Early look / prototype

[JAYMO76]

Looks good. I really appreciate EA getting in touch with the consumers at such an early point in the development process. Thanks Ian... now if WE could only get the developers of NCAA FOOTBALL to share some details...

[J.R. Locke]

I don't know what to say....I still find the spin move to be strange. Besides that cool little Warrick Dunn video I think I can count on my hand the number of RB's I have seen use a spin move pre-contact.

[LBzrule]

Ian can we get a different run animation for the little guys. Here is Jones Drew in Madden 09

EA SPORTS World: Madden 09 Video Highlight

He's got a pretty high knee stride/kick going on here. But now let's look at these little guys.

Ray Rice

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80c254ed
Knees are not high when he runs. Also I think there needs to be alot more sticking and juking. On his last run in this video the first thing he does is stick that MLB, then jukes away from him and explodes into the sprint.

Jones Drew

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80c91521

Same thing, no high knees and kick.

[green94]

The Dunn spin actually looks a little more drawn out above. Kind of like the first video Ian posted.

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

Ian can we get a different run animation for the little guys. Here is Jones Drew in Madden 09 EA SPORTS World: Madden 09 Video Highlight He's got a pretty high knee stride/kick going on here. But now let's look at these little guys. Ray Rice http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80c254ed Knees are not high when he runs. Also I think there needs to be alot more sticking and juking. On his last run in this video the first thing he does is stick that MLB, then jukes away from him and explodes into the sprint. Jones Drew http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80c91521 Same thing, no high knees and kick.

Agreed; would think it'd be very important for them to get different running strides/styles for the type of player. Transitional animations should also be prioritized, with both offensive and defensive players being governed by the same/similar physics and momentum rules. Madden next gen has looked very awkward when you have players 1.) running with the same stride, and 2.) ball carriers having different transitional animations than are applied to other players.

[cdon2k]

Thanks for taking time to read my post, I really appreciate that you are taking time looking at the fundamentals of the game. I am liking what I am seeing so far. While I didn't have too many issues with the engaged spin in 09, my main issue was the speed burst I got while not engaged. You could use this to move faster than sprinting sometimes lol. A little frustrating as one would think that a player would have to slow down as he planted, not speed up. Sounds like you are addressing things though.

One other thing that I would like to be addressed is the hurdle. The auto hurdle happens too often and in inappropriate situations (maybe auto hurdle should be turned off). In addition, there is a "period of invincibility" that gets activated when hurdling that makes it too powerful. '09 was somewhat better as at least there were some mid air tackles, but the few that were there sure looked strange. This really needs to be addressed as I have had runs where my player auto hurdled 3 times in one run and the invincibility negated pursuing defenders giving me a huge run. Please fix this...

I am really digging this interaction you are providing. Being able too tweak things based on feedback you are getting from us is awesome. I had planned on staying away from here until the superbowl, but no way, we have work to do!


Cdon

[Sauk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA

Yep, you're missing something.

hmm not really the answer I was expecting from a lead designer from EA Sports, but in reality I guess I should of.

Thanks

[BezO]

The prep steps are nice! The second vid was much better. Not only were the prep steps good, but the ball carrier seemed to have better interaction with the ground when running regularly.

Ian, what I believe the game also needs are prep steps & plants before "regular" changes in direction. RBs need to be able to cut. The very beginning of this run you posted, Dunn plants to changed direction slightly to hit the hole. Even with small changes of direction, when moving at a certain speed, ball carriers plant their foot. It's not a juke; more of a cut.

I think this would be especially good for bigger backs who don't necessarily juke, but do cut quite often. The bigger backs may need some prep steps before cutting. Youtube is not working for me right now, but there was a long Larry Johnson run earlier in the season that would be a perfect example. Johnson doesn't juke often, but he does cut regularly.

Any chance Madden is getting this prep step treatment across the board? WR routes, LBs, ect.?

[x1Blumpkin1x]

Lots of great stuff here. Thanks Ian. I really like the spin move being tightened. I have always thought the spin went way to wide and covered too much ground.

[GTheorenHobbes]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sauk

hmm not really the answer I was expecting from a lead designer from EA Sports, but in reality I guess I should of. Thanks

I had pretty much the same reaction as you did to the videos, and pretty much got the same response from Ian. Guess we're in the minority when it comes to our expectations for the 5th version of next gen football.