Madden NFL 13 - Season Ticket & Retail Impressions

[Rudy]

I've read people state the LE sack issue is still in the game. The funny thing is when I would see that in NCAA it was because the QB always drifted towards the LE when he felt pressure which resulted in it. But now when I actually play as a RE I find myself getting pancaked way more than when I play as a LE. I think there is something beyond ratings at work here. It's not just the RT being a worse pass protector.

I take this back. Playing as Cam Wake with Miami I was abusing the Bills LT pretty good. Too bad my offense was atrocious. Tannehill couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the second half. Don't know if DPP was kicking in or not but he sucked.

I haven't seen the cpu playing as poorly on the unbalanced sets as I saw in the Titans game. I wonder if the problem is linked to certain playbooks? I'm not a fan of Miami's and I will probably change it.

They seem to have changed the way kicking works. It was good in M12 in that when I dropped the air to kick it a little lower it would go farther. Now it feels like NCAA where you can't adjust the height or it won't go as far. The accuracy is way too easy on All-Pro as well. Even at 35 I can be way off when I push up on the stick and I still hit the FG if the arrow is aimed right. We really need separate sliders for user/cpu.

[Rudy]

New Madden rosters will be available Saturday morning but not until early next week for franchise mode. A patch may require current franchises to restart or continue playing without the patch (it will be an option along with using the older expanded rosters).

Personally I will not be starting a franchise until the cpu play calling tendencies are fixed. Running the ball 80% of the time on 1st and 2nd down for every team is just unacceptable for me. I need that fixed. No word yet on the patch. They initially were aiming at September 11th but I have a feeling they are pushing it back to squeeze a few more things in.

[Rudy]

To do certain jukes you have to spam on the r-stick back and forth. Guy are getting some jukes. See these couple videos where some sweet moves are made:

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/134145182

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/134141391

Instructions from OS (note that he spells poorly - "whole" should be hole - just a pet peeve sometimes):

First off, the "Barry juke & the cut & burst" all consist of this... BANG BANG! Once you receive the the ball DO NOT hit the speed trigger, take notice before the ball is snapped & pay attention to where your FB or LT are pulling to create an potential hole. Once you know where the whole is suppose be:

Run towards it (normally) & then BANG BANG (RS = R+L with the LS pointed towards the hole!

Understand this: If the play is going right your BANG BANG should go like this (RS = Right, Left + LS pointed towards the whole)

If the play is going left your BANG BANG (left, right) should go like this:
(RS = Left, Right + LS pointed towards the whole)

Now, if or when you are able to get to the second level of the D try these RS (BANG) moves:

BANG, BANG, BANG (Left, Right, Left) *Plant, stutter & burst
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG (Left, Right, Left, Right) *Barry juke

Now there is more that I am learning, but for now this is what I know works 100%

Also lol, I say "BANG BANG" because when you make a move with the RS it needs to be quick & hard I.E. left right (BANG BANG).

[gigemaggs99]

Well I don't know a lot but that 2nd video, it looks almost real! The graphics are amazing.

[Rudy]

One thing I really like about the running game is that power runners are clearly better between the tackles while smaller, quicker guys are meant to run outside. Taking McFadden and just slamming it up the gut will be a waste of your running game. He was very ineffective for me inside but great outside. When I play with the Dolphins if I want to run between the tackles I bring Daniel Thomas in. Frank Gore is great inside for the 49ers. You have to be able to break some tackles to run inside in this game.

Personally, I prefer bigger backs that have enough wiggle to not be one dimensional. I like running with Daniel Thomas a lot more than Reggie Bush.

[jaymo76]

One thing I really like about the running game is that power runners are clearly better between the tackles while smaller, quicker guys are meant to run outside. Taking McFadden and just slamming it up the gut will be a waste of your running game. He was very ineffective for me inside but great outside. When I play with the Dolphins if I want to run between the tackles I bring Daniel Thomas in. Frank Gore is great inside for the 49ers. You have to be able to break some tackles to run inside in this game.

Personally, I prefer bigger backs that have enough wiggle to not be one dimensional. I like running with Daniel Thomas a lot more than Reggie Bush.

I was playing the demo earlier on and I totally agree that 13 really has hum running down. Powerbacks inside and speed backs outside. Madden 12, McFadden is a beast everywhere on the field. In 13 I had most success with him to the outside.

[jaymo76]

Still no word on the patch??? There is no way IMO of a patch next week. I still have not puchased because I am waiting on the patch update. If editing rosters is in then I will be heading up to Best Buy or Future Shop pretty much right away. But if editing isn't included then I will continue avoiding this game. In truth I don't expect editing to be included but I am still hoping for it... well that and change the cpu uniform.

[Rudy]

No word on the patch. I've got major concerns over whether sliders work right in franchise. Many people are posting they don't work the same and the game plays different. I haven't messed with franchise myself so I don't know. The sliders better work after the patch and they better fix the game planning stuff so the cpu isn't running 80% of the time on 1st and 2nd down for many teams. I have a bad feeling the first patch got delayed because they found so many bugs and issues. It was supposed to be out September 11th but I bet they delayed it to work on more things.

EA is definitely feeling the pressure about editing. No fantasy draft for sure but they said editing is a possibility. It should be easy and allow me to do anything imo. I'd rather convert Miami back to a 3-4 and then move Wake back to OLB.

[Rudy]

Maybe EA needs to offer primary positions and secondary positions for players. Some DBs can play safety or CB (like Charles Woodson now). Many hybrid players can be a 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB. Many big 3-4 DEs can play 4-3 DT and can alternate in schemes and still play at a high level. A 4-3 DE should not necessarily be able to move inside. Many OL have the ability to play anywhere on the OL and they should be rewarded for it. Pro teams also have packages for players - like always using Welker in the slot for NE, Sproles being involved in certain packages, etc. EA has tried to compensate for this with certain formations (like the NASCAR package for NYG) as well as the packages but it doesn't seem to work well. What about teams that rotate their backs more often or use bigger backs in short yardage?

I think a better solution is:
1) to provide a true formation sub menu system like NCAA football has.
2) Provide more depth chart options. We have 3rd down back but what about short yardage back? What about 3rd down DL where you would sub in pass rushers? How about spread RB where you could denote any formation with 3+ WRs to use a quicker back like Sproles. I think that would help.
3) Maybe provide a rotation system where you (and cpu based on coach tendencies) could set a 2-1 series rotation for the top two back if they are close in overall rating. Starter gets two series and then backup gets a full series.

Just trying to think of ways for us to use our personel better and especially an easier way for the cpu to do it as well.

[jaymo76]

Maybe EA needs to offer primary positions and secondary positions for players. Some DBs can play safety or CB (like Charles Woodson now). Many hybrid players can be a 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB. Many big 3-4 DEs can play 4-3 DT and can alternate in schemes and still play at a high level. A 4-3 DE should not necessarily be able to move inside. Many OL have the ability to play anywhere on the OL and they should be rewarded for it. Pro teams also have packages for players - like always using Welker in the slot for NE, Sproles being involved in certain packages, etc. EA has tried to compensate for this with certain formations (like the NASCAR package for NYG) as well as the packages but it doesn't seem to work well. What about teams that rotate their backs more often or use bigger backs in short yardage?

I think a better solution is:
1) to provide a true formation sub menu system like NCAA football has.
2) Provide more depth chart options. We have 3rd down back but what about short yardage back? What about 3rd down DL where you would sub in pass rushers? How about spread RB where you could denote any formation with 3+ WRs to use a quicker back like Sproles. I think that would help.
3) Maybe provide a rotation system where you (and cpu based on coach tendencies) could set a 2-1 series rotation for the top two back if they are close in overall rating. Starter gets two series and then backup gets a full series.

Just trying to think of ways for us to use our personel better and especially an easier way for the cpu to do it as well.

I think that position changes are a mandatory feature, no questions asked. As for the formation subs, this is one area where NCAA owns Madden. The Madden on the fly subs are awful. Since the developers have bragged about builing from the ground up, how were formation subs ala NCAA style not addressed?

[jaymo76]

Sitting here watching Sunday ticket I can't help but notice the uniform selections for some of the teams. Tiburon, please remind me again why we cannot chose the CPU uniform in CCM? 2012 and in some areas we had more options on ps1. Please fix this via a patch!

[ram29jackson]

...it takes so long to load the game now

[Rudy]

This is at least the 3rd time now I have been unsubscribed from this thread by accident. I don't know if it's because it's linked to the home page or what but it's annoying.

I totally agree with you Jaymo. Madden needs a full formation sub menu like NCAA. Here's hoping they add short yardage back to the 3rd down back in the depth chart as well.

Anyone notice how the r-stick while kicking does next to nothing for accuracy? At least on All-Pro? For accuracy the only thing that seems to matter is pointing the direction arrow correctly. I'm on All-Pro with accuracy at 35 and I shanked a kick and it didn't seem to matter at all. NCAA did this area much better. In M12 you could kick it a bit farther if you dropped the arrow slightly - the first time I've seen EA do this realistically but it appears to be gone in M13. Drop it and it goes shorter. I'm tired of EA thinking a 48 yard FG is a long one. My gosh Akers just tied the record at 63 and he's 37 and kicked that off grass in GB. Nobody in Madden should ever miss a FG under 50 yards due to distance unless it's a monsoon wind (which doesn't affect kicking in Madden lol) or the kicker is near 50 years old.

[skipwondah33]

Anyone notice how the r-stick while kicking does next to nothing for accuracy? At least on All-Pro? For accuracy the only thing that seems to matter is pointing the direction arrow correctly. I'm on All-Pro with accuracy at 35 and I shanked a kick and it didn't seem to matter at all. NCAA did this area much better. In M12 you could kick it a bit farther if you dropped the arrow slightly - the first time I've seen EA do this realistically but it appears to be gone in M13. Drop it and it goes shorter. I'm tired of EA thinking a 48 yard FG is a long one. My gosh Akers just tied the record at 63 and he's 37 and kicked that off grass in GB. Nobody in Madden should ever miss a FG under 50 yards due to distance unless it's a monsoon wind (which doesn't affect kicking in Madden lol) or the kicker is near 50 years old.

In my experiences this far it depends on your kicker's ratings. This was the same for '11 and '12 also.

I recall being able to get away with slightly being off target in all 3 games in regards to accuracy and still kicking a relatively accurate kick. BUT that was with with high accuracy rating kickers. I started kicking with lower rated kickers and when I was off the mark with accuracy the kick was very noticeably off mark. Just the other day I kicked with Janokowski and even when I was off the kicks were very accurate. Then when I kicked with I believe it was the Jets kicker I didn't have that much room for error. This was the case back in '12 also. I remember kicking with Kaeding from the Chargers who had one of the highest accuracy ratings. I could miss the accuracy mark by ALOT and it still wouldn't shank like it would have with a lower rated kicker. And accuracy was much different in that verison where you could shank XP's.

Regarding the height of the arrow. In '11 I could routinely kick 62-yd FG's with Hartley from the Saints. He had 95+ kick power if I recall correctly. I'd just lower the arrow down to it's lowest and kick. I'm glad the ball goes shorter now when you drop the arrow all the way down, that was a bit unrealistic anyway IMO.

[Rudy]

Twice I have seen the game stop saying I've thrown the red flag out for a challenge and I never did anything. In fact I tried to challenge this morning but the option was gone. I unpaused and then the game did it for me. I don't think it was on a turnover or TD either. Rare but weird when it happens.

I'm starting a Dolphins online one-person franchise this weekend. I'm signing Kellen Winslow and maybe a WR. Will check it out finally. I'm not waiting anymore.

[Rudy]

Madden is adding Fantasy Draft back in the game with a server side fix tomorrow. We'll also get updated franchise rosters. I'm shocked. I thought they guaranteed this couldn't happen this year.

http://www.pastapadre.com/2012/09/13...-madden-nfl-13

[gigemaggs99]

Not really sure what's going on but the last 2 times in a row that I've played Madden 13 on my PS3, when I'm done w/ the game I go to the PS3 menu and select "quit game". I'm wanting to quit Madden and then play NCAA.

My PS3 shuts down and beeps at me. Then it turns itself back on and tells me it was not shut down properly, then wants me to submit a report to Sony and then warns me that I need to shut the system down properly next time. Then it performs a system restore.

This only happens when I try and shut Madden 13 down. All my other games work normally.

Any ideas?

[Rudy]

Sorry. Haven't heard of that.

[WolverineJay]

Patch related? Connected Online? I had it happen to me on Madden 12 once when I was connected online to the PSN network the PS3 did loud beeps then had to do the system file restore when I turned it back on. This only happened once though but I rarely played Madden 12 online and if I did I signed out before turning Madden off.

[Rudy]

All I could think about last night while watching the first half of the Bears and Packers was how obsessed virtual Jim Nantz would be about sacks lol. As soon as you are sacked twice Jim gets obsessed about avoiding that third sack. After that he always refers to the beating you take. He's obsessed with sacks, Simms is obsessed with first downs.