Madden NFL 15 News Post

Madden NFL 15 Continues A Long Tradition of No Penalties

03:36 PM - November 5, 2014 by RaychelSnr

It shouldn't surprise you that Madden NFL 15 has a penalty problem, in the sense that most penalties are just never called in the game. With the default sliders, it is highly possible you won't see a single penalty called during a game. Most OS'ers agree that more penalties would add to the game and not subtract from it.

The popular theory is that EA doesn't have penalties called in the game because the randomness of penalties would ruin the experience for the average user. From talks I've had with Madden developers past and present, there is some credence to that being the case for the lack of actual penalties in the game.

What is baffling though, is why penalty sliders can't account for more variability where you can get to a more realistic penalty count while keeping the default game as separated as possible from penalties. Next year, it would certainly benefit the game if EA Sports could deliver a set of sliders that more adequately gives users the power to create a game experience more suited to the real NFL with actual 1st and 20s being possible.

Perhaps this could be where the all-mysterious (and oft-useless) AWR rating could finally play a hand in things on a tangible level on the field?

What do you think could be done to balance the needs of casual gamers who may not want a realistic number of yellow flags being thrown with the more hardcore Madden fans who demand more realistic handling of penalties?

Game: Madden NFL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 42 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 ddv25 @ 11/05/14 03:45 PM

Stating that the randomness of penalties is ruining the experience for average users is just a cheap excuse for EA's inability to have a proper penalty detection system in place. If it were for the average user and their experience, they could deactivate penalty calls other than obvious ones (e.g. encroachment). At least - if you put some "alibi" sliders into the game - make them do something...

# 2 JayD @ 11/05/14 03:49 PM

I could of sworn I heard something in the past about penalties being implemnted correctly in Madden 15, was wrong again.

# 3 Greenblood60 @ 11/05/14 03:49 PM

I'm sorry, but did "casual gamers" exist before 2005 ? Because up until the 360 & PS3 came out, which was in 2005 for the 360, they had penalties, and if casual gamers existed back then they sure didn't mind haveing penalties in the game.

# 4 majesty95 @ 11/05/14 04:26 PM

I wouldn't mind if the sliders worked a little better. I think it may be difficult to find a balance in those though between making the ref call the penalty more and the penalty animation triggering more often. Either way, I'm starting to enjoy games without very many penalties even though its not technically "sim." I wish they would fix the no huddle and the defense vs the pistol and read option so teams could use those offenses more often without being considered cheesy.

# 5 fistofrage @ 11/05/14 04:55 PM

Thanks for focusing on this. They need to make the penalties work. I mean come on a game without holding penalties. They had it on last gen. There is no excuse for this. Not having holding penalties is more of an issue than you would think. Very few second or 3rd and longs so it really changes the game.

Just make a global on off switch to turn off penalties for people who don't want them.

# 6 lynkraid @ 11/05/14 05:14 PM

I cant remember how many times during league games when my WR"s are ran into or blocked well past 10yds and nothing is ever called. I mean these are plain as day PI calls while watching in real time.

Oh and not to mention the horrible replay/review system, they either don't review something that should be, or wont allow a review, or they just totally get it wrong.

In a league game: guy threw a pass and the ball was never caught, it bounces off the ground, the defender catches it off the first bounce and the ref calls it a INT. No review for the play it was under 2 minutes left. Or a WR that catches the ball, takes about 5 steps in bounds, dives for the first down, and the ref on the review calls it no catch. Another is the WR who catches the ball, takes about 6 or more steps and the ball drops, and they call that a drop.. Not a fumble.

So both are issues that need addressed. The game just looks too good to be so unrealistic like that.

# 7 kidanything2 @ 11/05/14 05:18 PM

Penalty options and sliders for offline are fine, but I'd rather them keep it out of online. NBA 2K has implented things like bad passes and "realistic" fg% and it has completely killed any competitive feel to online play. I'd hate to be playing online, stop someone on a crucial 4th and 10 just to have a pass interference called just because the game thought it needed a penalty for realism.

# 8 kongemeier @ 11/05/14 05:19 PM

Just have a simulation settings for those of us that want simulation football - and have a Madden setting for those that enjoy casual.

# 9 CHAPEdawg45 @ 11/05/14 05:23 PM

I hate to be "that guy", but I don't think EA really cares about the true representation of the sport. The crew that does is 2k sports. I think EA is really just trying to smash that casual audience and tournament demographic. At least with a 2k product, well I've thought at least, that the true essence of the sport was felt throughout the product. Yeah there's some cheesy stuff, what game doesn't have that? But they nail the little things. They even have technical fouls for calling too many time outs! I mean...c'mon.... We can't even get PASS INTERFERENCE called. The most called foul in football.... Or holding. It's a joke.

# 10 statum71 @ 11/05/14 05:40 PM

I would AT LEAST like to see offsides, holding, and pass interference.

It sees so strange being halfway through my NFL season and I haven't either one called even one time.

# 11 Fist Of Kings @ 11/05/14 05:43 PM

"The popular theory is that EA doesn't have penalties called in the game because the randomness of penalties would ruin the experience for the average user. From talks I've had with Madden developers past and present, there is some credence to that being the case for the lack of actual penalties in the game."

Then they shouldn't hype this game as a 'sim' football game. And with some sliders effecting the actual amount of penalties called like facemask, I have a hard time believing this was intentional. It's been like this since NCAA 14(maybe longer), so to me it's more likely that they can't make a good football game.

# 12 CHAPEdawg45 @ 11/05/14 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fist Of Kings


	"The popular theory is that EA doesn't have penalties called in the game because the randomness of penalties would ruin the experience for the average user. From talks I've had with Madden developers past and present, there is some credence to that being the case for the lack of actual penalties in the game." Then they shouldn't hype this game as a 'sim' football game. And with some sliders effecting the actual amount of penalties called like facemask, I have a hard time believing this was intentional. It's been like this since NCAA 14(maybe longer), so to me it's more likely that they can't make a good football game.

Is it fair to question the type of talent Tiburon studios has in the bullpen? Because I think they're really weak. They haven't pumped out supreme quality since 05.

# 13 kidanything2 @ 11/05/14 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHAPEdawg45


	I hate to be "that guy", but I don't think EA really cares about the true representation of the sport. The crew that does is 2k sports. I think EA is really just trying to smash that casual audience and tournament demographic. At least with a 2k product, well I've thought at least, that the true essence of the sport was felt throughout the product. Yeah there's some cheesy stuff, what game doesn't have that? But they nail the little things. They even have technical fouls for calling too many time outs! I mean...c'mon.... We can't even get PASS INTERFERENCE called. The most called foul in football.... Or holding. It's a joke.

I have to disagree with your thoughts on 2k. Offline is good, but anything competitive is a joke. It's unrealistic where it needs to be realistic (dunkers can dunk from anywhere) and realistic where it should allow for some unrealism that video games should (you cannot shoot better than 50% from three no matter how open your opponent leaves you just because the game wants to keep the % realistic).

But like this guy said ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kongemeier


	Just have a simulation settings for those of us that want simulation football - and have a Madden setting for those that enjoy casual.

Sliders and options are where it's at. Offline there should be sliders (that work) for every tiny thing in the game. Online competitive modes should be competitive based on player skill, not realism, even if the game is a little arcadey. Adding penalties that you have no control over like pass interference, holding, false start in competitive modes would take away from the feeling of skill just like 2k and the fg%.

# 14 Fist Of Kings @ 11/05/14 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHAPEdawg45


	Is it fair to question the type of talent Tiburon studios has in the bullpen? Because I think they're really weak. They haven't pumped out supreme quality since 05.

I think it's fair. When you're the only company that can make football games and they regularly ship out games with legcay issues and then add new problems to it, people are going to be more critical of it.

I've bought so many of these games, both NCAA and Madden and most have been bad/mediocre imo. I still have Madden 05 on my ps2, and despite it's age it has little details that are missing in this year's game, sadly better commentary, and penalties that actually work. I wish someone from EA would let us know why they thought making penalty sliders effect some penalties and gameplay when they should be separate. It's just a mess right now, and we're left trying to figure out which slider does what.

# 15 teeteegardner @ 11/05/14 09:55 PM

i gave up on the game and the series.. i prob wont ever buy another madden , its just not designed for hardcore NFL fans, and thats ok , but its just not my style of sim/arcade i want to play. Ever since the big switch to these last gen current gen, they have failed ...PS2 was the glory days of the series, face it guys its dieing.

# 16 kidanything2 @ 11/05/14 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NimitsTexan


	Posts like this almost make me want to get out and buy NBA 2K (despite the fact I generally abhor professional basketball). I would not be surprised if that is the attitude of many online players . . . and that is one of the prime reasons I chose to avoid it. If there were a chance that penalties (as well as bad snaps, bad throws, etc.) would affect online games significantly, I'd be more interested. I want a football sim, not just an arcade game that vaguely resembles football.

It sounds good when you say words like realistic, but it's really painfully frustrating in practice. I had a guy let me shoot threes with no one on me, and I didn't hit anymore threes then if he played real d. He would take the guy who's guarding the guy with the ball and just run him down low, leaving the guy wide open. I wound up playing the guy twice, hit 39% in one and 44% in the other. I'm guessing a real NBA team would hit closer to 70. Being a video game I would like to see it closer to 80. The only reason I didn't hit more was because the game goes out of its way to keep % realistic. How is that a good thing? What reason does he have to not play D like a donkey? As far as bad passes go, its also completely out of your control. I'm running up the middle, the guy is running up the sideline, both at a slow, controlled pace, and the pass sails out of bounds due to nothing I could control. If you have any competitive spirit, you'd see how this is a bad thing. You play a bunch of games, win some, lose some, with 80% of the decisions being about randomness and not about skill. What's the point of playing? I don't feel good when I win, I don't feel like I need to get better when I lose. I just start another and see what happens. Like a spectator.

Same thing could happen with penalties in Madden. You happen to get 8 PI calls all at crucial times, he gets 2 and he wins the game based on that. Again, how is that good, and what is the point of playing if the outcome is out of your hands? Or what if you're playing a guy, close game, 16-14, you kick a fg to win, but there's a holding call moving you out of fg range and you lose. So the game just decided the outcome for you because it hasn't called an arbitrary penalty in a while. Maybe you think that's cool because it's realistic. My vote is that it takes away the reason to play: to see who's better.

All that being said, that's just my opinion about competitive modes. I agree with everyone else saying the Tiburon team needs to step their game up. No reason to not have all the options for offline modes. Penalty on/offs, sliders, ratings sliders, ability to create/edit people in the middle of a franchise. No excuse for not having options.

# 17 StefJoeHalt @ 11/05/14 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kidanything2


	It sounds good when you say words like realistic, but it's really painfully frustrating in practice. I had a guy let me shoot threes with no one on me, and I didn't hit anymore threes then if he played real d. He would take the guy who's guarding the guy with the ball and just run him down low, leaving the guy wide open. I wound up playing the guy twice, hit 39% in one and 44% in the other. I'm guessing a real NBA team would hit closer to 70. Being a video game I would like to see it closer to 80. The only reason I didn't hit more was because the game goes out of its way to keep % realistic. How is that a good thing? What reason does he have to not play D like a donkey? As far as bad passes go, its also completely out of your control. I'm running up the middle, the guy is running up the sideline, both at a slow, controlled pace, and the pass sails out of bounds due to nothing I could control. If you have any competitive spirit, you'd see how this is a bad thing. You play a bunch of games, win some, lose some, with 80% of the decisions being about randomness and not about skill. What's the point of playing? I don't feel good when I win, I don't feel like I need to get better when I lose. I just start another and see what happens. Like a spectator. Same thing could happen with penalties in Madden. You happen to get 8 PI calls all at crucial times, he gets 2 and he wins the game based on that. Again, how is that good, and what is the point of playing if the outcome is out of your hands? Or what if you're playing a guy, close game, 16-14, you kick a fg to win, but there's a holding call moving you out of fg range and you lose. So the game just decided the outcome for you because it hasn't called an arbitrary penalty in a while. Maybe you think that's cool because it's realistic. My vote is that it takes away the reason to play: to see who's better. All that being said, that's just my opinion about competitive modes. I agree with everyone else saying the Tiburon team needs to step their game up. No reason to not have all the options for offline modes. Penalty on/offs, sliders, ratings sliders, ability to create/edit people in the middle of a franchise. No excuse for not having options.

Just my take on some of what u said regarding penalties..I understand ur point but..the penalties shouldn't just be random..they should be caused by poor play or inexperience..meaning if ur using a team with DB's and LB's with poor coverage skills or/including young players this should cause more PI calls..same goes for if u have players out of position covering WR (ie WR on LB)..along those lines u press a lot u only looking to be called for d holding or illegal use of the hands..they shouldn't just happen to happen..same with offense..if a O-Tackle is going against a speed rusher and is getting beat to the edge due to his slow feet he should hold causing the flag to be thrown

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# 18 ForUntoOblivionSoar∞ @ 11/06/14 12:26 AM

Penalty sliders change game play FAR more than they change penalty call frequency. It is a sad aspect that really can't be undone.

For example: You want the CPU QB to take more shots down the field and have better pocket presence? Increase intentional grounding to 80+.

Does this increase intentional grounding penalties? Not one bit. I have literally not seen one intentional grounding penalty since I changed this slider, but I have seen a dramatic increase in medium and deep pass attempts by the CPU.

That is the problem with Madden penalties. It is all animation based. The penalty sliders just increase the chances of particular animations associated with penalties playing. They need to COMPLETELY SEPARATE penalties from generic game play animations and until they do penalties will be broken.

The upside of this relationship however, is that we can use penalty sliders to make game play more realistic.

For example, see this thread:

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...y-sliders.html

# 19 CHAPEdawg45 @ 11/06/14 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fist Of Kings


	I think it's fair. When you're the only company that can make football games and they regularly ship out games with legcay issues and then add new problems to it, people are going to be more critical of it. I've bought so many of these games, both NCAA and Madden and most have been bad/mediocre imo. I still have Madden 05 on my ps2, and despite it's age it has little details that are missing in this year's game, sadly better commentary, and penalties that actually work. I wish someone from EA would let us know why they thought making penalty sliders effect some penalties and gameplay when they should be separate. It's just a mess right now, and we're left trying to figure out which slider does what.

I like to think a game that has to be reliant on sliders for a really good experience is kind of weak. Now with that said, I don't hate sliders. I like the ability to tailor any person's game to their own liking. But I'd like to have it where you don't need to adjust it so drastically in order for it to do so. That isn't the case for Madden. You'll see piles of slider sets to try and get a realistic and fun game. Most work to an extent until it's bogged down by the ever present legacy issues. I just don't get how this stuff doesn't get fixed knowing that this WHOLE community, and the nation, is football crazy and can pick out what doesn't represent the game how it should. We shouldn't have to settle for it ya know?

# 20 charter04 @ 11/06/14 08:22 AM

It's simple. Give a slider for every penalty in football. Make the sliders actually work. Fix them so they don't affect the gameplay. They should only cause more or less of said penalty. Tie the likeliness of them to the players awareness or a discipline rating. They can even have them off for online ranked and MUT. Just give us options. It's not not that complicated.

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