GAME OPTIONS
Quarter Length: 13 minutes
- I had originally gone with 12 minutes and played out a full season with that setting, but recently went to 13 minutes. The magic number for total players combined between teams is 120 plus or minus 15 plays. With 12 minute quarters, I was consistently getting under 30 plays per team per half (as you can't check Total Plays in Statistics, instead having to rely on the Halftime graphics). So I figured... why not? But that also means 4 extra minutes to the length of the game (one extra minute per quarter) so I was worried about scores being inflated. After my first two games had scores of 30-27 in OT and 39-37, I was worried... but my next game was a 20-13 game, so I think it's random. Some games you'll put up a bunch of points, others you'll only score a TD.
Accelerated Clock: On
Accelerated Clock Runoff: 15 seconds
Camera Settings: Standard OR Wide
Injuries: 50
- Always get a decent amount of injuries. Some long lasting, some just for a quarter or a few plays. I think they did a great job portraying an accurate amount of injuries in this year's Madden.
Fatigue: 60
- I believe I just took this from another slider set and it works well. I get a lot of work from all my HB's, including third string guys. I like subbing in my guy as soon as he starts getting a bit fatigued, into the yellow/orange territory.
Game Speed: Fast
- Got this setting from Bill Harris' Realism Sliders. I think it's more true to life speed. It may hurt your timing when you're first getting used to it, but you will adapt.
Player Min Threshold: 70
- Another setting ripped from Bill Harris' Realism Sliders. I like it a lot. Yes, Devin Hester is still fast as hell, but he's also been caught before in his career too (not statistical evidence, I just feel like that's the truth). You can measure 40 times and all that crap, but when you put on the pads and add a ball carrier, you never know what you're going to do. I always felt like I was faster when I was getting chased or closing in on a tackle when I played ball.
Fight For The Fumble: On
- A lot of people have this off and I can see why, but I enjoy the (essentially) mini game. I don't win all my fights either. But when there's one button to press, I've got the tapping skills (thanks Mario Party!). But when that thing changes, I get messed up and lose some of those. I really like this feature, it was cool to add something like this in so the user felt like he was really at the bottom of the pile.
PENALTIES
Offside: 100
False Start: 100
Holding: 52
Facemask: 66
Offensive Pass Interference: 100
Defensive Pass Interference: 100
KR/PR Interference: 70
Clipping: 75
Intentional Grounding: 70
Roughing The Passer: 75
- For some reason, mine was at 30 and I was wondering why I wasn't seeing this penalty being called. Oof. I guess I must've missed it when I changed my penalty settings.
Roughing The Kicker: 75
- This penalty can be annoying, but that's true in the NFL. I've had guys just following through on their animations and just bumping the kicker and it's called. So that's actually pretty realistic. I've seen many a kicker flop when he was just tapped. Also, if you haven't noticed, these are ripped straight from Bill Harris' Realism Sliders, too. You'll see a decent amount of false starts, holdings, facemasks, and clippings. The interference penalties should probably be called more, but they're maxed so what can you do.
Before I start this, I just want to say... I don't know how useful these following settings are. Because it's all based on your own skill level. There are some settings you need to adjust to have a realistic base, but if you can find the holes better then me in the run game or rush the QB better then me, you'll need to adjust those sliders to your own skill level. So these are really just a base because I'm sure you and me aren't on the same level in our ability to play Madden 10.
PLAYER SKILL
Passing (9)
QB Accuracy: 15
- I went lower and then the passes really started sailing. But I had to do something because I was passing over 70% with Shaun Hill in my franchise for the year. It tailed off as I ended the year, but I still feel I complete passes at way too high a rate. There's so many factors that go into completion rate though, from the QB accuracy to the defensive line pressure to the coverage. It's tough to really get a feel on it. But I think the accuracy could be anywhere from 10 to 15 and be right.
Pass Blocking: 100
- I don't know about this one, but I keep it here to keep me from breaking my controller. The CPU linemen suck sometimes and are awesome sometimes. It's a mixed bag and one of those Madden things you just have to deal with.
WR Catching: 50
- They drop a few but catch the majority. I think it's realistic.
Rushing (10)
- You'll see no changes here from the default. I found it was the defense that needed the adjustment, not my run game. I averaged like 5.1 yards per carry with Frank Gore, but it was skewed because he had two big games to open the season then hurt himself in in Week 3, in which he was also having a big game. When he came back, he wasn't nearly as effective and my backup running backs weren't too sharp themselves in the yards per carry category due to the CPU rushing defense changes I made. I like a tough running game and really feeling like you earned your yards. I really like how I have it now.
Broken Tackles: 50
Run Blocking: 50
Fumbles: 50
Pass Defense (10)
Reaction Time: 50
Interceptions: 30
- Led the league in this category with San Francisco while playing at a 50 slider setting. That could happen but I didn't think it was a coincidence so I decided to lower it and it's been better. We'll see how Season 2 interception stats are. I think I finished 13-3 because when the CPU did throw a pick, it was extremely costly, many times going for 6 the other way or just being extremely inopportune. So I think changing this setting actually was key in the game being more difficult for me.
Pass Rushing: 60
- I wasn't getting many sacks about halfway through my season, so I upped this and they started coming. Maybe a bit too much. But some games I'd rack up 7, then the next get 1. This is one slider you'll probably have to adjust throughout your playing career as you see fit.
Rush Defense (13)
Reaction Time: 30
- Their run game was struggling and I noticed my LB's and S's being way too proficient in reading the play early and getting to the spot quickly. I lowered this and I can shut down some guys and get torn up by others (and typically the more elite guys, see: Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson. Especially Jackson... he went for 198 yards on me on 30 carries early in the season, then came back and banged out 106 on 21 carries in the second game against him. So I liked the variability this added when I lowered it.
Block Shedding: 25
- Similar idea behind this as there was behind the lowering of the Reaction Time slider. I figured it would just help their run game and it did. But I can still stop them too.
Tackling: 50
CPU SKILL
Passing
QB Accuracy: 50
- They can hit 10 guys in a row, or pass below 50%. I felt no need to change this.
Pass Blocking: 50
- Same idea here. I can sack the QB 7 times one game, then get shut out in the sacks department the next game.
WR Catching: 50
Rushing
Broken Tackles: 50
- Variable. Sometimes I can tackle them with one guy, sometimes it takes multiple players or multiple attempts.
Run Blocking: 65
- Even with my rush defense sliders going down, they needed help. This did the trick.
Fumbles: 50
Pass Defense
Reaction Time: 75
- Like I said, I was completing too high a percentage of my passes. I think this also helped lower that, but it might've created more interceptions. Then again, they earned them. It was usually a bad decision by me or a 50-50 chance when I lob it up to a guy in 1 on 1 coverage. I never felt cheated or anything by an interception, which I threw 21 of them. A high number, but it was Jay Cutler-esque for me. I also threw 31 TD's. Take the good with the bad, right?
Interceptions: 50
Pass Rushing: 50
- It was never a problem with the CPU rushing me hard, it was usually them either rushing too many for me to block or my linemen just being stupid. So this stayed at default.
Rushing Defense
- This area needed the biggest adjustments. I guess the run game is just too easy in Madden, and I didn't think it was my players being too good, but the CPU not being good enough to handle me. So I decided to change their sliders to make them a little extra effective instead of leaving them at default and making my guys less effective. Can you see that? I'd rather give a boost then take away what should be there, you know?
Reaction Time: 70
Block Shedding: 70
Tackling: 75
- I guess I was a little too good with that Pro-Tak right thumbstick thing.
Not done yet! This next set of sliders can only be adjusted in the menu screens, not in-game! Which is stupid... I also don't like how it's global, not separated by user and CPU.
SPECIAL TEAMS
FG Power: 100
- I was having trouble hitting anything over 45 yards with Rian Lindell. Now we all know that pretty much all kickers in the NFL have a strong enough leg to hit from over 50 yards, it's just the accuracy that is the problem. I was missing short on 45+ yarders, which just isn't right. With this setting so high, it allows you to hit from your kicker's max. I can only hit from 53 yards at max with Joe Nedney. But if you use Sebastien Janikowski, you can hit from 63 yards max. That's rare, so if you're using a team with a good kicker like Janikowski, you should probably tone this down because even though he can hit those long field goals, those are extremely rare to even see attempted. It's the accuracy that needs to be adjusted. And I'm not quite sure the FG Accuracy does a good job of that.
FG Accuracy: 30
- As mentioned above, not sure how this really works. I haven't really noticed my kicker having more trouble with accuracy either in the results or in the visual kicking meter. But I think it's hurting the CPU kicker's accuracy too much. I appreciate having them miss FG's, but they seem so random hitting from 45+ then missing 25-35 yarders. I know kicking IS random and guys do miss, but I don't know, it just seems off. I'll have to continue to mess with this.
Punt Power: 50
Punt Accuracy: 75
- This is more because I still haven't mastered the art of coffin cornering just yet. I haven't punted enough to be able to tell how far I should move the kicking arrow over. So this is more an aid for myself.
Kickoff Power: 50
That's all, folks. Very long, but I wanted to explain my reasoning behind all my changes. If anyone tries them out, be sure to leave feedback, good or bad. Like I said, though, the skill sliders are very personalized. If you're good at passing, you'll need lower passing sliders and higher D passing sliders. Stuff like that. Anyway, enjoy.
