OFFICIAL MADDEN NFL 17 THREAD | Available Now

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Available August 23rd

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[h2]Madden NFL 17 Features Overview[/h2]
Posted May 12th at 6:00pm.

Three years ago we set out to transform gameplay with the desire to deliver new mechanics, authentic AI and accessibility. In Madden NFL 15 we started with making defense fun again, last year we helped you to dominate the air, and in Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and Playstation[emoji]174[/emoji]4 we address all three phases of the game on offense, defense, and special teams. Let's start with offense and the new Ball Carrier Controls. 

We’ve added a tiered system to the types of special moves different players are able to pull off – depending on their attributes, ratings and speed. So now, expect your bigger bruising backs to be more effective with truck moves and stiff arms, while smaller, shiftier backs have more effective jukes and spins. Now don't worry if you’re not a magician yet on the sticks. New Ball Carrier UI Prompts help teach moves available to you, while the new Path Assist helps you navigate and anticipate down field. Additionally on lower skill levels, you can put the work on us and we will pick the appropriate moves for you, unlocking the fun for all of our players. Now, onto the defensive side of the ball.

While the new tools on offense make you a better, more creative ball carrier, the New Defensive AI System is built on up to date NFL Strategies – such as Gap Play, Force Defenders and improved Zone Coverages. It’s time to force your opponents to stop being so one dimensional. New Gap Play AI brings a new level of NFL authenticity and strategy to your defensive teammates. Each of your teammates has a gap assignment on run defense that puts them in position to better defend the run. Force defenders protect the outside of the field, pushing the ball carrier back inside allowing cut back defenders to make the big play. Finally Zone Coverage has been completely overhauled, with the addition of 8 new zone concepts never before seen in Madden. Defenders have more awareness of threats to each zone and can pattern match receivers, creating defensive counters to stop virtually every passing concept. It's our most realistic AI to date and it's across the entire field.

Special Teams, the 3rd phase of football, is where big games are often won and lost. For the first time years we’re bringing the excitement back to special teams. A New Kick Meter is designed to increase the challenge of the kicking game like we see in today’s NFL. Additionally, the ability to ice the kicker allows you to turn up the pressure on those late game winning field goal attempts. New trick plays and a new block kick mechanic add new elements to the risk and reward of Special Teams.

Combined, these gameplay innovations demonstrate our continued effort to make this the most complete Madden ever. Unlocking the fun for all players, including our most passionate fans as well as new comers to the franchise.

Bundle Info (XB1)

Madden NFL 17 Standard Edition ($59.99)
Pre-order your copy today and receive a 1 month EA Access Trial as well as bonus content including nine Madden NFL Ranked tickets and up to seven Madden NFL Ultimate Team Pro Packs.*

Madden NFL 17 Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
Pre-order the Madden NFL 17 Deluxe Edition today and receive a one month EA Access trial as well as additional value including 30 Madden NFL Ranked tickets and up to 10 Madden NFL Ultimate Team All Pro Packs.*

Madden NFL 17 Super Deluxe Edition ($99.99)
Pre-order the Madden NFL 17 Super Deluxe Edition today and receive a one month EA Access trial as well as additional value including 30 Madden NFL Ranked tickets and up to 30 Madden NFL Ultimate Team All Pro Packs.*

 

[bleed05]

Pattern matching [emoji]128526[/emoji]

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

I got to see the new features..

 

[macbk]

Why's Gronk gotta be versing the Jets in that trailer .

 

[adobecs4]

Took them 4 years to update cleats and gloves

 

[District of Columbia]

Why does Madden not have signature running styles different releases etc.

2k had shot and layup packages 10 years ago. This game continues to be a joke.

 

[kingfoamnyc]

LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AGAIN

SOMEBODY PLEASE REVOKE THE EXCLUSITIVITY LICENSE FROM THESE DWEEBS

 

[T0INE]

Took them 4 years to update cleats and gloves

I knew you would pick up on them finally updating accessories.

You and I have been complaining about that for years.

Piss poor by EA.

 

[T0INE]

Some new gameplay details:
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Spoiler: 27 WAYS MADDEN NFL 17 WANTS TO FIX MONEY PLAYS, RATINGS & MORE

[h2]  [/h2][h2]27 Ways Madden NFL 17 Wants To Fix Money Plays, Ratings & More[/h2]
Madden NFL 17 recently unveiled some of its first details, and while a new sheen for the series' franchise mode was touted, the development team at EA Tiburon also has gameplay in its sights. This includes attempts to fix some long-standing gripes from fans.

MONEY PLAYS
Money plays – those ones that people spam over and over to near-guaranteed success – are the bane of any sports title, and Madden has its share. But Madden 17 has lofty aims to eliminate those. "What we would like to believe we have built is a defensive counter to every single offensive concept that exists in Madden,"says creative director Rex Dickson.

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  A new section of the playcalling menu called Run/Pass Counters lets you pick areas of the field where you're getting beat. Someone keeps dinging you with RB passes to the flat? Go to Run/Pass Counters>Pass Counters>Short Passes Outside. This brings you to the new zones like a Cover 2 Hard Flat where the linebacker matches the player going out to that area of the field. If you commit to the flat you can get burned elsewhere, so you still have to anticipate your opponent's moves and call the right plays.
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  This hard flat play also demonstrates the new zone coverages by defenders. Previous games had four spot drops, where a defender simply dropped to a predetermined spot and covered that area only. This meant defenders were statues as receivers caught passes around them. Now there are eight new zones, and defenders cover better in them.
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  Here's an example of the new zones in action: The Slant Drag Combo (the TE comes across the middle, and the slot receiver slants over the top) vs. a Cover 3 Sky. This year the linebackers in the Cover 3 Match track the receivers as they come through the defenders' zones. So what looks like a zone defense before the snap shifts to man-to-man as the play develops.
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  Similarly, defensive pattern matching plays set the rules and responsibilities for defenders. For instance, In a match defense, if you're a linebacker and the number one receiver crosses your face on a slant or drag route, your responsibility is to match him instead of letting him run by. But if the number three receiver goes vertical on that same play, you follow him down the field instead. "It's not the same reads you've been making for the last 25 years, because things play out a lot differently now," Dickson says.
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  At the line of scrimmage, new gap responsibilities make defenses smarter and harder to break down. Dickson mentions trying to stop the toss running play. Now a defender tries to come to the line of scrimmage and attack the perimeter to force the play back inside and prevent the runner from turning the corner.
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  Defenders attack gaps on plays and are smarter and more aware of their jobs, which should lead to less brainless swarming of ball carrier at the expense of being out of position. Dickson also mentions that the Nickel Double-A Gap Blitz actually works this year.

MAKING RATINGS MATTER

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  To help out during the run game, users can turn on the optional Threat Cone, which looks like last year's Tackle Cone. Through this the game calculates the angle and distance of an oncoming defender, figures out the ball carrier's special move ratings and what he's good at, and prompts the player to push the appropriate button (like spin move, juke, stiff arm, etc.) at the right time.
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  Special moves are tied to ratings and separated into tiers. Thus, if you have a 75 rating, for instance, you're only going to be able to perform lower-tier moves while higher-rated players can pull off elite moves.
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  Stamina influences the special moves you can pull off, so if you're out of gas the special moves you can pull off goes down a tier.
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  Special moves also breakout into four categories. Sprint moves (R-trigger + special move) are fast moves that only work against one defender at a time. Standard moves (no modifying button + special move) are slower and work against multiple defenders. Precision moves (L-trigger + special move) are the slowest moves you can make, but can be used to fake out unlimited defenders. Finally, steerable moves (both triggers + special move) are the most controllable since you can point the direction you want to go in (although spins, jukes, back jukes, and trucks are not steerable).
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  Tackle Battles are also controlled by ratings this year. If you're being gang tackled you have a short window to hit a specific button prompt to break out of the gang tackle. This was done automatically last year. Hitting the Tackle Battle button also applies to defenders making the tackle.
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  The developer says it's looking at players' ratings and tweaking certain mismatches that have been happening through the years. For instance, cornerbacks were making tackles on power backs at too high of a rate. Thus, the team is going to look at CBs' tackle rating versus the RBs' break tackle rating. Also, the team is tweaking ratings related to the new features so the outcomes are balanced and realistic.

SPECIAL TEAMS

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  The new kicking meter works like the traditional three-click golf swing. First button press starts the kick, second one sets the power, third one determines accuracy. Through this new meter, ratings for kickers and punters will matter more.
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  Blocked kicks can actually occur this year.
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  However, EA Tiburon wants to make sure that the game is tuned so that you can't block more kicks in a game than is statistically realistic in the real world.
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  Kick block formations, like overloading one side or clogging the middle, have been added.
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  Conversely, trick run and pass plays have been added to the field goal and punt formations.
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  Despite these new special teams formations, the downfield blocking will largely be the same during returns.
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  New kick types inlcude sky punts, backspin punts, and the return of onside aiming and squib kicks.
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  No bobbled snaps can happen during special teams plays.

A UNIVERSE OF PHYSICS
After years of trying, Madden 16's physics finally brought more realism to the game's hits and tackles. However, Dickson admits not everything on the field got converted to the new physics system, such as the football itself. Now he says the ball is in the "same universe" as the players.

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  For years the ball would snap to a player's hand in a catch even though in the process the ball might be pulled through a defender. Now it will collide with body parts and be knocked out when appropriate.
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  Since the ball is reacting to more objects, there are more drops for receivers in traffic, and initiating a possession catch in traffic (and alternately not doing run-after-catch in traffic) is more important.
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  Since there is no scripting for the path of the ball, it bounces differently after tips. EA made new animations for reacting to tips, attempted and successful fumble recoveries, and knee/ankle/sliding catches. Also, the player models can move their arms better to track the ball.

THE RUNNING GAME

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  The defenders' gap awareness now means that offensive linemen must zone block defenders coming through those gaps. This is not only an added AI responsibility, but it also enables the creation of cutback lanes for running backs. It will be interesting to see how linemen respond to defenders attacking gaps, and whether identifying defenders on the edge and in space is something they can do this year.
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  General improvements are being made to the overall "feel" of the running game, backs' turning, and locomotion physics.
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  Rookie and Pro-level difficulty players can use the optional Auto Moves feature. This performs special moves for you while you're running, leaving you to concentrate on just steering.

NEW GEAR

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  EA is redoing players' cleats and gloves, and offering new sleeve options.

Spoiler: Madden NFL 17 Gameplay Deep Dive - Ball Carrier Special Moves

Running the ball is one of the most common things you do in Madden whether returning a kick, getting yards after a catch or simply taking the handoff.  It can also be one of the most rewarding aspects of the game when you leave a defender in the dust with a perfectly timed special move. So we set out to give new creative controls for all levels of Madden players on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Let’s start with Special moves.

Ball Carrier Special Moves

Each on-field player in the game will perform special moves that fits his playing style and ratings. Special moves are now spread out across all the different player-types in the NFL: Bruising backs have better trucks & stiff-arms while smaller backs have better jukes & spins and all are new animations for Madden NFL 17.

Based on the special-move ratings (and body weight in some cases), ball carriers will use an animation that ranges all the way from ‘Elite’ to ‘Lumbering’. Elite moves are the best moves Madden has to offer and are reserved for the truly upper-class ball carriers - those with the corresponding move rating in the 90’s. These moves give the runner the highest chance of success when timed correctly. 

For those ball carriers with special-move ratings in the 70’s and 80’s, they’ll get versions of the special moves that aren’t quite as explosive as the elite moves, but can be effective nonetheless when timed correctly.  These moves are a bit less efficient and highlight-worthy than the elite moves.

The ‘lumbering’ moves are the slowest, lowest impact moves that carry very little reward.  These moves are used exclusively by players who are over 300 pounds without having any ball-carrier rating above 65 - don’t expect to appear on the post-game highlight reel when scooping a fumble with the 320-lb defensive tackle!

Also noteworthy is the impact fatigue can have on the special moves. When the ball carrier is completely out of stamina, the moves he will use will go down one level from his default – when an elite player runs out of gas, he’ll perform moves as if he’s rated in the 80’s instead of the 90’s – so make sure not to overuse that Acceleration Burst!

Fakeout Interaction System

To accompany the new special moves, the fakeout system has been overhauled to deliver a new experience to the ground game.  When timing the special moves correctly, users can see and feel the power of new multi-player fakeout animations, with nearly a thousand possible outcomes.

What is a multi-player fakeout? It’s a dynamic animation that includes multiple players all at once based on their location. These can be 2 player interactions up to 6- player interactions, all depending on the type of move used, the ball carries skill level and the user’s own stick skills.

Being able to successfully fakeout defenders takes more than just timing.  The user first must know his ball carrier and his best moves. In addition, recognizing where the defender or defenders are that you’re trying to evade is critical because each move has an ideal zone in which the success chance is increased: 

When attempting, say a hurdle, the ball carrier will have far more success eluding the defender when he’s directly in front of the runner rather than pursuing from side.

Ball Carrier Mechanics

Madden NFL 17 will feature a broad cast of new Ball Carrier mechanics to keep all Madden players engaged, from beginners to the hard core. Using modifiers, there are now four unique tactics available to customize the running game. In combination with the Fakeout Interactions, all carry their own risks and rewards.  The four special-move types are: Standard, Speed (RT/R2), Precision (LT/L2) & Steerable (RT/R2 + LT/L2).

Standard Moves  – Standard moves are executed by simply pressing the button while NOT using either modifier. The ball carrier will perform a ‘standard’ move based on their special- move rating for the corresponding button-press: Spin, Stiff-Arm, Dive, Hurdle, Juke, Back Juke and Truck - all paid off with new animations for each. Standard moves carry the base risk for stamina, fumble and injury and can fakeout as many as two defenders at one time.

Speed Modifier  – Speed Moves are short, quick moves that can be pulled off at full speed while not veering off the path the ball carrier is currently on. These moves are performed while holding or pressing R2/RT (Accel Burst) + the corresponding special-move button.  Again, the quality of the move is based on the player’s ratings with all new animations. Users will now have to perfect the skill of laying off the gas pedal on RT/R2 and mix in changing up speeds when running the ball. Speed moves carry the lowest risk for stamina, fumble and injury and can fakeout one defender at a time.

Precision Modifier  – Similar to Madden NFL 16, Precision Moves can be performed while holding or pressing the Precision Modifier on L2/LT + the corresponding special-move button. These moves are longer and more deliberate than Standard and Speed moves, but can fakeout multiple defenders at once – the better the running back is via his move-rating, the more explosive these moves will be. Precision moves carry the highest risk for stamina, fumble and injury.

Steerable Modifier & Utility Moves  – For users with elite finger dexterity, most special moves can be steered by holding down both modifiers while performing a special move (L2 + R2 + Special-Move Button/LT + RT + Special-Move button). Steerable moves offer the most control due to the user having the ability to choose the direction of the move via LS input. However, these moves don’t use the fakeout interactions – they instead influence the defender’s pursuit angle. Steerable moves carry the base risk for stamina fumble and injury. Also, not all moves are steerable – here’s a list of applicable moves for reference:

Spin

Juke

Back Juke

Truck

Utility Moves  – For the move-buttons that aren’t steerable – Dive and Stiff-Arm - they double as specific-use utility moves – using both modifiers + the corresponding button. Here’s a list of the utility moves:

Celebration Run – LT+RT / L2+ R2 + A/X

Ball Carrier Give-Up – LT+RT / L2+ R2 + Square/X

QB Slide – Tap X/Square or LT+RT / L2+ R2 + Square/X

Hurdle is not steerable, both modifiers result in a Precision Hurdle

There’s also a new mechanic in the run game that can be used on both offense and defense – Tackle Battles. This is a twitch mechanic that gives uers the ball the ability to influence the outcome of tackles as both the ball carrier or the defender making the tackle.

Whenever a defender and ball carrier get locked up in a standing tackle, a random face-button will appear on screen – the first player in the tackle battle to hit that button, wins the tackle battle. For the defender, this means completing the tackle and for the ball carrier, a win is breaking the tackle. The size of the timing window and the frequency of tackle battles are determined by the ratings and styles of both players in the tackle battle. A bruiser running back is more likely to get a tackle battle with a linebacker than a cornerback. 

Ball Carrier Accessibility and Visual Feedback

There’s some new tools available in Madden NFL 17 to make the user a better and more creative ball carrier, including recommended special-move prompts, projected path indicator, special-move feedback text and a setting-specific ball-carrier threat cone.

Recommended Special-Move Prompts – On Rookie and Pro by default, you’ll see special move prompts above the ball carrier that serve as a recommendation for both the proper move to use for your ball carrier’s skill. Since this is a recommendation, you can follow it and hit the given button, or free-style it and perform the move you want. These can be toggled ON/OFF via settings, but more on that to come.

Special-Move Feedback Text – On Rookie and Pro by default, when using the special-move mechanics, you’ll be given feedback text about your timing in the fakeout window – Early, Late or Perfect.

Projected Path Indicator  – On Rookie and Pro by default, there will be a path on the field showing the direction the ball carrier is currently headed based on the stick-input of the user.  The path will help users anticipate obstacles when navigating through the line and visually assist by letting you see when you should turn to avoid the obstacles. This is best used to align your projected path with a hole in the line of scrimmage, then hit sprint (R2/RT)  when the path is clear.

Ball Carrier Threat Cone  – Used exclusively on the ‘Assist’ setting (more on that shortly), the threat cone is a visual indicator to show you the fakeout zones within the fakeout interaction system for the move being recommended to you.

All these new tools are meant to be teaching tools for users who want to get more comfortable running the ball and onboard users of all types into the new and improved run game experience.

New ways to Play: Ball Carrier Special-Move Settings

There are three unique ways to experience running the ball via the Ball Carrier Special Moves setting, which allows the user to customize the ground-game experience to his or her own liking:

Auto – When using the Auto setting, the AI will perform Ball Carrier Special Moves for the user, using the proper timing and with an increased emphasis on using the highest tiered moves for that player. this is meant to introduce you to the new mechanics and show you their power as your ramp up. The user just needs to steer the ball carrier into the open lanes and the AI will take care of the rest. The Auto setting will teach users the proper timing for the new special move mechanics as well as a full display of all visual feedback. This will be ON by default on Rookie and Pro skill levels and can be toggled ON/OFF for any skill level via the Gameplay Settings menu for all Offline game modes. For those that just want to optimize to the fun and wow moments, Auto Moves will be your new way to play.

Assist – When using the Assist setting, AI will determine the best type of move to use based on the button pressed by the user (Standard/Speed/Precision), as well as the best direction for the move. The Assist setting will allow the user to choose when to use a special move and what type of special move to use, but the user won’t have to use either modifier as the AI will choose the best move type possible for the situation. The Assist setting will also feature all the visual feedback of the Auto feature, but will show the user the Ball Carrier Threat Cone, which displays the range and direction in which the ball carrier is most likely to successfully fakeout a defender. This will be an option that can be toggled ON/OFF via the Gameplay Settings menu across all skill levels for any offline mode and will NOT be used by default on any skill levels.

Manual – When using the Manual setting, the user is in full control of all Ball Carrier special moves. This setting lets the user decide when to do a move, what move-type to use (Juke, Spin, Hurdle, Stiff Arm, Back Juke, Truck, etc.), the direction in which to execute the special move (Steerable) and when to use either modifier (Precision, Standard, Speed). There will be no visual feedback for the user when using manual and is tailored for more experienced users who want a fully customizable run-game experience. This setting will be ON be default on All-Pro and All-Madden, as well as all online game modes, but it can be toggled ON/OFF via the Gameplay Settings menu across all skill levels for Offline modes.
 

Spoiler: Madden 17 Gameplay Deep Dive - Defensive Gaps and Run Fits

Written By Clint Oldenburg

Defensive AI has gotten a complete reboot in Madden 17 for both run defense and pass defense.  Not only has the coverage gotten an overhaul, but for the first time in Madden history, the defense will have a Defensive Gap control system that makes defending the run more engaging and authentic.

When implementing the run fits system, we installed it the same way the defensive coordinators install their defenses in the NFL – Alignment, Assignment and Technique – and what this amounts to is every defender on the field having a specific job to do on each play the user calls.

ALIGNMENT

Cover 3 Defense vs. Gun Trips

The first step in upgrading the AI is ensuring that defenders are aligned in the correct place to give them the best chance at executing their jobs, thus the first piece of the run fits system is the new Defensive Auto-Flip  feature. 

 Cover 3 Defense vs. Gun Trips Flipped

The AI will automatically flip your defense when the offense flips so that your defense aligns to the proper strength in relation to the offensive formation they are seeing after the huddle break.  When your defense has been flipped, you will see visual feedback in the Score HUD to tell you that your defense has been flipped, as well as what part of the defense was flipped (Entire defense, Coverage, Front). 

 And if you prefer to handle all the alignment yourself, the Auto-Flip feature can be toggled OFF via the Gameplay Settings menu; the user can also re-flip the play at the Line of Scrimmage just like in previous versions.

The different ways the defense can be flipped vary based on the type of play you call.  Each play-type carries its own ‘flip rules’ and will align to different strengths of the offense.  When aligning to the ‘Run Strength’, the entire defense will align to the side of the offense with the most TE’s or Fullbacks, or the ‘heaviest’ side of the offense. When aligning to ‘Pass Strength’, the entire defense will align to the side of the offense with the most eligible receivers. And lastly, when aligning in ‘Sub’, the defensive front will align to the run strength while the coverage will align to the pass strength.  Here’s a quick breakdown of the flip rules:

• ‘Base’ defenses, such as 3-4, 4-3 & 46 align to run strength
• Sub coverage defenses, such as Dime, Nickel & Quarter align with Sub rules
• Sub Blitz defenses align to the pass strength

Assignment

The next step in the Run-Fits system is Defensive Gap assignments. All defenders, both in the NFL and Madden 17 have a specific responsibility on each play – this includes gap integrity for ‘run-fit’ defenders and coverage responsibility plus run-support for coverage defenders – making the play-calling experience more engaging and strategy-based than in previous iterations.  The defenders now have AI and behaviors to execute the play called by the user and realize the intent of that decision, and these will be apparent to you both before and after the snap.

PRE-SNAP

The individual gap assignments come from the intent of each play and is completely dynamic, both before and after the snap, and even includes gap responsibilities for each defender for plays going in either direction.  You can see the desired gaps before the play via Coach Cam Art by using the RS right/left to see the Run-Fit art for either direction.  

Run Right

Run Left

The number of ‘run-fit’ defenders is completely dependent upon the specific play you call on defense. Defenders who are considered to be ‘run-fit’ defenders are the players that are ‘Run First’ players and the art will show where their fit is, which will dynamically update to match the formation of the offense. These are the players generally inside the tackle box and/or players who are critical to each specific play type (for example, in Cover 4 plays, all the defenders in the box will show as run-fit defenders, plus the two deep safeties are run-first players within this scheme). Some defenders will not have a run-fit or gap because they are ‘pass-first’ players, but will still react to the run and fill-in as support players when they confirm it’s not a pass play.

The decisions you make as the play-caller will have a big impact on your team’s ability to stop the run. Not all defenses fill every gap vs. every offensive formation – if the offense come out in Goal line Normal and your defense is in Quarter 3-Deep, there will be gaps that are not accounted for because the Quarter defense has more ‘pass-first’ players than it does ‘run-fit’ defenders.

Quarters 3 Deep vs. Goaline

POST-SNAP

After the snap is where the new gap logic really separates itself from previous Madden iterations. Just because a defender is assigned to a gap pre-snap doesn’t mean he’s locked to that gap for the remainder of the play. Each defender has AI that allows him to update his gap and react to the war in the trenches to fill the open lanes created by the blockers as the play develops. This AI relies heavily on the Play Recognition Rating.

Based on the PRC rating, defenders will be faster or slower in reading the play and finding the right gap to fill. Each player that is not blitzing will start the play in an assignment we call ‘Read and React’. You can see this in action with our new Read and React movement animations, which has players strafing laterally in a controlled state as they read the play, while also leveraging their assigned gaps. Even defenders who are on the line of scrimmage, but not blitzing, will use this assignment to read the play before attempting to make a play.  The higher the player’s PRC rating is, the faster he will be able to break out of his read and react assignment and fill the gap he’s targeting.  In combination with the ratings of the DL as they engage the OL, a defense with higher cumulative ratings will be more successful at defending the run than lower rated defenses.

Because of the new Run-Fits system and Gap logic, users on the defensive side of the ball will have the ability to use strategy and realistic football concepts to counter running plays that their opponent uses regularly.

TECHNIQUE

The improved AI doesn’t just stop with gaps. Not only do defenders now have a gap to play, but they also have a technique in which to play that gap.  As any football fan knows, the defense can’t just get in a gap and shut down the offense. The defenders also have to take that gap with an intent, and in Madden ’17 we now reflect that with new run-fit techniques they will use to play their gaps authentically: Force, Cutback, Fill, Jet, Crack-Replace and 2-Gap

Force

• The Force Defender is something Madden fans have been wanting for a long time and Madden 17 delivers. The Force player is essentially the outside contain defender to the playside – his job is to ‘force’ the run back to the inside where his teammates are to make the tackle. He tries to play his gap in a way that ensures he doesn’t get beat to the outside and this is reflected by new Force specific blocking animations. So when you want to stop the outside run in M17, call a play with a Force player. Again, just like the defensive gaps, the playcall matters. Not every defense has a force a player, so you’ll want to make sure you are familiar with the plays that have the force player in an advantageous positions to force the run. You can see the Force player by toggling the run-fit play-art – he will be denoted by an ‘F’ icon above his head.

The effectiveness of the Force player is based again on the PRC rating. The higher the PRC rating, the faster the Force player will break into his force assignment. Once he is blocked, Strength and Block Shed will determine his success chance vs. the blocker.

Cover 2 Zone Force Defender

Cover 2 Zone Force defender attacking ball carrier

Cutback

• The Cutback defender is the inverse of the Force player – his job is to play conservatively on the backside of the play so that he is in position to make the tackle if the ball carrier cuts it back away from the playside. The Cutback player can be DL, LB or DB, it just depends on the specific play called. The higher the PRC rating, the more conservative he will play. You can see the Cutback player by toggling the run-fit play-art – he will be denoted by a ‘C’ icon above his head.

Fill

• Fill players are the rest of the run-fit defenders who are not Force, Cutback or blitzers. Their job is based on where they are positioned relative to the direction of the run. The fill player to the playside, inside of the Force player, will look to attack his gap with outside leverage similar to the force player – he also does not want to get beat to the outside. The Fill player inside of him will attack his gap with inside leverage and look to make the ball carrier make a decision – either cut back to the Cutback player, or run right into the Force or opposite Fill player. Working together as a unit, the Force, Fill and Cutback players try to make a funnel to force the RB into the teeth of the defense. Again, the play rec. rating determines how successful and efficient these players are.

Jet

• Jet players are blitzers – they can be on the line or off – but their job is simple; aggressively run at the assigned gap with the intent to penetrate. These players are denoted with red playart lines via Coach Cam.

Crack-Replace

• This assignment really shows the dynamic nature of the run-fits system. The Crack-Replace defender is a player whose primary job is to support the Force player. He’s not originally in the run-fit and won’t show play-art as such, but he has a job to do in the run regardless. When the Force player gets blocked, or ‘cracked’ by a blocking WR, this player must recognize and read the offense and take over the Force assignment – and it’s all done dynamically. When there is a defensive back outside or behind the force player, he will become the ‘Crack-Replace’ – if you are in a defense where the Force player is on an island, you won’t get the benefit of having a crack-replace player. So again, we’ll emphasize that the play you call matters!

2-Gap

• Madden 17 will feature 2-gap players for the first time in its history. A 2-gap player is responsible to cover both adjacent gaps – so he will play the block straight up and try to engage the blocker down the middle so he can read the play and then make a decision on which direction to shed. The 2-gap assignment is an AI-assigned technique and used primarily by players on the line of scrimmage in an ‘Even’ alignment (meaning they are aligned head up on an offensive lineman). 2-gap players can be found most commonly in Base Odd fronts (like 3-4). 

Blocking

To provide the proper balance for the ground war, many blocking improvements have been made as part of the run-fits feature, with an emphasis on zone blocking AI and animations.

With defenders now working to fill gaps created by the blockers, outside zone and stretch-type plays look and feel more like their real-world counterparts, with the defense getting stretched laterally. This creates lanes for the ball carrier to read and gaps for the run-fit defenders to fill.  With the new ball carrier mechanics, finding the cutback lane that has not been accounted for by the defense has never felt more rewarding.

You will also see new laterally moving blocks, such as zone steps, reach blocks, double teams, cut blocks and force blocks that will make you feel ground war just like you see on Sundays. Blockers also have a job to do to execute the intent of the play, so you’ll see the blockers performing their blocking assignments to meet that expectation.

Madden 17 has gone deep on both sides of the ball to deliver the most authentic experience run-game experience we’ve ever offered. By using authentic run-fit installation pillars – alignment, assignment, technique - on defense and matching that with realistic blocking behaviors and AI, there’s only one thing left to say to say to your team when diving into the ground war in Madden ’17 – DO YOUR JOB!

For all things Madden NFL 17, be sure to find us on Facebook  and follow us on Twitter.

 

[jking0821]

Gonna do what i do every year....wait for reviews...then not buy it

 

[sonoftony]

Gonna do what i do every year....wait for reviews...then not buy it

LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AGAIN

SOMEBODY PLEASE REVOKE THE EXCLUSITIVITY LICENSE FROM THESE DWEEBS

Madden is not fooling me again. I didn't have M16 for not even 2 months and I ended getting rid of it as soon as FIFA came out

 

[bm35]

**** looks trash. When they letting 2k get the nfl license ?? 2k5 >>>>>

 

[Fozz]

I think I'm satisfied I was ranked in the top 15% at some point...Other than that, I don't think I'd spend money on this game again lol.

 

[frshstunna]

I got last year's madden ...just gotta update the rosters it looks like

 

[MarvelSux]

2k8>

 

[T0INE]

 

[T0INE]

[h2]  [/h2]

Spoiler: Madden NFL 17 | Additional Gameplay Improvements: Competitive Focus

[h2]  [/h2]

Hardcore Madden players have a passion for the game that goes beyond down & distance. Whether it’s all-day MUT streams or climbing leaderboards for the Madden NFL 16 Challenge, it’s clear these guys enjoy the game as much as we do here at the studio. There’s a lot of additions we don't want you to miss, and they’re sure to make gameplay fresh for even the most experienced Madden Player. As a former tournament competitor, here’s what I’m looking forward to the most in Madden NFL 17on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4.

Man coverage is on the top of my list as biggest gameplay improvements. In Madden NFL 16, man press made defensive backs stick to receivers effortlessly. It forced guys to resort to motion routes, and the same type of routes, to beat it. This year, an enhanced Win/Loss system has been created to ensure that any route with a cut has the potential to get open against this coverage. Man press is a two part battle and it all starts with the chuck. Using a slant as an example, when the receiver wins, he’ll successfully fight off the corner to gain inside leverage. Just like previous years, this part of the interaction is dictated by “Press” and “Release” ratings. The second portion of this change is the cut move. In the case of a slant, if the receiver wins here, he’ll get enough separation when he cuts toward the middle of the field for the quarterback to complete the throw. How often the receiver wins the cut is still based off of “Route Running” ability versus the corner’s “Man Coverage.” Keep in mind that a receiver who loses the chuck can still win on the cut, and vice versa. Also, just as you can use any route with a cut to beat man now, routes that seemed to get open more often before can easily get locked down. This places an emphasis on a player’s ability to quickly recognize if there’s enough space following the cut to zip the pass to their guy. The new man coverage system overall results in it being more balanced and true to ratings in Madden NFL 17.

Another great defensive addition is the revamped zone coverage system. If you want an overview of all of the new zones, be sure to check out Madden NFL Designer Anthony White's blog on them. Let’s talk about some of the ways this helps counter the popular route combinations competitive players would use in previous years. First, my favorite, the “Hard Flat”. The angled out route from the backfield was a common go-to read for many players in Madden ’16. An example of this route can be seen in the play “Z Spot” out of “Gun Split Close”. Now, telling your corner to stay committed to the shallow area of the field through this zone makes it a perfect counter for this tactic. You’ll notice the same thing with a quick out from the end receiver in a play like “Divide” out of “Shotgun Bunch”. What I really like is being able to hot route this new zone through global coverage adjustments. Second, we have the flood concept. This combination of a flat, corner, and streak has been used for years to beat zone coverage. Now, this is where the improved curl flat is key. Having a flat underneath will ensure your curl to flat defender stays with the corner route and shadows him all the way out to the sideline. It’s worth noting the new play “Cover 3 Mable” will have this zone scheme built into it. Lastly, the deep zone logic has been updated to account for shallow routes players would use to pull these defenders closer to the line of scrimmage. A good example of this is a play such as “PA WR In” out of “Y-Trips Wk”. Instead of biting on the deep in route, the deep third safety will maintain depth to keep the post route in front of him. I know a lot of top players jump straight into online matches as soon as they get the game, but the players who spend time learning the new zones will be ahead of the curve in Madden NFL 17.

Continuing with defense improvements, I'm hyped for the opportunity to stop the QB scramble more effectively than previous years. The “Spy Crash” feature has now been updated to also include any players in coverage. By clicking R3, you can send your closest defender rushing after the quarterback. There’s an added strategy here, as you might be leaving part of the field or a receiver wide open when your guy bails. The “Coverage Crash” also ties in well with the improved defensive line logic. Defensive ends who see a QB getting outside of the tackles are more adept than ever in Madden NFL 17 of shedding the block and chasing him down. Not having to put contains or a spy on the field every down when you play a mobile QB is a relief, and allows players to focus more on their coverage adjustments.

What’s also a relief from a competitive standpoint this year is that “Quarter”, and other formations like it, have been recreated to be more authentic in terms of how they defend the run. The biggest issue here was the defensive backs. They would unrealistically shoot in to blow up run plays. By making them more realistically able to read run vs. pass first, and improving open field blocking for the offensive line, this is the last defense you’ll want to be caught in against the run. This is not the case if your opponent is in a pass heavy formation. When tuning these defenses, we made sure it applied to max coverage defenses as well, where only one or two defensive linemen would be rushing. All of these changes result in stopping the run being grounded more in real life concepts, even at the highest levels of Madden. I can imagine some players who typically use one defensive formation the whole game might find themselves using a variety of personnel groups to match the offense this year.

Moving over to offense, every hardcore player can agree the Double Juke was the most effective move in Madden NFL 16. It got to the point where players on defense would anticipate someone doing it when pursuing in the open field, which made just running straight forward an actual decent strategy on offense. While it was cool to see some of the breakaway runs that resulted from it in the Madden Challenge, head to head is more engaging when there’s a variety of fakes that are all effective, depending on how skilled a player is with them. That’s exactly what the new ball carrier moves bring to the table in Madden NFL 17. Like the new zones, even the veteran guys are smart to take their time learning these. Mastering which angles to do which moves, and with which player, is going to pay dividends for anyone who puts the time in. Be sure to check out Madden NFL Designer Clint Oldenburg’s BC Special Moves blog for a more in-depth look at each move.

When you’re sifting through offensive playbooks to find one that will help elevate your game to the next level, the quick audibles for a given book can be a deal-breaker. This is especially true in modes like Draft Champions and Madden Ultimate Team. Knowing this, we tweaked the default audibles across the entire game this year. One thing players will notice here is that run heavy sets now have two run audibles, one that attacks the inside, and another that pushes the ball outside. 

Every year on offense the pass blocking logic gets upgraded. This year is certainly no exception. Turbo blitzes, as well as looping blitzes, have been addressed. The line is also better at handling the max coverage defenses we went over earlier.

Finally, we’ve made improvements to online play that should result in users encountering less lag. These changes also include preventing players from attempting to boot opponents out of game sessions and forcing a loss.

Hardcore Madden players have a burning passion for the game. These changes are from them, for them. As a former competitive player, I’m looking forward to seeing how these gameplay improvements make the head to head experience the best it’s ever been in Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4!

Spoiler: Madden NFL 17 | Additional Gameplay Improvements | Special Teams, Catch Outcomes & Ball Physics

Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4 is the culmination of community feedback and years of technological advancements. In our previous blog, we detailed the lead feature in the ground game. Today, we will cover updates within special teams and a top community request, pass defense. We are also excited to be introducing game changing ball physics. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Special Teams. The third phase of the game. This is an area that hasn’t changed much in Madden for quite some time. To be honest, special teams in Madden was largely a non-factor. Kicks were too easy and blocks were almost impossible without exploits. We felt pretty strongly that this was not representative of what we are seeing in the NFL. Our goals in this area were to add strategy, risk and reward elements, and the potential for game deciding plays in special teams.

New Kick Meter

When we reviewed game tape of the 2015 NFL season, we came to the realization that it was far past time to make kicking in Madden ‘less automatic’. We felt like we needed more of a challenge than just flicking the stick up. We also felt that kicker ratings needed to have a much bigger impact on the game. After reviewing other sports titles, we quickly adopted a 3 button approach, very similar to what you would see in a golf or baseball game. You click the button once to start the kick, click again at the top of the meter to set power and finally again at the bottom of the meter to set accuracy. The harder you try and kick it, the more difficult it will be to hit the accuracy window. We have also restored the squib kick mechanic based on community response and new to M17 are ‘sky punt’ and ‘backspin’ options for situational strategies in the kicking game.

Trick Plays

One aspect of special teams we knew we had to get into Madden NFL 17 is trick plays. Some of the most exciting and unforgettable highlights in football are of those rare trick plays that have the potential to change the outcome of any game with a single play. Who could forget Seattle’s trick field goal for a touchdown vs. the Packers in the playoffs! While Madden has had special team trick plays for years, we have not opened up the playbook to some of the modern takes we see in today's NFL. Offenses will now have several trick play options (both run and pass) from Field goal and Punt formations. These generally will only have a chance of working against all out block formations so pick your moments carefully!

Kick Blocks

Speaking of all out block formations, at long last we have a designed system for blocking kicks. Gone are the days of user created exploit kick blocks, now replaced by a system that has very tight control over frequency and success chances. When you call one of several punt or kick block formations, the players who are designated as ‘kick blockers’ are marked with a B icon in pre play. Select one of these players and use the jump the snap mechanic to have a small chance at breaking through the line and driving in for a kick block. The win chance is only the beginning, successfully steering yourself in for a block and timing the block attempt are all necessary to achieve one of the most dynamic and exciting plays in football. Rest assured there are cap systems in place to ensure users do not exploit this new implementation of kick blocks. 

Multiplayer Catch Outcomes

Despite all the success of Madden NFL 16, we've heard from our hardcore competitive community we needed to further tune the aggressive catch to not be so overpowered and available to every type of wide receiver. We've listened and made several tuning changes along with the addition of a Swat mechanic to help address these concerns.

First off, we received many complaints that all players were capable of making spectacular catches. We got it loud and clear that you were getting tired of seeing all the one-handers by a litany of different players with vastly different catching abilities. We now restrict those extremely athletic, high degree of difficulty catches to the more elite ball in air receivers only. OBJ, Julio, A.B., Hopkins and Dez are the type of players who will have the ability to do those spectacular catches consistently, while a Running Back or Slot receiver will trigger a catch that is more reflective of his catching ability. 

Next up, we heard in some cases the defender would trigger animations that would not match the users input. This year, we have added significant animation coverage to both play receiver and swat to ensure you will get an animation that matches your intended action. 

Another piece of feedback from the community was that there was never any injury chance on receivers who exposed their bodies and took consistent hits while performing aggressive catches. Injury chances have been increased in these situations for Madden NFL 17, so repeatedly targeting your big threat WR on jump balls in traffic now comes with significant risk of injury to that player.

Finally, we want to once again reiterate, there is a user bonus for clicking on and using the defensive mechanics. Win chances on catch outcomes are given a significant bonus for users who click on to defenders and use the defensive ball in air mechanics, with each mechanic bringing its own risk and reward.

SWAT Mechanic

The lack of control options on defense to effectively defend the aggressive catch became a major point of contention throughout the year. We spent a lot of time discussing this specific issue with the community and decided that the right way to attack the problem was not to nerf the aggressive catch, but rather build an effective counter mechanic on defense. Thus, the new SWAT mechanic was born for Madden NFL 17. Defenders now have 3 options when the ball is in the air. Play Ball, Play Receiver or Swat. If you are willing to give up the chance for an interception in order to stop the shot play, the swat mechanic is for you. It has been custom designed as the counter to the aggressive catch on defense.

Ball Physics

The integration of physics into Madden has been an extended multi-year process. One of the biggest outliers was ‘the ball’ which was running what we refer to as ‘legacy physics’ from the Gen 3 era. With Madden NFL 17, the ball has been fully integrated into our Ignite physics engine and the results are game changing. This feature will have a significant impact on several major systems throughout the game. Here is a breakdown of just a few areas of the game impacted by ball physics:

1. Organic Knockouts and Tipped Balls

A huge legacy flaw in the Madden catch system is once a player has ‘matched a catch’ the ball will stay in the receiver’s hands regardless. With ball physics, if a defender collides with the ball during the catch animation, the ball has a chance to be organically knocked out. This also applies to hands and limbs. If they get an arm between the ball and the receiver, the WR will no longer be able to pull the ball through the defender. This is quite a game changer for catches in traffic, and strategic use of the possession catch is critical. 

In those cases where a ball is tipped, swatted or broken up, the path the ball takes is purely momentum and physics based. Players can react to it in real time and will attempt to catch it off the tip. As a result of this, we have tuned catch chances and tip ball catch chances accordingly. Dropped INT’s are much rarer this year and passes that get broken up, swatted or tipped have the potential to be caught off the tip. We have added several diving, sliding and below the knees type catches to cover these scenarios.

2. Blocked Kicks

As part of our special teams theme, we knew blocked kicks were a must have. Achieving realistic, organic behavior of the ball after a block was a big part of the plan. Ball physics ensures the behavior of the ball after a block is not animated or scripted. It is organic and unpredictable. 

3. Onside Kicks

With the organic nature of ball physics, onside kicks make a big comeback in Madden NFL 17. We have restored the ability to aim your onside kicks to give users a little more control over placement. The unpredictability introduced by ball physics makes onside kicks another thrilling aspect of special teams in Madden NFL 17.

4. Loose Ball Recovery

Fumble recoveries in Madden have been one of the many long standing legacy issues that desperately needed attention. We knew by introducing ball physics and organic behaviors, we would need to completely revisit our loose ball and tip ball recovery logic. This includes a set of new animations for loose ball recoveries that cover both in air and on ground scenarios. Players are smarter, react to loose balls faster and have tons of new animations dedicated to loose ball recoveries. 

5. Throw out of Sack

Throw out of sack is how Madden has previously handled situations where a defender triggered a sack animation on a QB who already started his throwing motion. In these cases, the ball would often appear to simply fall out of his hand as the sack animation triggered. With ball physics, we now have organic outcomes in these situations. They can result in fumbles and strip sacks. If the QB’s arm is going forward when he is hit, you are also going to see that outcome play out organically. This all plays a big role in fumble vs. incomplete pass. It is now more important than ever to get the ball out quickly under pressure.

Spoiler: Madden NFL 17 | Additional Gameplay Improvements: Zone Coverage

In addition to all of the improvements made to the running game, we've also given you more tools on the defensive side of the ball on Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4. Zone coverage is fundamental to pass coverage in the NFL. In Madden NFL 17 we're propagating a core piece of technology we call "Behavior Coordinator" to our zone coverage defenders - more on that below.

Prior to Madden NFL 17, our zone coverage logic was written independent of the play. Simply put, our zone assignments didn’t work together and therefore had no concept of a global scheme. It was a priority based system that evaluated the coverage level of each receiver in order to determine who to pick up. Additionally, we only had three underneath zone coverage assignments (flat, curl flat, and hook) and we had to use those three assignments in a variety of coverages, that in real life, ask the players carrying out those assignments to do drastically different things.

When we began to discuss the improvements made to the QB AI in Madden NFL 16, we detailed our new AI architecture called “Behavior Coordinator”. Behavior Coordinator gives us the ability to create new sets of behaviors for a given situation. At the beginning of the Madden NFL 17 production cycle we decided our underneath zone coverage was the next logical choice that would benefit most by the new AI architecture.

New Zone Coverage Logic

Moving to a new AI architecture meant our underneath zone coverage logic had to be completely rewritten from scratch. We consulted with NFL coaches and players to get a thorough understanding of the various coverage concepts, rules for each player’s assignment, and techniques players use in order to carry out their assignments. This resulted in the creation of ten new zone coverage assignments that can be used to create a variety of coverage concepts (Cover 3 Match, Cover 2 Carry, etc.)

Each new zone coverage assignment has rules and logic in place with the idea that they’ll be used in specific coverages. So in essence, each player in a given coverage concept has knowledge of a global scheme and how everyone’s assignment fits into the scheme. Each player having a global knowledge of the scheme gives them the ability to make “Progression Reads” aka “Pattern Reading/Pattern Matching”. Before we get into the nuts and bolts of Progression Reads for the zone defenders, here’s a high level overview of the new zone coverage assignments.

As mentioned earlier, prior to Madden NFL 17, we had three underneath zone coverage assignments. That number has jumped to ten. In addition to the new zones, the on field Coach Cam art has been updated as well. Each underneath zone has the name in text inside the zone art. This is to give users a clear understanding as to which new zone assignment is being used in each play. The following is a list of the new zone assignments as well as a high level overview of what they are and where they’re used. 

Cloud Flat – Flat zone assignment primarily used in Cover 2 type defenses by the outside cornerbacks. The Cloud Flat player is responsible for protecting the outside deep and short areas of Cover 2. His priority is to protect against deep outside routes first and rally to short outside routes second. The Curl Flat passing concept will be a great way to attack this defensive coverage. The curl receiver will drive the cloud flat deep, leaving the underneath flat receiver open.

Hard Flat – Flat zone assignment primarily used in Cover 2 type defenses by the outside cornerbacks. The Hard Flat player is responsible for protecting the outside short areas of Cover 2. His priority is to protect against short outside routes first.

Soft Squat – Flat zone assignment primarily used in 2 Deep 4 Under zone blitzes. The Soft Squat player based on the route concept ran by the offense has the ability to convert to man coverage. The Soft Squat player also has the ability to jump certain types of out breaking routes by inside receivers. Thus defensive plays where a Soft Squat player is present are sometimes referred to as “Trap” coverages. 

Curl Flat – Zone assignment primarily used by the outside edge players in Cover 3 type defenses. The Curl Flat player is responsible for protecting the outside intermediate and short areas of Cover 3. His priority is to protect against the deeper outside routes first and rally to short outside routes second. 

Quarter Flat – Zone assignment primarily used by the outside edge players in Cover 4 type defenses. The Quarter Flat player based on the route concept by the offense can “match” certain out breaking routes by an inside receiver and “carry” vertical routes by an inside receiver up to a certain depth. 

Seam Flat - Zone assignment primarily used by the outside edge players in Cover 3 type defenses and 3 Deep 3 Under zone blitzes. The Seam Flat player based on the route concept by the offense can “match” certain out breaking routes by an inside receiver and can convert to man coverage against vertical routes by an inside receiver. 

Hook Curl - Zone assignment primarily used by the two inside zone defenders in Cover 3 type defenses. The Hook Curl players are responsible for protecting the inside short and intermediate areas of the field. In certain coverages based on the route concept, a Hook Curl player can also be responsible for the short outside area of the field to his side (Flat). 

3 Receiver Hook - Zone assignment primarily used by the inside zone defender in Cover 4 type defenses and 3 Deep 3 Under zone blitzes. The 3 Receiver Hook player is responsible for protecting the inside short and intermediate areas of the field. His initial drop is towards the number three receiver in the offensive formation.

Vertical Hook – Zone assignment primarily used by the two outside edge players in Cover 2 type defenses as well as 2 Deep 4 Under zone blitzes. Depending on what coverage they’re used in as well as the route concept by the offense, the Vertical Hook zones can covert to man coverage against the vertical route of an inside receiver. 

Middle Read – Zone assignment primarily used by the middle linebacker in Cover 2 type defenses. The Middle Read player is responsible for protecting the deep middle area of Cover 2 defenses. At the beginning of the play he reads the passing strength of the offensive formation to determine if there are receivers threatening the deep middle of the field. To counter the middle read defender, look towards your Levels passing concept. The deep receiver will drive the middle read defender downfield, leaving the underneath option open.

User Mechanics

With the addition of the new underneath zone coverage assignments, we took the opportunity to make some tweaks to our Defensive Hot Routes as well as Coverage Adjustments mechanic. Hard Flat is now the defaulted Defensive Hot Route for “Flat”. In Tampa 2 for example, which by default has both cornerbacks in Cloud Flat assignments, a user may decide to have one cornerback play his Cloud Flat and put the cornerback on the other side in a Hard Flat. This is consistent with how some NFL teams make an on field adjustment to the cornerback’s technique based on a formational tendency. 

The Coverage Adjustments “Underneath“ will change all flat assignments including Curl, Seam, and Quarter Flats to Hard Flat. A scenario where this may come into play for a user is in a short yardage situation where they may want to play a Cover 3 defense in order to get an extra defender near the line to play the run. They may also want added protection against short passes in the flat, so Coverage Audible Underneath could be used to put both Curl Flat players into Hard Flat. Coverage Adjustment “Overtop” will put Hard Flat and Soft Squat into a Cloud Flat assignment. Overtop will also change Seam and Quarter Flat assignments into Curl Flat assignments. 

 Receiver Count

As we touched on earlier, our underneath defenders in zone coverage now have a global knowledge of the defensive concept they’re playing. The logic and rules that govern how they play, gives the ability to adapt to what the offensive pass concept is as well as complement each other’s assignment. In order to do this we had to first build a “Receiver Count” system.

Real life defenses from a pass coverage standpoint, will draw an imaginary line down the center of the offensive set, basically splitting it in half. On each side of the offensive set the defense assign's numbers to each receiver starting from the outside, in. Starting with widest eligible receiver on a particular side of the set, the widest receiver is 1, the next receiver inside of him is 2, and the next inside receiver Is 3. An offense can have a max of four eligible receivers to one side of the offensive set.

The following screenshots show some sample offensive sets and the receiver count used by the defense for those sets.

The defense splits the offensive set in half starting at the center/ball location and will number the receivers from outside in on both sides. In the screenshot above, the right side of the offense aligns with #1 and #2 out wide and with #3 in the backfield. To the left side #1 is out wide and #2 is in the backfield.

In this offensive set the right side has four receivers and the left side has one. 

Most offensive sets will align running backs in the backfield directly on the center line. In this scenario, the pass defenders on the right count the running back as their #4. The pass defenders on the left count him as their #2.

Post Snap Receiver Count

Up to this point everything we’ve discussed concerning receiver count relates to the pre snap alignment of the receivers. In some defensive coverage concepts, just knowing the pre snap receiver count is all a particular defender needs to know when it comes to carrying out his pass coverage responsibility. However, in most cases defenders need to recognize and understand that the pre and post snap receiver counts will change once the play starts and the pass concept develops.

In the above example, the receivers are aligned in a two receiver bunch alignment. Pre snap #1 is aligned tight near the pre snap #2. When defenses see these types of alignments from the offense they’re generally expecting to get some kind of pass route concept where #1 and #2 will switch once the ball is snapped.

Once the play starts the receivers switch release, meaning they crisscross each other’s path. At this point the original #1 receiver is now the new #2 and the original #2 is now the new #1. Having to know both the pre and post snap receiver counts is a very important aspect of playing a progression read pass defense. In our next blog on our zone coverage improvements, we’ll cover progression reads for our zone defenders in Tampa 2, Cover 3 Match, and 3 and 2 Deep fire zones.

So as you can see, you now have the tools and options in game to stop any type of offense. Has your opponent been running Four Verticals all game? Or what about the dreaded Tight-End Corner Route? Shut it down once and for all.

---

 

[kingfoamnyc]

So tired of this PS2 engine trash we get year after year.

 

[District of Columbia]

So tired of this PS2 engine trash we get year after year.

It's truly sad. I stopped buying it back in 2011. There are animations in the game that I swear were there in 2006

 

[T0INE]

Madden 17 will have a new commentary team.

[h2]Madden 17 Commentary Team[/h2]
Posted June 8th at 4:00pm.

Coming into the Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4 development cycle, the team wanted to go big when it came to commentary. As the game jumped to the current generation of consoles, several systems received overhauls, with our core commentary engine remaining roughly the same as the previous console generation. This meant that we were able to tell new stories through gameplay, presentation, and our modes, but our commentary logic imposed a set of limitations that never truly allowed us to pay off the many advancements across the game.

In Madden NFL 17, the design and engineering team started from scratch, completely demolishing the old commentary framework, and rebuilding it from the ground up. This meant completely re-engineering our logic, adding thousands of new gameplay variables to create the deepest commentary logic in Madden NFL history. The result is that the game is now smarter, and is able to talk to game situations in ways it was never able to before, helping to immerse you the player in the story of a game.

Finding the Voices

But we didn’t stop there, while we knew we have to re-build our commentary to take full advantage of the current generation of hardware, we also had a vision for what the future of a Madden NFL commentary team looked like. We started our talent search by focusing on four key pillars, all supporting our #1 goal of providing NFL broadcast authenticity to our players.

• Team Availability
• Team Chemistry
• Teaching Football
• Updating Content Post Launch

It was important for us to create a team that we felt represented the next generation of Madden NFL commentary. A team that would embed itself as part of our development team to help us create something innovative and groundbreaking in the commentary realm now, and in the coming years.

After a nearly yearlong search, we had our team. Without further ado, it is a privilege and an honor to announce that Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis have joined the Madden NFL family. First up is Brandon, the new play by play voice of the game. Brandon joins us by way of Butler University, Westwood One, and most recently Georgia Tech where he served as the voice of the Yellow Jackets football, basketball, and baseball teams for the past 3 seasons. A native of Evansville, Indiana, Brandon grew up a huge fan of the Madden NFL franchise and has always been fascinated with the science of creating commentary in video games. A result of this is that Brandon has embedded himself with our design team, helping to craft the commentary experience and make it as authentic as possible.

Next is Charles, a native of Orlando, who played football at the University of Tennessee and appears as an analyst on NFL Network and Fox Sports. Charles passion and love for the game of football is clearly demonstrated in his work on both networks, and is also one of the most well respected draft analysts in the business. Charles brings that same knowledge, preparation, passion, and drive to teach the game into the Madden NFL booth each and every day. Just like Brandon, Charles has embedded himself with the team, working to ensure he is providing deep, insightful analysis that can educate users of all ages about the nuances and history of the game.

Brandon and Charles share in our team goal, to create the most authentic commentary experience in a football video game, and to blur the lines between a game of Madden NFL and a real NFL broadcast. We’re incredibly proud to have them as a part of our development team, and cannot wait for players across the globe to hear them in game. Now that you’ve been introduced to the team, let’s talk a bit deeper about our core commentary pillars for the year:

Availability

Both Brandon and Charles have provided the team with unprecedented accessibility, often recording with us multiple days each week. This has allowed us to capture depth we could have only imagined in the past. They are also serve as active members of our development team, working closely with our designers, engineers, and writers, to help brainstorm and execute on ideas.

Moving to this model has allowed us to capture what would previously be a years’ worth of content in a few short weeks, and has afforded the team the opportunity to brainstorm, implement, and rapidly iterate on creative ideas that help drive an authentic commentary experience. Players will instantly recognize the depth of the commentary in Madden NFL 17, and there will no doubt be quite a few surprises when you hear content for some of the more obscure in game scenario’s you can pull off.

Chemistry

Historically, Madden NFL has featured commentary teams that are already working together to call their actual games. While this method has proved successful, our thought process coming into this cycle was outside the box. We wanted to create a new up and coming team that could grow together as the NFL voices of Madden NFL. In the end we've built a team that would not surprise us if you heard them on Sundays in a not too distant future.

A core reason for selecting Brandon and Charles was the chemistry they showed during their in person interview together. They have a natural back and forth and ability to tell the story of a play that immediate drew the team in.

The key benefit for players is naturally flowing, back and forth commentary that captures the personalities of each talent, and further immerses players in the moments of their game. You can also count on hearing some incredible stories from the two about players, coaches, schemes, and even Brandon’s high school playing career as a kicker.

Football 101/Teaching

Something that has been extremely important for the team is to make sure we are teaching users of all ages about the game of football through our commentary. We are already doing this through our gameplay enhancements each year, and our skills trainer, so we wanted to make sure to also make sure our commentary team was doing the same. It is important for us to not only teach the fundamentals of football through commentary, but to also talk to specific players strengths and weaknesses to educate less skilled Madden NFL players on how to best utilize their teams.

Brandon and Charles are true students of the game. Charles in particular has earned the name “Professor Davis” in the recording booth with our team as he is a walking, talking, encyclopedia of football knowledge—a trait that comes across as you play the game. Working together they’ve been able to provide some absolutely amazing content as a fan, and they will pull back the curtain of the NFL to let players know some really in depth details.

See it on Sunday Hear it in Madden NFL 17

New to Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4 is the ability to add new commentary content throughout the real NFL season. This means that if a player or team has a monster week, you will hear about it shortly after in the game. Brandon and Charles will be in studio with us throughout the course of the season, recording the latest content to help bridge the gap between what you see on Sunday, and what you hear when you boot up your game.

So there you have it, Madden NFL 17 marks the launch of the single biggest commentary project in franchise history. But this is only the beginning, the entire Madden NFL Dev team could not be more excited about the additions to commentary in Madden NFL 17 and the road ahead.

---

 

[T0INE]

[h2]  [/h2]

[h2]Madden NFL 17 Presentation Improvements[/h2]
Posted June 8th at 4:00pm.

Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4 brings even more authenticity to Broadcast Presentation this year. From the beginning sequence of heading into game you will notice the “rock concert” feel that you see so often on real NFL Broadcasts.

We aimed to immerse you from beginning to end with updated stadiums and jumbotrons from across the league - adding another layer to the look and authenticity of each venue.Broadcast and Presentation is all about getting you closer to the action and with our new lineups introduction you will see even more swagger and personality than ever before in Madden NFL 17. We're able to do things that push the limits of what broadcast wishes it could do.

Some of the most exciting plays in the NFL occur near the pylons in each corner of the endzone. Now, in Madden NFL 17 we have introduced Pylon cameras that bring you down to field level and make you feel the intensity of the games biggest moments. We continue to push for innovation beyond your typical Broadcast to deliver the most authentic experience to date. Whether a sideline toe tap catch, or dive into the corner of the endzone, the Madden NFL 17 Pylon camera will bring added depth to this years game.

In Madden NFL 17 we have introduced new cameras as well as speed ramping into the shots we capture on field. We will now show off that amazing user catch with an impactful super slow motion moment to represent what you see on NFL Broadcasts. See the play from every angle and relive your games top moments. Additionally we've extended our broadcast graphics package into replays highlighting the playmakers delivering the games biggest moments.

One of our favorite additions to this years game is the addition of Multi-Cam. Starting with the conclusion of the play our cameras will focus in on the ball carrier and now have the ability to re-target additional on field players or even your coach all in one cut. You will feel this when you get on the sticks and see how this subtle change makes you feel more connected to the entire Broadcast.

Everything you see is in real-time and is happening behind the scenes, something that we were never able to capture before is now a reality in Madden NFL 17. You will notice this most when our UI pop-ups showcase you information post-play and our players will coexist with the UI in a 3D environment.

One of our goals heading into Madden NFL 17 was to bring to life our Coaches even more than they already are. This year head coaches will be more dynamic and aware of the action on the field. We've added increased fidelity to the Head Coaches on the sideline to allow them to have more of a visual and contextual impact during play and in replays. Much like our multi-cam our coaches will now be part of the environment on each play and will be reacting to situations based on the outcome of each play. You will see coaches run down the sidelines and come to life with more animation than they have in previous games. And where you'll really see this come to life is in Franchise mode playing as a coach. We've centered much of the post play camera presentation around your coach's reaction to big plays, big stops and all the other action on the field.

Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4 takes presentation to the next level - focused on you. We've made updates across the board, including improvements to game introductions, Jumbotrons, Monoliths, GFX Packages and more.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

New announcing team.. Finally..

 

[macbk]

New commentary seems like the most exciting feature going.

 

[T0INE]

Spoiler: Madden NFL 17 Franchise Blog Part 1 | Play the Moments and Gameplanning

Play The Moments

Experience Franchise faster than ever.  Jump into game-defining plays, drives and situations that matter to you, speeding up your experience and delivering more fun.  For players who want to span their career the entire 30 years but are limited in time, Play the Moment will be your new way to play. 

How does it work?

Before heading down to the field, choose between Play the Moments, Offense Only, Defense Only, or the Full Game.  When you choose Play the Moments, the game will be simulated until it detects a key moment and then prompts you to jump right into the action.  If you don’t want to play that particular moment, you can easily skip it.  Choosing Offense Only or Defense Only before loading into the game allows you to easily play just one side of the ball.

You’ll be able to switch in and out of all the modes easily as you play your game.  For example, you can start by playing the Full Game and then switch to Play the Moments at half-time once you have a sizable lead.  It’s up to you on how you use it.

Types of Moments

As you Play the Moments, you’ll be prompted to jump into all three phases of the game: Offense, Defense, and Special Teams.  When your team needs to keep a drive alive on a key 3[sup]rd[/sup] down, you’ll be called down to the field to help.  Once your team makes it to the Red Zone, you’ll be asked to help punch it in.  At the beginning of the game, you may be prompted to play a full drive to get the lead early.  In the last 2 minutes of the game and before half-time, your team will call on you to drive down the field and manage the clock.  While on defense, you’ll be thrown in on 3[sup]rd[/sup] downs to get the ball back and when the offense makes it into the Red Zone, you’ll be called upon to hold the line.  When you need a big punt return to get back in the game, you’ll jump in and play.  Anytime there is a field goal attempt you’ll jump in to try and block or make the kick yourself.

Simulation Speed

There are three different options for the simulation speed to choose from while the game is looking for the next key moment.  By default, you’ll be able to follow along using the Normal play-by-play option where you’ll see the drive lines draw on the field with a quick recap of each play as it’s being simulated.  This is the perfect balance between speed and knowing what’s going on in the game.  If you want to jump to the next moment quickly, you can select the Fast option.  The third option, which has been a community request, lets you slow down the game so you can watch each play unfold on the field in live action using the broadcast camera.

Super Sim

The Super Sim engine is the backbone of this feature so we’ve adjusted it to take into account the quarter length you choose.  It doesn’t matter if you play using 6-minute or 12-minute quarters; the engine will balance itself to try and get close to the 120 play per game NFL average.  This change will help ensure Play the Moment games have very similar score and stats when compared to the other Franchise games around the league.  Since we’re talking about Super Sim, you’ll still be able to jump to the next play, next possession, next quarter, or to the end of game like you could in last year’s game.

Gameplanning

Know your opponent’s tendencies every week then pick the right drills to attack and counter those tendencies in game.  This new level of strategy delivers more variety and more fun when preparing for your next opponent, whether it’s a user or the CPU.  Once you’re in game, expect to see a team boost for those plays you practiced helping you earn that critical score or a defensive stand to secure the win.

Choosing Your Gameplans

Each week you will choose an Offensive and Defensive gameplan.  The initial gameplan is determined based on your opponent’s tendencies, but you can switch to a different one when you see fit.  Each gameplan is associated with an in-game drill that will teach you how to succeed and then based on your performance will give you a gold, silver, or bronze medal.  The medal determines how many experience points (XP) and in-game boosts your players will have for that week. 

Each gameplan will give XP to two position groups.  For example, many passing gameplans benefit your QB and WR groups while many rushing gameplans benefit your HB and OL groups.  

In-Game Boosts

At the beginning of each game, you will be notified of the active boosts which are tied directly to the gameplans you chose.  For example, if you choose the Vertical Passing offensive gameplan, then your players will have ratings impacted any time you call a Vertical pass play during that week’s game.  It’s the same for defense.  For example, if you choose the Cover 2 defensive gameplan, then your players will have ratings impacted any time you call a Cover 2 play during the game.

Plays that are boosted are highlighted in green in Play Call.  You’ll also be able to see the active boost in the Previous Play widget.

Tendencies

The offensive and defensive tendencies of your opponent are tracked week to week giving you the information you need when selecting your gameplan.  Does your opponent bring the blitz or does he/she play man or zone coverage?  It will be easy to tell with the tendency information.

Player Focusing

To give you more control on how your team develops, you will select three players to focus on each week.  These players will get extra XP so they can develop into the players you need for your team.  For example, the Bucs and Titans can use this to help their 2[sup]nd[/sup] year QBs while the Jags can focus on developing their young defense by selecting Ramsey and Jack.  At the beginning of each season, the initial focus players are the top three players picked up in the draft, but you can adjust this to focus on who you feel is most important.

Gameplan Strategies

There are three distinct strategies you can use when selecting gameplans:  1) You can try to counter your opponent by selecting a gameplan that takes away your opponent’s strengths. 2) You can go with what your team does well by choosing a gameplan that focuses on how you like to play.  3) If your team is in a rebuilding mode, you can lean on gameplans that give XP to the position groups of most need.

In Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4, Play the Moment and Gameplanning provide the tools you need to get through your Franchise faster with more control. Play this and more in Madden NFL 17 available August 23rd.

Spoiler: Madden NFL 17 Franchise Blog Part 2 | Big Decisions & Community

Big Decisions

Big Decisions come to you with the right information at the right time. Do you start your star QB with that lingering injury, or go to your unproven back-up with a playoff spot on the line? In Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation[emoji]174[/emoji]4, Big Decisions begin a new direction in your career mode experience changing the way you approach your gameplay strategy for every match up.

Big Decisions: Season Goal

The first big decision you’ll make as a coach or player in the regular season is to set your season goal.  As a coach, you can decide whether you are going to make the playoffs or shoot low with a 7-win season.  The choice you make has an impact since if you miss your season goal, you have a chance of getting fired, but the harder the goal then the higher the experience point gain will be.

Big Decisions: Injuries

Once doctors have medically cleared a player that was hurt earlier in the season, you can either play him with a lingering injury or sit him to heal to 100%.  If your player plays a game with a lingering injury, then he has a higher chance of becoming reinjured, which could completely wreck the rest of your season.  If you go with your back-up, he will earn extra XP that will help him with long-term development.

While in-game, you’ll see new presentation banners that highlight your injured players.  You will even see a “with and without” comparison banner showing how your team did the last few weeks with your back-up QB compared to your regular starter.

Big Decisions: Acquisitions

Picking up free agents and players on the trade block is easier than ever with the new Acquisitions menu.  You will be able to easily browse the available players by position and compare them to your current depth chart.  Improve your weakest positions quickly by using the position grades that are right at your fingertips.  Expect the commentators during the game to call out recently acquired players when they make big plays.

Big Decisions: Re-Signing

When your players are on the last year of their contract, you can now re-sign them using a more intuitive menu.  All the information you need to decide if you want to retain the player is available.  The more prominent players will be open to negotiations earlier in the season, with the lower rated players available to sign late in the season after they’ve had a chance to prove themselves on the field.  It’s up to you to decide how aggressive you want to be when offering a contract, but giving a contract that is too low carries the risk that they may reject your team and opt to test the free agent market instead.  As you persuade your players to re-sign, the commentary team will take notice and mention it during the game.

Big Decision: Spending XP

Your players progress through the season as they earn experience points (XP) from training and by completing weekly game goals, drive goals, fantasy goals, season goals, and career goals.  You will be able to easily spend this XP to upgrade ratings and traits at the end of each game.  Quickly see who earned the most XP on the defensive and offensive side.  When there are at least three key position specific ratings available to upgrade, the player will show up in the Recommended list where you will be able to easily choose which rating to upgrade.  

When playing as a coach, you will see a breakdown of all the XP you earned that week, too.  You can easily see if you have an upgrade available and quickly take action.

Big Decisions: Cutting Players

During the preseason, you will now be presented with a new menu layout where your coaches will recommend players to cut based on position depth and player skills.  This allows you to make key decisions about player retention quickly so you can progress through the preseason.

Big Decisions: Free Agent Bidding

While bidding for players in the off-season, you will now be able to easily see your depth chart at the various positions so you know who to bid on.  Additionally, you will get feedback on how the player views your contract so you can adjust it to have a better chance of landing him.  Top rated Free Agents will now regularly sign quickly so you can spend the later stages battling over the next tier of players.  This better emulates real-life, where the top free agents move off the board quickly.

Community Requests

On top of everything else we’ve added this year, you’ll see features in the game directly influenced by community wishlists including the addition of the score ticker, full player editing, practice squad and more.

Around The League Score Ticker

Be immersed in Sunday football, with the new Around The League Score Ticker.  While playing your game, you will see score updates occur from games around the league.  For example, if you’re playing a 1pm Sunday game, you will see score updates and stat lines for all the other 1pm games.  If you’re playing a Monday Primetime game, you’ll see final scores tick by for all the other league games.  If you’re playing in a Cloud league with your friends, their played games will be treated like every other game.  The ticker still gives you updates on goal progress when relevant, too.  There is a setting to show everything, just scores, goal updates, or nothing so you can customize it as you see fit.

Full Player Editing

As the commissioner in your league, you now have the ability to customize almost everything about all the players.  You will be able to adjust appearance, ratings, traits, and contract information for the entire league, letting you make tweaks as you see fit to alter players.  Do you want to add one more year to someone’s contract? Do you think Aaron Rodger’s deep passing accuracy needs to be higher? You can do all this and more with full player editing.  It is as simple as pulling up the Player Card for a player and selecting “Edit Player” to begin.  In a Cloud league, other members can keep an eye on the commissioner since each player edited will show up in the Transaction log.

Practice Squad

Each team now has a 10-man Practice Squad that they can control week-to-week.  It all starts in week 4 of the preseason.  Instead of cutting players, you can now easily move eligible players to the Practice Squad where they will develop as you train the various position groups during weekly training.  These Practice Squad players are available in Free Practice so you can test them out down on the field.  At any point during the season, you can pull up a player from the Practice Squad to your active roster or vice versa.  Only players with less than 2 full years of NFL experience are available to move to the Practice Squad so you won’t be able to stash your veterans on it.  The Practice Squad is the place to develop younger players into guys that can have an impact on your team during gameday.  Just like in the real-world, your Practice Squad players are free agents and can be poached by other teams for their active roster.

Dynamic Development Trait

Each player’s development trait is the biggest defining factor in how he develops.  Players with a Superstar trait will stay in the league longer and develop into the top tier talent, while players with the Slow trait will not make it in the league long.  You will now be able to see it quickly on the Player Card with prominent placement and a new icon.  

Since the development trait is such a key part to a player’s success, we want to make sure you can influence it.  In Madden NFL 17, if a late round draft pick has a breakout season and wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, he will most likely go up a development trait level.  Actually, any major season award and weekly award will have a chance of increasing it.  What goes up must come down.  Once a player fails to reach their season goals they have a chance of dropping down a development trait level.  This fluidity makes sure the league is an organic system that reflects player performance.

Regression Feedback

As a coach or owner, you need to have a pulse on your team’s development and you need to know exactly when your team regresses and now you will in Madden NFL 17.  Anytime a player on your team regresses during the season or at the end of the season, you will be prompted with a detailed report so you can calculate your next move.

Player Card Improvements

The Player Card has been bolstered with three key improvements.  The first is a way to quickly see all the attributes for a specific player and how they rank in the league based on overall rating.  The second is a view so you can see the progression history for the player.  This lets you see where all the XP came from and when ratings have been impacted whether through progression or regression.  Last but not least, the player card is now accessible from more areas so you will always be just a step or two from seeing the information you want.

Big Decisions and the Community Requests will keep you coming back for more Franchise.  Play this and more in Madden NFL 17 available August 23rd.

 

[goledensilence]

the fact that the players still stand and run like their knees hurt. Why can't they just do everything Fifa is doing?