Clint Oldenburg Explains the Strength Rating For Linemen in Madden

[rootofalleli]

I can't believe we've waited this long to learn this little. We have one tiny piece of the puzzle, but there are still major unanswered questions about even this.

For example, does STR difference matter in blocking, or only raw STR? Will a WR with 50 STR and 70 RBK be decently effective against a CB with similar STR, or will he struggle to sustain a block? In the NFL, I see CBs get blocked out of plays a lot. in Madden, I'm not sure that happens the way it should. Is STR a factor in what I see?

The Madden team needs to do far more to explain this stuff to players. How much useless howling on forums is based on ratings being 'wrong,' even though none of us even know what the ratings do? It turns out that 'Strength' is 'Sustain Block.' Yet we have thousands of players thinking that this player should be stronger than that one, even though STR is not strength. What a waste of energy!

If EA would just make an effort to encourage hardcore fans by providing worthwhile information, it would be easier to appreciate this game and give a more reasoned critique. Communicating clearly instead of alternating between silence and hype would be a great way to get us excited about Madden.

[atc43]

This Must be a joke...who are the developers for this game??? Even if we at OS dont know a lick about video game programming im sure we could code much more common sense than that into madden LMFAO!!!!

Devs read this thread then redo your blocking ratings...Matter of fact maybe thats why they released this info?? lol

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Is it possible that Run Block and Pass Block ratings affect whether a defender will be pulled into the blocking animation, after which the STR rating takes over?

[TreFacTor]

Gonna be honest...I didn't even read the write up and have ony one two part question.

What effect does the difficulty and slider setting play in ratings adjustment and if the ratings are accurate and actually being truly represented why is there even a need for sliders and difficulty setting.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by TreFacTor

Gonna be honest...I didn't even read the write up and have ony one two part question. What effect does the difficulty and slider setting play in ratings adjustment and if the ratings are accurate and actually being truly represented why is there even a need for sliders and difficulty setting.

I'd love to know the exact interaction between slider setting and ratings for sure.

But I think the need for sliders (that don't manipulate ratings, just video game/sticks stuff) and difficulty is because we all don't have the same sticks and buttons skill.

I can't play as well as Jarodd, but I still want a realistic, ratings-utilzing experience.

[raguel]

Quote: Originally Posted by IlluminatusUIUC

Is it possible that Run Block and Pass Block ratings affect whether a defender will be pulled into the blocking animation, after which the STR rating takes over?

That would explain much about Madden, wouldn't it? That would mean suction blocking is a feature and not a bug.

[TreFacTor]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

I'd love to know the exact interaction between slider setting and ratings for sure. But I think the need for sliders (that don't manipulate ratings, just video game/sticks stuff) and difficulty is because we all don't have the same sticks and buttons skill. I can't play as well as Jarodd, but I still want a realistic, ratings-utilzing experience.

That's the thing, in 09 (I think) they implemented ratings on the fly based off of difficulty where the computer would adjust the ratings of the cpu players to make the game more difficult. I doubt the code was taken out so if this is still the case, then the actual ratings still mean nothing when the difficulty settings and sliders intervene.

[RyanMoody21]

One thing really jumped out at me, the most critical part of the ratings should be lack of bias. I've long been against one guy being a "ratings czar" because browse through any FF guide and you find 15 reputable writers with 15 very different per positon lists.

"Next, I looked at statistical reports and scouting reports for each and every lineman that I wasn't personally familiar with from my own playing days."

Now, I don't mean this personal. Clint got further than myself, and most likely any person in this thread. However, the guy played two games and rarely saw anything off a practice squad. I really don't know how he could have build fair representation of defensive players in that brief time.

Apart from that, I think the article confirms fears many of us had. Ratings we thought matter don't exactally impact the way we thought they should. Some ratings we thought mattered, don't exactally impact what we thought either.

In this case, I fear it's over simplified. Expecially with the long list of ratings that should lead to millions of player build combinations with dynamic differences between them.

Clearly, nobody is going to be right or wrong, no "best" answer on how to build players exists. However, I think we can all agree common sense needs to be the key ingredient and based on what I read, it's not.