Critique and impressions

[Brian_Tabor]

SO it's alright lol There is nothing in this that would make me not play or buy the game. But there are some thing I really didn't like. And not mad cause bad. 1st game I dropped over 50 without letting in 14. lol So difficulty could go up a bit.

But firstly
Running felt bad. I didn't like it. And that is one of those things that really effects how I feel about a football game. Like I just love running the ball. And it wasn't, not getting yards. But some of the dislike could be compounded by other things I'll mention later. But it just felt like you had no control, UNTIL the HB already made the first decision for you. You know the most critical decision, your first cut. Like you have zero choice to bounce it outside. And not that it didn't work trying it. Like it felt like you can't do this, because by the time you have control, your stuffed into the line already. So I went away from the run very quickly, and pretty much didn't go back in am major way. So the only thing I took away way there probably need to be more rumble effect during hits and tackles to give the feeling of contact.



Play selection feels really rushed
Like way too rushed. Like you can't do anything but choose the coach plays kind of rushed. That was bad I didn't like it. Like okay. It would be fine if teams did this. Or did this at points. But all game every game I'd hate it it would greatly hider my enjoyment of the game. Like things aren't being taken into account. You should clearly as in if you were actually playing football. You would clearly know the formation the other team is running much faster than you do. SO you don't get that. Not until they lock in their play and you've got 10 seconds which is not enough.


Because you're playbook doesn't tell you how many WR/DB's are in any of formations. So you've got 10 seconds! to just know, which it isn't even 10 cause you'd have to react perfectly the second it popped up. SO less than that to see that. Get to the formation you want, get to play you want, in that formation and select it. It really felt like I had no choice but to run the coach plays most of the time.


Also I don't particularly like the way you select formation I would really like it where you have 3 formations showing at a time. And you can up or down. I would prefer something like that with the semi transparent like next above and below so you can kind of see the formations. Also more information about each formation like how many CB/WR's are in each one, above the formation


Oh something simple was. The ball YARDAGE wasn't exactly clear to me at first. So marking it more clearly like giving a bigger gap. And having time above the clock and ON XXX's whatever the teams abbreviation is. So you know yours or their side of the field. And it's a bit more clear.


I think there needs to be some clearer indication of fair catch. Animation text on screen something. Because it wasn't until like the 3rd one where I wasn't wondering if I was about to be blasted and fumble the ball. And without that, you don't really know if that is about to happen.


I would prefer the stick control for kicking. But the system isn't bad. And is probably more difficult. Maybe that's just cause I'm not use to it IDK


The Replays are a bit intrusive at this point. Like too many on too minor of plays. Too long to skip them. And there were on some of them kind of an artifacting or trail on the players.



I'm not a huge fan of the currant audible system. It isn't there yet. REALLY want like a quick play audible left and right running the ball. Is a MUST to me. Oh and the ability to flip the play. That might be kind of gamey but It's something I'm so use to. Even if there is some sort of stat penalty for doing it. I fell like pre-snap controls need to be a whole different set of controls. To the post snap controls. To really have a really good quick audible system.


Ai has it's ups and downs. For the most part it was good. Though it kind of lost it a few times. I figured out shifting a DE toward the center at the right time gives you a chance to completely bork the OL's ai and just let you run right on by. I had 2 players on my team blitz both shoot the gap between the Guard and Center. To then just go left and right respectively. And let the HB run right on by them. It was one of those yep, this is a beta moment. I almost wanted to be mad. But they did it in such perfect unison, just like, nope. That I was laughing.


Menus. Rough. Like the main menu is fine. But going through the stats, well all of them. I don't know know if there is a reason the stick wasn't used in some of the stats menus. Like that is a thing that drive me up a wall. When it feel like there are 18 different types of menu in a game. Like some uniformity please! It's already enough going game to game. Especially when people are so hell bent on look over function. That when a game has different type of menus to navigate it's just too much crap in a game.


OH right! SO like with the menus like making broader zones for the controls. So it's more 8 directional ish more so than infinite directional controls now. SO you get less weird stuff moving around the menus, don't know if that was part of why the menus are different. But atleast making hold continue moving in stat menus and at a good speed as well. So you aren't just stuck sitting there slamming the triggers over and over to look at things. Which is aggravating.

I mean like madden 08. My precious, 9 pound, 8 ounce, little madden 08. The menus on the PS2 version were to me prefect. Atleast in terms of like moving around stats and that sort of thing. The PC version was hot garbage though. I hated getting around in those menus.

And yeah right. I felt like the same thing applies to running with the ball it felt too sensitive. Running in a straight line like you could very easily, accidentally just go left and right.


Umm only other thing was color selection. I would go for a single circle/wheel with saturation contrast whatever. After you picked that or next to that. Over the currant system. Not because the one now is bad for PC. But I had to break out the mouse to get what I wanted out of it. SO I personally wouldn't want to be stuck with just controller as an option for getting the color I wanted for uniforms.

Well there you go just a tiny bit of feedback.

[MXFB Luke]

"Tiny bit of feedback" is more like a huge helpful post! This is the kind of stuff we want to read and what the Beta is all about. Thank you so much!

[Chubzdoomer]

I agree with the running. To me it feels like there's too much weight/momentum at play, and so your inputs feel like they're being "eaten" by the game when in reality it just takes your player much longer to respond to directional changes than in Madden. It could just be something you have to get used to, and that will eventually feel right once you've played the game long enough, but it's definitely one of the very first things I noticed about the gameplay.

[Brian_Tabor]

Originally posted by MXFB Luke:

"Tiny bit of feedback" is more like a huge helpful post! This is the kind of stuff we want to read and what the Beta is all about. Thank you so much!

Okay so played some more. So for the audible system. I think it's fine mostly. Most of my problems are on the main part I was using. Which were hot routes. Like the biggest thing that, was/is very annoying on offense for hot routes. Is if you hold a button too long, it will just go through and select the next prompt, in the hot route. Which is really bad when you already don't know the system. So requiring another button press, to stop that from happening. And not, just counting the button being held as that, in that situation. Would make a huge difference. But I feel like the presentation could be better, is what I'd say for it though.

SO. I would say like the best way. Would be if you calling a hot route if it would bring up the formation. As in show the formation in that same window you already have. And where the receivers are in that formation. As in the buttons that represent them. And then a picture of the routes the receiver would run after you select the player. I feel like that would be better. Seeing a picture and selecting that as opposed to reading the words on the screen, like post, slant, all that. So there is zero need to know, what the route is. Or think about what is this route even for a second. SO you just see it, and go that one! And also there would really be zero barrier to anyone using them at that point.

Also hoping you'll be adding some sort of hot route esk audible system for the defense. Like being able to press a single WR. Or just being able to adjust any single player on defense. Similar to Offense right now. Or also being able to set idk if you can lol. I don't think you can. But it you can't, then being able to set RB and TE to block for blitz's.

I'm still having fun with it. Looking forward to the full release.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally posted by Brian_Tabor:

Play selection feels really rushed
Like way too rushed. Like you can't do anything but choose the coach plays kind of rushed. That was bad I didn't like it. Like okay. It would be fine if teams did this. Or did this at points. But all game every game I'd hate it it would greatly hider my enjoyment of the game. Like things aren't being taken into account. You should clearly as in if you were actually playing football. You would clearly know the formation the other team is running much faster than you do. SO you don't get that. Not until they lock in their play and you've got 10 seconds which is not enough.

I agree completely with this. On defense you have almost no time at all to pick a play. It takes a few seconds to learn what the offensive package is and then by that time you have to fly to the play you want. It make defense feel like a chore.

[Brian_Tabor]

Originally posted by MXFB Luke:

"Tiny bit of feedback" is more like a huge helpful post! This is the kind of stuff we want to read and what the Beta is all about. Thank you so much!

Playing some more with audibles. I don't like. When you call a defensive audible. That you go from needing to use the D-pad to back to the stick. And very similar to the hot routes which you could hit it again. And switch to LB or any other thing not know. And then make the adjustment. It just doesn't seem intuitive. Like you press again and then it's like oh right. I need to go back to the stick. But also go back whatever thing I was trying to adjust. You can learn that. But I don't want to, and I don't like it fundamentally. Like how you swap players in depth charts. You can learn a 3 button press maze to do something. That doesn't make it fundamentally a good way to do something. You want things to be pick up and play. And you don't want to have to have button mazes at any point. That can be confusing. Like why does swap player. Not just highlight a player, and then you pick another player. And swap the 2 players on the chart... Like that needs to be 100% squared away before like dynasty and franchise release to me.

Like man. I really want the right stick available for adjustments of players. Madden had it where you could set players in a basic zone or blitz just down and up. And Still not clear on flipping a run to the opposite direction. But I would also prefer just right stick, left or right. Pre snap. Intuitive and easy should always be the goal. Like regardless of skill level just here's the controller. And you could ask a person who has never touched the game. To go through any menu, do anything in any of those menus. And they wouldn't need to then ask, how do you do that, at any point.

So as much as I do like the madden right stick control for adjustment though. It had limitations. So like if you adjusted the hot route system. Where it showed the formation. And then had basic picture of the routes. I feel like that would be a better system. Because you were limited to 4 routes with that system in madden. But if you used it for DB for "hot routes" adjustments it could be good. Cause with the DB's it just press, off, inside, outside. Thinking about it. If you did a weapon wheel style route selector you could have more than 8. That might be too much though! idk

[MXFB Luke]

Originally posted by Brian_Tabor:

Originally posted by MXFB Luke:

"Tiny bit of feedback" is more like a huge helpful post! This is the kind of stuff we want to read and what the Beta is all about. Thank you so much!

Playing some more with audibles. I don't like. When you call a defensive audible. That you go from needing to use the D-pad to back to the stick. And very similar to the hot routes which you could hit it again. And switch to LB or any other thing not know. And then make the adjustment. It just doesn't seem intuitive. Like you press again and then it's like oh right. I need to go back to the stick. But also go back whatever thing I was trying to adjust. You can learn that. But I don't want to, and I don't like it fundamentally. Like how you swap players in depth charts. You can learn a 3 button press maze to do something. That doesn't make it fundamentally a good way to do something. You want things to be pick up and play. And you don't want to have to have button mazes at any point. That can be confusing. Like why does swap player. Not just highlight a player, and then you pick another player. And swap the 2 players on the chart... Like that needs to be 100% squared away before like dynasty and franchise release to me.

Like man. I really want the right stick available for adjustments of players. Madden had it where you could set players in a basic zone or blitz just down and up. And Still not clear on flipping a run to the opposite direction. But I would also prefer just right stick, left or right. Pre snap. Intuitive and easy should always be the goal. Like regardless of skill level just here's the controller. And you could ask a person who has never touched the game. To go through any menu, do anything in any of those menus. And they wouldn't need to then ask, how do you do that, at any point.

So as much as I do like the madden right stick control for adjustment though. It had limitations. So like if you adjusted the hot route system. Where it showed the formation. And then had basic picture of the routes. I feel like that would be a better system. Because you were limited to 4 routes with that system in madden. But if you used it for DB for "hot routes" adjustments it could be good. Cause with the DB's it just press, off, inside, outside. Thinking about it. If you did a weapon wheel style route selector you could have more than 8. That might be too much though! idk

This is all really great feedback. I know there has been some talks about play calling and adjustments. And this is something I will pass along. We definitely want it to be intuitive.

[Brian_Tabor]

A couple more critiques before the close of the Beta.

First one which is kind of obvious but is the most important. Is the ai on punt returns. Mostly on the fair catch. You will have dumb players coming in trying to grab a ball in that situation. But it is almost a never situation in the pros. Maybe if it were more likely to happen with player who were 1-2 year in or really low awareness. But that is going to effect plays and the results of games.

Also the ai of the gunners on punt returns has been spotty either not hardly ever getting off a block or hiccuping for no reason going down the field.

This is a problem in lot of football games. When WR go backwards to make a catch carrying all the momentum in that direction. Which is something that almost never happens. Because they are going to be planting their foot to go back up field like it's a hook. And not catching the ball like that in stride. And that is a thing in a lot of football games. I haven't gotten that a lot. But it happened and it's dumb.

I don't know, but. I think the effect on players or blur. Is something to do with a lighting effect not properly being attached to the player. And not being. I don't even know how to word it. Contained to an area. Like completely limiting the blur on the lighting. It's like the weird trailing you get with hitboxes when you're playing online. Or like the hitboxes in the first Dark Souls. Like it's just not attached correctly. And that is creating the blur or making it worse. I think. But it shouldn't be a problem with any kind of visual considering that's all on your own end.



This stuff is just wants that I would like in the game.

Generally the hit-stick or truck-stick was cost reward and you had a slightly higher change to fumble the ball using it. And there was a specific button to cover up for contact, that would decrease the likelihood of a fumble if you used it. Right before a tackle or just going through traffic. There was a bit of a speed movement penalty for using it though. So you just wouldn't hold down button to get free stats.

This is kind of a little one but ball swapping. So not just magic swamping the ball to the other hand. This was in OLD MADDEN. SO you couldn't stiff arm with the ball in you hand. You had to swap it first. And you hand control of that and could do that to keep the ball away from a defender as well. I pretty sure there was a slight bump to fumbles if one they tackled you on the side with the ball and if they caught you during that swap.

Cause yeah I notice the ball auto swapped did the stiff arm but was still in the arm it was in before. SO it 's a weird shuffle that doesn't make sense. That you don't have control of and doesn't effect the game?

Being able to still zoom out, to look at the play while doing hot routes and audibles would be nice. Along with madden had the feature to zoom out but not show your play. With the Right Trigger. For couch co-op making audibles and hot routes.

And the ability to per formation. Have starters and depth charts. Both in the game and pre game like an advanced depth chart. Which was a feature in old maddens. Like if I'm coming out in a certain run formation I only use in short yardage and don't want to think about subbing the player out. Or if there's some kind of injury. I might want the #4 receiver to still be the #4 receiver and might have a player I would only want in the slot. And not have to then make that shift. Or just not be completely thrown on when it auto subs say the #4 receiver into the slot and I throw it to him thinking it's the other guy who is the slot and whoops no it's the other guy who is terrible for this.Probably not something a ton of people used. But very useful if you actually want that level of control of who is coming onto the field.

Not sure on new maddens. But old one also had a quick switch I think it was d-pad left and right. When you were calling the play for, swapping in a 2nd RB, a different TE, & a Lineman or linemen at TE. SO passing or short yards depending for the RB, blocking or passing for TE. And then an extra lineman or two in for pass protection or running.