Madden NFL 15 News Post

Madden NFL 15: New Tackling Mechanics Explained

06:02 PM - June 9, 2014 by RaychelSnr

EA Sports posted a new blog detailing the tackling mechanics in Madden NFL 15. Check out the blog for full details on each system.

Tackle Cone

User controlled defenders now have an all-new Tackle Cone that is used to determine if they can complete a conservative tackle. If the user presses A (Xbox One) or X (PlayStation 4) while the ballcarrier is somewhere in defender's Tackle Cone, the defender will engage in a non-big hit tackle animation. Success of this tackle is based on a number of factors, primarily player ratings. that may or may not be successful based on a number of factors. Ballcarriers can attempt special moves to to avoid these tackles. The visual aspect of the Tackle Cone can be turned On or Off in the settings menu.

Conservative Tackles

User-controlled defenders can now decide between aggressive and conservative tackles. By pressing A (Xbox One) or X (PlayStation 4) when a ball carrier is in the defender�s sights, defenders can attempt a Conservative Tackle on the runner.

Aggressive Tackles

Aggressive Tackle combines both dive and Hit Stick tackles. If a ball carrier is within three yards of the defender, pressing the Aggressive Tackle button (X on Xbox One, Square on PS4) will trigger a Hit Stick tackle. If the offensive player is outside of three yards, pressing the Aggressive Tackle button will result in a diving tackle attempt.

The success of these tackle are based on a number of factors, including player ratings and timing. If a user attempts a tackle before the ball carrier reaches them, they could whiff on the tackle entirely.

What do you think of the new tackling system in Madden?

Game: Madden NFL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 42 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 friscob @ 06/09/14 06:05 PM

Glad the tackle cone can visually be turned off.

# 2 michapop9 @ 06/09/14 06:27 PM

if they have tackling cones but no qb vision cone brought back.......cmon.......both could be turned off and the qb vision cone a lot more useful in my opinion.

# 3 Rams_3 @ 06/09/14 07:44 PM

A tackle cone? Come on EA your killing me. Glad it can b turned off.

# 4 Hooe @ 06/09/14 08:08 PM

The tackle cone isn't going to be relevant for most anyone on this message board, but for anyone picking up Madden NFL for the first time I could see it being a useful teaching tool for playing open-field defense against a ballcarrier.

# 5 Iceman87GT @ 06/09/14 08:08 PM

Please bring back the vision cone! I want to be able to look off defenders without having to pump fake. Heck have it turned off by default.

# 6 DeuceDouglas @ 06/09/14 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	The tackle cone isn't going to be relevant for most anyone on this message board, but for anyone picking up Madden NFL for the first time I could see it being a useful teaching tool for playing open-field defense against a ballcarrier.

Most people probably won't even know it's there. I think it was Shopmaster that said once you go above Pro it turns off by default.

# 7 d11king @ 06/09/14 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	The tackle cone isn't going to be relevant for most anyone on this message board, but for anyone picking up Madden NFL for the first time I could see it being a useful teaching tool for playing open-field defense against a ballcarrier.

The QB Vision cone could've been relevant for almost everyone on this message board as well though, IMO. I could also see that being useful teaching tool for actually going through your reads and actually looking off defenders. IMO, it's been far too long for Madden and other sports games to cater to the first time users. The QB vision cone I know was either a hate it or love it feature, but it was the best addition I thought they made to the game, that could've been worked on and implemented better.

# 8 Iceman87GT @ 06/09/14 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d11king


	The QB Vision cone could've been relevant for almost everyone on this message board as well though, IMO. I could also see that being useful teaching tool for actually going through your reads and actually looking off defenders. IMO, it's been far too long for Madden and other sports games to cater to the first time users. The QB vision cone I know was either a hate it or love it feature, but it was the best addition I thought they made to the game, that could've been worked on and implemented better.

I had a Packers franchise and no matter what I did Brett Favre would retire following my first season, I wound up trading up for a guy in the draft who was amazing in everything but awareness (I had Rodgers but he didn't develop much after that first year and I didn't want to see such a drop off in awareness and everything else as well). The adjustment I had to make made the game more challenging and more engaging, I had to figure out where I was planning on going with the ball before the snap, and I had to make my decisions to go to the next guy much quicker than I ever had to with Favre. I loved being able to look off defenders by focusing on my #2 and then checking my preferred target out of the corner of my eyes and then making the quick switch to him and getting him either all alone or with a defender in the area but not close enough to make a play on the ball.

I don't think people knew about the quick switch (pushing one of the shoulder buttons and the receiver button would automatically switch your focus, as opposed to using the analog to guide it over there), either that or people really had no interest in being challenged in their games. The way I played Madden 2004 (Eagles/Falcons/Created team with running QB) vs. how I played Madden 06 was drastically different and the way I played 06 was much more realistic and it was mainly due to the QB Cone.

There is no way to look off defenders anymore unless you pump fake, which takes up more time in the pocket and relies mainly on getting players to jump rather than trying to get them to not commit to their routes. Also getting a safety to jump with a pump fake isn't as efficient as getting them to cheat over to the wrong side of the field, in one they have a chance to still be in the way of a deep pass (to a guy who ran by the CB covering him), in the other the safety would be completely out of position and could only hope to make a TD saving tackle.

# 9 Cowboy008 @ 06/09/14 09:14 PM

Hopefully ratings actually matter this year

# 10 johnnyg713 @ 06/09/14 09:20 PM

You guys talking about QB vision cone should read my blog on the main page.

# 11 Hooe @ 06/09/14 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d11king


	The QB Vision cone could've been relevant for almost everyone on this message board as well though, IMO. I could also see that being useful teaching tool for actually going through your reads and actually looking off defenders. IMO, it's been far too long for Madden and other sports games to cater to the first time users. The QB vision cone I know was either a hate it or love it feature, but it was the best addition I thought they made to the game, that could've been worked on and implemented better.

The difference is that, regardless what members of this community thought of it, the Vision Cone wasn't well-designed for new players whatsoever.

First, the control of the cone was cumbersome. The pass progression reading was still the responsibility of the player, with or without the cone. Once the player identified an open receiver, he had to move the cone to the receiver (either with the right stick or R2+button), _then_ throw the ball. I argue that this is too many control inputs to simply throw a pass with a reasonable chance of success.

The vision cone also wasn't well designed with respect to teaching players how to use it and where to point the vision cone to succeed with it. There was no success or fail indicator to indicate that the player was going through his pass progressions properly, that he was doing a poor job using the cone, or any indicators as to how to improve his skill using it. The only feedback was success or fail of the pass after it had been thrown, be it with an inaccurate pass to the intended receiver outside of the vision cone or an interception. This wasn't nearly enough, and resulted in a lot of user frustration.

Between the slow ability to control the cone and no in-game teaching of how to effectively use it, it was almost impossible for a new player to learn how to use the vision cone effectively while playing the game.

In contrast, the tackling cone requires no additional input whatsoever. It's a context-sensitive helper for players to put themselves in the best position to make a tackle. It's completely passive and doesn't itself change how the user plays the game; it merely provides a visual aid as to how to time the tackle control input for various tackle types.

By providing obvious useful contextual feedback to the player without interrupting the normal flow of the game, the tackling cone is much better design and does a better job teach new players how to play defense in Madden in one of the most fundamental aspects of the game, tackling.

# 12 d11king @ 06/10/14 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	The difference is that, regardless what members of this community thought of it, the Vision Cone wasn't well-designed for new players whatsoever. First, the control of the cone was cumbersome. The pass progression reading was still the responsibility of the player, with or without the cone. Once the player identified an open receiver, he had to move the cone to the receiver (either with the right stick or R2+button), _then_ throw the ball. I argue that this is too many control inputs to simply throw a pass with a reasonable chance of success. The vision cone also wasn't well designed with respect to teaching players how to use it and where to point the vision cone to succeed with it. There was no success or fail indicator to indicate that the player was going through his pass progressions properly, that he was doing a poor job using the cone, or any indicators as to how to improve his skill using it. The only feedback was success or fail of the pass after it had been thrown, be it with an inaccurate pass to the intended receiver outside of the vision cone or an interception. This wasn't nearly enough, and resulted in a lot of user frustration. Between the slow ability to control the cone and no in-game teaching of how to effectively use it, it was almost impossible for a new player to learn how to use the vision cone effectively while playing the game. In contrast, the tackling cone requires no additional input whatsoever. It's a context-sensitive helper for players to put themselves in the best position to make a tackle. It's completely passive and doesn't itself change how the user plays the game; it merely provides a visual aid as to how to time the tackle control input for various tackle types. By providing obvious useful contextual feedback to the player without interrupting the normal flow of the game, the tackling cone is much better design and does a better job teach new players how to play defense in Madden in one of the most fundamental aspects of the game, tackling.

Very very good point, but when the vision cone was implemented, we all as Madden users had to adjust to it because it was our first time seeing it, so the casual fan and newcomer had to make the same adjustment to the cone.

I 1000% agree with you that the cone wasnt implemented correctly, but I do think EA made a mistake by scrapping the feature entirely instead of keeping it in and building on it. It seems every year since the hit stick was introduced, there's always something being scrapped, something being added, that the only thing that has maintained, was indeed the hit stick.

IMO I feel the best approach is not to worry about the casual/newcomers of the series, and trying to make the game as simple as can be for them, but to put your best product out there and go from there. The newcomers will always come, there's no other football game on the market, and if your game is good, those newcomers will eventually become veterans. Build your base, a solid foundation, with great features, and the rest will follow.

If EA would've kept the vision cone, and continued to try and make the feature better, who knows, maybe Madden 2007 the vision come could've been well designed and easy to use, with feedback like you mentioned, but they didn't give it that opportunity which to this day still hurts my heart lol.

# 13 Aggies7 @ 06/10/14 02:50 AM

Honestly, not a fan of this feature. I really feel like this is for first time users and really won't apply to those that have played for years. Just my opinion.

# 14 BigDaddyHolmes @ 06/10/14 04:03 AM

I personally can't see any reason to have this new tackle cone at all. Not even for a new football gamer. I would find it harder to pay attention to that cone, then to just run towards the guy with the ball. Head scratcher for me. I wonder how you over look all the major issue's this game has, and work on a tackle cone? I just can't see it, who comes up with this? Hope this at least works for someone out there, because they seam to be proud of it.

# 15 Aggies7 @ 06/10/14 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Lowery


	Funny the didn't talk more about tackling in general, wonder if they improved the gang tackling? Will we get more than two man gang tackles? Has the Infinity Engine tackling improved? This is like it's 3rd or 4th year of IE.

That's what I want to see is more fluid gang tackling and also strip sack animations. And even just strip animations to cause fumbles.

Also want to see pile ups for fumbles...not fight for fumble but multiple players piling on

# 16 Cubfan @ 06/10/14 08:04 AM

I just want improved offense and defense without all the gimmicks.

# 17 Greenblood60 @ 06/10/14 10:44 AM

The QB vision cone should have been implemented better. It could have been received much better, even by the casual or novice crowd.

First, it was just ugly on screen. The way EA went about distinguishing QBs with high awareness, from QBs with low awareness, was wrong in my opinion. Making smarter QBs have bigger cones was a mistake. They really didn't need a cone at all. They just needed to have the icon of the receiver ( that the QB is looking at ) light up ( or be highlighted ) in some way. The smarter the QB, the less time it takes to switch from one receiver to the next. That way it would be easier to go through your progressions, look defenders off, and get more passes of with Rodgers then with someone like Mike Glennon.

The controls were also too cumbersome. All you really needed was a double tap mechanic. You tap first to get the QB to look at the receiver, and the second time to throw it.

Had they done that instead of having users have to either mess with the R-stick or hold down the R2 button ( while pressing the face buttons to look at receivers ) the feature might have been received better.

# 18 jmurphy31 @ 06/10/14 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggies7


	That's what I want to see is more fluid gang tackling and also strip sack animations. And even just strip animations to cause fumbles. Also want to see pile ups for fumbles...not fight for fumble but multiple players piling on

And limit the amount of WWE style tackles, especially with no momentum. Not a fan of how a defensive player who is standing still just lights up the ball carrier.

# 19 Official_Mole @ 06/10/14 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggies7


	Honestly, not a fan of this feature. I really feel like this is for first time users and really won't apply to those that have played for years. Just my opinion.

Which is why your given the option to turn off the cone. New users will probably want to leave it on for a while, where as hardcore users will turn it off.

The game functions the same whether you have the cone on or off, its just a matter of whether or not you want the visual aid.

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Madden NFL 15: New Tackling Mechanics Explained