signature running styles?

[SomeStrangeSin]

i hear this talked about and im trying to understand it better does this mean when the player runs the animation is like the player running down the field? if that is it it is kinda pointless unless it also counts the way the player jukes and such. i had a idea if they do bring in sig running styles lets say your using AP now when you press the juke button left or right it isnt a juke but APs signature shudder move like he really does. also i think they should allow diagonal presses as seperate moves instead of just up down left and right

[davjaffe]

Re: signature running styles?

i hear this talked about and im trying to understand it better does this mean when the player runs the animation is like the player running down the field? if that is it it is kinda pointless unless it also counts the way the player jukes and such. i had a idea if they do bring in sig running styles lets say your using AP now when you press the juke button left or right it isnt a juke but APs signature shudder move like he really does. also i think they should allow diagonal presses as seperate moves instead of just up down left and right

I like your idea about the signature moves, but I think it would end up being a bad thing if AP *only* had shoulder shakes (to the exclusion of more tradtional jukes). I think it would add a lot to the "Real NFL Feel" of the game. In fact, I think signature running styles would be great, in general. I would love to see LT stop on a dime in-game and look just like the real LT. Or see some of Westbrook's fluid cuts, or MJD's low-to-the ground style. I'm crossing my fingers on this one, fo' sho'.

Also, I think the 'diagonal' cuts would be a nice addition as well. I envision them kind of like the old "quick cuts" that I used to love on "last-gen" - you know, the the ones you coud make by pressing the trigger buttons lightly. Also, I just saw an old video of NFL 2K5's "right stick cuts" - the way you could combo those on-field moves by making special movements of the joystick looked really cool - almost like a Street Fighter type of feel to it. I'm not suggesting Madden lift those directly, but they seem like a good source of inspiration.

Nevertheless, unless the O-Line/run-blocking issues are ironed out (add drive blocking and smarter pulling blockers and lead blockers PLEASE!) I'm not so sure the addition of signature running styles will help much.

I am hopeful, though - Ian said he and the other developers are kicking around some cool concepts, ideas, and thoughts on how to improve the ground game. Make it happen, guys! We all want 2010 to be great.

[SomeStrangeSin]

Re: signature running styles?

I like your idea about the signature moves, but I think it would end up being a bad thing if AP *only* had shoulder shakes (to the exclusion of more tradtional jukes). I think it would add a lot to the "Real NFL Feel" of the game. In fact, I think signature running styles would be great, in general. I would love to see LT stop on a dime in-game and look just like the real LT. Or see some of Westbrook's fluid cuts, or MJD's low-to-the ground style. I'm crossing my fingers on this one, fo' sho'.

Also, I think the 'diagonal' cuts would be a nice addition as well. I envision them kind of like the old "quick cuts" that I used to love on "last-gen" - you know, the the ones you coud make by pressing the trigger buttons lightly. Also, I just saw an old video of NFL 2K5's "right stick cuts" - the way you could combo those on-field moves by making special movements of the joystick looked really cool - almost like a Street Fighter type of feel to it. I'm not suggesting Madden lift those directly, but they seem like a good source of inspiration.

Nevertheless, unless the O-Line/run-blocking issues are ironed out (add drive blocking and smarter pulling blockers and lead blockers PLEASE!) I'm not so sure the addition of signature running styles will help much.

I am hopeful, though - Ian said he and the other developers are kicking around some cool concepts, ideas, and thoughts on how to improve the ground game. Make it happen, guys! We all want 2010 to be great.

i have seen that 2k5 video i love using the right stick for jukes you could make some really amazing runs. also i think madden needs to bring back the old controlls of using the R2 and L2 as juke right and left and same with stiff arm i hate knowing that they took those out its lame because the right stick now acts as that. it should just be a juke system i hate trucking make trucking the triangle button like it should be. or for power runners make right stick up trucking and for more elite back make it a stutter you really dont see LT trucking on the field he moves around them

[davjaffe]

Re: signature running styles?

Was wondering if there had been any recent news on this front?

I remember there was a sticky started by Ian on this general topic, but I felt like that kind of devolved into a thread completely filled with requests for people's favorite player-specific celebration. I think Madden would benefit greatly if the signature styles went deeper than that, a la the recent Live 09 and NBA 2K9 games. To name a just a few RBs off the top of my head, guys like Peterson, Addai, Thomas Jones, and Michael Turner (among others) seem to have unique, distinctive, identifiable ways of running, cutting, breaking tackles, etc. that (at least in my eyes) are noticeably different from the more generic styles we've been seeing in Madden thus far. It's nice that big backs and small backs are already treated somewhat differently in the game, but I think there should be even more differentiation and finer detail. This would, I believe, lend a great deal of "NFL feel" to the game, just as would signature throwing styles and other signature-type animations (e.g. Dwight Freeney's super-compact spin move).

Just my two cents. Hope I'm not the only one who feels this way.

[Blkcanes]

Re: signature running styles?

Well I do not know about everybody else but Adrian Peterson deserve his signature style of running he never runs away from contact he's able to lower his shoulder greatly for somebody his height.

[TheWatcher]

Re: signature running styles?

I'm really crossing my fingers for this one and QB sig styles. If the auto-replays are right, this will add another dimension of authenticity to the game.

I'd like to make a suggestion too... I think sig styles should of course be attached to specific players, but I think it would also be cool if there was a bank of sig styles that could be assigned to other players. In All Pro Football, I believe you could assign the Roger Craig highstep or the Walter Payton scizzor kick to other players.

[davjaffe]

Re: signature running styles?

I think Peterson definitely deserves his own running style. However, there are at lot more guys who deserve one too.

I understand that differences between the NFL and the NBA (namely, the vastly greater number of NFL players) would make it impractical to have a system as deep as those in the NBA games. (Since it doesn't seem likely to get guys like Peterson, TO, Ladainian, etc. into the mo-cap suits themselves, EA would probably need a small army of mo-cap actors of varying builds and body types, all with a great talent for physical mimicry). However, the number of

But, really, there aren't that many "skill" players in the NFL with quickly recognizable signature styles. I hope we could at least get some of them in the game. Or, at the very least, we could get some more variation beyond "big back v. small back" - maybe a few different types of each, for starters.

I'm crossing my fingers.

[BezO]

Re: signature running styles?

I'm all for signature running styles.

I would like EA to implement a juke system similar to NBA 2K where you hold a trigger to activate crossovers/jukes and control them with the sticks. It would be a more manual method and would require realistic plants, momentum, ect, but I think folks would enjoy the jukes being more involved. And it will provide ultimate control over juking. We could faint one way & go the other; faint left, right and go back left; faint, faint, faint and so on.

And I'd like a truck button that doesn't double as a juke button for smaller backs. Even smaller backs try to get the extra yard sometimes. I've seen Warrick Dunn put his head down many times.

My controller set up would be: 4 face buttons control dipping the shoulder(tap to break tackle), spin(tap to spin out of a tackle), hurdle & dive; left/right bumpers control left/right stiff arms(tap to break tackle); left trigger activates shoulder faints; right trigger activates more pronounced jukes. And stick movement alone would control regular movement including realistic plants, prep steps, ect.

And I'd settle for groups of "signature" styles. Long strides, "normal" strides, choppy steps, smooth form, sloppy form, upright, ect. A combination of these could individualize each player. Larry Johnson could be a long striding, sloppy upright runner for example. AP could be normal, smooth & upright. Jamal Lewis could be choppy & smooth.

[Jet Sufferer]

Re: signature running styles?

If you haven't done a scissor kick with Walter Payton in APF 2k8 you haven't really lived.

[Football4lyfe]

Re: signature running styles?

If you haven't done a scissor kick with Walter Payton in APF 2k8 you haven't really lived.

Lol Amen.........

[kmart2180]

Re: signature running styles?

It really bother's me how high Frank Gore runs in Madden09. I would love to see his low to the ground running style. I think a good 10-15 different styles would go along ways in the game if implemented.

[SomeStrangeSin]

Re: signature running styles?

after seeing ians video of the juke system he was messing around with it seems the direction is to get more different types of jukes instead of getting signature running styles it seemed to me that now when you press the spin button it depends on how fast your going what direction your going your players size, and ratings, and possible where the closest defender is at too you.
soo there could be now over 20-50 animations just for spin moves alone. it seems like the left and right and stop jukes are getting a lot of animations for to including stutters moves ive seen. it reminds me of 2k5s system.

however even though that is going to be great to witness.
there are some players like ap who do need there own set of signature jukes. but if theres only 10 guys who have there full sig styles and jukes it would make other runningbacks repetitive or people would complain. i just hope at least they get every runningbacks signature style of running/sprinting downfield.

and i still do hope they go back to classic controll system.

[Guillotine 1]

Re: signature running styles?

You guys have totally misunderstood the thread & the topic of various run animations/styles.

Every player looks exactly the same in Madden when they run, adding different strides has nothing to do with signature moves. Wha good are player specific jukes when all the players run the same way up and down the football field? So your saying you only want LT or AP to look like themselves when they are juking??? How is it that a OT has the same run style as a RB or a WR?

Why do FBs run with the same fluidness of CBs? The point of this request was not to give superstar players more identifiability (further obscuring anyone who is not a household name) by giving them and only them certain moves or movements...the point of the request was to make all of the players look move position specific and add much needed variety to the game as a whole.


Why is everything about star players with some of you guys???

Was Matt Forte a star? What about Matt Cassell? Tashard Choice? Was Chris Johnson a NFL superstar? No, they were not. But they out played nearly all of their peers.

We have to stop allowig this game to be catered to the ideal of individualism, once we get back to team first football...we'll have ourselves a game gain.

[TheWatcher]

Re: signature running styles?

It would be nice to have everyone move like they do in real life, but there is a limit to this stuff. Most people know how LT runs, Peyton Manning throws, or how Ray Lewis gets ready for the snap. They are unlikely to really have payed attention to how Tashard Choice (a rookie who was a backup) runs, or how Tyler Thigpen (who started off as a backup for an awful team) throws. They also probably don't care about these guys because they haven't made a name for themselves yet. That's just the way it is.

I'm a guy who watches every team and keeps good tabs on most of the players in the NFL. I'm a football fanatic. But I gravitate and have better memory of the stars because that's who I see most of. That's who we all see most of. So I'm concerned first and foremost with the stars of the league getting their real-life movements, and then after that it can trickle down anywhere.

As for better position specific movement... I agree. There is some now, but maybe it's just not coming across that well to us. The way the QB's run need's revamping and the overall ballcarrier animation is not right as the player doesn't tuck it away and move his arms faster and tighter to the body. For a perfect example of the "right" way to run, check out the long Willis McGahee touchdown run from last night's game vs. the Cowboys.

From the way the ball carrier animation looks, you'd think that the space they're mo-capping in is too small to have a guy run full blast so he's jogging quickly but not running with any real fury. If I'm not mistaken, the Moven Mocap tools can be used outdoors in larger spaces. If this isn't being tried already, I'd like to see them doing this running outside in an open space so the ballcarrier can have the freedom to go full blast, and I'd imagine the animation would look more textbook.

[Jet Sufferer]

Re: signature running styles?

In a crucial situation will any back be able to go 70, 80, or 90 yards against the Cowboys? If it's in the game, it's in the game.