• A Hint on the Future of Locomotion?

    In an interview with Steven Bartlett of Operation Sports, Madden NFL creative director Ian Cummings discussed the future goals of the franchise and also detailed locomotion, a feature common to the central gameplay of both Madden NFL 11 and NCAA Football 11.

    Cummings talked about locomotion in the game and how there was discussion of adding triggers and bumpers to the mix (along with the right stick), but those ideas were put on hold for a year or two to allow gamers to 'train' themselves for the moves on the right stick and no speed burst on the right trigger. He also shares some tips on the auto-speed burst - always try to run straight ahead to reach top speed quickly.

    Would you like to see the bumpers and triggers included with Locomotion? If so, what moves would you like to see them control?

    Operation Sports: How does the "shoulders squared locomotion" feature function? Can you comment on the philosophy behind it? It would appear that players naturally want to turn it up field -- when was this idea brought to the table?

    Ian Cummings: The locomotion system for us was about really getting back to the core of the game, you know? We just had so many problems that we couldn’t really solve with the old system, and so one of the big facets of locomotion is actually layered animation. And, typically a run cycle is a small clip of animation, but what we have been able to do with layers (we implemented a little bit of it in Madden NFL 10 with quarterbacks being able to throw out of sacks early) is really the ability to separate the parts of upper body from the lower body.

    So what you see with locomotion is that [ball carriers] have the ability to still stay in control –- still be able to run left and right. You know you’re always in control. You’re always in control of the same animation set, but his upper body can be kind of split off and turn to up field -- the illusion of cutting left and right to hit holes without turning your entire body. Along with that was the kind of dual-stick control of that with the right stick where you can lean your guy forward or twist his torso left or right. Those types of things were all done with layers. So the lower body is still fully in your control. It’s all on the left stick but the upper body is now totally kind of separate, and you can turn and twist and do all kind of cool things there that we just really didn’t have the technology to do that before.

    OS: I did the review for Skate 3, and I don’t know if you’ve played that, but the controls are amazing in that game. It’s very similar where you are controlling your board left and right with the left stick and you are controlling your weight and balance on the right stick. And you have the right bumper and left bumper as right arm and left arm. Have you guys looked into that type of control for future types of gameplay features and animations? Last week I was saying on our radio show maybe as a defensive back when you go to swat a ball use the left bumper with left hand and right bumper to swat with the right hand. Are these things that come to mind or have you looked into other controls of other games like this?

    Ian: Yeah we definitely… I play a ton of games, you know? I try to play everything. I am just a huge gameplay purist, too. I love kind of digging into the details of the way [developers] do stuff. We definitely talked about using triggers and bumpers, but this year we felt like we couldn’t do anything new in that respect because we think we had to take a year to train -- a year to get rid of the sprint button. And so we knew if we added like, say as a ball carrier, say if we added right and left arms on the triggers. Every single person would be doing stiff arms all game because they are so used to holding the sprint button. So we wanted to take a year and basically keep all those buttons kind of free, at least the triggers -- the ones that people are used to -- and we will do some more separate arm stuff.

    On defense we’ve actually prototyped some things with the right stick for your different arms doing different things. It’s really tough because of the direction your player is facing and how the screen is tilted. It’s really tough in that split second to decide if I need to use my left arm or right arm or things of that nature. And so it’s a really hardcore control that most people wouldn’t be able to use. I mean what we’re looking at right now [with] the dual stick -- the torso twisting part not many people are using at all. People are using the truck stick and the one-to-one juking but it’s so tough. The game is so fast that people don’t get the ability turn their body away from contact in that fraction of a second. So you always just try to keep it simpler with a good layer of depth underneath it.

    OS: I want to know how the auto turbo kicks in for the prioritized running lanes? Is the game programmed to know what lane you are supposed to be going to and does it kick in when you find that lane? How does that function exactly?

    Ian: No, basically the way the locomotion works now is that [the ball carrier] just accelerates to top speed as long as you are running straight ahead. Any time you veer off of that path, [you] have to re-accelerate. We definitely have talked about that concept,of like, you know, if you hit the holes you get a burst of speed or things like that. When you take a pitch, you're always at full speed. But we just felt that once we got that core locomotion in there we didn’t need any of that because it’s up to you. If you hit the hole straight ahead, you hit the hole faster because you haven’t had to turn your body. If you cut it back, you got to slow down and now there’s a whole three or four [defensive backs] running at full speed and are able to track you down. It all kind of evened out when we just sort of started obeying the real laws of momentum -- everything kind of worked itself out.


    For the full interview, visit Operation Sports.
    Comments 18 Comments
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      This kind of thing concerns me. I'm worried that the game is becoming to "stick skill reliant" for lack of a better way to phrase it. I know we are playing video games but for some time now I've felt that a guy can simply just oustick you by knowing how to trigger the "right" animations at any given time and no matter what play you call. Personally, I'd rather they focus on getting the AI to become more realistic benefiting those that just know football more versus focussing on adding more "button mashing" to the games.
    1. steelerfan's Avatar
      steelerfan -
      Hmm. With EA implementing physics into NHL and NBA Elite, I kinda thought Locomotion might be a thing that was exclusive to 11 and in 12 we'd possibly have something physics based. Am I off base in this thinking? Can the 2 work hand-in-hand? Or is this a precursor to the same tweeked engine in 12?
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      I think we'll see a physics engine in the next couple years. IMO, Locomotion and it's controls seem like something that would be brought into a change like that. Just my personal thoughts, though.


      I did find it interesting that most people aren't using the lean moves according to the stats EA tracks. I try to use it almost every play, but it doesn't seem like I do it in time or it doesn't seem to register.
    1. Solidice's Avatar
      Solidice -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      I think we'll see a physics engine in the next couple years. IMO, Locomotion and it's controls seem like something that would be brought into a change like that. Just my personal thoughts, though.


      I did find it interesting that most people aren't using the lean moves according to the stats EA tracks. I try to use it almost every play, but it doesn't seem like I do it in time or it doesn't seem to register.
      I've been trying to use it, if not only to twist the ball away from the defender to help prevent fumbles.. I find it to be pretty useful for the most part. you will usually be able to fall forward if you don't break the tackle and see some pretty cool tackle animations that you normally would not. but I have twisted the wrong way before as well, and that can lead to fumbles.

      as for physics, it'll most likely be added for tackling itself, not the actual movement of the players.
    1. steelerfan's Avatar
      steelerfan -
      I have yet to use the right stick to twist or lean a ballcarrier. I need to learn to. I think I just get the feeling that it wouldn't help enough to offset the time it would take to master. There's no time to hesitate while my brain tries to tell my hands to do it, lol.

      Also, I still haven't trained my brain to not use speed burst. I think they'll have to make that button do something else before I stop doing it.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Quote Originally Posted by steelerfan View Post
      Also, I still haven't trained my brain to not use speed burst. I think they'll have to make that button do something else before I stop doing it.
      I'm the same way. If they make it the new Pitch button, I'll stop using it by the end of the day.
    1. steelerfan's Avatar
      steelerfan -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      I'm the same way. If they make it the new Pitch button, I'll stop using it by the end of the drive.
      Fixed, lol.
    1. JBHuskers's Avatar
      JBHuskers -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      I did find it interesting that most people aren't using the lean moves according to the stats EA tracks. I try to use it almost every play, but it doesn't seem like I do it in time or it doesn't seem to register.
      I bet a lot of that is that most people (namely the casual crowd) doesn't know it exists.
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      I don't use the lean buttons. Quite frankly I want my old truck move back and not just a lean move. The stiff arm needs to be redone. It's used quite a bit in football and is useless in the game.

      The focus is in the wrong area as far as I'm concerned. I don't need independent movement of my upper body and lower body. Our body works in conjunction anyway. They need to focus on adding basic moves to play. Instead of trying to overly complicate something as simple as running with someone, how about adding some DL controls. All I do is hit left or right. I want separate moves for rip and swim or spins as a DL. They don't have a true speed burst around the corner for DEs either. I'd like to have more disengage moves for the LBs as well. Real physics blocking or at least something closer to 2K5 should be the goal. Not adding more animations or r-stick lean moves imo.
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      I don't use the lean either as quite frankly I think its pretty much useless.
    1. morsdraconis's Avatar
      morsdraconis -
      I use it a good bit. Haven't really gotten used to leaning one way or the other, but leaning forward DEFINITELY helps with not fumbling the ball as much.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      I've started using the lean and/or trucking Right trigger in one on one situations to avoid fumbling. But can't do it with my qb I've found out because he'll just be held up and the ball will pop out. I'm with most of you though that they need to focus on different things than the separation stuff. That's good for one on one basketball and soccer stuff, but football's too close and too fast for that. However, maybe that's just cosmetic stuff, and the focus is different. It could be a good thing if it isn't dwelt on too much.
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 -
      Yeah I DON'T WANT anymore buttoms for arms, etc. Once a game becomes too involved and complex it also becomes less fun. IMAGINE RUNNING WITH THE LEFT, JUKING WITH THE RIGHT, PROTECTING THE BALL WITH THE LEFT BUMPER AND TRUCKING WITH THE RIGHT BUMPER. I would get lost in the process.

      Also, non-NCAA related...his general comments about Madden's franchise mode didn't blow me away. I wanted to hear somethnig like "we have major plans that we are working on right now." I just didn't sense any urgency in his responses.
    1. morsdraconis's Avatar
      morsdraconis -
      Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
      Also, non-NCAA related...his general comments about Madden's franchise mode didn't blow me away. I wanted to hear somethnig like "we have major plans that we are working on right now." I just didn't sense any urgency in his responses.
      As a jadded Madden player now (pretty much hating the game since like 08) I'm not expecting it to blow me away anytime soon, especially as long as Ian is still working on the game. I just don't like the guy and I HATE how he answers questions. He comes off like he doesn't care about anything these people are asking him and is annoyed by getting questioned about anything (especially something not Madden related).
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      Didn't Ian say they didn't do major upgrades to franchise mode this year because it's a two year process or something? Sounds like that process hasn't started yet as the franchise improvements don't seem to be detailed.
    1. JeffHCross's Avatar
      JeffHCross -
      Well, they'll never detail the franchise improvements this early in the game. That's the nature of marketing. We won't know what's being changed in Franchise until next year's release cycle.

      Any comparison between Madden/NCAA and Skate gives me the willies. Those are two completely different control styles for a reason. I do not run, even as a running back, the same way as I would skate. A track runner might lean in a similar manner, but that's about it.

      As for this year's controls ... Ian's comments about it being too fast are spot on, at least as far as I'm concerned. Maybe it's just not being accustomed to the new scheme, but I'm lucky if I do anything more than leaning forward on any given run play. I have never used the side leans, and I used my first lean-back today. This is after 200-some-odd carries with my RB in season 1 of our OD ... so yeah, I don't see me using those additional moves anytime soon.

      The other day I was thinking back to the old Sega Genesis days and how few controls there were then (even when the six-button controls came out). I'm starting to get a little nostalgic for that.

      Overall reaction to the interview ... the team did the right thing by getting back to basics and working on Locomotion this year. That, plus the AI blocking enhancements, are a good core to build on going forward. But they need to shore up the rest of the core gameplay (i.e. the defense) before adding more layers of complexity to what they've already got.
    1. Marlowe's Avatar
      Marlowe -
      The lean does help. It not only helps minimize fumbles but it also breaks tackles. I've slipped out of a lot of one on one wrap ups by using it. The tough part is timing it correctly as it doesn't always register right away. You have to be anticipating the contact and moving the stick in a certain direction before the animation kicks in otherwise you'll just end up tripping over yourself.
    1. skipwondah33's Avatar
      skipwondah33 -
      Their stuck on a solid line. Some people want simplier controls, etc. Then others want the ability to do all of these complex controls and things of that nature. I myself wouldn't mind having the ability to utlitize those controls and don't think I'd have too much trouble in doing so.

      Its not all too surprising that alot of people don't use the dual stick controls, usually the people they are getting their stats off of are just playing the game for a ranking and don't fully understand the concept of football anyway....just video game football stuff like throw it to the fastest player and try to get an advantage anyway possible by any means necessary.....Atleast thats my opinion of it, so they aren't too concerned with utilizing aditional controls.