Cycle Through Passing

[Big FN Deal]

For years now various gamers have been noting how even the ole cycle through passing in Tecmo Bowl is a more realistically challenging system then the every receiver to a button system in EA and 2k football games. Due to being preoccupied with the lack of things like route based passing and the receivers not being untethered from the ball in EA football games, I have never given much thought to the suggestion until just now.

I'm watching the Cowboys v Giants Sunday night football game and after paying closer attention to how rolling out the QB essentially takes away half the field in real life, it's clear that isn't represented in a football game with the every receiver to button system. Not only that but the need to read a defense before the snap, the ability to read a QBs eyes if they stare down a receiver or look off a defender and the benefit of forcing a QB out the pocket are extremely nerfed.

I know there will be those that shrug this off like I have forever, due to feeling Madden can have a better passing game while still keeping essentially the same system. However I can't ignore anymore how inferior the current every receiver to button system is to some version of a cycle through passing system. I'm NOT advocating for any type of return to a vision cone but the ability of a QB to target every receiver on the field simultaneously is quite absurd. Also when has a real life QB ever targeted one receiver but accidentally thrown to another one, like you can in the current system? lol. I have no idea what that is supposed to be representing.

I have no delusions of there being some groundswell for this anytime soon but frankly the every receiver to button system the vast majority of us have enjoyed in various football games for years, is an arcade crutch better suited for the lower difficulty levels, imo.

Thoughts?

[Illumin411]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

They had the vision cone which was actually very realistic. Everybody hated it and complained and they removed it.

[charter04]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I agree. Tecmo's passing system, as far as cycling through receivers, is more like real life. You can even simulate looking off a DB by staying on a reciever and then cycling to the guy you wanted to throw to all along. Plus if your being pressured you have to really hurry to get it cycle to the open guy. It's sad that an arcade style football game from 91 is more realistic in some areas than Madden.

[bkrich83]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

They tried that with vision cone, and people complained it was too hard.

People scream realism and sim, until it becomes inconvenient.

[bkrich83]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I agree. Tecmo's passing system, as far as cycling through receivers, is more like real life. You can even simulate looking off a DB by staying on a reciever and then cycling to the guy you wanted to throw to all along. Plus if your being pressured you have to really hurry to get it cycle to the open guy. It's sad that an arcade style football game from 91 is more realistic in some areas than Madden.

The cycling through your receivers makes Tecmo more realistic than Madden? Ok.

[Tweeg]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I totally agree. However, I'm one of the guys that thought the vision cone was the best thing to happen to Madden as far as gameplay is concerned.

I still can't understand why it was completely taken out of the game. Would it have really been a big deal to leave it there, but have it turned off in the default settings?

[fjackson18]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I thought the vision cone was a great idea and actually gave us something to make Ratings visually seem like they made a difference. but i guess the outrage over the difficulty out weighed the idea of actually making things seem closer to being realistic. the cursor in tecmo was not bad at all

[rootofalleli]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

Cycling through receivers would be interesting. It would add tactical depth, since you could fool defenses by looking off your main read, and it would leave room for ratings to count more. For example, a high AWR passer could switch targets faster or more intelligently. I'd enjoy something like this in Madden, but then again, I still miss vision cone, so I'm probably insane.

[DeuceDouglas]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I'm NOT advocating for any type of return to a vision cone but the ability of a QB to target every receiver on the field simultaneously is quite absurd.

Why not? The vision cone was awesome. While it looked weird, it absolutely worked and I think would work way better than a cycle through system. I still wish every year that it would be brought back. They could even tweak it so that you can only throw to receivers that are within range of the cone itself to make it that much better and tougher. Unfortunately, 99% of people don't feel this way. And hell, even some of the 1% that say they do, don't really feel this way.

[NightOwl]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I too liked the vision cone. Made throwing as a QB much more realistic than it is now. It wasn't crazy 85% completion with accuracy set to 5 like it is this year. I resorted to playing with the low rated teams in this years Madden to make it more fun. Then my defenders bounce off runners like they hit a wall and take terrible angles so I rage quit. Can't seem to find a happy medium with this franchise mode right now. Play Now has been better gameplay for me with this game. Which sucks because Play Now is absolutely pointless but it's the only mode that isn't broken. And don't say try playing MUT. No. Not sure why they put so much time into MUT when every other area of this game needs 100% more attention than it got. I'm starting to wonder if they just threw a game out quickly so they could focus on the next gen version. Maybe next gen will have some better options to make them game more realistic. Making it realistic will make it fun. Or just give the reins back to 2k so I can create my own crib again. I'd take that over MUT any day.

Went off on a rage tangent. But yes. I advocate for the vision cone. Both cpu and user to abide by it.

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

Why not? The vision cone was awesome. While it looked weird, it absolutely worked and I think would work way better than a cycle through system. I still wish every year that it would be brought back. They could even tweak it so that you can only throw to receivers that are within range of the cone itself to make it that much better and tougher. Unfortunately, 99% of people don't feel this way. And hell, even some of the 1% that say they do, don't really feel this way.

I don't know why so many posters are filling this thread with talk of the vision cone but the reason I'm against it is that it still used the same every receiver to a button system. It has been mentioned by various people EVERY TIME the vision cone is brought up and touted as some realistic innovation that a User could simply bypass whatever challenge it allegedly offered by just double tapping a receivers button. Also it made it actually easier for less skilled QBs to look off a defender because their cone was so narrow compared to a more skilled QB. Again QB Vision was just the same system we have now with a ridiculous looking accuracy flashlight and double tap added. I have yet to notice anyone on OS say they dislike QB vision because it was too realistic, others and I dislike it because we find it unrealistic and absurd looking to boot.

Cycle through passing, like in Tecmo Bowl, is something completely different than QB Vision.

[DeuceDouglas]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

I don't know why so many posters are filling this thread with talk of the vision cone but the reason I'm against it is that it still used the same every receiver to a button system. It has been mentioned by various people EVERY TIME the vision cone is brought up and touted as some realistic innovation that a User could simply bypass whatever challenge it allegedly offered by just double tapping a receivers button. Also it made it actually easier for less skilled QBs to look off a defender because their cone was so narrow compared to a more skilled QB. Again QB Vision was just the same system we have now with a ridiculous looking accuracy flashlight and double tap added. I have yet to notice anyone on OS say they dislike QB vision because it was too realistic, others and I dislike it because we find it unrealistic and absurd looking to boot.

Cycle through passing, like in Tecmo Bowl, is something completely different than QB Vision.

Probably because you brought it up in the OP.

IMO, cycle through passing seems like nothing more than a watered down version of the vision cone. How much different is it really? Instead of being penalized for throwing to a receiver you're not on, you're simply not allowed to even throw it. Instead of moving an "accuracy flashlight" or hitting RT + a receivers button, you hit a button. Outside of accuracy, there would still be no real differential in using QB's because it would still be hugely dependent on user input in terms of clicking through receivers.

I'm not saying that the vision cone is the epitome of realism when it comes to the passing game but in my opinion, despite being an eye sore, it was more realistic than a Tecmo-style cycle through would be.

[da ThRONe]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

The problem with the vision cone was it wasn't realistic. I like the fact that Madden attempted to address the issue, but the cone wasn't it. However they shouldn't have stopped trying though that's what bothers me.

[da ThRONe]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

Probably because you brought it up in the OP.

IMO, cycle through passing seems like nothing more than a watered down version of the vision cone. How much different is it really? Instead of being penalized for throwing to a receiver you're not on, you're simply not allowed to even throw it. Instead of moving an "accuracy flashlight" or hitting RT + a receivers button, you hit a button. Outside of accuracy, there would still be no real differential in using QB's because it would still be hugely dependent on user input in terms of clicking through receivers.

I'm not saying that the vision cone is the epitome of realism when it comes to the passing game but in my opinion, despite being an eye sore, it was more realistic than a Tecmo-style cycle through would be.

Actually cycling is more realistic. It mimics a QB going through his passing progressions. Having Manning and Brady seeing basically the whole field at one time after the snap isn't realistic. They should "eye" their intended target just like any other QB to make any kind of accurate pass. Instead all they have to do is have their WR's just be inside that massive cone and magically they throw pin point passes given they aren't even looking directly at the WR.

[SA1NT401]

Re: Cycle Through Passing

Vision cone was great. But like anything with a learning curve EA scrapped it altogether rather than leaving it as an option.

Passing will stay as is forever.... When 90% of your audience wants arcade, anything to make the game challenging will immediately be thrown out.

Which sucks.