Madden sucks now

Man madden just feels lame now. The game is way too ability based now. What does play rec even mean if the ai doesn’t even remember the same play. These abilities use to be cool but now it’s just annoying. Every game if I don’t have a SP Warren Sapp just gets instant pressure and then with 2 unstoppable forces is just annoying. Imagine if EA dropped like a custom playbook maker or something like that. I would rather play a scheme over all these abilities. I’ve just been frustrated with this game.

I hear you on the crazy abilities.

I am finding that there is not much to grind at the moment. 

They are controlling advancement of the Field Pass and Comp Pass and are being a bit too stingy with opportunities. I have had Pat Pete for 2 weeks and can not even advance in the Pass far enough to get his upgrade and increase him to a playable level.

I completed all the weekly and milestones objectives (except the 100 games on Veteran or better, but we are limited to 4 per day). Right now, the only thing I can do is complete dailies by doing solo battles.

I hate abilities

I hate strategy cards

I hate TT stuff

Just want basic cards like it was when I started M25

I don’t like how there are ’manditory’ abilities to be competitive. KOs, SFL, HRM mainly.

would be nice to have flexibility in choosing abilities that are not OP but add a spark.

Iceupson said:

Man madden just feels lame now. The game is way too ability based now. What does play rec even mean if the ai doesn’t even remember the same play. These abilities use to be cool but now it’s just annoying. Every game if I don’t have a SP Warren Sapp just gets instant pressure and then with 2 unstoppable forces is just annoying. Imagine if EA dropped like a custom playbook maker or something like that. I would rather play a scheme over all these abilities. I’ve just been frustrated with this game.

Madden has been about Abilities since EA realized they could make money hand over fist with them. Every year a new super OP ability comes along to market to the scrubs and it gets eaten up every year like candy on Halloween night.

EA had a custom playbook maker way back when NFL Head Coach ( Greatest simulation football game ever ) was a thing you cold import them over from NFL  Head Coach.  My homie hated playing against me because I'd break the AI coverages so easily . We'd all just face variations of what we face now just in a fancier package.  But I'd be totally for it to bring back some nostalgia and OP formations

Last night might have broken me. I played a head to head where I had a half dozen completed passes broken up by zone KOs after possession had been established. I was making the best available reads and throwing to open receivers. 

I find myself toting the rock with Bo way too often now and I even snapped and went to Wildcat with Bo QB, Bo HB and Bo Vanguard TE. 

MLB the Show Friday can’t come fast enough. I’m ready to let my 12 million coins rot until golden tickets. 

I would do a g*v**w*y but EA made it impossible for the community to help each other out.

Kyleb63 said:

Last night might have broken me. I played a head to head where I had a half dozen completed passes broken up by zone KOs after possession had been established. I was making the best available reads and throwing to open receivers. 

I find myself toting the rock with Bo way too often now and I even snapped and went to Wildcat with Bo QB, Bo HB and Bo Vanguard TE. 

MLB the Show Friday can’t come fast enough. I’m ready to let my 12 million coins rot until golden tickets. 

I would do a g*v**w*y but EA made it impossible for the community to help each other out.

Contact Legend or the mods, they may be able to setup a "g@@@@@@@@@way". I've done that before

Random thoughts:

1. People like MUT for "team building"...but what team are you actaully building when everyone strives for the same cards because of the cheaper abilities? 

Everyone ends up with the same cards and players. 

2. Talking about play rec and pursuit, well this is one way we know a talent equalizer or at the least a way to make most games close is in the game. Ever see your LB just stand still when your opponent is running the ball? How about your whole defense taking terrible pursuit angles? Lineman "dumbing" out and letting rushers free? Either its really bad AI coding or its meant to be this way. 

Ill also say that I have had Andrew Whitworth with SP get beat multiple times (screamed at) by Jerzahn Newton. Yes...93ovr Newton. 😆.  Its all when the game decides its time to tighten things up and make it a little more difficult for you.  I have also mentioned before that last year I would play this certain player with the same gamer tag and he had zero abilities and a worse team than mine.(I was a much better player in Madden 22 and 23 than I am in 24, but its because I dont play as much as I dont have the urge to get frustrated anymore)..and it was the hardest opponent to play against. His man-coverage absolutely was like glue on my WRs. So....

But yes, youre not blocking the glowing red DL without SP. Best thing to do is use shorter passing concepts. But, that's tough as well at times. 

3. I watched a video of the current greatest madden player of all-time literally play a tough game against a YouTuber and won by 7 points. Is this not evidence enough that there is a very limited skill-gap in this game? Greatest Madden player ever wins by 7 points against a YouTuber that probably isn't a top 100 player. Hmmm....okkkk.

Not sure how they can make a more pure game, but it would be nice.

Ill also mention, as far as regs, well, about a handful of teams are actually usable because of the QBs. Not sure how they fix this, but most QB are unusable. Maybe have all QB have SFL and equal throw power? Its not realistic, but it is one exception from realism I think would be beneficial for the game. Then again, currently 2/3 of actual NFL QBs are borderline starters...😆.  True it is, but again, making ALL QB have SFL in regs would be something I wouldn't mind seeing.

Iceupson said:

Man madden just feels lame now. The game is way too ability based now. What does play rec even mean if the ai doesn’t even remember the same play. These abilities use to be cool but now it’s just annoying. Every game if I don’t have a SP Warren Sapp just gets instant pressure and then with 2 unstoppable forces is just annoying. Imagine if EA dropped like a custom playbook maker or something like that. I would rather play a scheme over all these abilities. I’ve just been frustrated with this game.

Sadly, this is the correct reaction to our beloved "simulation" fatball franchise.  State of the game is unfortunately NOT trending in the correct direction.  Everything has become super (MUT was always kind of pay to win from what i gather, but seems to be way more than ever) pay to win.  Especially considering all the various X-factor abilities.  We're basically forced to now pay for Secure Protector across our O-line, otherwise our dudes simply will not block the pass rush, as you so accurately pointed out.

Abilities are literally everything in this game.  Why do we need to have a Gift Wrapped ability on our QB so our professional athletes can simply catch the dang ball?  Same with defense, Pick and LurkArtist are rather important, so much so that Linebackers simply will not animate if you do not place the proper ability on them.

Yet here i am... still pissing into the wind, hoping that someday EA will be so full of themselves that they simply do not renew that exclusive license to retain the rights for the NFL.  May 2026 i believe is when it is set to expire, but who is counting.  Oof.

That being said, i would fully anticipate some of EA's best efforts this week, as they know MLB The Show is about to drop -- I think the same thing happened back when NBA2K released.  Competition is good, but EA holds a monopoly over this shit, because why try harder when you could just charge more for doing less.  Uggh.