Thanks for the replies EA_Shepard and GVRH
Yeah... I'm an old man. That last thing I want to have to do is think about what my fingers are doing as I play, so I use my first 100 games every year to 'train' my fingers to new techniques - but only after they've been in the game long enough to justify learning a new mechanic.
I still haven't adopted the Switch Stick... I don't like having my fingers off the icon buttons that long, so I still switch primarily with O/B. I have started integrating a D-Pad switch and I like it much more than switching with the R-Stick. The time it takes to register which player and get my thumb back to the stick in the proper position feel more natural, BUT, I have noticed a slight slowdown when I'm chasing a receiver across the field as I'm moving the stick from neutral to a full speed run.
Back in 2007, I wrote a paper about how QB Vision was a bad addition... In it I identified two ways to hold the controller. One where the index finger works both the shoulder bumpers and the triggers, another where both the middle and index fingers operated the bumbers and triggers independently.
Would one of these grips be necessary to play using the 'enhanced' swat mechanic?
Later
MaddenUniversity Yeah man, I'm getting up there too and I totally agree with you. I don't play competitively anymore, so the incentive to learn new mechanics this is definitely low priority for me. I still often use O/B to switch as well because that's what we've been doing in Madden for the last couple decades and that's a muscle memory habit pretty hard to kick. It's not that I'm not willing to use Switch Stick, but it's not where my mind first goes in that situation tbh.
I remember QB vision and I literally don't know anyone that liked that. With QB vision, that right hand (specifically the thumb) was asked to do too much with that specific mechanic. Having to adjust vision and then transition the thumb over to a button to make a throw wound up being too conflicting and negatively impacted the timing of throws. Decent idea, just not one that could be well incorporated.
In terms of how you would hold the controller, first off, anyone capable of using both index and middle fingers to execute inputs is god tier talented imo, lol....I literally cannot do that. But with this specific mechanic, and how it relates to holding the controller ultimately, I don't think how you hold the controller would be severely impacted. Essentially you'd wanna hold it just like you were playing COD almost, with that left index consistently hovering that left trigger while your right hand does most of the dirty work, constantly trasitioning between the RS and buttons while that right index opperates the right trigger for speed control. With this mechanic and how the controller layout already is though, I don't see how we hold the controllers being severely imapacted. I just don't think it'd really change how we're already holding it. But without trying it, we may never know either. EA would have to tinker with it and have it playtested.
EA American Football Team
