Recently there has been many posts about the many missing features and issues with Madden 11. A great number of these posts deal with [the lack of] defense and player interaction (tackling and OL/DL interaction etc.) This post is my theory of where Madden is heading, and when the series will arrive.
Before I start rambling, I have to stress that I am convinced that EA Tiburon is doing their very best. Ian Cummings seems like he is in tune with the community and want to create the most realistic Madden possible. But things take time. When you have to deliver on a yearly basis you need to make a roadmap and use a more incremental approach. This is what we have been seeing with the NHL, FIFA and NBA Elite series. Past editions of these games have been animation-driven, but they are now moving towards a physics-based, data-driven simulation.
Beside the fact that these games are being developed by EA Sports, Madden shares many things with the other series, most importantly the animation engine called ANT. The main problems with the animation engine across the board has been 1) while the animations look realistic, they did not respect real life physics, thus ended up looking unrealistic, 2) to compensate for the lack of certain animations warping/suctioning has been a big part of the gameplay for years.
To eliminate the above mentioned issues, the other series have introduced physics-based simulation as part of long term strategy. The first EA Sports game to feature physics-based gaming was Fight Night Round 4, which was in development for three years. It featured an improved collision detector and created much more realistic gameplay.
The most obvious thing Madden needs to address to create realistic gameplay is to remove two player animations. Many gamers, including myself, are discouraged by poor linemen interaction and unrealistic tackles. The days of players getting pulled/sucked/warped into two player animations, while others robotically bounce off has hopefully come to an end with Madden 11 and a more organic gameplay will see the light of day from Madden 12.
What would physics-based, data-driven mean for many of the current issues
With the new locomotion engine, EA has created some glaring holes on defense. The addition of "real physics" would create even bigger issues. EA Tiburon would therefore need to address this before they were to release the game to the public. This probably means that the defensive systems would need to be rebuild from ground up, which they are hopefully doing
Furthermore, strength and weight would suddenly come into play and gameplay as we know it will be change forever. Not only in terms of on-the-field tackling, but also how you play franchise mode. Take linemen interaction as an example. There is, as it is now, no real emphasis on weight and strength, but on blocking and block shedding skills. If weight and strength matters you'd have to account for this through the draft and free agency. Things like a 4-3 defensive end in a 3-4 system or a 275 lbs center in front of a 350 lbs nose tackle would automatically create a new kind of mismatch, based solely on weight and strength.
Potential stumbling block
Madden is unlike the other games as multiple collisions take place on every play and in all considerable situations. This happens when linemen interact and when people tackle each other. There are several issues that EA Tiburon has to account for compared with the other games. In Fight Night Round 4, NHL, FIFA and NBA Elite are mainly two to three players interacting at once. However, Backbreaker has already shown it can be done, but that game is base on entirely different engines. For Madden and its current engines this issue might prove to be the biggest stumbling block towards physics-based, data-driven simulation gameplay.
Overall, EA Tiburon has some issues that needs to be solved before Madden is ready for physics-based gameplay, but I do think they are heading there. Rebuilding the defensive system and providing realistic gameplay with 22 players interacting are only a few of the issues I can foresee with "real physics". I hope we will begin to see EA Tiburon implement physical aspects from Madden 12, but probably not full-fleshed physics-based gameplay before Madden 13 or 14.
I like to hear your opinions on "real physics" in Madden, what problems you envision and whether or not you think would be possible to implement "real physics" in the near future (Madden 12 or 13)?
Before I start rambling, I have to stress that I am convinced that EA Tiburon is doing their very best. Ian Cummings seems like he is in tune with the community and want to create the most realistic Madden possible. But things take time. When you have to deliver on a yearly basis you need to make a roadmap and use a more incremental approach. This is what we have been seeing with the NHL, FIFA and NBA Elite series. Past editions of these games have been animation-driven, but they are now moving towards a physics-based, data-driven simulation.
Beside the fact that these games are being developed by EA Sports, Madden shares many things with the other series, most importantly the animation engine called ANT. The main problems with the animation engine across the board has been 1) while the animations look realistic, they did not respect real life physics, thus ended up looking unrealistic, 2) to compensate for the lack of certain animations warping/suctioning has been a big part of the gameplay for years.
To eliminate the above mentioned issues, the other series have introduced physics-based simulation as part of long term strategy. The first EA Sports game to feature physics-based gaming was Fight Night Round 4, which was in development for three years. It featured an improved collision detector and created much more realistic gameplay.
The most obvious thing Madden needs to address to create realistic gameplay is to remove two player animations. Many gamers, including myself, are discouraged by poor linemen interaction and unrealistic tackles. The days of players getting pulled/sucked/warped into two player animations, while others robotically bounce off has hopefully come to an end with Madden 11 and a more organic gameplay will see the light of day from Madden 12.
What would physics-based, data-driven mean for many of the current issues
With the new locomotion engine, EA has created some glaring holes on defense. The addition of "real physics" would create even bigger issues. EA Tiburon would therefore need to address this before they were to release the game to the public. This probably means that the defensive systems would need to be rebuild from ground up, which they are hopefully doing
Furthermore, strength and weight would suddenly come into play and gameplay as we know it will be change forever. Not only in terms of on-the-field tackling, but also how you play franchise mode. Take linemen interaction as an example. There is, as it is now, no real emphasis on weight and strength, but on blocking and block shedding skills. If weight and strength matters you'd have to account for this through the draft and free agency. Things like a 4-3 defensive end in a 3-4 system or a 275 lbs center in front of a 350 lbs nose tackle would automatically create a new kind of mismatch, based solely on weight and strength.
Potential stumbling block
Madden is unlike the other games as multiple collisions take place on every play and in all considerable situations. This happens when linemen interact and when people tackle each other. There are several issues that EA Tiburon has to account for compared with the other games. In Fight Night Round 4, NHL, FIFA and NBA Elite are mainly two to three players interacting at once. However, Backbreaker has already shown it can be done, but that game is base on entirely different engines. For Madden and its current engines this issue might prove to be the biggest stumbling block towards physics-based, data-driven simulation gameplay.
Overall, EA Tiburon has some issues that needs to be solved before Madden is ready for physics-based gameplay, but I do think they are heading there. Rebuilding the defensive system and providing realistic gameplay with 22 players interacting are only a few of the issues I can foresee with "real physics". I hope we will begin to see EA Tiburon implement physical aspects from Madden 12, but probably not full-fleshed physics-based gameplay before Madden 13 or 14.
I like to hear your opinions on "real physics" in Madden, what problems you envision and whether or not you think would be possible to implement "real physics" in the near future (Madden 12 or 13)?
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