[Discussion] your personal assessment of Madden 22

[Neo_Novalis]

I've just deinstalled the game. It was a very difficult decision for me and I struggled with it for a long time. The much I love this game, the much I hate it either.

I've played almost every Solo Battle and Solo Challenge in MUT since the game was released for PC again (Madden 19). I really enjoyed the feature of building up my lineup, tinkering with my lineup and learning the game in depth. But the more I played, the more I became aware that I only need 2 plays on offense (1 run and 1 pass play) and 1 on defense to beat the AI every single time (and I’m not talking of obvious glitch plays like calling a field goal block on every defensive play just to audible to a punt block to easily intercept the AI every single time). On the other hand, I realized that a lot of plays do not work as they should. In other words, they are useless. When I started to optimize my strategy for Solo Battles, I even became aware that the only thing you need to rank top 100 is this “field goal block-punt-block-INT” glitch, while almost all the top competitive players use the same (or very similar) formations and plays/routes in the Madden tournaments.

In other words, Madden is very unbalanced in terms of usability of plays and formations as well as players. While speed matters most and there are some abilities and x-factors which almost have to be used if you want to successfully play H2H, other player attributes or abilities are almost worthless. The same holds for plays and formations. Unfortunately, while football itself is very diverse in terms of potential strategies, Madden tends to be very monotonous. In MUT Solos, I do always the same because the available modes incentivize doing that. As soon as you completed your objectives, it is just about chewing the clock. In Solo Battles, you have to do always the same if you want to maximise your score (no matter whether you make use of glitch plays or not).

I do not want to go into detail regarding H2H games in MUT. They are just frustrating because I cannot do anything against the latency issues I face (there are just too many nodes between my modem and EA’s servers in California). The bad latency results in my non-usered players reacting completely grotesquely not picking, my usered inputs do not work either as they should. Compared to previous versions of the game, it is the worst in Madden 22.

I guess what I wrote in the previous paragraph might be interpreted as the words of a frustrated, badly skilled player who does not know how to play this game. I’m definitely not the best player (not at all), but I’m not the worst either anymore (I even managed to rank top 10 in Weekend League on PC in Madden 20) and I guess I learnt a lot about football (probably not Madden) strategies. Feeling like being the worst player just because the timing is always wrong in the passing play, ballcarrier moves never work and my non-usered players do not even correctly identify the distance to their opponents (if they are moving) prohibiting tackling or successful catching animations, etc. Whenever I see a celebration run of my opponent after one of the enormous number of the weird animations I steadily face, it feels like mockery of the worst kind. I should not blame my opponents (they can’t know how the game is performing on my end) but in total, the gaming experience while playing MUT H2H is the worst gaming experience I’ve ever had in my life.

And there are no alternatives to play. playing MUT Solos are just so easy and incentivize doing always the same, the Franchise mode is so underdeveloped off the field (compared to what could be possible), the story of Face of the Franchise is thin…. I know I’m exaggerating but to enjoy playing this game in the long run (on a daily basis), the game unfortunately lacks too much.

I put off the decision to put the game down for a very, very long time because I basically love the strategic side of football. I also love the feature of MUT building up and tinkering with my lineup while I do not like the strong focus on competition and this lottery regarding packs. In principle, I guess I’d be more a Franchise player, but funnily given the limited features off the field in Franchise, MUT provides even more opportunities to tinker with your lineup. But I have and never will pay for any MUT packs. I want to improve my team by playing, not by paying.

Over the years, I’ve observed one clear line in business decisions regarding MUT (although I do not see why players from other modes think that the only mode that is improved is MUT. That is just not the case either): every change primarily focuses on increasing the amount of sold packs: for instance, rewards for Solo modes have been reduced every single year (e.g. Solo Battle games had been worth 1000 coins in previous years but are only 50 coins since Madden 21, quicksell for coins options have been abandoned for rewarded packs, etc.), but now even rewarded items from promos are not only not auctionable nor tradable but are not even usable for sets anymore (NCAT), etc.). These decisions are completely in contrast to what I loved in the MUT mode: i.e. I was able to tinker with my lineup just by playing. These decisions will never raise my willingness to spend money for packs. They even decrease my willingness (although I’d be willing to spend a lot of money for additional features which would allow me to play this game more diversly).

I’m not sure how I will proceed here in the AHQ Madden forum. I’ve spent so much time over the last months and years trying to report bugs, making suggestions and help out other players to contribute making this game better (I guess reporting bugs will be difficult for me (since I will not play the game anymore) but probably I will continue trying to help others here in the forum). So far, I did not see improvements which would increase the fun of playing this game for me. Rather the opposite: the game crashes and is completely instable, H2H is unplayable, MUT Solo Battles are worthless (just chewing the clock hoping not to face a crash and therefore a DNF), tinkering with my lineup is just frustrating seeing that completing interesting sets is almost impossible just by playing (it is much more efficient wait some weeks to buy players from the auction house than doing anything else).

I’d love to install and play the game again if 1) the game does not crash every 3^rd/4^th attempt playing a game, 2) at least one challenging and repeatable (as often as I want without any restrictions) MUT Solo mode is available that allows me to play with and enjoy my lineup (and not having to face this huge frustration due to my latency issues when trying to play H2H), 3) the AI logic (in play calling and making adjustments) is heavily improved. Otherwise, I do not see how I could spend my time playing this game without getting frustrated, and 4) MUT is not just about throwing money out the window. The content of the packs I see is just not worth even considering buying them.

[satfreaktom264]

@Neo_Novalis sorry to hear your decision but unfortunately completely understandable to me, i am pretty close to do the same. 

as I wrote in another thread, @EA for me is figuring out how far they can go with the community by giving us a very, very bad game. When guys like you, who have done so much for @EA and this community, leave the game because it's just frustrating and boring, hopefully @EA will rethink if their actual way is the right one. i really hope your decision will be noticed by @EA.

Good Luck to You.

[slipthrote]

I don't understand I pay to be better, spent 1,300 real dollars for better, faster, higher IQ players. Players that can over take other players on the field. A 90 overall DT couldn't have an issue with a 82 offensive line man. My 93 CB shouldn't get burns by a 86 overall WR. Made me hate the game some people have skills some like to pay. Later on in game when overalls catch up I understand, but now so early. Something is being done that not fair. It's not play now it's pay now so overalls should matter a lot. I done

[dirkLargedigler]

Undoubtedly this has been mentioned, argued, and screamed about many times over the years.  But, I haven't played this game since the inaugural MUT year (or thereabouts..perhaps not 2011 but some year in that general vicinity).  And, I got pretty jaded after I grinded for the entire Thanksgiving break for a 99 run-blocking lineman that I felt would actually help the running game.  Nope..running behind the guy (don't recall his name) made no more difference than the 82.  So, that's when I discovered...waaay back then..adjustments really didn't make a difference in MUT.  When the AI turns into HAL..you may as well drop your controller and watch it unfold.  Not much you can do to have effect. 

But, I really thought 10 years later the story might have a happier ending.  Well, I've found in the AI games anyway, there is absolutely no consistency.  You can play against any rated team at any difficulty level and not really see results that distinguish the levels/ratings.   You might lose to a 75 rated team in solo-battles on HoF and beat the ever loving stit out of  an 83 rated team on Legendary.   

I mean, how many times I've seen the AI's receiver just all by themselves on the screen with none of my defenders  in the same zip code is countless.   And, I would understand this if it was ONLY when I blitzed, guessed run wrong, or whatever.  But, this is in dime defenses with cover-over and 90+ rated CB's and safeties.   Just 70 yard TD reception after 80 yard TD reception.

Worse, and this is probably rhetorical to everyone else that plays this game, the pick-6's.   Depending on how the AI recipe is cooked up for that particular game...anything thrown out into the flat is a pick-6.   And, obviously, the defenders that just come out of nowhere (seem to actually teleport) into a play to stop an RB in the backfield is deplorable.   

The strangest animation I've encountered (so far), that got me on this tirade was a missed extra point.  I knew it was in the recipe for the AI to win this particular challenge, but to animate my XP going wide-left like the worst shank shot I've ever hit off a golf-tee was bewildering.  Of course, that missed extra point was pivotal and I lost by a single point.  And, I had it set right inside the happy spots just like every other 15-yarder I've nailed.  

Guess 10 years of development opportunities with this game wasn't utilized to address the realism factor.  Or figuring out a way to make all the variables (like player ratings, chemistry, and that whole ball of wax) mean something.   Just making the animation a little more aesthetically pleasing.   OK, that was out of line...making the animation a LOT more aesthetically pleasing.

I won't be grinding for anything this holiday season.   The fun factor of MUT wore out a week ago.  I'll prob be playing FIFA and naively thinking it might be a little more of a realistic experience.   I'm usually good with FUT until about December.   Bottom line, though, I will never-ever use real-life money to buy anything off of the marketplace in either game.  Absolutely no ROI.   

Ok, got this off my chest. 

[GolladayInn19]

@slipthrote Honestly, if you have to pay that much to be able to win, you shouldn't be winning

[rjwil73]

@Mutgrel Sir, you are 100 percent correct. How about not allowing a CB that is pressing to run through a WR on a lob to get an Interception 100 percent of the time? Or how about having any form of ball trajectory? The contains are a joke. Has anyone watched the NFL in the last three years at EA? Guess why Lamar Jackson hasn't won crap....team's contain him and passing while running around is tough. Heck, the Lions almost won today by not letting him get outside.

[EA_Blueberry]

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@rjwil73 wrote:
@Mutgrel Heck, the Lions almost won today by not letting him get outside.

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The lions should have won because prior to the kick he should have been called for intentional grounding. 

[GolladayInn19]

@EA_Blueberry The Lions should have won because they had the Ravens buried but Will Harris went Will Harris and blew his assignment.

But to get back on topic, is there any kind of time frame when these issues will be addressed?

[EA_Blueberry]

@GolladayInn19 

There is a major update planned for October which will include the Scouting features for Franchise along with other fixes included with it. I am currently not aware of any scheduled updates prior to that, however the team is able to squeeze in some minor fixes week to week from the Thursday sever maintenances. Major game changes and new content is generally scheduled in our monthly Title Updates to provide clear expectations. 

[GolladayInn19]

Do we know when in October?  Early I hope.