VGFL's M19 32 Man User v User CFM Sliders
I have always been a fan of the work others put in here to create slider sets. A lot have unique philosophies and approaches but for me the best way of analysing these is through the stats created through gameplay. It removes all the subjective observer bias that can occur by looking for if a slider set 'feels' better.
Many of the slider sets on OS are geared towards certain parameters - User v CPU, CPU v CPU etc and few exist for User v User gameplay. Aestis does a fantastic job each year collating his leagues stats and producing a slider set for them but not all of us play with the same quarter length and clock run off at full snap count levels and so we need to consider how well those sliders apply to our leagues.
At the end of the day, Madden is a computer game that people play for fun, and even within 'Sim' gameplay there has to be gives and takes depending on what the game will allow each year through its design. The only way of testing how yours match up is through thorough analysis and to do that you have to have certain aims to adjust towards. One of the benefits of online CFMs is the ability to export this data to analyse and I have done this with our leagues sliders and I hope others can benefit from this.
Statistical Targets
Your statistical targets are dependent on the quarter length and clock run off that you chose for your league and this will affect a number of sliders:
For these to be applicable the following parameters need to be consistent for you:
Skill Level: All Pro
Game Style: Simulation
Game Speed: Normal
Quarter Length: 9 minutes
Accelerated Clock: ON
Clock Run Off: 20 seconds (A few seconds either side will probably work similarly)
We also use the following which may or may not affect their accuracy for your leagues:
Ball Carrier Moves: USER Only
Auto-Strafe: Allowed for Users with Win % under 85% (Recommended OFF)
Ball Hawk: Allowed for Users with Win % under 85%
Heat Seeker: Allowed for Users with Win % under 85%
Defensive Switch Assist: Allowed for All
This should give your league an average of around 85-90 Offensive Snaps per Game (Special Teams not Included). If you manage to get this snap count through other settings these should also work for you.
This is about 71% of NFL Levels (123 per game).
Our statistical targets for certain areas of the game will then be projected from this. Some we will aim to try and match NFL averages. Some we will need to alter to match said averages in fewer snaps OR to make what is a computer game slightly more fun!
It is worth noting that I do not believe that any significant gameplay affects are created from setting x in main menu sliders and y in CFM sliders. This makes no sense to me, especially when considering online User v User CFMs have 32 people potentially with different main menu settings. You can therefore set what you like there!
Passing (Averages per Game)
Total Passing Yards per Team: 236.6 (100% NFL Averages)
Attempts per Team: 24.9 (71%)
Completions per Team: 15.6 (71%)
Passing TDs per Game: 3.1 (100%)
INTs per Game: 1.7 (100%) *
Drop % per Attempt: 7.44% (141%)*
Drops per Game: 3.6 (100%)
Yards per Attempt: 9.48 (141%)
Completion %: 62.7% (100%)
Untouched Pass %: 7% (33%)*
Rushing (Averages per Game)
Attempts per Team: 18.8 (71%)
Yards Per Game: 109.7 (100%)
Yards Per Carry: 5.83 (141%)
Rushing TDs per Game: 1.53 (100%)
Rushing Offensive Tendency: 43% (100%)
Broken Tackles per Game: 6.57 (100%
Broken Tackles per Carry: 16.62% (141%)
RB Fumbles per Carry: 2.21% (141%)
% Carries of 20+ yards: 3.38% (141%)
Defence (Averages per Game)
Sacks per Game: 4.6 (100%)
Interceptions: 1.7 (100%)
Passes Defenced: 8.83 (100%)
Defensive Plays (PDef & Ints): 10.52 (100%)
Forced Fumbles: 1.9 (100%)
Fumbles Recovered: 1.14 (100%)
Penalties per Game: 2.2 (33%)
Penalty Yards: 19 (33%)
Points Per Game: 44.9 (100%)
Methodology
These above targets I use to gauge our slider's accuracy and adjust them. This should then reflect in the 'feel' of the game but only in a statistically proven fashion.
Many game total targets are set at 100% but these have to occur in 71% of the snap count, so averages per play/percentage occurrences are therefore at 141%.
N.B I also set some slightly altered targets in some areas:
1. Penalties and Penalty Yards: Set at 33% to minimise the impact these have on Total Yardages (I may look to increase this target in the future)
2. Untouched Passes (This is a pass that isn't a completion, a drop, a pass defended or and interception). They occur 21% of the time in the NFL, and we need to reduce their number to get effective stats with less downs whilst still retaining some for a realistic feel. 33% again is a target for these (mostly) statistically irrelevant aspects of the game.
3. As a result of lowering the target for untouched passes, we increase the target for Dropped passes to still get a realistic game total for completion % without too many overthrows.
Current Performance:
Sliders - Version 1.0
League Settings
Team Settings - Game Options
Gameplay Sliders
Player Skill
QB Accuracy: 44
Pass Blocking: 48
WR Catching: 48
Run Blocking: 53
Fumbles: 60
Pass Defence Reaction Time: 60
Interceptions: 30
Pass Coverage: 65
Tackling: 44
CPU Skill
QB Accuracy: 50
Pass Blocking: 40
WR Catching: 48
Run Blocking: 70
Fumbles: 55
Pass Defence Reaction Time: 60
Interceptions: 30
Pass Coverage: 62
Tackling: 43
Special Teams
FG Power: 52
FG Accuracy: 48
Punt Power: 48
Punt Accuracy: 52
Kickoff Power: 48
Game Options
Injuries: 24
Fatigue: 50
Min Player Speed Threshold: 8
Penalties
Offside: 57
False Start: 52
Holding: 50
Defensive Holding: 55
Face Mask: 50
Defensive Pass Interference: 55
Offensive Pass Interference: On
Kick Catch Interference: On
Illegal Block in the Back: 50
Intentional Grounding: On
Roughing the Passer: 50
Roughing the Kicker: On
Running Into the Kicker: On
Proposed Adjustments
Many of the slider sets on OS are geared towards certain parameters - User v CPU, CPU v CPU etc and few exist for User v User gameplay. Aestis does a fantastic job each year collating his leagues stats and producing a slider set for them but not all of us play with the same quarter length and clock run off at full snap count levels and so we need to consider how well those sliders apply to our leagues.
At the end of the day, Madden is a computer game that people play for fun, and even within 'Sim' gameplay there has to be gives and takes depending on what the game will allow each year through its design. The only way of testing how yours match up is through thorough analysis and to do that you have to have certain aims to adjust towards. One of the benefits of online CFMs is the ability to export this data to analyse and I have done this with our leagues sliders and I hope others can benefit from this.
Statistical Targets
Your statistical targets are dependent on the quarter length and clock run off that you chose for your league and this will affect a number of sliders:
For these to be applicable the following parameters need to be consistent for you:
Skill Level: All Pro
Game Style: Simulation
Game Speed: Normal
Quarter Length: 9 minutes
Accelerated Clock: ON
Clock Run Off: 20 seconds (A few seconds either side will probably work similarly)
We also use the following which may or may not affect their accuracy for your leagues:
Ball Carrier Moves: USER Only
Auto-Strafe: Allowed for Users with Win % under 85% (Recommended OFF)
Ball Hawk: Allowed for Users with Win % under 85%
Heat Seeker: Allowed for Users with Win % under 85%
Defensive Switch Assist: Allowed for All
This should give your league an average of around 85-90 Offensive Snaps per Game (Special Teams not Included). If you manage to get this snap count through other settings these should also work for you.
This is about 71% of NFL Levels (123 per game).
Our statistical targets for certain areas of the game will then be projected from this. Some we will aim to try and match NFL averages. Some we will need to alter to match said averages in fewer snaps OR to make what is a computer game slightly more fun!
It is worth noting that I do not believe that any significant gameplay affects are created from setting x in main menu sliders and y in CFM sliders. This makes no sense to me, especially when considering online User v User CFMs have 32 people potentially with different main menu settings. You can therefore set what you like there!
Passing (Averages per Game)
Total Passing Yards per Team: 236.6 (100% NFL Averages)
Attempts per Team: 24.9 (71%)
Completions per Team: 15.6 (71%)
Passing TDs per Game: 3.1 (100%)
INTs per Game: 1.7 (100%) *
Drop % per Attempt: 7.44% (141%)*
Drops per Game: 3.6 (100%)
Yards per Attempt: 9.48 (141%)
Completion %: 62.7% (100%)
Untouched Pass %: 7% (33%)*
Rushing (Averages per Game)
Attempts per Team: 18.8 (71%)
Yards Per Game: 109.7 (100%)
Yards Per Carry: 5.83 (141%)
Rushing TDs per Game: 1.53 (100%)
Rushing Offensive Tendency: 43% (100%)
Broken Tackles per Game: 6.57 (100%
Broken Tackles per Carry: 16.62% (141%)
RB Fumbles per Carry: 2.21% (141%)
% Carries of 20+ yards: 3.38% (141%)
Defence (Averages per Game)
Sacks per Game: 4.6 (100%)
Interceptions: 1.7 (100%)
Passes Defenced: 8.83 (100%)
Defensive Plays (PDef & Ints): 10.52 (100%)
Forced Fumbles: 1.9 (100%)
Fumbles Recovered: 1.14 (100%)
Penalties per Game: 2.2 (33%)
Penalty Yards: 19 (33%)
Points Per Game: 44.9 (100%)
Methodology
These above targets I use to gauge our slider's accuracy and adjust them. This should then reflect in the 'feel' of the game but only in a statistically proven fashion.
Many game total targets are set at 100% but these have to occur in 71% of the snap count, so averages per play/percentage occurrences are therefore at 141%.
N.B I also set some slightly altered targets in some areas:
1. Penalties and Penalty Yards: Set at 33% to minimise the impact these have on Total Yardages (I may look to increase this target in the future)
2. Untouched Passes (This is a pass that isn't a completion, a drop, a pass defended or and interception). They occur 21% of the time in the NFL, and we need to reduce their number to get effective stats with less downs whilst still retaining some for a realistic feel. 33% again is a target for these (mostly) statistically irrelevant aspects of the game.
3. As a result of lowering the target for untouched passes, we increase the target for Dropped passes to still get a realistic game total for completion % without too many overthrows.
Current Performance:
Spoiler
Sliders - Version 1.0
League Settings
Spoiler
Team Settings - Game Options
Spoiler
Gameplay Sliders
Player Skill
QB Accuracy: 44
Pass Blocking: 48
WR Catching: 48
Run Blocking: 53
Fumbles: 60
Pass Defence Reaction Time: 60
Interceptions: 30
Pass Coverage: 65
Tackling: 44
CPU Skill
QB Accuracy: 50
Pass Blocking: 40
WR Catching: 48
Run Blocking: 70
Fumbles: 55
Pass Defence Reaction Time: 60
Interceptions: 30
Pass Coverage: 62
Tackling: 43
Special Teams
FG Power: 52
FG Accuracy: 48
Punt Power: 48
Punt Accuracy: 52
Kickoff Power: 48
Game Options
Injuries: 24
Fatigue: 50
Min Player Speed Threshold: 8
Penalties
Offside: 57
False Start: 52
Holding: 50
Defensive Holding: 55
Face Mask: 50
Defensive Pass Interference: 55
Offensive Pass Interference: On
Kick Catch Interference: On
Illegal Block in the Back: 50
Intentional Grounding: On
Roughing the Passer: 50
Roughing the Kicker: On
Running Into the Kicker: On
Proposed Adjustments
Spoiler
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