Dear EA Sports
As a 15 year consumer and avid sports fan who understands the intricacies and dynamics of both football and basketball. I commend your efforts and hard works for consistently making games for the real sports fan for over 14 years.
As a long time customer and observer of the John Madden games, I would like to humbly submit some suggestions that would steer the game play on not just whom you use but rather on how you use them. Concentrating on the natural physics and circumstances and how a player's attributes factor together.
I would like to start with the single most important position, the quarterback. I would like to see you bring back ROUTE BASED PASSING as you had in the past, but with a twist.
That twist would be as you hold down (R2) the quarterback stops moving and starts aiming based on the route. Being that the quarterback is standing still you can use what is meant to move him to aim and adjust from the spot on the route which the quarterback is throwing to. Now if the quarterback has low accuracy he will have four to five points of direction to lead a pass to, but if the quarterback has high accuracy he will have 360 degrees of direction to lead a pass. As accuracy goes up or down according to the quarterback's skill, so does the points of direction he can lead to. In addition, the adjustable spot moves slower for quarterbacks with high accuracy rating and moves faster for quarterbacks with low accuracy rating. The longer you hold in a direction while throwing the further the spot travels in that same direction. You would have to execute a lead pass within the time you press the desired button and the time of release. You would also have the option to do a ROUTE BASED PASS without leading simply by not pressing in a direction when you press and hold (R2) for route based passing. This gives each quarterback different feel for throwing according to his accuracy. You could now take the pump fake option and assign it to the right analog stick so you can pump fake in the direction you please. In addition, I also suggest that, if possible, you add height to short yardage lobs_ for those who can read and anticipate the holes in defenses as you have done so well in NCAA Football. Give quarterbacks different speeds of the bullet pass according to his power rating, so you can see and feel the difference between a Michael Vick and a Chad Pennington when it comes to throwing the bullets. I feel these additions will make every quarterback unique and improves the game play in a way that is realistic and true to the NFL Quarterback skill set.
I also have suggestions for the Madden running system. Instead of having the right Analog stick for playmaker blocking which fullbacks and lineman are supposed to do anyway, Why not let the Analog stick control the lower head option but in a certain direction so you can brace for impact or to drag would be tackles for extra yardage in a direction away from defense. In addition, if it gets to risky because of injury or fumble, you can press backwards on the right analog stick to go down. This frees the triangle button "PS2" or four button "X box" to operate exclusively for hurdling. I've also noticed while a running back is breaking a tackle he can't be tackled. This means you have to wait for the back to finish breaking the tackle for him to be tackled. I suggest that you let a running back remain vulnerable even when he his breaking a tackle because of the go down option I suggested earlier. If a running back sees a hit coming he can brace for it or go down according to the situation. To make each running back unique I also suggest that you focus on the Agility, acceleration and strength ratings. So the difference can be seen and felt from a back with 90 agility and a back with 99 agility. Something for strength and acceleration as well. Also making the back with higher agility juke faster and with more width to it and when he spins it will be a tighter, faster type spin then a back with lower agility. I feel this will revolutionize Madden's running attack and gives a real feel on how you would use a running back according to his style and unique ability.
I have also noticed that the offensive line most of the time has a strange gravity like force which comes in effect when someone is blitzing. They will automatically suck into the offensive lineman or fullback regardless their position giving the blocker the benefit of the doubt. So the offensive lineman doesn't have to work because whoever is blitzing sucks into the blocker. On the other hand, there are times when a blocker will just strangely move out the way for no reason. This happens to the half and fullback a lot when they pass block. If this could be corrected, the line of scrimmage which is vital can run smoothly for a realistic feel of the NFL.
Now Defense: I have thought of a way to improve an impressive tackling system. This involves the right analog stick and tackling a ball carries with high and low tackles with force. Simply by pressing up you can tackle high which is for good tackles and to stop the hurdle. Or you can press down on the analog to tackle low which is for players with low tackle ratings for a sure leg tackle though vulnerable to the hurdle. So every engagement is a game within a game, Both parties anticipating on going high or low. I have also noticed that two men blitzing near each other bump into each other and get in each others way. That defeats the purpose of a blitz. So if there’s two Blitzer's on one offensive lineman that offensive lineman gets a break. If this could be corrected you would have real time NFL Blitz which will challenge offensive play calling and showcases the talent of upper echelons NFL linebackers and linemen. Focus as well on the quality of Defensive Lineman and Linebackers concerning their spin moves, so defenders with higher agility spin faster and tighter than defenders with low agility.
Finally, I humbly suggest an upgrade on playbook creating. I believe this is the future for online game play. This will give the users the option to be his own offensive and Defensive coordinator. To show off his football creativity please make it possible to use your profile and created playbook online. Simply have an extra game mode category for created playbook players on the Online Lobby. I'm certain this would catch on like wild fire all over the country. Even people that don't play Madden that are football fans would join in because of the fantasy football type feel. Or imagine simulating franchise games with the computer using your saved playbook and audible. Or imagine fantasy draft leagues online with your playbooks and strategies in mind while you draft and all stats being recorded for display online.
These are but some of the suggestions I thought up for Madden 06 with more in store like toning down the defensive dives like how you have it in NCAA Football as well as toning down the range of the defenders swatting down the football with the [L1] button. Also improving linebacker intelligence for better angles of pursuit and cut of angles so they can stop running into blockers but rather anticipate while trying to avoid would be blockers and cutting off the sideline like how it is in NCAA football.
This is the end of my letter and I would like to thank you for reading this and thank you for all the years of sports games. Please feel free to e mail at
apexbronx*optonline.net if these suggestions interest you because I have more for Madden and NBA live as well, I guess 15 years of gaming will have that type of effect
Sincerely yours
Chad Young a.k.a apexbronx
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