They added maximum passing but id nothing to counter it on defense.

[GiantBlue76]

I can tell you that defense is much harder this year than last year. There are some things that I like (due to being able to adjust the sliders finally for online ccm and community). We have far fewer interceptions now, last year in the league we had guys throwing 40+ picks a season. Not because they were bad players, but because the warping by defenders was out of control. The biggest problem with Tiburon is the incredible difficulty they have in balancing the game. They added this "throw your receiver open" nonsense (which is NOT what that really means when it is said by NFL analysts), and all it does is ensure that the defender is always in the wrong position. I've never been a super strong passer in Madden, yet I am consistently throwing for 300+ yards per game and throwing for high 70 completion percentages on a consistent basis. The only problem is that my opponent is doing the same thing. A lot of our games are just shootouts. I don't think the zones and the coverage are totally screwed up, but the bigger problem is the line play. By not addressing line play this year they really screwed the pooch, and with a doubled game play team (supposedly) there is no excuse for this. Since you can't get any pressure without blitzing (Madden-ball) it's incredibly easy to pick the defense apart. If you blitz, you need to send at least 6, so that leaves only 5 in coverage against a slew of offensive weapons. The ball hawk feature is very arcadey, IMO. I would prefer that the players play to their ratings and always attempt to make a play on the ball if they are in a position to do so. This doesn't mean making constant interceptions. The percentage of passes that are incomplete in the NFL that are intercepted are far less than that in Madden. Anyway, the defense is not all that bad - but the line play really needed that overhaul and we should have gotten it. However, it opens the door for next year's marketing slogan doesn't it? "Madden (ball) 2014 - the year of the lineman!".

It's an absolute travesty what has been done to football gamers desiring a true to life simulation. Ruined by supposed "fun factor" and the desire to move units to young kids.

All this being said, it's pointless, because it's not going to be changed while we only have Madden. A football game that invents it's own brand of football - with the NFL logos.

[EmmdotFrisk]

Ball Hawk was in Madden 12. Or as you might know it, strafe pick. (L Trigger +Y)

surprise!

[reddogmaddogbul]

Quote: Originally Posted by EmmdotFrisk

Ball Hawk was in Madden 12. Or as you might know it, strafe pick. (L Trigger +Y) surprise!

typical

[Smoke6]

Quote: Originally Posted by EarvGotti

Dood, no! EA has a great system here already. Look at the majority response to this game man. Most people are genuinely enjoying this game and have little to complain about unlike other maddens. Do not change something that makes this game and I think the ball-hawk and defense make this game as good as it is. I don't see ball-hawk as cheap or too easy. If you time it incorrectly, you get burnt...simple as that.

Man, I didnt wanna have to go here but skip it, I will...

1) Ballhawk is just like the Hitstick this year, you trigger hitstick near the target and he engages him regardless of if he misses him and goes into that stumbling animation, Its an automatic tackle most of the time and thats not how it was intended.

2) Guys like you are the ones really benefitting off of such cheap ways of playing, there is no "ACE up my sleeve" feature in Poker, where you can look all hard and an ace comes out of the blue sky and you have the best hand at the table.

3) defense is only playable for a lot of people when they "show blitz", with people usering the safety that has great recovery speed and can run down and guess run and when its not, still capable of stopping and covering the best option you have available due to this. Not only that, but you come out in zone defenses and formations that should not be capable of shutting down a power O offense attack.

4) LBs are covering WRs with great route running as if their DBs in disguise and can break on pass plays that are WAY out of their range.

5) No huddle/hurry up is soo broken that everyone and their momma's run no huddle/hurry up due to its high success rate, but I guess you like that too right? Lets not change the fact that my 3-4 trio sky zone just shut you down for a 1 yrd gain, but let me no huddle because his defenders will be out of place and I will have someone open as it makes them stand their looking stupid... YEAH!!

All the above is basically how this game is played online, 99% of everyone running the same plays, routes, and schemes and yet no huddle/hurry up is the biggest factor amongst all of this as to why their successful at it to begin with. Ballhawk is like saying " I cant stop this dude, let me use my lifeline".

[EarvGotti]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smoke6

Man, I didnt wanna have to go here but skip it, I will... 1) Ballhawk is just like the Hitstick this year, you trigger hitstick near the target and he engages him regardless of if he misses him and goes into that stumbling animation, Its an automatic tackle most of the time and thats not how it was intended. 2) Guys like you are the ones really benefitting off of such cheap ways of playing, there is no "ACE up my sleeve" feature in Poker, where you can look all hard and an ace comes out of the blue sky and you have the best hand at the table. 3) defense is only playable for a lot of people when they "show blitz", with people usering the safety that has great recovery speed and can run down and guess run and when its not, still capable of stopping and covering the best option you have available due to this. Not only that, but you come out in zone defenses and formations that should not be capable of shutting down a power O offense attack. 4) LBs are covering WRs with great route running as if their DBs in disguise and can break on pass plays that are WAY out of their range. 5) No huddle/hurry up is soo broken that everyone and their momma's run no huddle/hurry up due to its high success rate, but I guess you like that too right? Lets not change the fact that my 3-4 trio sky zone just shut you down for a 1 yrd gain, but let me no huddle because his defenders will be out of place and I will have someone open as it makes them stand their looking stupid... YEAH!! All the above is basically how this game is played online, 99% of everyone running the same plays, routes, and schemes and yet no huddle/hurry up is the biggest factor amongst all of this as to why their successful at it to begin with. Ballhawk is like saying " I cant stop this dude, let me use my lifeline".

Sorry to rain on your party dood but I play nothing like that, I hate the no huddle cheese too. I just don't see why you guys think ball hawk is cheap. Its not like it makes the defender jump 10 yrds for a pick. If you get ballhawked then you should not have thrown to that spot in the first place. I throw slot of picks too but 95% of them came from ME making bad reads.

Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2

[Big FN Deal]

I forgot to mention that last night in my online CCM against another User, DTs dropped back in coverage intercepted 2 passes from what appeared to be "ball hawking". That it is a pretty clear indication that it needs to go away, imo, lol.

It seems that ball hawking whether mapped to a button or accomplished through button combinations in M12, is yet another simple win/loss representation, of a far more complex NFL realistic process. The fact that the only risk/reward to ball hawk is you either make the pick or the receiver catches it, is over simplifying the process. I get that the devs are trying to replicate a receiver gambling but currently the odds of reward, seem to far outweigh the risk. I have seen far more INTs with this mechanic than blown coverages but I hate to even get into tuning it, because I feel the entire premise is flawed.

I am trying not to get on a tangent but I don't get the notion that a User can take control of a player but also have the AI assist them, lol. It should be one or the other, either I User control a player to attempt to manually make plays or I leave it to the AI player.

[steamboat]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmood88

There are a lot of turnovers but they aren't due to good defense. Many of the interceptions I've seen are because users will throw the ball into crowds or try to lead a receiver but end up throwing right to the defender. It seems like Tiburon compensated for the bad AI by making every defender have the hands of Jerry Rice.

Just not true in my case. The interceptions were cases where the cpu ran the route before my wide receiver did on in routes, or linebackers jumping 5 yards in the air.

I am terrible at defense, but I can hold my own on offense.

[Mr_truthman.com]

Ya'll gotta remember that online play now matches have no sliders to adjust. The defense is broken. It always has been. Madden caters to the casual gamer. The casual gamers, likes to score points. The average scores for NFL games last year was 42.065. Most online games will have that total by halftime. I will post some vids showing how defenders PURPOSELY get themselves out of position so recievers can make plays. Long story short, this games needs major improvements on the defensive side.