Bring back "fair play" for online games!

[jyoung]

I haven't played a lot of next-gen Madden so I'm not sure if this feature has ever been on the newer systems, but back on the Xbox/PC/PS2 Maddens, "fair play" used to be a great way to make games more realistic and keep people from going for 4th down conversions in unrealistic situations.

So who else would like to see this feature brought back for next year's Madden?

I pretty much never go into the online lobbies because of the way most people play Madden in ranked games, and "fair play" would certainly make those games a lot more fun for people who just want to play a realistic game of football.

[WeLLWeLL]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

It made online experiences in Madden/NCAA much more enjoyable.

[KBLover]

I guess that depends on "unrealistic". There are coaches that do things that are "out of the norm" in this regard.

Also, would it limit strategy for teams coming back? I mean, if you're down by 14 with 70 seconds left, would you be forced to punt just because you're on your own territory? What football strategy would dictate that would be the proper thing to do?

As long as it's actually mimicking solid football strategy (not just "stop cheesers" mentality) then I could see how it could be great.

Didn't some fair play rules forbid no-huddling (like that doesn't exist in the NFL?) and forbid onside kicking?

[Zeekesimo]

Out of the norm? I'm not sure going for it on EVERY forth down fits in the category...

[jyoung]

Fair play on the old Madden games limited your ability to attempt onside kicks, two-point conversions and fourth down conversions.

It worked well for the most part.

All it would need is some minor tweaks to the 4th down logic and it would pretty much be perfect.

I'm guessing it didn't carry over to the new systems at all if some of you haven't played with it.

[Swingking77]

Picture this...

Down by 10 in the 4th quarter. You're on the 1 yard line, it's 4th and goal... You got their D on their heals. So you go for it... Oh no, I have to kick it. Okay, I still have 2 minutes to go in the game, I'll onside it, oh no I have to kick it... He runs the ball and the game is over... Fair play has made my day as it did in the last installment of it... Lame. What they need is a new engine which simply plays hard @ss D making going for it on 4th really hard... Limit plays to 3 times a game... Fair play is for crybaby cheese labelers...

[Valdarez]

Yes, and make it the default way to play for tournament play. I have been watching some of the tournament players videos and they all play on fast mode. There are things that work in fast mode that simply don't work on the slower settings (particularly with movement).

[CreatineKasey]

What I'd do is have a feature that makes the D play better than their ratings on 4th down during times that are improbable to convert in real life. I'd make it so you could only convert that first down if it's a perfect call.

Maybe call it "The D is getting amped up!" or something.

For onside kicks, I'd just make it so we can SEE they are going for an onside kick at the playcall screen... should be easy enough.

I'd also add in a real adaptive AI that ties in with awareness. I was excited for that feature this year, but it seems to only apply to VS CPU games. Online, I've had kids run 3 plays for an entire game and succeed. I'd like that to stop.