Donny Moore, the 'Madden Ratings Czar', Leaving EA

[JPBeBeast]

Is something like 2 settings arcade/simulation out of the question. Include a pop up stating what would change ( disparity in ratings, slower gameplay, higher fatigue etc)

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by DCEBB2001

All they need to do is get real data and mimic the statistical distribution of that data. When you do that, you find out some very interesting things about your population of NFL players. Like how if you use the same methodology for every attribute, you find that NFL player have an average SPD of 68 (if you set the best to 99 and the worst to 1) and an average ACC of 65. Madden right now has an average SPD closer to 76 and ACC closer to 83. However, in their defense, I don't think they are using the data they need to use.

This is the stuff that interests me and we've talked about before.

Madden does not use a 1 to 99 though. Doesn't it use a 25-99 scale that is heavily left-skewed?

How do the standard deviations look? I would think bigger in your data but smaller in Madden? Almost to be expected with the difference in range.

[DeuceDouglas]

I wonder if this emphasis on "competitiveness" over realism is a good part of the reason sliders and a lot of ratings don't seem to work or are more or less meaningless. This is really frustrating to hear but I guess I'm not all that surprised. I think there's much better ways to go about making the game competitive that doesn't sacrifice realism.

[mestevo]

I'd wonder how far apart #1 and #2 are is all.

[DCEBB2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yukon46

Well it matters in the sense that to EA a 90 rating in speed equals a player running a 4.42 40 yard dash. Having 460 players running under a 4.42 is not realistic, only about 175 players in the NFL have run under that time. And the over inflation of speed goes beyond the 90 rated players..... So when in reality you should have about 5-10 Running Backs with a 90+ speed rating.... you get 35. I dont want them to alter the scale, I want the scale to be realistic.... this in itself will lead to more realistic gameplay.

Since 1996, there have been 1027 eligible players that have posted a 4.42 or better. That is in a population of over 30,000 NFL eligible players, meaning that about only 3% run that fast in a 40. However, if you set the best time to 99 and the worst to 1, you find that a true 90 should be a 4.36. However, we all know that you can't just use the 40 time to calculate speed. The best way to do this is to map the run using the splits for each player and find the maximum velocity.

[DCEBB2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

Dan, Did you broach the topic of if you would be able to continue doing what you do (with your rosters, your site, etc.) if you agreed to either consult with them or even get hired by them?

They asked me what my ideal involvement would be. I told them that being an outside consultant would be best. Reason being is that I could keep my intellectual property. I told that no matter what route they take, I will continue my site. If they bring me in to consult or even flat out provide their ratings, it would have to be on a long-term contract (4-5 years) so I can ensure that it is worth my time. The other thing I will need is to work with the guys who do the mechanics of the motion for the game. I have an amazing idea to literally make every player run EXACTLY at the same acceleration and speed they would run in real life. Each player would run only like themselves, and it may be pretty easy program, giving you a near infinite number of possible acceleration/speed combinations for just about any player...ever.

I didn't discuss this in detail, however, but if they bring me in, it will be mentioned and could change straight line player movement in Madden forever. I am THAT confident. The best part - all based on REAL data.

[DCEBB2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

This is the stuff that interests me and we've talked about before. Madden does not use a 1 to 99 though. Doesn't it use a 25-99 scale that is heavily left-skewed? How do the standard deviations look? I would think bigger in your data but smaller in Madden? Almost to be expected with the difference in range.

The difference in standard deviation from the real population to Madden is statistically significant. Madden's ratings are top-heavy in every category...alarmingly. Meanwhile, the data is seemingly bottom heavy, in every category. That means that for either overalls or individual attributes, Madden thinks most players are closer to 99 than to 1 and the data suggests that most players are closer to 1 than 99, making elite players more rare.

[Sausage]

Quote: Originally Posted by DCEBB2001

The big thing that was apparent is that their priority is making a competitive game over having accurate ratings. It looks like they are ""willing to sacrifice some accuracy, derived by real world data, for competitive gameplay."" Questions?

The sentence I quoted just tells me that it's still all about the same old Madden ball and not a true football sim. The new slogan "play Madden ball not pro football". Been around long enough this game is still and mainly tweaked for ranked / tournament players that can't imagine penalties, inaccurate passes, or football strategies beating Madden strategies.