The Playbook Editing help me thread

[WillProsper]

Hey Guys, anybody know the command (I'm on a logitech playstation-like controller) for the formation shift labeled "new"?
Also, is there a way to add to the existing formation shifts (or at least re-name some)?

[Touchdown Addict]

Greetings fellow playbook editors.

I'm new to this forum (apparently too new to PM Teolta with questions ) after just discovering Madden 08 PC earlier this year, so I missed out on the glory days of Football-Freaks.com (RIP). I have familiarized myself with the Packfan editor and thrown together playbooks with a few interesting formations and plays, and have pored over threads here for information as needed. So far, I have just enough knowledge of the DAT File Replacer to get my custom playbooks and rosters into the game as standard selections.

In searching these forums, I've found a few posts which reference the existence of multiple formations within the Special Teams formation in Madden 08 PC, and the possibility of linking multiple offensive formations together in a similar fashion, specifically with the intent of creating HB Direct Snap plays within a formation which normally snaps to the QB. Teolta has even uploaded an example playbook here with a formation containing plays which snap to either of 2 players in the backfield.

What I'm looking for, if possible, is detailed information on how to go about linking offensive formations together in this way. My intent is to add plays which snap to a player in the backfield other than the QB, to a formation also containing plays which snap to the QB. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance.

[Teoita]

I can't remember off the top of my head because im getting old, do you know where i posted that playbook? I could easily figure it out if i could take a look. I do remember it requires some serious DB editor tweaking though, it's impossible to do it on your own if you don't have extensive experience with it.

edit: ok found it. Will post back here when i figure this out.

second edit: Here we go.

So, the different "formations" are in the SETL tab, which contains information on how the players line up pre snap on the field. These are, for example, I-form Normal and I-form Trips, or in the case of the attached playbook with the direct snap stuff, Shotgun Normal and Shotgun Ace. The Poso number controls the player that receives the snap; 0 is the qb, 1 is the hb and so on. These are all separated.

The other two tabs you are interested in are the PBST and PBPL tabs. PBST controls the formations and how they are displayed when you are calling plays in the menus BEFORE the players even head to the field, PBPL controls the plays themselves (and their order) in the playcall screens. What is happening in madden is that different SETL (which normally have different PBST and PBPL list) can be merged into a single PBST with just one PBPL. To do this, go to the PBPL tab; if you have different formations adjustments (ie, different SETL originally) you will see they have different PBST values. If you give them the same values, you will effectively merge the two plays in one screen when you call them. Additionally make sure to edit the "ord" numbers, which controls in which order the different plays are displayed.

This will sound very confusing, so i'm attaching the playbook and explaining exactly what i did. Open it up in the DB editor and go to the SETL tab. We have two formations originally, Shotgun Ace and Shotgun Normal. Note how they have different poso numbers: in one formation the snap goes to the qb, in the other to the hb. However, they look identical on the field as the players are in the same exact spots. These are separate SETL with values of 107 and 93. Going to the PBST tab, SETL 107 has a corresponding PBST of 108, and 93 has 94. Now head to the PBPL tab. Each play is shown with the corresponding PBST tab, or, the formation used to run the play (again, this is the formation shown when you call the plays in the menus, not the one on the field). I changed the PBST number in the PBPL tab of the HB Snap play to 108, and of course changed the ord number to 2 from 1 (since both formations originally had one play). In other words, when i'm calling plays in the menus both formations will show under one, which corresponds to a 108 PBST, or a 107 SETL, or Shotgun Normal. Shotgun Ace is now a "ghost" formation: Madden knows it's there and it's a bit different (the snap goes to a different player), but it SHOWS the same formation as you call it. Shotgun Ace has no plays in the PBPL tab, and therefore won't appear in the Madden menus (which is why i refer to it as "ghost" of course).

This is very common in some default playbooks as well, where for specific plays the players will line up differently.

I hope that helped, if you don't understand something feel free to ask more questions!

[Touchdown Addict]

Thanks Teoita, your insight and detailed instructions are much appreciated. I've been busy with the process of moving house of late and I'm only now finding time to try linking formations in my own playbook. I'll definitely be back if I get hung up anywhere in the process. Thanks again for the help!

[MAPO]

Today I had a hunch about how to make a poor substitute for the shovel passes, or at least a play with the same basic idea. I basically just made a proof of concept: a playbook with 3 plays, I have not changed blocking, motions or alinement and have only tested it in madden's playbook editor which is always on rookie difficulty.

The first play is just a FB sweep. The second fakes to the FB, then pitches forward the the HB (it works ok, unless a DT shoots into the backfield). Then, just to goof around, there is a play with a fake to the FB, then a pitch to the Center--It often ends in a fumble, but if the center does not get bumped around too much it can work.

Like I said, its really just a proof of concept, but I thought that maybe people more skilled than I could take the idea and make something useful out of it. Unfortunately, the play does need to start with a fake to the FB; Faking to some player too far away, or to the QB himself, causes the QB to run backwards then freeze up.

Your playbook no longer works.

Do you or anyone have a copy still?

[petroleum]

Turns out I do

[bobbycoltrane]

I can't figure out how to edit formation audibles. Can you do it in a custom playbook?

When I click on the dropdowns in the Packfan editor, the fields are blank. I appreciate any help you can provide.

[jokull]

Heya. Posted this in another thread but figured it was better here. I'm trying to use the playbook editor on 8.1 but I keep getting the same error whenever I try to change the Play AI or sometimes when editing routes: "value cannot be null. parameter name: source". Running it in XP or Vista compatibility modes doesn't help. Anyone have a solution? I'm trying to create a few wildcat formations but I can't do it in-game because it doesn't like not having a QB in the backfield.

Thank you!

[bobbycoltrane]

Heya. Posted this in another thread but figured it was better here. I'm trying to use the playbook editor on 8.1 but I keep getting the same error whenever I try to change the Play AI or sometimes when editing routes: "value cannot be null. parameter name: source". Running it in XP or Vista compatibility modes doesn't help. Anyone have a solution? I'm trying to create a few wildcat formations but I can't do it in-game because it doesn't like not having a QB in the backfield.

Thank you!

You gotta follow the instructions in this post to get a virtual XP machine. I did and it works great.

http://www.footballidiot.com/forum/view ... 15&t=16818

[Littleware]

Shovel Pass logic is actually under the Run/Pitch logic, not a legit pass play. I've been testing the last few days and have a play where my slot WR runs a route (0 degree's Right) 8.5 yrds, then delays 1.5 seconds 4 yards in front QB waiting for a the pitch. The WR's hands are in the position, but the QB never pitches the ball, he runs like a draw!

Another issue on defense is when I add the "Show Blitz" logic to either FS or SS, in the playbook editor, then load it in-game. My DE and WILB are replaced with my second string TE. Not sure why the playbooks subs when I'm only changing one players play logic!

The PSAL logic for Show Blitz:

Code: Select all

Step VAL1 VAl2 VAL3
0    48     80    20

Pre-Snap logic VAL1 = 48 = Show Blitz: Val2 is percentage of show ( how much do you want the player to show or disguise his intentions(move toward the LOS)! 0 = the player will not move from his initial position. I set it to 75% or 80% so that the QB thinks he's blitzing, but he's dropping into coverage! VAl 3 show how many yards of the LOS the defender will stop at! I set that for my SS and FS to either 20, 24, or 28. 20 = 5 yds off LOS, 24 = 6 yds off LOS, 28 = 7 yds off LOS.

So in that logic above: pre-snap, player will move toward the LOS, stop 5 yds above LOS, pretending to blitz, then drop into coverage! Another issue is when I set both the FS and the SS to "Show Blitz", the FS moves too far toward the left/center of the LOS (almost lines up directly behind DT) that he losses his coverage angles! WIP!