Madden 2010 News Post

Madden NFL 10 Blog - Improvements to WR/DB Interaction

12:54 PM - March 2, 2009 by Ian_Cummings

Check out the latest Madden NFL 10 blog. This one covers the improvements to WR/DB interaction.

Quote:


	"As most folks already know, as a design team we've been very active on the forums recently (starting about a month or so before the Madden NFL 09 release). Within minutes of talking with the community it's easy to tell that one of the most common areas requested for improvement is DB/WR play. Obviously, we're listening to you, and here are just some of the other improvements and changes that you can expect to see in Madden NFL 10 come August."

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Member Comments

# 81 therizing02 @ 03/02/09 05:58 PM

Great job Ian and thanks for posting the blog.

I know you're a FIFA player, the thing about the jostling system that really makes it work is that the players size, weight, and strength are the major factors that come into play when deciding who will get possession of the ball and who may or may not end up on the ground.

Will we see something like this in Madden? The bigger/stronger receivers like Fitz, Moss, and TO should have a clear distinct advantage in the jostling department over smaller DB's and it should be prevelant in the game. If this is in the game it would also help with the fade routes and jump balls. No?

Thanks again man.

# 82 c dizzy m baby @ 03/02/09 05:59 PM

I'd like to see more missed swats on deep balls, WRs have the ability to go get the ball in the air also, and since accuracy is deflated perfect passes near indefensible. Overall amazing work though.

# 83 LBzrule @ 03/02/09 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BezO


	Will we be matching up with positions or actual players? What happens when the WR I'm matched up with is subbed out? Does my CB stick with his replacement or is the match up disabled? I'd prefer match ups to be disabled when the offensive player is not in. Oh yeah. Unless I missed the question, how will the match up feature effect how defenses line up when we call zones? If I match up my #1 CB with the other team's best WR, and call a zone, will my #1 CB still line up over that WR? What about LB/RB, zone call, with the RB split out?

Great questions because on old gen it was not this way unless you had Man Lock on.

# 84 Palo20 @ 03/02/09 06:11 PM

Will the CPU actually be moving their star players around now so that Player match ups are worth it in franchise mode?

# 85 RogueHominid @ 03/02/09 06:16 PM

Wow, Ian. I have a man-crush on you. Seeing the improved route running was absolutely a joy to watch. Now the receivers move like people!

I'm assuming that the distance between an "open" receiver and a "covered" one in man coverage will vary on the basis of the agility/route running/coverage ratings of the players in question rather than being set by one animation for "covered" and one for "open," but this wasn't addressed explicitly.

Again, stellar job with this WR/DB stuff. This is already going to improve the overall look and sim quality of the game by a wide margin.

# 86 BezO @ 03/02/09 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palo20


	Will the CPU actually be moving their star players around now so that Player match ups are worth it in franchise mode?

Maybe another reason split ends & flankers need to be designated. Users & CPU shouldn't have to "swap WRs" for them to switch sides. They should switch according to the offense's strength, flanker on the strong side, split end on the weak.

# 87 Bgamer90 @ 03/02/09 06:25 PM

Ian, will the improvements to route running fix the problem of WRs running out of bounds on pass plays?

# 88 BrianFifaFan @ 03/02/09 07:01 PM

Loving the whole jostling being tied to PI. Now here's a question. Will there be Offensive PI's called with the whole pushing off and hand fighting as well? Just wondering....

But I've gotta give some serious props for how this game is shaping up. It's kinda funny. I said a while back that I'd love this game if it was just Fifa09 with Madden players strapped over the core game. Man, you really are adding the best that Fifa has to offer and making it your own.... August is suddenly a year away!

But they say good things come to those who wait! Now just waiting on the new OL/DL play after jostling is added to them...

# 89 kcarr @ 03/02/09 07:06 PM

Ok, a couple ideas to maybe improve the player matchup thing.

1. Bring back man alignment/zone alignment as an option from the playcall screen to disguise the coverage. Especially with the defenders moving around to match up with certain receivers this could really help to disguise coverages.

2. Along with standard matchups add to the matchup screen the ability to set things such as how far off of a reciever to play, how tightly to cover the receiver, how physical to play the receiver, wether to press, etc.

3. The ability to make adjustments from the playcalling screen to set up double teams on certain players, move everyone into press or backed off coverage, shift the line, whatever.

# 90 teampunjabi @ 03/02/09 07:14 PM

When I switch to the WR while the ball is in the air...will there be user control of the jostling animations or will it be automatic? Id rather it be automatic and based on ratings like you said Ian. If I am a weak reciever I wanna see myself get manhandled by a better corner.

# 91 thudias @ 03/02/09 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianFifaFan


	Now just waiting on the new OL/DL play after jostling is added to them...

I think you might be on to something here.

# 92 icomb1ne @ 03/02/09 07:24 PM

He never talked about when the ball is in the air. Hopefully that is improved also.

# 93 Nza @ 03/02/09 07:32 PM

All very welcome changes. Although personally, my biggest issue with WR/DB play in 09 was the completely non existent jump ball, mainly because WR's seemed happy to run behind DB's and try to catch deep passes at waist height, which = INT mostly. They don't attack the ball in the air in 09. Guys like Fitz really need to do that.

IIRC, OL/DL interaction was more dominant in user complaints/wishlists than WR/DB, so the fact WR/DB has been covered already by the blog (assuming we're following a rough "best for last" style pattern here), and the fact it has been addressed convincingly bar the jump ball thing, certainly bodes well for the changes coming to OL/DL.

# 94 dannydufflebags @ 03/02/09 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icomb1ne


	He never talked about when the ball is in the air. Hopefully that is improved also.

THIS IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF MADDEN 10.

The WR's need to be able to jump and fight for the ball. This can and needs to be done, while eliminating the cheesy rocket catch.

# 95 Avii @ 03/02/09 07:37 PM

Helmets popping?

# 96 xX CASCABEL Xx @ 03/02/09 07:44 PM

will jostling = more sacks, hope not...

# 97 mKoz26 @ 03/02/09 07:53 PM

Guys... I know this might sound ridiculous, and its just me throwing some thoughts around, but...

I clicked on one of the videos in the blog link posted by Ian and...

Unlike the other two videos, at the end of it, there was a link to a video by naturalmotion on tackling or something like that. This is just me trying to make something out of nothing, but it could be a coincidence. I probably sound crazy, but Ian said he would announce the big news after the draft and NaturalMotion said there would be big news in 2 months just a couple of weeks ago. You see what I'm getting at, so maybe Madden will use Euphoria for tackling?

No... forget it... I'm crazy.

# 98 adembroski @ 03/02/09 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngoulding


	Ian, I thought these were meant to be small announcements? Already you've provided more solutions to long running Madden problems (terrible db/wr interaction, players staring vacantly into space, terrible stat keeping) than all the previous next gen Madden titles combined. I can't begin to imagine what the 'big' announcements around draft time and into the summer will be. Great work

Eventually they'll have to get to the little things just to keep the news flowing, unless he actually has 5 months worth of big changes to talk about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven123


	Ian, you and your guys are really stepping your game up. I can't give you guys too much credit since 2k already had most of the things you've shown so far. But for Madden standards, SUPERB!

2k5 may have had a lot of this, but in most cases, they did it the wrong way. Madden's doing it all procedural. So much was determined by die rolls before the ball was even snapped in 2k5 it was sick. The results were pretty, but when you realized control ended the moment you snapped the ball, it got irritating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBzrule


	Ian could you make sure of something for the DB to WR assignment feature. Could you make sure if I assign a Safety to the TE, that the OLB or MLB will not swap out with the Safety. On the old games this happened and it created a problem with the fronts I wanted to use.

Yes! A player changing positions due to defensive assignments should be replaced by his backup, not swapped with the player he replaced.

I do hope the computer is programmed to use this option as well, in both varieties it comes in in the NFL.

Madden players usually match their best CB on their opponents best receiver. NFL teams do this now and then, but not that often.

More often, NFL teams will double the opponent's best receiver, and locked up their best on the opponent's #2. Usually far more effective.

# 99 Ankido @ 03/02/09 08:03 PM

You sold me at the Jostling feature. I can finally play a corner or safety and not worry about under or over running the receiver. This is good stuff man, I'm liking it.

# 100 Golden28 @ 03/02/09 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mKoz26


	Guys... I know this might sound ridiculous, and its just me throwing some thoughts around, but... I clicked on one of the videos in the blog link posted by Ian and... Unlike the other two videos, at the end of it, there was a link to a video by naturalmotion on tackling or something like that. This is just me trying to make something out of nothing, but it could be a coincidence. I probably sound crazy, but Ian said he would announce the big news after the draft and NaturalMotion said there would be big news in 2 months just a couple of weeks ago. You see what I'm getting at, so maybe Madden will use Euphoria for tackling? No... forget it... I'm crazy.

Maybe not as crazy as you may think.

I believe Madden currently uses Naturalmotion's endorphin engine as it's 3D animation tool. I think I may also be correct in saying that the news about layered blending animation is a direct result of being able to utilise Naturalmotion's new Morpheme engine. That leaves one last product in Naturalmotion's armoury untouched by EA.

Have you guessed what it is yet?...The Euphoria engine as currently being used by Backbreaker for all it's tackling algorithms. Go figure.

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