Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

[RaychelSnr]

In a blog today on A.I. Improvements, EA detailed some big improvements to how players move and interact on the gridiron:

"Madden NFL 16 includes added logic for QBs, RBs, WRs and defenders so that each head and eye track (the ball and players around them) uniquely based on their position.

Quarterbacks will scan the field for open receivers, ball carriers will alternate their gaze between incoming defenders, and players will track other players around them after the play. You may even see players looking up at the scoreboard on a breakaway run."

What This Means: This is an addition all about the small things. You can't get a fully immersive experience without little details like head tracking being in and working properly. Real NFL players move their heads and (hopefully) you'll see that happening in Madden as well.

Better Motion Pre, Post, and During Plays

EA also detailed better player motion on the field in Madden NFL 16.

"The quality of player motion has been a primary point of emphasis for the Madden NFL team for several years now. This year, we made huge strides in pre, post and during play motion quality. This touches several major systems like huddle break, walk to line, pile get up logic, pile avoidance, post play path finding and more. When it comes to in-game animation quality improvements, the list is endless.

Players can expect a dramatic reduction in pops, warps, slides, and other issues in Madden NFL 16. This will continue to be a focal point for us as we strive towards our goal of animation quality."

What This Means: Again its about the little things. This may seem trivial, but if the team wants to truly deliver an authentic and immersive experience on the field, things like this simply have to work right.


What do you think of the improvements in head tracking and player movement? Is it a big deal to you? Let us know!

[MAGboyswifT27]

I hope that this is as good as it sounds. The issue I had as I'm sure many others did was the LBs being able to bat balls down in between passing lanes. Also DBs being able to make plays without knowing where the ball was located.

[MAGboyswifT27]

PS why isn't Gameface implemented in Madden yet? If NBA Live has it, then something is wrong here right? Or is it just me?

[Mr.Smif]

Players can expect a dramatic reduction in pops, warps, slides. This is huge for me, hopefully it works as advertised. Why is it so hard for them to redo Qb dropbacks?

[JKSportsGamer1984]

These improvements may be considered "little things" but they're HUGE to me. These are some of the biggest issues I had with Madden 15 & glad to hear they're being addressed. This dev team seems to get it. I'm impressed with what I'm hearing! Of course we have to see it in action though.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

Head tracking will be nice looking but pointless if players not looking at ball react to the ball.

[Potatoes002]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

Head tracking will be nice looking but pointless if players not looking at ball react to the ball.

This was one of my concerns too so hopefully it is not mainly cosmetic, but I will give them credit that EA is at least trying to move in the right direction.

[PacMan3000]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

If this is done right, it could be big. One thing I couldn't stand was after your guy got tackled in 15, sometimes him and others would never get up. They would just lack on their backs, stuck to the ground like there was a magnetic force keeping them there. Other times, they'd be stuck on the ground on their arms and legs.

[jpdavis82]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

Players can expect a dramatic reduction in pops, warps, slides. This is huge for me, hopefully it works as advertised. Why is it so hard for them to redo Qb dropbacks?

I'm guessing you missed this, they redid QB locomotion

https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/2015/madden-16-passing-game

[brandon27]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

If this works out as planned, it will make a big difference in the presentation aspect of things. Hopefully it works.

[bringbacksimfootball]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

I'm guessing you missed this, they redid QB locomotion
https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/...6-passing-game

Then something has gone terribly. They re-did them and the animations got lost or something? Because--especially Eli's--looks exactly the same as the crummy drop they've been using forever now. I can't tell if they've finally bothered to fix the QB Set and have them place the ball in set properly (not sitting at their waists like a bunch of doofuses) because they're throwing the ball too quickly for me to see.

Also, that part where Eli is running is absolutely putrid. That has to be a keyframed animation because I cannot conceive of a motion capture talent running that goofy on purpose. It looks like some Disney Pixar animation.

[Moegames]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

I really hope the developers address the pre-play and post-play player sequences. Seeing the same player animation of a player pumping his fist in excitement after a first down..that kind of small thing really sticks out like a sore thumb. It really ruins the FLOW of the game. This greatly needs fixed....for such a small thing it can really ruin the overall atmosphere of the game. If you are gonna do pre/post play player animations/sequences/cut-scenes ...you really gotta make sure you're thinking (as a developer) how often will this same animation/sequence/cut-scene will be repetitive. Or ask yourself will this animation become repetitive over a few games? If so, then it will totally RUIN the FLOW and ATMOSPHERE of the game...these small things play a HUGE ROLE in the overall presentation/atmosphere...or simply the flow of the game. It NEEDS TO BE FLUID and not repetitive. In another words, if you are gonna stick these things into the game..make sure you have enough of them so they do not get old so quick.

Another thing that i noticed in M15, as small as it seems, ruins the fluidity of the game which is when a player crosses the goal like for a TD, he will stand idle immediately after crossing the goal like for 1 second then he will go into his TD animation or celebration..Again, as little as this seems, sticks out like a sore thumb and really hampers the overall fluidity of the game.

That fluidity or "Flow" is what is needed in Madden's animations,cut-scenes,pre/post play sequences which it has been lacking in so many ways. Repetitiveness is also a MAJOR eye sore...again, not enough variation will ruin the overall atmosphere..it is simply amazing how such little nuances can really damage the overall atmosphere in a football videogame.

One simple example of something repetitive in madden that really drags down the rest of the game's atmosphere is that pre-play sequence of the coach talking to the QB and then QB runs onto the field...this one sequence was way too repetitive..Variety is a key to these animations/sequences/cut-scenes, rather than toss them out, add a boat load more of them and make sure the code can shuffle them properly so they do get so repetitive.

I am glad to hear about this bit of news from Madden Dev's, but i hold my breath in hopes that they finally see what many of us have seen for ages. Madden has always struggled in this area and even though its a non-gameplay issue...it still totally holds everything else back. It's sorta like a awesome recipe for spaghetti sauce..if one ingredient is missing, as small as it may be, ..the sauce comes tasting dreadfully wrong.

[BleedGreen710]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

Then something has gone terribly. They re-did them and the animations got lost or something? Because--especially Eli's--looks exactly the same as the crummy drop they've been using forever now. I can't tell if they've finally bothered to fix the QB Set and have them place the ball in set properly (not sitting at their waists like a bunch of doofuses) because they're throwing the ball too quickly for me to see.

Also, that part where Eli is running is absolutely putrid. That has to be a keyframed animation because I cannot conceive of a motion capture talent running that goofy on purpose. It looks like some Disney Pixar animation.

according to jpdavis on another thread, the updated QB dropback/animations did not make it into the trailer at E3. but it has been much improved

[ozymandias2]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

Wow...

As a longtime madden fan, I can't believe they're trying to sell us this as a "feature"

I'm disappointed that we've come to XBox One in 2015 and making sure the players walk a realistic path to the huddle after a play where the cb slid 10 yds to intercept my pass lol. I come here for objective info on games and I get it.

I think madden this year is a wait and see, not a first day cop. They want us to be excited for stuff, I feel, should be standard. Smh Xbox one tho.

My qbs head wasn't turning through his progressions? Come on man that's little details to me. I guess I'll wait and see what this looks like, I needed to rant though. I lurk mostly, post rarely but I'm tired of being nickeled and dimed...fed crap and be told its caviar lol. No more instant $60 bucks anymore.

Lol...2016..."Head tracking"...."Player Movement"
Smh

[testudoaubreii]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Features Improved Head Tracking, Better Pre/Post Play Movement

Players can expect a dramatic reduction in pops, warps, slides. This is huge for me, hopefully it works as advertised. Why is it so hard for them to redo Qb dropbacks?

I have a lot of gripes with Madden, but these are some of the big ones. I absolutely cannot stand when the players are lining up and it goes from a somewhat natural jog/walk to their positions. It is almost like they skip a frame or something. It is real jerky, or maybe snappy is a better term. Players sliding across the field has been around for a long time and I hope to see that gone.


I don't know...sometimes it is just gives of an unnatural feeling, like it is not fluid or organic. It really can take you out of the overall immersion of the game.


I can't explain it well, so hopefully that made some sort of sense. Anyhow, I hope to see nice, smooth and fluid movements and animations this year.