Initial thoughts on M25 after two days...

Again... I'm playing the old gen version of the game on my XBox Series X.  I know it's early but here are my general thoughts:

• M25 is just a reskin of M24 and M23 with new rosters, menus, content, etc.  Everything else is pretty much as it was last year (FG Block glitch and all).
• Same exact playbooks (thankfully).
• They have removed the "restart" option for challenges.  You can only quit back to the menu if you miss an objective or play it out and wait for it to tell you whether you passed or failed.  THIS IS REALLY ANNOYING.
• Glitches continue to plague old gen users... Solo Battles stopped tracking progress earlier today.  I have little hope this will get fixed in a reasonable timeframe.
• Minimum prices are set way too low (I think this is for everyone).  The old gen AH is somewhat barren.  Having price ranges artificially set by EA as opposed to having a free market has made things even more stagnant.
• The rewards from Solos are pretty bad.  Hardly worth doing them at this point. 
• H2H Champions games are now 5 minute quarters!  Makes this mode almost unplayable (at least for me).  I'll stick with Seasons.... rewards are decent there.
• Defense is tough playing H2H games.  All of my games are high scoring shootouts.  Pass rush is non-existant.  I miss Caleb Jones and his Lurker!

Hoping for some improvements when the full release happens.

Random question.  Why are you playing the old gen madden on the current gen console?

Chugga said:

Random question.  Why are you playing the old gen madden on the current gen console?

Masochist

• They have removed the "restart" option for challenges.  You can only quit back to the menu if you miss an objective or play it out and wait for it to tell you whether you passed or failed.  THIS IS REALLY ANNOYING.

I thought this too. It’s still there. You can only get it between plays when the play call screen is up. Then “quit” turns into “quit/restart”. Still dumb.   

I’ll add defense is terrible. My guys never play the ball but the CPU has magnetic arms. The new tackle stuff doesn’t look impressive to me at all. I’ve yet to land a hit stick and honestly I’m giving up on trying because it just leads to a guy flailing by. Even conservative efforts have led to some woeful animations. I’m no great technical mind but “physics based“ seems a stretch based on what I’ve seen.

edit: auction house sucks. What’s with the limits? Has me twiddling my thumbs when i just wanna get some more purple people eaters for the theme.

Chugga said:

Random question.  Why are you playing the old gen madden on the current gen console?

Because I like being able to user on defense.  But I've been facing a lot of toters... and to stop that I'm using 3-4 Odd or 43 Even 61... and that means usering an MLB (who does not animate for lurks).

I cannot wait for the first MLB with Lurker.

WinterSoldier said:

• They have removed the "restart" option for challenges.  You can only quit back to the menu if you miss an objective or play it out and wait for it to tell you whether you passed or failed.  THIS IS REALLY ANNOYING.

I thought this too. It’s still there. You can only get it between plays when the play call screen is up. Then “quit” turns into “quit/restart”. Still dumb.   

I’ll add defense is terrible. My guys never play the ball but the CPU has magnetic arms. The new tackle stuff doesn’t look impressive to me at all. I’ve yet to land a hit stick and honestly I’m giving up on trying because it just leads to a guy flailing by. Even conservative efforts have led to some woeful animations. I’m no great technical mind but “physics based“ seems a stretch based on what I’ve seen.

edit: auction house sucks. What’s with the limits? Has me twiddling my thumbs when i just wanna get some more purple people eaters for the theme.

You gave me a bit of hope with this... but alas... that doesn't happen on the old gen version.  Luckily I'm not a big solo player lol.

Ducati0307 said:

You gave me a bit of hope with this... but alas... that doesn't happen on the old gen version.  Luckily I'm not a big solo player lol.

Sorry. I found it by acciden. I had been quitting all the way out.

New kickoff formation is not in old-gen either.

Ducati0307 said:

Because I like being able to user on defense.  But I've been facing a lot of toters... and to stop that I'm using 3-4 Odd or 43 Even 61... and that means usering an MLB (who does not animate for lurks).

I cannot wait for the first MLB with Lurker.

the linebackers jump for picks now, you dont need lurker

n1eee said:

the linebackers jump for picks now, you dont need lurker

Not on old gen they don't.  

But defense is at least fast over here!

inane said:

New kickoff formation is not in old-gen either.

I forgot to include that!  So thanks...

Yeah, they haven’t updated old gen in a few years. I don’t see why they’d change that with M25. 
 

You‘re a glutton for punishment if you’re willingly playing old gen on a current gen console. Eventually old gen will be phased out and you’ll be forced to play current, no reason in delaying that. Current gen is a more accurate feel than old.

Ducati0307 said:

Not on old gen they don't.  

But defense is at least fast over here!

Come to the Dark side, where linebackers lurk and defenses such as 3-4 Odd are legit.  We're all learning this new game together, just gotta rip that bandaid off.  Regardless, hope you're enjoying the new year and building your squad.

There's basically no defense as far as i can tell in M25.  Trying to adjust to these new QB Release types.  I haven't even learned the names yet, but i'm checking out Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers at the moment, which apparently have the: Three Quarters 3 release.

I thought i scored huge pulling an 85 Stafford coin pack day 1, but holy hell i suffered through that for over 48 hours until i realized he's just terrible.  At least Love could audible, my goodness.  Gameplay is interesting.  Tinkering with pass rushers, waffling between pure speed and other random stats (such as block shed & PMV/FMV) to see what sticks... mostly appears to be disengage type pass rush this year, able to get random pressures from double A-gap as well as edge pressure (using contains and speed on the outside).

BE SURE TO LINK YOUR EA ACCOUNTS and download Madden mobile, that 83 OVR Micah Parsons has been an elite pass rusher for me.

marzellgotgame said:

Yeah, they haven’t updated old gen in a few years. I don’t see why they’d change that with M25. 
 

You‘re a glutton for punishment if you’re willingly playing old gen on a current gen console. Eventually old gen will be phased out and you’ll be forced to play current, no reason in delaying that. Current gen is a more accurate feel than old.

I understand some people like the "sim" feel of the game on current gen.  I don't .  I've been playing MUT for ten years now... and I strongly prefer the way the game plays on old gen.  It took me a long time to get good at usering... baiting throws... covering multiple routes... etc.  I've tried to make the switch several times and keep coming back to the game I love.

I've also been using the Saints Offense for so long... like 7 years now.... I really don't want to invest the time and effort into learning a new PB.  

To each his own... I really think I'll hang it up before I make the switch.  Also... I really enjoy the market aspects of MUT and making tons of coins.  Looks like EA is trying to kill that.  Another reason for me to finally retire if it keeps going in this direction.