How much has your "game" changed since paying back in the day?

[Soul2zion]

By your "game" I mean the way you play.

The furthest back I can remember of how I played Madden was 99. I was 11 years old (21 now), never played with fatigue, and I ran one play probably 80% of the time, the half-back screen. Running this play was devastating with the 49ers, especially after trading for Fred Taylor.

On defense I was probably even worse. I created an RE who weighed 320 lbs and ran at full 99 speed. I would line up about 3-4 yds off the left of the tackle just bum rush the QB untouched.

I remember in Madden 2002/03 my whole 49ers O-Line and backfield were compiled of created players rated at 99. The O-Linemen speed ratings were at like 85 lol. In 04 and 05 I played less like a mad man. I upped the difficulty to all-pro. But I didn't start playing with fatigue until 2007. I wasn't an *** though, I never played against another human in this way.

It's funny remembering how wild I would play the game, and how far from that I play now. Did any of you do this type of crazy stuff?

[mmorg]

I stopped doing all of that around NCAA/Madden 2000. I did all of that type of stuff when I was pretty young though, so I can definitely identify with that. But, I started really getting into Football and started trying to play realistically.

My game has really evolved though. I used to run a pure smash mouth style or option only (in NCAA) but as I have become older and understand the game a little better I can run some more sophisticated schemes. I now like to run West Coast and Run N' Shoot.

Defense is different. I have always like the 4-3 but over the past year I have been moving to the 3-4 because I see the versatility behind it. If Madden allows the NT to be double teamed in a 3-4 I will be using this exclusively for all my teams.

[Echopax]

Back in the day I used to do nothing but either run or bomb it to Curtis Conway with Erik Kramer on like every single play.

Now I go through my progressions, like a real QB, and in doing so have a much more polished and stable passing game.

[Zedox]

Well, I wasn't a football guru back then, play wise when I started on Madden 98, which is the first football game I got really serious with even though I played all the other ones including '95. I had my cousin who beat the **** out of me for months until one day I beat him on '98.

I just started off as a person who just tried good plays, HB Lead Dive, maybe a bomb or a slant, probably a post. Defense was all luck, didn't know that much on how to play it back then. I was only like 12 or somethin and all the football I knew was just watching it on TV and cheering for my Cowboys. Then got back into it on Madden 2000 for 64...or was it Madden 64. Then I got alright at some running with Terrell Davis cuz it was fun. All these times were just for fun.

Then the beast started with NFL 2K for Dreamcast. I had one friend that beat the **** out of me (a pattern you can see) until I really started learning football and thinking smart. All before was just playing a game like a game and not thinking like coaches and players would in real life. So I had a good understanding of running from the other games and loved my favorite play, HB Lead (which I used to call HB Weed for fun with my cousins). I wasn't that good at passing because I would always throw int's unless it was a bomb or post. I got a little better with it though.

Then Madden '01 for PS2 came out and I played that with my friend who still beat the **** out of me. At that point, I was getting good with kinda reading what he was doing on defense but it was always when the play was in motion (when I'm passing) and I didn't have timing down on my passes, more ints. At that point, he was teaching me more than anything.

He kept beating me over the years I think until '03 or something. I really got into plays and call selection was alot better. I beat him a couple times but he still got me. Oh and we would be play SIM btw, always on All-Madden, play nothing less.

Then over the years, I got better with timing, slants are now one of my favorite and dangerous plays. I can read defense plays for the most part within the first second of hiking the ball and even before hiking. I go through my reads. It's more like chess with me now. On defense, I can usually guess what the player is going to choose depending on the first quarter of play selection.

Now I'm like an old schooler,teaching my friends that can't beat me. I'll pound the ball until you can't stop it, or wait till you commit to it and play-action it. I'll blitz on either second or first down just to make your 3rd down much harder for you. I'll run draw plays on 3rd and long (which pisses people off because I usually get it because they would be in dime because they see I have 4 wideouts...lol) but not all the time. I play the clock ALOT more. I will definitely run out the clock on you if you can't stop my run and I have a good lead like 10 points. I do alot of chess. I love it.

ITS FOOTBALL!

[Soul2zion]

^ Isn't progression great?

The only way I used to be able to score were run plays, bombs, or pass plays of 10 yds or less (curls, ins/outs, etc). I couldn't complete a post route to save my life; my coverage reading was dyslexic at best and I'd throw many interceptions this way. Now I can regularly go on 10/10 completion streaks with diverse play calling.

[titansftw]

When i first started playing madded, I couldn't complete a pass. So i just started snapping the ball and immediately throwing to a WR. I guess my offense started out as a power running game with a west coast offense passing game. I really used the quick WR screen play a LOT. As i got better, I started getting good at slants, curls and flat routes. So now days, I pretty much run a more suffisticated version of what I ran back in the day.

Power running game + west coast offense. I mean, if you have a good running game, 3rd and 3, 3rd and 4, is pretty easy to convert with a short pass.

For defense, I've always liked pressure. So, I ran a lot of 4-3 in the early days with man blitzes, then when the 46 came out in the game I really started using that. Really, nothing about my game has changed a whole lot.


I did learn how to do a few deep ins, so I've added that to my scheme, but its still pretty much power run + quick screens slants, curls, outs, and flats on offense, and blitz blitz blitz on defense.

[43Chargers4Now]

When I started playing (Madden 02) I always used to run the same outside run play with Shaun Alexander. If I passed, the only person I would have even looked at would have been the "O" receiver (PS2).

I ran a good variety of plays and a balanced attack in Madden 09 before I put it in my closet to never be played again. I played on All-pro for the regular season in Franchise mode (I scored over 100 many times Highest score:127) and All-Madden in the playoffs (I score around 70-84 points every game Highest score: 98)

[BJNT]

I remember on Madden 02 for the PS1 playing a season with a Houston Texans team that I jacked up all of the players rating to 99. I threw 63 touchdowns with Micheal Bishop, had 2,000 yards rushing with Thomas Jones, two 1,000 yard receiver, and a defense with everybody on whole d-line and two of the line backers getting a least 20 sacks. Won the superbowl with that team beating the New England Patriots 100-0. Lol. Back then it wasn't about realism with me just putting up numbers. I didn't even play past rookie mode because I wanted to win every game and not be challenged.

Around Madden and NCAA football 03 is where I began to mature so to speak and look for more realistic results. And that has continued all the way to now. Now I play at least on all-pro, I don't jack up the player ratings, and I've learned that there is nothing wrong challenging yourself. That it's okay to loose every once in a while. Lol.

Back then I had no offense or defense game plan. Just drop back 50 yards and let it fly in the passing game, hit the speed button as soon as I get the handoff and try to run waaaay out side the tackles, and blitz everytime all the time on defense. Lol. Now I dropback and go through my progressions looking for the open area of the defense to get the ball to my WR in the passing game. I wait patiently for my O-line to open a crease for me to run through, and I don't blitz as much as I use to.

On offense I like a "Thunder and Lightning" type of power running game combined with a quick 3 to 5 step drop type of passing game more Air Coryell then West Coast. And I love the play action pass. So much that I have to keep myself from abusing it because the other team will catch on quick. Lol. On defense I either run a hybrid 3-4 4-3, or a 4-3 based on the 2000 Ravens complete with the 2 mammoth D-tackles in the middle. I leaning toward running the 3-4 full time because of it's speed and versatility. But I play mostly with the Texans and I don't know if Mario Williams would be able to stand up and be an outside linebacker.