This game can be so frustratingly evil....

[CRMosier_LM]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

I don't know what they need to do, but they need to do something, and they need to do something major. The problems that I have can't be fixed by sliders. Oh sure, on the surface they can be, but in actuality, I adjust those sliders and it breaks something else. Offline franchise mode is 100% broken, not because of features (the features are amazing) but because of the on the field dynamic between humans and CPU. Online or offline head to head, human vs. human, Madden is actually pretty good. But it is awful against the CPU.

Broken means unplayable... And I think the couple hundred thousand people currently playing offline franchise will completely disagree.

[Tyrant8RDFL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

There's this also.

Your on some mission arent you? lol

And there's this also that's funny

The members post you replied to must have something strange going on , or it just must be his play calling. Who knows???

All my games varies. He states he can't win by no more than 14 , because the CPU will get a fumble.

I avg about 2 fumbles every 4 games. I go games with out a fumble.

I can win by as much as 28 pts, and at the sametime lose by that much. I can't see the game being programmed to the point where if your up by 14 the CPU will chesse you. That just doesn't make sense to me.

I have the same game and things like that never happen to me, or maybe I look at it more realistically. I dont blame every negative thing that happens in the game as cpu cheating. I tend to make myself accountable for what goes wrong with my team.

[mjhyankees]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

For me its not about players choking in the clutch that bothers me. You're right, that happens. the 2 biggest problems I have are CPU broken tackles (once, I was playing against the ravens. Late 4th quarter, defending a small lead. Hand off to ray rice. With Patrick Willis I blow into the backfield untouched, and blow up rice CLEAN, but instead of going down, he bounces off the tackle 5 yards in the backfield and runs for 35. I watched Steve Smith last night lower his shoulder and mike alstott his way through my defenders. Those are just a couple examples) and player thrown interceptions (in year 1, I threw 38 ints with Alex Smith, and this year thru week 15 I have 21), and they are issues not fixed by sliders. If I lower broken tackles, the CPU will have no offense, and if I lower ints, the CPU will just stop pass defending altogether instead of just lowering how often they catch it. Take those 2 issues out (ie allow the CPU to have an offense without cheesing their way through broken tackles, or allowing the CPU to play defense without their players being ball magnet sponges) and my complaints with madden drop infinitely.

Well I can help alot here. I have my cpu slider for btk at 25 and my tackling slider at 45. Now I still have some plays where the guy is superman. Had McFadden on the first play of the game bounce off my DT, break a LB tackle, have a CB slide off him from behing and go 78 yards. Not late in the game...first play. But I'll admit, it's the exception now with those sliders. Regarding picks, I think I have the cpu at 25 with my QB acc at 20 and WR catch at 35. I rarely throw more than 1 - 2 picks per game. Have lots of games without any. My secret? Don't throw into coverage. Learn to scan for secondary recievers, read the coverage, throw it away or take the sack. Learn the open spots on the field for each route. Slants have to be hit before or after the LB zone...not while he's in the middle of the field. Crosses should usually clear the Lb unless he drops way off and you just want short gain. Establish the run, WATCH TUTORIALS ON YOUTUBE...i LEARNED A TON THAT WAY. Hope this helps.

[43M]

I was playing the other day as the Steelers and my Oline was playing like a bunch of confused 3rd graders.

Oh wait, thats realistic...

Seriously though....Id hike the ball, and 3 of my interior lineman would not block anyone and run to the left and still not block anyone. This happened several times.

I am enjoying Madden in alot of areas, but this is the reason I will never buy it year to year. Its simply not that good and the developers let tons of crap like this slip through the cracks on an annual basis.

[TNT713]

Wait... What are we saying?

Are we saying that receivers don't drop open passes?

Slow down. Having the perfect play call, blocking it perfectly, delivering a perfect pass to the open man, and having him drop it isn't just a frustration Madden players...

Anybody remember Jackie Smith (ie. The Sickest Man in America)? GREAT TE with GREAT HANDS for years - but we only know him as the guy thta dropped the TD in the end zone in the Cowboys Super Bowl. I'm sure Tom Landry was just as frustrated as you were when Nicks dropped his pass.

Dropping open passes isn't new... NFL players have been doing it since before any of us were born.

When it happens on Madden - you get to be frustrated like NFL coaches of old. Chalk it up to the "simulation" experience.

Later

[Franchise408]

Quote: Originally Posted by mjhyankees

Well I can help alot here. I have my cpu slider for btk at 25 and my tackling slider at 45. Now I still have some plays where the guy is superman. Had McFadden on the first play of the game bounce off my DT, break a LB tackle, have a CB slide off him from behing and go 78 yards. Not late in the game...first play. But I'll admit, it's the exception now with those sliders. Regarding picks, I think I have the cpu at 25 with my QB acc at 20 and WR catch at 35. I rarely throw more than 1 - 2 picks per game. Have lots of games without any. My secret? Don't throw into coverage. Learn to scan for secondary recievers, read the coverage, throw it away or take the sack. Learn the open spots on the field for each route. Slants have to be hit before or after the LB zone...not while he's in the middle of the field. Crosses should usually clear the Lb unless he drops way off and you just want short gain. Establish the run, WATCH TUTORIALS ON YOUTUBE...i LEARNED A TON THAT WAY. Hope this helps.

I get all that, I understand how football works.

My problem isn't that im throwing the routes wrong - I throw them exactly as you just described. My problem is that if the CPU wants the turnover, they will find a way.

So many times I do throw a pick, and I wanna curse the game and throw my controller, and then I realize "hey, I ****ed that one up. You cant be mad at the game for your mistake"

But more often than that, im throwing to open receivers, and some defender who wasnt in the play super jumps and stretch Armstrong his way to a pick. Or somehow acts as a magnet for the ball, and the pass flies off somewhere not even close to the receiver into the waiting arms of a defender. And it has nothing to do with throwing the pass wrong, because the receivers are wide open.

[mjhyankees]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

I get all that, I understand how football works. My problem isn't that im throwing the routes wrong - I throw them exactly as you just described. My problem is that if the CPU wants the turnover, they will find a way. So many times I do throw a pick, and I wanna curse the game and throw my controller, and then I realize "hey, I ****ed that one up. You cant be mad at the game for your mistake" But more often than that, im throwing to open receivers, and some defender who wasnt in the play super jumps and stretch Armstrong his way to a pick. Or somehow acts as a magnet for the ball, and the pass flies off somewhere not even close to the receiver into the waiting arms of a defender. And it has nothing to do with throwing the pass wrong, because the receivers are wide open.

What are you slider settings on? Relevant sliders are ints. for cpu and qb acc and wr catch for user. I know what you mean with some of the picks sometimes but it is video game and I guess I have to say that sometimes because the percentages say there should be a pick at some point, the cpu does it. But truly with my slider settings I'd say that most picks were my fault for trying to force something. Often in a game a force a pass in certain situations and lead the receiver with the stick and get a nice completion but if I go to the well too often sooner or later the cpu picks it....even if the guy was just as open as before, or certainly covered no more closely.
Which reminds me of something you said. IRL a certain play may work many times but eventually the defense get's wise to it. It's not unusual for a DB to bait the QB into making a throw and then jumping the route. It may not look too real in Madden but I guess that's what they are mimicking.

[Big FN Deal]

I feel like some of you are being too rigid about the point the OP is trying to make. Some are making it seem like things in the NFL are completely random and there is little to no "method to the madness" but there is most times.

Someone mentioned the drop by Ohocinco, which was far from random. That probably came from poor concentration, from not being adequately involved in the game, which was most likely in part caused by having issues adjusting to a new and complicated system. If Madden had some way to replicate this, like maybe linking AWR and position skill ratings execution to time in a playbook/scheme, a drop like this in Madden would make sense.

Also, for dropped passes in general, these are routinely a result of not looking the ball into their hands and securing it, before trying to run. Again, if Madden replicated this, like having various transitional catch animations for this and other dropped catches/interceptions, (instead of balls hitting players directly in the face and bouncing off), it would probably be less frustrating.

I understand where people are coming from and I imagine it can't be easy for developers to try a balance the "any given Sunday" of the NFL with gamers not feeling powerless. However, the OP is accurately pointing out the issue with the frustration of outcomes in Madden because the game often lacks the realistic steps, in reaching them.

The good thing is Cam Weber alluded to these "short cuts" in an interview and stated, "...First and foremost, we need to deliver an amazing simulation football gameplay experience on both of our franchises. In other words, our fans want to see fluid, realistic player movement and deep football AI and behaviors on the field. This includes what players are doing between the whistles in the middle of a play, and how they behave in our pre- and post-play moments as well..."

So why I agree the outcomes are realistic, most Madden frustration comes from how unrealistically they play out and not from poor execution like in the NFL.