Madden NFL 16: Quarterback Play Gets Reworked

[Steve_OS]

The ground game has gotten quite a bit of attention in the past couple of years from the development team of Madden NFL. This year, its the passing game's turn -- as detailed on a new blog from EA Sports.

Quote:

"Air Supremacy revolutionizes passing and catching on both sides of the ball with new user and AI mechanics. There is also a new multiplayer catch interaction system with more than 400 new two-player catch animations with a wide variety of outcomes."

What This Means: EA appears to be bringing it on both sides of the ball when it comes to the passing game. Everything about QB and WR play seems to have been reworked. This starts with a new handoff system that will hopefully fix a lot of the longstanding issues with play-action and quick passing plays. The handoffs themselves should look much better too.

Also new this year is a new quarterback locomotion system. These new mechanics are going to enable you to roll out to pass, or basically roll-out in a passing stance. This will keep you from suffering a huge accuracy drop off as throwing on the run will. You'll be able to toggle between pocket passing, rolling out, or scrambling with a single button push as well.

Computer QB AI Gets Reworked

Quote:

"For many players, the most requested change for Madden NFL 16 was an overhaul to the CPU QB AI. We spent several years developing a new AI architecture called “Behavior Coordinator,” which allows us to create a more granular set of behaviors to a given situation. This not only helps deliver the most challenging CPU QB’s to date, but also creates a clear distinction between different types of QB’s. The game you get from Tom Brady (pocket passer) is dramatically different than the behavior you will see from dual threats like Mariota or Newton. Each style of QB will now react to situations differently, based on their traits."

What This Means: Hopefully there is going to be a much greater distinction running an offense with Peyton Manning vs. running an offense with Cam Newton. That's what we hope this means. We'll see, in execution, how this plays out on the field. EA is claiming this has changed how the AI calls plays, how it perceives pressure, how it manages situations in-game -- along with robo QB and a dink-and-dunk offense.

The new passing mechanic of the body-relative throws will add an additional layer as well.

What do you think of the potentially improved quarterback play in Madden NFL 16?

[N51_rob]

Shot Plays....I wonder what effect play action will have on the defensive AI?

[The JareBear]

"For many players, the most requested change for Madden NFL 16 was an overhaul to the CPU QB AI. We spent several years developing a new AI architecture called “Behavior Coordinator,” which allows us to create a more granular set of behaviors to a given situation.

This not only helps deliver the most challenging CPU QB’s to date, but also creates a clear distinction between different types of QB’s. "

Very promising, hope this pans out in the retail version

[sir psycho]

The improved QB AI is the best thing I've heard so far on this game. New ball carrier AI sounds great, too.

What I DON'T like(or what i hate, actually)...the display that shows what type of pass and catch were made on the screen after it happens. That just looks awful, and I really hope that can be turned off. JP, can you comment on whether or not that can be turned off?

[DeuceDouglas]

I'll be interested to see what they come up with for the Chiefs "shot plays" being that they took about 5 total "shots" all of last year.

And the QB AI sounds great but we've been told that same schtick year after year now. As long as I'm not getting 90 sacks a season, I can live.

[Mr.Smif]

I like the sound of context sensitive cut step jukes, triggered by the LS. One of the most frustrating things about Madden 15 is how difficult it is to perform a simple small cut juke. Hopefully this mechcanic resolves that issue. But I don't like that we have to press a button to get skinny, backs should automatically attempt to get skinny just like they should automatically attempt to get low when they hit holes. I don't have want to have to worry about pulling off a simple skinny move. Madden is way too command heavy, a lot of things should just happenen without us telling the game to do it.

[Skyboxer]

Got to say I'm a bit happier than I was... Some really nice additions.
Hopefully soon there will be a re-looking at special teams and formation subs... but overall.. pretty happy.

[roadman]

QUARTERBACK AI

For many players, the most requested change for Madden NFL 16 was an overhaul to the CPU QB AI. We spent several years developing a new AI architecture called “Behavior Coordinator,” which allows us to create a more granular set of behaviors to a given situation.

This not only helps deliver the most challenging CPU QB’s to date, but also creates a clear distinction between different types of QB’s. The game you get from Tom Brady (pocket passer) is dramatically different than the behavior you will see from dual threats like Mariota or Newton. Each style of QB will now react to situations differently, based on their traits.

This new QB AI also represents improvements to Robo QB, Dink-and-Dunk offense, pressure awareness, play calling and situational game management.

Where's my Celebration song.

I need to see this in action, but nice if it all comes together.