Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

[ptroopah]

I have not played or bought Madden since they started making the NCAA title ( as college football trumps pro football any day of the week ) now that there is no more NCAA football. I will just keep updating the NCAA 14 Rosters as long as I can and play that for my football fix.....damm you O'Bannon

Signed
THE SILENT MAJORITY

[grodbetatted]

I enjoyed the game thoroughly and the war in the trenches was definitely a fun mini game inside of the game and it was effective. I agree the commentary could use some work, but honestly I don't pay much attention to it at all anyway, that's not just madden that's, 2k and live as well. It's just background noise to me. I'm just not sure what leap forward consumers are expecting, I couldn't imagine them changing the throwing mechanics, because right stick throwing would be too complex and more frustrating than fun. The game plays smooth for the most part, maybe they could change the running mechanic but I'm not sure that's the LEAP consumers are looking for. What would a NEXT GEN leap consist of is my question?

[bringbacksimfootball]

I could get into all the hype from Tiburon about improved blocking AI that never happened. I could get into the lack of WR/DB interaction. I could get into the lack of basic football fundamentals (proper carrying technique, proper QB drop and stance technique). I could get into the sliding, warping, and overall poor animation quality which includes animations dating back to Madden 06 STILL being in the game.

But everyone has covered all that enough that Tiburon has heard it enough and it's up to them to show they have the talent to fix these problems, or even just the give-a-damn to do it.

But you know what didn't work and it sticks out like a sore thumb just by looking at the game? The color and lighting. It's dead. Just look at that OP photo:



It's a big deal for one reason alone; Tiburon seems to love putting these bizarre spins on reality. Whether it's unrealistically overpowered defenses (Madden 15), or weird camera angles, or sparkling dull grass that looks more like a strange carpet than a football field, they find a way every year to do something that departs from sim. We've been having this problem for a long, long time. And THAT way of approaching things has never worked for Madden.

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by grodbetatted

I enjoyed the game thoroughly and the war in the trenches was definitely a fun mini game inside of the game and it was effective. I agree the commentary could use some work, but honestly I don't pay much attention to it at all anyway, that's not just madden that's, 2k and live as well. It's just background noise to me. I'm just not sure what leap forward consumers are expecting, I couldn't imagine them changing the throwing mechanics, because right stick throwing would be too complex and more frustrating than fun. The game plays smooth for the most part, maybe they could change the running mechanic but I'm not sure that's the LEAP consumers are looking for. What would a NEXT GEN leap consist of is my question?

They could add different types of passing mechanics just like the Show has 1 button pitching, or a more advanced pitching with a power meter.

It's not necessarily the button style I dislike with Madden, it's the way the ball feels tied to wrs and they react to passing instantly. I'd rather they use a style like you find in All Pro Football and limit the users ability to take wrs off their routes and manually catch. It looks so unnatural.

This pick up and play tethered style is too easy and its an eye sore to the game.

I agree with the article, but legacy issues like the 15 year old passing system killed madden more than the new additions that didn't work.

[eddie234]

The most frustrating thing is the claim of being realistic and yet their are so many things that happen in the game that would never happen in real life. Is it a game or is it like the real thing? Two or three time a game I go to throw a pass and its incomplete because he's been knock down but no penalty? Wth?

[speedtrucker]

To me what didn't work at all:

1: WR/CB/LB interaction. Nothing about it makes me feel like they got it even close. RBs can slide between tackles, stumble through a bump from an OLineman but the ball goes in the air and physics go out the door. Bodies warp through each other as the are locked in animations that either the Catcher is going to "win" or the defender is going to "win". "Win" meaning that the defender will slide through and his hands will break up the pass despite the obvious PI and strange "his hand went through my guys shoulder and arm to break that up. Or that great animation where the WR is fading away from the call and the CB is attacking the ball but they just slide right through each other physics be danged.

I've had LBs run my WRs off their route because they were running to their Zone coverage area but nothing is called be again physics be danged and madden can't call PIs correct.

I don't care if they decide that the physics results in more breakups or drops or PI but at least it brings it into a realm of reality.

2. The presentation... I don't just mean the commentary, I mean the entire package. NCAA was great because they put the whole Saturday gameday atmosphere in there and it was legit. Madden has a quasi-NFL network CBS feel... It doesn't feel right. Especially when everyone knows that the NFL has broadcast rights that differ by conferences and nights. The Cowboys aren't playing the Eagles on CBS. I could live with the broadcasters being the same but with a "Fox" style broadcast look, or NFL Thursday night game or NBC Sunday night game. NCAA basketball was the best when they had the espn dicky V broadcast and then the CBS Kellogg broadcast.

[Gridiron]

Quote: Originally Posted by bringbacksimfootball

I could get into all the hype from Tiburon about improved blocking AI that never happened. I could get into the lack of WR/DB interaction. I could get into the lack of basic football fundamentals (proper carrying technique, proper QB drop and stance technique). I could get into the sliding, warping, and overall poor animation quality which includes animations dating back to Madden 06 STILL being in the game. But everyone has covered all that enough that Tiburon has heard it enough and it's up to them to show they have the talent to fix these problems, or even just the give-a-damn to do it. But you know what didn't work and it sticks out like a sore thumb just by looking at the game? The color and lighting. It's dead. Just look at that OP photo: It's a big deal for one reason alone; Tiburon seems to love putting these bizarre spins on reality. Whether it's unrealistically overpowered defenses (Madden 15), or weird camera angles, or sparkling dull grass that looks more like a strange carpet than a football field, they find a way every year to do something that departs from sim. We've been having this problem for a long, long time. And THAT way of approaching things has never worked for Madden.

I dunno what they went for this time either man. I complained about the colors mad times too. The grass looks funny to me. Game still looks good but its just the way they went about it is off.

I check out joints like Forza and DriveClub and see the strong day lighting and then how in DriveClub you can customize the time of day for every hour and then the weather effects in that game are crazy as hell, and its just a racing game. Im like, why cant we have that in Madden?

I feel like these Tiburon cats just do the bare minimums with a lotta things. My homeboy used to say, when youre at work doin the bare minimums you do that cause you dont care, youre just tryna do enough to get the job over with and done and still get paid at the end of the week. Thats how Madden feels to me now.

[speedtrucker]

Weather is another one. How could they have mvp 06 NCAA baseball that had changing weather and never use it again in another sports title.

It was great to have a game start maybe partly cloudy and as the innings progressed clouds could roll in and sometimes you'd have a slight drizzle start by the 7th or 8th inning. It was amazing, that was a great game overall.

I agree that the colors and weather in madden are just laughable. The Cowboys pants and others look like they are wearing plastic wrap... Others like the cardinals are muted where the cardinal red looks so bland and the black looks charcoal grey... Seemed like NCAA football went crisp and sharp while madden always went muted and afternoon games looked even more washed out with the strange looking sunset color shading