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

# 21 roll2tide @ 09/18/10 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymee13


	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

your asking for a properly working AI. What, exactly, makes you think the EA team is even capable of such a feat?

# 22 DaSmerg @ 09/18/10 11:49 PM

While I appreciate the article by Dustin and can understand the POV (and that of some other posters) I found Gameflow/Gameplan [another] under-developed addition to the Madden series that makes it fall on the gimmick side.

But then again, as long as the year-to-year game play continues to devolve then it really doesn't matter now does it

# 23 tarek @ 09/19/10 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelman990


	I'm 33 with kids....wait until you get there You know what really bugs me Chris? Its not when you dont have time to finish a game(that has no in game save feature)...its when you are in the 4th quarter kicking some computer butt, and with 1 minute to go the game freezes. Thats the Madden reality. And the patch makes it freeze even more. I havent played a game since nearly right after the patch when my game frooze 2 out of 3 games during thew 3rd and 4th quarters.

I feel you mate. I'm 32 with kids and find that time to properly invest in sports sims is slowly disappearing.

While I am not a madden player, I too appreciate the innovations to allow sim play in a time friendly fashion. I think it's important to provide good balance, so those younger fans who we older folk once were, the young guys who spend hours and hours, weekends and evenings growing the passion of sim gaming and realism, can continue doing so.

# 24 Dazraz @ 09/19/10 06:58 AM

In games saves are a must. Games such as NBA 2K11 & PGA 11 especially require such a feature.

# 25 JaymeeAwesome @ 09/19/10 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roll2tide


	your asking for a properly working AI. What, exactly, makes you think the EA team is even capable of such a feat?

I'm not expecting this to be in Madden 12, probably within the next three years they'll be able to incorporate it all...as long as they don't scrap Gameflow all together.

# 26 crob8822 @ 09/19/10 09:15 AM

As a person who suffered a stroke and cannot use his right hand gameflow and game planning came along at the right time. I cannot look thru all those plays in .40 sec and the game takes less time to complete.
So for someone who is now slightly handicap it is a great feature.

# 27 DGuinta1 @ 09/19/10 12:10 PM

Still waiting for a patch to fix the D. Until then been playing NCAA11. A great football game!

# 28 brahmagoul @ 09/19/10 05:06 PM

One reason Gameflow works: audibles.

# 29 NAFBUC @ 09/20/10 09:24 AM

Why not have a 'save game' option? Frequently, I have to sim part of a game and wish Madden had the option to save and finish later.

I am glad The Show allows the user to save and finish a game when I have the time.

# 30 TreFacTor @ 09/20/10 09:45 AM

As usual the devs added gimmicks instead of fixing legacy issues... as someone else already posted, I do better calling my own plays. The computer is no better when you assign it a gameplan and gameflow, I really don't know how anyone could even suggest that these additions make the computer play any better. In every interview I have read, even the devs admit that this years game is more offensive, and that the game is easier.. anyone who can tell that by the ridiculous amount of scoring and broken tackles by mediocre player is delusional. I didn't buy Madden this year, it was given to me, and that is really the only way I will ever get the game again until they fix the game, add some type of physics in order to combat the canned animation controlled foolishness that happens.

Yes locomotion made the players move better, but even that wasn't implemented correctly, because the devs have indicated that this may be where the defensive problems lie...either way, Gameplan and Gameflow shold have been shelved until the rest of Maddens issues were resolved. My major concern has never been not having time enough to game... I only game when I have time, I don't start a game 20 minutes before I have to leave for work, anyone who has to schedule in some gaming time really just needs to grab a book or handheld, and take that with you. Your obviously busier that a doc on rotation, so that may e more suitable to your convoluted schedule.

# 31 Galarius @ 09/20/10 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roll2tide


	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

You can assign importance of plays per situation on a scale of 1 to 10, so no , you aren't as likely to get a draw play if you assign it a low number

You can also use gameflow to create playbooks for the cpu to use when you play against them....Or even have someone else do it and play against their gameplan...

# 32 PRAY IV M3RCY @ 09/20/10 10:57 AM

I am glad that everybody has fallen for the gimmick.The best advertisement that ea could put out is "play games in half the time" thats just pathetic, what about franchise, and other career modes? I dont care how much gameplanning go hand in hand with gameflow, regardless, the AI is still picking plays for you. Sound familar?

# 33 PRAY IV M3RCY @ 09/20/10 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todem


	Where this feature has shined is not for us the user but in making the CPU play and call a much tighter game. In combination with the right slider set (I use my own tweaked version of Mike32Ownz set) I am getting the most realistic and challenging Franchise madden games I have ever had in this series. I don't know if EA intended this. But this is the awesome by-product that the feature spawned and I pray they do not drop it. Games against the CPU are 100% better.

wow, so they couldnt have tweeked the Ai this year, and instead give us something in any of the career modes?

# 34 PRAY IV M3RCY @ 09/20/10 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymee13


	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

Thats just another issue with the AI being dumb as usual. Instead of you hating the fact that there is a play in your PB that you know will work, why not have the AI on defense improved. Mabye that would help, but saying that the game is more fun and challenging because the CPU is picking some terrible plays in bad situations is never a solution.

# 35 ridemooses @ 09/21/10 01:54 AM

Wouldn't an "In Game Save" accomplish the same thing without having stupid counter play calls?

# 36 DoubleIt5 @ 09/21/10 03:05 AM

Is the glass half full or half empty? Either way, we're all drinking it.

# 37 Xtra @ 10/04/10 02:05 PM

I mixed Gameflow with conventional, but after my X-Box froze, I turned off the Gameflow. But i always plan when i play, so i know I'll have the time to finish a full game.

# 38 Rocky @ 10/05/10 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ridemooses


	Wouldn't an "In Game Save" accomplish the same thing without having stupid counter play calls?

Exactly.....

# 39 Foxtrot2873 @ 11/07/10 08:53 PM

That article depressed me.

# 40 metzelaars @ 11/10/10 12:43 AM

Yeah, but you've still got to catch up with me Dusty. I'm 33 and by the time you get to where I'm at you don't want to spend what little free time you do have on skin-deep, popcorn games like Madden has become. I'd much prefer to spend 30 mins plugged into deep franchise mode so that when I do get a chance to play it actually means something.
It's kinda like fast food - it's convenient and you can point a finger at your tight schedule to justify ordering another happy meal, but the truth is that it's better to eat one good meal a day than three ****e ones.
Sooner or later, developers are going to realise that the real long-term money isn't in arcade games.

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