Madden NFL 25 Video Interview: Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions & More

[Steve_OS]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DwyktXqv7-s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

MyMaddenPad has posted an interview with Madden NFL 25 Creative Director of Football Gameplay, Rex Dickson. Shopmaster and Rex discuss the tweaks that have been made in Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, interceptions and more. Good info here.

[roadman]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

Heck ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good find, Steve.

I love, right off the bat, Rex mentioned, typical of Madden in the past, we bring out a new feature and then drop it the next year. Now, we want to continue to improve features we introduce.

Good answer.

[azdawgpound]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

I agree with road im glad EA's not dropping the new stuff they added in and are fixing the bugs. I just hope with ball hawk and other new one they added in for db's wont make for ton's of int's like in 13. so hopefully they have both those tuned and bugs worked out. 25 sounds like it could be best madden in yrs if like stated they worked on things brought them and tuned them to work right.

[NicVirtue]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

I REALLY hope there is an option to turn the Ball Hawk feature off. I have no idea who really had a problem with going to catch the ball when you actually hit the catch button. I mean I understand that this game is for pick up and play fans too, but at least let us hardcore/simulation guys be able to turn the blasted thing off. Nothing infuriates me more than controlling a WR and watching him run past the ball not even TRYING to catch it. Adding to the fact that you can no longer strafe as a WR, making jump balls unrealistic and work more in the DB's favor. WR's turn around and face the ball in those situations and it shouldn't have been taken out the game due to the Rocket Catch. Instead of removing it, they should have looked to make it better and less cheesey. Now you have to hope and pray you get the right animation to box a DB out.

[killerx2]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

I think this proves that the next gen will be much better imo. downgrading the ball hawk feature is fine, but the pass game should stay almost the same. it's great they admit their AI isn't good enough to deal with, but I heard the AI is much improved in the next gen.so imagine when the passing game becomes simulated almost to perfection.not in madden 25, but maybe in madden 15.until that point it's nice to see them taking out exploits.

[NDAlum]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

I loved every single word out of his mouth. As an unofficial leader of the "anti-lead passing crusade" I felt as though he was speakly directly to me!

[Hiro1]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

Man I loved this interview. As a good ball hawk myself in previous maddens before ball hawk was implemented I felt My advantage on defense was slightly diminished. Happy it was toned down and add now you can branch out and go for the hit is amazing news.

Total passing one of my pet peeves. Nearly impossible to stop online. If the defensive player is on your intended target's inside shoulder lead outside and vice versa. Hearing him say TE streaks will no longer be an easy exploit is music to my ears. Give my Lbs the ability to jam and knock wrs/TEs and RBs off their route when the cross the middle and I will be in heaven.

[1MANARMY]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

Thats cool .

I just hope they fixed the exploitation of max coverage (spy dt send 10 in coverage) so you can actually run a draw or run with your qb for positive yards .

[Facts]

Absolutely love this Madden Dev team. Heard and seen nothing but great things since they came in in the middle of Madden 12.

[ghettogeeksta]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview: Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions &amp;

Not bad, I like that they are improving upon things they have implemented in the past and not just putting them in and neglecting them, I am getting excited about the next-generation of Madden. But not exactly what I wanted to hear, still no WR/DB interactions or jostling and I bet we see the same old 5 catch animations from years past (probably a few new sideline and back of the end-zone catches only.) Hopefully next year passing/catching, and defense as a whole is revamped. I am hoping they can add IE to the passing and catching game and live ball physics giving us many more catch varieties and a more dynamic passing game over all.

[GiantBlue76]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview: Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions &amp;

One of my biggest beefs with the Madden development team over the last 8 years has been the lack of effort (and it showed in the final product). I must say, it certainly does seem that this team is definitely putting in the effort. That is very encouraging. They are still far behind, but hopefully with next gen tech they can surpass anything we've ever had before. I desperately want to be able to retire my APF2k8 disc.

This is all encouraging stuff, let's hope the implementation follows suit. That's usually where things have gone awry.

[strawberryshortcake]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

I loved every single word out of his mouth. As an unofficial leader of the "anti-lead passing crusade" I felt as though he was speakly directly to me!

Maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't lead passing essentially throwing the football to a spot in the field ahead of the receiver so he can go get it, instead of directly throwing the ball to where the receiver is at? Isn't lead passing basically used to throw the receiver open?

If so, how is lead passing a bad thing? Isn't lead passing realistic? If it's overpowering, then you have to program a smarter but a realistic defense.

The one thing I hated about Alex Smith (ex-49er's quarterback, now the Chief's new QB) was that he would never really lead his receiver. He would wait until the receiver was completely open before he would pull the trigger. Aaron Rodgers is one of those elite QBs that knows how to lead his receivers. He throws them open.

In other words, hypothetically, Alex Smith would have zero chance throwing against a Deion Sanders, a Darrelle Revis, lockdown corners because Alex Smith doesn't lead his receivers. Aaron Rodgers hypothetically would be able to pick those corners apart because he leads his receivers. Aaron Rodgers throws his receivers open.

I found this video years ago (NFL FEVER), isn't leading a receiver a realistic feature that needs to stay put and polished? Apparently in NFL Fever, you can literally throw the football to any spot on the field, and the receiver has to literally go get. You can probably start it at around the 2:20 mark. Also look at the 3:15 mark.

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eALSNYDha4U" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

[GiantBlue76]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

Maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't lead passing essentially throwing the football to a spot in the field ahead of the receiver so he can go get it, instead of directly throwing the ball to where the receiver is at? Isn't lead passing basically used to throw the receiver open?

If so, how is lead passing a bad thing? Isn't lead passing realistic? If it's overpowering, then you have to program a smarter but a realistic defense.

The one thing I hated about Alex Smith (ex-49er's quarterback, now the Chief's new QB) was that he would never really lead his receiver. He would wait until the receiver was completely open before he would pull the trigger. Aaron Rodgers is one of those elite QBs that knows how to lead his receivers. He throws them open.

In other words, hypothetically, Alex Smith would have zero chance throwing against a Deion Sanders, a Darrelle Revis, lockdown corners because Alex Smith doesn't lead his receivers. Aaron Rodgers hypothetically would be able to pick those corners apart because he leads his receivers. Aaron Rodgers throws his receivers open.

I found this video years ago (NFL FEVER), isn't leading a receiver a realistic feature that needs to stay put and polished? Apparently in NFL Fever, you can literally throwing the football to any spot on the field, and the receiver has to literally go get. You can probably start it at around the 2:20 mark.

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eALSNYDha4U" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

Speaking to your bolded section, the players in madden are tethered to the ball. You can't ever really throw the ball to a spot. That's why they changed their route when you would throw a lead pass. It was ridiculously overpowered and unrealistic. The phrase "throw a receiver open" doesn't mean what the madden team says it means. Throwing to a spot is certainly realistic, but having psychic receivers is not. Madden needs to un-tether the ball from the players and allow the ball to have its own physics engine. This was what 2k and NFL Fever had. That allows for more realistic ball trajectories and paths. It results in more incompletions that hit the ground or more errant throws. While EA football has improved in this area, they need a better physics engine for the ball.

[dghustla]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Video Interview - Total Control Passing, Ball Hawk, Interceptions

Maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't lead passing essentially throwing the football to a spot in the field ahead of the receiver so he can go get it, instead of directly throwing the ball to where the receiver is at? Isn't lead passing basically used to throw the receiver open?

If so, how is lead passing a bad thing? Isn't lead passing realistic? If it's overpowering, then you have to program a smarter but a realistic defense.

The one thing I hated about Alex Smith (ex-49er's quarterback, now the Chief's new QB) was that he would never really lead his receiver. He would wait until the receiver was completely open before he would pull the trigger. Aaron Rodgers is one of those elite QBs that knows how to lead his receivers. He throws them open.

In other words, hypothetically, Alex Smith would have zero chance throwing against a Deion Sanders, a Darrelle Revis, lockdown corners because Alex Smith doesn't lead his receivers. Aaron Rodgers hypothetically would be able to pick those corners apart because he leads his receivers. Aaron Rodgers throws his receivers open.

I found this video years ago (NFL FEVER), isn't leading a receiver a realistic feature that needs to stay put and polished? Apparently in NFL Fever, you can literally throw the football to any spot on the field, and the receiver has to literally go get. You can probably start it at around the 2:20 mark. Also look at the 3:15 mark.

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eALSNYDha4U" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

They didn't say it was removed they said it was toned down. In real life if Jermichael Finley is running streak on the right hash. A. Rodgers does not throw the ball outside of the left hash and Finley breaks off his planned path completely to catch a ball thrown 5-10 yards to his left. in real football this does happen from time to time. But it's not something that teams are running routinely for hundreds of yards a game.

The post above me is correct. I'm hoping that with the ignite engine and the implementation of ball physics in NBA Live & FIFA that Madden is up next year. I think the madden determined that blocking was the most important thing to focus on in this cycle.

As previously noted hopefully on Gen 4 with the additional contextual AI calculations we'll see more adaptive coverage and lest robotic predictable coverage.

For Example when running Tampa 2 i'd like to see my MLB staying with the deeps middle threat instead of stopping because he is in a Yellow Zone.

[misterkrabz]

I have zero confidence that game play will different in any recognizable way. Unless my guy on defense jumps precisely when I hit the button they can tweak the AI all they want and it won't amount to much. All they're doing is programming the user control out of the game which is the exact opposite of what they need to do to make things right. The design is flawed and they just keep trying to polish a turd. The "ball hawk" feature is bad game design....all they have to do is make the player respond to user input and not try to program in canned responses to pass defense situations but they refuse to do it.

Listen to the laundry list of "bugs" this guy mentions about' last years game. Those have been problems for 10 years. What is sad is they are incapable of recognizing them in development or they never would have been there. So no, I'm not holding my breath that we'll see anything all that different.