So it's been two decades since I actively played a Madden game and after the favorable reviews and such I decided to dive into M16. So far I've been really enjoying the excellent tutorials that deliver an excellent experience for completely new players.

That being said I'm interested in finding a community of players who are interested in Madden and also welcoming to total newbies. Does such a thing exist or is Madden locked entirely in a bubble similar to Halo players and Street Fighter hardcores? You must be born proficient or never enjoy a single online game... Etc...

Thanks!

....don't pick the Bills...Thurman Thomas is no longer there to save you. Also I think Joe Montana is basically dead.

@hunkadunkasaurus: what system are you playing on? I haven't been interested in Madden in quite a while but there's been a good buzz around this one. I might pick it up this weekend or next.

I only got into football last year at all and M16 is the first time I've actually played online and I've had quite a good time so far, handful of frustrating games but that was more because of lag than anything else.

@hippie_genocide: Xbox One. My Gamertag is Feralchemy.

Yeah, the tutorial this year is great! It's that they added tutorials to teach you how to read coverages that makes it amazing. That's the kind of stuff people who didn't play Quarterback need.

After a solid 8 or so hours of tutorials and drills I started my first M16 season. I went in with the recommended defaults which seemed to skip the preseason and shoot me right into week one against the Cowboys. After a full game with six minute quarters I ended up losing 7 to 27.

I'm sure part of my improvement will be through gaining xp, personal practice, and possibly some trades (once I figure out that part of the game) but I found myself getting a bit frustrated towards the end of the game. I rolled almost exclusively with the "Recommended" plays and ended up pretty much getting stuffed on every run and I think I threw an interception in every offensive drive I made except for the one TD (which ended up being a pretty good one... A pass to a wide open receiver who ran it a solid 40 yards or something).

When on defense I tried to take my controlled guy through the line to pressure the QB. My run defense was solid but almost every time they threw a pass against me they got an easy completion. My guys just seemed to have a real hard time doing any effective coverage. I've been playing as has been suggested in the tutorial, that is to pretty much let the AI handle player movement and focus on pressing the right keys for the right throws/catches and such... But my defense seemed to be just out of reach of every receiver, leaving me to flail and dive helplessly as they cruised into the endzone.

Part of this may be that I had a tough matchup. Part might be my inexperience. Part might be the fact that I'm playing on Pro (maybe I need to bust it down to Normal?)

Given my first game, what do you folks think? Advice and feedback is welcome.

@hunkadunkasaurus:

I'm pretty sure that pro is the default (normal) difficulty in Madden games.

How much do you know about football generally? Do you know basic things like the difference between man coverage and zone coverage? or what a 4-3 is? If not, you may have a difficult time.

@bceagles128: I feel like I understand the fundamental basics of man v. zone and I feel like I probably identify the differences on the field. The specific different formations I'm still fuzzy on, though.

I've been gone from Madden Football since 06 and back then I would try to make the 49ers always get to the superbowl by drafting before the season. Those good old days with second year QB Alex Smith, rookie tight end Vernon Davis and RB Frank Gore.

As a Madden rookie, I find defense and selecting plays most frustrating. When I picked up NHL or FIFA I was able to get going almost immediately, but this game seems impenetrable to me. Having never played American football I have no idea what the different formations mean or when I should be using them. I have watched a several Super Bowls and enjoyed them, but finer points of the game are lost on me. Maybe I need a crash course on the actual sport first?

@donmfjohnson: Well I'm glad I'm not the only one having some issues :p

It would be really difficult to give you a great tutorial here but I'll try giving a handful of basic tips:

On offense:

• When you are on offense, if you are running a pass play, you need to read the defense to quickly identify how many defensive players are pass rushing vs. how many guys you have blocking. If one number is greater than the other, act accordingly. In particular, if you are running any plays that take time to develop (for example, anything involving a 7 step drop or a play action pass) and the other guy is blitzing, you are kind of screwed. Also, you should try to identify whether the defense is in zone or man coverage. You can do that with a decent level of accuracy by simply setting a receiver in motion before the snap and seeing whether a defender follows him across the field. If he does, that player is usually in man coverage (it's possible to fake that while on defense but that's more advanced play).
• If you are getting blitzed to death while on offense, run quick pass plays that are designed to get the ball out fast (e.g., a 3 step drop with no play action into a quick slant or a screen pass).
• If you are in a short yardage situation on offense (for example, 3rd and 1), expect that the defense will play aggressively. If you are going to run a pass play, make sure it is quick. If you are going to run a run play, stick with something quick (no draw plays, delays, or counters) and straight up the middle (no sweeps or tosses).

On defense:

• As far as formations go:
  • 4-3 means 4 defensive linemen and 3 linebackers. 3-4 means 3 defensive linemen and 4 linebackers. Etc. These are generally considered base defenses, meaning that they are what most NFL teams play on a normal down where there is equal risk of pass or run. If you are getting killed by the pass, feel free to shift to a nickel. If you are struggling to defense the run, try a 3-4 with blitzing linebackers.
  • Nickel means 5 defensive backs. This is designed for pass coverage
  • Dime means 6 defensive backs. This is even more designed for pass coverage
  • Quarters means 7 defensive backs. This is pass only. Think 4th and 15+. If they run on you, you will get gashed.
• On defense, try to switch it up frequently between zone and man coverage, and between blitzing and not blitzing. You can tell zone on the formation page by large circular bubbles. You can identify man by straight lines between your defensive player and the offensive player they will cover. You can see if players are blitzing on the formation page based on whether they have downward arrows below them that aren't attached to offensive players.
• I find it much easier to control a defensive play on the line of scrimmage than playing someone in coverage (because you usually can't actually see downfield well enough to cover). Once the ball is thrown, I'll switch to the relevant player in coverage and try to make a play on the ball.
• If someone seems to fixate on pushing the ball to a single receiver, I will usually go out of my way to run plays where that player is double covered.
• In a short yardage situations, I usually like to blitz up the middle and play press coverage on the outside. Blitzing is designed to make them throw quickly and press coverage is designed to prevent short, quick release passes. So if they throw, it's going to be tough to complete a pass. and because your blitz is up the middle, they are going to have a tough time running.
• In long yardage situations, I try to make it very difficult for receivers to get behind the defense. A cover 2 or cover 4 is perfect for that, especially if you back your secondary up a bit. This is will make it very tough to complete a deep pass.

@hunkadunkasaurus: Hey duder, I sent you a friend request on the Xbox One. If you ever want to play just send an invite. I usually don't have a mic. If you're really looking for a group I would check out www.operationsports.com/

@bceagles128: Thanks for the basic tips duder, this helped alot :).

Would this be a good guide for player attributes in Madden 16: attributes for Madden 15? I've dived head first into MUT and positions & roles are slowly starting to make sense. Also got the NFL Game Pass, although kickoff times are less than optimal when living in Finland :).