Improved interaction in the trenchs.

[jcop27]

Judging from the Virtual Playbook Presentation video they've already attempted to fix the issue but for some reason it never made its way into the E3 build. Unfortunately because of my post count i cant link you the video but at 7:58 mark check out Osi umenyiora and Justin Tuck. They are both seven yards into the backfield before they're even engaged. Im pretty sure i've never seen the DE's get upfield that quick in ANY madden game before. Im curious as to why it didn,t look this way at E3.

[PPEFan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

That would be the fix, but there is no doubt that the system could be vastly improved with the addition of realistic looking interaction animations and some calculations. Whether they work 100% realistically or not, if the game had flow to the ball while engaged animations. it would greatly improve gameplay, even if those factors you mentioned weren't properly represented. Reason being is that they would make the game play more realistically, even if they didn't work totally realistically. Take 2K. The way that the line play animates, makes you play the game more in line with how it is actually played. When the DEs rush the edges while engaged and get up the field, you don't drop back forever or else you'd be out of the safety of the pocket that is actually formed. When the defenders are flowing to the ball while engaged, you actually read more than whether the whole is simply open or closed, but you also read where the whole might be opened soon based on the direction that the defender is going. You can also influence him to go the wrong way and over pursue and have cut back lanes. Whether the factors you mentioned are necessarily involved in this scenario, will not change the fact that the game will look and play more realistically than it does now, just by the implementation of those animations and some form of calculating outcomes. The animations in 2K weren't completely random. There were some calculations going on to determine the outcome, even if we don't know what those factors involved actually were. They may not have Euphoria RTP, but both 2K and Madden do have physics engines. I agree that this is not a fix in the purest sense of the word, but if they used a similar technique as 2K did, ie make the game look like it is performing dynamic RTP type interactions, even if the underlying calculations are not nearly as sophisticated, it still would GREATLY improve the gameplay. Just by having pseudo realistic gameplay elements for your mind to process, makes a huge difference.

Granted Animation and AI aren't the only things that will help to make it more realistic. Certain background settings will have to be adjusted and even some added. Remember we are talking about a video game...hence the word video which has direct ties to Animation. If it is done right it will improve certain physics of the game in regards to how the pocket forms and breaks down. Actual passing lanes and more realistic holes for draw plays and traps.

[Broncos86]

Kinda strange, but as I was playing the NCAA 12 demo, I got myself into a 3 d-line formation. I took the NT and the offensive line basically double teamed me. Now granted, the guard wasn't engaged in blocking me, persay, but he stayed right with me and the center, moving in a purposeful way to support the center.

In previous iterations, the guard just stays in his position and waits for someone to come into his zone. This is the first time I'd ever seen a guard actually support the center. He was RIGHT there, moving with me as I pulled the center left/right, and I had to battle both of them.

[shnuskis]

I just played the NCAA demo as well. On a pass play the right tackle pancaked me and imediately moved to his left and engaged the tackle who had engaged and beaten the guard. I was impressed as it was an improvement to what I have seen in the past.

The DE's get upfield much better too. Scramble out of the pocket too soon or drop back too far and you will be in trouble. Hopefully Madden plays similar. I am expecting an improvement this year in the line play.

[Broncos86]

Quote: Originally Posted by shnuskis

I just played the NCAA demo as well. On a pass play the right tackle pancaked me and imediately moved to his left and engaged the tackle who had engaged and beaten the guard. I was impressed as it was an improvement to what I have seen in the past. The DE's get upfield much better too. Scramble out of the pocket too soon or drop back too far and you will be in trouble. Hopefully Madden plays similar. I am expecting an improvement this year in the line play.

Yeah, I'm stepping up in the pocket a lot more this year.

[Only1LT]

Only played one game of the demo so far, but kind of liked the feel of how the players moved, even if the animations themselves are still bad.

I'll pay more attention to the edge rushing and double teaming next time I play. It's hard though because it's such a short demo and I can easily keep the ball for a half with one possession.

I was taken aback by how soft the visuals are. I know that there is some down res-ing for demos to make the file size smaller. One can only hope that that is the case because I was thoroughly unimpressed with the visuals of the game.

The player model also didn't look as good as the one's in the Madden 12 vids. I haven't really followed the dev cycle of NCAA so I don't know if they got that enhancement as well.

Could also be a build sans such additions. Again, one can only hope.

[PPEFan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Broncos86

Kinda strange, but as I was playing the NCAA 12 demo, I got myself into a 3 d-line formation. I took the NT and the offensive line basically double teamed me. Now granted, the guard wasn't engaged in blocking me, persay, but he stayed right with me and the center, moving in a purposeful way to support the center. In previous iterations, the guard just stays in his position and waits for someone to come into his zone. This is the first time I'd ever seen a guard actually support the center. He was RIGHT there, moving with me as I pulled the center left/right, and I had to battle both of them.

That is promising, I'm hoping maddens line play will mimic that. As that will indicate better AI. Now the defensive will have to step it up and get more separation and better angles. In the past the only way a defensive lineman got separation was a blocker totally whiffing his block or the DL got pancaked. Another part of the interaction which is missing or I don't see enough of it is the swim move, the spin move and the grab & pull.