Gaming Examiner: Madden 13 Interview with the Developers

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by Aftershock9958

It's 100% impossible. There is no formula in the world that can come close to accurately replicating boom and bust athletes.

Sure there is. You can't mimic who booms and busts in real life, but you can replicate booms and busts. A potential system that replicates real world potential would replicate booms and busts. Now I'm convinced you don't know what your talking about.

Quote: Originally Posted by Aftershock9958

I've said this similarly about three separate times, and the individual responses amount to "yes you can" - so why don't you surprise me, prove me wrong, and explain how this can be done realistically?

And I've said many times how you can have booms and busts. Easy, you have hidden actual potential values for each rating for each player and viewable perceived potential values for each attribute for each player. You would have the same thing for perceived and actual ratings/abilities. Using a statistical analysis of how many boons and busts you have in the actual NFL, you generate the same amount of rookies with either low perceived potential and high actual potential or high perceived potential and low actual potential. It's fricking easy.

This kind of system would bring importance to coaching staffs and scouting staffs bringing more depth AND REALISM to the game.

Why don't you tell me why it's impossible? It's just code.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by SoxFan01605

I have nothing really to add to A... B. I think the trouble is that NCAA imports was mentioned from the jump as something EA wants to get back in. It was made to sound like a priority once it's up to speed for the new mode. Great, but that ONLY addresses NCAA imports. That is not the case with the other missing features. In fact, on a few occasions Looman referred to editing as minor and seemed surprised people thought it was important. That is why the acknowledgement of imports don't necessarily correlate to understanding of the importance of the other features. Further, much of the rationale given by those who defend or are accepting of the decision to exclude the editing, multi-team control, custom rosters, etc often make claims about the "code" and programming difficulties, conflicts, etc. If this is actually the case, what makes people think that these features can just be plugged back in next year? In other words, constraints in programming aren't going to change, only constraints in time. Since we have no idea of the time it will take to implement the features into CCM (another common explanation given), then we can't possibly have any assurance they'll make it in for 14. To summarize, the lack of assurance of priority given to such features, coupled with potential restraints doesn't give anyone any reason to have confidence these features will all be back soon. And that's ignoring spotty series history, which could understandably sway someone's optimism as well. It's fair for people to be concerned, especially in light of the fact that this series has been extremely unstable in terms of feature integration and development leadership and direction. C. I won't pretend to know the mind of SteelerSpartan, but I think the point he was making here was that Looman missed an opportunity to actually put the concern for these other features to rest. In other words, when asked about missing features, he passed on a chance to give the same acknowledgement to custom rosters, editing, and multi offline user control that he gave to NCAA imports. That's what I took from "sidestepped another opportunity." It's not so much ducking the question as it is avoiding the issue. Now, from my perspective, none of that's not to say it means gloom and doom for those features, but the point is there is nothing positive to hang one's hat on in regards to them either. That's also not to say that EA is required to acknowledge them. It's only to say that inferring anything positive about other features from Looman's comments on NCAA imports is, at best, a stretch.

B. I did say a ray of hope, at least, something to build on. And, I've said this several times, but just because I don't use those features, doesn't mean I don't support those features coming back, I do.

C. SoxFan, he wasn't asked about missing features, at least what I read. The interviewer specifically asked him about the NCAA draft class and why it was missing.

Here are the last two questions.

GE – Integration with NCAA Football has always been something many fans look forward to. In previous games, the incoming rookie class (especially the ones that match up with true to life draft classes) often had attributes that did not reflect real life counterpart very well. In addition, a player’s Dynasty Mode players were often not represented all that well when imported to Madden. Is this something that will be tweaked for this year’s game in order to create a more realistic attribute system?

JL – NCAA Football 13 draft classes will not be supported in this year’s game.

GE – Can you elaborate to our readers why the feature has been excluded in this year’s game?

JL – Due to the completely rebuilt nature of Connected Careers we have to totally rewrite the logic that governs draft classes and how they’re handled in Madden NFL. It’s an important feature that we want to be sure is done right, and unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to include it in this year’s game. We understand it is a feature many of our fans love, so we’re working hard to get it back into the game as quickly as possible.

Did he not answer the question is all I'm asking?

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sheen_O_Mack

I don't see it as being completely unrealistic. As a coach when you draft a player/take over a team you are going to coach them in the areas that are going to most benefit your scheme, i.e if you play primarily zone then your are going to coach up your player on zone coverage, same if you are going to play man. With DE if you want a guy to be a premier pass rusher you are going to spend less time on run stopping mechanics. You will get guys who are studs all around so you may just teach them both but most players are not those studs. This gives you the option of progressing players in a way that fits your scheme not just hope the game develops him in a way that will help you.

But it is unrealistic. You should hire coaching staffs, including assistants and positional coaches with their own ratings and abilities. Schedule teams drills and individual drills to best fit your scheme. Just like in the NFL, they may or may not progress the way you want them to. If you want realism, it shouldn't be up to you to pick someone and just make them better at something to fit your scheme. Whether someone gets better in those areas to fit your scheme should be determined by the building blocks you create around the player and the players potential in those areas/ratings.

Or did I just misunderstand your post? Which is very possible.

[SteelerSpartan]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Did he not answer the question is all I'm asking?

Quote:

Will each facet of Connected Careers (Franchise, Superstar, Online Franchise, etc.) still maintain its depth from previous years, or will features be taking a hit in order to streamline the overall experience more?

Thats the Question I was referring to....He answered the 1st part with his opinion of what CC brings in terms of depth....but he avoided the
will Features be taking a Hit??? part

[moneal2001]

@bucky that is all good for fake players, but it doesn't work when the game also represents real players. just look at rookies this year. who knows if rg3 will be a bust or if Ryan Lindley(6th round QB) will be a gem. either they give all players, real and fake, potential/work ethic ratings or set the system up so any player can be based on coaching, system, and time on field(game and practice). the system in CC allows for those coaches have tratits that increase players xp(i would love to add coordinators and position coaches), every player has an ideal system that he gains more xp in, and completing goals in games and practice gives the xp.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by SteelerSpartan

Thats the Question I was referring to....He answered the 1st part with his opinion of what CC brings in terms of depth....but he avoided the will Features be taking a Hit??? part

Okay, I agree with you, I was focusing on the last question, you were focusing on the 1st question.

I still say there could still be a ray of hope from the last question he answered.

Hopefully, more interviews are revealed before the game drops and more questions are asked and answered to give some people piece of mind.

[Aftershock9958]

Quote: Originally Posted by bucky60

Sure there is. You can't mimic who booms and busts in real life, but you can replicate booms and busts. A potential system that replicates real world potential would replicate booms and busts. Now I'm convinced you don't know what your talking about.

Again, you can't replicate potential. It's impossible.

Quote:

And I've said many times how you can have booms and busts. Easy, you have hidden actual potential values for each rating for each player and viewable perceived potential values for each attribute for each player. You would have the same thing for perceived and actual ratings/abilities. Using a statistical analysis of how many boons and busts you have in the actual NFL, you generate the same amount of rookies with either low perceived potential and high actual potential or high perceived potential and low actual potential. It's fricking easy. This kind of system would bring importance to coaching staffs and scouting staffs bringing more depth AND REALISM to the game.

So your solution to realism is a pre-determined formula? That goes directly against the nature of real-life potential.

I'll give you credit for your idea, because it's not bad. But it's also not realistic - because there's nothing quantifiable about those who exceed or fall short of their potential.

Quote:

Why don't you tell me why it's impossible? It's just code.

I already did:

The simple reason for that is because there is no reasonable explanation for a player's potential, ever. Who saw Tom Brady or Miles Austin coming? On the opposite side, Joey Harrington? David Carr? In 1996, 25 players were chosen ahead of Ray Lewis, and other than Indy I'm sure 24 of those teams would like to have those picks back.

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by moneal2001

@bucky that is all good for fake players, but it doesn't work when the game also represents real players. just look at rookies this year. who knows if rg3 will be a bust or if Ryan Lindley(6th round QB) will be a gem.

Now you are talking about mimicking real life NOT REPLICATING realism. That's two separate issues. If you want to MIMIC real life, then you want player/roster editing which is also missing from CC.

Your point here has nothing to do with replicating realism.

Quote: Originally Posted by moneal2001

either they give all players, real and fake, potential/work ethic ratings or set the system up so any player can be based on coaching, system, and time on field(game and practice).

Why is it an either or thing? coaching, system, time on field game, every player practices are all variable in a real world model that includes actual and perceived potentials and ratings.

Quote: Originally Posted by moneal2001

the system in CC allows for those coaches have tratits that increase players xp(i would love to add coordinators and position coaches), every player has an ideal system that he gains more xp in, and completing goals in games and practice gives the xp.

And the system is unrealistic. You like that and that's OK to like it. I don't. I want something that follows a real world model. It's a matter of taste. But I take exception when someone says it's impossible to be realistic.