Madden 19 Sliders: Guide for a realistic experience

Madden 19 is a terrific game and a great simulation of NFL football, but it isn't quite fine-tuned enough. Thankfully, EA Sports has included the ability to adjust skill levels, how frequently penalties are called, and even how fast the game moves.

The sight of all these sliders and options can be daunting for many, but RealSport has come up with the perfect slider setting to create the most realistic game play for Madden 19.

How To Adjust Your Sliders

Getting to the sliders is relatively simple in Madden 19. From the main menu you head over to the cog on the right hand side. It is the first of the small icons. From there you want to select "Settings".

Once there, you again need to select Settings. That will give you the ability to go into Game Options, Penalties, Player Skill, and CPU Skill. Which are the ones we are interested in.

If you've already started a Franchise Mode and want to adjust the sliders, then hammer the RB/R1 button until you get to Options, then hit the cog and select Gameplay Sliders.

Within Gameplay Sliders you will find everything under one roof. You can change the Player Skill, CPU Skill, and Penalties. You don't have to manually enter them again though. You can simply import your saved sliders from before.

So now you know how to change your sliders, what should you be changing them to?

Skill Sliders

These sliders dictate how difficult it is for you and the computer to be successful at certain aspects of the game. The base settings are all at 50, and frankly that can lead to some rage-inducing moments when players don't react to the ball in the air or whiff simple tackles even if the ball carrier doesn't try a move. They all need increasing, but not equally.

You should keep things on a level playing field between yourself and the computer, because otherwise you'll start to steamroll your way to victory in every game, and where's the fun in that?

Adding a few points to the QB accuracy prevents those moments where Tom Brady inexplicably misses a wide open receiver. It's only up to 53 so that Joe Webb doesn't suddenly turn into an assassin, but it's enough to keep passes on track.

Both blocking stats are increased to 56. Madden has enhanced the ability for defenders to get off blocks, and it can make running the ball in between the tackles and maintaining pass protection difficult even if you have the best offensive line available.

We have also bumped up catching because there are far too many times where even possession catches by the best receivers will hit the ground. Your average NFL receiver might drop 6 catches a year, you can go through a season in Madden and comfortably hit double-digits.

Fumbles are upped slightly because it's very easy to keep hold of the ball this year, and on defense everything gets juiced up to make up for the usual offensive bias in Madden. You should also bump up the special teams sliders to 55 across the board so you can make those 54 yard field goals and corner punts that they do in the NFL more regularly.

Penalty Settings

Along with the skill sliders, you need to make some adjustments to the penalties that referees will call. Madden often suppresses the number of flags thrown in a game, but for a more realistic game you need to add some frequency to the Madden 19 penalties.

Offside goes up to 55 and false starts to 58. This allows you to be Aaron Rodgers and draw defenses off for a free play, but it also makes road games tough on offensive lines as crowd noise messes with their communication. It also adds a degree of difficulty to going no huddle.

Offensive holding goes up, as it's just too easy to go through several games without getting one holding flag, while defensive holding drops as again the balance of power is in favor of the offense if you leave Madden alone. You should drop facemask penalties considerably as it is too easy for flags to come in when you make tackles.

Like offensive holding you need to bump up blocking in the back so that kick returns are more realistic. Defensive pass interference is the one defensive penalty that needs to be increased as it is too easy for defensive backs to run through receivers in the air before the ball arrives.

Finally, you have to lower roughing the passer to make up for the games tendency to have pass rushers just plow through the quarterback after you switch away from them.

Setting Up Your Game

Now that we have our skill sliders and penalty sliders set we are ready to play, but we have to set up the game properly.

Getting your clock options right allows the game to flow properly. Set your quarters too short and you can burn through a whole half in one drive, too long and the game will last three hours. A seven-minute clock is just right, but you have to use the accelerated clock, with a minimum play clock time of 20 seconds, to get the balance right. This combination allows for about 50-60 plays on offense and defense, which is realistic, but you can also move fast on offense if you want more, and the accelerated clock means you are never waiting around if someone wants to chew the clock in the second half.

In exhibition mode injuries are very low because who really wants to play one game only for the starters to go down? However in Franchise Mode you should increase it so that you have to maintain good depth and it's a more realistic simulation of the NFL.

Fatigue also needs to be increased to be more true to real football. You can't just run the same 11 players for a whole drive if you up the fatigue factor. You have to rotate your depth chart, give your backups some snaps, and rest your stars for key drives.

The last part you need to change is the player speed parity scale. By lowering it from 50 to 35 you increase the disparity between the fast and the slow. This makes it tougher for average linebackers to guard elite tight ends, and forces defenses to be creative in how they defend the likes of Tyreek Hill and John Ross. But it also means speed rushers can get to the quarterback with more regularity and the elite safeties stand out all the more.