Breaking Down Madden: The Run Game

[datruth]

Quote: Originally Posted by Retropyro

Does seem a little strange.

BC there is absolutely no change in Madden 13

[Cpterp22]

Great read, but we already know the change wasn't coming til 14..


I have the retail.. Blocking is a little better with IE.. 14 will be where we really see it ( I hope )

[datruth]

Great article on the lack of run blocking in Madden. That was a very good read.

I now understand why 90% of running plays end with a tackle for a loss or no gain.

A lot of the complaints about the run blocking can be masked by tuning the sliders but I primarily play online or head to head on All Madden level with my friends. Sliders won't help me.

I would like to see defensive linemen attempt arm tackles. You see it all the time where a DT is engaged in a block and when he sees the RB headed for his gap the DT reaches out to grab the RB with one arm.

With the way defenders flow to the ball, gang tackling has made a big improvement over the years.

Stop the 190lb defensive backs laying the smack down on 240lb running backs. Another issue I see constantly is extremely agile RB's tackled in the open field in a one on one situation. I believe all ball carriers should be better at breaking tackles in Madden because even after you break one tackle there are usually 2 or more defenders near enough to take you down. I kind of miss ProTak where you could break a tackle after being wrapped up by the defender.

Every since they moved the stiff arm from the shoulder buttons to the one face button the user stiff arms are EXTREMLY ineffective. I blame this on the lack of canned animations available to portray a successful broken tackle when two players meet. RB with a high stiff arm rating are no more effective then any other ball carrier. The one button stiff arm change is one of, if not the worst changes made since Madden came to the current gen.

The running game needs a lot of work. The only way to move the ball is through the air and that's not Football.

Thanks again.

[cuttingteeth]

Quote: Originally Posted by shavane

The running game will never work properly until there is actual physics that take weight, speed, strength, leverage, momentum and ratings into the equation.

This is what I think needs to happen, too, and with the random size changing of RB's currently seen in the retail video, it scares me that it would compromise the game even more by boosting/lowering/boosting/lowering their ratings per play, per their size. It's odd.

[shavane]

If they are able to actually fix the OL/DL interaction we could have the makings of a phenomenal game.

Until they decide to change it one thing that will always hold the Madden franchise back is the running animations. Its well documented and been beat to death that the running looks funky and robotic. There is no variation between a DB or a O lineman, and there is still that ever so slight feeling of running on skates.

I agree 2k was about a perfect game for that time but we all need to stop acting like it was without flaws because there was. It just pisses us off that a current gen Madden should be far ahead of where we are today.

I will say it till I'm blue in the face...it may be too little too, late for some but I hope everyone realizes this is a new Dev team and they actually have made improvements to this game so it doesn't feel like the normal roster update we are so used to so I will remain patient with them. If they stick to the schedule, fix OL/DL interaction and hopefully a more realistic running style for players I will be beyond happy.

[frankwyte81]

Quote: Originally Posted by Whomario

No offense, but why go through all this trouble breaking down the ´12 version instead of waiting a couple weeks and doing it for ´13 ?

Because the blocking is the same way in Madden 13, that's why he wrote this fantastic piece of work. Great write-up Andy....

[ghettogeeksta]

I am pretty sure EA knows about all of this and they know it needs to be fixed. Heck, the blocking system has basically been the same since Madden 2001. Part of the reason it is not fixed yet is because of lack of competition. The Madden team has basically been taking a vacation ever since they bought the NFL license, allowing them to be able to afford to ignore the core problems with the game and use gimmicks/back of box material to continue to sell games.

Plus blocking is a fundamental part of the game, meaning if the decided to redo the blocking system it would have to be almost perfected, because if they added a new blocking system with as many glitches as the IE tackling system, Madden would be unplayable. So EA just has been lazy over the years and playing it safe, sticking with the old proven technology.

Hopefully with this new team in place will address the blocking soon, I don't know if it will be next year though, it just depends on how long they have been working on it, if they have been at all. I would imagine implementing IE with blocking would take a few years to nearly perfect with all the different algorithms. So we may not see new blocking til Madden 15 or next-gen.

But I fully expect them to address foot-planting by Madden 14, because it's a known issue and it's much safer than fixing the blocking system.

[btemp]

Quote: Originally Posted by frankwyte81

Because the blocking is the same way in Madden 13, that's why he wrote this fantastic piece of work. Great write-up Andy....

Abso-friggin-lutely.