During my first year of graduate school, I deemed it appropriate to purchase my inaugural subscription to Xbox Live. While I originally made this move to play Halo 2 with my housemates, (and believe me, there were some raucous marathon Saturday sessions at that quaint off-campus house), I quickly found out that Live presented a unique opportunity to test my Madden mettle against fellow gamers around the world.

However, a disturbing trend began to rear its ugly head. Many of my online foes began using formation subs to place speedy skill position players at the quarterback position, scrambling from the shotgun on every play. On one Saturday afternoon, I finally ended my Xbox Live Madden experience, after giving up 200+ rushing yards and five touchdowns to, of all people, Champ Bailey. That was the final straw.

 The Debate of Formation Subs

During my discussion of formation-specific audibles last week, I seemed to have inadvertently touched a nerve regarding formation substitutions. Formation subs were of course, one of those beloved little features that we enjoyed in the previous generation of gaming. At its core, the formation substitution feature catered to gamer creativity. It allowed us to find new and improved ways to get the ball into our playmakers’ eager hands.

However, the system was flawed on two primary fronts, which may be the reason for its demise in recent years. Or perhaps, it could simply be a casualty of EA Sports’ annual time crunch, a plague that has claimed the lives of many last-gen NCAA/Madden features. Regardless of the root cause, the absence of formation subs is poignant, and a hot topic of debate. As always, I have an opinion.

Cutting the Cheese

My opening anecdote in this article was a prime example of the old system’s most glaring flaw: allowing gamers to haphazardly substitute players into foreign positions led to the death of realism for online play. Whether it be subbing in a corner with 99 speed in at quarterback, or repeatedly using a fleet-footed WR for a pitch or backfield screen play, formation substitutions allowed gamers to find creative ways to beat the system, ways that would never be used in actual college or NFL games.

This “cheese,” as it is affectionately known, may very well be the reason that EA Sports has revoked formation subs from both its college and NFL next-gen football games. Ridding Madden and NCAA of the cheese is a way to appease hardcore NCAA/Madden gamers (an uncommon step in the right direction, seeing as how EA Sports has now placed their corporate bull's-eye on the causal gamer). While formation substitutions did present a way for those with a high football IQ to flex their mental muscles, they also presented a way for the cheesers to prosper. Therefore, I say good riddance. There are better alternatives.

Please listen to the fans cries EA, bring back formation subs!

The Unpredictable Becomes Mundane

Formation substitutions also proved a hindrance toward offensive unpredictability. While using a substitution within a particular formation could make certain plays more dynamic and dangerous, it could also weaken the remaining plays. For instance, placing a speedy corner under center proved great for QB running plays or scrambling, but nullified the possibility of a passing attack. Thus, formation subs caused gamers to lean heavily on a small selection of plays (or even a single play) within a specific formation.

While this rarely mattered when facing a CPU opponent within a dynasty or franchise, facing a human opponent was quite a different story. Formation substitutions proved immediate tip-offs as to the play called, at least to observant human adversaries. And because formation substitutions were static, and could not be changed without going into the pause screen, substitution changes were telltale activities of impending play-calls.

Although many have lamented the loss of formation substitutions, I have lauded their departure -- especially since that void was in conjunction with the arrival of formation-specific personnel packages. These packages are far more effective in creating a diverse and dynamic offense, as they present a host of different opportunities to exploit offensive match-ups, and make certain plays more dangerous. Their application via the play-call screen is also far more subtle than the old way of entering the pause menu to access formation substitutions.

With formation subs included, you could have a more dynamic strategic system in place.

These personnel packages are also far more realistic. Both in college football and the NFL, offensive coordinators often vary personnel within a certain formation. It is extremely rare that an offense will line up in a formation, with the same players in the exact same positions every time during a game. It just doesn’t happen. Changing personnel around is now an essential tool in confusion and exploiting a defense. As the formation sub system was rather static in nature, the current formation-specific packages draw a much closer parallel to reality.

Stifled No More

 As much as I enjoy EA’s new package system, it isn’t perfect. The system is finite, and doesn’t allow us to use our offensive creativity; and, it doesn’t always allow us to properly emulate the offenses we our favorite teams run each weekend.

For instance, there was no Wild Hog formation or personnel package in Arkansas’ playbook last year. Thus, Razorback fans were forced to play through dynasties without using one of the team’s most exciting and effective formations.

Similarly, there is no formation or package to place a receiver in the backfield. Thus, even though my beloved Illini frequently use Arrelious Benn in the backfield out of the shotgun, I could not do so in NCAA '08. And I’m certain that New Orleans Saints fans have been looking for ways to get both Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush on the field at the same time (assuming one or the other isn't hurt). The list goes on and on.

The point is, while formation-specific personnel packages are on the right track, they fall short of our standards. They can prevent us from accurately running our team’s offense, and stifle our offensive creativity. But is there a solution? One that solves all the problems of formation subs and packages? But of course….

It’s shameless really, but I will use this article as a soap box to once again pitch my idea of custom packages. It is the only true solution to this problem.

Picture this, along with assigning six audibles to each formation, you also have the ability to assign two custom personnel packages. You also have the ability to name them. Now, you can show your offensive genius by creating new and exciting personnel packages to accentuate certain plays, AND you can access them seamlessly through the normal playcalling screen.

Of course, there will have to be limits. For instance, to avert the cheesers, any player inserted into a formation as a QB must possess minimum ratings in both Throwing Power and Throwing Accuracy (say, a 70 ranking in each). Because custom rosters are not applicable in online contests, tweaking rankings should not pose much of a problem. Thus, no more DB’s under center.

(Note: This does not solve the Wild Hog formation problem. Under this proposed system, the burden of including this formation in NCAA falls squarely on the shoulders of EA Sports. Hopefully, we will see this formation/package pop up in Arkansas’ playbook very, very soon.)

A custom package system is the only solution, as it combines the strengths of the old formation substitution system and the current package system. With some rules and tweaking, it can also eliminate the weaknesses of both systems. Honestly, my good ideas can be few and far between, but this one is so good that EA Sports should strongly consider employing me as a part-time consultant.

Am I completely egotistical and out of my mind? Could be. Let me know your thoughts. Should formation subs come back? Are packages fine as is? Is my custom package idea as perfect as I think it is? Or is there something else that I’ve failed to recognize. Discuss amongst yourselves.


Until next week, Adios Turd Nuggets.

-Wil McCombs is a staff writer for Operation Sports.  You can read the rest of his work by visiting his bio page.