Full game w/ EA Designers (Colts vs. Vikings)

[Thad]

Looking great but I have one question. When are "On the Fly" Audibles coming back? Where you could change your audibles at the play call screen. Best feature ever in Madden and NCAA. This way we can really run a system like the Colts.

[Vikes1]

Thanks for taking the time to do this for us Ian.

The good.

1. Overall graphics look great.
2. Seems like good balance to the game play, offense/defense.
3. Defensive pursuit looks quite good.
4. Pass rush.
5. Color commentary.

Not so good.

1. Play by play commentary kinda lifeless.
2. Crowd noise lacks excitement.
3. Not enough player close up views.
4. Post game a little blah.
5. It's not Aug 12!

I gotta say Ian...I really like overall what I see in this video. As I mentioned above...balance within the game play to me is vital, and I believe I see that with this '09' game. The defensive side of the ball seems to have a fair chance vs the offense. IMO....thats the first ingredient of a simulation game.

Lastly....I'm really looking forward to this years game. That says a lot! Thanks again Ian, for being so responsive to the community.

[LBzrule]

My quick assessments before bed. I have watch it through quickly then I watched the first quarter again slowly twice.

The Good:

1) Love the on the fly subs.
2) The stutter and shimmy animations look good. The first punt return by Addai looked really nice.
3) Love the outside shade by the CB's. Question though, can we do this or do they just do it automatically.
4) Love the press then bail out by the corners.
5) Graphics look good.
6) Don't have a problem with the game speed. One of the things about All Pro IMO is that it moved way to slow.
7) Playbooks looked good from what I saw.
8) WR route running seemed to be smoother.
9) player control on both offense and defense looks good and responsive. Looks like it will be fun making plays with linebackers and secondary players on pass plays.
10) Pre-snap moving around on D is good.
11) Can't forget Collingsworth

Needs Work:

1) I talked about this in my thread on linebacker logic and I can see it on every play. Very first play of the game. Defense is in a 33. Looks like man cover 1, can't really tell due to the art fluctuating which is a good thing for in house head to head, but anyways. Watch Bracket on this play. His run coverage is tied to the coverage call in the play. He backs up about three steps then proceeds to pursue the ball, when he should have taken his read step, key the Guard and depending on what that Guard did react quickly to it while progression reading the backfield.

2) Play two, Bracket moves down over Center and just stands there to get blocked by the Guard. No sense of keying and reading. Does not attack with his inside shoulder and deliver a forearm to the blocker. Sorta just sits back and catches the blocker

3) Stretch ply at 2:28 seconds in the 1st EJ Henderson waits too late and then he takes on the block with the wrong shoulder. Since it was a stretch he did the right thing in getting depth, but he didn't crash any windows.

4) On the first replay you show, Jared Allen does a good job of getting off the block delivering a pop, but why go inside? There is no lane there. Stay outside so that the QB cannot easily rollout.

5) QB animations - slow down the drop. Even All Pro 2k's drop was too fast IMO. That's how guys could just easily beat the Dline back continuing to move backwards. Throwing animations - ehhh the stuff that has already been said.

6) OL/DL play - need more violence and chaos in this area. Of course it should depend on the line since all lines are not equal in talent. But there needs to be more effort and violence down here. Three guys should have stood out more in the trenches this game on pass plays: Freeney, Matthis and Allen. Possibly four, Kevin Williams.

I'll watch it again tomorrow, gotta go to bed. Overall though game looks alot better than 08 and should provide some good action.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheFuture15

Might as well do mine too: The good 1. Tight control & responsiveness 2. Not a single pass hit a guy without him playing a catch anim 3. Graphically much improved 4. No more radio guy...Collinsworth rocks 5. Dynamic stat banners! 6. Animation blending is 500% better - very few pops Needs improvement 1. Commentary overall 2. Presentation overall (no cut-scenes) 3. OL/DL play 4. More animation variety - same post play celeb and strip ball tackle seen multiple times 5. More "awareness" - head tracking, looking around, etc. Players often look straight ahead when they run 6. Not much emotion from commentary / sound / animation on the final drive 7. Stats are unrealistic. Need accel clock or longer default quarter lengths. 8. QB Mechanics

It's great to see that the EA guys see room to improve!

[jeetaa6]

ok...i watched the 2nd half now. just need to add that the post game summary by Madden is pretty weak (but i think we knew that), but it would help that post game summary if they showed the key replays in full screen, versus the microscopic one being used. shouldn't have to squint to see the game's key plays.

a good thing in the 2nd half...i really noticed the tackle breaking/branching animations and they look pretty cool. it'll be nice to come in and wipe out a RB as he spins out of that first tackle and is vulnerable.

but again, ZERO AUTO REPLAYS.

Should be auto replays for all injuries, key penalties, and, of course, big plays (all TDs, big first downs, big hits, sacks, interceptions). C'mon Ian, work your magic this year for those auto replays.

thanks again for hanging out with us over here.

[BezO]

The Sweet

• Collingsworth
• Control over ball carriers
• Tackling
• Somewhat of a pocket forms on short drops
• Graphics are superb
• The bad throws by Jackson

Needs Work

• Line Play(especially on pass plays)
  -More moves by d-linemen like the club, hump, shoulder dip & hand fighting.
  -Mobility with engaged blocks so OTs can ride DEs beyond QB on speed rushes & all blockers can ride defenders as they flow towards plays
  -DEs getting up field more
  -More double teams, especially on 3-4 NGs.
  
  
• Presentation
  -Sreamline the play calling boxes & move them down & out so...
  -TV-style replays, celebrations, walks back to huddle, huddles, stat overlays & sideline cut scenes can take turns showing behind them. Collingsworth's color would go well with replays, closeups & stat overlays. Play by play guy's commentary would go well with celebrations, walks to LOS, walks to huddles, huddles and replays as well.
  -Defensive play calling should allow us to pick fronts, blitzes & stunts and coverage separately. This would open up the defensive playbook without adding plays.
  -TV-style pregame, halftime & postgame shows, especially since we can't concentrate on replays while playing.
  -TV-style complete starting lineups
  -Refs & chain gangs
  -Active sidelines
  -Better injury cutscenes
  -Play by play commentator needs a lot of work
  
  
• Physics should be reigned back into reality. If gathering & planting animations are good, IMO, no one will mind the realistic response. Defensive players also having to gather & plant will still allow for big plays.
  
  
• Essential animations needed: Double teaming gunners on punts; stack & push up middle on FGs; better QB movement within the pocket; better/smoother route running animations; over the top, 3/4 & sidearm throwing animations.
  
  
• Player awareness. Head tracking should keep players looking at what they're concentrating on. DBs & LBs should track WRs, TEs & RBs when covering. DEs should track the o-linemen, then the QB when rushing. And everyone should track the ball on running plays & once passes are caught.
  
  Also, the defense should be more aware when aligning. On 3rd & shorts, LBs a little closer to the LOS, a sefety in the box... on 2nd & 3rd & longs, DBs playing off, LBs play further back, DL spread, ect.
  
  
• Bluff play art should go. So should the fake snap screen jerk. I think the focus pre-snap should be the QB cadence, his head/shoulder movement and play by play commentary instead of the screen jerk. QB audible animations, shifts & motion on offense, and DL shifts, LB movement, SS moving in & out of box, CBs pressing & bailing on defense should take the place of bluff play art & screen jerking.
  
  
• Tackling can still improve. 3rd & 4th defenders in on tackles, grabbing tackles with stretching jerseys, RBs being driven back and/or out of bounds but not going down.
  
  
• Kicking mechanics should move into the 21st century. No more meters. We should be allowed to time player model animations similar to foul shooting in NBA 2K. Pulling back on an analog stick can start the kicker. Pulling back on the other can initiate a gather. And pushing that stick forward times the leg swing.

The game looks pretty decent overall. If suggestions from the site are strongly considered, next year's Madden should end all football video game comparisons for the foreseeable future.

[adembroski]

Two things they need to go retro on... kicking meter and playcall screen. Srsly.

[dbshady]

Nice Job Ian, we really appreciate what your doing for us.

The Good
1.) The in game stat overlays are nice. I like the player line-up overlay as well as the score keeper at the top, been waiting for that one for a couple years now.
2.) New Total Control, last year I remember someone saying that this was the best control we've ever has in Madden, but I never saw it. This year, I see it. It reminds me of the ole days, where you can stop at a dime, and watch a defender run right past you.
3.) I also love the breakaway screen, when he is about to score a TD, the screen gets close, looks awsome. I would love to see some more of that stuff, have a crowd run with you, pat you on the back down the field, talk to each other, ect.
4.) Graphics, Thesidelines and the flashbulbs in the crowd look good (However, sometimes too many, save a difference for the SB). The lighting looks good and overall the game seems like a upgrade from 08... 07 to 08 was not as noticable as this year was.
5.) Reach for First and Walk the Sideline, the reach for first is awsome, ive felt like that would be great to have in Madden its finally here, and the walk the side line looks awsome, I like how it does it quite a bit away, because in older Madden it only did it when you were almost too close to even control it.


The need some Improvements
1.) QB everything, animations, mechanics, walk to the line, scramble, throw styles, dropback, everything could be imporved apon here. Even the way the ball looks in the air, long passes seem to hang up there for a while.
2.) I still would like to see more hesitation in the running game and more defenders breaking down on defense. There seems to be a lot of just running and tackling, I would like to see some LB breaking down, waiting for a hesitating RB to pick a whole.
3.) Player Models, most of them look good and they improve every year but I would love to have a Player Build edit screen, some arms still look pretty big.
4.) New Camara Angles, I would love to see some zoom, I like getting close to the action. Some more camara options would be nice. Also, letting us play Superstar Mode on those same default camara angles would be nice too, some of those SS Views are just funky.
5.) New Menu's and Screens, The menu has looked the same on Next Gen for a while now, would love to see some variety year from year, if im playing 09, I don't really want it to look like 08. Also, I would love to see the Top and Bottem play call screen come back. Around Madden 03-04-05, there was that blue and silver play call screen, when you played by yourself, you could see the players on the top screen, on the field, in the huddle, ect., that would be nice.
6.) The Draft, spice it up a little bit. Mock Drafts, if were owners in franchise mode, who does our Coach want? Or Vice Versa, who would are onwer like us to select. More insight on players, studies, off field issues or insidents, where would the player like to get drafted (team). Bring Holdouts back, Holdout for the preseason (JaMarcus Russell).
7.) Celebrations, TD celebrations should be smooth, cross the endzone line and slowly come to a stop and smoothy go into a celebration. Some of the ones I see, cross the plain... instant stop, run to the other side of the endzone, stop.. pause.. celebrate, pause.. run back the the sideline. Even after play's, smoother would be nice.
8.) The X Bluff, I would love to see this come back, I hated the Hold Bluff, that way didn't allow you to exit a formation while you bluffed, it was hard to cancel, it just was more of a hastle then anything, I couldn't even use it. The X bluff was great, id X every play I liked until I found one I wanted to stick with, it was simple, it was quick, and easy, and very effective when you were able to go through 3 more formations of plays, you opponent had know idea what was coming (I need this back..).
9.) The Small Stuff (or Big, I guess)
Equipment - (eye black, mouthpeice, nasel strip, team gloves and shoes).
Refs - (on the field, sideline, chain gain)
Player Stances - (RB stances, elbows are way too far out, arms should be down the side, arms stright and back arched with hands on knees. You should almost not see any arms, except for maybe half, stright down the sides of their body. Variety of WR stances, hands up and tight, hands down, hands mid, ect.)