My solution to the passing game

[Mbalmer]

I haven't played Tiger Woods in several years, but what you are explaining sounds awesome. I would love for the passing game to be more dependent on user ability then just the virtual qb's ability. Kind-of like basketball games where you can play with the shooting meter on. It could be the passing meter.

Sounds cool and I would use it, but I don't think they will ever put it in.

[Thinking Out Loud]

I think the OP maybe really on to something here.

What if the buttons could be held down to "charge up" the throw with the left stick controlling pass trajectory, up/high trajectory-dwn/low trajectory and lead passes, lft/lead left-rt/lead right? When the button is released, the pass is thrown and the strength of the pass is determined by how long the button was held down. The longer it's held, the further the pass is thrown.

[phily915]

thinking out loud...i like that idea a lot! although, it sounds sweet to me but if it's in the game, it probably won't be in the game...ever

[Gotmadskillzson]

I rather they expand the passing ratings like Madden has. Short, medium and deep. That way a person like Denard Robinson would be decent at short and medium, but terrible at deep passes.

[UniversityofArizona]

The meter could be tied in with ratings for short, medium, and long range passing that could help to determine how big the default circle for a perfect lob or bullet pass would be for the respective distances?
Your push on the stick could try and determine where you want the center of the circle in relation to where the wide receiver will be when he reaches that point in his route?

The throwing power should determine the speed of the bullet passes, and quickness of release? On lobs it could determine the amount of time your guy winds up to chuck a deep ball, and how far it goes? It could also help with throwing out of sacks?

I like the OP's idea though! An optional first person view as qb on passing plays to give a vision cone or an optional 3rd person vision cone?

[Gotmadskillzson]

All this kind of reminds me of the passing circle that Joe Montana Sports Talk football had back on the sega genesis. You were able to move that circle all over the field and based on the route, the nearest WR would try to make it to where you put that circle at on the field.

[CM Hooe]

When I read this, I think of the fielding throwing meter from MLB2K, but I think that the idea is essentially the same, that being to add another degree of control to passing. In MLB2K, you hold down the appropriate button for what base you want to throw to while your fielder winds up the throw, and attempt to release it in the "sweet spot" of the meter. Hitting the sweet spot means a perfect throw (as best as the player's ratings will allow) and will never result in an error but doesn't necessarily mean he'll make the play. Not reaching the sweet spot (not holding down the button long enough) means a slower, safer throw. Going beyond the sweet spot (holding down the button too long) will result in a wilder overthrow.

I do think that this can be applied to football games, and I'd like to see someone try it. Not sure if I'd necessarily have an on-screen meter, though, maybe there could be some other UI cue, or maybe it could be timing-based based on a quarterback's throw release animation and better quarterbacks would have larger margins for error in the timing.

The current mechanic - other than the failed attempt by Backbreaker with the repositioned camera and right stick passing, and also Madden 06's failed vision cone - hasn't really changed in years.

I'm all for any new ideas with regard to passing. Not that the current mechanic is bad, but it really hasn't changed at all in twenty years.

[ActLikeYouCrow]

myself, id almost rather have a simple cursor based passing system which would be kind of a variation of the old passing cone. instead it would be a circle of varying size depending on the accuracy of the qb. smaller for the more accurate qb's because they are more likely to place it exactly where you want it to go. this would bring timing to a whole other level because now you'd have the challenge of the qb's attributes with your own decision making of throwing to a particular spot on the field at the right time with the right amount of touch. i havent played backbreaker so im not sure if this is similar to what they did.

didnt read gotmadskillzson's post until now. i actually had that game, but i dont remember a thing about it. it sounds like a great idea on paper.

you could add the passing meter that was already brought up to this idea and i think that would be perfect.