If Done Well How Much Could OL/DL Play and Player Movement Improve Madden?

[Big FN Deal]

I understand that these things are essential for representing football but I am asking a more specific question in relation to Madden. Seeing as it's unlikely we will see all the major changes needed in Madden this year, these two seem like a good guess for what they will try to get to for M25. So what and how big an impact do you think these two things can have on Madden, even if other issues go unaddressed? Another way of wording the question is, how improved would M13 be overall if the OL/DL play and player movement were fixed?

[Smoke6]

Would be very big for me, its the foundation or the heart and soul of football.

[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smoke6

Would be very big for me, its the foundation or the heart and soul of football.

I agree so can you elaborate on specifically what you can see it changing about Madden and how it's played?

[ch46647]

Big F'n, a SUCCESSFUL re-write to both player movement and OL/DL would mean everything to this series. First off, no game can have good gameplay if the fundamental way the players move is wrong. Maddens locomotion has gone from bad M06-M10, to worse M11-M13. The amazing thing is, EA has the best locomotion of any sports game available with FIFA. Why cant they take that player movement model and add it to Madden? Also, the EA NHL game just did a great job adding momentum and acceleration/de-celeration into their series. Madden needs to combine these two models and completely overhaul player movement. They also need to fix the sprint button, as well as upgrade all ball carrier moves. (This needs to include QB pocket movement as well.

Now, where locomotion is the #1 fundamental issue of any game, OL//DL is where the game of football is built from. This area of the game has been neglected by EA for far to long. They need to add HUNDREDS of new animations for both DL and OL. They need to completely re-write DL moves and make it functional and fun. They need to allow for PUSH from both O-Lineman and D-Lineman. They have to go away from players locking together and having a win animation occur from one or the other, their needs to be PUSH. (Ratings need to dictate this)

Lastly, please make the DE's or blitzing OLB's get up the field on passing plays. APF did a phenomenal job with this and it just cannot be that hard to implement...

My .02

[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by ch46647

Big F'n, a SUCCESSFUL re-write to both player movement and OL/DL would mean everything to this series. First off, no game can have good gameplay if the fundamental way the players move is wrong. Maddens locomotion has gone from bad M06-M10, to worse M11-M13. The amazing thing is, EA has the best locomotion of any sports game available with FIFA. Why cant they take that player movement model and add it to Madden? Also, the EA NHL game just did a great job adding momentum and acceleration/de-celeration into their series. Madden needs to combine these two models and completely overhaul player movement. They also need to fix the sprint button, as well as upgrade all ball carrier moves. (This needs to include QB pocket movement as well. Now, where locomotion is the #1 fundamental issue of any game, OL//DL is where the game of football is built from. This area of the game has been neglected by EA for far to long. They need to add HUNDREDS of new animations for both DL and OL. They need to completely re-write DL moves and make it functional and fun. They need to allow for PUSH from both O-Lineman and D-Lineman. They have to go away from players locking together and having a win animation occur from one or the other, their needs to be PUSH. (Ratings need to dictate this) Lastly, please make the DE's or blitzing OLB's get up the field on passing plays. APF did a phenomenal job with this and it just cannot be that hard to implement... My .02

To the bold, what specifically do you feel these aspects could change about how Madden is played?

[ch46647]

Once, these area's are overhauled and the "physics" engine is cleaned up and functional. The next two big areas of gamelplay that need an overhaul are..

1. Realistic AI
2. WR/DB interactions (Overhual to locomotion would fix half of this, adding new animations and a jostling system, like FIFA, would make it great)
3. Ball Physics (Every sports game on the market has reasonable ball physics, in Madden football the ball is like a magnet. It looks horrible and hurts the gameplay)

[roll2tide]

Big I don't know if the actual on-the-field results will mean as much to the hard core Maddenite as just the effort itself will. To know that a)EA is listening, and b)they are actively trying take Madden to another level among sports titles would keep many long timers around as opposed to giving up on the franchise.

Madden may need many coding improvements but EA needs a philosophical one. Evidence of that change would mean a lot to the community. A move away from fluff "new innovative features" and towards improving the meat and bones core game play would be a huge step.

[at23steelers]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they distracted people from this and focus on DB awareness, expanding the Physics Engine to possibly OL/DL and WR/DB's. I will say though, none of these will be complete without realistic footwork. What I doubt will be added are:

- player lock Defense
- change in penalties
- footwork added

The last 2 especially take away from a fast, "fun" (in EA's mind) game.