Madden NFL 13 Gameplay Impressions

[SageInfinite]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

If you mean they literally disappear until the receiver is expecting the ball, I don't think that's how it works. They seem to be "faded/grayed out" or transparent, then become "lit up" or fully solid when the receiver is expecting the ball. On another note, I have long wanted an option to completely get rid of pass icons and instead custom map or designated the button for each receiver pregame and preplay. I think the more that can be done to add optional mechanics to diminish the requirement for arcadey visual meters and indicators in any simulation video game, the better the overall immersion.

Yeah you're right, they are faded. The only problem I have already is it's not working as advertised already, because the icons are still there when guys aren't looking. Maybe they're still tweaking it.

Honestly I don't have a problem with the icon passing system. It's the only way I'd want to play the game.

[Smoke6]

Quote: Originally Posted by tazdevil20

that's encouraging to hear. Just when i saw that they wanted to make user catching "easier", I cringed. I agree 100% that I could not STAND it when a guy would circle around foolishly and then make a crazy leaping catch. However, I did feel that it was too easy to make a circus catch in coverage. I could literally make 4 or 5 ridiculous catches a game with Hakeem Nicks by simply lofting it up into coverage. It was terrible. 4 or 5 of those types of catches in a SEASON is crazy, never mind 4 or 5 in a game.

This happens on the opposite side of the ball, players circle around pre snap and are still bale to make a play and react to the ball after/during all of this. The turn speed ratio (whatever its called) needs to be fine tuned to eliminate this.

I hate seeing people doing it on offense, it looks silly and doesnt even happen in the game it suppose to represent. Here's hoping, but I would love to know if collision detection works properly because there is nothing worse than seeing a guy collide with a defender only to still come at you full sprint.

[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by tazdevil20

Being the old fart that I am, I do believe there were games back in the day that actually allowed for NOT having passing icons. it gave a much more "free" feeling when it came to passing and added a lot more challenge. I think it was an iteration of Joe Montana football on the Genesis, but I could be mistaken. I really think it would be awesome and would add to the challenge of passing. I think the problem lies within the implementation of Madden's passing game. There seem to be too many "hot and cold" spots on the field that result in pre-determined outcomes when you throw the ball. I hate that. it gives you the feeling the play was scripted from the beginning regardless of your decisions or your execution. There should be a lot more incomplete passes in Madden to go along with many less interceptions. Passing should be difficult due to the combination of the proper timing between the QB and receiver AND the defensive positioning on the field AND the athletic abilities of the players involved. Not because I threw it when the receiver was in a dead spot, or the defender warped and made a superhuman physical move to get to the ball.

You know I could go on and on about there being more difficultly to completing passes than what M12 seems to represent but I don't want to frustrate myself. lol

Your post did just jog my memory about them talking about a new tool that allows them to tune catch animations in about 15 minutes though. So if any of you CD attendees could ask is there any way they can tune the more spectacular catch animations and ALL the one handed catch animations, to less frequently result in a catch. Meaning, I am not sure if there are two different animations for each type of catch attempt, one for a successful catch and another for a dropped pass or just one catch attempt animation that is either successful or not. Either way, I am hoping that tuning tool can cause the harder catch animations that trigger, to result in far more drops, than catches.

I hope people understand what I am trying to say. lol

[GiantBlue76]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

You know I could go on and on about there being more difficultly to completing passes than what M12 seems to represent but I don't want to frustrate myself. lol Your post did just jog my memory about them talking about a new tool that allows them to tune catch animations in about 15 minutes though. So if any of you CD attendees could ask is there any way they can tune the more spectacular catch animations and ALL the one handed catch animations, to less frequently result in a catch. Meaning, I am not sure if there are two different animations for each type of catch attempt, one for a successful catch and another for a dropped pass or just one catch attempt animation that is either successful or not. Either way, I am hoping that tuning tool can cause the harder catch animations that trigger, to result in far more drops, than catches. I hope people understand what I am trying to say. lol

I don't think i want to see more "drops" per se. I'll tell you what I want to see more of. In their trailer, they had a fade route that was thrown and the WR (I think it was Bowe) had good position, and the corner was behind him, when the ball got there, the corner hit Bowe with both his body AND his hands (near the ball), and he knocked the ball out while knocking Bowe off balance. It was one of the best animation sequences I have seen in ANY football game. However, what concerns me is that these types of things don't happen enough within the correct context. The corner didn't appear to rotate around or warp. He simply made a play on the receiver and the ball like a real corner would. Sometimes, Bowe catches that ball because he's big and strong, and that's realistic, but more often than not, that play results in what we saw in the trailer. Same thing with other passes. One of the reasons why it's far too easy to convert 3rd and a mile in Madden is the amount of success you can have with deeper passes. As I throw those deeper passes my success rate should drop significantly, even with superior athletes. How many 3rd and 19s have you seen converted in a real NFL season? If you saw two TOTAL by all teams combined, that is a lot. I can tell you that in a typical madden game, you'll see several.

[Big FN Deal]

I hear you Taz but what I am getting at is this, If Calvin Johnson is wide open but the QB throws an inaccurate pass that Johnson has to try to make a one hand grab at, I don't want that being a catch just because that's Johnson wide open. Regardless of the coverage, a catch like that is not routine during a game.

We all agree that a one hand catch should be very difficult while being hit or well defended but I want the basic difficulty of certain catch attempts represented too.

[GiantBlue76]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

I hear you Taz but what I am getting at is this, If Calvin Johnson is wide open but the QB throws an inaccurate pass that Johnson has to try to make a one hand grab at, I don't want that being a catch just because that's Johnson wide open. Regardless of the coverage, a catch like that is not routine during a game. We all agree that a one hand catch should be very difficult while being hit or well defended but I want the basic difficulty of certain catch attempts represented too.

Oh most definitely, I'm 100% with you on this. We've actually talked about this before on chat. The balance between realism and success. I agree totally that these catches should not be automatic, and in the current state of Madden, they just that.

[KingV2k3]

Very interested in how this icon thing plays out...

As a Madden vet, not only don't I want or need help picking a receiver, I prefer as "clean" (broadcast) look as possible in ALL sports titles...

I don't have names, icons, ANYTHING on the screen that isn't IRL/ Broadcast...

So, if anyone is keeping "score" put me down for "toggle on / off" option...

It can be there (gameplay-wise), as long as I don't HAVE to look at it...

[SageInfinite]

I don't get what people want turned off though. That's my thing.