NFL Head Coach to be released Tuesday, 6/20

I've always preferred the college game to Madden...not sure why, i just like the gameplan better. I buy both each year (trading in the previous versions of course), and usually play the College game much much more.

The only thing i dislike about madden is, even on All-Madden, the game becomes way too easy for me. I begin to realize what plays give me a very high precentage of completeing because the AI will do some pretty stupid stuff. QB Vision made me take one step back, but then i become good at that too so it was no trouble if my first route broke down.

Final point: i can play the game like made for about a few months, but after that, i can't because it becomes to easy. I wish they would be one step above All-Madden.

I thought the whole vision cone thing was just awful. Great concept in theory, but I just didn't enjoy it at all. I turned it off pretty quick.

The only thing i dislike about madden is, even on All-Madden, the game becomes way too easy for me. I begin to realize what plays give me a very high precentage of completeing because the AI will do some pretty stupid stuff. QB Vision made me take one step back, but then i become good at that too so it was no trouble if my first route broke down.

Final point: i can play the game like made for about a few months, but after that, i can't because it becomes to easy. I wish they would be one step above All-Madden.

its not a problem with all madden, its a problem with crap ai in general. take vick, and run for 800 yards a game every time. even a speed 80 qb can get 400 a game without any trouble (15min quarters, w/ sped up play clock). then just rush your SS while either all out blitzing or all out cover and you'll always hold the other team to negative yards.

Their are just certain things that madden lets you do that the AI just doesn't get. Run straight back with any QB about 10 yards and you'll never get sacked. Take a scrambling QB and run left and right until your OL pickup the guys trying to get you, then dash right past them. The list is pretty much endless.

its not a problem with all madden, its a problem with crap ai in general. take vick, and run for 800 yards a game every time. even a speed 80 qb can get 400 a game without any trouble (15min quarters, w/ sped up play clock). then just rush your SS while either all out blitzing or all out cover and you'll always hold the other team to negative yards.

Their are just certain things that madden lets you do that the AI just doesn't get. Run straight back with any QB about 10 yards and you'll never get sacked. Take a scrambling QB and run left and right until your OL pickup the guys trying to get you, then dash right past them. The list is pretty much endless.

Not to wax philosophical about video game design, but AI is the problem with most games today. The graphics have gotten to the point where we're just a few years from photorealism. Everyone is totally focused on graphics and eye candy but completely miss whether the game is good or not, or whether the AI is good or not.

I'm an avid PC gamer and in the past two years I've played nothing but online, multiplayer games like Battlefield 2. Once you play in an arena with 63 other humans, all actively thinking, plotting, planning and adjusting to the changing battle, Artificial Intelligence as competition just seems pathetic.

I got a couple of PC games recently where I played the AI - got bored after a few hours. There's just no challenge in playing a computer. Human vs. Human is where it's at.

Anybody play the game yet?

Let's hear a review.

I'm an avid PC gamer and in the past two years I've played nothing but online, multiplayer games like Battlefield 2. Once you play in an arena with 63 other humans, all actively thinking, plotting, planning and adjusting to the changing battle, Artificial Intelligence as competition just seems pathetic.

I got a couple of PC games recently where I played the AI - got bored after a few hours. There's just no challenge in playing a computer. Human vs. Human is where it's at.

except its not. if you've got 64, i gaurantee at least 20 suck, and you can win by just picking on them. MMOs are even worse because you're skill level is deeply related to time played (or money used to buy stuff). I've done that and I find UT bots FAR more challenging than most of the humans i've met. The guys that compete for money are generally pretty good, but they rely on memorizing maps and playing 8 hours a day to get there, and i'm just not willing to do that... that's boring. The best games tend to be old ones like total annihilation, alien soldier, civ, xcom, BG/2/planescape etc.

Some new games (like rome total war or unreal tournament) do have good AI though. UT is still path based, so it depends entirely on the mapper, but the illusion works well and at max it's better than 99% of human players.

Huge multiplayer games aren't new though. neverwinter nights (the original one) was up in 1987/88 or I played hundred years war on aol (with 300+ other people) as far back as 1994.

Anybody play the game yet?

Let's hear a review.

I'll install it and give it a try. I only have the demo right now though.

except its not. if you've got 64, i gaurantee at least 20 suck, and you can win by just picking on them. MMOs are even worse because you're skill level is deeply related to time played (or money used to buy stuff). I've done that and I find UT bots FAR more challenging than most of the humans i've met. The guys that compete for money are generally pretty good, but they rely on memorizing maps and playing 8 hours a day to get there, and i'm just not willing to do that... that's boring. The best games tend to be old ones like total annihilation, alien soldier, civ, xcom, BG/2/planescape etc.

Some new games (like rome total war or unreal tournament) do have good AI though. UT is still path based, so it depends entirely on the mapper, but the illusion works well and at max it's better than 99% of human players.

Huge multiplayer games aren't new though. neverwinter nights (the original one) was up in 1987/88 or I played hundred years war on aol (with 300+ other people) as far back as 1994.

The difference in playing humans is that unless you're playing a complete F-in' retard, they'll learn. Sure, you might pick some "n00bs" off over and over, but they'll catch on and learn from their mistakes.

I'm not talking about twitch skills. Yeah, AI can jump super fast and can be given perfect aim, but that's boring to play against because the only way to win is just "be faster." Games like BF2 actually de-emphasize twitch skills in favor of teamwork and strategy. Watching a dozen defenders hold a building against attack, and then watching the attackers adjust their tactics, use surprise, diversions, etc. is truly a great gaming moment. AI is decades away from being that intelligent.

"Great AI" is currently when the computer opponent will seek cover or toss a grenade around a corner. Occasionaly the really good AI will try to flank you. Human players can recognize overall strategies and apply the necessary team tactics to adapt. I'd love to see the current crop of AI recognize that it's being dominated from the air, organize an attack on an airfield effectively utilizing armor, air and infantry assets, secure the airfield and hold it from counterattack. Even if it WERE able to do this now, a human player could eventually recognize a pattern in the AI programming and exploit it. Humans can adapt - AI can't (yet).

Games like X-Com (one of my all time favorites) and Civ are great games in their own right, but at this point I like them more for nostalgia's sake as opposed to the challenge offered by the AI.

alright, they have sabol and trey wingo doing spots in the game (reports, HoF induction) as crappy looking 3d guys. They also had the steelers/hawks SB highlights re-enacted and its pretty funny to watch ;)


the playbook is done a lot differently in this game. It's organized by situation (2nd and long, goaline, 4th and go for it, etc). When running practice, you choose the offense and defensive plays, and which string (1st 2nd or 3rd) that'll be running each side of that play.

During practice, you have a menu in the bottom right with 4 options: talk to players, pre-snap control, roster, game stats

At any time you can stop to talk to the players (either on the field as an individual or a whole, or a position group) for motivation or strategy (talking = choosing menu options) which can improve stats for a bit.

Strategy lets you tell specific players how to run plays (either jut that time or EVERY time you ever call the play). You can tell your RB to wait on the OL to open holes, try to bounce it outside etc and you have similar options for other positions.

You can also call audibles and formation shifts in the same manner (pre-snap control) which works a lot like it has in every other madden game, though this time menu driven.

Game Stats is what it sounds like, and roster just shows your most fatigued players.

practice has limited snaps, but running a play a lot will make it a "money" play, which, I assume, makes your team run it better in game situations.