Gameplay observations

[Dumb Daddy]

I've been playing M2006 for a couple weeks now, almost exclusively in franchise mode. I've observed a few things that I wanted to post since I haven't seen several of these items mentioned (some have though).

1) Defenses are more aggressive -- One of my pet peeves with 2005 was that players not controlled by humans often just ran around and watched, not making a play on the ball. That has definitely changed. I view this as a good things though I've been cursing my more frequent interceptions against.

2) Kickoff blocking is greatly improved -- I only ran a handful of kickoffs for touchdowns in 2005. I've already ran one back and have been very close several other times.

3) Height is important -- In 2005, there didn't seem to be much of an advantage to being 6'5" instead of 5'10" when trying to catch passes. Now it's a big advantage as the tall guys will go up and get the passes over smaller defenders.

4) Sloppy programming is more obvious -- I have found a couple things which are clearly errors in the programming. One example is punt blocking where the blockers are mere spectators. Another one which doesn't affect gameplay but I find annoying is that the Madden challenge has an error in yards per carry somewhere. Every game I get the points for 10yds/carry and 20yds/carry, even when I clearly haven't done it. Bad programming.

5) Deep passes are harder to complete -- For several reasons. The WR doesn't seem to outrun the secondary any more, the WR is always better covered. The CB will make a play on the ball most of the time. The QB has less time to throw, especially during a blitz. The WR seem to drop more passes also (even Marvin).

6) Break tackle has been amped up -- I've probably broken more takles in the last two weeks in M2006 than the last 2 months of M2005.

This is off the top of my head. I'm curious to hear what other people have found. I'm posting here in Franchise because these observations have all been made in Franchise mode.

[DePastino]

I have noticed the two glitches/bugs that you mentioned, as well as the more active secondaries. The punt block problem is ridiculous. I can't see how that one got past play-testers. The only resonable explanation is that they were running up against the release date and weren't allowed to tweak it past a certain point. A shame.

Another annoying thing is the utter failure of WR's to get any kind of separation. There is no way that a guy like Marlin Jackson (88 spd) should be able to hang with a guy like Randy Moss stride for stride EVERY SINGLE DOWN - but it happens. I can understand that deep passing shouldn't be too easy. Yet, what's the point of using Gameplan to pinpoint key matchup advantages if you can NEVER exploit them? Also, bullet passes no longer seem to have any zip on them, making it easier still for zone cover LB's and DB's to just waltz into the passing lanes for easy bats or picks.

O-line play is much better though. They're faster for one, so now pulling guards can actually participate in outside run plays - finally.

[Brutal Attack]

Yeah there is no such thing as bullet passes anymore.

Also, pass blocking has been nerfed from last year. Your QB almost never has time for the WR to run their routes. Also I noticed that your blitzes are almost useless, except for the CPU of course and it's much harder to get pressure on the QB if their o line is halfway decent.

I also noticed if you try to blitz weak side the CPU will motion the TE or FB to that side.

Also, you weren't kidding about height and jumping making a difference this y ear.

Oh and of course an 82 spd LB can easily catch up to a 90 spd WR.

Another thing I noticed. I simmed several playoff games and I won the first three times I simmed....well nearly everyone on my team lost OVR points.


And then I simmed it a couple more times and lost both times..all the people who has regressed had gained OVR points, some people even gained 4 OVR.

[Dumb Daddy]

I finished my first season and had a wonderful draft of MGD's. They have really cranked the quality up this year -- maybe too much. It looks to me like the MGD rookies will eventually push the real players onto the street. I'm guessing that I'll have very few real people left 5 years into this franchise.

It is making me rethink the resigning phase of the off-season. With good players available into the late rounds, there's no need to pay top dollar for anyone. Replacements are readily available.

My team had shaky wide receivers so I drafted 4, not knowing how many real keepers I would get. They all look pretty reasonable but two stand out: a 1st rounder that is 6'4", 99 SPD, high 80's jumping, ~80 catching and a 5th rounder that is 6'7" with 97 SPD. I was also able to find a 87 SPD MLB that was an undrafted FA. I traded for a 98 SPD HB with 88 BTK. The QB that I drafted in the 3rd round (93/91) won the starting job from Carson Palmer in training camp. Even linemen, tight ends and safeties are significantly better than ANY that I saw in last year's game. It looks to me like the overall talent level of the league will trend upward instead of down (as was the case last year). Should be interesting.

I threw a deep pass with my rookie QB that was thrown at least 60 yards. It went higher than a punt or kickoff and hit the receiver (my 99SPD guy) in stride for a TD. If you can get enough time to throw and have a fast WR, the bomb works.

[Dumb Daddy]

One more thing: some stats that never progressed in 2005 can progress now. Derrick Johnson actually got faster -- he's a 90 SPD now (after 1 season). My CB's all improved their CTH which never happened before.

Anyone else notice any other surprising progressions?

[Pat]

i seen break tackle increase for a RB which is nice. my safeties tackling increases. i won the SB my first year and the strength of by OLB rose, along with my DE travis johnson who progressed into a beat, 91 overall without starting. the MGD's are great this year, players stats make sense, someone with speed has acceleration. i got a few very nice players in my draft, i got a new FS, DT, WR, and RT. the OL is quick, 60 speed with accel in the 70's or 80's.

[mrpickles]

Also, pass blocking has been nerfed from last year. Your QB almost never has time for the WR to run their routes. Also I noticed that your blitzes are almost useless, except for the CPU of course and it's much harder to get pressure on the QB if their o line is halfway decent.

I also noticed if you try to blitz weak side the CPU will motion the TE or FB to that side.
Yeah noticed that too.

Not sure how many of you then change the Gameplay setting for CPU/Human changing the tacking/pass block/aware/fieldgoalPower meter to suit your gameplay(more realism) & make it competitive for yourself?

[Dumb Daddy]

Not sure how many of you then change the Gameplay setting for CPU/Human changing the tacking/pass block/aware/fieldgoalPower meter to suit your gameplay(more realism) & make it competitive for yourself?

I'm gradually bumping it up for both CPU and human to see if it gets to a point where I start to be the limiter. If it gets maxed out before that, I'll leave CPU maxed and gradually drop the human slider.

There are some complications. I have been getting by using a pre-snap read of who my targeted receiver will be. I can't change it dynamically yet (if ever). Once I can do that then another round of adjustment will be necessary.

By the way, where is realistic? I just finished a 17-0 season and I know that my skill level doesn't really merit that (at this time). At some point there will be losses. How many games do I have to lose before I can say it's realistic? That's a difficult question to answer. Do I have to simulate a season multiple times to get a handle on what my record SHOULD BE then adjust the sliders until that's what i get during actual gameplay? Just thinking out loud, but it sounds like a lot of trouble to devote to a game that I play for entertainment.

[Nobody Special]

I just got the game a few days ago, but what’s jumped out at me (apart from some things already mentioned) is that the team adjustments in reaction to the AWR of the QB and HB are more profound. A low AWR QB has no time to throw the ball, and will often find his receivers breaking off their routes or pulling up short, leaving no one in the area of a thrown pass. A low AWR RB has time to read a magazine in the backfield while his blockers are setting up on sweeps, counters and traps. These differences were there in ’05, but they seem to be more pronounced now.

Right out of the box, though, the biggest change for me is—whoohoo!—I can run again! I can’t work that cone to save my life (could be because I’m playing the Bears, LOL), but I finally won my first ’06 game last night by committing to the run. Benson had 145 rushing yards and 3 TDs . . . in the first half! I could play whole seasons of Madden last year without having that kind of rushing stats in a game. Blockers actually block again. Pulling guards actually pull again. Outside running works again. It makes me so happy, I can almost forgive them for the size of Grossman’s cone.

[Dumb Daddy]

I have noticed someting that was somewhat present last year but very obvious this year. During a game, if Madden says something like, '...they should run some misdirection plays like a draw or counter", very good things will happen if you do.

I've done this several times now, often breaking off a long gain.

As usual, anything Michaels says is crap. He can't be counted on to even be accurate.

[Chomppig]

I have noticed someting that was somewhat present last year but very obvious this year. During a game, if Madden says something like, '...they should run some misdirection plays like a draw or counter", very good things will happen if you do.

I've done this several times now, often breaking off a long gain.

As usual, anything Michaels says is crap. He can't be counted on to even be accurate.

I have noticed this too. I got a TD on a screen once :eek: and Micheals, all he is good for is giving away what ur about to do online.

[Nobody Special]

I figured out pretty fast that running was a lot easier in 2k6, but now I think I’ve figured out why. In a word: pancakes. I’m halfway through an inaugural season as Da Bearz, and I’ve already got more pancakes for my O-linemen than I think I had in any two full seasons of 2k5. We all complained about the lack of user pancake stats in 2k5, and you couldn’t run in 2k5 either. I’m probably slow on the uptake, but I’ve finally put 2 and 2 together here. Pancakes = big holes = a running game. All my biggest runs come from the lead blocker pancaking the LB at the point of attack and getting downfield to make a second block on the safety. That simply never happened last year.

Also new for me from last year: play action fakes actually work like they’re supposed to. The fake freezes the front seven and draws in the safeties, giving me time and open space downfield. I don’t know if this is a function of tampering with the AI, or just that now that I can run with success, the event of the defense biting on the fake finally occurs.

I’m having a much harder time reading defenses in the new version, especially 3-4 defenses. There are not the obvious ‘tells’ that there were last year, and the identity and direction of blitzers is harder to suss out until after the snap. I had a couple of pretty awful games against mediocre 3-4 defenses after steamrolling much stronger 4-3s.

Now that I’m past the learning curve of the cone, it seems to me that passing is easier to be successful at than last year, too. That includes throwing the deep ball. There are some interesting changes. Last year, passes were seldom off the mark, unless the THA of the QB was just awfully low. Incomplete passes were generally a low CTH receiver dropping the ball when hit or a low AWR receiver would fail to look for the ball, and it would bounce off the back of his head. This year, a low AWR receiver will make a variety of mistakes, including run the wrong route, break off the route too early, and/or leap too late for the ball. I had Gage (or was it Wade?) leap to catch a precision-passed ball over the middle once, which was nice, except that the ball had already sailed over his head and landed on the ground, just beyond the fingertips of the diving safety. Last year, a pass was either completed or dropped. This year, incomplete passes are mostly missed connections that land on the ground. There are still drops, but they aren’t a dominant game statistic any more. More realistic to me.

On the defensive side of the ball, I see that the ‘spread and fan’ method of defensive line play isn’t quite the killer ap it used to be. On the flip side, you can now get excellent pressure by mixing up stunts, blitzes and straight ahead pass rushing—IOW by playing real football. You can have a big impact on the game controlling any of the defensive line players, including the DTs. My DTs actually get tackles and sacks now, though the LE remains a way too dominant figure in all defenses.

As a total package, the game seems significantly easier than last year, once you master the cone’s additional button mashing rhythms. After a 1-3 preseason (learning curve), my Bears are 10-0 in the regular season, with mostly blowout wins. I’m going to have to move up to All Madden, fiddle with All Pro sliders or start a cupcake franchise.

[bates 40]

I agree with every one of you. I have experieneced all of those things. Some things i like others i don't. I don't like the way the game has gone "kiddie" with the sounds and animations during takles. Insane pankakes on almost every run. Too much! I'm not happy that tackles sound like thunder and bodies fly in all directions. I think it's a step back as far as authentic feel.
On the bright side though, i find the fact that it's differant presents some new challenges. MADDEN 07 is only 11 months away!

[Nobody Special]

A few more observations after a few seasons of play.

The new passing dynamics make JMP an even more critical stat then ever. It seems especially the case that a TE who is not a leaper is useless. On all those play-action passes where the TE looks so open, if you float or arc the ball to him, someone is going to recover in time to bat it. If you bullet the pass to him while he’s 15-20 yards downfield, if he’s not a leaper, the ball will fly over his head. In fact, a flat-footed TE pretty much can’t catch the ball more than 7-8 yards downfield.

This is on my mind today because I’m playing a cupcake franchise and all cupcakers know that your best skill position player on the cupcake squad is always going to be the TE. Unfortunately, the TE they gave me has no hops, and he can’t do much despite his 80 OVR rating. The cupcake squad just sunk a little lower.

I love it that the replay/challenge is now useful. The animations between a legal catch and a catch OB are distinct enough to see in real time, and the challenge always obeys the result you see. [As opposed to last year’s apparent randomness.] I’m also usually able to discern a fumble/not fumble in real time, based on the gap in time between the hit and the shout of “fumble!” My successful challenge rate is very high this year. The problem is that it seems as if the rate of ref’s blown calls is also very high. I probably use both my challenges in half my games played and often wish for more.

This is on my mind today because last night, I used both challenges on my first drive of the game. I used my first challenge on the first play of the game, to overrule a fumble, and on the last play of the drive, to overrule a call that my WR stepped out of the back of the endzone on the third down TD reception. Twice later in the game, I wanted another challenge, but was out of them, and that’s not at all unusual.

Finally, does anyone else think that players are more prone to becoming disgruntled this year than before? Seems that way to me, but it’s a hard thing to quantify, so I’m curious about what others think.

[Dumb Daddy]

I love it that the replay/challenge is now useful. The animations between a legal catch and a catch OB are distinct enough to see in real time, and the challenge always obeys the result you see. [As opposed to last year’s apparent randomness.]

I don't see any difference from last year. The replay booth still calls obvious incompletions catches (even with both feet out of bounds). It also seems that the CPU is more likely to have a fumble call overturned. Some plays remain unreviewable (incompletion vs. fumble will always stay a fumble). I don't see any improvement.

[Nobody Special]

I don't see any difference from last year. The replay booth still calls obvious incompletions catches (even with both feet out of bounds). It also seems that the CPU is more likely to have a fumble call overturned. Some plays remain unreviewable (incompletion vs. fumble will always stay a fumble). I don't see any improvement.

Interesting that our experiences/perceptions would be so different, but we’re focusing on two different things. I’m focusing on the utility of the decision *I* have to make about deciding whether to challenge. I find the pre-challenges cues I rely on very, well, reliable. If I see my receiver stutter his feet when he makes the catch, but the pass is ruled OB, I’ll challenge, confident that the replay will show he got his toes down on the green. If there’s a long beat between the hit and the cry of “fumble!”, I know I’ve got a great shot at winning a fumble challenge.

Your post, if I’m reading it correctly, if focused on AI-initiated challenges. When the AI makes a challenge, you are right, it is still very similar to last year. I just sit back and wait for the event to be over, secure in the knowledge that the forces that dictate the outcome have nothing to do with what I’m seeing on the screen. I think the internal logic goes something like this:

-- Random number tumbles into place, determining that the ‘call’ will not match the animation.

-- Complicated formula determines whether the AI will challenge the call; chances increasing dramatically later in a game that the AI is losing.

-- Even more complicated formula determines whether the AI will win its own challenge; baseline is that the call should match the animation, but results move further from that baseline dictated by whether you are playing Pro/A-P/A-M and how critical it is to the AI (i.e. late in a close game on A-M you are much more likely to be screwed by a replay than early in a game on Pro).

-- Life goes on. :)

IMO, it’s still better than last year, when it seemed that the AI never lost a challenge in any situation that mattered. Ever. And it didn’t matter when you asked for your own challenges, because 90%+ of them would be denied, regardless of what the animation showed.

Though I had to use up both challenges on the first drive of a game last night, the part I focus on is that *I won them both*, with a secondary focus on: they both ended up consistent with the animation on the screen. I can just about guarantee that result never would have happened in 2k5.

[Dumb Daddy]

You are right, we are not really talking about the same thing. I will pay more attention to the cues that you mentioned (though I often play with the sound off -- I'm so tired of hearing Michaels prattle on).

[Nobody Special]

I hear you about the inane commentary, but the audio cue works. Last night I used up both of my challenges in the first quarter again—both successful challenges of a fumble. The first fumble was on the third play of the game, and would have given my opponent (the Bills) a starting position inside of the red zone. That drive eventually became a TD drive. On my second drive of the game, on a first and goal, I threw a quick hitch to my flanker, and spun him away from the corner, but right into the sam, who delivered a crushing hit causing an apparent fumble. Once again, I successfully challenged, based on the audio cue, and once again prevailed, eventually taking it in for the score.

To broaden this beyond the replay topic, back to the larger topic of game play, let me observe that these two plays had an enormous impact on the entire game. I went on to win this game 59-0, and the kicker is that this is my cupcake franchise in only its second year. I’ve got three starters on defense who are less than a 60 OVR. I’ve got no O lineman greater than a 74 OVR. This is an awful team that struggles to accomplish anything. So how did this game get so ridiculous? Answer in a word: momentum.

After scoring TDs on my first two drives, I succeeded in forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff with the hit stick, and the fumble was returned for a TD. As we lined up for the next kickoff, the babblers were babbling about the momentum now being firmly on my side. After that, I could do no wrong, and more importantly, the Bills could do no right. All kinds of things started happening to them that never happen in a human v. AI game: they were called for pass interference twice; once in the end zone. They interfered with my punt returner on a fair catch. Every player in their backfield got knocked out of the game with an injury. They lost 14 yards when Loosman threw a backwards pass. It just went on and on. My defense ended the day with 6 sacks, 5 picks (1 TD return), 3 forced fumbles (all recovered, 2 for TDs) and a ton of batted balls and tackles for loss.

I’ve always thought the momentum thing was a bad idea, but it seems to be more exaggerated in 2k6 than ever before. There is no way my second year cupcake defense (4 starters with an OVR in the 50s, 2 in the 60s, 3 in the 70s, 2 in the 80s) should have been able to put up anything like those numbers. I certainly don’t have the stick skills to accomplish that, even with a great defense. The momentum factor appears to have become capable of being an all powerful force, overriding everything else in the game.

This is not the first time I’ve noticed this about momentum. It’s just that when playing a cupcake ‘chise in its first year, you are usually the victim of this kind of thing. I’ve learned that when the boys start babbling about the AI having momentum, the best thing you can do is limit your offense to plunging straight ahead, with thumb firmly depressing the triangle (cover) button, until your defense can accomplish a stop. On defense, soft deep zones that force the AI to stay underneath are your best bet. You’ve got to hunker down and limit the damage, and wait/hope for the momentum event to pass.

I’ve never cared for the momentum concept, ever. But this is the first year that I’ve felt like the shift of momentum overrides every other factor in the game. In the past, I’ve never felt like the momentum factor should affect my game plan. This year, it seems like whether it is for me or against me, the momentum factor, once it gets rolling, makes all notions of game planning and skill pointless.