Gameflow and Responsibility Go Hand in Hand

Feature Article

Submitted on: 09/17/2010 by Dustin Toms

The older I get, the more I realize that I took my childhood for granted.

I started playing video games back when the Super Nintendo and NBA Jam were in their primes. I started getting serious about video games when Diddy Kong Racing made its way into my N64. Madden 2001 and NHL Breakaway 98 were the first sport games I played to death. By the time Madden 2004 was released, my sports gaming passion had gone from being just a hobby to being more more of an obsession.

That was a long time ago. Now I'm 23 years old. I recently broke up with a long-time fiancée, and I am stuck with the responsibilities that three jobs (and OS) and bills bring my way. I still love gaming, but the time is just not there. I have played too many games that were shut off in the seventh inning. There have been too many times that fourth-quarter comeback never had a chance to materialize. It got to the point where I would have to schedule my life around my games -- not what I wanted.

People would tell me go grab the NHL and Madden arcade games on XBLA, but they were not the same. NBA Jam is coming out soon, and I love the original, but it still won't be enough. I want sim. I need sim because I breath sim. Then Madden 11 came out.

I know a lot of people are extremely disappointed in Madden, and I am as well, especially when it comes to the the lack of Franchise mode improvements. However, the newest feature is what makes this game matter.

Gameflow. Is it a gimmick? Maybe. Does it cut down on a lot of play time? Yes. And it allows me to enjoy a game of Madden without having to constantly check the clock before going to work or school.

Gameflow has its flaws, but I can look past them. It does annoy me when it's the fourth quarter, I’m down by a touchdown with 45 seconds left, and it calls a counter play. But the feature goes much further than that. The average gamers that are not short on spare time will not understand why it is so easy to see past a flaw like a poorly planned counter play, but one day they will.

Until then, though, they can gripe as much as they want about Madden 11. It won't change the fact that my bachelor pad is finally the site of plenty of fourth-quarter comebacks once again.

Madden NFL 11 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 RJTurneR @ 09/17/10 02:58 PM

I downloaded some custom PAL version GamePlan's to make this game more enjoyable, and even then I still edited them a slight bit myself. Now I have all 32 Coaching Scheme slider settings for franchise, plus the custom GamePlans. As you mentioned, Madden has its flaws, but the user can make the game itself enjoyable to their own preference or experience.

Just coming here to OS can achieve that enjoyment, which is why we should give credit to all the guys who spend time testing & posting slider sets & those who spend time making GamePlan's.

All of these things have me enjoying franchise mode.

# 2 Galarius @ 09/17/10 05:06 PM

Another great way is SuperSim....In NCAA i am playing about 10 games a week right now for every week of the season using supersim...It is better for NCAA because you have the option to watch plays as well as sim them(which i watch about every third down i don't SIM)...then i just play(or coach) my team for a few drives a half...i din't use to like this but i am having a blast taking part in so many games and having more of a feel for the entire league now..Gameflow is pretty cool on Madden.you can even create separate gameflow saves where you can lod them in and have the CPU run a gameflow plan u invented.Which sometimes can be fun to play against, or even watch teams battle it out with gameflows you create

# 3 Rebel10 @ 09/17/10 05:24 PM

Good luck with the end of the engagement thing. At 23, it's definitely a good thing, too young to be tied up like that.

I'm midway through my 26th year and usually balance gaming, work, & social life decently well. I go through spurts... one day I may play a couple games, then I'll go a while without playing. I find myself usually playing games that all of my friends and I get, because then we're not really missing out on much by playing a game Friday night rather than going out to the bar or whatever. Some of the most fun we've had together in the last few years has been playing in a party of CoD for hours on end... it's a great way for us to stay in touch when we ended up splitting off and moving to different cities after college.

My GF lives about 45 minutes away and so we usually see each other on the weekends, so I have most of the week to myself except for a few times when she'll come to my house during the week. I kind of like it this way... gives me an opportunity to live my life, which invariably involves videogames. Growing up, I always thought, "when I'm 16, I won't play games anymore," or "when I'm 18 I won't..." "When I'm in college I won't..." "When I'm out of college and have a job I won't..." but at some point in my 20s I realized that gaming is something I really enjoy and it's something that I'll always make time for. Maybe when I have kids I won't have marathon sessions of NCAA Football, but who knows, I would have said the same thing at other times in my life, and thus far, it's worked out.

# 4 sportyguyfl31 @ 09/17/10 05:26 PM

gameplan+gameflow makes for a nice experience.

I have time when I just dont want to cycle through a bunch of plays a I will never use...plus there are times I just want to relax and take it easy.

# 5 crabcola @ 09/17/10 05:28 PM

I have to second a lot of posters' and the writer's sentiments here. Gameflow is great. I get to share the TV with my fiancee', and since I took the time to do all 64 gameplans, this is the most fun I've had on Madden in years!

# 6 teebee @ 09/17/10 06:53 PM

So what happened with you and your fiance'?

# 7 Raven Nation42 @ 09/17/10 08:44 PM

Good read, about to get some gaming in as soon as I get out of the office. The weekends are my time and I look forward to it.

# 8 stlstudios189 @ 09/17/10 11:29 PM

I love this gameflow feature!!!! I am actually going to finish my Madden season this year.

# 9 Dog @ 09/18/10 01:41 AM

Good read. I don't have the same issues, but it makes you think.

# 10 Dazraz @ 09/18/10 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galarius


	Another great way is SuperSim....In NCAA i am playing about 10 games a week right now for every week of the season using supersim...It is better for NCAA because you have the option to watch plays as well as sim them(which i watch about every third down i don't SIM)...then i just play(or coach) my team for a few drives a half...i din't use to like this but i am having a blast taking part in so many games and having more of a feel for the entire league now..Gameflow is pretty cool on Madden.you can even create separate gameflow saves where you can lod them in and have the CPU run a gameflow plan u invented.Which sometimes can be fun to play against, or even watch teams battle it out with gameflows you create

With you on this. Supersim works great on NCAA this year. on previous versions you ended up with some crazy scores but this year it is alot more balanced. I would like to see a similar feature on NBA 2K. I like to play full 12min quarters to get realistic stats but it can be hard to put the time aside to do this.

# 11 DoubleIt5 @ 09/18/10 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMBOO


	Wow... Just Wow. Well, I guess if ask Madden is a "New" feature to you, then who knows? I guess for you things that have been around for the last 15 years are deemed "new" makes me laygh and cry, all at the same time. Oh Well. Good luck, boobaru.

I think you're missing the point. First off, Gameflow must be used in conjunction with Gameplanning. To say Gameflow is Ask Madden is ridiculous. You obviousy haven't made any gameplans. Try it.

# 12 LucianoJJ @ 09/18/10 09:46 AM

I checked out Madden 11 from the public library. The public library has video games? Who knew? Won't be long until some story comes out about EA trying to charge libraries extra for games, but anyway....

Gameflow was fine. It did speed it up, and allow me to finish a game in record time. What Gameflow demands of you is execution. You have to be a playmaker. What Gameflow takes away is strategy. There is a challenge to scrolling through the formations, and finding the right play in a matter of seconds. You learn more football strategy, and get a better understanding of different plays, rather than just going with what the coordinator chooses. Today's players actually learn the real game as kids. It's easy enough to switch it off, and go back to the playbook, though.

Gameflow might be a good addition to NCAA 12. I'd be more likely to switch it off.

# 13 mechbutcher @ 09/18/10 11:33 AM

I really like the gameflow addition and hope it stays in the game. For the sim player this could be a real breakthrough for EA.. The future possibilities for this could be really huge for us dedicated simmers. Would love to be able to script drives and all, and gameflow different personnel packages. Hope EA keeps building on this could bring back alot of lost sim fans. Great topic thanks to the original poster

# 14 NFLfan80 @ 09/18/10 12:06 PM

I love Gameflow. I get more games and the wife doesn't get on me as much lol.

# 15 Exonerated @ 09/18/10 12:32 PM

gameflow is awesome. gameplanning is cool too (when someone else does the hardwork and makes them for you)

# 16 gr18 @ 09/18/10 03:18 PM

I use it and like it to some extent but wish that it did really cut your time in half as advertised.I find that with 11 min. qtrs. and 20 second runoff it takes my time down from an hour to 45 minutes.Saving 15 minutes is better than nothing but I'm debating if that's really worth it.I find that I'm calling more audibles on offense and am stuck in bad formations at times on defense.

# 17 maddenps2 @ 09/18/10 04:18 PM

I must be gifted or something, I can gameplan on the fly, and pick my own plays within a matter of seconds, adjust my play calling to each opponent and the in-game situation.

# 18 roll2tide @ 09/18/10 09:30 PM

The other side of the coin......

I think Gameflow/Gameplan is a joke. The only difference between this and Ask Madden is that you pick the pool of plays that Maddens AI randomly selects from. Thats it. Nothing more complicated or revolutionary than that. And guess what? If you throw a draw play into your 3rd and long set then your as likely to get that play on 3rd and 7 at your 11 yard line(a realistic spot for it if you don't want to risk a turnover) as you are to get it on 3rd and ball game with :01 second left when your at your opponents 37 yard line and you need a TD to win. Your simply narrowing the ways in which Ask Madden could give you a random, and sometimes stupid, play.

I use 5-8 different playbooks and I know them well. I can pick my plays as fast or faster than Gameflow and they actually make sense. Am I 19 with nothing better to do with my time? No...I'm 39 with a job, a wife, and 3 kids. Am I some cheeser who uses 3 plays all game? No...Anyone on this site who has played me will tell you that I'm as sim as they come. I use my ENTIRE PB on both sides of the ball (I run a legit 3-4 defense).

Imo, this is nothing more than EA dressing up a feature that was never worth a flip and calling it innovative. If you enjoy it and it works for you....then great. There is no right or wrong here. But as for me.....the day I have to turn to a glorified Ask Madden is the day i put the game down.

.02

# 19 Gotmadskillzson @ 09/18/10 09:39 PM

Game planning to me is the feature EA should have been advertising instead of game flow. Sounds better and game planning is more important because it totally changes how the cpu plays. It is the closes thing Madden has to player tendancies. Sure it takes a long *** time to do, but it is worth it.

Hope NCAA 12 gets game planning.

# 20 JaymeeAwesome @ 09/18/10 10:04 PM

For me I find gameflow to be more challenging than picking my own plays (while playing the CPU) because trying to pull out a 3rd and 7 draw play is so much more rewarding than being able to pick a play from your playbook that you know will work against the CPU. I believe if they add in more situations like ball position, amount down or up in score, and time left on clock it would be even better. Also in offline franchise if they add team scouting so it adjusts your gameplan for how that weeks opponent plays that would be great too

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