I was just going to post this in my slider thread for M22; but thought it might get buried. This is going to be a little different than the typical OS slider thread. All the tinkering is done, all the "testing" is done. This is a final setup because at its core, M23 is not going to fundamentally change, even via a patch. So, the normal, "I'll provide feedback" type of stuff is going to fall on deaf ears. I've done what I need to do this cycle and I figured I'd share for old-times sake.
For Madden 23 (current gen, though it may work for old gen); I have finally landed on a simple slider setup that has given me exactly what I want. The fundamental flaw with default All Pro, it is too passive. There's no real sense of urgency from CPU controlled players, yours or your opponents. As a result, the games feel very much on-rails. Default AP on M23 is just bland and repetitive. The good news, you can completely pull the game off its rails by changing a single slider a single point off of default (any slider). I know it sounds a bit gimmicky, but one tick on one slider off of default CAN make a huge difference. But which slider do we select? That is the big question.
But before we get there, let's talk about what default really means.....
What is Default?
I have my "go to" default setup - this is what I feel most truly represents the core default.
All Pro/Sim
10 min quarters, no acc clock
Assists - Ballhawk and Autoflip defense must be on, all other assists off
Injuries - 25
Fatigue - 50
Threshold - 50
Gameplay Sliders/Penalties - all at 50 or turned "on"
You will set these in the main menu and then import into CFM.
So that is your core default Madden setup. Deviations from any of these, including the assists, will impact the game (for the better or worse - usually the worse).
The 'One Click' Adjustment
I'm not going to get into specifics of failed experiments; but frankly speaking, if you want to stay as close as you can to default on AP, there are things you just should not do (the main ones being altering penalty sliders, raising fatigue, or changing threshold). You can get a little bit of good out of gameplay sliders; but they'll alter the balance (there is no such thing as an offsetting adjustment as the slider impacts are not granular enough).
So this is the altered setup (again, set in main menu first and then import into CFM):
All Pro/Sim
10 min quarters, no acc clock
Assists - Ballhawk and Autoflip defense must be on, all other assists off
Passing type - Classic
Injuries - 26
Fatigue - 50
Threshold - 50
Gameplay Sliders/Penalties - all 50 or turned "on"
That's right, the one- click adjustment is to the injury slider! Why is that? Because THAT my friends is your player momentum slider. Players move with more momentum, play with a bit more effort, and basically "try harder". Bear in mind, it's not fundamentally an "aggression" slider but you will see things you don't see on default Madden. The lineplay is "messy" (with surges occurring on both sides), pursuit is more pronounced (but not overdone like on AM), receivers maintain better momentum after the catch, tackling has a bit more force to it. The result is a MUCH more dynamic overall gameplay. Now, while this does not directly impact CPU QB AI (a big bugaboo on AP), the added momentum on routes does open things up (depending on matchups) a bit more, given the CPU a bit more opportunity to make good throws - which is then complemented by stronger defensive responses. If you're normally an All Madden guy, there probably isn't going to be enough here for you to change your mind.
(Word of warning: more is less. Do NOT increase the injury slider above 26. You will quickly turn the lineplay into a static mess, receivers will not be able to stay in-bounds on sideline catches, QBs will just be hyper-aggressive throwing into coverage...it's just not good if you're wanting to stay on default).
If you try this approach out, I STRONGLY advise NUMEROUS games (full transparency - even I have not gathered sufficient sample size yet). However, every game has played-out differently. The CPU is not a pushover; they will beat you (vs you beating yourself). It's honestly a refreshing experience to not know how a game is going to play-out.
One final thing: if you use these in an existing franchise, I would advise setting these in the main menu, resetting your CFM sliders and then using the import button. THEN, back out of franchise and out of the game itself. Then you can just fire the game back up and you will be good to go.
Minutiae
- I personally play with SS abilities turned-off.
- House rule: I highly suggest automating the manage practice reps option and/or turning progressive fatigue off. Although progressive fatigue isn't broken like last year, I think a user still has an inherent advantage over the AI when you manually set your practice intensity each week. Progressive fatigue has such a powerful impact, this is a needed measure to help maintain parity.
Final remarks
A close buddy who has always been my "slider confidant" and I have spun our wheels all cycle with this game (often just uninstalling the game for long periods of time while we've enjoyed our respective MLB The Show franchises). We have both seen the potential this game has to offer but it has been difficult to unlock it. For the first time this cycle, we have both been enjoying the game. Hope some of you do as well.
I'll pop-in over the next couple of days to see if anyone has any (good) questions.
For Madden 23 (current gen, though it may work for old gen); I have finally landed on a simple slider setup that has given me exactly what I want. The fundamental flaw with default All Pro, it is too passive. There's no real sense of urgency from CPU controlled players, yours or your opponents. As a result, the games feel very much on-rails. Default AP on M23 is just bland and repetitive. The good news, you can completely pull the game off its rails by changing a single slider a single point off of default (any slider). I know it sounds a bit gimmicky, but one tick on one slider off of default CAN make a huge difference. But which slider do we select? That is the big question.
But before we get there, let's talk about what default really means.....
What is Default?
I have my "go to" default setup - this is what I feel most truly represents the core default.
All Pro/Sim
10 min quarters, no acc clock
Assists - Ballhawk and Autoflip defense must be on, all other assists off
Injuries - 25
Fatigue - 50
Threshold - 50
Gameplay Sliders/Penalties - all at 50 or turned "on"
You will set these in the main menu and then import into CFM.
So that is your core default Madden setup. Deviations from any of these, including the assists, will impact the game (for the better or worse - usually the worse).
The 'One Click' Adjustment
I'm not going to get into specifics of failed experiments; but frankly speaking, if you want to stay as close as you can to default on AP, there are things you just should not do (the main ones being altering penalty sliders, raising fatigue, or changing threshold). You can get a little bit of good out of gameplay sliders; but they'll alter the balance (there is no such thing as an offsetting adjustment as the slider impacts are not granular enough).
So this is the altered setup (again, set in main menu first and then import into CFM):
All Pro/Sim
10 min quarters, no acc clock
Assists - Ballhawk and Autoflip defense must be on, all other assists off
Passing type - Classic
Injuries - 26
Fatigue - 50
Threshold - 50
Gameplay Sliders/Penalties - all 50 or turned "on"
That's right, the one- click adjustment is to the injury slider! Why is that? Because THAT my friends is your player momentum slider. Players move with more momentum, play with a bit more effort, and basically "try harder". Bear in mind, it's not fundamentally an "aggression" slider but you will see things you don't see on default Madden. The lineplay is "messy" (with surges occurring on both sides), pursuit is more pronounced (but not overdone like on AM), receivers maintain better momentum after the catch, tackling has a bit more force to it. The result is a MUCH more dynamic overall gameplay. Now, while this does not directly impact CPU QB AI (a big bugaboo on AP), the added momentum on routes does open things up (depending on matchups) a bit more, given the CPU a bit more opportunity to make good throws - which is then complemented by stronger defensive responses. If you're normally an All Madden guy, there probably isn't going to be enough here for you to change your mind.
(Word of warning: more is less. Do NOT increase the injury slider above 26. You will quickly turn the lineplay into a static mess, receivers will not be able to stay in-bounds on sideline catches, QBs will just be hyper-aggressive throwing into coverage...it's just not good if you're wanting to stay on default).
If you try this approach out, I STRONGLY advise NUMEROUS games (full transparency - even I have not gathered sufficient sample size yet). However, every game has played-out differently. The CPU is not a pushover; they will beat you (vs you beating yourself). It's honestly a refreshing experience to not know how a game is going to play-out.
One final thing: if you use these in an existing franchise, I would advise setting these in the main menu, resetting your CFM sliders and then using the import button. THEN, back out of franchise and out of the game itself. Then you can just fire the game back up and you will be good to go.
Minutiae
- I personally play with SS abilities turned-off.
- House rule: I highly suggest automating the manage practice reps option and/or turning progressive fatigue off. Although progressive fatigue isn't broken like last year, I think a user still has an inherent advantage over the AI when you manually set your practice intensity each week. Progressive fatigue has such a powerful impact, this is a needed measure to help maintain parity.
Final remarks
A close buddy who has always been my "slider confidant" and I have spun our wheels all cycle with this game (often just uninstalling the game for long periods of time while we've enjoyed our respective MLB The Show franchises). We have both seen the potential this game has to offer but it has been difficult to unlock it. For the first time this cycle, we have both been enjoying the game. Hope some of you do as well.
I'll pop-in over the next couple of days to see if anyone has any (good) questions.
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