Madden NFL 25 Next-Gen War in the Trenches Q&A with Clint Oldenburg

[Steve_OS]

The EA Sports Madden NFL twitter account recently had a Q&A session with Designer Clint Oldenburg, as he answered questions about the War in the Trenches.

Thanks to jpdavis82 for the assist.

Will low Awr cost olineman to make wrong reads when targeting pre snap?

This year, physical ratings will have greater impact than intangible ratings up front.

Do holding penalties factor in these new line animations/interactions? Or are they randomly generated?

Holding animations will be slightly increased on Next-Gen.

Does oline Strength counter dline PMOV and Footwork counter FMOV?

Pass Block Rating (PBK) counters both.

what's biggest difference in next gen ?

The QB now must step up into the pocket rather than extend his drop which fundamentally changes the way Madden is played.

will D-lineman "win" more 1-1 battles against lesser rated O-linemen? Or will it be 50/50

Pass rush has been improved and ratings will have a heavy impact on 1v1 battles up front.

how do lineman make their calculations? Closest defender to ball carrier? Inside gap protection?

For pass blocking, O-Linemen calculate the location, speed, direction and angle of pass rushers to the QB.

what does impact blocking mean? And is it better than upgrading specifically run/pass blocking

Impact Blocking = Any block that occurs while both the blocker and his target are moving in the open field.

Will the QB now identify and say who the "Mike" is?

you will see either the C or QB point when identifying the mic, but you will not hear audio.

Will there be times where the o-line miss a assignment like on a delay LB Blitz or overloading one side

Yes, overload blitzes aren't as effective as they used to be but lineman will definitely miss assignments from time to time.

Does o-line block away from hole, so defender gets free if you run where you're not supposed to on runs like a dive outside?

In run blocking, OL will be more likely to block for the design of the play.

Does Madden next gen defese have true run fits and/or gap assignments?

They have gap assignments based on each play they run.

Will HB's pick up blitzes more often? Will lineman be able to report as eligible?

HB's are included in the pass protection. No, all formations in Madden are legal.

Is the snap count a factor in next gen? WIll you be able to draw the defense offsides?

Yup!

Does True Step affect every player or just the ball carrier?

Stay tuned for a Q&A on True Step in the future.

How are PMV/FMV used in calculating while rushing the passer? Does only get used in one play or both?

It's based on that players ratings, traits, and player type.

Will the blind side pass rusher (RDE) be able to consistently get pressure instead of how it is now where the LDE gets the most?

Yes, that's now balanced and ratings will determine pressure.

Will next gen stop the nano blitz?

Nano blitzes are less prevalent and w/ enhanced pass rush you won't need to nano based on the amount of organic pressure.

What determines the missed assignment rate? AWR or PBK or a combo of both?

Targeting is tied to the defense's movement, so physical ratings will naturally have a larger impact in such a dynamic atmosphere.

Will the secondary actually be able to keep up with WR's and play man defense decently?

Coverage has been improved and enhanced pass rush will make the defensive secondary's job easier.

Has blitzing been improved? Is cover 2 a usable scheme now with better pass rush?

Yes, you will feel more heat with blitzes, which also improved all coverages.

Can we adjust protections ourselves and not just slide protection? Can we single out an O lineman to focus on a guy or add help?

When you add a TE and HB to the protection scheme, they will determine targets as well as the offensive line.

Will a lineman break off of his double team to pick up a blitzing linebacker?

Yes, what we call sorting, due to our calculation power in gen 4, they are able to dynamically evaluate threats to the target.

Will certain pass rush animations only be available to players with higher rated PMV or FMV?

Ratings have a very high impact on pass rush animations.

Can you please change the penalty "Clipping" to "block in the back"?

That is a great suggestion and something that's already on our radar. Thanks

Best defense against Vernon Davis?

Nickel strong cover 1 robber but is susceptible to the TE Flag

Will fatigue be a factor? If defense is on the field for long stretches will it impact play?

Yes, when a defensive lineman is fatigued his ratings start to drop.

Will there be more moves for defensive lineman to use on next gen?

There is more defensive line moves and more they will be more effective at establishing a good pass rush.

How will lineman react to 1-3 man rushes? Too easy to get sacks when it's 5 o-lineman vs 1-3 rushers.

When blockers out number rushers you are going to see double teams when available.

[Steve_OS]

If you have any additional War in the Trenches questions you would like asked, post them here. I'll try to get them to the right people.

[Senator Palmer]

Uh-oh... I just saw two answers I reaaalllly liked...

Quote:

@EAMaddenNFL does Madden next gen defense have true run fits and/or gap assignments? EA SPORTS Madden NFL ‏@EAMaddenNFL 10m They have gap assignments based on each play they run. @EAMaddenNFL will the blind side pass rusher (RDE) be able to consistently get pressure instead of how it is now where the LDE gets the most EA SPORTS Madden NFL ‏@EAMaddenNFL 15m Yes, that's now balanced and ratings will determine pressure.

Can you ask him these...

Do the safeties properly read receiver releases and play the run better in quarters coverage?


Has the linebacker play been re-done to respond better to draw plays and counters? As it is now, the linebacker takes a huge ice skating step out of the hole on counters right at the snap - even before you can take control - and by the time you do it's too late, you're out of position.


Will the identification of the "Mike" change if you slide your protection?

[TeeDogg]

If you snap the ball before the mike is ID'ed does it affect the efficiency of the OL to pick up blitzs ?

Are the DL moves mapped to the right stick such that we are in control of all of them. Using both directional and circular motions? swims, spins, humps,bull rush, etc

[royounggoku]

Quote: Originally Posted by Steve_OS

what's biggest difference in next gen ? The QB now must step up into the pocket rather than extend his drop which fundamentally changes the way Madden is played. will D-lineman "win" more 1-1 battles against lesser rated O-linemen? Or will it be 50/50 Pass rush has been improved and ratings will have a heavy impact on 1v1 battles up front. Will there be times where the o-line miss a assignment like on a delay LB Blitz or overloading one side Yes, overload blitzes aren't as effective as they used to be but lineman will definitely miss assignments from time to time.

This is freaking gold

[royounggoku]

Quote:

@EAMaddenNFL is the snap cout a factor in next gen? Will you be able to draw the defense off-sides? — Shelton Gordon (@sheltg) October 21, 2013 @sheltg Yup! — EA SPORTS Madden NFL (@EAMaddenNFL) October 21, 2013

This is very nice

Quote:

@EAMaddenNFL @ClintOldenburg Will the next gen stop the nano blitz? — J Linton (@JLinton84) October 21, 2013 @JLinton84 @ClintOldenburg nano blitz are less prevalent and w/ enhanced pass rush you won't need to based on the amount of organic pressure — EA SPORTS Madden NFL (@EAMaddenNFL) October 21, 2013

[mvb34]

Will O linemen get hurt beside on turnovers or when you sim a game

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[m1ke_nyc]

When O-linemen are sorting and deciding who to pick up do they actually have to see defender bringing the pressure before picking them up ?