Madden NFL 13 News Post

Breaking Down Madden: The Run Game

11:42 AM - August 22, 2012 by RaychelSnr

Editors Note: Andy McKenzie was a designer of the Backbreaker video game series. In this series he is writing, Andy is going to break down the Madden NFL Design and the implementation of features from a game developers perspective and to see exactly where Madden succeeds and where it doesn't. This should be an interesting series to say the least. Read Part One.

"Three things can happen when you throw the football, and two of them are bad" - this quote pretty much sums up my offensive philosophy when playing Madden.

I love to run the ball in football games. But, if like me, you've played a whole lot of Madden then after awhile each rushing play begins to feel the same. This is because of the very simple blocking system that governs the run game.

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# 21 btemp @ 08/22/12 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankwyte81


	Because the blocking is the same way in Madden 13, that's why he wrote this fantastic piece of work. Great write-up Andy....

Abso-friggin-lutely.

# 22 liberaluser @ 08/22/12 03:10 PM

If this new dev team delivers bigtime next year I will surely buy Madden as a day one purchase. But until then I can't suffer another mediocre entry.

When the old team gave up on ProTak is when I stopped buying. Yes, I know that was kinda gimmicky to begin with but the fact they wouldn't even improve upon it and the rest of the gameplay made me lose all hope for Madden this generation.

# 23 chi_hawks @ 08/22/12 03:10 PM

Fantastic write up. Agree on all counts.

And to people wondering why he used 12' instead of 13', line interaction is the exact same in 13' (Dev's have already confirmed this).

# 24 Feldman011teen @ 08/22/12 03:29 PM

I've got the retail version as well, and at higher difficulties, it doesn't matter, there could be two defensive lineman and they suction off their blocker on to your RB or QB. I guess they stated it's a passing league, so they hope you take advantage of that.

# 25 Only1LT @ 08/22/12 04:48 PM

Very good read, but as PG said, this blog could have been written by me, or any number of other people on this forum. That isn't a knock against the author, and as taz says, it's nice to see validation from an industry professional, it just makes it that much more obvious how wrong the direction on this game has been, and more frustrating because I'm not sure when or if it will change.

Their philosophy on animations, in general, and their delusion that the user needs to be in control at all times, will continue to be one of the biggest impediments to getting a realistic game from this dev house ever. Seems even rival developers know this.

I'm sure Tiburon knows it too. Question is, will they muster the courage, and perhaps discover the humility, to change?

# 26 atc43 @ 08/22/12 06:57 PM

Beautiful write up! Again like others have said it really is great to see someone who has experience in programming talk about the flaws in Madden's genes. I have some programming experience(and by some i mean 1 year) and what the OP said is very much more than likely true. With that said I'mm positive Tiburon knows the same things. They said they'll address line play in 14 hopefully along with player momentum(foot planting).

If Madden can ever get any semblance of this in the game it would be an incredible, i repeat incredible improvement.

skip to 4:40

http://youtu.be/bdkyMfYZqQA

# 27 Cnada @ 08/22/12 11:26 PM

Fantastic break down

So true about knowing how the animation is going to play out so good players see it coming and then go around the way they will break from the block.

Also very much needed about expanded controls their is little to no skill is D-Line and their should be a chess match going on, on every play.

Great breakdown i think expanded physics will fix alot of this.

# 28 UMhester04 @ 08/23/12 01:06 AM

The run game and the return game are now the only two areas that do not play to a level I expect them to play at at this stage of the console cycle. Passing game this year is pretty solid, but the running game is very vanilla. I agree with the OP that lateral blocks need to be implimented in the game as I stated in another thread. It is the reason that there are so many runs that can be easily broken to the outside, because the line blocks straight forward and coupled with the EXTREMELY unrealistic player movement you can just take 2 steps to the outside and be running full speed down the sideline.

SPEAKING OF player movement whos bright idea was it to have the ball carrier keep their "shoulders square to the line of scrimmage" in the first place? I could forgive some of the player movements but this part of it is just laughable. I kno everyone knows what I am talking about when you are running with the stick up and to the right and then you move it up and to the left and your player literally takes 0-1.5 steps with their off arm in the air like they are gonna shed an incoming tackler. I swear to god I could live with some ice skating if only the movement LOOKED like I was actually running, like say instead of the terrible square your body to the line of scrimmage all the time b.s we have they would just have it so if we moved the stick too far away from where we were holding it the runner would just make a cut animation...Swing and a miss on that one EA.

It is just frustrating because the tools are definitely there to make a great running game but it is neglected.

# 29 bjones16 @ 08/23/12 01:06 AM

Awesome write up! This and foot planting is the reason I wont buy Madden! I just can't.

# 30 DeuceDouglas @ 08/23/12 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodydog


	I would love for all of the "Madden loyalists" to read this article, so that they could understand that the criticism that some have for the Madden series is legitimate. But you know what I expect to hear from those guys?...crickets.

It doesn't say anything we haven't already known for the last several years. It's been a well known issue for quite a while now. I honestly think the bigger problem doesn't lie in the run game, but the pass game in terms of the blocking.

The win/loss nature of the animations isn't as bad IMO when involved in the running game but when you do get those situations where three different lineman simultaneously pull the same 'win' animation to come off a block, it becomes more of an issue. In terms of the passing game, a win animation rewards an unabated blocker while the loss animation results in no pass rush whatsoever which is a HUGE problem.

I would have liked to see this year OL-DL interaction, get the same treatment that the catching got this year with all the additional animations. It wouldn't be the answer and it would still be flawed but it would have been a huge improvement over what we've had and would allow for, at the very least, more variety and results.

# 31 illwill10 @ 08/23/12 01:28 AM

For me it is not just getting the Physics right so you cant put a K/P on the line without consequence, or adding better Interaction animations, it is revamping the AI(not just for the OL/DL).

The AI in this game is horrible. Adding Traits isnt enough, to make players play like themselves or smarter. Players run with Tunnel Vision and dont use special moves, OL doesnt pick up defenders that right in front of them if someone is blitzing, Playcalling by CPU AI is bad and they dont adjust to what is going on in the game. It isnt a bad game, but it isnt a simulation football game that everyone wants. It feels scripted at times.

# 32 aussieBKR @ 08/23/12 07:38 AM

im not a *****, or hating on your article......but your about 10 months late on your deadline mate

# 33 rudyjuly2 @ 08/23/12 07:40 AM

Excellent write-up!

# 34 La Verite @ 08/23/12 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demoncrom


	He is so right - the line play in madden is trash and the only one to get the running to work properly at higher levels is to adjust the sliders.

This. Which actually shows how breaking tackles should work. You also see more animations. Try raising break tackle to 65 or 70. Run game feels better. I do it on all pro. Still only renting Madden tho. Depends on off-line CCM.

# 35 DetroitStyle @ 08/23/12 11:35 AM

You always have to adjust sliders anyway to tune it to your skill level. But I agree the blocking has been one dimensional for too many years now. It's just a coin flip with ratings and there's no visual cue to let you know whose going to win that battle. It gets worse on higher difficulties where you just see a whole defensive line shed 4 blocks all at the same time. It ends up looking like a kick return of Madden past, where the entire defense is coming after you and your blockers are all upfield lol!

There's some good news though, that wasn't mentioned in the write up...the Infinity Engine! Even though blocking may be a coin flip, with all the bodies on the O-line and D-line you may get a lot more "incidental" blocking where player models collide with each other or trip up each other resulting in a quasi-block.

# 36 La Verite @ 08/23/12 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cpterp22


	Great read, but we already know the change wasn't coming til 14.. I have the retail.. Blocking is a little better with IE.. 14 will be where we really see it ( I hope )

People say that about every new game. When 10 came out, 11 was the new hope for changes, etc. And now 14 and 13 not out yet? Lol

# 37 atc43 @ 08/23/12 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghettogeeksta


	Do you have a souce for this information?

Theyve said they will address line play next year ask anyone and theyll most likely confirm, and about footplanting sorry i guess i didnt make myself clear enough. I meant HOPEFULLY they will also work on foot planting.

# 38 bigmalof00 @ 08/24/12 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whomario


	No offense, but why go through all this trouble breaking down the �12 version instead of waiting a couple weeks and doing it for �13 ?

lol probably because there's a 99% chance with it being EA's madden that the same problem will be in 13

# 39 geisterhome @ 08/24/12 04:06 AM

awesome read!

# 40 kjcheezhead @ 08/24/12 11:19 AM

Nice article. This sums up exactly why I dislike the blocking in Madden and I think it goes over to the passing game as well. I think this is the core of the problem tho..

Quote:


	This makes for a really frustrating experience as a player because the only information you have at that moment is the visual feedback of seeing your blockers making good blocks, only for them to be completely destroyed as soon as you gain control of the half back.

The movement of engaged players, addition of double team blocking, etc. are all desperately needed but if I can't trust what I'm seeing in the game it's more frustrating to play than fun.

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