Threshold slider and wide open passing explained

[Oraeon1224]

I do extensive testing of sliders. In prior years I have always used threshold to adjust LB to WR speeds to try to mimic published data. I usually increase mine minorly (maybe to 60) while many others insist lowering them gives a college passing game. This year I decided to test the impact of threshold on passing and made a discover that this slider is not as advertised. I invite anyone here to repeat my experiment using the following steps:

Completion percentage on ACE formation Miami out-route against man coverage was tested as I noticed I could complete 90% of these passes on default setting as the DB never stuck with his man. When I adjusted pass coverage this actually made no difference wither 100 or 0. I did the following with coverage on 0.

1) Set up a CB and WR with the same speed, agility and acceleration
2) Set threshold to 0, then 50, then 100
3) Call ACE formation Miami and pass to the out-route only against man defense this route is nearly 100% of the time uncovered as the defender misses the cut and doesn't catch up on default.
4) Throw 20 passes and pay close attention to the coverage by the CB and calculate the number of deflections and completion percentage.

Here are my results:
1) Threshold 0: 100% completion, no deflections. The defender always fails to cut and then can't catch up to the WR. Pass coverage slider doesn't seem to work (change it from 0 to 100 and repeat passing 20 times to confirm this)

2) Threshold 50: 90% completion, 1 deflection, 1 bad pass. The defender only once made the cut with the WR and was then able to deflect the ball, otherwise the same as 0. Pass coverage slider doesn't work at all (change from 0 to 100 and repeat passing 20 times to confirm this)

3) Threshold 100: 30% completion percentage, defender made the cut 80% of the time and deflected the ball 12 times. The defender seemed to make the cut before even the WR and was in a better position on the ball. Pass coverage slider suddenly worked. By adjusting this slider the percentage of the time the CB made the cut varied drastically from 100% deflections at 100 to 30% deflections at 0.

Conclusions:
Threshold slider should be able to fix many of the complaints about wide open gameplay in the passing game with wide open passes if you increase this slider substantially and then adjust your pass coverage slider to tweak. I will be deciding on my chosen value in my slider thread but I encourage all slider makers to review this and test it themselves and consider if passing difficulties are present to increase threshold above 50.

This slider is not simply adjusting the speed rating between atheletes. I have confirmed that it does this but if I make the players have the same speed, acceleration and agility this slider still remarkably improves coverage. It seems logical to conclude that this slider is somehow effecting the man and zone coverage settings or perhaps wide reciever route running. Either way it seems the only way to address any problems in the passing game, but it certainly isn't by adjusting speed.

[Ge1dertron]

I think you'll need to clarify whether you were testing this in practice or in actual games. It has been noted repeatedly that this makes a difference.

That aside, i'd be curious to know how true this is. It seems rather odd.

[Dr Death]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ge1dertron

I think you'll need to clarify whether you were testing this in practice or in actual games. It has been noted repeatedly that this makes a difference. That aside, i'd be curious to know how true this is. It seems rather odd.

His post is interesting to say the least, but what I have never understood is why Speed Threshold is in the damn game anyway??? I mean, since so many on here want SIM... wouldn't you want players to have their own speed?

Why EA insisted on putting this in... Hey! Let's make it so DT's can run just as fast as WR's...

Sheesh...

[kingsofthevalley]

Looks like a solid test, but as stated previously, what mode is this in? I only do slider tests in the mode I'm expecting to play. It makes it difficult to do because as far as I know you only can use 1 team in dynasty (oh yeah brother, I'm talking about dynasty by the way) so I can only test my sliders with whatever team is on my schedule week 1 ya know.

Man, I don't even use the practice mode WITHIN dynasty to test, only real dynasty games. With EA, aint no telling what they have linked together or bugged the hell out lol.

Anyway, so you're saying the speed threshold will diminish wide open passing correct? With speed threshold set to 100, the pass coverage slider can then be moved left/right and will make a difference correct? I'll check and see, but it is interesting what you have here as I've actually bumped all my sliders back to 0 to start readjusting and I'm not seeing a big difference with pass coverage which I previously had at 80/80 but now have at 5/5. My speed threshold is 15.

[HARTSTOPPER]

My problem with setting the speed threshold to 100 is that sure, you have great secondary that might play a more realistic style of game. However, then you have offensive linemen outrunning cornerbacks, and you have defensive tackles tackling WR's in the open field from behind. So, while it fixes one thing, it will most likely break another.

[kingsofthevalley]

Quote: Originally Posted by HARTSTOPPER

My problem with setting the speed threshold to 100 is that sure, you have great secondary that might play a more realistic style of game. However, then you have offensive linemen outrunning cornerbacks, and you have defensive tackles tackling WR's in the open field from behind. So, while it fixes one thing, it will most likely break another.

I was thinking the same thing but more along the lines of the RBs actually making it out of the backfield. I'm currently sitting at 35/40 for RB ability and as you know RB ability actually effects how fast the RB moves initially off of the snap and how fast he moves out of the backfield (of course along with CPU RBs ability to use moves). So with my RB setting so low, speed threshold too high might stop them from gaining any yards period.

Just got back from the gym so I'm about to check a few things before the wife wakes up lol.

[BrianTX]

That is an interesting test. I have found the threshold to be worthless for it's actual purpose. With the Threshold at 25 my WR with 98 speed was caught from behind by a FS with 85 speed.

[Matt10]

Best way to test this is to see the difference in succession of the option and screen plays by the CPU in a game mode that isn't practice. I think in some cases though you will have to take the good with the bad. Either having slow DBs catching up with fast WRs, or having successful screen/option plays by the CPU.

I also think it's not solely the speed threshold that determines this.