Staff Roundtable: Madden NFL 12 Demo Impressions

[Playmakers]

Quote: Originally Posted by swiftychampleone

I did turn the game down to slow and got a better game. I'm still disappointed about the DBs and LBs having "psychic" powers and not being able to force a few tight passes. How should I go about fixing this without cheating? Turn up the QB Accuracy, WR Catching sliders? Turn down DB sliders? Haven't bought this game since '06, so bare with me.

What the heck is going on with you guys in this thread?

Why is it all of sudden considered cheating if you tweak the gameplay sliders....

You are trying to accomplish something to deliver better gameplay for you right.....so why would it be cheating

Did EA all of sudden release a manual that states if you move a slider up or down ut us now considered cheating....because in this thread along i've seen quite a few guys used that theory

[guaps]

Quote: Originally Posted by Playmakers

What the heck is going on with you guys in this thread? Why is it all of sudden considered cheating if you tweak the gameplay sliders.... You are trying to accomplish something to deliver better gameplay for you right.....so why would it be cheating Did EA all of sudden release a manual that states if you move a slider up or down ut us now considered cheating....because in this thread along i've seen quite a few guys used that theory

I can only speak for myself, but I don't consider tweaking sliders as cheating per se. I do, however, feel that I'm sometime cheating the game to make up for poor AI. That is, creating an even larger amount of unrealistic situations to get better gameplay and\or stats.

If I have to make the defenders get off their blocks unrealistically fast when playing run defense, just so I can get some decent gameplay and better stats, I feel like I'm cheating.

But I guess it all depends on your point of view. For some, it's enough to have accurate stats, regardless of how unrealistic you get it, to get a feeling of realism in the game, while I don't care about accurate stats unless they are the product of realistic gameplay.

I still remember how Tiburon last year refused to acknowledge that the kick returning was unrealistic and broken with the argument that "people got accurate stats".

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by JaySmooov

The bottom line is, this impression is very, VERY, VERY misleading, for these two simple reasons: 1) Making thoughtless assumptions, and 2) Failing to even do their due diligence in exploring the demo. First, you CAN spotlight a receiver. Press up on the pad (or get to the coverage audibles, basically), Press A/X for indiv. coverage, and pick the receiver. Then choose to spotlight him. Take's a lot of time at first, especially if you don't like the pad or aren't used to it, but after a while you memorize the button presses. Also, there is no play call screen because teams don't have TIME to scroll through a playbook and pick a play. In college, the clock stops when you get a 1st down, so you can scroll a little bit for a new formation. In the NFL, the clock keeps going. Seriously, when has a team had time to get a new play from the sideline during a 2-minute drill? [b] Um, maybe if you would've checked to see what the game speed was, you'd know that the game speed default this year was different that what it was last year. They didn't make the game faster. [b] The demo was submitted in May, right? That's what was posted on here, right? Or at least it was stated somewhere, couldn't exactly find it, but I know it's in the threads because I get all my Madden/NCAA info from OS. Regardless, you guys are in contact with devs, you EVEN have multiple devs who interact on OS, is it hard to send a PM asking, "Hey, this demo feels different from the E3 build, is this pre or post E3?" Also, how can Jayson and Steve imply that this demo is basically worse than the E3 build? This COULDN'T have been submitted after E3 because I can't see a game getting worse than what it previously was in 2 months unless they went in and changed stuff, which wouldn't really be possible since the game is typically finished a month before release. I don't mean to rant or anything, and I'm not defending EA in any way. I just wanted to express how much I felt this impression was misleading. Just MY opinion guys. Oh, and I love the demo

The thing with Madden today (and I actually am getting used to it now and like the challenge) is on defense you have about 5 seconds to make adjustments. IRL the same normally holds true unless there is motion (which the cpu does do sometimes) or an audible.

I use the quick link (old school adjustments) so everyone on PS3 knows triangle to adjust the secondary...then press X to activate spotlight, press appropriate button for player you want to highlight and adjust the shading or press or drop back....you have to know coming out of the huddle who you want to key on. If you do you can get in that adjustment and a line shift, LB shift, or individual hot route. Or if you come out of the huddle and see something you don't like...just call an old fashioned audible.

You can't adjust coverage, adjust line, adjust LB and assign an individual defensive hot route on one play.....not going to happen. We are not playing as multiple players on the defense...that is a con of the game but you can adjust.

And I am glad. Makes you really play chess which is what football is and make a decision or 2 on what adjustment you want to make based on being able to predict the oppositions next move. Down and distance, where they are on the field, what is the score...what point in the game are you in.

It's not that bad.

That to me makes the game a challenge.

[kbseven]

Quote: Originally Posted by JaySmooov

The bottom line is, this impression is very, VERY, VERY misleading, for these two simple reasons: 1) Making thoughtless assumptions, and 2) Failing to even do their due diligence in exploring the demo. First, you CAN spotlight a receiver. Press up on the pad (or get to the coverage audibles, basically), Press A/X for indiv. coverage, and pick the receiver. Then choose to spotlight him. Take's a lot of time at first, especially if you don't like the pad or aren't used to it, but after a while you memorize the button presses. Also, there is no play call screen because teams don't have TIME to scroll through a playbook and pick a play. In college, the clock stops when you get a 1st down, so you can scroll a little bit for a new formation. In the NFL, the clock keeps going. Seriously, when has a team had time to get a new play from the sideline during a 2-minute drill? [b] Um, maybe if you would've checked to see what the game speed was, you'd know that the game speed default this year was different that what it was last year. They didn't make the game faster. [b] The demo was submitted in May, right? That's what was posted on here, right? Or at least it was stated somewhere, couldn't exactly find it, but I know it's in the threads because I get all my Madden/NCAA info from OS. Regardless, you guys are in contact with devs, you EVEN have multiple devs who interact on OS, is it hard to send a PM asking, "Hey, this demo feels different from the E3 build, is this pre or post E3?" Also, how can Jayson and Steve imply that this demo is basically worse than the E3 build? This COULDN'T have been submitted after E3 because I can't see a game getting worse than what it previously was in 2 months unless they went in and changed stuff, which wouldn't really be possible since the game is typically finished a month before release. I don't mean to rant or anything, and I'm not defending EA in any way. I just wanted to express how much I felt this impression was misleading. Just MY opinion guys. Oh, and I love the demo

i agree with you everything you said 100%

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by Armor & Sword

You don't like the game....no problem. Your opinion. Post your impressions and move on. Don't troll around and attack people for liking a game.

It goes the other way too. I game my impression and a was told all I needed to do was adjust sliders. That my impression was wrong. By multiple posters. You give any kind of negative impression that you have had to struggle with over the years and the other side of the fence that you are talking about pounces to say how wrong you are.

Not even saying this year is good or bad, just giving my main gripe with the game returns a thrust of your wrong, use slider comments.

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by havokeff

And you know what, I would love for a company to put out AP2k5 or whatever holy grail you think was achieved 7 years ago, and watch that company get laughed into bankruptcy.

So, your a fan of a developer/publisher and not of the game?
Why would you care who makes an NFL Video Football Game 2k, or EA?
And wouldn't more options be better?

I just don't understand fanboys. I really don't care who makes the game(s), I just want good games.

[wheelman990]

Quote: Originally Posted by havokeff

And you know what, I would love for a company to put out AP2k5 or whatever holy grail you think was achieved 7 years ago, and watch that company get laughed into bankruptcy.

I don't think the nba live people are laughing too hard right now.


Just got a chance to read every impression in the article. I really enjoyed reading through all of the individual impressions. Many of those guys are seeing exactly what I am. Really good write up operationsports. Thank you!

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by bucky60

It goes the other way too. I game my impression and a was told all I needed to do was adjust sliders. That my impression was wrong. By multiple posters. You give any kind of negative impression that you have had to struggle with over the years and the other side of the fence that you are talking about pounces to say how wrong you are. Not even saying this year is good or bad, just giving my main gripe with the game returns a thrust of your wrong, use slider comments.

I don't disagree. I assume you read my entire post. We can be guilty of pounding the sand that our game is good if you think it is not.