[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

See - I'm sick of this "if it played solid football it would be too hard for casuals/non-football coaches/whatever" line of thought. If the player AI reacted like NFL players, the "casual" player wouldn't have to know why they are doing it or even know they are using NFL-style responsibilities. The plays would just play out as though they would, things would work because they should, things that are likely to fail would do so for reasons the "casual" sees on Sunday, and so on. I mean when "Joe Football Fan" sees a DB make a great pick - does he know (or care) about how DBs play coverage, why the DB got such a great jump? No, he appreciates the play (or curses, depending on how it went for his team) and is engrossed in the symphony that is NFL football. Playing Madden could be the same way. Just like it is for The Show. The average baseball fan doesn't need to know the mechanics of why high fastballs and big 12-6 curves are nasty to hit against or how to throw them with a controller - he can put it on "Classic" pitching or "Timing" hitting (or both) and get the same experience and player ratings create a similar outcome and his eye is challenged all the same. So if that player or someone new to football calls a 46 defense against a 4 WR set and gets burned, with the game playing like real football, he can see with his eyes what happened. If he lets the game guide his play calling, and he sees the game suggest a Nickle Cover 3 on 3-and-20, then he can start learning what plays to consider in situations. If the game played fundamental football with player AI that also did so and an engine that expresses player skill prototypes and such, he'll see the game play more like what it does on Sunday and can use the same "general knowledge" (it's 3rd and 2 - better watch the run, etc) and have things play as they should. It's not about video game difficulty, it's about the sport playing out. If anything, it might be EASIER because the average fan wouldn't have to "learn Madden" instead of using general football knowledge he'd probably learned/heard watching games and listening to NFL network. Completely irrelevant. Just because someone would complain about the "perfect" football game, that doesn't mean games shouldn't keep improving and refining. Instead, what about those who would EAT UP a game like that? Why not focus on them instead of people who might complain that the grass is too long?

I wish I could marry this post, have kids with it and grow old together.