Madden impressions

Thanks Socal, I kind of thought that :?

 

That's my problem right now.. I bought ESPN.. but I really got into NCAA and when i play ESPN i get kinda shocked alive by speed and all... Plus trying to change EA habits back to Sega....

Im just wondering maybe i need to pick up madden because of that reason... ESPN right now is collecting dust.. I think about puttin it in but I keep going back to NCAA ...

this has been the hardest choice ive made in gaming... Maybe i just need to suck it up and quit listening to all the good reviews that everybody is giving madden...lol

 

Well, I just figured out that there is a homefield advantage type thing. I was playing a guy with the GT of NY Jones. There was 1:13 left, and he was in my home, Oakland.

Seattle needs the field goal to tie the game, and all of a sudden it goes to a weird camera view from behind the kicker. His controller is vibrating, and you can hear a heartbeat. He missed the kick, as he wasn't expecting it.

Pretty cool feature, when the game is on the line, on the road.

 

Well, I've got to side with Drake on this one. The gameplay is different but I don't see it as far and away superior to ESPN. I do really like the Hit Stick feature and I think all the defensive controls are cool for those that want to control everything. But as has been eluded to, a quick disciplined offense will negate much of this. The learning curve is definitely steeper with Madden. For fans of the Madden series, there's plenty to be excited about and it's a good game. Graphics and presentation of course are glaring shortcomings in this game compared to ESPN but for most that's not a concern. Much like Marauders, I'm still having trouble adjusting to the controls with the speed button and switching defenders. I'd like to play someone who's as pitiful as I am at it to give the online play a try. I'll be around tomorrow afternoon. Look me up.

 

It does it when you are at home too. I was playing someone at their stadium and he was making a field goal with 20 seconds left to win the game and it went to that low camara angle with the heart beat and he said his control was vibrating with the beats. He made his though. But it was at his house.

 

I just got done playing Socal. I am dominating the first half for the most part. A couple fumble recoveries and an INT. I was up 14-0 at one pt. So then all of a sudden Hassleback gets hit late, no call, and goes out of the game injured, doesn't return. My offense was pretty much flawless up to that pt. WR, TE, and RBs catching everything. Then Dilfer comes in, can't complete a pass for a first down if his life depended on it. Same plays, same throw, to what I could tell, but they dropped them. Then all of a sudden Jerry Rice becomes alive like he was young again. Breaking tackles and huges passes for TDs. After being up 17-10 at half and getting the ball back. I end up losing 20-17. He blitzed, I tried to throw the same slants, yet with Dilfer they wouldn't work?!?! Seems a little odd that a backup QB as good as Trent Dilfer can suck that much. There better be a way to turn this injury crap off, cuz half the stuff is just so rediculous that I would be amazed to see it happen in real life. Oh, draws and swing passes also did not work against the blitz, as every run inside was met by a LB immediately. I occasionally got a decent run, but nothing I could string together.

 

I havent had much trouble running the ball. I've actually gotten a few 100yd rushing games with James. I think that Rushing Attack helps with learning how to run in this game. Also I've only got but 1 injury to a sorry D player. Havent seen any games with excessive injuries yet.

 

Yeah, practice makes perfect. You can't expect to pick up this game and start playing really well w/o some practice first. Even for someone like me, who's had Madden every year since it's creation, there are so many new controls to learn and a different feel/style to the gameplay that it took me a half dozen games before I felt that I had a good command of the running game. Even so, if I play someone good at defending, it's a real battle in the trenches sometimes. I haven't found any defense that I can't find an offensive counter attack for, and vice versa.

As for injuries, we see this all of the time in real life football. It sucks when your best player goes out but that adds to the realism and variety of these sports games. I wish the hockey games had it sometimes when you laid a big hit on someone and they took a shift or two off. Trent Dilfer is a backup QB because he sucks. The reason why the same passes weren't connecting probably has to do with his ratings. ESPN works the same way, so I'm not sure why this is a Madden impression since this is a similar aspect in any video football game. Often, plays work partly because the user executes them well, and partly because the players involved have the skills (ie. ratings) to make the play. Sometimes they work despite one another (ie. a bad play by the user is overcome by a great catch by the player on the field because his ratings allow him to do so... or sometimes the perfectly executed play by the user is nullified because they threw it to a 60 rated 4th string WR in the slot. If all of the receivers caught the ball like Randy Moss or Marvin Harrison whenever you called and executed the perfect play, what fun would that be? I want to see some drops by players, even when I've done everything in my power to make sure I get the ball there as designed).

 

One thing about why it is superior is my mind is simpy the awareness of the game and smoothness.

When I take control of my D-back, I can easily him into position for a INT or to break up a play. Same goes for NCAA for the most part, taking control of your defensive players and YOU making the play is much easier for me in EA's games vs ESPN.

Why? I don't know, probably how silly the players move when you turn them around, they all seem to turn quickly on a axis in ESPN. Maddn seems more smooth, controlled. Perhaps I'm just more use to it, but I find controling my players is less stressfull with EA.

In ESPN, it's simply pray to god the computer makes the stop, or if I have to take control, my player doesn't do some 180 reverse turn to make a simple tackle to his right and the guys goes for a TD because I missed the tackle. Thats the biggest thing about ESPN and Madden for me, simply the controls and I don't mean which button does what.

 

Thats simply not true. Maybe for us peons who arent great at the game (myself included) but guys that are good at it can do it all the time. Look at any of the good ESPN players like Ted, AB or Indigo. Again, i think this is another case of you just being used to those buttons in Madden more.

I am finding it weird though that you like Madden because its "easier" on defense while socal is saying he prefers Madden because its "harder" on defense.

Im slowly getting better at it, actually won a game today!

 

Thats why I said it was probably more just me, I think it's really uncomfortable.

I am not saying defense as a "whole" is easy, just controlling the players is easier.

 

Personally, I don't know about "easier" but without question you're held much more accountable for making plays yourself in Madden than in ESPN.

I don't know if I'd say that. He's not flashy. He didn't win games much of the time but he didn't lose games either. Certainly that's not been characteristic his entire career but he did have the starting job after winning it from Hasselbeck when he got sidelined with an injury.

 

Well the passes looked exactly the same as if they were coming out of Hassleback's hands, my receivers were the exact same, and should have had, if it plays any role, a boost of confidence as they were catching everything before. From a visual aspect everything looked the same. I mean if they are going to drop passes because my QB has lower ratings, but still aren't terrible, atleast make it a visual thing so I don't think it is a fluke and keep trying, I eventually had to pretty much abandon the pass and become a one dimensional team behind the run. That of course didn't work when his LB's filled the holes before the play even had a chance. Socal played a good game, but it was just kinda weird how quickly the game transformed.

 

ok :roll:

 

its funny, i love ncaa, but only like madden. i think i prefer espn, AND enjoy ncaa. kinda weird...

i just cant get the "feel" for madden

 

Re: Madden impressio

mp - i dropped like 9 passes with harrison in a game yesterday...

have u noticed that? or is it me? (cringing for answer...)

 

i know right... id almost rather throw to wayne or stokley.

I think the real problem is Harrison is always matched up vs the best DB on the opposing team which makes it tough.

 

Put em in the slot...hehehe....

 

There are no challenges in online play because they programmed it to be perfect for online play. This is what this guy from EA said last night on the www.maddennation.com radio show. They talked a lot about the 4min quarters and premium pass stuff. If your interested you can go there and give it a listen. Pretty good stuff.

 

You know I saw somebody say that Storyline was all fluff...lol

I actually like it... i use to listen all the time to Tony Bruno.. But he got to big and now we can hear him in these neck of the woods...

But for an addon.. I actually like.. I thought it has a GTA feel to it..lol.. So. Well the game is good.. no doubt...

And Im already starting to load up my trax... Thurderstruck, Machine Head, HEY SONG... lol...

Cant wait to use these in hockey..