How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

[rudyjuly2]

I personally think the way Madden defines difficulty is dumb. Leave it at the default level (Pro, All-Pro, All-Madden) and then just let us change the sliders without re-naming anything. I know I had read there is a magic number combination where the difficulty gets bumped up or down if you tweak too much. Can anyone explain that again?

Question #2, I just played two playoff games and used EA's post game Twitter function. It tweeted I won my first game on All-Pro and then it said I lost on All-Madden for my second game. I'm sure I didn't touch my sliders. Why would it say I went up to All-Madden when I have been on All-Pro (Custom) this entire time and previous game?

[KingV2k3]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

I personally think the way Madden defines difficulty is dumb. Leave it at the default level (Pro, All-Pro, All-Madden) and then just let us change the sliders without re-naming anything. I know I had read there is a magic number combination where the difficulty gets bumped up or down if you tweak too much. Can anyone explain that again?

Question #2, I just played two playoff games and used EA's post game Twitter function. It tweeted I won my first game on All-Pro and then it said I lost on All-Madden for my second game. I'm sure I didn't touch my sliders. Why would it say I went up to All-Madden when I have been on All-Pro (Custom) this entire time and previous game?

Since "My Skill" came into the picture a few years ago, the sliders changed from the PS2 system (0-20, default of 10) to a "total" based system...

Best I can figure, the LEVEL determines how hard the CPU "pushes back" from easiest (Rookie) to hardest (All Madden)...

The slider TOTALS are the key:

When the USER totals less than 300 in the 12 categories, it's an "All Madden" level version of whatever level you are on...

Charter's sliders (for example) have a USER total of less than 300, but he uses All Pro difficulty level...

300 is basically an "average" of 25 points per category...

USER totals of 0 - 299 are All Madden (regardless of level, as described above)

300-599 is All Pro (average setting of 50)

600-899 is Pro (average setting of 75)

900-1200 is Rookie (average setting of 100)

If you plug in a copy of Madden 10 or 11, you can use the slider section as a "calculator"...you'll see the levels change as you add or deduct points from any given category...

I prefer All Pro as my "Level"

My sliders total 300 for the USER, making it the "hardest" All Pro total on that level

I have the CPU totals around 600, so they are playing the "easiest" version of All Pro, bordering on Pro...

It's VERY different from last gen, in that slider "totals" and their "relationships" are more important than "50 is twice as much as 25", which isn't the case...

It's a VERY deep and confusing topic, and the above is the best I can do!

As far as that Twitter thing:

There's a lot of glitched features, that could just be another...

Hope this helps!

[rudyjuly2]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

That helps a ton! So if I want to make sure I'm still playing on All-Pro I have to make sure my sliders add up to at least 300 or I could potentially be level jumping and screwing myself? Is there a difference between starting your difficulty on Pro, All-Pro or All-Madden if you end up with the same sliders? I thought that was still a crucial starting point. Thanks again! Just checked my sliders and they add up to 380 on offense so it should still say All-Pro. Don't know why it tweeted that.

Also, wouldn't the cpu totals act in reverse? Ie a low number would be easy and vice versa? e cpu 600-899 is All-Pro and 900+ is All-Madden for them?

I have the CPU totals around 600, so they are playing the "easiest" version of All Pro, bordering on Pro...

[KingV2k3]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

That helps a ton! So if I want to make sure I'm still playing on All-Pro I have to make sure my sliders add up to at least 300 or I could potentially be level jumping and screwing myself? Is there a difference between starting your difficulty on Pro, All-Pro or All-Madden if you end up with the same sliders? Thanks again!

Kool!

Once again, "Level" (Rookie / Pro / All Pro / All Madden) dictates how much the AI "pushes back"

Many would disagree, but I like All Pro because I feel that the Defensive AI on All Madden is pretty psychic...

If you play "The Show", the pitching levels are stated (paraphrase) to determine "how the CPU batters will lock onto repeated patterns" more easily...

Madden is the same way...Rookie and Pro level are "tilted" to the USER, AP is pretty even and All Madden's AI tilts to the CPU...

(IMHO)

I see you started with All Pro, so if you choose that level and keep HUM CPU sliders between 300 (hardest AP) to 599 (easiest AP) you should have a nice set...

"Mixing" the levels with the slider totals is totally possible, (As in the example of Charter04's thread / set), but I personally have no experience with that, so I take his word that it works...

I assume his All Pro "Level" keeps the AI "boosts" even with the CPU, while the sub 300 slider point total makes it "All Madden" in USER ability...

Make sense?



As far as the CPU "reverse" goes:

CPU QB ACC (for instance) is "hardest" for them to complete a pass on 0 and "easiest" on 100, it's the same as for HUM...

Low numbers make their life hard and yours easy, etc...

High numbers make theirs easy, your hard...



So, the numbers aren't reversed, the effect is???

[rudyjuly2]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

It makes sense even if it's more confusing than it should be lol. At least in the Show I can pick and choose separate difficulty levels for pitching, hitting and fielding. Too bad we couldn't do that in Madden. My user level is 380 while I have the cpu just over 700 so I'm just going to keep it on All-Pro with my adjustments and hope everything is cool. Maybe I'll see if I can blend some things so that everything falls in the All-Pro range just to be safe. Thanks again!

[DetroitStyle]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

This is the most confusing slider thread I've ever read. I don't understand why they can't have sliders like in NCAA 12 and beyond. You set the level, i.e. Heisman, and then tweak the sliders. The actual sliders affect gameplay elements, i.e. catching slider affects the ability of receiver to catch the ball, while difficulty such as Heisman affects performance boosts, i.e. mirrored routes, and ai adaptability. Simple.

[KingV2k3]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

It makes sense even if it's more confusing than it should be lol. At least in the Show I can pick and choose separate difficulty levels for pitching, hitting and fielding. Too bad we couldn't do that in Madden. My user level is 380 while I have the cpu just over 700 so I'm just going to keep it on All-Pro with my adjustments and hope everything is cool. Maybe I'll see if I can blend some things so that everything falls in the All-Pro range just to be safe. Thanks again!

With those numbers, HUM is playing a "harder" version of AP versus a CPU that's playing on a "harder" version of Pro, with the AI being on AP level for both...

Think of the slider totals as having to do with controller skills (or "virtual" controller skills for the CPU) and the level as being the AI / "brains"

Should be a pretty challenging combo...

[rudyjuly2]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

This is the most confusing slider thread I've ever read. I don't understand why they can't have sliders like in NCAA 12 and beyond. You set the level, i.e. Heisman, and then tweak the sliders. The actual sliders affect gameplay elements, i.e. catching slider affects the ability of receiver to catch the ball, while difficulty such as Heisman affects performance boosts, i.e. mirrored routes, and ai adaptability. Simple.

I agree. But the Madden team does something funny with this area. This is why there was a discrepancy between Play Now and Franchise difficulty until the third patch. They calculate this area weird.

Yet I feel this dev team doesn't care much about sliders. They don't have user vs cpu special teams sliders and the pass reaction slider is useless. The sub in/out sliders apparently have little to no effect.

[KingV2k3]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

This is the most confusing slider thread I've ever read. I don't understand why they can't have sliders like in NCAA 12 and beyond. You set the level, i.e. Heisman, and then tweak the sliders. The actual sliders affect gameplay elements, i.e. catching slider affects the ability of receiver to catch the ball, while difficulty such as Heisman affects performance boosts, i.e. mirrored routes, and ai adaptability. Simple.

Yeah unfortunately, this Madden slider system is unique to itself...

I much prefer PS2 Madden or ANY version of the other titles I play (The Show / NCAA / NBA2k)...

It was REALLY hard to "unlearn" the preconceived notions of my "slider past" and come to grips with it...

Guys like KBLover / Dfso81 / Charter04 all helped this old dog with this (dodgy) new trick over the past couple editions...

Always a pleasure to try and pass it along...

[rudyjuly2]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

I've tried making the move to All-Madden but the game's difficulty within franchise seems to be quite a bit different from exhibition. I thought they fixed that in a patch. In an exhibition game the cpu can really hurt me on All-Madden. Then I plug in the same sliders in CCM and I'm beating up on the cpu. I don't get it. I don't violate the 300 rule or the 75 rule. The game tweets I'm playing on all-Madden but then it lays down like a lamb.

There were a couple times where I played on All-Pro and the game accidentally kicked into All-Madden. That happened twice and the game actually tweeted that I was on All-madden at the end of the game. Both times the cpu offense torched me when this happened. I'm honestly going to try and go back to all-pro in my CCM, have my user sliders go under 300 and hope I the game somehow gets All-Madden difficulty back in the game. I just don't understand. EA needs to separate this garbage of sliders linked to difficulty.

[Jarodd21]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

I've tried making the move to All-Madden but the game's difficulty within franchise seems to be quite a bit different from exhibition. I thought they fixed that in a patch. In an exhibition game the cpu can really hurt me on All-Madden. Then I plug in the same sliders in CCM and I'm beating up on the cpu. I don't get it. I don't violate the 300 rule or the 75 rule. The game tweets I'm playing on all-Madden but then it lays down like a lamb.

There were a couple times where I played on All-Pro and the game accidentally kicked into All-Madden. That happened twice and the game actually tweeted that I was on All-madden at the end of the game. Both times the cpu offense torched me when this happened. I'm honestly going to try and go back to all-pro in my CCM, have my user sliders go under 300 and hope I the game somehow gets All-Madden difficulty back in the game. I just don't understand. EA needs to separate this garbage of sliders linked to difficulty.

Did you play ate least 2 or 3 games? One game usually doesn't determine anything. Sliders take about a game or two to settle in. The CPU usually plays like crap in that first game. That's common knowledge around here. Try one of my All-Madden sets in CCM and I guarantee you will see a competitive CPU but you need to play a few games without tweaking anything so the sliders can settle in and definitely make sure the difficulty is on All-Madden.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

The last 4 or 5 games I've played on AM the CPU has stunk. It seems significantly easier than a Play Now game. I am not seeing the difference between all pro and all madden in CCM right now. I'm going to experiment with something later today if I have time.

I think if you took one of your hard slider sets and used it on all pro in CCM you wouldn't see a difference. I can't say that with absolute certainty but I know Madden has changed the background difficulty on me before. It's frustrating. I'm not that good. The CPU shouldn't be playing like this.

[Jarodd21]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

The last 4 or 5 games I've played on AM the CPU has stunk. It seems significantly easier than a Play Now game. I am not seeing the difference between all pro and all madden in CCM right now. I'm going to experiment with something later today if I have time.

I think if you took one of your hard slider sets and used it on all pro in CCM you wouldn't see a difference. I can't say that with absolute certainty but I know Madden has changed the background difficulty on me before. It's frustrating. I'm not that good. The CPU shouldn't be playing like this.

I just spotted the mistake you made. Don't follow the 300 point rule.. You have to follow the 75 and under rule for each category. If you take one of the 4 categories above 75 you won't be getting an All-Madden gameplay.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

I just spotted the mistake you made. Don't follow the 300 point rule.. You have to follow the 75 and under rule for each category. If you take one of the 4 categories above 75 you won't be getting an All-Madden gameplay.

What mistake? Please help!

[Jarodd21]

Re: How Madden determines difficulty (Custom)

What mistake? Please help!

Post your set for me and I'll point out where you messed up at..