'Madden NFL 18' News: Devs Detail the Revamped Blocking System Set To Be Featured
The awareness stat will matter even more for offensive linemen in 'Madden NFL 18'
Offensive linemen may not be the most highly recognizable players in football, but they still play integral roles in the success of any team. And in "Madden NFL 18," developers have introduced some new tweaks designed to further emphasize their importance.
First off, any football fan knows that good offensive lines are those that can work well as units, and a new mechanic that will be used in the upcoming game will shine a light on that.
When putting together an offensive line inside the game, players will now have to take into account just how collectively aware they are.
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Specifically, the average awareness rating for an entire offensive line will have a direct impact on whether or not blitzes are picked up or are left unrecognized.
"Madden NFL 18's" developers even provided an example in a post published on the game's official website, sharing that if the average awareness rating of five offensive linemen playing together tops at around 80, then that could spell trouble. With that kind of average awareness score, the offensive line may only be able to identify additional, oncoming rushers at just around five percent of the time, which is not ideal.
Now, if the average awareness score for the offensive linemen is in the high 90s, they may then be better equipped to handle blitzes defensive coordinators dial up.
Players should also make sure that they have a center with a good awareness rating. Good centers can significantly bring up the collective awareness rating, while bad centers can weigh down that score as well.
Developers have also made changes to the way running backs react inside the game, with improved logic installed to make sure that they are more capable blockers.
Wide receivers should be improved blockers as well, and the offensive linemen should also perform better when screen plays are called.
Players will see how the new blocking mechanics work as soon as "Madden NFL 18" is released on Aug. 25.
