? for the Madden veterans

[gigemaggs99]

I've always been an NCAA guy. I prefer the college game in real life to the NFL. That being said, NCAA has had it's fair share of "issues" the last couple of editions.

Since I haven't been following Madden closely enough to know...can anyone tell me if Madden in the past couple of years has had BIG issues that make you NOT want to buy the next one? Or atleast doubt the product?

I'm looking for a real solid playing football game. The fancy lights and presentation are all fine and dandy but in the end I would like a good solid football game. Even if this means I need to look for a used copy of Madden 08 (just using 08 as an example as I have no idea if this was even a good one).

Looking back it seemed like NCAA 11 wasn't all that bad, it didn't have the CPB, but then again it didn't have the "issues" that came along with it.

So, as I look and ponder purchasing Madden 13, can someone please let me know if Madden 10,11, 12 had "issues"? I'm HOPING not, maybe it's more like FIFA and Madden is bigger than NCAA so they (EA) spends more time on the QA part of the product. Fifa has always seemed top notch, but then again they are addressing a much larger audience, for sure a larger audience than NCAA.

I know it's not possible to predict if Madden 13 will have issues but I'm just hoping to see a pattern or track record, if it's positive I can look past the college vs pro argument if I can atleast end up with a solid football game.

Hopefully "solid football game" isn't to vague. Mainly want I'm looking for is a good football game where I can use an offensive or defensive scheme and game plan that would mimic real life. Not have to worry about things like in-game features not working. I also don't want to list a long list of these features/issues with concerned to NCAA as they are posted numerous other places. I would just like to know if Madden has a past "history" of issues?

Thank you gents.

Gus

[I OU a Beatn]

The past several years it's been way more polished than NCAA. Madden is always smoother, has less glitches, and has the better game play. Madden '12 was the best football game so far this generation for example. If all you're concerned about is the game play and how well it plays, yes, Madden is better.

Most of the issues people have with Madden is the lack of an in depth dynasty and game modes like that.

[jaymo76]

The past several years it's been way more polished than NCAA. Madden is always smoother, has less glitches, and has the better game play. Madden '12 was the best football game so far this generation for example. If all you're concerned about is the game play and how well it plays, yes, Madden is better.

Most of the issues people have with Madden is the lack of an in depth dynasty and game modes like that.

Agreed... Madden's gameplay is far superior. The biggest flaw with Madden has been that frankly it becomes boring as there is not a lot of immersion. Madden 10 IMO was excellent but the best gameplay was Madden 12. I am still not sold on infinity though and a lot of the comments form the "real" people who have the game say that infinity is an improvement but still for the most part it's canned animations and then infinity kicks in. Not revolutionary but to each his own. I will probably stick with 12 but I am anxious for season pass...

[gigemaggs99]

Agreed... Madden's gameplay is far superior. The biggest flaw with Madden has been that frankly it becomes boring as there is not a lot of immersion. Madden 10 IMO was excellent but the best gameplay was Madden 12. I am still not sold on infinity though and a lot of the comments form the "real" people who have the game say that infinity is an improvement but still for the most part it's canned animations and then infinity kicks in. Not revolutionary but to each his own. I will probably stick with 12 but I am anxious for season pass...

Ok, COOL, so maybe a used copy of Madden 12 would be a nice alternative.

[jaymo76]

Ok, COOL, so maybe a used copy of Madden 12 would be a nice alternative.

Honestly I would wait until 13 is released and here the feedback (or get season pass and find out for yourself). It really just depends on what you want. CCM looks to have a lot of potential but I just can't get ovr all the stuff they removed. However, if you are all about online then 13 might be the way to go.

[gigemaggs99]

Honestly I would wait until 13 is released and here the feedback (or get season pass and find out for yourself). It really just depends on what you want. CCM looks to have a lot of potential but I just can't get ovr all the stuff they removed. However, if you are all about online then 13 might be the way to go.

Well that's the deal. I enjoy online but I'm also a fan of offline play. With my kids and all sometimes it much easier to play the CPU as I don't want to be upsetting my online opponent with all my in-game pauses. Sometimes things get "busy" here and I have to have the offline game paused for quite some time. Usually for online play I have to start those games after my kids go to bed.

[WolverineJay]

Usually for online play I have to start those games after my kids go to bed.

Hmmmm, same with me this year with kid. I am a no go for online play during the day and all day on weekends until Sunday night. I am free to play NCAA 11, 12, or 13 or Madden 12 from 11pm -2am PST online but nobody to play at that late time so I've been stuck playing the CPU. What time frame do you have at night?

As far as gameplay goes I prefer Madden 12 over the demo for 13 so I'm sticking with that until EA Tiburon decides to bring back everything from M12's Franchise mode and massively improves upon the Infinity engine. Plus Madden has no gameplan feature so no worrying about the CPU switching to aggressive zones or jumping the snap those gimmicks are only in NCAA.

[I OU a Beatn]

I can tell you right now that if Madden '13 is anything like the demo, it'll be vastly superior to Madden '12. Madden '12 had some pretty big issues with how bad zone coverage was, and the pass rush was pretty bad as well. The zone defense looked pretty massively improved over '12 in the '13 demo. If that's not a major issue for you, though, '12 is still a very smooth experience.

Personally, though, I enjoyed the '13 demo way more than I did '12. '12 was too slow for me and the horrible pass coverage just ruined online play for me.

[gigemaggs99]

Hmmmm, same with me this year with kid. I am a no go for online play during the day and all day on weekends until Sunday night. I am free to play NCAA 11, 12, or 13 or Madden 12 from 11pm -2am PST online but nobody to play at that late time so I've been stuck playing the CPU. What time frame do you have at night?

As far as gameplay goes I prefer Madden 12 over the demo for 13 so I'm sticking with that until EA Tiburon decides to bring back everything from M12's Franchise mode and massively improves upon the Infinity engine. Plus Madden has no gameplan feature so no worrying about the CPU switching to aggressive zones or jumping the snap those gimmicks are only in NCAA.

I usually try and play after they go to bed usually by 8:30ish PM Central. Then I play usually until around 11-11:30 ish central.

I just made it back from Gamestop. I pre-ordered Madden13. I saw Madden 12 there used for $20. Thought about buying it too, they also had older versions for much cheaper, Madden 09 $2.99, Madden 10 for $3.99.

What exactly has Madden 13 taken away from Madden 12's franchise mode? Kinda makes me want to jump back in the truck and go pick up Madden 12....

[WolverineJay]

Well I'm not sure if you saw this post from jaymo but it hits almost every point of what's missing in Madden 13.

If you play franchise (aka connected careers) basically a lot of the stuff SINGLE PLAYER OFFLINE GAMERS liked to do is now gone. Just remember you can no longer:

1. Edit names, numbers, equipment
2. Editi ratings, rookies, etc.
3. Play/watch any game on the schedule
4. change thhe cpu uniforms in CCM
5. change player positions (hence in you change scheme from 3-4 to 4-3 your player ratings will be impacted
6. removal of coaching contracts
7. removal of coordinators
8. removal of NCAA imported draft classes
9. no return of the extra point (which was removed in MADDEN 12... to make it better... but it's not back...)
10. controlling of multiple teams in CCM
11. no ability to use a custom playbook in CCM
12. no using custom rosters

However, they have added a more interesting form of scouting, new free agency, a really interactive draft, fake twitter feeds, an XP progression system, and the ability to play as a coach or player and switch at any point (but if you create yourself and switch to someone else, your made up player is retired). Physics is also in the game but it's 50/50 depending on who you ask as to it's impact. Everything else gameplay wise is pretty much the same~ Madden is Madden. If you love offline you may be dissapointed but if you love online you are probably over the moon for this game.

[SmoothPancakes]

Well I'm not sure if you saw this post from jaymo but it hits almost every point of what's missing in Madden 13.

And all those points listed by jaymo is exactly why I cancelled my pre-order of Madden a couple weeks ago. While the gameplay itself may be better and it may be a fun game on the field, all those removals and all the stuff I can't do in Franchise (excuse me, CCM), completely kills the fun for me. I can't play Play Now in Madden or NCAA. I gotta have the immersion factors of Dynasty and Franchise, trying to grow a team under my own coaching, recruiting, drafting, etc, decisions over a period of years/seasons to keep me interested. Just simply playing random game after random game in Play Now or online is no fun and gets very boring.

[gigemaggs99]

Ok, so forgive me if this is really a silly/simple question, but will there be an offline franchise mode for Madden 13?

Or will this franchise mode be available online for 1 person? Similar to an online dynasty for 1 person in NCAA?

I don't want to play random 1 game sessions vs the CPU in play now. I'd like to play in a franchise where I control 1 team for the duration, hopefully multiple seasons.

Perhaps I pre-ordered on a whim maybe I should have waited and picked up a used copy of 12 at a later date. I'm looking for a good football game, hopefully that has a career mode/dynasty/franchise whatever it's called mode. Will Madden 13 have this option? I read about Connected Careers and it looks like this will be an option. Just b/c it's online doesn't mean I have to play with others online right?

My biggest problem with online play is, I'm gun-shy from last years' problem with NCAA 12 and the freezing OD on advancing. I was all serious about it when the game came out and I started an OD the night the game came out. I was bound and determined to make it MULTIPLE seasons. Well we kept getting the OD transfer failed error, over and over again. We restarted the OD I'd say 5 or 6 times this was after each year making it around 3 seasons. I was really hoping we could make it past season 3, but we had to keep restarting. Eventually everyone got fed up and lost interest. This is why this year I haven't hit the OD war-path like I did last year b/c I'm gun-shy that it will basically put me in the same boat that smoothpancakes is saying, "I don't want to play 'play-now' games over and over" if the OD is going to lock up, I might as well just play "play-now" games. What's the point of putting that much time into recruiting and years of an OD just to have it lock up?

So this is why I like offline play, for some reason it doesn't seem to lock up. I'm having fun in NCAA 13 in my offline dynasties, I like the others have just gotten rubbed the wrong way with patches that fix things and hatch new issues. This is why I'm looking into Madden.

[gigemaggs99]

As far as these go:

1. Edit names, numbers, equipment
not an issue for me

2. Editi ratings, rookies, etc.
not an issue for me

3. Play/watch any game on the schedule
would be kinda cool but not a deal breaker

4. change the cpu uniforms in CCM
would be cool to have both teams in throwback unis

5. change player positions (hence in you change scheme from 3-4 to 4-3 your player ratings will be impacted
I'd like to know more about this, if a MLB is now an outside LB it seems like he needs to have different strengths/weaknesses same for DTs/DEs.

6. removal of coaching contracts
so in CCM you higher a coach or not really? I'm confused on this one

7. removal of coordinators
would like to know more about what/how this affect Madden 12 to make a sound decision.

8. removal of NCAA imported draft classes
I don't have NCAA 12 anymore so I can't import them

9. no return of the extra point (which was removed in MADDEN 12... to make it better... but it's not back...)
so it's not in Madden 12 or 13? I'm not sure how this is better/worse?

10. controlling of multiple teams in CCM
I think I'd get in over my head controlling multiple teams, what happens if both of my teams make it to the Superbowl?

11. no ability to use a custom playbook in CCM
I'm not 100% sold on CPB (see NCAA 12)

12. no using custom rosters
Isn't this what Ultimate team is for?


So, I guess I hope that Madden 13 has a franchise mode, or some sort. I must not be looking in the correct places online, when I search features, modes, options, all sorts of ways for Madden 13 all I keep finding are videos on the new zoom camera, the CCM, how nano blitzes are lessened, shake blitz will be toned down, etc....etc... but I can't find a simple explanation of the bare bones of what the game will have. I guess if it's not much different from year to year it should have some form of what I'm looking for who knows LOL

[ram29jackson]

it took me a while going between both games, getting use to playing them. But over time it became clear how much better Madden was.

[gigemaggs99]

Ok, looks like someone got the game early and is answering questions. Sounds like they do have either some sort of offline franchise mode or you can play 1 person in the CCM.

http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/8922750.page

[gigemaggs99]

Hopefully Madden13 will work out then, I was looking on ebay and there are multiple used copies of Madden 12 for around $5 with free shipping. Only worry is if they will actually work. There are also buy-it-now copies for around $15, so I'll wait and see what Madden13 brings, if it's not good I'll go with 12 like some have said, 12 sounds like a good game.

[gigemaggs99]

I'd also like to know from the guys/gals that have played them, what would be the best older version to look for used? When I went to Gamestop tonight they had 09, 10, & 12 used. I didn't see an '11. Other than 12 the others were VERY cheap so I wouldn't mind picking one of those up if they were good. Any thoughts?

Just in reading the reviews done by IGN, it looks like Madden 10 was given the highest rating, it has an 8.9 out of 10.

'09 8.8
'10 8.9
'11 8.0
'12 8.0

Not sure how good an IGN rating is worth...

For user rating it looks like Madden 10 was the winner too. For $3.99 used at Gamestop it will be worth a shot!

[jaymo76]

Ok, looks like someone got the game early and is answering questions. Sounds like they do have either some sort of offline franchise mode or you can play 1 person in the CCM.

http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/8922750.page

Yeah CCM has replaced both superstar mode and franchise mode. You can play CCM offline or online as all features are the same. If you play offline it is a one person offline career and that takes the place of franchise mode minus the features that have been removed. You can also play CCM online with ONE person if you wish to take advantage of the CCM website.

[jaymo76]

I'd also like to know from the guys/gals that have played them, what would be the best older version to look for used? When I went to Gamestop tonight they had 09, 10, & 12 used. I didn't see an '11. Other than 12 the others were VERY cheap so I wouldn't mind picking one of those up if they were good. Any thoughts?

Just in reading the reviews done by IGN, it looks like Madden 10 was given the highest rating, it has an 8.9 out of 10.

'09 8.8
'10 8.9
'11 8.0
'12 8.0

Not sure how good an IGN rating is worth...

Madden 10 and 12 were the best. 09 was not very good and 11 had nothnig major added to it. The biggest difference between 10 and 12 is that in 12 they removed the EXTRA POINT Show but also added in a new free agency system. I like 12 for the gameplay but I do/did miss the extra point show.

[skipwondah33]

I don't pay attention to any sites ratings...never really have.

Don't think '09 was that great as Zone coverage was still overpowered from the '08 version.

'10 was solid, I actually still have it because Troy was on the cover.

I would say '12 is the best version to get. Very solid with Man coverage not being too overpowered like it was in '11. Some of the same things happen but not nearly as much.

Nonetheless I can't comment on any of these regarding franchise