Madden 2010 News Post

Madden NFL 10 Blog - Improvements to WR/DB Interaction

11:54 AM - March 2, 2009 by Ian_Cummings

Check out the latest Madden NFL 10 blog. This one covers the improvements to WR/DB interaction.

Quote:


	"As most folks already know, as a design team we've been very active on the forums recently (starting about a month or so before the Madden NFL 09 release). Within minutes of talking with the community it's easy to tell that one of the most common areas requested for improvement is DB/WR play. Obviously, we're listening to you, and here are just some of the other improvements and changes that you can expect to see in Madden NFL 10 come August."

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Member Comments

# 101 Avii @ 03/02/09 07:19 PM

The last Madden I played was the Madden 08 for the PC, so bear with me if it was fixed.

I used some pretty good sliders, that would tire the team Without these, basically, nobody would ever get tired. The same players would play a whole game over and over, leaving all backups as benchwarmers.

A sideeffect though, is that when everybody is tired, say for example all cornerbacks, instead of putting in a safety who might be in the reserve and who might play the position (backup guy), they would sub in my best overall player, usually my first string HB or my P. Now, these guys couldn't defend. But when I get back on offense, now my first string HB starts out as tired and therefore sits until he regains his energy, allowing my 2nd string and 3rd string to play etc.

Basically, auto subbing and player tiring would be completely whacked. Look into this.

# 102 Hotlanta @ 03/02/09 07:21 PM

I would guess that this is there but hopefully we'll get to see this when this topic is brought up again.

How is the transition from two players jostling when the DB is in press man coverage, and the WR is running a deep in/out route?

# 103 marshallfever @ 03/02/09 07:27 PM

Jostling sounds incredible, finally, this years madden will truly set its apart from its predecessors.

# 104 RGiles36 @ 03/02/09 07:38 PM

I know my below inquiries will get lost in the sea of questions, but I'll throw it out there anyway. From the blog:

Quote:


	Lastly, we've started to use Procedural Awareness (so far just as a purely visual thing). We recently got head tracking in pre-play for WR's so they now look in towards the ball at the snap. This has been long overdue. We also enabled Procedural Awareness head tracking for DB's. In man coverage they will directly 'track' the eyes of the WR, and in zone coverage they will track the QB's eyes, with the ability to also randomly swap targets based on proximity of guys entering their zone.

My question pertains to the zone DBs tracking the QB's eyes. What's determining where the QBs look? Obviously, the QB's eyes are following the receivers. But is there a method to it? Is the QB first looking in the direction of the primary target on the play, and making additional progressions thereafter? Or is the QB's eyes bouncing around from receiver to receiver with no direction so to speak?

Next, this isn't really a question, but this blog reinforces to me that there needs to be timing based routes in Madden 2010. The new route running is beautiful, but it NEEDS to correlate with the quarterback's auto-dropback. I no longer want to drop back and have to sit back idle as the WR gets into their route, leaving me open to take a sack.

# 105 adembroski @ 03/02/09 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden28


	Maybe not as crazy as you may think. I believe Madden currently uses Naturalmotion's endorphin engine as it's 3D animation tool. I think I may also be correct in saying that the news about layered blending animation is a direct result of being able to utilise Naturalmotion's new Morpheme engine. That leaves one last product in Naturalmotion's armoury untouched by EA. Have you guessed what it is yet?...The Euphoria engine as currently being used by Backbreaker for all it's tackling algorithms. Go figure.

No, Madden does not use Euphoria, Natural Motion, or any other 3rd party animation engine. They use an in-house utility and animation system called "ANT".

# 106 Golden28 @ 03/02/09 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adembroski


	No, Madden does not use Euphoria, Natural Motion, or any other 3rd party animation engine. They use an in-house utility and animation system called "ANT".

So much for my conspiracy theory. Damn,

Thanks for the info, I'd forgotten about ANT!

# 107 mKoz26 @ 03/02/09 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden28


	So much for my conspiracy theory. Damn, Thanks for the info, I'd forgotten about ANT!

Keep hope for Euphoria!

# 108 eaglesfan27 @ 03/02/09 07:51 PM

I'm very impressed and excited by these changes. I can't wait for August.

# 109 Golden28 @ 03/02/09 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mKoz26


	Keep hope for Euphoria!

Always bro!

# 110 RGiles36 @ 03/02/09 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adembroski


	No, Madden does not use Euphoria, Natural Motion, or any other 3rd party animation engine. They use an in-house utility and animation system called "ANT".

You'll have to hit up Ian for a clear answer, but I'm positive that Madden does use a form of Endorphin for some of their tackles. I was trying to find the quote but I couldn't. I seem to recall Ian recently saying that they used this tech on some of their tackles in Madden 08 and it resulted in some pretty unrealistic-looking animations.

# 111 Golden28 @ 03/02/09 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgiles36


	You'll have to hit up Ian for a clear answer, but I'm positive that Madden does use a form of Endorphin for some of their tackles. I was trying to find the quote but I couldn't. I seem to recall Ian recently saying that they used this tech on some of their tackles in Madden 08 and it resulted in some pretty unrealistic-looking animations.

I thought that too. On Naturalmotion's website it says that EA are one of their customers.

# 112 adembroski @ 03/02/09 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgiles36


	You'll have to hit up Ian for a clear answer, but I'm positive that Madden does use a form of Endorphin for some of their tackles. I was trying to find the quote but I couldn't. I seem to recall Ian recently saying that they used this tech on some of their tackles in Madden 08 and it resulted in some pretty unrealistic-looking animations.

Yes, they used it in '08, didn't like it. I remember a conversation I had telling people '08 had it, and I got pilled on until Ian showed up and smacked 'em all down.

# 113 CM Hooe @ 03/02/09 08:23 PM

Great stuff.

Question though: suppose I'm playing a game with the Cowboys against the Redskins... if I were to assign, say, Terence Newman to cover Santana Moss, would Newman line up over Moss regardless of which play I picked? Or will Newman only line up over Moss if I pick a play with Newman in man coverage?

Also, sort of going along with the previous question: in PS2 Madden, if you picked a safety to cover the tight end with the defensive assignments feature, and then came out in a 4-3 defense in man coverage, the actual positions of the linebacker normally lined up over the tight end and the safety would be swapped, i.e. the safety would line up at linebacker and vice-versa. In Madden 2010, does defensive assignments still affect my formation in this manner, tipping my hand to the offense as to what I am doing on defense? (to go along with the Cowboys v Redskins example, suppose I matched up Ken Hamlin with Chris Cooley... if I am in 3-4 and Washington comes out in I-Form, does Hamlin swap with Greg Ellis at LOLB, putting Ellis in the safety position where Hamlin would be if he didn't have a defensive assignment specified? This would be most unfortunate...)

# 114 GKEnialb @ 03/02/09 08:35 PM

Is this only for 360 and PS3?

# 115 Hawaii_Stars @ 03/02/09 08:59 PM

Sounds great Ian. I especially like the idea that 99 speed guys won't dominate the game.

# 116 Spartan_1 @ 03/02/09 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krioniq


	Question though: suppose I'm playing a game with the Cowboys against the Redskins... if I were to assign, say, Terence Newman to cover Santana Moss, would Newman line up over Moss regardless of which play I picked? Or will Newman only line up over Moss if I pick a play with Newman in man coverage?

Good question. Also, will the CPU do this to the player in single player games?

# 117 Spartan_1 @ 03/02/09 09:13 PM

This is all looking really good.

To be honest though, what I am excited about is the realistic acceleration and momentum. Not because of how it affects the WR/DB matchup though.

Because maybe I can edit a player that can stop on a dime and accelerate faster than anyone else on the field. Then give him the Super agility to do this in any direction. Give him ungodly ability to break tackles. I will edit his number and make him wear number 20 and I will call him Barry Sanders.

# 118 statum71 @ 03/02/09 09:25 PM

Anybody who thinks Madden will be the "same 'ol game" must not be reading.

I'm VERY impressed. Things are looking WAY up!!!!!!!

EA has never gone this deep.

# 119 g2thecore @ 03/02/09 09:45 PM

Amazing stuff! Week after week Ian and the guys just keep amazing me...Madden 10 is shaping up to be something truly epic.

Keep it up guys!

# 120 adub88 @ 03/02/09 09:58 PM

Now were talking baby. We're making moves now. The one thing i really wanted to see in that jostling clip(my absolute favorite additon thus far) is head tracking as they jostle. I can't wait to see what other goodies you guys have in store for us Ian. Keep up the good work.

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