Madden NFL 10 Blog: A Deeper Look Into Pass Blocking

[lgxjames]

as always, good stff ian

[tennesseetitans]

It looks good but the players are a bit too upright. At times they stand perfectly upright, and it doesn't look like they aren't using any real leverage. I could hardly focus on the actual pass rushing animations (which were pretty good overall) due to how unconvincing the postures were. Pass rushers, even the big guys, usually have more bend in their hips and more leg expolsion.



Look at the fight between these guys. Both are using leverage, in the M10 video, it looked a bit like the guys were dancing as opposed to fighting it out. Now when they get off the blocks, that's when D-Linemen usually run more upright.

[Goffs]

how bout posting some of the double team blocks that 2k has...id like to see them implemented in madden please kthnxbai

as for the quarterback issue..meh..this blog is about the blocking so im not too worried about QB animations YET...im sure Ian will have a blog about quarterback animations in the future

[convince]

I love what EA is doing. Its seems like a big step in the right direction. I am assuming that I am in the minority being one of the few that like different things about 2K and EA football. But sense we are speaking on blocking in general, I would like to call to those that have the 2K5 football or APF 2K8 and a video card to capture some video for me. These are a couple tings I want to see in The next Madden. Double team blocks are a given(show some good examples), and chop blocks as well. But what i really want to see are those occasions where the offensive lineman goes go down and take the legs out from the defender. This would normally happen when the defender is really given the lineman hell. This is not a chop block because normally these are one on one battles. Anyone who have played the game should be aware of what i speak of. I would love to see these blocks implemented into Madden. Those with the ability to capture the video please help me out.

[Moostache]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

Hmm...again, seems obvious to me, but maybe I'm not explaining it well. See attached image... Attachment 15626 In real life, unless that guy is getting held, there is no reason why he can't chase after the ballcarrier after he's ran past him. Instead he's trapped in a really long animation...without the ability to branch out or 'steer', you can't control how the defense reacts to the play.

Ian - can you comment on this?





Basically what I am concerned about or looking to see if you can address is how will the other defenders react to the play. I have been very impressed by the way 2K8 handled this problem - specifically the way other defenders would combine with the QB's own momentum to make you essentially choose to run or pass but not retain the option to do either - at least not as long as you can have both options in Madden. I think previous Madden releases have used a speed cheat to control this - making almost any QB lame and slow out of the pocket, instead of having different defensive logic. Is that still how this is controlled?

In Madden games, once the QB gets to the outside, a skilled player can buy an inordinate amount of time to throw and can hold the ball waaaaaaay longer than a similar situation in 2K8 (or 2K5). This also leads to unrealistic rushing gains when the Madden defenders in zone defense fail to react to a running QB until he has past the LOS....

Other things that looked good:

[Valdarez]

@Moostach: That's why I said the DE's need to work the outside more and track the QB's step/drop and only head straight for the QB after he stops his drop. Otherwise, if they engage immediately when the ball is hiked, it seems like it could result in the same leave the pocket problems that plagued other versions of Madden as there would be nothing stopping them from running backwards and leaving the pocket.

[kicker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

You should watch more videos, someone has already called out a double team block in a past video. Sorry, not sure which one it was, but it was there, and it was on the OLine. Double teams were a problem in 2K's APF2K8 game, as they happened unnecessarily too often, allowing blockers to come through untouched. Nothing worse than having 3 men rush, seeing a double team on the DE to right, with the center moving the other way and the NT allowed to come through pretty much clean. So I guess the addition of double teams will concern me far more than the lack of them.

Hmm....if they are in, then that is a great step.

Double teams were not a "problem" in 2k8. Sorry. It happens in real life where a player is doubled and another becomes free. The is a drawback to the double team block.

Never have seen the immaculate OL blocking in 2k described as a "problem" before. Hence why Ian said he is using them as a benchmark....

[kicker]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I'm sure we will hear something in the near future. We still have E3, the rest of May, June and July ahead for all this info to pop.

Ok, but it shouldn't be a secret, this is as much apart of football as pulling a guard on a sweep, this should be in the game already. It is well known that it hasn't been in the past, it should be obvious in the videos that it is in. Even the picture someone post showing a double, it is not an engaged double.

I'm sure it will be in the game this year, just don't know why it has to be a "feature".