Changing packages... A huge part of the NFL... A huge part of Madden 12???

[Palo20]

Quote: Originally Posted by Senator Palmer

And I thought I enjoyed the nuances of the game. Good stuff. Really good stuff. I hadn't thought of starting a franchise game to set my packages then quitting to save. Too bad this doesn't work for "Play Now". Oh, and when you did the changes for the Cowboys, did you keep Ware on the same side? I didn't know this. So, if I, for instance, go to Dime and decide that I want to sub for the "LB Pass Rush" package to say 4 Defensive Ends, then I'll have 4 Defensive Ends for every Dime package, even the default "Normal"?

I didn't tinker with Ware because I think there is only one 4 LB formation in their nickel. I kept him on the same side.

On the second part, I think what he means is just what I said: if you make a sub, it's there forever.

So if you take Ware, and make him the Dime RE using Manual subs, he will stay there even when you use package subs. So say you use "DLine Sub" as a package, Ware will still be the RE even though he's not the backup RE. The rest of the DLine however will have the backups in.

[rootofalleli]

Quote: Originally Posted by Palo20

So if you take Ware, and make him the Dime RE using Manual subs, he will stay there even when you use package subs. So say you use "DLine Sub" as a package, Ware will still be the RE even though he's not the backup RE. The rest of the DLine however will have the backups in.

This may have been fixed, but I think that even when you sub the top RE from the depth chart back in, subs are still broken. That top RE will then stay in regardless of your use of sub packages. I should confirm this and see if there is a fix, like changing the players position in player management.

But yeah, I really miss the good old days of formation subs out of game. This is not some cosmetic or secondary feature: it's a core element of the NFL game. The in-game quick packages would have worked wonderfully as an addition, but they fail as a substitute.

[krc1130]

Quote: Originally Posted by Palo20

Couple things I've done to make the AI play more to their style: 1. Create gameplans for them I created distinct playbooks for each team. Colts primarily rush 4 against me, run a lot of cover 2. Raiders use a lot of man coverage, single high safeties. Steelers run their zone blitzes, etc. Steelers also use 4 LBs at all times (even Nickel), so I made sure their Nickel Defense was primarily 2-4-5, and some 1-5-5. 2. Make formation subs for the AI at the beginning of the season **Start the game, make all the subs you want for each team. Quit the game, save franchise. All of the package changes will be saved.** I went through each team and made some team specific subs. Some key ones: 3-4 teams: Usually use OLBs as DEs in Nickel Normal. Subbed in the proper pass rushers. Giants: Nickel D had Osi, Kiwanuka, Tuck, and Pierre-Paul on the DLine. Subbed Steve Smith into the slot in all '3 WR' formations. Cowboys: Subbed Miles Austin into the slot in all '3 WR' formations. For Senator: Bengals had Atkins in at DT for Nickel (Dunlap later in the season too). Changed Peko to FB, subbed him in on Goalline at FB, then changed him back to DT. Saints: Toward the end of the year, Malcolm Jenkins was the starting FS, but in Nickel situations, he covered the slot and Sharper played FS. I made this change. I went through pretty much each team and made these changes.

Just another random one for the Giants: In Dime packages, The Giants would have three safeties (Rolle, Grant, and Phillips) on the field. In the game, I would just put Grant at SS, leave Rolle at FS, and have Phillips in place of Bruce Johnson, who only appeared in 6 games last year.

[tatmanfish]

I use the formation subs all the time on offense with no problems what so ever. Not sure what the OP is struggling with.

On defense its a little messy though. Some of the packages make sense and others youre left asking why those guys. I tend to sub players in manually on defense based on formation. I rarely change these. The formation subs I do use usually involve moving the secondary players around(safety swap, CB swap, 4th CB, etc.).

I also agree that ther should be a reset formation button to get them to their default settings. Kindo of sucks once you manually sub someone in, it kind of ruins many of the other packages.

[re646]

I've just done what Palo 20 talks about, just not as extensively and usually with my own team.

Hopefully EA improves this, for users and for AI. I couldn't care less about expanded rosters. I want actual in-game situations to be more realistic.

[Skyboxer]

I'm all for it but still think whenever a package is changed (or even subs due to fatigue) we should see that on the field--Players coming and going onto field.
This will make the playcalling and gameplanning more crucial since this will take a few seconds off play clock add to the realism, which we all (well most of us) want.

[hampshire2012]

I just wish we could choose which packages we have in games.

For example, in this formation

WR .....................O O O O O TE
.............WR .............QB

...............................FB
...............................HB

The only packages I want are spell HB and strong slot. If those were the only two available, the current mechanic of using the right stick to change isn't so bad as you don't have to scroll through all the ones you don't use.

To be honest though, as I only play using gameflow, if we could just use formation subs for individual plays in gameplanning then I'd be sorted!

[bigdfan76]

Great thread guys! Good points. You introduce gameplanning into the equation and now you have to use formation subs because you can't use the R stick "packages" when using gameplanning. I for one like to use gameplanning when it works right. It saves time and kinda makes for a more realistic NFL coaching experience. Also in old gen when you had formation subs in the pause menu and in the franchise menu you could re-set to defaults... So each game you could change your "custom" packages to however you saw fit. But as it stands now you are stuck with the formation subs you made in the play call screen last game... then you have to turn off the play clock or quit and save. I really hope the devs get ahold of this thread and see the demand for formation subs, including special teams in the franchsie menu and pause menu. And I think the idea of creating your own formation quick subs or the R-stick formation subs and naming them whatever you want would be great also. I mean think of the rookies we would be drafting and building our offense or defense around? Wildcat?!... I for one have full intention of drafting Robert Griffin III from Baylor and using him in a variety of ways. I would love to have a package called "RG III wildcat" or "RG III backfield" sounds fun.