Madden 2011 Wish #13: From field to playcall and back

[TheWatcher]

I'm not going use this Wish to gloat but the number of complaints I've seen about the playcall box covering up post-play and cut scene action, are impossible to ignore.

There are really only two ways that this can be made right:

1. Do something like this...



^^^ Continuous action and scenes can play in the window without being covered up and ruined by an untimely playcall screen. You'd still have the same amount of screen space to work with, all you'd be doing is moving the playcall setup to a vertical rather than a horizontal position. You'd then program the scenes to a "centered" position so that the camera keeps the action totally viewable in the screen without being covered up.

OR...

2. Let the post-play/cut scenes play out fully, letting the USER decide when to end them and go to playcall by pressing 'A'.

We were headed forward, then we went backwards...

It can be sliced in many ways, but the moment you take options away that made something more convenient and seamless, you don't move forward, you move backwards. We not only lost a play selection, we also lost convenience.

Pausing for a replay, or to check stats or make a challenge... it totally disrupts the flow.

After being able to quickly and conveniently just toggle and click to start a replay or get stats or challenge in 09. It's like a bad hiccup.

I say, at least give us some hot keys. For example:

*Click the right stick in the playcall screen and the user replay comes up

*Click the left stick in the playcall screen and I get stats/player stat cards (can we please get stat cards back?)

*Click both the left and right sticks simultaneously and I call a challenge.

But what's the biggest reason for allowing us to quickly select replays without pausing?

Pop in Madden 09 and make a notable play, then immediately select a replay from the playcall screen... notice how Tom and Chris are analyzing right through your replay? That was a nice little presentation element which probably happened by accident, but taking this out on purpose in Madden 10 was a mistake.


The QB's in Madden may be suffering from narcolepsy

Seriously, they always look like they're coming out of a deep sleep state when breaking the huddle:



One of two things could fix this... first, the elimination of the "heads down" animation. It looks funny when you see the entire offense looking like they are sleeping while breaking the huddle.

The second thing that would actually be a better fix would be to change the point at which we see the players after the play has been called. I honestly don't think it's necessary to see them still standing in the huddle once we've called the play. What we really should be seeing is them already walking to the line after the play has been called rather than seeing them still standing around in the huddle. After all, during playcall is where the huddle should be shown. By doing this you would not only eliminate the "heads down" animation, but you'd also eliminate seeing the offensive linemen do that weird fast-turn before lining up.

[rgiles36]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWatcher

After all, during playcall is where the huddle should be shown. By doing this you would not only eliminate the "heads down" animation, but you'd also eliminate seeing the offensive linemen do that weird fast-turn before lining up.

[Big_Mig_11]

yeah, i REALLY want the "user ability to view a replay" back. I remember the "hold all 4's" pS2 days...

As far as the cutscenes, there is really nothing I can think of that would eliminate the animation blocking when playing multi-player. I know that not what you meant, but point is, something has to be blocked when selecting a play. If not, game would take way too long for my liking. Im fine with the playcalling screen..

As for some of those animations you speak of, i agree 100000%

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big_Mig_11

As far as the cutscenes, there is really nothing I can think of that would eliminate the animation blocking when playing multi-player. I know that not what you meant, but point is, something has to be blocked when selecting a play. If not, game would take way too long for my liking. Im fine with the playcalling screen..

It's about timing. There is no reason for the playcall screen to pop up right in the middle of a cut scene. For example, take the one in Madden 10 where the kicker is warming up on the sideline for a late FG. That's a dramatic moment, but think about how much that moment is brought down when suddenly the playcall screen comes up right in the middle of it.

The games in the past that had cut scenes looking their best never had the playcall screen popping up like that. All they have to do is allow it to play out and give the user the ability to end it when he wants like we've had in many sports games over the years. This way, even in 2-player games it will still flow properly.

[Big_Mig_11]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWatcher

It's about timing. There is no reason for the playcall screen to pop up right in the middle of a cut scene. For example, take the one in Madden 10 where the kicker is warming up on the sideline for a late FG. That's a dramatic moment, but think about how much that moment is brought down when suddenly the playcall screen comes up right in the middle of it. The games in the past that had cut scenes looking their best never had the playcall screen popping up like that. All they have to do is allow it to play out and give the user the ability to end it when he wants like we've had in many sports games over the years. This way, even in 2-player games it will still flow properly.

Oh ok. I get what youre saying. For dramatic moments, yes. They should be played out. But for other moments, I dont really mind the way it is. As long as it is a unique type of cutscene or one of a player on the sideline with a stat banner, then I am all for having the default option be letting it play out giving the user the ability to skip.

Sidenote: they have to fix the kicker warming up for a late FG cutscene. Im tired of seeing Joe Nedney warm up kicking with his right leg when he is a lefty... : /

[mm boost]

To add to this, I think it would be awesome on plays that come close to being fumble vs interception, in-bounds vs out of bounds, 1st down vs 4th down...that the CPU or human can call the plays faster, hurrying the guys to the line, only giving either the human if on defense or the cpu if on defense about a 10 second chance to challenge a play. Much like real life when they hurry to the line after a questionable call to try to get the ball off before the opposition challenges. I think this would be great from the play call screen.

[Boregard]

I still don't get why they don't put the play call screen at the bottom and make it smaller, then the offense calls its play, then the defensive play call screen comes up at the bottom and all the while the top 3/4 of the screen is showing the huddles, the stands, the stats, or whatever!

And you know what, why did they change the play call screen from last gen, where when you were playing somebody sitting in ur living room, you could hold the trigger or shoulder button to call the plays above or below the ones on screen????