Madden 2010 News Post

Madden NFL 10 Blog: Playbooks and CPU Playcalling Improvements

04:21 PM - July 6, 2009 by Smoke316

Check out the new Madden NFL 10 blog, which features playbooks and CPU playcalling improvements.

Quote:


	"Over the years we have continued to add more and more team-specific plays, formations, audibles, and the like, but one of the biggest things that we hadn't nailed was that the CPU teams didn�t play the same way that they do in real life. For example, when you were playing against the Vikings they wouldn�t utilize RB Adrian Peterson enough and would quickly abandon the run for the pass. Knowing that well over half of our audience plays offline games exclusively (mostly in Franchise mode), this year we made it a point to concentrate on getting teams to call plays that focus on their best players (while still differentiating team playbooks with unique team specific formations and plays). For some teams like the Vikings and the Falcons, that may be through the running game, while others like the Patriots and Saints, you obviously expect them to air it out a lot more. To accomplish this, we used our Play Designer tool to totally re-vamp the "AI Groups" to change the way the CPU calls their plays. An "AI Group" is basically the same exact concept of a bucket of plays a team takes into the game geared around game situations. These situations include all the normal football situations like 1st and 10, 2nd Short/Medium/Long, 3rd and Short/Medium/Long, 4th and Short/Medium/Long, Goal Line, and many others. The AI Groups also cover all the �Special� situations like Special Teams plays, QB Kneel Downs, Conserve time (No-Huddle plays), Waste Time (when CPU is ahead and tries to run the clock out), and Hail Mary calls. In previous years, you'd see a much more generic smattering of plays in an AI Group - many of them would be balanced right down the middle between run and pass across all plays. The Head Coach 09 team did some great work and added some deeper support to tag exact plays and the percentages they should be run per situation. We zeroed out all of our previous situational numbers and started from scratch - making sure the CPU picked from a more team-specific subset of plays (no reason to have all those generic HB Dive plays in there if teams don't run them often)."

Game: Madden NFL 10Reader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 76 - View All

Madden NFL 10 Videos

Member Comments

# 81 Naphtali @ 07/07/09 02:26 AM

This particular AI is still tuned to personnel so if peterson gets injured or if moss goes down for the patriots then expect a shift in the focus of plays in the playbook.
If you start putting 8 or 9 men in the box agains't AP thats when the adaptive AI will kick in and take advantage of you over playing the run on 1st down.
The game is becoming more like real football and this adds incredible longjevity to the offline franchise. ALong with logic changes tis may be the best franchise ever

# 82 titansftw @ 07/07/09 02:48 AM

This is awesome. i am very pleased with this. if this works out right, it will finally really feel like the NFL when we play Madden.

I am also hoping on day they will revamp the generic playbooks as well. add in a run and shoot one for me!

# 83 Exonerated @ 07/07/09 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titansftw


	This is awesome. i am very pleased with this. if this works out right, it will finally really feel like the NFL when we play Madden. I am also hoping on day they will revamp the generic playbooks as well. add in a run and shoot one for me!

Yeah, the defensive playbooks are all boring and generic.

But gotta give props for the offensive playbooks. They were killer in 09. And with 35 new formation and over 1000 more new plays in M10. Offense is gonna be awesome.

# 84 adembroski @ 07/07/09 04:35 AM

Quote:


	To accomplish this, we used our Play Designer tool to totally re-vamp the "AI Groups" to change the way the CPU calls their plays.

I want this.

# 85 Exonerated @ 07/07/09 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adembroski


	I want this.

But can you use it

# 86 adembroski @ 07/07/09 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exonerated


	But can you use it

I'll figure it out.

# 87 TheTodd84 @ 07/07/09 04:59 AM

This is the best sports game blog I have seen in a long time, maybe ever. Congrats to Ian and the team for actually giving a crap this year. I was on the fence with this game before this blog and it made my decision pretty simple.

It's really a shame this cannot happen in NCAA. Maybe their dev team will be like Madden's this year? How cool would it be (probably just as cool) to play against west virginia and actually feel like you are playing against west virginia?

I know that's for a different topic on a different day, but I had to mention it. Four marks once again for Ian Cummings. August 14th will be the end of my social life as I know it. Oh well, it's been a good run, lol.

# 88 KANE699 @ 07/07/09 05:12 AM

LoL its a shame we'll be using the same old plays and formations this year according to some people, its too bad EA only caters to sheep.

If you can't see the sarcasm here then you're flat out blind.

# 89 DLaren @ 07/07/09 06:05 AM

Up until this blog, I had not read anything that I found particularly exciting about the franchise mode for Madden'10. If anything, I was harboring a healthy amount of bitterness over some of things that were excluded from franchise mode this year (pre-season progression, RFA period, training-camp, 80-man roster, ect). However, with artificial intelligence being the most important facet of a videogame on my personal checklist, the improvements made to the A.I. this year (CPU playcalling tendencies coupled with Adaptive A.I.) may have single-handedly saved franchise mode for me.

Thank you and please continue to share in-depth information about all of the logic and A.I. enhancements that have been for Madden'10.

# 90 jasonlee @ 07/07/09 08:08 AM

will we be abe to create plays?

# 91 TreyIM2 @ 07/07/09 08:09 AM

TheTodd84 - I feel u on NCAA implementing this one day but I wonder if it can be done based on the fact that EA is now being challenged on the likeness of college players. If they cannot have players play like their college counterparts because it would be too much like the actual players, then this could be moot in NCAA of any type sports game. I wonder if it can be done, anyway, though. Hmm...

As for this being implemented in Madden, this is truly what's up. I am way beyond satisfied with what has been said and shown to be done so far for Madden 10. To be honest, I was satisfied with Madden 09, knowing that they were just warming up on these current gen systems. I appreciated what had been done over Madden 08 for the PS3, which I thought was pretty not so good. NOW, we're getting an even greater leap from Madden 09 to Madden 10 because EA is getting more comfortable with the PS3 and 360. The future is bright for us console sports gamers, and current gen gamers, in general.

# 92 Cryolemon @ 07/07/09 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adembroski


	I want this.

Me too. I don't care how complex it is,I'll figure it out, just release the damn thing EA. All of it too, not something like on last gen Madden.

# 93 marcoyk @ 07/07/09 09:38 AM

Nice blog. Also nice to see that we won't have to change the depth chart to get Welker in the slot. Really excited for the wildcat and the CPU playing based on their strengths and real-life trends. Madden 10 is looking 20000x better than NCAA 10.

# 94 greenegt @ 07/07/09 10:10 AM

Love it! I CAN NOT WAIT for this game!

# 95 Moegames @ 07/07/09 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesteamontheboat


	Man this dev team is scary its like they think of everything and they really push it to the max. I cant wait to see the new features for madden 11 I know that is thinking way ahead but these guys have me real excited I cannot wait till August 14th shoot i cant wait till the demo. I can seriously look over the tron jogging cause I truly believe with this dev team it will definately be fixed for madden 11 and will be better than we can imagine. Thanks Redeem team (Madden Dev Team).

When it gets down to crying about tron jogging, camera flashes, wrong color tones with some people around here..you know things have improved over last year..

Personally im freaking STOKED for Madden 2010..its gonna be FUN and EXCITING TO PLAY!! With the new player emotion, presentation and tuned gameplay... i just cant complain this year...not until i atleast play the game but from what i can see with the improvements made..i just feel too guilty crying about smaller issues

# 96 Moegames @ 07/07/09 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrprice33


	but wait, apex told me they haven't changed the playbooks at all except for the wildcat!

APEX IS NOT EA < APEX IS NOT A DEVELOPER! Who do you believe..the actual blog that was written by the guy behind the playbooks or Apex? Apex is no different then me or you..he just happens to broadcast his criticism..and just like Apex..we can all claim or asume things that may not be true..

No offense to apex of course

# 97 Smoke316 @ 07/07/09 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cryolemon


	Me too. I don't care how complex it is,I'll figure it out, just release the damn thing EA. All of it too, not something like on last gen Madden.

only thing about creating your own plays is that people will definately find money plays and expliots. it would be a lot of work on EA's side level the field.

# 98 Moegames @ 07/07/09 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atc43


	all i have to say is...one small step for EA one giant step for madden gamers everywhere

lol well done my friend

Man, i honestly could careless about the Online stuff, im more of a single player kind of guy when it comes to my gridiron gaming hobby... im SO HYPED at this..like most of you all have said, i was quite surprised by this blog today.. i read it 3 times already lol

# 99 Cryolemon @ 07/07/09 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoke316


	only thing about creating your own plays is that people will definately find money plays and expliots. it would be a lot of work on EA's side level the field.

Then don't let them be used online.

# 100 mrprice33 @ 07/07/09 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moegames


	APEX IS NOT EA < APEX IS NOT A DEVELOPER! Who do you believe..the actual blog that was written by the guy behind the playbooks or Apex? Apex is no different then me or you..he just happens to broadcast his criticism..and just like Apex..we can all claim or asume things that may not be true.. No offense to apex of course

i was being sarcastic. i was just pointing out that people criticizing the game based on alpha videos was very silly and only served to make them look dumb in the end.

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