Operation Sports Forums - specific details of how each slider works

This information is a bit dated, HOWEVER they have not changed the functionality merely the "strength" of the sliders.

Generally speaking these should be correct - I take no credit as I had this info inside my Madden scratch pad from awhile ago from numerous threads over the years. Any slider info has been at minimum quadruple verified (OCD :-P). Mostly quotes/collections from large threads at the time.

Penalty Sliders:

Offsides
Higher - Increases block shedding and acceleration/explosiveness

at the snap (think of how some defenders try to 'guess' the snap -

they are exploding off the line right at or just before the snap).

This highlights "those who can't" i.e. the ones who are slower off

the ball and are weaker at getting off blocks.

Lower - Causes the defenders to hold back more. They don't

explode as much off the line (though high ACC defenders still DO

come off the line). This highlights "those who can", the guys who

can get off the ball, get off blocks, etc.

False Start

Basically like Offsides, but for Offensive Linemen/blockers on the

play. Same thinking can be used - they are trying to 'cheat' and get

a head start on their kick steps, blocking stance, pulling, etc

Holding

Higher: Increases duration of blocking engagements and success

rate of defenders maintaining the block when a shed attempt is

made (this is what sometimes triggers the holding animations and

the penalty). This aids "those who can't", i.e. the guys who

struggle in making and holding blocks - this helps them succeed

at the cost of maybe triggering more penalties. This also causes

those who ARE good to cause more penalties because some

successes will be considered "illegal".

Lower: Decreases duration of blocking engagements and makes it

more likely that defenders will shed blocks. This also decreases

the number of holding animations (because the blocker will

outright fail more often) and lowers penalty call possibilities. This

highlights "both", the guys who can block and pancake and do all

that good stuff without creating more mistakes. It also exposes the

scrubs because they'll get no "help" and just suck.

This creates a frustrating trade off. If you want calls and those

who suck to make penalties, you also have to give the good guys

more likelihood to have "bad calls" against them. While that does

happen - usually it's the guys who get beat, have bad

awareness/technique, and have to "compensate" that tend to draw

more flags.

Face Mask

Higher: May increase the "violence" of hits and the

success/incidence of hit stick/Big Hitter tackles. Also increases the

occurrence of the facemask animations and penalty call likelihood

resulting. This may make most guys into hard hitters, regardless

of POW.

Lower: May decrease the number big hits and decreases the

number of facemask animations and calls. This may highlight

POW more, even if they are "Big Hitter: Yes" players.

Defensive Pass Interference

Higher: Decreases the aggressiveness of the pass coverage. Think

of it as the defender is worried about triggering a DPI call, so he

plays back more and more conservatively. This is probably why

we don't see more DPI with it up high.

Lower: Increases the aggressiveness of the pass coverage. The

defender isn't worried about the penalty call and is going to make

the most aggressive play he can. While this sounds like it always

favors the defense, it can burn the defense if the defender is

aggressive and/or has low AWR/PRC/MCV/ZCV.

Interesting thing here is that I think lower DPI is overall more

help. Defenders tend not to have a lot of ball awareness - until an

interception is "rolled up" (you can almost see it, the defender will

take coverage/route to the ball with a different animation, etc).

This doesn't create more of that animation (INT slider), but it lets

more "free form" aggression to play out i.e. "I see the ball and I'm

gonna swat it/pick it/attack that pass." I think lower plays out both

the "Plays the Ball" trait and the AWR/PRC/MCV/ZCV of the

defender better.

Offensive Pass Interference

Higher: The receivers run their routes more passively. Similar

logic as above for DPI - the player is concerned about triggering

OPI so there's "physicality" in the route running. This might also

impact press coverage as well. If the WR are less physical in their

routes and ball reactions, it would follow that press should last

longer. Higher tends to emphasize "those who can" i.e. the guys

who can run sharp routes, beat press coverage, make the special

catch, hold on in traffic.

Lower: The receivers run their routes with aggression and

physically. They worry less about OPI calls and will do what it

takes to get the ball. They are more willing to play like Michael

Irvin or other physical WRs. It follows that they'll also tend to go

aggressively after passes and may beat press coverage more.

Depending on what you want - you can go either way here. If you

want to make route running and ball skills more valuable, a higher

setting works well (and I consider 50 "high" here - above that and

it seems like you start killing everyone's ability a bit much), if you

want to make the scrubs instead of the higher end players stand

out (i.e. you feel that just about every NFL player can run a decent

or better route), a lower setting does that job well, imo.

Punt Catch Interference

Higher: All out, go get 'em, get that ball carrier, see that ball, close

on it in the air, get there and make the tackle, smack that receiver

and tackle that completion for no YAC. That's what higher tends

to do. Defenders will see the ball, close on it's location and rally to

tackle whoever ends up with it.

Lower: Defenders tend to play a little more cautiously. They want

to "read" (such that it is in this game) more and wait until the play

is a little closer to them to respond. Seem to worry more about

being caught out of position than to anticipate what might happen

next.

Creates another interesting trade-off. Deception may well work

better on higher, though it might also create more of what some

consider "psychic" play by the pursuit when the play is not

deceptive*/defender is not fooled, etc. Lower, you might get guys

not responding to what's in front of them sometimes, but they may

be less pulled out of position because they aren't trying to shag

anything that moves and do less "freelancing". So which is "right"

- both. Depends on the kind of defense you want to emulate,

disciplined, conservative, but sometimes too much so, or

aggressive, attacking...but sometimes too much so. Each has

strengths and weaknesses. I've used 0 and 100 - both extremes

and anything in between can work.

For example, I have this on 100 and saw Rolando McClain

abandon his zone because he thought Freeman was about to

scramble into open space. Freeman saw that and hit his TE who

beat the man coverage...right where McClain was...and I've done

similar to the CPU.

*by deceptive, I don't mean just read options and PA. I mean

reverses, counters, draws, incorrect committing (you do pass

commit, CPU does shotgun draw), or a player making a mistake

and recovering (he fooled himself, was fooled initially on a double

move route, etc)

Clipping

Higher: Back to worrying about penalties - players are less

inclined to make certain down field/open field blocks (perhaps it's

the angle of the would be contact - and if it would cause clipping,

the player doesn't do the block). Similar to holding, this may cause

more mistakes from those who do often block down field (high

IBL players?) or cause more otherwise legit blocks to animate and

be called as clipping.

Lower: Players are more apt to just hit a defender. See defender,

hit defender. See defender, block defender. Defender trying to get

down field to cover kick/punt, chase defender hoping for a chance

to hit defender. Good down field blockers won't get called as much

on lower settings, but it might make poorer down field blockers

more successful because they'll block more, and less likely to get

called if they DO make a bad block.

Intentional Grounding

This might be my favorite one.

Higher: QB gets worried about pressure more. "Clock in his head"

ticks faster, he thinks "I need to get rid of this ball. I NEED to get

rid of this ball. ****! WHERE CAN I THROW THIS ********

BALL?!?!?!?!?!11!!!" And more often will tend to throw it away.

"Shoot, I ain't tryin' to die for a football game."

Lower: QB doesn't want to abandon a play. Always wants to make

something happen. It's the Ben Rothlisberger setting. QB thinks

"I'm gonna find someone open. Just wait, someone will open up.

They getting close, but I got time, someone will open up." Then

when the pressure gets there:

QB will either force the ball, take the nearest open receiver, start

to scramble, throw it away, manuever around until feeling safe,

then repeat the above "Lower:" process - Josh Freeman did this to

me in that game I just played - he moved around, didn't run, found

someone open and hit him. His "Force Passes" is Ideal...

You can do so much with this slider because it also seems to

determine when the above scenarios happen. Lower makes fewer

"no one open, throw it away" situations - so coverage droops a bit.

Higher can create more of those "throw it away" - Coverage might

improve some. Lower makes the QB more patient. If everyone is

covered 3 seconds into the play, he's more likely to keep looking.

Higher makes the QB give up more - everyone covered in 1.5

seconds - screw it, throw it away.

This slider can help make the QB traits show up more. The value

will depend on your other settings and what not, but I think lower

will make the Force Passes trait really show out (especially if you

have good coverage). Higher might make Sense Pressure show up

(you might see the patient QBs do better than the Paranoid). What

I'm still trying to figure out is which shows more degrading in

play due to sacks/hits, and more impact on the User QB.

Roughing the Passer

Higher: In addition to creating more roughing the passer calls

(almost literally, high enough and the QBs will take a dive to try

to draw a flag even when grazed). Defenders will also understand

it's two-hand touch on the QB and pull up more and be less

aggressive getting to the QB.

Lower: All bets are off. QB is a football player and we'll treat him

like one. Refs look the other way on MOST late hits on the QB

(you can still get some roughing QB penalties). Best of all, the

pass rush will get more determined and fierce, and when in

trouble, QBs better think fast.

Lower seemed to get my pass rushing going. Guys like Von Miller

really get after me when they are blitzing and if a DL gets free,

they don't hesitate to go after the QB. I make sure I have to either

roll out or check it down even before it might actually open up

(anticipate the pressure, which creates chances for me to be

deceived). For the CPU, it can help stop the throw-it-deep always

type thing, forcing the CPU to check down or to use intermediate

throws more.

The downside is that I can't draw as many flags as a scrambling

QB throwing just before I'm hit. That was one of Terrelle Pryor's

best attributes, er...I mean...

Roughing the Kicker

Higher: For whatever reason that only deities and whoever

programmed this game knows, this seems to impact overall

pursuit in all phases and activities in the game, decreasing it

because...I don't know. It impacts more than just kicking

situations. Perhaps it's a proxy for all late hit type penalties, like if

you hit stick someone near the boundary. I actually got called for

that recently.

Lower: Players don't care. They'll just go and hit and try to make

tackles and such. Though, I haven't seen the CPU get called for a

late hit like I did, but I know they've tried it. Just in the game I

just finished, the CPU corner drove Denarius Moore into the

ground about 5 yards out of bounds. Maybe this is why I saw a

defender plant Robert Griffin III into ground...on a kneel

down...WAY after the play...with no flag.

Apologizes if the formatting is off, I tried to make it readable.