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View Full Version : Stick Skills: Madden NFL 12 Introduces Online Communities and More



JBHuskers
04-28-2011, 11:13 AM
http://stickskills.com/news/1611/madden-nfl-12-introduces-online-communities-more/

Madden, as a series, is easily one of the most played sports titles in the United States every single year. While the title may not be on the level that FIFA is worldwide, it's finally starting to appeal to more than just the hardcore gamers in the United States.

Fresh off of the announcement of their cover athlete being chosen for Madden NFL 12, EA SPORTS has just sent over a press release detailing the features for the upcoming football simulation. Interested in seeing what they are? Of course! Continue reading below to check out the feature list as sent by EA.

Playbooks & Gameplay
All-New Collision System: Now maintain full control of players up to the point of impact from tackling to blocking – providing the most authentic collisions in franchise history. This new system uses a player’s momentum and over 100 new tackle animations, including 40 gang tackles, to provide more impactful hits, stolen tackles, and consecutive hit tackling.

Advanced Defensive AI: Over 100 defensive A.I. enhancements resulting in the smartest Madden defense ever. Players in zone and man coverage will properly recognize and react to plays, including the ability to break out of assignments when appropriate, resulting in a defensive team that truly works together.

Custom Playbooks: The #1 most requested feature by fans in recent years, allows you to build the ultimate game plan by modifying an existing playbook or creating your own by selecting up to 400 offensive or defensive plays from 75 different playbooks. Integrate your custom playbook into a game plan for use with the improved GameFlow system, which executes an authentic, situational game plan for you.

Presentation
Broadcast Redefined: Experience NFL Sundays like never before with completely overhauled presentation, including 32 team-specific run outs featuring mascots and cheerleaders, over 500 dynamic broadcast cameras authentic to every NFL stadium, innovative “real” on-field cameras shot by expert NFL Films cameramen, and a network inspired new broadcast graphics package.

Unprecedented On-Field Authenticity: Hundreds of visual improvements across all areas of the game including: new player equipment, helmet stickers, pylon and ball physics, a player degradation system that affects uniforms and helmets based on weather and field surface, 3D grass, and new player specific animations that showcase the personalities of each NFL player.

Franchise and Superstar Modes
Franchise mode includes more than 100 new features and enhancements, including expanded rosters, an all-new rookie scouting system, a free-agent bidding system, and more.

In Superstar mode, fans can now control the growth of their superstar with an all-new progression system that allows you to earn skill points by participating in practice and games. More details on Franchise and Superstar modes will be released on May 16.

Dynamic Player Performance
Dynamic Player Performance is an all-new feature that creates unprecedented realism as a player’s skills and confidence will rise and fall based on his performance throughout a game or in Franchise mode, just like the real NFL. No two players will play the same in Madden NFL 12, and more details will be revealed at the E3 Expo on June 6.

Madden NFL Ultimate Team
The perfect combination of Madden NFL Football, fantasy football, and trading cards comes to life in Madden NFL Ultimate Team. More information on how to earn, buy, auction, and trade players will be released on June 20.

Online Communities
Online Communities will provide an all-new way for Madden NFL gamers to meet and play. More details will be released on July 25.

While there's quite a few features on the list above that intrigue us, the "Online Communities" portion seems to tickle our interest the most. What exactly does EA SPORTS have planned for this feature? Looks like we'll have to wait until July 25th to find out!

Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or sound off in our forums! Madden NFL 12 will hit the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on August 30th, 2011.

I OU a Beatn
04-28-2011, 11:43 AM
Lmao @ online communities being a "new feature." I don't think so. I can't remember the years, but I think '07-'09 on the PS2 for both NCAA and Madden had the online community/clan/whatever they called it.

Definitely good to hear the AI improvements. If custom playbooks work online, then that's great as well.

gschwendt
04-28-2011, 11:47 AM
If custom playbooks work online, then that's great as well.
They are
http://www.ea.com/madden-nfl/blog/first-look-gameplay

May I throw in one last quick tidbit? A long-time community requests has finally made its way into Madden NFL 12: custom playbooks. You will be able to go through every playbook in the game and pick out the plays that best fits you and combine those all into one playbook of your own. And better yet, you can take custom book online!

ram29jackson
04-28-2011, 12:01 PM
what ever the online community stuff is, I wonder if NCAA will use it ?

skipwondah33
04-28-2011, 12:09 PM
Love hearing about the Gameplay additions and improvements...even the dynamic player performance.

WolverineJay
04-28-2011, 12:12 PM
Custom Playbooks: The #1 most requested feature by fans in recent years, allows you to build the ultimate game plan by modifying an existing playbook or creating your own by selecting up to 400 offensive or defensive plays from 75 different playbooks. I hope NCAA got this exact same set-up.

Franchise mode includes more than 100 new features and enhancements, including expanded rosters, an all-new rookie scouting system, a free-agent bidding system, and more. That's a ton of features and enhancements for one mode. I wonder how much love Dynasty mode got compared to Franchise.

I OU a Beatn
04-28-2011, 12:18 PM
They are

Well holy shit. Definitely can't wait to try that out. I've been asking for that for years.

CLW
04-28-2011, 12:27 PM
Franchise mode includes more than 100 new features and enhancements, including expanded rosters, an all-new rookie scouting system, a free-agent bidding system, and more.

For me personally, this will decide whether Madden 12 is a release day purchase; a rental or a complete ignore. I bought Madden 10 b/c of the OF. However, it was STALE and the lack of a FA system and the ability for everyone in the franchise to know exactly what each and every rookie in the draft would be rated ruined the experience.

For me to purchase the game the following must occur:

#1 Franchise mode must be fun against the CPU

#2 EVERYTHING (and i literally mean EVERYTHING) in offline franchise MUST be at least an option to turn on in an Online Franchise.

ram29jackson
04-28-2011, 12:34 PM
what the heck does -more than 100 new features- really mean ?

what ? we might notice ,like, 10 or something....?

JBHuskers
04-28-2011, 12:43 PM
what the heck does -more than 100 new features- really mean ?

what ? we might notice ,like, 10 or something....?

Yeah I was chatting with Josh Looman on Twitter and he said ignore that 100 number. Don't get hung up on that.

I OU a Beatn
04-28-2011, 12:43 PM
The improved defense and online custom playbooks is absolutely all I need to make me happy. If NCAA follows suit, I'll be happy there as well.

skipwondah33
04-28-2011, 12:48 PM
For me personally, this will decide whether Madden 12 is a release day purchase; a rental or a complete ignore. I bought Madden 10 b/c of the OF. However, it was STALE and the lack of a FA system and the ability for everyone in the franchise to know exactly what each and every rookie in the draft would be rated ruined the experience.

For me to purchase the game the following must occur:

#1 Franchise mode must be fun against the CPU

CLW I'm not even sure thats possible to achieve. The CPU isn't any fun to play against in either Madden or NCAA for the longest of time. I'd rather not have to tweak 25 sliders to get a remotely fun experience.

A franchise I help run when utilize the League Manager site which gives you all sorts of features that EA's site doesn't give you. For example in the first season you are able to see what every draft prospect is rated for the upcoming draft. Then soon as you roll over into season 2 it will show you the next draft class that will be available next draft.


The improved defense and is absolutely all I need to make me happy. If NCAA follows suit, I'll be happy there as well.

This is the way I feel and the gameplay improvements of course.

ram29jackson
04-28-2011, 12:50 PM
where is the direct quote- "we got rid of the strategy pad "-..?

JBHuskers
04-28-2011, 01:31 PM
where is the direct quote- "we got rid of the strategy pad "-..?

Agreed.

skipwondah33
04-28-2011, 02:00 PM
Isn't the strategy pad null since they added the strategy pad quick links? (basically the way it was before)

ryby6969
04-28-2011, 02:04 PM
The only way I will buy Madden this year is if Online Franchise has a salary cap and you actually have to scout players for the draft. I don't have time to make up my own "salary cap" and what not. I have gotten to the point where I just cannot play against the computer anymore.(unless in an OD) Recruiting or Drafting against yourself just is not as fun as it used to be. I need to be challenged by other people and not feel like I am getting cheated.

zacattak
04-28-2011, 02:06 PM
whats the difference in quick links and the pad? the one from ncaa 11 was nice.

CLW
04-28-2011, 02:45 PM
CLW I'm not even sure thats possible to achieve. The CPU isn't any fun to play against in either Madden or NCAA for the longest of time. I'd rather not have to tweak 25 sliders to get a remotely fun experience.

A franchise I help run when utilize the League Manager site which gives you all sorts of features that EA's site doesn't give you. For example in the first season you are able to see what every draft prospect is rated for the upcoming draft. Then soon as you roll over into season 2 it will show you the next draft class that will be available next draft.



This is the way I feel and the gameplay improvements of course.

I think we will just have to agree to disagree on the offline dynasty/franchise point. To me it hasn't been that hard to find a set of sliders that makes the CPU competitive/fun to play against. Sometimes I just want to sit down and knock out a season in one weekend on the sticks. This year I really got into my Duke offline dynasty for quite awhile. I think I'm in year 12 at this point but it has been awhile. There are some annoyances (CPU Playcalling being #1 among them) but very few ODs/OFs can get through as many years/seasons as I can in an offline one.

The thing about KNOWING the ratings of potential draft picks annoys me. IRL, GMs/Coaches do not know how a player is going to pan out. Sure they get the raw #s/data from the Combine and can watch film but there is a ton of what boils down to essentially guess work as to how a player will turn out in the NFL.

I absolutely HATED that in Madden 10 they gave you the OVR Rating for each Draft Pick (as I recall). Moreover, guys at OS (i think it was) broke it down further giving you their Potential Ratings as well. This meant that guys printed off that cheat sheet and NEVER made a single bad pick and LITERALLY EVERY decent player was drafted by the end of Round 3. Without a salary cap that made it just silly after a few years.

If I am reading what you are saying right the ONLY thing about that site I would enjoy would be the ability to see the future classes. However, I wouldn't want to know their ratings but simply their basic raw/vital numbers and perhaps the #s they were putting up in college and what school they went to. Moreover, if I run an offline NCAA dynasty that coincides with my Madden Franchise I can have my players turn into future Madden studs/busts which I've always enjoyed too.

ram29jackson
04-28-2011, 02:58 PM
Isn't the strategy pad null since they added the strategy pad quick links? (basically the way it was before)

are you saying you could delete it or cancel it out ? how ?

JBHuskers
04-28-2011, 03:15 PM
Isn't the strategy pad null since they added the strategy pad quick links? (basically the way it was before)

Not all the quick links were in though.

JBHuskers
04-28-2011, 03:16 PM
whats the difference in quick links and the pad? the one from ncaa 11 was nice.

Stategy Pad was used in only Madden and it was poorly designed...made it more work to get your pre-snap adjustments in. Thankfully NCAA 11 didn't implement it, and we made sure they didn't :D

Kingpin32
04-28-2011, 04:18 PM
Madden will get my money once I hear about the Franchise improvements. I haven't bought Madden since Madden 10, but with all these improvements they're showing, it's possible I get back on the Madden train.

CLW
04-28-2011, 04:20 PM
Stategy Pad was used in only Madden and it was poorly designed...made it more work to get your pre-snap adjustments in. Thankfully NCAA 11 didn't implement it, and we made sure they didn't :D

Did it really take any longer than you to simply get the words out of your mouth? If so, I would be concerned.

JBHuskers
04-28-2011, 04:36 PM
Did it really take any longer than you to simply get the words out of your mouth? If so, I would be concerned.

I don't think it was ever on the board (thank god).