Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

[Valaskjalf]

Hi guys

I've been struggling with this throughout M17 in CFM - Very often while on defense my players simply do not react to balls thrown in their vicinity regardless of the buttons I press.

Often it would be LBs who just stand there without jumping/diving to balls easily within reach only for the CPU to make a completion. Sometimes this will happen with 3 or more defenders all close to the ball, noone even trying to get to the ball or trying to swat/dive/jump/anything. I've upgraded all of my players' Persuit traits/play recognition/awareness as I thought this would help the cause but more often than not it doesnt do much.

I usually user the MLB so I'm generally left trust the rest of my team to make plays based on the CPU control. Any suggestions? Is this just the nature of the game or do you perhaps have some tips for me?

Thanks

[XtremeDunkz]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

This is most noticeable with safeties. I have 2 99 overall safeties with 99 play rec, 99 awareness, 99 zone, aggressive play ball trait. But on deep passes they will just stand there and let the receiver catch it instead of driving to the ball.

[Hooe]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

Madden NFL 16 added new pass defense controls for a reason.

While the ball is in the air, switch on to the nearest defender with the Circle button (B on XBOX One). The game should keep your defender running to the ball as long as you're not touching the left thumbstick. From there, you have the following options:

Play Ball - hold Triangle / Y
Play Man - hold Cross / A
Swat Ball - hold Square / X

Depending on where your DB is positioned on the field you can also use Strafe (L2 / LT) to face up to the ball before you attempt to play against it.

[LBzrule]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

If he has conservative play ball trait he's not going to do anything. That's what I noticed about Reggie Ragland for quite some time. I was like he'll let the football hit him in the facemask and just be enamoured like the saw an alien. Then I looked and he has conservative play ball trait.

[LBzrule]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

This is most noticeable with safeties. I have 2 99 overall safeties with 99 play rec, 99 awareness, 99 zone, aggressive play ball trait. But on deep passes they will just stand there and let the receiver catch it instead of driving to the ball.

What I've noticed with this is sometimes it depends on the WR's spectac catch animation. When a WR has like a 99 spectac catch even if your safety has aggressive, he's just going to get caught in the animation and the WR is going to catch it. Height of the WR and Jumping also come into play.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

Madden NFL 16 added new pass defense controls for a reason.

While the ball is in the air, switch on to the nearest defender with the Circle button (B on XBOX One). The game should keep your defender running to the ball as long as you're not touching the left thumbstick. From there, you have the following options:

Play Ball - hold Triangle / Y
Play Man - hold Cross / A
Swat Ball - hold Square / X

Depending on where your DB is positioned on the field you can also use Strafe (L2 / LT) to face up to the ball before you attempt to play against it.

Being a no switch guy these are not solutions for me...
EA needs to fix CPU AI players but with the answer said last year of "Switch and do yourself" I doubt thats a focus..
Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Hooe]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

Being a no switch guy these are not solutions for me...
EA needs to fix CPU AI players but with the answer said last year of "Switch and do yourself" I doubt thats a focus..
Hopefully I'm wrong.

I think it's very clear between the direction of the last two games, the increased focus on e-sports, and the "Year of the User" tweets that the solution is indeed in-fact "switch and do it yourself".

No-switch is dead.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

I think it's very clear between the direction of the last two games, the increased focus on e-sports, and the "Year of the User" tweets that the solution is indeed in-fact "switch and do it yourself".

No-switch is dead.

Probably so which also leads to a doubtful Coach Only mode in the future.
I'll adapt as much as I can but still a disappointment.

Still excited for the new passing system though.
I'll enjoy it for what it is a move forward. I'll need to channel my inner younger days and just have fun.

[StefJoeHalt]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

I think it's very clear between the direction of the last two games, the increased focus on e-sports, and the "Year of the User" tweets that the solution is indeed in-fact "switch and do it yourself".



No-switch is dead.

I wish you were wrong but you are not


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Skyboxer]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

I wish you were wrong but you are not


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Hopefully with Sim mode it's not a "Must be a switcher" mode.
We'll see soon enough I guess.

[StefJoeHalt]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

Hopefully with Sim mode it's not a "Must be a switcher" mode.

We'll see soon enough I guess.

I just hope they haven't removed the current Coach Mode


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[roll2tide]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

I feel like sliders would help this issue. Good sliders completely change how the AI for user and CPU play the game. Maybe check out t hat forum.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Operation Sports mobile app

[Senor Tortilla]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

I have the same issue, specifically with safeties breaking on crossing/middle-of-the-field routes. They will not respond to the ball, no matter how close they are, if they are not covering the exact receiver the quarterback is targeting. As previously mentioned even to the point where they're being hit in the numbers without reaction.

I always figured that it was due to the lack of ball physics, and the game deciding at the throw: complete/incomplete/etc., and the defenders reacting as such. Sure, you can mitigate the problem by attempting to switch on and manually make a play, but it still speaks to a larger problem in Madden. That is that the ball physics, or lack thereof, are terrible, and defenders are completely helpless without user input, regardless of stats.

[JoshC1977]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

Easy fix....turn on 'Ball Hawk'....it has a direct impact on how responsive CPU-controlled defenders are to the balls in the air.

(And if you already have it on, it is likely a slider issue)

[Americas Team]

Re: Defenders unresponsive to balls in air

I think it's very clear between the direction of the last two games, the increased focus on e-sports, and the "Year of the User" tweets that the solution is indeed in-fact "switch and do it yourself".

No-switch is dead.

Apparently on Simulation mode its all about player ratings, so maybe no switch is still alive in that mode hopefully.