Slumberland wrote:
One of the frustrating things about reading O.S. post-release is all the clamoring for things that need to be "fixed in a patch". Madden has become more like The Show in that you reallt need a large sample size now before making any judgements about the game's tendencies. Sometimes I think the CPU run game is hopeless, then Oakland's McFadden bowls me over for 200+ yards. Sometimes sacks seem impossible, then I'll get three in one game with Sean Ellis. .
Agreed!..No one panic....Have seen things like that...In my season Little gets 4 sacks in the game vs Packers giving him 6 on the year and Im like wtf?! DE problem? ...but then goes on to get 3 in the next 7 games. Still a great year but Strahan's record is safe.
MizzouRah wrote:
How is Laurinitis doing?
If he plays as well as he does in Madden he will have a shot at rookie of the year.
I've been cracking up at how much I have to adjust in this game.
I'm 8 games into a Raiders franchise playing 15 minute quarters and 25 second runoff. Darren McFadden is the truth in the game. Leading every category imaginable--rushing yards, combined yardage, TD's, MVP race, Offensive PotY, RB, Pro Bowl (Michael Bush is actually 2nd in pro bowl voting for tailbacks lol).
Bottom line, I run. A LOT.
But that's because I've never seen a QB with worse throws than JaMarcus. I played a buddy online last night just to show him how funny it is. His throws were literally SIX YARDS off target on simple crossing patterns or digs.
In my franchise I've thrown 20 INT's with him, and probably 15 or 16 of those were throws that were just so bad there's nothing I could do. I'm talking throw it to a receiver sitting down in coverage and overshoot his head by about 6 feet, having it go right at a safety. Toss a fade route to the pylon and watch it be underthrown by 10 yards and picked off.
It's GLORIOUSLY FRUSTRATING. I've never had so much fun battling the ratings. Last night I went into the second match against the Chargers down 13-7 at halftime after JaMarcus had thrown 3 more interceptions. (The funny part is, in NCAA I complete 85% of my passes for truckloads of yardage when I want to. Last year's Madden, same thing. I've never had an issue completing passes before, but this year with JaMarcus is bonkers.)
I had ditched Charlie Frye early in the preseason and picked up Graham Harrell as an undrafted free agent. Threw him in there and actually managed to work myself back into the game. He came back not once but twice in the fourth quarter and put the game away with :15 left.
I looked at the stat lines afterward, and JaMarcus was 8 of 18 for 72 yards, 0 TDs, and 3 INTs in about a quarter and a half.
Graham Harrell was 26 of 39 for 360 yards, 2 TD's, and 2 INT's (one was forcing a ball downfield at halftime after I inserted him for the last series of the first half, the other was one where he got hit and the ball lobbed into the chest of a defensive tackle. Each of those was well-earned lol).
Normally I run so much that it doesn't come into play. But Shaun Phillips absolutely blew up every run to the right. Williams destroyed runs up the gut. The only success I had running was if I loaded up the left and got a body on Merriman. He's a hell of a pass rusher in the game, but he can be manhandled by a blocker on a toss play.
Every game feels different to me. Some games I come out and steamroll the opposition. Other times I'm in a close game until I can pull it out in the end. Then other games I have no business being in, but my secondary (led by Asomugha) is a turnover-creating machine.
I couldn't be happier with the game. Each game feels different so far, and after playing a game with Harrell, and a couple with Stafford of the Lions, it's apparent that the ratings have a HUGE impact on your team, which is awesome.
webdanzer wrote:I'm sure a bunch of you have played a lot of games now. Is it true that you can still complete passes to the flats or running backs with impunity, and you pretty much just have to avoid doing that do get a realistic game?
Thanks!
I would love to hear some thoughts on this as well. In past Madden games, the flats and backs were my bread and butter. It would be tough for me to stay away from those routes because they are far too effective and unbalanced.
Still very easy, yes. Against humans it's not, as they're pretty easy to follow and stuff in the backfield, but against the AI it's pretty easy, especially since the AI loves to send the house on a blitz.
webdanzer wrote:I'm sure a bunch of you have played a lot of games now. Is it true that you can still complete passes to the flats or running backs with impunity, and you pretty much just have to avoid doing that do get a realistic game?
Thanks!
I would love to hear some thoughts on this as well. In past Madden games, the flats and backs were my bread and butter. It would be tough for me to stay away from those routes because they are far too effective and unbalanced.
They are "slightly" more successful than they are in real life. I've noticed that on All-Pro, eventually the defense does adjust...just not exactly to the level that they should. When the D brings the linebackers, the RBs are open, but that's how it is in real life too...so it's not that big of a deal, and it's all about reading the defense.
That said...I'm VERY impressed at how the D picked up on the occasional substitutions I did w/ Pat White on the dolphins. I have a few plays that he comes in to run and every time he hit the field, the D switched to a Spy and contain D. It was simply awesome to see. They knew that when I brought Pat White in, I'd run options or PA boots...I ran for like 75 yards in the first half with him and all of 10 in the second because I was contained. Beautiful.
Oh, and for the first time EVER. I actually missed a field goal as time expired to win the game. There was also a holding call on the play, but I missed so the penalty was declined and I lost the game. It was awesome.
webdanzer wrote:I'm sure a bunch of you have played a lot of games now. Is it true that you can still complete passes to the flats or running backs with impunity, and you pretty much just have to avoid doing that do get a realistic game?
Thanks!
I would love to hear some thoughts on this as well. In past Madden games, the flats and backs were my bread and butter. It would be tough for me to stay away from those routes because they are far too effective and unbalanced.
Not really impunity but if you see th blitz before it comes its lights out for the D.
It is almost always a safer play but its like most other plays in that to get that bread and butter effect you need to have them in the right D.
I have busted a few long ones but Ive also been nailed for losses and worse turnovers.
Basically I cant call it money ...yet anyway.
EDIT: I never gave it any thought til I read this. Im definately going to pay attention to it.
There's also a reason they're such high percentage throws...because they're simpler to hit than down the field passes.
I'm honestly going through a learning curve, even though I've played Madden since the first PC game. Throwing down the field is tough for me, so I've relied entirely on the running game and dumping it to Tight Ends and tailbacks.
The passes in the flats SHOULD be easier, but they're fairly easy to get that key 1st down when you need it. A little too effective. McFadden (the ultimate running/receiving threat in this year's game) usually has 120 rushing and 80 receiving on 5-7 catches by a game's end (15 min quarters, 25 second runoff).
I'm seeing a lot of cool things. I perfectly timed a blitz as the playclock ran down and the ref blew his whistle. I was SO pissed because I thought they were going to call me for offsides until the ref called delay of game on the CPU. I've also seen one blocked field goal and Devin Hester had a highlight reel return for a TD against me.
You do have to take larger sample sizes due to the variety in play and I'm determined to play through a season with my nearly default sliders (had to turn down interceptions as I was getting about 3 a game and up the CPU running game) before drawing any conclusions. I had 6 sacks in one game but lately have been in a funk with 2 in my last 4. I've never had a sack with James Harrison either in about 8 games which is a little worrisome. I get constant pressure with him but usually hit the QB and cause an incompletion if I get close. I do really really miss player lock though The game speed options are nice, but I'm still not sure if I prefer slow or normal.
This is the first version of Madden where I feel that I can truly rely on the Steelers top ranked defense to win me games. "Bad" Ben has shown up for a few games (like real life he can dominate, especially at home, and in other games I've had the 14/27/135/2 picks lines) and I just play conservatively and have been able to win most games. There have been plenty of opportunities for "catchup" logic in my defensive struggles and I never get the feeling that anything is pre-determined either way.
Off the field I like the new presentation, but it definitely needs some polish. The in game team stats that pop up are often wrong, I've had exciting events such as extra points show up in the half time highlights, the commentary is wrong quite often, they showed a cut scene of Ben on the headset despite the fact that he was knocked out the game with a jaw facture and Charlie Batch was in the game, and if they show a cutscene with my players standing around the ball waiting on a measurement it doesn't make sense that they all have to run 10 yards up to the line in the hurry-up offense. Those are minor things though and more of a homage to 2K that got *so* much right in that regard, but at least EA is heading in the right direction. The sounds other than the announcing are good.
But on the good side I'm seeing personality in the game that I've never seen before. Even though I turned off the "fight for the fumble option" it's still cool to see the scrums. I swear I saw Troy Polamalu holding the ball like a loaf of bread on an interception return like he does in real life sometimes. I've seen some player specific celebrations and call me crazy but I swear I've seen some player specific animations. It's also cool that players really do look realistic and I can usually tell who made a play even if I can't read the number. It just *feels and looks* like Steelers football when I'm playing and that's about all you can ask for in a game.
Time for me to step up to the next skill level, or so I think. I destroyed Cinci in St. Louis by a score of 34-17. Prior to that though, I lost to Chicago and K.C. by a wide margin.
It't just awesome to finally be able to run with some consistency. Moreso, the play action works so much better than in year's past. I used to hate to call a play action, as I would most always get sacked as I had very little time to let the play evolve. Bulger still doesn't get a lot of time in the pocket due to a poor offensive line, but when I mix the run and quick slants in, he gets his completions. Every so often I'll go for a long pass where I have a player one on one. Completing one has a lot of satisfaction. It's great to see your receiever actually fight for the reception. As others have noted, it's a thing of beauty to see your QB misfire on passes. I'm not seeing many dropped passes by the corners...at least not yet.
As someone else had noted, I've played this Madden more than I played 08 and 09 collectively. I'm impressed!
I plated Detroit in a franchise game last night and their receivers were 3 bars, I was like huh.
Mother f***ers picked up Plex and someone else I am not familiar with and they were damm near unstoppable. Fortunately their Rookie QB isn't the most accurate guy in the world.
On the flip side I lost Cutler to a pinched nerve in the neck and the beras backup couldn't hit the ocean if he fell out of a boat. Over peoples head, 5-7 yard wide on throws. It was a god damm adventure every time I had to pass.
One thing Madden has taught me the Bears are one or two key injuries away from a miserable season.
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McFadden is an absolute beast. His speed to get to the perimeter is nasty.
Bush should be the backup, because swapping out the ultimate speed back with the ultimate power back (all of 80 speed) is a nightmare for defenses.
I think Michael Bush has something like 55 broken tackles in half a season for me. Each back feels completely different. If a defense is loading up early in the game, sometimes I'll swap out Run DMC with Bush and just hammer away.
I actually physically wore down the Giants front 7 in my regular season game, which was invigorating. Early on I couldn't run at all, then went to Bush and just hammered away (a few 3-and-outs) and kept at it.
Eventually, with the game on the line at the end, I was able to sub in Bush and run 9 straight times (alternating between McFadden and Bush) for the game-clinching TD. They just got blown off the ball and worn down over 60 minutes.
He's a juggernaut, but relatively injury-prone (as would be expected).
You'll want to manually use the R-stick and sub in Bush or Fargas for a few plays here and there. Giving McFadden 30 touches a game is dangerous, but I've been somewhat lucky so far. Some games he's been on a roll and I've gotten caught up in the moment and run him 29 times. Other games I keep it in the low teens.
But I played some guys online, and each time they've commented about how amazing it feels to gameplan against him. If he gets to the edge and has 1 on 1, it's the ultimate pucker-factor moment for the other player. Then you get a hand on him and he can manage to spin out of it or break through.
The moment you throw 8 or 9 in the box to stop him, JaMarcus can heave a bomb over the top to a 97-speed Heyward-Bey...
Getting to the outside for me, using Jackson, has been all about who is on D , where they are playing and what play they have called.... Sometimes I get there and sometimes I dont ....If I get to the outside clean hes a nightmare for most db's(Sanders of the Colts did pretty well) If he doesnt get there the nightmare is all mine .
Last edited by XXXIV on Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Just thought I would throw out some numbers from my franchise. I'm currently 8-0 with the Steelers on default all pro (actually 6-0, with 2 of the wins being on the my skill setting), 12 min qtrs, 25 sec accelerated clock. I always use Ask Madden on offense and defense, so it only takes me a few seconds to call a play.
In terms of team totals, I'm 5th in the NFL in total yardage (Pats #1) and 2nd in scoring (31 ppg). I'm 4th in total defense (Pats again #1), #1 vs the run at ~45 yds/game, and #1 in pts allowed (13 pts/game).
Individually, Ben has about 2000 yds passing, 12 TD/7 int (101 rtg), good for 4th in the NFL. Parker has 900 yds rushing and 10 TD (3rd in the NFL), averaging 4.7 ypc. Holmes and Ward are both on pace to go over 1000 yds receiving.
On defense, Woodley has 6 sacks, but Harrison has none (it isn't just you Leebo). Clark leads my team with 4 ints, 2 for TDs. My total team sacks are low, 14 in 8 games, and my team has 10 interceptions. My individual tackle numbers are very low, as assisted tackles aren't included in total tackles (is this wrong?). If they were, I would have a couple of linebackers with 50 tackles.
I think the game plays pretty well on all pro, even though I haven't lost I've had a few tight games. Running is too easy with the Steelers. My totals with Parker would be much higher if I hadn't played two games with the my skill setting, which had my rushing at 15 and limited me to less than 1 yd per carry. My skill seems to throw everything out of balance, as my rush defense was up to 17 using it, yet the CPU actually ran the ball worse than on default all pro. I also generate a much better pass rush on default all pro, as I didn't get a sack in either of my games on my skill.
I'm going to finish out the season on all pro and see how things play out. I think the passing is pretty challenging, as the second I am careless I throw an int. I wish the CPU ran the ball better, but a lot of that probably has to do with using the Steelers defense. Just to echo almost everyone else in here, the game is very fun to play, much better than the past few Maddens. The last Madden I enjoyed this much was 2005 on the Xbox, which was also the last Madden I played that had pretty good presentation. It is pretty amazing how much having stats pop up on the bottom ticker after each play adds to the immersion.
Last edited by HipE on Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
You definitely need at least a half dozen games for any kind of sample size. Over 6 games, this is some of what I've seen:
- Only 1 fumble (no fight for it yet)
- 1 KR TD, which happened the same game I had a pick6.
- Blocked FG
- Not a lot of penalties. I have holding set to 53. Anything higher and I get holding all over the place. Other penalties are set to 70 right, but may need to go a little higher.
- QBs in 2 games (Romo & Cutler) scrambled for yardage. Romo actually had a 12 yard scamble against me.
- Wildcat used by 2 different teams
- Love seeing the Packers Full House formation in their playbook!
Madden 10 feels very 2k5ish to me, which is a great thing. Right now I need to find the right balance of quarter length, accel clock, and actual time. I want to get close to a real number of plays, but I don't want to spend 90+ minutes playing a game. Is there a supersim feature in here to at least speed ahead if I want?
Also did a quick fantasy draft to see if they fixed it from the last gen. This looks much better. In the PS2 version, the CPU only drafts certain positions in certain rounds. Round 1 is all QBs and HBs, 2 is DEs and WRs, etc.. This time it seemed much more realistic, with players in almost every position being picked each round.
TCrouch wrote:Welcome to JaMarcus' world. Every throw is an adventure...that's a good one. Very accurate.
I'll have to play with the Raiders tonight. I'm interested to see how McFadden runs compared to Steven Jackson anyways.
Jackson is definitely a beast in this game but the Rams have no receiving game and Bulger just sucks. I hate the thought of using Bulger as my QB for dynasty but the Rams uni's look so good, I gotta roll with the Rams but I've got to find me a QB to trade for first.
Another team that I tried and really liked was the Falcons...that is a strong strong offense there with Turner, White, and Ryan.
tjung0831 wrote:I hate the thought of using Bulger as my QB for dynasty but the Rams uni's look so good, I gotta roll with the Rams but I've got to find me a QB to trade for first.
Another team that I tried and really liked was the Falcons...that is a strong strong offense there with Turner, White, and Ryan.
The game speed options are nice, but I'm still not sure if I prefer slow or normal.
