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If You Could Change One Thing - Madden NFL 12

It seems like every year Madden is shipped with flaw after flaw, causing an uproar in the OS community. We see lists of forgotten features, underwhelming commentary and even missing players. But what if you could only choose one fix? What if you had to choose the single, most important problem in the game to change in your opinion.

What would that be?

Chris Sanner: The commentary. Now don't get me wrong, I'd love to have the gameplay fixed as well, but there are so many invdividual problems with gameplay that I can't name just one that'd have as big of an effect on how the game feels as just fixing the commentary. If I could take Madden's horrendous commentary and turn it into the best commentary in our genre, the game would have been perceived as a much better game. There would still be the gameplay quirks that we all know and hate/love, but we'd feel a lot more into the game with an immersive experience with great commentary.

Caley Roark: Broadcast elements. I know they added transitional scenes and real camera placement, but Madden 12's presentation still has a long way to go to match leaders like NBA 2K11 and NFL 2K5. I want to see more stat overlays, graphical drive summaries, timely and engaging replays, on-screen performance analysis, a halftime show, etc. Even though football is the game that seems to push broadcast technology, Madden is years behind.

Phil Varckette: Player weight. Players need to have more weight to them. It seems like every player, regardless of size, can cut on a dime. I can pretty much zig-zag down the field gaining yards at will. This especially hurts on sideline catches. When a player catches the ball and his momentum should clearly carry him out of bounds, he is able to turn and burn to the endzone. Until this is fixed, player ratings will continue to mean absolutely nothing.

Bo McCready: Scouting in Franchise Mode. The new approach to scouting was interesting, but there's no reason we shouldn't be able to see things like 40 times and bench presses for every last prospect. We need more than height, weight, school and position before the scouting process starts. I shouldn't have to scout a quarterback during a specific time period to know obvious things like if he's a scrambler or a pocket passer. It kills the realism and immersion of Franchise Mode.

Jayson Young: An online franchise mode that has all the same features as Madden's offline franchise mode. Online franchise hasn't received any upgrades since the feature debuted in 2009. With no salary cap, limited stat tracking and no support for gameplay sliders, online franchise is arguably the weakest mode in Madden.

Bishop Tart: In-Game Shows. A few years ago, EA tried to implement a pre-game and halftime show with several NFL Network personalities. That did not go over well and was poorly executed. They don't have to do exactly what 2K did with NFL 2K5, but if EA wants us to play an authentic NFL game, give us a better pre-game, halftime and post-game show. Also, Chris Berman is not required, Mike Tirico would work just fine (use the ESPN license you have).

Mike Kilroy: I wish it still had the rewind feature. That way when a crazy play that would never, ever happen in real life happened, I could rewind and pretend it didn't.

Dustin Toms: The commentary (Sanner and I are on the same page, as usual). If I hear how agressive Cortland Finnegan is agressive one more time, I might do something illegal.

What about you, OS? If you could change just one thing about Madden, what would it be?


Madden NFL 12 Videos
Member Comments
# 21 rudyjuly2 @ 02/24/12 06:37 PM
I totally agree with Phil on this one. Player weight. The way the players move don't come close to real football and I'm really, really tired of the lousy physics engine. That one change would make the game feel so different and fresh.
 
# 22 ryan36 @ 02/24/12 06:48 PM
There's so much wrong with the game, I don't know how to say this. Player interactions, I guess.

- Meaning tackles look bad, blocking is bad, momentum and jostling is bad...etc.


Oh and when the game doesn't cue the audio hit sound on a tackle - what I mean by the above is so obvious. A guy gets tapped and look he's hit sticked. A hit should feel like a hit but it doesn't unless I hear the hit.
 
# 23 Bulls321974 @ 02/24/12 07:30 PM
- blocking (don't count on it)
- tackling (looks cheap)
- commentary (uhum...we shouldn't even call that commentary)
- animations (get rid of these robotic kind of movements, makes the game look terribly arcadish)
- player weight (simply ridiculous right now)
- presentation (hey EA, we're talking next-gen consoles here)
 
# 24 KingV2k3 @ 02/24/12 07:37 PM
Head Coach OVR (Franchise Mode):

1) Has too much impact, overriding sliders / settings as his number progresses

2) Progression is too quick...easy to get from (for example) 58 to 100 in one season, making him / you virtually unbeatable with the same settings that were challenging (a few games previous) when he was still at or near default...

I can slider / setting / edit / workaround / house rule the other stuff...but this one is "untouchable" in it's current form...

As one of our compatriots suggested:

Ability to edit coaches in franchise (just like the new player edit system) would be acceptable...
 
# 25 ANDROMADA 1 @ 02/24/12 07:46 PM
Remove this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnsCY...layer_embedded

.....and then we can discuss further. No excuse for this bad a programing.
 
# 26 N51_rob @ 02/24/12 08:02 PM
The ENTIRE passing game offense and defense.
 
# 27 The_Balm @ 02/24/12 08:17 PM
The engine
 
# 28 Tomba @ 02/24/12 08:32 PM
One thing?

Huh. i'd look to what made NFL 2k12 so good.

It's animations. REDO animations
 
# 29 BodyBag513 @ 02/24/12 08:39 PM
All madden need is real time physics or put eurphoria engine and all this becomes irrelevant because gameplay comes first then presentation then commentary. Youtube/BodyBag513
 
# 30 SoulAssassin @ 02/24/12 08:48 PM
A lot of great suggestions in these replies so far.

Too many for me to pick just one... I'd have to pick a half dozen.
 
# 31 PRAY IV M3RCY @ 02/24/12 08:57 PM
no disrespect to other posters on here but if u could change one thing in this game some of yall would want player lock on defense r pass trajectory..i am not saying it isnt important..but u must really consider the game great if thats the ONE thing you would want changed..As for me it is easily the way players move on the field ina realistic way..momentum weight..foot planting all of that would no doubt change the game immediately from an arcadish style to a more simulation style gaemplay..and i definetly agree with my man that said something about a read and react system..
 
# 32 lnin0 @ 02/24/12 09:01 PM
I would change the NFL license deal so it was no longer exclusive.
 
# 33 ANDROMADA 1 @ 02/24/12 09:15 PM
Or actually let the user have total control over the tuner sets. You know the ones that were added this year but never touched afterwards....
 
# 34 AgustusM @ 02/24/12 09:21 PM
any free agent system at all that is different then the "new" one they implemented last year - the click timer was one of the worst new features I have ever seen. I don't have nearly as many negative things to say about the game as some of the others but I was shocked at how much of a step backwards that was.
 
# 35 statum71 @ 02/24/12 10:25 PM
A halftime show
 
# 36 wat3 @ 02/24/12 10:31 PM
I just want something new and innovative instead of clay looking morphing robots playing body bumper cars while ice skating on a flat green plain infront of emotionless pixals and brian dead commentators calling names buy numbers while shotgun sounds go of when the same animated collision occurs after a DB just read the mind of my WR or a super human LB jetpacks 20 feet to bat a ball I intended to throw to a rocket man WR leaping over 5 defenders for a completion I threw across by body while rolling 20 yards away from my throwing arm. There you go Devs. I just gave you the description for the back cover of your next Madden game.
 
# 37 charter04 @ 02/24/12 10:53 PM
Change the penalty system! I'm sick of the same three penalties being the only ones that are called. The penalties should be just like real life. Illegal motion or illegal formation get called a lot in real life.
 
# 38 carnalnirvana @ 02/24/12 10:54 PM
the camera, i want madden 11 zoom camera back
 
# 39 charter04 @ 02/24/12 10:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulls321974
- blocking (don't count on it)
- tackling (looks cheap)
- commentary (uhum...we shouldn't even call that commentary)
- animations (get rid of these robotic kind of movements, makes the game look terribly arcadish)
- player weight (simply ridiculous right now)
- presentation (hey EA, we're talking next-gen consoles here)
I like you "one thing" list.
 
# 40 B-Lo-Z-Ro @ 02/25/12 12:42 AM
COMPETITION!!!! there is none between players,, its basically run through the dummies & a game of 500 with passing.. we need options on defense against the run & pass like certain buttons do certain things.. go for the interception, strip the ball, block the pass, arm tackle, shoulder hit, etc.. give the defense options against the offense.. same can be done with the offense. but there is too much that either needs to be changed, added or fixed to be just one...
 


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