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Let's roll...
PART I
As I contemplated how to approach the All-JohnM slider mods, it struck me that the OS community could be looking at the challenge from the wrong angle. I mean c'mon, how many different slider mod combos have been thrown up and have come up basically "seven-out"?
Oh sure, a part of M15's weaknesses may be addressed by some of the slider mods posted thus far, such as addressing the; CPU QB sack glitch, CPU QB completion % too high, tightening up runs up the middle, better success on turning the angle on outside runs, yada, yada, yada, yada... But as sure as the sun rising tomorrow, another part of M15's game play would go into the tank or simply not deliver the realism of the game on Monday's, Thursday's or Sunday's... So in the end, what was the point of fixin' one thing and having to "live with" some other annoyance? Was it time to flip M15 for 2k15 so soon?
After a half a dozen games or so, of playing M15 in All-MADD mode with some of the more popular slider mods being pimped, it was becoming readily apparent that the game had holes, the question was, were they irreparable holes?.... Surely we all concur that Donnie's absurd ratings play a role in the problem, but ultimately it goes back to bad coding/programming. I mean, why can't Tiburon/EA just lease/rent the coding guys from 2K Sports, pay 2k a % of sales, and be done with it? Well, I didn't give in to my gut feeling and decided that M15 was better than previous Maddens in a lot of ways, so I just had to try harder to find that slider mix that could make M15 in ALL-MADD mode play better....
So there I was, clicking in and out of every slider mod thread, reading the "wisdom" being passed along, all with good intentions to help the game play along for the OS community, but for the most part eventually defaulted into; "trust me bro, because I say so, wink-wink and handshake, and off you go"... Yet M15's game play still felt that it was missing something.
There were exceptions, especially those threads managed by veteran slider witches, yet there was still one maddening (no pun intended) thing or another that made me want to create a hole through my flatty with my PS4 controller....
So I started making a list of what to fix. Here is my list:
1) CPU QB sack glitch (Make the CPU QB more aware, ideally make him move in and around the pocket, hell how about making the SOB run down field for yardage once and a while, but most importantly, avoid the SITTING DUCK sack!)
2) CPU QB completion % (bring it down, usually too high)
3) CPU QB dumping to the flat (Dude, pass the rock up the field, you have OPEN receivers jack-_ss)
4) CPU abusing slant throws, underneath drag routes, instead of hitting primary receiver as indicated in play diagram (Dude, the game play diagram indicates that you are supposed to look for the RED ROUTE/BLUE ROUTE, not wuss out and nail the gimme slant or drag underneath EVERY FRICKING TIME!!!)
5) CPU pass coverage, unrealistic (It's as if the CPU DB's were in the HUM huddle, cuz them peeps always seem to be able to jump in front of the pass an uncanny amount of times)
6) Make the OUT routes for the HUM QB less of a gimmie (this is a known cheat, so I wondered if I could make the CPU DB's more aware and create more broken up plays and/or pick sixes on these routes)
7) Running up the middle was too easy (Up the middle runs were like Luke Skywalker's light-sabre through butter)
8) Better OL/DL blocking and more organic pass/run penetration (Did any of you peeps even notice that on some of your slider mods, as a DL player you couldn't even move the O-Lineman back or do any rip or finesse moves?)
9) Minimize the omni-present "suction block" animations that have plagued Madden for years
10) Better DB/WR route and ball tracking interactions (More aggressive DB play to go up and fight for the ball, and crisper route running for WR)
11) More realistic CPU kicking game on FG's (Are you kidding me? WIth EVERY SINGLE SLIDER MOD rec in this forum, the CPU FG kicker is automatic, no matter the distance, wind, etc. A typical spread in Vegas on a football game is +/-3, basically a field goal, so if the CPU Kicker is automatic, how is this an accurate representation of the real game? Helllllloooo, did anybody give this any thought before labeling their recs as "delivering" true game realism?)
12) More realistic CPU/HUM kicking game on punts for realistic field position (Quiz: What is the median length of a punt in the NFL? Anybody? Well, in 2014 it is about 45-46 yards... So why is it then that the majority of slider mods recommend a setting that on average punts the damn rock well over 50 yards with a smidgen of wind? Real football is chess, tradeoffs, a battle of field position, and accurate punt yards COMPLETELY changes the balance of the game because it forces you to work on field position and not necessarily about scoring a TD...I mean think about it.... If Belichick had a punter who would CONSISTENTLY nail 60+ yard punts and get a NET GAIN of 50+ yards in field position change, don't you think he would take more shots down field, knowing that if he went three and out, IT WOULD NOT MATTER, because with one boot of the ball, the field position would now favor Belichick... But reality is that all NFL teams bust their a.ss to move the ball to at least their 35 yard line, and use conservative plays to do it, because a "three and out" is like giving up a field goal to the other team..'nuff said, field position fricking MATTERS!)
13) Big legs matter (This is a continuation from my last point... Basically going back to field position.... Most, if not all, slider mods are set so that the HUM/CPU kicker cannot kick it more than 55-60 yards (and this includes with the wind!!).... This is asinine... Regarding long field goals, the median distance is about 50-52 yards... Now, follow along, this distance is not the MAX power of a kickers leg, but rather the distance at which a kicker can boom it with ACCURACY!! If any of you have had the pleasure of going to an NFL game, and went early, a lot of NFL kickers can BOOM the rock TO the goalposts from distances of 65-70 yards... This does not mean that they make the field goal, it just means that they can GET THE ROCK to the goalpost threshold.... So wouldn't it make sense that the CPU/HUM place kickers with BIG LEGS, have the power to kick the rock TO THE GOALPOST vicinity, from at least 65 yards? This has a HUGE impact on CPU play calling because if the team you are playing has a HUGE LEG kicker, then the CPU has an extra weapon to bury you with.... And if the CPU's team has a BIG LEG, then you have more reason to be on point when it comes to DEFENSE and field position decisions.... Think about this, because it is a game changer on how you play D and how you call plays)
14) CPU run game MUST MATTER (Again, this goes back to field position... If the CPU run game is tuned to be LEGIT, then you are going to be forced to stack the box, or at least, respect the run, because FIELD POSITION is now so important due to the mods made to the kicking game (See why field position become so critical)... This is the ONLY part of my slider mod work where I probably have dialed in the mods to deliver game play that is probably moderately better than the CPU run game should be... Nothing crazy, but it FORCES you to respect the run, AT ALL TIMES, because the CPU play calling opens up and you will see draw plays on traditional passing downs)
15) LB play MUST MATTER (Again, FIELD POSITION!!! LB's are the quarterbacks of the Defense and their play must matter so that CPU/HUM running game gets stuffed up the middle and can get to runs to the outside, as well as become "aware" to leave their zone assignment and put pressure on the CPU QB to create an errant pass or pick six... Most importantly, LB's and Safeties coming up into the box are critical to stop the CPU running game that I have dialed up)
16) Defensive strategy/match-ups MATTER (Quiz: How many of you FULLY modify your base defense on critical downs or times in the game? Be honest... I know the answer. NONE of you. Here is the reason why.... There has been such a rush to achieve "realism" in total number of plays in the game, that most, if not all slider mods recommends clock settings that make it all but practically IMPOSSIBLE to FULLY modify a base defense, the operative word being FULLY... Oh sure, you may get a chance to set a double cover or maybe spy the QB, or bring up the safeties in the box faking a blitz, yada, yada, yada, but how many times do you SET ALL THE CHESS pieces in place before the CPU QB snaps the rock? Unless your type speed is 150 wpm, at such low clock settings, moving the chess pieces is very difficult... Now, think about how week to week, D coordinators cook up schemes to take away the opposing teams weapons and try to dictate what the other team should call, in other words, what the D is willing to give to the offense... Consistently stuff the run, and get a two touchdown lead, the opponent will have to pass the ball... Drop into Zones and put pressure on the QB with 3 or 4 man rushes and the opponent will have to consider draws and pounding the rock up the middle... Play man to man with a strong pass rush, the opponent will have to consider off tackle, sweeps, tosses, counters, etc... Again, football is about trying to dictate what the opponent needs to do to stop your play scheme... In my opinion, M15 AI does adapt to a degree on what you take away.... The problem is that at such low clock settings, it is hard to "take away" parts of the CPU's game plan (ie slants, outs, underneath routes, the running game, etc)
There may be a few more items on my list that skip my mind at the present time, but you get the idea of what I have been working on....
The jist of this post is to establish what I looked to improve. Did my slider mods nail it? Hardly, in fact I would give my effort a B- at best, because I still see the dice come up "seven-out's"...
But what I did see is, smarter/better game play to the above mentioned areas, especially with regards to realistic field position, CPU QB completion %, realistic kicking game, BEAST MODE CPU running game, and a few other goodies....
Work permitting, the Wiz hopes to provide you with Part Deux tomorrow, where a CPU QB glitch sack will be defined, how to approach putting pressure on the CPU QB like they do in the real NFL and how blitzes impact sacks and CPU QB completion %'s, how the skill level/stick skills of different OS'ers impact game play and slider mods, some discourse on the inner workings of the PEN SLIDERS, and my favorite topic of all BALANCE, which sliders are critical to keep game play and ratings in BALANCE within Donnie's absurd ratings (curse you Donnie Moore!!!) and where you should try to stay away from deviating to far from default settings or you will affect the organic nature of the CPU/HUM player's talent level and game play...
The thread has taken in some water, so to speak, due to my writing style and lack of time to dedicate to this project like other OS'ers... But I have never let that compromise how I approach my slider work, nor the honesty of what my lab findings tell me... I have never represented that the Wiz knows all, but rather that the Wiz respects those witches that understand slider inter-dependency, appreciate that PEN SLIDERS do matter, know the value of BALANCE in approaching the slider mods, and most importantly have a GENUINE passion for tweaking Madden to provide the best game play possible for all OS'ers. 4thQtrStre5s said it best when he pointed out that the OS slider community is about helping others find ZEN from their Madden game play and by golly, to put an ear-to-ear grin, on all Madden Junkies, who pound those buttons on their control pads, God bless them.
Remember, I have no interest in BEING right, I just want us to GET IT right....
We are getting closer... lates....
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