Difficulty effecting player attributes

[mrwarre85]

Thought this might be a more appropriate forum for this Q.


Sorry couldn't get this answered before...

So when I play on Heisman, the computer automatically reduces my players ratings, say speed, and automatically raises the CPU players ratings, including speed?

Does this explain the lack of breakaways on Heisman?

If true, I'm not playing Heisman because that is so unrealistic. Basically I'm wanting someone knowledgable to explain to me what difficulty settings actually do. Specifically I'm wondering about the speed thing. . . Just because I want a tough challenge doesn't mean I want an unrealistic one. I still want my 94 speed receiver to outrun the 90 speed DB.

[charter04]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

The speed is the same no matter what the difficulty

[fugene]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

Would that have more to do with speed threshold? I've only payed 3 games, so can't comment on my experience in NCAA. However, your claim doesn't seem far fetched to me. I am more into the EA NHL series and when you play on higher difficulties there is a significant difference in the foot speed of the CPU and human skaters. It doesn't matter who is in the foot race; the CPU will always win the race to the puck. It was so bad that if there was a lose puck race I would switch away from the closest guy so that my team would actually have a chance to recover the puck.

Some may see this point as completely irrelevant, but I'm sure that there is some significance to the similarities in complaints.

[KingV2k3]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

The speed is the same no matter what the difficulty

This.

The only thing that determines "relative speed" is threshold...

What's yours set at?

0 is the greatest discrepancy between fast and slow players and 100 is the smallest...

The "sweet spot" is debatable, but this year I agree that it's in the 55-60 range (truest to attribute)...

If you're seeing 90 DBs match speed with a 94 DB, you're probably set higher than that "sweet spot"...

Other factors:

Relationship between DPI /OPI penalties can affect speed because of the press at the LOS

Or:

The CTH slider affects more than just the ability to secure the catch...also affects route running, which can be mis interpreted as speed...too far below default 50 can influence that...

Hard to say for sure, but these are the first places I'd look...

[mrwarre85]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

This.

The only thing that determines "relative speed" is threshold...

What's yours set at?

0 is the greatest discrepancy between fast and slow players and 100 is the smallest...

The "sweet spot" is debatable, but this year I agree that it's in the 55-60 range (truest to attribute)...

If you're seeing 90 DBs match speed with a 94 DB, you're probably set higher than that "sweet spot"...

Other factors:

Relationship between DPI /OPI penalties can affect speed because of the press at the LOS

Or:

The CTH slider affects more than just the ability to secure the catch...also affects route running, which can be mis interpreted as speed...too far below default 50 can influence that...

Hard to say for sure, but these are the first places I'd look...

Thanks for responding. However, if difficulty doesn't effect player attributes, what does it effect? Game AI like sliders do?

My speed threshold is 25 btw. I bring this up because on Varsity and even all-american I will see longer gains, usually one 70 yard score a game. On Heisman everyone gets caught from behind.

[mrwarre85]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

Wait I just remembered something. I was testing some sliders in an exhibition game, and I kept changing the difficulty level and hitting "check matchups." On Varsity, all green arrows (meaning my players matched up favorably). On Heisman, nearly all red arrows or yellow lines (meaning my players did not match up favorably).

Doesn't this prove that difficulty levels effect player attributes?

[charter04]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

It affects everything else. Reaction time, pursuit angles, coverage ability, pass and run blocking ability. More than those things listed though. It doesn't bring down your teams abilities as much as it impoves the cpu's

[Rezzo503]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

Wait I just remembered something. I was testing some sliders in an exhibition game, and I kept changing the difficulty level and hitting "check matchups." On Varsity, all green arrows (meaning my players matched up favorably). On Heisman, nearly all red arrows or yellow lines (meaning my players did not match up favorably).

Doesn't this prove that difficulty levels effect player attributes?

Really? That's interesting. So in theory I could edit Some Wideouts and Cornerbacks To Have Even Ratings... Go to Heisman and see how much of an increase there is?

[mrwarre85]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

It affects everything else. Reaction time, pursuit angles, coverage ability, pass and run blocking ability. More than those things listed though. It doesn't bring down your teams abilities as much as it impoves the cpu's

But does it improve the CPU ability to run fast? Does it make the 88 CB suddenly run like a 90 CB? Also, how do we know any of this?

Again, I loaded up a game and changed diff. settings mid game, and saw the show-matchups change dramatically. show-matchups obviously go by player ratings, so it certainly suggests that diff. settings change player atributes, even dramatically so.

[mrwarre85]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

Really? That's interesting. So in theory I could edit Some Wideouts and Cornerbacks To Have Even Ratings... Go to Heisman and see how much of an increase there is?

No I don't think you can see exactly how it affects ratings. But maybe the 88 overall DB and 88 overall WR would appear yellow in varsity, but red in Heisman because on Heisman the CPU player was bolstered. Worth a check.

Like I said, it dramatically changed the matchups for me. I put it on freshmen and I had green matchups across the board. I was playing against Bama.

[charter04]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

But does it improve the CPU ability to run fast? Does it make the 88 CB suddenly run like a 90 CB? Also, how do we know any of this?

Again, I loaded up a game and changed diff. settings mid game, and saw the show-matchups change dramatically. show-matchups obviously go by player ratings, so it certainly suggests that diff. settings change player atributes, even dramatically so.

I said no. It doesn't change speed. If it did no one would use Heisman

[mrwarre85]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

I said no. It doesn't change speed. If it did no one would use Heisman

How do you know?

You aren't being clear. Do you mean that difficulty levels effect player ratings for pass coverage, tackling, awareness, etc, but not for speed or acceleration? Or, do you mean that difficulty ratings effect gameplay through an entirely new AI unrelated to player attributes, and that this new AI effects pass coverage, tacking, awareness, etc, but not speed or acceleration?

Finally, how do you explain the fact that you can load up a game as K-State vs Bama and check player matchups on freshmen, varsity, all-american, and heisman, seeing different results each time? Is "check match ups" only looking at attributes like pass coverage, tackling, awareness, etc, but not speed and acceleration?

[westview33]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

You can tell if Heisman gives the cpu a boost in ratings simply by using the qba slider.

put it at 0 on Heisman and 0 on varsity you'll clearly see the Heisman level qb will still tend to throw more passes on target while the varsity level qb will struggle mighty.

it's the same thing in Madden on Pro level a QB tends to make more errant throws while on All Madden they become Tom Brady in terms of accuracy.

Now some might disagree but I believe Heisman does tend to reduce the speed of the USER players slightly as your more likely to see a DL catching RB's from behind and LB's able to stay with WR's step for step in coverage.

That's just my opinion doesn't mean I'm right and it doesn't mean I'm wrong. Simply because EA has never explained what the different levels do to any of the player attributes/ratings.

Which is why opinions may vary from all over on this topic.

[charter04]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

How do you know?

You aren't being clear. Do you mean that difficulty levels effect player ratings for pass coverage, tackling, awareness, etc, but not for speed or acceleration? Or, do you mean that difficulty ratings effect gameplay through an entirely new AI unrelated to player attributes, and that this new AI effects pass coverage, tacking, awareness, etc, but not speed or acceleration?

Finally, how do you explain the fact that you can lgoad up a game as K-State vs Bama and check player matchups on freshmen, varsity, all-american, and heisman, seeing different results each time? Is "check match ups" only looking at attributes like pass coverage, tackling, awareness, etc, but not speed and acceleration?

I don't know how much more clear I can be. Lol. In my testing with different difficulties and different speeds and different threshold I don't see a speed difference in the difficulty levels. I see the CPU get a boost in other attributes but, not speed. Just what I've seen in the years of playing Madden and NCAA. You might think or see something different. This is my opinion based on testing.

[mrwarre85]

Re: Difficulty effecting player attributes

I don't know how much more clear I can be. Lol. In my testing with different difficulties and different speeds and different threshold I don't see a speed difference in the difficulty levels. I see the CPU get a boost in other attributes but, not speed. Just what I've seen in the years of playing Madden and NCAA. You might think or see something different. This is my opinion based on testing.

So they get ratings boosts in everything but speed. Thanks. I hope you are right.