In a nutshell, what's wrong with next gen madden.

[mjhyankees]

I apologize for reposting this (had this in another thread) but I really needed to see if I was the only one who was experiencing stuff like this. I want to make clear that I generally enjoy madden, have a nice slider set that gives a challenge and realistic stats. I wish franchise mode was deeper but it's better than it was and I have hopes for M13. Graphics are nice, cut scenes are fine (hey everything can be improved but this is actually better than old gen with the player intro's and more sideline scenes).

My gripe is the game play feels....I don't know...OFF? To me there's generally a lack of realistic flow to the game. I mostly feels like a) the cpu screws me and/or b) the cpu makes it easy. It's like the cpu giveth and the cpu taketh away.
I feel games are won and lost not so much because of my skills or decisions during games...but because the cpu either aides or stops me with turnovers, penalties and big plays.

Below is the repost with maybe an edit or two. Please tell me if you experience this kind of stuff and if it sucks the life out of alot of your games:


i know im beating a dead horse here......... but I agree with the guy you quoted. There is something "off" about next gen. I felt it the first time I played and still do. Old gen besides the mechanics of the game, had a "flow" to game play that felt more natural. Things seemed more expectable. I have way more WTF moments on next gen with defenders jumping routes, superhuman running backs etc. And penalties and turnovers....i never felt in old gen that the cpu was cheating me. He'd beat me for sure, sometimes badly (tough sliders) but it always felt reasonable. In next gen it just gets out of hand. The following is a typical sequence that happens far too often in various iterations:

1. Opening drive the cpu ROBO QB (at times a 68 ovr backup QB) shreds me going 7 for 7 and throwing into all sorts of coverage and still completing the pass. My D backs become statues while his recievers run around picking balls out of the air.
2. On the following kickoff I get a holding penalty. (it feels like every other return, and sometimes several in a row yield a holding penalty or clip) I"ve gotten to where I can recognize the momentum shifting and I don't take the kick out of the endzone...you know the flag is coming.
3. I get sacked passing on first down. Usually in the blink of an eye. I'm swarmed under before I can even look downfield...or the defender is holding the sh#t out of my recievers with no flag.
4. I run a draw against what looks like a prevent D (3 man rush and one Lb playing 15 yards downfield). My lineman all play "ole" and I get crushed in the backfield.
5. On third down I get hit throwing to a wide open TE on a post and I punt.
6. Early in the drive the cpu running back (all 190 pounds of him) blasts through a DT who had him in the backfield, slips off my lb and CB coming up to help and with his 85 speed outruns my 90+ speed secondary for a TD.
7. On following kickoff I get another holding penalty.
8. My all star running back (pick em) fumbles on the first play. Replay shows he was down but I lose the challenge.
9. Cpu has a million years to throw despite me rushing more guys than he has blocking and completes a TD pass. At this point I'm down 21-0 and cursing and slamming things.
10. Wife tells me to shut up.
11. Next kickoff...another hold.
12. First play a sack again or hit while throwing to a wide open receiver.

And so on and so on.....what's equally aggravating is i often come back to win a game like this. The cpu suddenly feels sorry for me and leaves WR's wide open and don't chase them after the catch. Or he teases me. I'm down 21-0 and suddenly the cpu offense can't move at all. I get back to 21-14 and the BS sequences start all over. It just feels so phony and scripted so often.

I may have exaggerated slightly with all this but I bet alot of you out there are nodding your heads having experienced an unrealistic series of events similar to this.

i honestly never (ok maybe once or twice in many years of playing) had this kind of experience on old gen. To me it saps the fun out of playing because the gameflow feels so fake.

Now I'll admit I've had many great fun games on next gen. About half the time there is no BS (not much anyway) and i have some fun, but the above scenario happens far too often.

Oh...here's another scenario that drives me up a wall...has nothing to do with winning or losing or cpu cheating (not really anyway). I'm in a tight defensive battle. Game has been great. Back and forth, D stops, three and outs, receivers getting burped..and the score going into the 4th quarter is say 10-7.
I'm psyched and on edge. Any little mistake now can cost me the game and I'm determined to play it safe on offense and hope the D sets me up in good field position somehow...and then......

All hell breaks loose. Suddenly the game can't play defense...final score 27-24. Close game, exciting game...but again...WTF? could this happen in real life, yeah sometimes but it happens way too often here.

[Ueauvan]

been playing in my 3rd year as 49ers, got to the playoffs. moved from all pro default to custom all madden. qb threw for 3.5k and i ran a lot with a trio of hbs.

im facing da bears in the divisional game. end of qtr 1 im in shock. ive sacked cutler 4 times, forte has run 10 times for 13 yards. cutler completed 2 long bombs of 60+ to endzone where cbs backed off and watched wr catch the ball. after 2nd kr, 97 car hb fumbles and its returned for a td, down 21-0. im playing 3-4 when 2rb 2wr 1te and if 3wr 3-3-5 3 man under, and 1-4-6 vs 4wr (lbs in hook and de in spy). and the real yummy thing i cant run for toffee.

end of the game its 38-21 ...

i dont have l33t skillz, i have arthitis and rsi.

[Soprano00]

This is exactly what happens in most of next gen FIFA (soccer) games.

Momentum and scripting are driving most of the in-game stats, it has become one of EA's trademarks, one of their way to promote emotional games.

[Only1LT]

What's wrong with current gen Madden? It plays almost exactly like it's equally flawed parent class, last gen. It is derivative.

[Broncos86]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

What's wrong with current gen Madden? It plays almost exactly like it's equally flawed parent class, last gen. It is derivative.

Exactly. I'm over this "last gen rocks, this gen sucks" angle. Rose-colored glasses.

Guys, we KNOW what's wrong with the current Madden. These posts aren't telling us anything we don't know.

[RGiles36]

mhjyankee,

You and I have touched base a number of times on this forum about Madden. You've confessed (LOL) that at times, you are a bit "anal" about Madden. I call it paralysis by analysis, but I think we're getting at the same thing .

In reading through your lengthy scenarios in this thread and previous ones, I don't really understand what the issue is. The CPU completed 7 straight passes -- that happens. Your OL gets beat and you get sacked -- it happens. You subsequently get a holding penalty on a kick return -- it happens. A defensive battle suddenly opens up -- what's wrong with that?

For all the things Madden does wrong, I don't think most of those things you mentioned are really issues. The defenders don't even have animations to hold your receivers (unless you're referring to the press at the LOS).

[FootballDetails]

No competition.

[jmurphy31]

Quote: Originally Posted by Details

No competition.

Pretty solid answer right there. It pretty much covers everything.