Does The Meta Work In Other Video Games: Madden 08 Edition

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

So OK, the Meta is a problem and stuff needs be done to address this, we all understand this much already. But it's one thing pointing an issue out, it's another entirely to address and fix it. And that's what I'll be doing here...

 

OK fuck it I tried, I got the football bug from the Superbowl and wanted a reason to sim Madden 08 on PC, you happy now?! So what we're going to do is do a repeat of the Finals from Season 81 between the Vancouver Wolves and the Moscow Menace. Will a change in sport see a change in champions? Who knows! But first, here's how I determined the attributes for each team:

 

VHL -> Madden

Speed -> Skating

Strength -> Strength

Awareness -> Defense (May seem a little weird but I felt that given DEF has a role in grabbing loose pucks and rebounds for both offense and defense, that more equates to awareness than any other attribute

Agility -> Skating

Acceleration -> Skating

Carrying -> Puck Handling

Catching -> Scoring

Jumping -> Skating (There's notably not much vertical leaping in hockey so I just flung it in with the rest of the mobility attributes

Break Tackle -> Faceoffs

Tackle -> (Defense+Checking)/2 (I really wanted to do just checking but there's so many 40's across these two teams I felt it would be an offensive massacre, so added defense to make players tackle closer to a 60/70 default with players with checking getting around 90)

Pass Block/Run Block -> Checking

Kick Return -> Puck Handling

Toughness -> Fighting (I don't think toughness really did anything if injuries are off so it was irrelevant)

 

Teams Rosters

Spoiler

 

Wolves					Menace
QB - Aberg #18				Idaho #11
HB - Dear #43				Atreides #43
FB/TE2 - Zolnek #82			Pearce #89
HB2/FB2 - Nilsson #22		Moreau #36
WR1 - J.Reinhart #87		Seabasstard #83
WR2 - T.Reinhart #89		Strong Jr. #81
TE - Tucker #81				Glass #85
TE3 - Nalwa #85				Markinson #82

LOLB - Tucker #52			Idaho #53
MLB - Nalwa #51				Moreau #51
MLB2 - Zolnek #59			Pearce #59
ROLB - R #50				Johansson #50

CB1 - Nilsson #35			Markinson #42
CB2 - Kitson #38			Chara #27
CB3 - Aberg #49				Glass #25
CB4 - T.Reinhart #31		Strong Jr #23

FS - J.Reinhart #20			Seabasstard #31
SS - Dear #47				Atreides #32

 

 

Other Notes:

 - Attributes used are those at end of S81 Playoffs

- Depth Charts were made to give forwards the main starts on offense and defensemen the main starts on defense. Gaps in roster were filled in by most fitting players in the opposite position

 - I didn't include goalies cause there are no goalies in football, wait for a Football Manager or FIFA sim or something.

 - Like the VHL, Endurance and Injury equivalents are at 99 (Injuries are also off though so the latter won't factor in)

 - Halfbacks are each team's kick returners

- Depth charts have been made so that as little presence of backups as possible should occur, there may be the odd instance where a BOT plays on special teams but that should be it.

 - Like VHL, all BOTs (OL/DL) are at 40 across the board.

 - Kicking Attributes (AWR/KPW/KAC) are 99 across the board and no wind is present, so the problems with Madden 08 kicking shouldn't be as prevalent, but if they are, it's your player's fault for not getting a TD I say!

 - Same PB's for both team, Balanced O, 4-3 D

 

 

Teams about to line up!

 

Post game edit: Had a word count check and I was over 2000 by end of first half so I'll be claiming this for four weeks (W/E 20th Feb, 27th Feb, 6th March, 13th March)

Edited February 23, 2022 by MubbleFubbles

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

Week 2/4

 

Wolves to kickoff

 

Kickoff returned by Atreides to the 23 (R)

 

1-10: Atreides runs it up the gut for a gain for 3 (Nalwa)

2-7: Play-action fake, Idaho finds Strong Jr. on the curl for a gain of eight and a first down! (J.Reinhart)

 

1-10: Draw to Atreides only gets one yard (R)

2-9: Run outside by Atreides for two yards (Dear)

3-7: Pass by Idaho should have been picked off by Aberg but instead it's fourth down

4-7: Punt is fair caught at the 12 yard line.

 

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by MubbleFubbles

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

Week 3/4

 

1-10: Dear runs behind LG for a good seven yard game (Johansson)

2-3: Aberg finds J.Reinhart on the in route, Markinson brings him down inches short of the first

3-IN: Dear jukes out of a tackle, but gets clocked by Atreides, but he's got enough for the first! 

 

1-10 (23): Wolves in I from, hand off to Dear but only gets 2 (DL)

2-8: Empty backfield and Aberg is looking DEEEP! 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by MubbleFubbles

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

Week 4/4

 

 

And it's picked by Atreides!

 

Tackled by the intended target T.Reinhart at midfield

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by MubbleFubbles

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

1-10: Looks like Atreides has an open running lane to the left, but he veers too near Kitson and gets brought down after 3 yards

2-7: Idaho sees Seabasstard open and gets it to him for a nice gain of 20! (J.Reinhart)

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

1-10 (27): Handoff to Pearce but Nalwa slams him down at the line of scrimmage

2-10: Empty backfield, Idaho finds Seabasstard on the curl and it's another first down, 11 yard gain! (Dear)

 

1-10 (16): Single back formation. Atreides runs left on everyone's favourite running play (The toss), gives a huge stiff-arm to R before Kitson brings him down for a 3 yard gain

2-7: Idaho motions Strong to right of line of scrimmage to free up Atreides to run to left, does a nice back juke to avoid J.Reinhart but Nalwa brings him down for 2 yard gain

3-5: Single back formation once more, another of everyone's favourite running play, but this is much less successful as the blocking is bad and R brings Atreides down for a loss of one

4=6: The 30 yard Field Goal is good!

 

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

Kickoff is a touchback

 

1-10 (20-This is Madden 08 after all): Dear does some nice juking up the middle and is brought down after a gain of 5 (Idaho)

 

 

 

2-5: Aberg is looking to make up for last drive's error:

 

 

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

 

But Aiming for Zolnek on the wheel route, he throws it straight to Johansson, and he's got an open lane ahead of him to the EZ!

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

But a huge diving tackle by Zolnek reaches Johansson and he's stopped at the 18!

 

d

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

1-10 (18): Play action fake to Atreides, and Idaho is able to find Seabasstard once again. Completed across the middle for 14 yards (Kitson)!

 

1-Goal (4): In the goal-line package, Idaho elects to throw, he's looking to find Markinson who was originally blocking, will it be a TD?

 

[Spartan 3,997]

DoubleTroubles really busted out the EFL presentation style to bury the meta discussion thread. What a guy

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

He Catches it! 

 

 

But Dear stops him from crossing the plane and Kitson comes back to tackle him on the 1 yard line, how did they not score there?!

 

[Ledge 1,131]

This is awesome, I love the customized jerseys and field! Following closely...

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

2-Goal (1): Play action, Idaho tries to find Seabasstard in the corner, he gets one foot in but can't get the other in and it's ruled incomplete.

3-Goal (1): 4 Wideouts on the field, Idaho lines up to throw to Nico Pearce!

 

 

He catches it initially but the hit from Aberg jars the ball loose and it's fourth down

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

4-Goal (1): The 18 Yard FG is good!

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

Kickoff is fielded in the endzone for a touchback

 

1-10 (20): Tucker motions to the right pre-snap and it's Tucker who is found by Aberg for a 19 yard gain! (Atreides)

 

1-10 (39): The toss to the right to Dear, very silky moves as he backjukes Idaho in the backfield and ducks under a Seabasstard arm tackle, and gains 6 (DL)

2-4: Dear runs it up the gut, and despite Idaho's best efforts, he's just past the first down marker!

 

1-10 (49): Aberg out of shotgun slings it to T.Reinhart, but Chara deflects the pass. There's a huge height advantage for the Menace on that side of the field (T.Reinhart is under six foot, Chara is 6'8")

2-10: Tucker motions to wideout but it's handed off to Dear who can only gain 1 after a heavy Moscow blitz (Idaho)

3-9: Aberg on the play action, throws the ball over Atreides covering mid-field and into T.Reinhart's hands for a 9 yard gain (Seabasstard)

 

1-10 (39): Excellent run by Dear on the Toss! He stiffarms Johansson in the backfield and makes it all the way to the 23 before being stopped by Chara!

 

1-10 (23): Dear up the middle, Moreau tackles him from behind, gain of 2

2-8: Play action fake and Aberg bombs it to the Endzone but it's into double coverage and defended by Atreides

3-8: Aberg's looking for the EZ again!

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

 

It is deflected by Markinson...

 

 

Into the hands of Jerome Reinhart for the TOUCHDOWN! 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

 

Kickoff is through the EZ for a touchback

 

1-10 (20): Atreides runs to the right and picks up four before being brought down by R

2-6: Another run for Atreides but he can only pick up one (DL)

3-5: Menace yet to convert on third down today, Wolves perfect on third down. That continues as Idaho throws wide of the mark for Seabasstard.

4-5: Punt goes OOB at the 24 yard line

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

1-10(24): Aberg finds Zolnek with a nice pass on the post route, and he gets 20 yards on the catch! (Idaho)

 

1-10: Aberg moves right after the snap, but makes a poor read deep down field to a triple covered J,Reinhart, broken up by Idaho and Atreides

2-10: Blocking is poor and Aberg has to rush his throw, another ill-advised deep ball to J.Reinhart gets deflected, this time by Markinson

3-10: Aberg in shotgun looking deep down field once more! 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

 

Pass is dropped by Zolnek in triple coverage. Wolves first failure on third down today,

 

4-10: Great punt, bounces at the three with backspin and is retrieved by Aberg at the 10 yard line.

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

1-10 (10): Atreides finds daylight up the middle and picks up a nice seven yards on the ground! (Kitson)

 

2 MINUTE WARNING!

 

2-3: Full house formation, Pearce gets the handoff, Tucker grabs him but Pearce falls over the first for a 4 yard run

 

1-10: Hurry Up offense. Idaho drops back and finds Seabasstard on the out route for a gain of 12 . Pushed OOB by Kitson

 

1-10: Empty backfield, Idaho pumps and then his pass looks like it's for Glass running towards the left sideline, but it's Pearce who comes up with the grab for a gain of 2 (Tucker)

2-8: No huddle. Idaho pump fakes, tries to find Strong Jr. on the left, but Nilsson, who was covering Seabasstard, defends it.

3-8: Shotgun formation, Wolves bring their players to the line but they backup into coverage after the snap, the ball is thrown deep to Glass and they have it in their hands!

 

 

 

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

 

But it's ruled OOB and it's fourth down

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

OR IS IT, A CHALLENGE ON THE PLAY!

 

And Glass does clearly get both feet in bounds! First down Moscow on the Wolves 39!

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

So I accidentally pressed back on my mouse and for some reason, it kept the text from my previous post, not the post I was writing, so this may not be 100% correct haha!

 

1-10: Idaho finds Glass over the middle for a gain of seven! (Nalwa)

2-3: Another pass to Glass, it's close to the sideline and Glass hauls it in for another seven yards (R)

 

1-10: Very quick blitz by Tucker and Idaho is lucky to throw the ball OOB before the sack

2-10: Fake handoff to Pearce and toss to Atreides to the right, 5 yard gain. (Dear)

3-5: Moscow use a timeout with :54 secs remaining. Moscow in I-Form, pass to the right is complete to Strong Jr. 3 yards short of the first, but the throw was too low and Kitson easily tackles Strong before the first down is reached.

4-3: Wolves call a timeout with :49 remaining. A 34 yard FG attempt is good and Moscow retake the lead! (I messed up my screenshot, it's a GIF instead for some reason haha!)

 

[MubbleFubbles 1,191]

Kickoff is a touchback

 

1-10(20): Aberg in shotgun, launches a deep pass into triple coverage for Tucker, pass is defended by Atreides, incomplete.

2-10: 42 Secs on the clock, Empty backfield, Aberg finds J. Reinhart on the curl route, but it's just a yard short of the first down marker (Atreides)

3-1: Timeout by Wolves, one remaining. 37 secs left in quarter. Empty backfield again, Moscow drop a lot of players back but he's still able to find T.Reinhart free on the left for a gain of 12! (Chara)

 

1-10 (41): Aberg tries to bomb it down the middle to Zolnek, who gets a hand on it at the Wolves 35, but Chara's tackle forces the ball to fall incomplete!

2-10: 18 secs left. Empty Backfield again, Aberg pump fakes, but he doesn't have the time to get the ball out and is sacked by the BOT DL!

3-13: Timeout called by the Wolves, 14 secs remaining. Aberg tries to find T.Reinhart again on the left hand side, but Chara is there to force the incompletion.

4-13: 9 Secs left. The Wolves elect to punt. Atreides fields it at the 13 but is immediately whacked by Nalwa and the 16.