espn v madden

[dbdynsty25]

One of the guys at SR said he wore down his toenail clippers cutting that thing off.

LOL, that was me at a hotel by Midway Airport in Chicago. Damn that thing was a b*tch. I suggest bringing a stronger piece of cutting equipment, like a wire cutter or a needlenose pliers with a good cutting tool on the end. Oh the memories. And that was just for a Dreamcast back when it was the 'in' thing.

I can't believe you remember that detail about the clippers...that was a long time ago.

[Leebo33]

Funny stuff. I don't stay at those cheapo hotels who have to sodder on the connector to the TV.

I'll have to call the Doubletree hotel and see.... maybe bring some coax connectors!

Definitely call first. The last two Hilton's I have stayed at blocked access. I asked them to remove it and they said they couldn't do it due to contractual reasons.

[James_E]

I can't believe you remember that detail about the clippers...that was a long time ago.

Yeah, but it was a very funny thread. I remember it well and was reminded of it last year when I moved to Toronto and I lived in a hotel for 2 months (went home on weekends) and I brought my own TV to play Xbox.

The rooms had internet access, but XBL didn't work initially. Fortunately the guy at the front desk was a major Xbox addict, and called the networking company and they reconfigured the network and gave me a static address to use for my Xbox, that would allow me to connect to XBL.

[Brando70]

One of the guys at SR said he wore down his toenail clippers cutting that thing off.

LOL, that was me at a hotel by Midway Airport in Chicago. Damn that thing was a b*tch. I suggest bringing a stronger piece of cutting equipment, like a wire cutter or a needlenose pliers with a good cutting tool on the end. Oh the memories. And that was just for a Dreamcast back when it was the 'in' thing.

I can't believe you remember that detail about the clippers...that was a long time ago.

I can see the headlines now:

"Man Arrested on Airplane With Screwdriver, Scissors, Pliers, Questioned by FBI: 'I was just trying to play Madden'"

[dbdynsty25]

I can see the headlines now:

"Man Arrested on Airplane With Screwdriver, Scissors, Pliers, Questioned by FBI: 'I was just trying to play Madden'"

It's funny cuz when I was typing that response I thought that. Hell, I was on a business trip a couple months ago and a guy I was with had a toe nail clipper in his pocket...they took it away.

I'd have been so pissed if that was mine and I was relying on it to hack the hotel tv.

[Spooky]

You guys gotta start staying in nicer hotels!!!

[J_Cauthen]

I've yet to rent the game, but I'm wondering if any of you have seen this "fatigue" bug in Madden 2005. It seems that if the offense calls several audibles, the defensive adjustments cause the defensive line to fatigue, rendering them useless for the remainder of the play.

http://www.thebbfl.com/Untitled_0001.wmv

[Bill_Abner]

Madden's franchise mode is unbelievable. They took FOF and added a bunch of features and bells and whistles to it, and then strapped it to the game. After dealing with all the ESPN franchise issues, playing Madden's franchise mode is pure bliss. Add in, in-game saves, and NCAA draft imports and I really think that Madden is a franchise players dream. I wouldn't say that unless the gameplay had improved, and for me it really has. Really a nice surprise.

Madden's Franchise mode is better than ESPN, I think, more because ESPN's is buggy more than because Madden's is outstanding.

-Madden's draft day AI is just as bad as ESPN (The Lions draft 3 Qbs with Harrington on the roster?)
-Madden's trade AI is just as bad as ESPN

And one thing that Madden totally screws up, that ESPN doesn't, is the IR. This is a HUGE deal. In Madden if you place a player on the IR it doesn't free up a roster slot. So you are left to play with either 52 players (assuming you only have one seriously injured player) or you have to start cutting healthy players to fill up the spot. This can really screw up a season and your salary cap if you lose more than one player, which is not uncommon.

Both games REALLY need to add the Practice Squad rule so you can replace injured players without having to go out and sign bum FAs to million dollar contracts. If NCAA can add more players to the roster, Madden and ESPN can add a 7 man practice squad.

Madden's franchise mode is certainly better than ESPN, but the reason I say that is because ESPN's is just so damn erratic. Also, I agree, the NCAA imports are a huge deal to me, too. That's the only reason I still have NCAA

[Danimal]

ESPN has an IR?

I know last year it didn't have one and I haven't had the need to use it this year.

[Bill_Abner]

ESPN has an IR?

I know last year it didn't have one and I haven't had the need to use it this year.

Yep. It removes the player from the entire roster when you do it, too and gives you another roster slot. One of the few things ESPN does well in Franchise mode.

[paytonsplace]

I'm loving this game. Unless there are some huge unknown bugs/money plays this is the best Madden ever by far.

There are money plays. I think more than usual. It only took me two weeks to start finding them (and it was by accident). I will not post them here since you are enjoying the game. Madden 2005 has been a big disappointment because of this.

[J_Cauthen]

There are money plays. I think more than usual. It only took me two weeks to start finding them (and it was by accident). I will not post them here since you are enjoying the game. Madden 2005 has been a big disappointment because of this.

Is the defensive shifting fatigue bug I linked repeatable? I couldn't believe what I was seeing in that video!?

[Brando70]

Well, I just finished my first franchise season in Madden with the Bears. I played on All-Pro using Jistic's sliders from OS. I played every game except for the last two -- I finished 4-12 so I simmed to end my misery.

I like that the game is, IMHO, a lot harder than in years past. I went 0-3 to start as I relearned thegame, then won 3 in a row to get to .500. Rex Grossman got hurt for the season in that last game, and my offense never recovered. My backup QBs were terrible, turning over the ball a lot and basically putting me in a hole each game. The CPU runs their offense a lot better, and I've had teams just grind it out on the ground, which is nice.

In general, I have had fun, but there are three things that are driving me nuts so far:

--The offensive line AI is absolute crap, especially on run blocking. The Bears line is not so great, but there are too many instances where a lineman ignores a LB and instead goes downfield to block. The LB comes free and gets a tackle for a loss. I started getting a better feel for this and adjusting for the quirks, but the line blocking really sucks.

--The super LB and DB swats are also annoying. They still get the crap turbo boost to swat balls away, especially stuff underneath and fly patterns. Like the run blocking, you can adjust accordingly, but it's unrealistic as hell to have a receive between zones, and the LB who is 10 yards away can jump up and bat down the pass.

--In 14 games (12 min qtrs, acc clock), my DBs had 3 interceptions. I had knockdowns set to 5, ints to 10, and those chuckleheads couldn't pick off anything. Brian Urlacher had 5 for the season, so it's not that I couldn't pick them off. It also didn't seem to matter if I switched to the back or let the CPU control him, it was almost always a knockdown.

I do really like the franchise mode, and that's what keeps me around. But I think there's little question in my mind which game is better on the field, especially on the offensive side of things. If ESPN's franchise wasn't so screwed up I'd probably play that exclusively.

[Inuyasha]

I had thought I would be spending more time playing espn, but I have to say that between both games, I play madden about 90 percent of the time.

Plain and simple, Madden is just more fun for me to play this year. I don’t know why that is. I think espn plays a better x’s and o’s game of football overall than madden, but madden keeps me coming back to it, where espn does not. Both games are quality titles, but I am surprisingly addicted to madden this year.

[Danimal]

Well, I just finished my first franchise season in Madden with the Bears. I played on All-Pro using Jistic's sliders from OS. I played every game except for the last two -- I finished 4-12 so I simmed to end my misery.

I also just finished year 2 of my franchise with the Bears. So I commented on a few items of yours.

--The offensive line AI is absolute crap, especially on run blocking. The Bears line is not so great, but there are too many instances where a lineman ignores a LB and instead goes downfield to block. The LB comes free and gets a tackle for a loss. I started getting a better feel for this and adjusting for the quirks, but the line blocking really sucks.

Without a doubt, the worst part of the game for me is the O-Line. I find that running counters and dives works best. I try to avoid any plays that pull the Guards / Tackles as they just don't pull.

--The super LB and DB swats are also annoying. They still get the crap turbo boost to swat balls away, especially stuff underneath and fly patterns. Like the run blocking, you can adjust accordingly, but it's unrealistic as hell to have a receive between zones, and the LB who is 10 yards away can jump up and bat down the pass.

I have to check my sliders, but I am not having as serious an issue with this then most. I find if I try to hit a WR with a bullet pass then the LB either tips it or gets the INT a lot. But if I put a little touch on it I can complete it.

The thing that bugs me is the 1 -1 deep routes. I have no problems that the DB's are in position to make the play. I just think that they make the play 99% of the time. I never see a WR go up for a pass and take it away from a DB and this happens all the time in the NFL.

The only deep passes I complete are when coverage is blown or I somehow get a guy 10 yards past the DB with no safety help. This happens, and in a realistic ammount for me.

Overall I hate the turbo swats, but I have been able to curtail it to a point where it doesn't bother me. I think overall this is a step in the right direction. They just need to model this aspect of the game better, as the WR have no chance in 1 - 1 coverage and that is just wrong.

--In 14 games (12 min qtrs, acc clock), my DBs had 3 interceptions. I had knockdowns set to 5, ints to 10, and those chuckleheads couldn't pick off anything. Brian Urlacher had 5 for the season, so it's not that I couldn't pick them off. It also didn't seem to matter if I switched to the back or let the CPU control him, it was almost always a knockdown.

I had no problem with this, in my last season Tillman had 6 and McQuarters had 5. I run a lot of zones, and disguise my man to man by using the lock feature.

I do really like the franchise mode, and that's what keeps me around. But I think there's little question in my mind which game is better on the field, especially on the offensive side of things. If ESPN's franchise wasn't so screwed up I'd probably play that exclusively.

I've recently gone back to ESPN, because of a few leagues I have joined. I find I can deal with the problems a lot better now that I have had time to cool down. I still enjoy last years version better on the field, broken tackle issue and all however.

My two biggest gripes with ESPN (leaving out franchise mode) is the DB's going clueless. I've come to the realization that Madden uses the swats to justify thier passing numbers, and ESPN uses the clueless DB to justify theirs.

I also hate the tackle system, I can't stand bashing the button to take someone down. I find it hard to stop the run and maybe it is the ratings but online I have never seen Brian Urlacher miss so many tackles. I played the Ravens and the guy ran for 320+ yards, straight up the middle on every play, against a Bear defense and he broke Urlachers tackles on every play. Not once did Urlacher take him down. I though I was being cheesed for a minute and I'm still not sure how that happened.

There has to be some trick to stopping the run on D in ESPN I just don't know. Because putting 8 men in the box doesn't work for me.

[Brando70]

Danimal, I definitely agree with you about LB play in Madden. The position really gets its due this year, and Urlacher is a beast in this game, as are other really good LBs rated in the 90s.

I went into practice mode to try completing the streak routes, and I agree, in man to man, it was almost impossible. Sometimes, I could switch to the receiver and manuever in front of the DB. Usually, though, the DB could leap and swat it away, which takes away the advantage of having a guy like Justin Gage.

I have learned how to do a "normal" throw, instead of the bullet pass, which does help elevate the passes over underneath defenders. But compared to ESPN, you don't have nearly as much feel for the pass in Madden.

I do really like both games and will probably continue to play both.