Madden NFL 12 Blog - Dynamic Player Performance Features

[Irish_NFL_Fan]

Wes Reinhart, Designer and Engineer at EA Tiburon, has released an in-depth blog discussing the additions that Dynamic Player Performance brings to Madden NFL 12.

Quote:

"Welcome back fellow Maddenites! Wes Reinhart here, designer and engineer, overseeing the Dynamic Player Performance feature for Madden NFL 12. I have been at Tiburon since '07 working on various Maddens as well as Head Coach 09. Like you, I am a huge NFL fan and I love any feature that blurs the line between the NFL and Madden, which is why this is one of the most exciting features I have ever worked on. It adds a whole new level of intrigue and strategy to each and every game mode. Believe me, I already know what you're thinking; "...just another gimmick..." or "Haven't they tried this before (weapons of Madden NFL 08)?" Let me set your mind at ease; this is NOT a marketing ploy and this is like nothing we have ever done before. Dynamic Player Performance is an in-depth, yet subtle, new system that will capture the real essence of NFL players, resulting in the most realistic Madden ever. With this new technology we are able to manipulate many different aspects of gameplay, ranging from player specific AI to consistency or even being able to dynamically affect player performance throughout the course of a game. Each and every player in Madden NFL 12 will have a genuine and noticeable gameplay style, resulting in more divergent AI and skill sets. Mike Vick will no longer just stand in the pocket waiting for a receiver to get open as you continuously rush three and drop eight. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis will no longer react to a pass in the same way. Ed Reed will seek every opportunity to cut in front of the receiver and pull down that big interception, while Ray Lewis will look to punish those receivers who dare run routes over the middle. Overall, across all positions, there are a total of 18 new traits that will define each player's style of play. Let's go over each one and I'll explain how they work. I'll start with the universal traits that affect all the players on the field. Most of these traits were designed to capture the intangibles of the game. These are the traits that will attract the attention of perennial winners like the Patriots, Colts, or Steelers on draft day, in addition to raw talent. Consistency/Confidence Confidence and Consistency are two traits that work together to produce a single result. Consistency defines how MUCH players are affected, while confidence describes the DIRECTION (positive or negative) of the change in comparison to his base ratings. We will ship Madden NFL 12 with every player having a confidence level of 3 out of 5 stars. This means the consistent players will play right at their expected level, while inconsistent guys will have random variance. An inconsistent player will have a noticeably different skill level from game to game, even when he is at an average confidence, and the variance will only increase as his confidence reaches the extremes. As the NFL season goes on, Donny Moore's weekly roster updates will adjust the confidence level of all the players in the league based on real life performance. Similarly, Franchise mode will have dynamic confidence adjustments after each game based on the stats of the game. Players with a 1 or 2 star confidence rating will play at a lower level and those with a 4 or 5 star rating will play above their expected level. Since the affect confidence has is drastically lower for consistent players, you might choose to focus on building a consistent team rather than having to roll the dice that your 85 overall rated QB isn't playing more like a 75 for week 17 when you need a win to get into the playoffs."

For the full blog, click here.

[2krunk4u]

this sounds like it could be pretty darn awesome if put in correctly. Good step forward EA.

[JaySmooov]

I like the Clutch trait, as well as the Senses pressure levels.

But giving Roethlisberger oblivious? That better mean Ben is gonna break some sacks and still be able to escape. Some players will undoubtedly panic and change his tendency to Ideal or something.

[adembroski]

Quote: Originally Posted by JaySmooov

I like the Clutch trait, as well as the Senses pressure levels. But giving Roethlisberger oblivious? That better mean Ben is gonna break some sacks and still be able to escape. Some players will undoubtedly panic and change his tendency to Ideal or something.

Being oblivious does not over-rule his ability to break tackles. He has a very strong tendency to hang onto the ball for ridiculous periods of time... it's just that in the playoffs, he makes plays anyways... hence, he's also Clutch.

[khaliib]

Side Note:
I can't wait to create my 2nd addition of NCAA on Madden with these player traits.

Madden is looking Nasty from a Customization stand point.

I might actually buy at midnight for the 1st time!!!

Wish somebody could get a hold of all the Player Traits possible and post!!!

[guaps]

Would have loved to have seen some static (in the sense that they don't change during games or from game to game) tendencies as well. For example, for receivers it could list if they're limited to running certain routes (short/intermediate, over the middle, vertical) or if they can run them all. Or if defenders had tendencies to determine if they had good positional instincts or are good at backpedaling etc.

It would also add another dimension to the draft. You've scouted a great receiver, but find that his route tree is limited. He's only good as a vertical runner, but you need a receiver that can go over the middle. Or you find a perfect outside linebacker for your 3-4 defense, but see that he likely to be out of position and thus is a liability in the pass defense. Do you still draft them, knowing that you might need a season or more to change their tendencies?

Traits and tendencies are the way forward for Madden (for all sports games) and I can only hope that they expand on this in the coming years.