How do you guys play on All Madden???!!

[Playmakers]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dawg1919

The problem with All madden is the the CPU plays like their on steroids and your team does not. When the real fix would be to have the computer play smarter. But the computer is only as smart as the people who develop the game. And there lies the true problem.

The problem is there is NO OFFENSIVE AWARENESS Slider in Madden.

There's not a slider in the game that improves the CPU execution, decision making or game management.

Madden should be built to function mostly off of player/team ratings especially for offline gameplay.

But this is where the problem lies....if a RB has 40 break tackle rating and 40trucking rating when you put the Break Tackle slider at 0 that should translate to him having very limited ability to break tackles in the game according to his ratings right?

But it doesn't work that way in Madden....

Another problem with Madden is the game sometimes feel scripted. When a RB should be juking and looking for cutbacks he instead always runs directly towards the defenders and try to break a tackle instead of running to daylight.

I think ratings like Ball Carrier Vision needs to take a greater effect on the field.

Sliders have no control over Ball Carrier Vision ratings....regardless of what level you play on Pro or All Madden.

This is why i've stated yearly that EA should spend more time on allowing actual ratings to dictate outcomes and matchups.

To me All Madden, All Pro or Pro are just levels assigned in a game like a shooter type game.....the levels don't give us a reflection of true player or Team ratings.

You know how in some shooter games the enemy AI adopts to your tendencies after each game....Madden has never really EVOLVED IMO with the CPU AI.

Maybe EA should assign and build TEAM SPECIFIC SLIDERS so that each team feels different if they can't actually program any one level in the game to play as if ratings matter most.

I mean thank about it when you load up a game between Washington and Detroit EA should code the game so that it reflects slider settings for each team based on ratings and then when you play another game for example Denver vs Dallas those sliders change again coded based on those two teams and the matchups.

The way sliders are designed right now IMO doesn't really change much in the way each team plays from week to week.

Yes we can get challenging games but ask yourself do the games really feel that much different from each other regardless of teams and players?

I stopped playing the EA NHL Series because every team felt the same way on the ice.

I understand there are guys who try capture style of play amongst teams by changing playbooks and position tendencies but that stuff takes forever and just like sliders you are constantly changing them in so many ways.

Then of course EA gives us very limited actual gameplay sliders so we can't truly alter that many things like for example special teams there is not a single slider in the game that allows us to control the Return game ability of any CPU controlled kick or punt returner.

When is the last time you feared punting the ball to Devin Hester even on All-Madden level?

For the past years I've always felt we were being short changed in both Madden and NCAA Football.

Like most people here lately I purchase the games not because I'm in love with them anymore.....

But because I have no other choice anymore.....I remember back in the days i would play NFL Fever and NFL Gamebreaker. I loved Madden and NCAA Football but those games also gave me other outlets to enjoy.

[Jarodd21]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

Every year I hear the same thing - sliders - and every year it's the same thing - sliders don't help. 1.) I have tried many different slider sets posted here, including Jarrod's, as well as my own experimentations, and the results are the same regardless of slider sets: when the sliders are in "All-Madden" territory, the CPU cheats. When the sliders are in All-Pro territory, the CPU can't beat me if I set the controller down and go make a sandwich. 2.) I am a player, not a developer, I shouldn't have to spend years, days, weeks even on sliders just to make the game playable. That is a blatant error and design failure that this is the case. Sliders should be to tweak the game, not make it playable. Especially when they still don't make the game playable.

It may not be working for you but it works for alot of other people. Everyones skill level is different. They will never be able to make a level that fits everyone so sliders will always be needed for gamers to adjust the game to fit there personal skill level. Me and alot of other people don't have the issues that other gamers do with All-Madden especially this year and that doesn't mean that you have to exploit the AI to succeed because I don't do that at all. The people that feel like you have to exploit the AI or play cheesy ball against them on All-Madden say those kinds of things because they have trouble succeeding on that level themselves unless they use the exploits they claim you have to use to have success on All-Madden.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

OMG, I've just played a few games on All Madden and I remember why I was avoiding it. The problem is All Pro is too easy. I was beating the CPU by like 30 points on a regular basis even with the CPU sliders all on like 90. So, I switched to All Madden because I was no longer being challenged by the CPU. I used some sliders that I found on this forum where the CPU pass blocking is set to 0 and I lowered CPU breaking tackles to like 20.

Pass blocking on All-Madden tends to be (too) strong. Sometimes, though, you can get through without blitzing - but it is harder than it should be, imo.

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

So, I was playing the CPU and their running back just runs over every one on my team on every play. At the end of the first half, he had 150 rushing yards. Not to mention their 210 lb. QB ran over my 350 nosetackle. And later on, that same QB ran over my 97 rated MLB with 99 tackling.

Increase your tackling. If you're on default all-Madden, yeah, 25 tackling is going to be rough. It's just too low. I would take the points from block shedding and put them in tackling (25/0/50 run D) and see how that goes.

We all know weight/size doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean anything on All-Pro either.

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

All Madden gives you a better challenge, because the QB actually makes better decisions. The CPU can actually execute a screen pass and the QB won't get sacked 10 times a game. But on the flip side, the CPU will flat out cheat. The QB has thrown the ball directly into offensive linemen to avoid getting sacked and the CPU never calls Intentional Grounding.

That's not cheating, that's called "EA doesn't know how to program intentional grounding calls against the CPU". Have you noticed how the CPU can throw it away to nobody while in the pocket? That has nothing to do with difficulty.

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

Even with the sliders adjusted, the CPU has a superhuman ability to break tackles no matter who the ball carrier is. And the CPU's pass protection is ridiculous. The offensive line is impenetrable unless you bring two extra guys on every single play.

Put break tackles at 0 or 10 if it's a huge issue. I have it on 0, have gone as high as 14 and never felt cheap, and while my defense gave up 4.6 y/c last game I played (with 0 break tackles), it was not cheap. They found holes and the back hit them.

Pass protection is too tough. But you CAN get sacks without blitzing, it's just not as good as it should be.

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

And the game will just make your players do stupid things, especially in the last two minutes of the half. The CPU was running a two minute drill against me and made my cornerback forget he was playing football. The WR ran past him and I swear he took three seconds to turn around and actually try to cover the guy. I've never seen anything so ridiculous.

Yeah, sometimes stuff like that happens, especially when the CPU goes into hurry-up mode. It's like the game changes or something. It's part of what creates that "scripted" feeling that still exists in the game.

That said, I will call a time out on defense to regroup my guys and pick my best pass defense that's also flexible so I can hot blitz if need be should they audible into a formation if needed. Nickle Normal 2 Man Under is a good one as I can put the LBs in zones or blitz one or the other while having man coverage and 2 deep safeties. Of course, if your defense is better in zone, maybe you'd be better off in a cover 4 type defense, or the Buck Slant out of the 2-4-5 if you use that formation.

Calling a timeout seems to knock it off or at least you can get into plays that can have higher odds of disrupting the drive.

Quote: Originally Posted by macbranson

Is there no way to get the CPU offense to be more effective on All Pro without venturing into the BS of All Madden? I like the challenge, but I don't like the nonsense that goes on in All Madden. Even if I win the game, I just get so frustrated throughout the course of the game with the CPU's nonsense.

It is difficult. From my experiences with trying, the HBs run really badly (even with 90+ run blocking) and, like you said, the QB decision-making is REALLY bad on All-Pro. Those two things pretty much hamper offensive production.

I would suggest trying an All-Madden set that uses the 295-point set up. Some say it's "All-Madden lite" where it plays and acts like All-Madden but not "all the way". I don't know how true that is, and I don't particularly see it, but the 295-points way I like because you have some more flexibility. If you need to put 90 points in run defense or something, you can.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

1.) I have tried many different slider sets posted here, including Jarrod's, as well as my own experimentations, and the results are the same regardless of slider sets: when the sliders are in "All-Madden" territory, the CPU cheats. When the sliders are in All-Pro territory, the CPU can't beat me if I set the controller down and go make a sandwich.

Works for me. Even if the CPU is cheating - it doesn't feel like OMG HAX! type cheating. When I lose, I don't feel like I "should have won but the CPU cheated to make me lose".

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

2.) I am a player, not a developer, I shouldn't have to spend years, days, weeks even on sliders just to make the game playable. That is a blatant error and design failure that this is the case. Sliders should be to tweak the game, not make it playable. Especially when they still don't make the game playable.

Good luck with varying skill levels.

If you and I have different skills and the game is set up to where it's playable out of the box for you, what happens when it's not playable out of the box for me?

While I would like it if it's more oriented around NFL production, using the average as a baseline for both ratings and abilities, that might not work for someone else.

How do you resolve that with just one setting? How do you account for different playstyles? I don't switch on defense - sliders for that are going to be different than for someone who switches, than for someone who can switch and play elite level defense.

You, me, or others might not see how, but Madden is playable out of the box for a lot of people and the sliders tweak the game. But I don't have to see how they could enjoy it, because sliders allow me to tweak the game.


Sliders don't help a lot of the issues, yes. They won't make LBs have true gap control, the OL to block inside-out, or make DBs have true anticipation. However, that doesn't mean they can't tweak/help the gameplay at all.

Sliders fix all and sliders do nothing are both extremes that aren't correct, imo.

[Franchise408]

Oh I've definitely lost games that I should have won, or more accurately, lost solely due to the AI's cheating.

Best example I can give was in the Super Bowl in my franchise mode, when the CPU overcame a 3 td deficit in sub 2 minutes by blatant cheat tactics.

I don't mind losing, in fact I welcome it, but when I have 3rd string slot receivers trucking Patrick Willis while catching a pass in the air, there's a problem.

[Jarodd21]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

Oh I've definitely lost games that I should have won, or more accurately, lost solely due to the AI's cheating. Best example I can give was in the Super Bowl in my franchise mode, when the CPU overcame a 3 td deficit in sub 2 minutes by blatant cheat tactics. I don't mind losing, in fact I welcome it, but when I have 3rd string slot receivers trucking Patrick Willis while catching a pass in the air, there's a problem.

I remember you talking about that before.. That has never happen to me in my whole 21 years of playing Madden.. That had to be some random stuff that went down in that game. When I have a lead like that with under 2 minutes left the game is pretty much over.

I have a beast MLB in my franchise like Willis and haven't seen him get trucked by a WR. I've seen him get shaken off by and elusive player but never trucked. That might of been what happen to you. Elusive players have an animation where the shake off a tackle but some people get confused like they got trucked by that player because he broke lose of the tackle.. The only guys I see doing the trucking are the power backs.. The elusive players shake you, spin, and slip out of tackles..

[Franchise408]

Elusive or trucking, a slot receiver shouldn't be doing that to Patrick Willis - in mid air. And it happens often.

And I'd chalk up that 3 TD comeback to just "randomness", except that kind of stuff happens on a regular basis.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by Franchise408

Elusive or trucking, a slot receiver shouldn't be doing that to Patrick Willis - in mid air. And it happens often. And I'd chalk up that 3 TD comeback to just "randomness", except that kind of stuff happens on a regular basis.

I had a team get 27 on me in the 4th not too long ago, but it's really rare that it happens in my games. (Still won, and I made 4 turnovers in the quarter...)

I can say I haven't seen a WR evade a hit in mid-air before, unless I'm not envisioning it correctly as to what you're describing. I'm having an image of a WR that's gone up for a ball has it, Willis is coming to lay him out, and somehow the WR, still in the air, evades the hit?