The Importance of Madden's Attributes

Feature Article

Submitted on: 12/11/2015 by Robert Kollars

I want to talk about attributes, And the importance of what they mean in regards to EA’s Madden franchise. In years past, Madden fans wanted speed, and why? Because you can’t coach speed, and inevitably it would counterbalance the lack of skill and talent in regards to lower-rated players. Thankfully, while speed is still important in Madden 16, it’s not the only attribute that matters.

So what attributes do matter? Well, that is a very tricky question depending on the position we are talking about. If the quarterback position is up for debate, some will argue that throw power, medium accuracy and deep accuracy are the absolutes of attributes; others might gravitate to play action and short accuracy. If you are vertical-minded coach, then you’re looking for throwing power, medium and deep accuracy, but attributes such as throw on the run could have a huge impact if your offensive line is suspect. Some will claim that awareness also matters, but it has been officially confirmed that awareness has zero effect on human-controlled players. So unless you’re simming a bunch of games, don’t sweat over awareness in regards to players you love to control.

Getting back to speed, it still matters a ton, but it can be usurped in importance. For example, with the new receiver/secondary interaction, and the jump ball scenario, the speed attribute takes a slight back seat in Madden 16 when talking about wide receivers. Instead, spectacular catch, catch in traffic and height arguably mean more. The speed attribute will always play a large part in the Madden franchise, but thankfully other attributes are in play here as well.

On the defensive side of the ball, things work much the same, and understanding your 53-man roster is just as important. Let’s look at the defensive tackle position for instance. If you are running a 4-3 defense, then the most important attributes are probably going to be awareness, strength and block shed. That’s not to say power and finesse moves -- along with play recognition -- aren’t important, but a player who possesses all of those attributes are extremely rare. In regards to your defensive ends, the speed, acceleration and block shed attributes can be extremely important, and they help with a scheme that looks to its front four to get pressure on the quarterback and allow greater coverage downfield.

With special teams, the attributes are limited but can be just as important. In regards to kicking, I think it's fair if you only worry about kicking power. Kicking an accurate field goal or kickoff is almost a given. Even with sliders lowered and the new PAT rule implemented, the amount of misses I see are negligible, and really the onus should be placed squarely on the power. In regards to kick and punt returns, there is really only the kick return attribute, but speed and agility will also play a large part. A large percentage of kick and punt return success will be predicated on the skill and ability of the 10 guys in front you also, so keep that in mind.

The bottom line is this. While some attributes definitely carry more weight than others, it ultimately comes down to the type of offense and defense you like to run, and the talent pool you have access to. The most important item of all is you have to know and understand the types of plays and schemes you tend to gravitate towards on both sides of the ball, and build your team accordingly -- both through XP growth and player personnel. Here is another small hint that has not been officially confirmed (just trust me on this), but when looking at players and attributes, make sure to pay attention to the type of scheme you run, and what that player feels most comfortable in. There is a small “under the hood” ratings boost when the two are properly meshed together.

For your style, what are the most important attributes to you?

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Member Comments

# 1 DCEBB2001 @ 12/11/15 01:08 PM

In all honesty, EA needs to completely overhaul their attributes and bring them more in-line with what professional talent evaluators look for when grading prospects. To be clear, the grading of prospects is simply attempting to quantify the qualifiable traits that a player possesses. The big professional scouting services, as well as each NFL team's in-house scouting departments, all attempt to do this. Although what they look for can vary a little bit, most of them are looking for the same things at each position. I posit that EA needs to utilize such sources to mimic what the pros do in real life.

This all starts with the analysis of professional scouting sheets. BLESTO and National handle most of the NFL team's scouting responsibilities for college players who become draft eligible every year. However, every NFL team has their own in-house department that grades current NFL players and free agents on a monthly or even weekly basis. Once again, although the grading system may differ from one team to another, most teams are always looking for the same things from their players.

To expand on this, consider the QB position. Here are the traits that National, BLESTO, and an NFL Front Office (which supplies datat to FBGRatings.com) deem as being important for the QB position. In this example, the SAME PLAYER is used as I was able to pull his reports from each source:

National: Scale from 0.0 (low) to 10.0 (high).

Quick Set Up
Quick Delivery/Release
Arm Strength/Velocity
Judgement
Poise
Leadership
Accuracy Short/Touch
Accuracy Long/Touch
Awareness/Slide in Pocket
Anticipation/Timing
Locate 2nd Receiver
Scramble/Throw on Run

BLESTO: 2.40 (low) to 0.00 (high).

Set Up
Reading Defenses
Release
Arm Strength
Accuracy
Touch
Poise
Leadership
Pocket Movement
Scrambling Ability

In-House NFL Front Office: 0.0 (low) to 5.0 (high).

Arm Strength
Footwork/Scrambling Ability
10-25yd Pass Accuracy
Reads
Release
Holds (special teams)
0-10yd Pass Accuracy
Field General
Ball Security
25+ Pass Accuracy

As you can see, all three are not identical, but more or less look for many of the same things. What differs most is the scale for each.

When you analyze what these professional scouts look for and compare it to the attributes in Madden, you find some differences that are pretty wide-ranging. Did you notice something strange, however? One of the biggest things you will find is that professional evaluators do NOT give a value on the same scale as the technical skills when assigning value to the physical traits. Instead, nearly 100% of the time, they reference the testing results that are used to measure physical abilities for Strength, Explosion, Agility, Speed, and Burst. Such measurables include:

Strength:
1 Rep Max in Bench Press
1 Rep Max in Squat
1 Rep Max in Power Clean

Explosion:
Vertical Jump
Broad Jump

Agility:
Pro Shuttle (lateral agility)
3-cone (radial agility)

Speed and Burst:
10yd Split (during 40 yard dash)
20yd Split (during 40 yard dash)
40yd Split (during 40 yard dash)

These scouts NEVER assign a graded value to these 5 physical traits. They always reference the trial results. This leads me to conclude that if EA is really interested in making this game as true to life as possible, they would adopt such a system. They should overhaul all of the attributes by adding in ones that are not yet present (Poise, Leadership, Release for QBs) and get rid of ones that are not even evaluated (IBL, RBS, PBS, RBF, PBF, SPM, JKM, etc).

Further, EA should do away with the 0-100 scale for the 5 physical attributes and replace them with testing numbers instead. This would allow users, like real-life talent evaluators, to evaluate the physical skills as a scout would do. It would teach users how to evaluate physical talent and make them more accustomed to player evaluation more in line with how players are really evaluated in real life.

Instead of seeing a STR rating, you would see the player's Bench, Squat, and Power Clean numbers. Instead of a SPD and ACC rating, you would see his 40 time splits and could then differentiate between a player who accelerates quickly, but doesn't have great top end speed, from a player with slow acceleration, but great top end speed. If you want to know who may be good at doing a spin move about a radial center, look at the 3-cone time. If you want to know who may have a solid juke move laterally, look at the shuttle time. These are characteristics that transfer over to on field results very well and have high correlative values.

I would also like to see them use a real scouting scale instead of the 0-100 scale they currently use. Find a scale that works and adopt it. If pros use these scales to evaluate and assign values to talent levels, why can't Madden?

One final change I would like is the ability to turn off the OVR or make the OVR value better mimic real scouting formulas for which they are derived. Did you know that 32% of a QBs OVR rating is based on his THP? Yet, these scouting services give it the same value as every other trait! Why is that? The OVR either needs to be overhauled or done away with.

In summation, EA needs to completely overhaul the ratings to make them more in line with real data and metrics. This is supposed to be a next-generation game. I can think of nothing better to make this game mimic real life more than evaluating their ratings system and making changes to it outside of making this a true physics-based game.

# 2 BlackBetty15 @ 12/11/15 02:51 PM

DCE - Your getting deep brother and for what its worth I really...REALLY like the premise of your idea.(Or rather the norm of what happens but isnt reflected) The issue is while WE here at OS know how this is done and what NEEDS to be done, the team that is responsible for this wont do it because:

1: Its not their idea
2. Their idea is might be better

Not a slam at devs...rex is great and the team IS responsive. But the people above Rex that nix his round table ideas are terrible...Also, it seems that there is a push back for us here who want a great football game by incorporating true skills and strategy when playing madden and not that arcade Madden tourney crap always see. We are viewed as a small buying pool of the masses who prefer an "ish" final product. If it sounds disheartening, it is and I really HOPE to all things amazing you and your crew get on SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY to implement your thought process man because right now...while madden plays great...we say that because its light years ahead of previous maddens which depend on your outlook...can be a good thing or bad in terms of other sports games out there/

# 3 SpyPirates @ 12/11/15 03:45 PM

Hmm with regards to awareness not mattering for user controlled players, In another thread from this week here on OS, a guy who had looked through the code "confirmed" that awareness acts as a modifier for all attributes, which implies that it does matter for user controlled players.

# 4 DaSmerg @ 12/11/15 07:13 PM

Back in the day Madden (PS2 & next-gen) it wasn't so much speed. At around 89 speed, the margin of difference was minimal between say 89 and 99. It was the ACC stat that mattered.

Agree with DCEBB2001 though that the ratings system has needed an overhaul for quite a while as it's been questionable for a while what several the attributes actually do (if anything other than a new stat line on a spread sheet) and if there is that much of a difference between a C level rating and elite 99.

My experiences has been not really, other than the OP momentum effect with Madden piling on a lot of times (fumble, INT, injury, injury, special team play for TD) + the legacy predetermined outcome thang.

# 5 onin9190 @ 12/11/15 08:17 PM

After playing the game year in and year out I have come to the realization that the attributes don't matter and speed is rarely a factor when the AI is set up to balance the game flow to make up an imaginary "competitive" aspect to the game. I see time and time againyou 98 speed 96 agility RB gets run down by a DT the moment turbo gets hit. Have an OL that has 99 block 95 strength and 93 impact blocking but continues to miss his blocks or get handled by a DE with mid 80s in shed blocking. What about Drew Brees running like he's Mike Vick and Marcus Mariota running like he's Tom Brady.

I always wonder what makes that player have those rating. When we watch football we don't say "Aaron Rodgers is a 99 ovr player with a 96 throwing power 92 acc." We say "Aaron is the best if not one of these best QB in the league with great arm and acc who is mobile" how does that go in ratings?

The ratings need removed from the game (sorry Donny). It's going off one person's idea of how they are rated. It should be done by scouting reports. That's why the progression and regression is broken because the ratings are broken.

I guess I can't expect them to have everything right....

This why they have some terrible animations because the rating don't matter.

It's all AI animation that dictates what happens, who wins and who loses. It's all AI driven so rating dont mean anything

# 6 phant030 @ 12/12/15 12:00 AM

Halfbacks and Full Backs should have lower overall catch ratings. They should 'struggle' catching the ball out of the back field and especially downfield (other than exceptions). Their CIT and CTH ratings should be stretched down to the lower end of the scale.

This should create hesitation throwing bullet passes to flats, in traffic (texas), and deep down field on out wide or on wheel routes. QBs would have to throw touch passes to help them catch the ball. But this allows swarm defense to get there and slow their turn upfield. Throwing to HB/FB can be abused b/c they simply have too good hands and are able to catch too many passes in stride (this on average is too for all catches)
.

# 7 Philosopher0 @ 12/12/15 01:35 PM

I run the run n shoot where spec catch and height don't matter as I don't throw jump balls ever. I throw to open space. To me for wrs it goes: agi, acc, elu, rtr, release, catch, cit, speed, spc, jmp. Thp for qbs matters most to me.

# 8 Gman 18 @ 12/12/15 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCEBB2001


	In all honesty, EA needs to completely overhaul their attributes and bring them more in-line with what professional talent evaluators look for when grading prospects. To be clear, the grading of prospects is simply attempting to quantify the qualifiable traits that a player possesses. The big professional scouting services, as well as each NFL team's in-house scouting departments, all attempt to do this. Although what they look for can vary a little bit, most of them are looking for the same things at each position. I posit that EA needs to utilize such sources to mimic what the pros do in real life. This all starts with the analysis of professional scouting sheets. BLESTO and National handle most of the NFL team's scouting responsibilities for college players who become draft eligible every year. However, every NFL team has their own in-house department that grades current NFL players and free agents on a monthly or even weekly basis. Once again, although the grading system may differ from one team to another, most teams are always looking for the same things from their players. To expand on this, consider the QB position. Here are the traits that National, BLESTO, and an NFL Front Office (which supplies datat to FBGRatings.com) deem as being important for the QB position. In this example, the SAME PLAYER is used as I was able to pull his reports from each source: National: Scale from 0.0 (low) to 10.0 (high). Quick Set Up Quick Delivery/Release Arm Strength/Velocity Judgement Poise Leadership Accuracy Short/Touch Accuracy Long/Touch Awareness/Slide in Pocket Anticipation/Timing Locate 2nd Receiver Scramble/Throw on Run BLESTO: 2.40 (low) to 0.00 (high). Set Up Reading Defenses Release Arm Strength Accuracy Touch Poise Leadership Pocket Movement Scrambling Ability In-House NFL Front Office: 0.0 (low) to 5.0 (high). Arm Strength Footwork/Scrambling Ability 10-25yd Pass Accuracy Reads Release Holds (special teams) 0-10yd Pass Accuracy Field General Ball Security 25+ Pass Accuracy As you can see, all three are not identical, but more or less look for many of the same things. What differs most is the scale for each. When you analyze what these professional scouts look for and compare it to the attributes in Madden, you find some differences that are pretty wide-ranging. Did you notice something strange, however? One of the biggest things you will find is that professional evaluators do NOT give a value on the same scale as the technical skills when assigning value to the physical traits. Instead, nearly 100% of the time, they reference the testing results that are used to measure physical abilities for Strength, Explosion, Agility, Speed, and Burst. Such measurables include: Strength: 1 Rep Max in Bench Press 1 Rep Max in Squat 1 Rep Max in Power Clean Explosion: Vertical Jump Broad Jump Agility: Pro Shuttle (lateral agility) 3-cone (radial agility) Speed and Burst: 10yd Split (during 40 yard dash) 20yd Split (during 40 yard dash) 40yd Split (during 40 yard dash) These scouts NEVER assign a graded value to these 5 physical traits. They always reference the trial results. This leads me to conclude that if EA is really interested in making this game as true to life as possible, they would adopt such a system. They should overhaul all of the attributes by adding in ones that are not yet present (Poise, Leadership, Release for QBs) and get rid of ones that are not even evaluated (IBL, RBS, PBS, RBF, PBF, SPM, JKM, etc). Further, EA should do away with the 0-100 scale for the 5 physical attributes and replace them with testing numbers instead. This would allow users, like real-life talent evaluators, to evaluate the physical skills as a scout would do. It would teach users how to evaluate physical talent and make them more accustomed to player evaluation more in line with how players are really evaluated in real life. Instead of seeing a STR rating, you would see the player's Bench, Squat, and Power Clean numbers. Instead of a SPD and ACC rating, you would see his 40 time splits and could then differentiate between a player who accelerates quickly, but doesn't have great top end speed, from a player with slow acceleration, but great top end speed. If you want to know who may be good at doing a spin move about a radial center, look at the 3-cone time. If you want to know who may have a solid juke move laterally, look at the shuttle time. These are characteristics that transfer over to on field results very well and have high correlative values. I would also like to see them use a real scouting scale instead of the 0-100 scale they currently use. Find a scale that works and adopt it. If pros use these scales to evaluate and assign values to talent levels, why can't Madden? One final change I would like is the ability to turn off the OVR or make the OVR value better mimic real scouting formulas for which they are derived. Did you know that 32% of a QBs OVR rating is based on his THP? Yet, these scouting services give it the same value as every other trait! Why is that? The OVR either needs to be overhauled or done away with. In summation, EA needs to completely overhaul the ratings to make them more in line with real data and metrics. This is supposed to be a next-generation game. I can think of nothing better to make this game mimic real life more than evaluating their ratings system and making changes to it outside of making this a true physics-based game.

Someone who has experience and knowledge to back his work up. Hopefully EA sees the potential with your ratings and hires you without making you compromise your system. Gamers would be in for a treat who are serious about football

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

# 9 Sheba2011 @ 12/14/15 03:59 PM

DCEB love your idea and wish it would be true to life like that but we both know it will never happen. EA has to keep it dumbed down so they won't turn away the casual gamers who love to see their favorite team full of 99 rated players.

I wish they would create an entirely separate game for Sim players like they had with Head Coach only even more in depth.

# 10 kingsofthevalley @ 12/14/15 09:31 PM

To be perfectly honest, I just want to know if the ratings even do anything. Don't get me wrong, I really love this years game, but when I go into a game, I want to be worried about threats (especially WRs) and I just don't see the star WRs stand out during matches. An opposing team will have a high rated WR but it'll be the TE thats killing me all game! I'm like, where in the hell is that superstar wide out that I need to be focusing on who hasn't caught ONE pass damn near the whole game lmao!

# 11 jfsolo @ 12/14/15 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingsofthevalley


	To be perfectly honest, I just want to know if the ratings even do anything. Don't get me wrong, I really love this years game, but when I go into a game, I want to be worried about threats (especially WRs) and I just don't see the star WRs stand out during matches. An opposing team will have a high rated WR but it'll be the TE thats killing me all game! I'm like, where in the hell is that superstar wide out that I need to be focusing on who hasn't caught ONE pass damn near the whole game lmao!

I have some games where the star WR does kill me, and some games where, as you say, he is invisible. I don't think that it's the rating that are the number one issue anymore, IMO it's the playcalling/QB A.I. Both of those things are much improved this year, but still need to be improved with an increased focus on getting the ball to the playmakers.

Others will disagree of course, but I feel like the rating actually do matter a lot this year. I can totally tell the difference between players. Would stretched out ratings along with a more accurate rating methodology improve things even more, yes of course, but I don't feel like ratings are meaningless like they have been in many versions in the past.

# 12 ggsimmonds @ 12/15/15 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfsolo


	I have some games where the star WR does kill me, and some games where, as you say, he is invisible. I don't think that it's the rating that are the number one issue anymore, IMO it's the playcalling/QB A.I. Both of those things are much improved this year, but still need to be improved with an increased focus on getting the ball to the playmakers. Others will disagree of course, but I feel like the rating actually do matter a lot this year. I can totally tell the difference between players. Would stretched out ratings along with a more accurate rating methodology improve things even more, yes of course, but I don't feel like ratings are meaningless like they have been in many versions in the past.

The problem with the AI is that in a way the AI QB plays in an ideal way; generally speaking he throws to the open man.

Couple this along with the AI playcalling that isn't very good at utilizing its player and it leads to the stars sometimes disappearing.

Both from a playcalling and QB standpoint, the AI does not do a good job of targeting their stars.

It gets worse the deeper in CFM you go unfortunately. For example if Tomlin is fired from the Steelers they become far less of a threat depending on the replacement. This is because the Steeler playbook at least has formations/plays that help in getting Brown looks. Replace that with a generic playbook and Brown becomes a non-factor.

# 13 Fusker @ 12/15/15 12:53 PM

I certainly notice when I have a star WR. I added Josh Gordon (so using the term "star" loosely here, but very good attributes, lol) to the Titans in year 2, and wow, what a difference.

I think adding a star CAN make a huge difference, but not if implemented poorly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingsofthevalley


	To be perfectly honest, I just want to know if the ratings even do anything. Don't get me wrong, I really love this years game, but when I go into a game, I want to be worried about threats (especially WRs) and I just don't see the star WRs stand out during matches. An opposing team will have a high rated WR but it'll be the TE thats killing me all game! I'm like, where in the hell is that superstar wide out that I need to be focusing on who hasn't caught ONE pass damn near the whole game lmao!

# 14 Culture Rot @ 12/15/15 02:11 PM

I'm flabbergasted the question "Are they important" had to be posed. in 2015...

# 15 Sheba2011 @ 12/15/15 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xlatinoheatx


	I'm flabbergasted the question "Are they important" had to be posed. in 2015...

Attributes in sports games and their effect on the actual gameplay is something that is always hotly contested, not just in Madden but in all games.

# 16 fistofrage @ 12/16/15 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba2011


	Attributes in sports games and their effect on the actual gameplay is something that is always hotly contested, not just in Madden but in all games.

I disagree to some extent. Go into The Show and pitch against Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera. When I play Madden, I am not worried where Calvin Johnson is on the field.

In fact, I haven't tried it this year, but in previous Madden's I put punters and Kickers at the Tackle positions and they still blocked virtually the same as and All-Pro.

Make a kicker with 0 Accuracy and I bet he's still automatic like he was in previous years.

# 17 hellblazer @ 12/31/15 04:35 PM

If you set the slider to 0 you will get the field goal kick glitch bug where the kicking arc moves fast all over the place and your kick goes to the sideline.

# 18 fistofrage @ 01/06/16 01:41 PM

I would have to say most attributes don't matter much. Just look at Accuracy for Kickers even at 0, they will knock everything through, if 1 attribute doesn't mean anything, then many others don't work either.

# 19 ggsimmonds @ 01/08/16 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fistofrage


	I would have to say most attributes don't matter much. Just look at Accuracy for Kickers even at 0, they will knock everything through, if 1 attribute doesn't mean anything, then many others don't work either.

This is simply wrong.

# 20 jfsolo @ 01/09/16 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggsimmonds


	This is simply wrong.

Yeah, I'm not going to get into an argument, but I disagree with his statement 1000% percent.

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