Charlotte N.C- There were plenty of updates made throughout Madden 19 in this latest patch update. However, Madden 19 gameplay changes had the most to speak of. For example, this update includes a first in terms of a “post-launch update to Playbooks.” Never in the history of the game, has the Madden Dev team been able to support playbacks in their Title Updates.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Gameplay
- First-ever post-launch update to Playbooks
- Improvements to CPU-controlled ball carrier logic
- Zone Coverage improvements
- Pass Blocking improvements
Franchise
- Improvements to time management in SuperSim
- Various menu improvements
- Change LogFranchise Updates
- Addressed issue where players did not have enough time to snap the ball after SuperSim
- Fixed Draft clock display for non-commissioner users when pausing the draft
- Some retired veterans who came out of retirement have been re-added to the preseason roster
- Removed an improper in-game +[x] OVR boost display when completing a drive goal that resulted in a Confidence boost
- Updated logic for awarding the Super Bowl MVP
- Addressed an issue that would cause coaches to not appear in their office in the Franchise hub
- Addressed an issue where boost notifications continue to display after selecting “Never Show Me The Weekly Boost”
- Addressed conditions that would cause rare freezes
- Addressed stability issues when advancing the week after Draft
- Updated CPU Draft logic for first round HB
- Addressed stability issue when minimizing Madden during a loading screen while playing as a player
Visual Updates (Available as of 11/15)
- Updated the Player Exclusive Retro cleat to reflect the latest model being worn by NFL players this season. This includes the new Air Jordan XI Concord worn by players like Bobby Wagner, Michael Thomas, Alshon Jefferey, Jalen Ramsey and more.
Gameplay Updates
- Playbooks
- DEV NOTE: We are excited to announce that for the first time in Madden history, we can now support Playbooks via Title Updates. This has been a long-time goal of the Madden Dev Team. These Playbook changes are the first of many we hope to do as we move into the future.
- Added Split Backs formations to the West Coast and Balanced Playbooks
- Added functionality to allow slot receivers to motion out wide from the Singleback Tight Slots and Singleback Tight Flex formations
- Updated the alignment for Kickoff Return formations to address exploits around pinning opponents deep in their own territory with consistent coffin-corner kickoffs
- Some plays in the Hail Mary Spread formation via Custom Playbooks will no longer be available in practice mode to avoid some stability issues – if users encounter this, a request to choose a different play will appear
- Updated logic around Coach Cam play-art to address cases where QB Contain and/or Blitz play-art could sometimes provide a pre-snap tell as to what type of play the offense was running
- DEV NOTE: We are excited to announce that for the first time in Madden history, we can now support Playbooks via Title Updates. This has been a long-time goal of the Madden Dev Team. These Playbook changes are the first of many we hope to do as we move into the future.
- Tuning
- Removed the 10-second runoff penalty after the offense takes an intentional Delay of Game penalty, which was used as an exploit to run more time off the clock from the opponent’s ensuing possession
- DEV NOTE: There are still other ways to get the 10-second runoff penalty called, such as after a False Start when the necessary rules conditions are met.
- Tuned to prevent offensive players from sometimes “popping” after huddle break
- Addressed an issue preventing sack stats from always being tracked correctly for sacks made during play-action passes
- Tuned to the camera-flip after interceptions so that users are less likely to briefly run in the wrong direction as the camera flip completes
- Tuned kickoff accuracy so inaccurate kicks will be penalized more, with wildly inaccurate kicks going out of bounds
- Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause an injured player via off-ball injuries to get stuck running off the field
- Removed the 10-second runoff penalty after the offense takes an intentional Delay of Game penalty, which was used as an exploit to run more time off the clock from the opponent’s ensuing possession
- Catching
- Addressed an issue sometimes preventing the Illegal Touching ruling from being applied correctly to receivers catching a pass after being out of bounds
- Addressed a rare issue causing the incorrect catch animation to trigger when throwing late across the field
- Fixed a rare issue where a fumble into the end zone recovered by a defender going out of bounds could be ruled as a touchdown instead of a touchback
- Real Player Motion
- Addressed a rare issue preventing the ball carrier from being ruled down correctly during a specific three-man reach tackle animation
- Addressed an issue allowing players to avoid an auto-motion before the snap, which has been used as an exploit
- Made some improvements to CPU Ball Carrier logic to decrease the frequency of drastic cuts and direction changes
- Addressed some rare cases of players getting frozen on the ground post-play after some cut-stick and gang tackle animations
- Pass Coverage
- Added coverage logic for the Deep Half defender in Cover 6 to cover post routes more effectively
- Added coverage logic for Cover 4 Palms to more effectively cover streak routes
- Added coverage logic for Cover 3 Sky and Cover 3 Match to cover PA Crosser plays more effectively
- Addressed an issue that would sometimes cause the middle linebacker to blitz instead of playing his three-receiver hook zone when using the play Big Nickel Over G Cover 4 Quarters
- Addressed an issue causing the CB on Cover 4 plays to stop playing his assigned zone when the TE had been hot-routed to pass block
- Added coverage logic for Cover 4 Quarters and Cover 4 Palms so that defenders can more effectively cover corner routes off of pre-snap motion
- Added coverage logic for the Quarter Flat defender in Cover 4 Quarters and Cover 4 Palms to react more aggressively to flat routes
- Added coverage logic for the Quarter Flat defender in Cover 4 Quarters and Cover 4 Palms to defend mesh route concepts more effectively
- Addressed an issue causing a Cover 3 Match defender to strafe across the field while trying to get aligned when using “Base Align” in Big Nickel Over G Cover 3 Match
- Addressed an issue preventing man coverage defenders from being able to press streak fade routes
- Blocking
- Added pass blocking and QB Contain logic to address exploit blitzes from the Nickel 3-3-5 Odd formation and other similar setups
- Tuned to QB Contain behavior to make them rush at a wider angle as well as stop rushing to contain the outside when they are unblocked due to an overload
- DEV NOTE: When breaking down some of the exploit setups being used with the 3-3-5 Odd and other similar formations, we found that this problem was caused by a contain rusher either rushing the B-gap or rushing the same gap as the adjacent pass rusher. Since the design intent of the QB Contain assignment is to counter QBs scrambling outside the pocket while NOT being a pass rusher, we have made some adjustments to support that intent. We have made tuning changes to force them to rush wider, as well as continue to play contain in cases where they cannot be blocked by the offensive line (which means they will not rush the QB after a few steps if they are not blocked, but will continue to break on scrambling QBs when in the contain assignment). If you want that player to rush the QB for the entirety of the play, he needs to be assigned a pass rush assignment via either play call or a hot route.
- Tuned to improve pass blocking when handing off engaged defenders while pass blockers are switching blocking targets
- Addressed an issue causing offensive tackles to use short pass sets in Shotgun formations when pass blocking against some defensive formations such as Big Nickel Over G
- Addressed more instances of pass blockers sometimes falling down at the snap when using hurry-up offense, as some more cases of this were uncovered since the last title update
- Addressed an issue causing a blocking FB on HB Toss plays to sometimes target a defender on the backside of the play vs. specific defensive setups, which could result in a fumbled toss
This was a huge update. Regardless of the updated, this game still has its glitches. EA can never seem to get it right.