the "lack of defense" is that NFL coaches are out thinking themselves [in my opinion.] This is a QB driven league, but games like Jets/Ravens and the Colts/Texans were examples of how important the running game really is. I honestly think that if the jets tried to pound the rock right at the aging Ravens, more so at the end of the game where big runs started getting ripped off, they could have won. Also, most of the passes from the Jets were from the shotgun. I don't remember a single play action off hand, though there may have been 1 or two.

Finally, try "Coach Mode." this is just auto passing. I am fine with running my plays, except user controlled passing, in my opinion, is over powered and unfair to the computer. having to rely on your QB to be good or not under computer control is part of the fun/challenge for me lately. As a user, I can go 20/22 passing with Alex Smith. Allowing the computer to control Alex Smith feels more like the roller coaster ride it should, hoping he doesn't screw up. On the other hand, I trust tom Brady or Drew Brees to make plays more often that not.

[The Chef]

Quote: Originally Posted by guaps

I haven't use Ask Madden a lot in Madden 11, but I'm wondering if it's similar to NCAA's Ask Coach? NCAA's Ask Coach has got 6 plays based on the current situation and then 12 others from the playbook. Furthermore, on defense, Ask Coach is based on the offensive personnel. In short, everything I've wanted from the Gameplan/GameFlow feature in Madden.

Its similar but in Madden it literally only gives you 3 plays to pick from and nothing more, you cant even scroll at all since there are no other plays to scroll to. Defensively Im sure its the same but I call my own defense, offense I do utilize the ask madden feature.