Madden NFL 11 Blog: GameFlow and The Strategy Pad

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian Cummings

Due to the overwhelming feedback however, we will be providing the old-style button commands as an option that can be enabled.

At Community Day, I attempted to call an audible and couldn't. I didn't know what the Strategy Pad was for or how it worked. So I asked Ian, "How do you call audibles this year?". He then explained the Strategy Pad to me. I said "Okay, but we should have an option to call up the audible selections like before."

Good that they're doing that now, but... this is a great illustration of how I keep saying you need to have more options, you need to allow users to have more choice with features, but then they put features in and not leave options and it results in a firestorm of complaints. If you have options, you eliminate the possibility of people complaining about being forced to use a feature that they may not be comfortable with.

On a similar note, this reminds me of the whole speed thing with Madden 10 online. At last year's Community Day I said "I wouldn't ship this on slow. This won't go over well". They shipped it on slow, and people complained and complained a lot. After all the complaining, finally they're doing it on Normal. I'm not sure how an option could've been handled for it, perhaps a grouping for players wanting to play at different speeds, maybe a custom game option... I don't know. But I was pretty sure there was going to be a lot of complaining about the default.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

Thanks for the response Phil. My problem with this is I am an offline gamer and always will be. I connected to online last year for patches, roster updates, 2-3 online games and one game in an online franchise. I was not connected for the hundred or so games of offline franchise I played as there's obviously no need. Every online game is recorded but a tiny % of offline games are but it seems EA ignores this and thinks almost nobody plays offline because it's not recorded.

I'm not sure I'm following this.

From what I read from Phil's statement is take me for instance. I never played one online game last year. Every time my 360 fired up, it connects to the net.

I play all my games on either Play Now or in Offline Franchise. Phil is saying that they have data from my Play Now and Offline Franchise games.

If you turn off the net after firing up your console, you are in the minority. EA can't help that because that is your decision.

[raiders81tim]

My only question, is if it's possible to make it an option, why not do that from the start? These guys don't think things all the way through.

[Rocky]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I wasn't speaking to you specifically, but you made it sound personal. I'm pretty sure if you go through my post, I was for options and finding a solution to this outpouring distaste for the SP. I was trying to point out to another poster that I quoted who stated it was a silly stupid idea in the first place. I was trying to point out that stats don't lie and they had to make a business decision off those stats. Just like they had to make a business decision to put the old way back in. Just thought that one poster was ungrateful, not pointing to anyone else. The final result is it's a win-win for everyone. And no, I didn't think it was irrational on your part because you explained yourself. You have more than 4 adjustments to make on the line, I don't. I play merely offline and have no issues with the SP. There are different kinds of players for Madden, so, I understand that. My only issue is when someone put up a video of Madden 10 and showed everyone how they could set up a nano in 10, but now couldn't in 11. That really put a bad taste in my mouth. Soxfan- The testing of the new method (SP) is all hindsight, though. At the time, EA had to make a business decision based on the old method stats. And like you said, as it stands now, it's a moot point. A win-win for everyone.

After reading the explanation, I somewhat disagree with this. I wonder what the percentage of missed/flubbed control are in every sports game, heck, every game on the market. I would bet a great deal of money that the numbers are similar.

No many how many times I play GTA, I press the wrong button to shoot, drive, etc. And as I play more, I get better at the controls. It's the same for Madden or any video game.

It seems information overload is killing Madden.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I'm not sure I'm following this. From what I read from Phil's statement is take me for instance. I never played one online game last year. Every time my 360 fired up, it connects to the net. I play all my games on either Play Now or in Offline Franchise. Phil is saying that they have data from my Play Now and Offline Franchise games. If you turn off the net after firing up your console, you are in the minority. EA can't help that because that is your decision.

I think his point is that there are probably people, how great a number is anyone's guess, that either never connected their systems to the internet in the first place that EA would never know about.

Also, that there are probably people that lug there system over to where the computer is, or who only drag a cable across the living room, to connect to the internet on their console, to get a roster update, and then promptly move the cable or system back to where it was. These types of people could conceivably be playing hundreds of Franchise games that EA would not know about, because they are not connected to the net, when they are actually playing them.

Now, no one knows how large a number of people those two groups consists of, but it is logical to think that those two groups do exist to some extent. It is also logical to assume that a great many people that never connect their systems to the internet, are the most likely to be playing Franchise in the first place, so it is a little dicey to really judge how worthwhile a mode Franchise is, if you are going by online numbers alone.

I never play Franchise because to me, playing the CPU is boring as hell, but that doesn't mean that I can't see that there is a real possibility that the data that EA is collecting, and even the method by which they collect that data, could be flawed. They wouldn't be the first company to misunderstand its audience.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by K_GUN

so on a side note... when using the new strategy pad I still don't know how to: 1. double a WR 2. assign a blitz to a defender 3. take a route and turn it into a smart route ( a route that takes me beyond a 1st down marker) any help would be great? thanks

Not sure about numbers 1 and 2, because I haven't tried them, but number 3 is the same as before. After selecting the WR that you are hot routing, hit R3 (PS3). I assume it is the same on 360, but since I don't own one, I can't be sure.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by 2krunk4u

I feel you. I wanted to see what they had to say about the reasoning as well. You cannot argue statistics. I've been stuck in playmaker before, but square+L2 always cancels an audible. I know this, but I can see how somebody not used to the game would not know this. It all goes back to hardcore vs. casual Madden gamers. In this case, EA is doing the right thing by giving the option to use either one. I would love to know what the online default would be, or if the option will be locked into our personal settings.

Lol. You can ALWAYS argue statistics. I'm not saying that they did or didn't have a reason for Strat Pad. I don't really care that much. I would adjust either way, but to say you can't argue statistics is just a completely false statement, no matter what you are talking about.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

I think his point is that there are probably people, how great a number is anyone's guess, that either never connected their systems to the internet in the first place that EA would never know about. Also, that there are probably people that lug there system over to where the computer is, or who only drag a cable across the living room, to connect to the internet on their console, to get a roster update, and then promptly move the cable or system back to where it was. These types of people could conceivably be playing hundreds of Franchise games that EA would not know about, because they are not connected to the net, when they are actually playing them. Now, no one knows how large a number of people those two groups consists of, but it is logical to think that those two groups do exist to some extent. It is also logical to assume that a great many people that never connect their systems to the internet, are the most likely to be playing Franchise in the first place, so it is a little dicey to really judge how worthwhile a mode Franchise is, if you are going by online numbers alone. I never play Franchise because to me, playing the CPU is boring as hell, but that doesn't mean that I can't see that there is a real possibility that the data that EA is collecting, and even the method by which they collect that data, could be flawed. They wouldn't be the first company to misunderstand its audience.

Well, Phil did mention that 80% of the people that turn on the 360 are connected to xbox live.

I guess that would mean the other 20% are not connected to xbox live when they turn on the the 360.

80%, to me, sounds like a good number to quantify stats.