Madden NFL 11 News Post

Madden NFL 11 Blog: Run Blocking Improvements

03:29 PM - May 12, 2010 by Cvhsalumni

EA Sports has just posted another Madden NFL 11 blog. This one was written by Mike Scantlebury and features run blocking improvements, with a few video examples included.

Quote:


	"As we started planning out the changes to make to run blocking In Madden NFL 11, we just focused on creating the true run blocking schemes exactly as they are drawn up in real life. No reason to try and make a video-gamey version of it - it needed to be the real thing. It definitely took a lot of tuning to get the matchups right versus the many defensive fronts in football, but we have done it. The very first thing we had to do was really lay down the law. What I mean by this is that blockers had to be given realistic rules for who they are going to target depending on what type of run it is. We had to devise rules for each run blocker individually, starting from the play-side Tight End to the back-side Tight End, and all the Linemen in between. These rules also had to work in the situations where there was no Tight End, had to affect blockers in the backfield, and had to work whether you had a fullback to lead block or if you were running out of a Singleback formation. These realistic blocking matchup rules have stood the test of time in football at every level of play, from Pee Wee to professional. So we set out to implement these timeless rules into our football game. Daniel White (who from here forward I will refer to as the greatest software engineer of all time) was able to take the rules that I laid out and actually code them into the game. The result? Better overall run blocking, bigger holes for ball carriers to run through, and more realistic running lanes created by smarter offensive players. Let's look at specific improvement made to the different runs in our game."

Game: Madden NFL 11Reader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 96 - View All

Madden NFL 11 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 NoTiCe_O @ 05/12/10 03:33 PM

Nice Find .. reading now

# 2 dougdeuce @ 05/12/10 03:44 PM

Wow, I'm loving the double team logic.

# 3 djordan @ 05/12/10 03:46 PM

Im impressed

.

But why are we getting news that NCAA already had? I tell ya lol...

WAIT A MINUTE!!!!! OO HELL NAH LOL

http://ncaafootball.easports.com/blo...alAssignmentAI

It's the same designer "Mike Scantlebury" who did the Blog on NCAA 11 run blocking blog..

1st we get a locomotion blog after NCAA dropped a blog a week before...Now this? COME ON NOW!

Can we the fans get something new for Madden blog wise?

# 4 ch46647 @ 05/12/10 03:52 PM

How do the videos look? I'm on a blackberry and can't view them.. Are they showb from a normal gameplay camera view?

Thanks

# 5 LBzrule @ 05/12/10 03:54 PM

Scantlebury is a good guy. Looks like things worked out really well.

# 6 rooney8 @ 05/12/10 03:57 PM

In all the vids the linebackers are very slow to react. Probably all just in zone but I would like to see how they block the blitz. Do they still try and double linemen and let some linebackers through? I hope not.

# 7 jeremym480 @ 05/12/10 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougdeuce


	Wow, I'm loving the double team logic.

+1. Looks great. This should take the running game to a whole new level!!

# 8 CFTejada @ 05/12/10 04:01 PM

I hope their's D to stop these runs ; It looks like offense is going to dominate Madden 11

# 9 SageInfinite @ 05/12/10 04:03 PM

Those videos looked good.

# 10 djordan @ 05/12/10 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sois


	Wow. Finally, looks good, it's awesome to see the OL not spinning in circles thinking about who to block next!

Co-sign...I hated that.

# 11 Hova57 @ 05/12/10 04:09 PM

I thought it was Sven Drac talking for awhile there looked just like a thread he and adem had going.

Now only if they had a blog tht sounded like LB talking this game would be hot.

# 12 coogrfan @ 05/12/10 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djordan


	Im impressed . But why are we getting news that NCAA already had? I tell ya lol...

Umm...because the majority of Madden fans probably don't give a hoot about NCAA? To those folks this is brand new stuff.

# 13 LBzrule @ 05/12/10 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFTejada


	I hope their's D to stop these runs ; It looks like offense is going to dominate Madden 11

That's a concern I have. If the principles on D have not been hashed out, we could be looking at a running game in comparison to ESPN NFL 2k4.

I also would like to know what happens when you have two guys like Ngata and Cody up there on that line. If one blocker releases to the second level those guys should be able to throw the single blocker off and make the tackle. They should be very hard to move.

# 14 RGiles36 @ 05/12/10 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBzrule


	I also would like to know what happens when you have two guys like Ngata and Cody* up there on that line.*

You're so bias

...

# 15 N51_rob @ 05/12/10 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBzrule


	That's a concern I have. If the principles on D have not been hashed out, we could be looking at a running game in comparison to ESPN NFL 2k4. I also would like to know what happens when you have two guys like Ngata and Cody up there on that line. If one blocker releases to the second level those guys should be able to throw the single blocker off and make the tackle. They should be very hard to move.

I'm starting to have those same concerns myself. I really hope this year isn't "All about the O."

# 16 at23steelers @ 05/12/10 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBzrule


	That's a concern I have. If the principles on D have not been hashed out, we could be looking at a running game in comparison to ESPN NFL 2k4. I also would like to know what happens when you have two guys like Ngata and Cody up there on that line. If one blocker releases to the second level those guys should be able to throw the single blocker off and make the tackle. They should be very hard to move.

It looked good. My concern was it sounds like these are the only runs they fixed. So, will the draw play, fb dive, and toss runs all be unchanged?

# 17 Senator Palmer @ 05/12/10 04:18 PM

This looks good, I mean really good. That counter where both guards pulled and got to the second level was a thing of beauty. And to actually see a fullback take a logical path in leading the runner up the field and finding a block, good stuff. But I've got a few concerns...

1. The defensive reaction time seemed a little slow, especially on that stretch video. The OLB just stands there long after the play was obvious(hopefully it's his PRC rating coming into effect). The D didn't attack at all which makes me wonder if this will hold up at higher levels, because human vs. cpu, d-linemen and backers shed run blocks like it's nothing.

2. Direct quote from the blog:

Defenders in the box now have a more deliberate reaction when they see that initial fake by the running back.

I like the way this sounds for when I may want to run play action, but I'm a little worried about how this affects my user-controlled defender. I usually contol the MLB and I've gotten pretty adept at reading plays. BUT, Madden 10 is plagued by false steps, even from user-controlled defenders. Depending on the zone I call, right after the snap, my user-controlled defender will automatically take a few steps to get me out of my gap and by the time I'm recovered, it's too late. I made a thread about it a while back:

Linebacker False Steps:
http://http://www.operationsports.co...lse-steps.html

Now, my CPU teammates, I understand, but don't take control away from me and/or make my guys dumber to make the run blocking better. I genuinely believe that the developers' hearts are in the right place though, so I'm holding out faith.

# 18 ezio @ 05/12/10 04:20 PM

I was also very impressed by it as well. It looks good.

# 19 canes21 @ 05/12/10 04:20 PM

Looked great, but I want to see what happens when a bad offensive line blocks a great defensive line. I also want to see th CPU running game and not just these users running the ball.

# 20 Bootzilla @ 05/12/10 04:23 PM

As long as match ups/ratings/abilities/playcall/ etc. are taken into effect (hopefully) the run game won't be overpowering. Or worse, if it becomes overpowering having the defenders just break free of blocks as soon as a runner hits the hole. I find that every bit as frustrating as linemen and fullbacks not knowing who to block. And while we're at it, work on the timing in which fullbacks hit the hole on leads. They run like a 4.1 forty through the hole.

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