"Miracle Mode"

[RAVENOUS]

Just lost 30-24. After floating around 70% on the game, with almost 400 yards and 3 td 0 int, I went 0-8 on my last 2 drives. One slant pass went to the complete opposite side of the field (ie it would have been a horrible miss to X, but I was throwing to B anyway). Every pass was off somehow, and I was going with plays I had been hitting all game up to that point. Also noticed on my return play during that crucial last two minutes that all three of my blockers in front of me did literally nothing at all - just let players run by them and cream me. They didn't have a problem at least attempting to pick up a block before that.

[Jets24]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

I know people always say it's never the game, it's always the person playing the games fault, but I've been playing this game for awhile and every single time the game is close, the CPU always makes these miracle plays. Many times it's always... 1st down the CPU gets nothing 2nd down the CPU gets nothing 3rd down the CPU gets 10+ yards Or.. CPU gets these crazy back to back 30 yard passes to WIDE OPEN receivers. My CPU teammates all just stand there and do nothing. It's like they see the ball going to the receiver, and the second he gets the ball, they're all like "He caught it, no point in trying to tackle him". Same goes when I'm on offense. I try to run the ball, and my guys who are supposed to be blocking, don't even block. My guy gets the ball, and the blockers just bump into the defenders, and then the defenders basically just bounce off the guys blocking them, and immediately tackle whoever has the ball. It's almost like the defenders are just waiting for the ball carrier to get close to them, before letting go of my blockers and tackling the guy with the ball. It sucks to be playing these types of games. The CPU can't run no matter what, but their passing is crazy at the times when the game is real close. It really feels like I've wasted my entire time playing these games, cause I can go 30 mins with a great back and forth game, but then out of nowhere, CPU makes 30 yard pass after 30 yard pass.

there is also a clutch attribute. Maybe none of your guys have it and the other team does?

Personally I find on all-madden when I play the opposite...the CPU plays much tougher when the game is close and they mix runa and pass...in the second half when I break games open with a multiple td lead they have to just pass and at that point i run away.

Last game jets v pats was 17 to 7 mid 3rd. I ended up winning 48 to 7. i regularly score 50+ pts with usually more then half of them comming in the last 5 min of a game. (i play 7 min qtrs with clock run off to 25 seconds)

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by RAVENOUS

When it comes to the fourth quarter, if I don't get going at all, I feel like I'm just fulfilling my destiny to never get going. If I do get going just a bit, I end up being the one who feels cheap by the end.

Yeah, I've had games like that.

Then again, I had one were I had a 24-point comeback after not doing jack for 3 quarters - lost a game on a last second FG, shut down the CPU in the second half in a hard hitting game and they didn't get a sniff in the 4th...

I can't say it's been a repeatable pattern for me either way...though I hear where you're coming from.

[at23steelers]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

Yeah, I've had games like that. Then again, I had one were I had a 24-point comeback after not doing jack for 3 quarters - lost a game on a last second FG, shut down the CPU in the second half in a hard hitting game and they didn't get a sniff in the 4th... I can't say it's been a repeatable pattern for me either way...though I hear where you're coming from.

Games are always high-scoring and I expect to score every possession out there. I just go deep a lot, because getting 8-10 yards isn't that hard in Madden. I like the word you used "grind." Too much, Madden is hit or miss and not focusing on just controlling field position. This was really easy to spot out once I played APF 2K8, and this remains an area in Madden that should be at the top for fixing. Im thinking it's more of a result of other things: line interaction and footwork mainly, but it needs tuning.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by at23steelers

Games are always high-scoring and I expect to score every possession out there. I just go deep a lot, because getting 8-10 yards isn't that hard in Madden. I like the word you used "grind." Too much, Madden is hit or miss and not focusing on just controlling field position. This was really easy to spot out once I played APF 2K8, and this remains an area in Madden that should be at the top for fixing. Im thinking it's more of a result of other things: line interaction and footwork mainly, but it needs tuning.

Yeah - I'm always trying to get the scores down. It's like my relentless on-going quest LOL. I was able to do it in M12 for me/the way I play (kinda), so I won't give up. Yet. Even then, the sliders were so defensively oriented you'd think it was in the era before the forward pass or something.

I agree - line play and footwork, both in running/ball carrier movement and in things like running routes. I still can't believe with all the hoopla over I.E. that zig zagging and turning on a dime is still there. It really was just a hitbox engine at the end of the day, imo, at least that's the only thing I can notice - no more clipping and reaching through bodies to pick off passes, etc.

[PGaither84]

I can't comment about Madden 13, but I can say that Madden in Madden 12 and before, this is a crock.

Sliders make a big difference, and while they can't solve everything, you can adjust them to help make ratings matter a lot more. With my current Madden 12 settings, the bad players on my team are bad. The good ones are good. I am playing a Denver Broncos franchise right now and their line is TERRIBLE except for Ryan Clady. Playing with the 49ers O-line is much different. Neither line can pass block, but when I play with the Patriots, they can.

Play calling matters too. For a long time I used to have a hard time stopping teams on 3rd down in Madden. I worked and got better.

Football is a game that favors the offense. NFL rules favor the offense even more. My defensive philosophy is to play a sound base defense most of the game, and mix in blitzes in certain situations. You can read about it in my blog [link in my signature] where I talk about improving your defensive play calling in Madden.

Quote:

it's always the person playing the games fault,

You can have a good plan, be good at the game, and still get beat. That's sports. It happens. Take your lumps and move on to next week.

There are things you can change in the settings to improve the overall game play experience. Of Maddens many flaws, while many cannot be corrected, they can be mitigated.

I have seen videos of specific Madden 13 flaws, like the AI doing run commit against verticals 4 and the computer just throws up a bomb TD, but that is a game flaw, not some "comeback AI."

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by PGaither84

I can't comment about Madden 13, but I can say that Madden in Madden 12 and before, this is a crock. *snipped for length*

All true, but it takes a LOT of work to get to that point, even in M12, which I think handles it better than M13 - thanks largely to autosubs actually working so fatigue can actually work...WTF EA..., and then the game's "big play" mentality still takes place because...that's the game. The ease of turning turnovers into TDs alone, even in M12, is a sign of that, imo.

And that's if you play with sliders. The fact custom sliders have to be hashed out - and then rehashed...and then tweaked and updated...says a lot, imo.

And don't get me started on this "commit" stuff. Just a personification of the non-reality the game is shooting for.