Gameplay Mod | CPU playbook edits and global roster edits

[trey31]

I can't elaborate too much at the moment for lack of time (work sucks amirite?!), but I am going to share more later.

I'm interested in gauging interest based on feedback. If nobody seems interested in this then I'll pass on it and mod some other stuff instead.

Disclaimer: I won't be working on this much, if at all, any time soon. I don't have the time right now. Maybe late-fall and winter. Right now, none. Please don't ask me to post files or explain anything in detail. ATM there are no files, the play testing hasn't really even started, and until I can play test everything there are no additional details for me to explain in-depth.

Rundown:
PLYT tags can break the game. They can turn M08 into a cheese-fest or, even worse, cause glitches. I've posted enough controversial stuff with my Attribute Testing threads already, and trust me the PLYT rabbit hole is much deeper than the attribute one, so I won't be sharing anything about PLYT until there is a release that others can test for themselves, and perhaps some videos on it.

To state plainly, don't start screwing with PLYT. For the most part it is going to do one of the two following.

• 1. cause a glitch
• 2. create cheese plays that suck the fun out of the game.

I've already tested a ton of PLYT stuff a few years ago, I didn't share back then for the above reasons. However, after thinking about the Attribute Testing, I've come to the conclusion that there may be a way to significantly modify M08's gameplay in a positive way. A few examples of what I hope to tweak:

• RT's giving up too many sacks to LE's / RE's not getting enough sacks (despite often having significantly better attributes than their LE counterparts)
• Improbable CPU comebacks (All-Madden)
• 16 carries for 19 yards in the 4th Quarter while trying to ice a game, after having success with 23 carries for 122 yards in Quarters 1-3 (All-Madden) also see: Improbable CPU comebacks
• CPU dink-n-dunk against your Cover 4 play call / CPU play-action deep pass against your Cover 1 play call / CPU consistently running against deep zone play calls while consistently dink-n-dunk passing against man blitz play calls, regardless of how much you switch up your play calling.
• USER offense making short work of CPU defenses by reading whether a defense is playing zone/man pre-snap based on their alignment and/or receiver motion. (This will increase the challenge of you passing against the CPU)

How does it work? The CPU chooses plays based off your PLYT tag. They "know" what you are doing before you break the huddle, and they react accordingly. Not a big deal on Pro or Rookie, but it massively affects gameplay on All-Madden. CPU defenders also react immediately at the start of the snap based on your PLYT tag, the PLF_ value and the PLRD values. I can tweak these without causing glitches as well as without causing cheese; hopefully resulting with more balanced gameplay.

Also I intend to provide a simple list of global roster edits you can do on your own to tweak attributes to provide more realistic on-field gameplay.

This all will require more testing, however, and like I said I don't have time right now to work on it.

Anyone interested in something like this?

[RevanFan]

I wouldn't be able to test for you, but I'd be interested in seeing your findings.

[trey31]

Reposting this from the Jet Sweep thread. Forgot I had already posted some of these PLYT details. It goes deeper than a simple Jet Sweep play though.

Obligatory spoiler warning; screwing with PLYT will either cause glitches/freezing or create cheese plays that suck the fun out of the game. It's only after exhaustively testing everything that I came to the conclusion that tweaking tiny bits of this and that slightly could greatly enhance the game.

Spoiler:

You can't use Practice mode as the example of whether it will work in game or not. For some reason, In Game vs Practice in Madden work very differently and players line up constantly slightly out of position in the actual game. You have to understand that before actually starting to create a handoff or you will get extremely frustrated.

I made mine by doing a throwaway playbook and making about 9 or so slight variations. Then I loaded them in Practice and tested all of them. Then the ones that worked in Practice I also tested in-game. Saves time when you make a bunch of slight variations and test in practice to eliminate the junked ones first, plus you won't have to worry about wasting time punting or playing defense or whatever.

Then once I had the animations/timing right, I saved the routes and easily put them into the finished books.



Spoiler Warning: Don't open if you don't want to know about some potential cheat info. Seriously. Pandora's Box and such.
Also of note for anyone wanting to create a Jet Sweep, Jet Toss (Jet sweep with a toss animation for QB under center), or Reverse that actually has a decent chance of possibly working in-game on All-Madden... DON'T use the default Madden PLYT tags for Jets/Reverses (15/16/17/18 depending on stock playbook/formation/play type), nor the 7/8 hole number in the PLRD field. Use a QB Sneak PLYT (19) or QB Kneel PLYT (37?) instead. The defense won't react immediately on the snap of the ball.

WARNING: using this on Rookie, Pro, or All-Pro is basically straight up cheating. Especially Rookie and Pro. However All-Madden is different...

As part of my PLYT play testing (the PLYT stuff I posted about in 2014-ish; not the Attribute testing a couple months ago) I found out that on All-Madden CPU vs CPU 50/50 sliders, there is no real threat of a Jet or Reverse actually working in-game. At the snap of the ball one or all of the nickel corners, outside linebackers, mike, and/or defensive ends will start to move to the designed run point immediately upon the snap of the ball, even heading that direction before a QB under center has even turned 180 degrees or the RB has finished the initial first-move animation in the case of reverse plays...

Because of the way Madden 2001-08 (and even up to 2012 on PS2) AI scripts are written, everything the defensive AI does is based on the PLYT tag. Everything. Unfortunately for most plays, changing the tags will break the realism of the game (changing the PLYT on a dive play from 12 to 21 - Special Teams will result in a 3-12 yard gain regardless of situation or use because the defense will just kind of stand there until the ball crosses the line of scrimmage. Kinda game breaking imo)

Use at your own risk, but if you leave/set the PLYT tags as 16/17/18 and hole 7/8 PLRD and play on All-Madden you're essentially wasting your time making a Jet Sweep or Reverse anyway. Sure you'll get 5-10 yards sometimes, but just as often you'll lose 2-5 yards even when calling it in a legit "surprise" situation.

If you start messing with PLYT for other play types though, offense or defense, you're probably going to regret teaching yourself how to break the game and turn anything/everything into cheese plays. I did. Fair warning.

Also if you want to create a Jet that has a good chance of breaking off a huge TD on All-Madden, use a formation with twin TEs on one side of the formation and twin WRs on the other, then move the flanking WR (because otherwise it would be illegal motion/formation) in motion and run the sweep to the open side of the field. Call it on 3rd and 6 or more and you might catch the defense blitzing the WR side of the formation and playing Man coverage. Leaves your WR to beat the Safety 1-on-1 on the open side of the field and your second outside TE (H) should have an assignment to block the CB who'll be crossing in the same direction as the Motion WR. Like a basketball pick-and-roll. Give the HB a Receive Toss/Run ball assignment. Set PLYT as 19 or 37 and the PLRD as 5 or 7 (left outside if running right). Saw Nevada do this with Cody Fajardo IIRC.

[rexus10]

I'll also be very interested in your findings and even a mod or tweak which results in better, or more fair and balanced gameplay, specifically regarding the higher cpu difficulty levels.

This has been something ive always noticed over the yrs playing madden, especially when ive increased the level of difficulty. In addition to the situations you mentioned in your post, and im uncertain if this evens pertains to the plyt cause, but other instances ive noticed, is one where ive come out of the huddle with a play call in which the cpu seems honed in on, but after i audible, the def would immediately shift into what appears the perfect counter formation to my changed play.

Another in which has caused frustration, and maybe this has to do with improving my own gameplay, but instances where i elect to double up a wr or te, and on higher difficult levels, the cpu pass to the receiver is always positioned so that the cpu player can jump to make the the catch. Sometimes even w/ my db in a somewhat favorable position to make a play, there are instances where the jumping cpu receiver would somehow gain a boost of athleticism and strength that allows him to power to the ideal position, pushing my db or dbs aside, in order to make the catch.

Ive even done some minor testing where i increased my dbs jump attribute to max or near to it, and it still made no difference in those situations where the cpu feels it should follow their idea of a typical nfl game script and flow.

The thing id like for the most, is to be rewarded more times than not, whenever ive chosen the correct play and personnel to counteract whatever the cpu controlled team has chosen to run. I can even accept instances where the cpu still succeeds, regardless if i choose the perfect playcall, especially if the players involved are marquee level, or heavily outmatch in certain attributes.

But mostly, i just want to feel as if my choices matter, and ultimately makes an actual difference, thruout the entire game, but especially in those moments i know to be typical for when cpu shenanigans start to occur. I would love to feel, even if momentum is not on my side, there are possibilities of succeeding or making an impact, by choosing the right play, along w/ having the right personnel available for that play.

[trey31]

other instances ive noticed, is one where ive come out of the huddle with a play call in which the cpu seems honed in on, but after i audible, the def would immediately shift into what appears the perfect counter formation to my changed play.

I've done extensive testing, this relates entirely to the PLYT for the USER playbook (knowing what you've picked) and CPU playbook (knowing what to play against what you've picked). The good news? This can be tweaked. The bad news? Without doing it the right way, gameplay can be broken for this exact reason.

Sometimes even w/ my db in a somewhat favorable position to make a play, there are instances where the jumping cpu receiver would somehow gain a boost of athleticism and strength that allows him to power to the ideal position, pushing my db or dbs aside, in order to make the catch.

Ive even done some minor testing where i increased my dbs jump attribute to max or near to it, and it still made no difference in those situations where the cpu feels it should follow their idea of a typical nfl game script and flow.

This is most likely based on probability scripts I posted in my Attributes Testing threads, and not on attributes. Unfortunately, I don't know how to tweak/mod these at this point in time.

The thing id like for the most, is to be rewarded more times than not, whenever ive chosen the correct play and personnel to counteract whatever the cpu controlled team has chosen to run.

Me too. And that's basically the gist of what I'm wanting to do here.

mostly, i just want to feel as if my choices matter, and ultimately makes an actual difference

The exact reason I'm looking into this, even before texture mods and such.

[Col. Trautman]

I would be very interested in this as well, where I can actually have my gameplan and use it

[trey31]

I would be very interested in this as well, where I can actually have my gameplan and use it

I agree. I hate having to use "Madden strategy" to ice a game when I have a 3 score lead.

[TriHard]

[*]USER offense making short work of CPU defenses by reading whether a defense is playing zone/man pre-snap based on their alignment and/or receiver motion. (This will increase the challenge of you passing against the CPU)[/list]

How do you read that? I see lots of same cpu movement are the same no matter if it's man or zone.

[trey31]

[*]USER offense making short work of CPU defenses by reading whether a defense is playing zone/man pre-snap based on their alignment and/or receiver motion. (This will increase the challenge of you passing against the CPU)[/list]

How do you read that? I see lots of same cpu movement are the same no matter if it's man or zone.

Custom playbook I knew inside and out with a lot of auto motion, plus manual motion, CB depth relative to X/Z, Will/Sam pre-snap alignment left/right relative to the down ends; but that's out the window if the line shifts. Same if Sam shifts over Y or H/W.

I actually used to give the CPU my defensive book that had a lot of mixed coverages and Show Blitz:100-then-hook/flat-zone. It worked great sometimes, but my situational plays were never done properly so they didn't know what to call and when.

But yea when the CPU ROLB would show 100% blitz pre-snap and then drop into a flat it definitely made passing more difficult. Especially on bubble screens and snag routes.

[trey31]

Not at home and on my phone at the moment, but has anybody ever tried to paste an auto-motion route on the front of a defender's route in a defensive playbook?

EDIT: I doubt this will work due to the "snap ball" command, but it would be great to have scripted pre-snap defensive motion.