Friday, August 13, 2010
NCAA '11 PS3 SLIDERS
DIFFICULTY AA
GAME SPEED Slow, 7 min
SPEED DIFFERENTIAL 50
OFFENSE HUM CPU
QB ACC 45 50
PASS BLK 50 45
WR CATCH 50 55
RB ABLTY 50 65
RUN BLK 50 100
DEFENSE HUM CPU
PASS COVERAGE 35 50
PASS RUSH 50 50
INTERCEPTIONS 30 45
RUSH DEFENSE 50 90
TACKLING 55 55
SPECIAL TEAMS HUM CPU
FG LENGTH 35 20
FG ACCURACY 25 50
PUNT LENGTH 20 65
PUNT ACCURACY 35 50
KO LENGTH 30 45
Thursday, August 5, 2010
New Man and Zone Pass Coverage Sliders
There have been many complaints about how good man pass coverage this year. The effectiveness of man vs. Zone coverages has been debated in the past. Adding separate sliders for these things instead of a simple overall pass coverage slider would allow everyone to fine-tune the game to their liking.
Pass Deflections
There have been many complaints about super leaping LBs that knock down passes far over their heads. Prior to NCAA 10 we had a defensive knockdown slider that could actually be used to affect this. We need a new slider to determine how often a ball gets knocked down by a defender. Reducing the slider would reduce the defender’s range when deflecting passes.
Option Run Blocking
The cpu has always struggled to run the option. Teams like Oregon and Michigan are less successful running the ball compared to teams like Alabama that run a one back set. Having a separate slider for run blocking on option plays may be the solution to this.
Play Action Pass Blocking
The pass rush on play action passes is overly effective in NCAA 11. This is a crucial area because play action passing has often been too effective in the past. Allow us to adjust this to our liking.
Fumbles, Fatigue and Injuries
Madden has sliders for fumbles, fatigue and injuries. I think these would all be a great addition, especially a fumble slider.
Those are all the thoughts I have for now. I do NOT want Madden’s slider system which involves global and sub slider menus. It’s too confusing and I love sliders. The NCAA slider system is simpler and better. Please do not change the overall structure. Just add a few more sliders to help us tweak the game to our liking.
Anyone else have some other suggestions?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I’ve played almost 3 games now with seven minute quarters and I’m enjoying it. I wasn’t blown away at first but I think I’ve grown to like it more as I continue to play it. I still feel that after three games it’s still way too early to judge how the game will play but I think this will be a good game.
Gameplay – I think the highlight of the game is the running game. Reading blocks, breaking tackles and the added momentum really makes this the best part of the game. Surprisingly I prefer the slow speed. I think locomotion could be heavier but I’m largely fine with it.
The pass rush does seem weak for the human, even with the DL set to aggressive all game. There seems to be no penalty for an aggressive DL vs. the cpu so you might as well set it there. I haven’t played with a great pass rushing team yet so I can’t tell if it needs to be boosted. I am worried that a great pass rush will result in too many pick 6’s on All American. The cpu passing game needs a little help at default and the cpu running game needs a lot of help on default imo.
I do like the passes missing the targets and you don’t have to lead receivers deep anymore. The targeting system is good. I’ve also seen receivers have to stretch out and dive to catch balls (have a nice deep one on EA sportsworld) both across the middle and deep. No automatic YAC.
The DBs in the game have really bad hands which helps limit the INTs. I do notice that DBs mirror the WR routes at times and you better not force that pass. It doesn’t happen all the time and I don’t have a big problem with it as you can usually tell early on that the DB will have the edge and you better not throw it there.
The cpu kickers still have overly strong legs but do miss quite often. I wish the game would default to the FG Block play if using the play suggestions on FGs/XPs. It would be simpler in obvious situations.
Overall I’m happy with the game. I need to play more to determine just how happy I will be.
Fluff – I think the graphics are good. I’m not blown away by them but all three games were at dusk due to playing last night. I know the graphics tend to stand out more in day games (especially true for the baseball games) but either way they are fine. The presentation would be a lot better with more stat pop-ups. I think the crowd sounds are good – way better than NCAA 10. I do miss Corso a bit. Not sure why he was removed. Every injury needs to be announced as well.
One thing I find very annoying – the replays are cut off at the beginning if they are long! I have a PS3 – we all have hard drives. Why was this necessary? I had a great run with John Clay where I broke a ton of tackles and all I see is his sprint into the endzone. All the good stuff was cut out. The camera seems to pan more than the demo but I still like it a lot more than NCAA 10. Extra camera angles along with in game saves would be great next year EA! There is still some lag in the menus and scrolling for the PS3. I wish that was eliminated entirely. I’d still like sliders for fatigue, injuries and fumbles although all three do seem pretty good on default.
Kicking game – I did some testing in this area. You really need to drop your angle on FGs to kick long ones but I think they really got the strength of the user kicker’s leg right. The cpu kicking game is too strong though. Users are too accurate but cpu kickers are not.
Cpu punters have a fair leg while users out kick a cpu punter by roughly 5 yards so that needs to be toned down imo. The problem is the user punt length slider doesn’t work well. 10 points = 1 yard so I dropped user punt length down to 0. I now kick the same length as the cpu punter.
Kicking Sliders I’d recommend.
SP TEAMS HUM CPU
FG LENGTH 50 35
FG ACCURACY 25 50
PUNT LENGTH 0 50
Game Notes – I was tweaking sliders after each game, sometimes at half time to test some things out.
Game 1 – Notre Dame & Michigan (me). I got the custom stadium sounds in and beat Notre Dame 24-10! Can’t say I outplayed them as they had 18 first downs to my 11. Notre Dame turned the ball over four times and I scored two TDs directly off of them. I intercepted an option pitch for a TD and had a pick 6. I struggled to run Michigan’s offense but Craig Roh did have 7 tackles including 2 sacks. ND’s QB was 21-42-239-0 TD-2 INT. Forcier 8-16-82-0 TD-1 INT. Shaw led all RBs with 20 carries for 76 yards.
Game 2 – Wisconsin (me) @ Iowa. I destroyed them 66-10 including a time expiring TD as Kirk scolded me. John Clay was a beast as he rushed 24-264 yards and 4 TDs. I totalled 32-345-6 TDs on the ground. I also threw 11-15-209 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT. Iowa just seemed to lay down in the second half. Progressive fatigue? I upped the cpu run defense after this game as I shouldn’t shred them like that. Clay had well over 100 yards after contact – loved it. Iowa’s QB was 8-25-82 yards, 0 TD, 2 INTs. His receivers dropped 5 balls! It’s the only time I’ve seen too many drops but that’s life right? Iowa did rush 22-89 yards and 1 TD. I only got one sack but did pressure the Iowa QB into some bad throws.
Game 3 – Penn State (me) @ Alabama. After a final slider tweak I wanted to see how well I would do against Bama. Too bad I crapped the bed early on. I made a terrible decision on a late pitch they picked off and took to the house on the first play of the game. I threw a pick on my next possession as well to go down 14-0 early and 24-0 in the first half. I did get back to 24-14 but was losing 38-14 at the end of the third and shut the game off. It was midnight, I was tired and I wasn’t coming back. Ingram broke a bunch of tackles and was 18-173-3 TDs. Royster only rushed 14-28, 1 TD for me. I was 8-20 passing, 132 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. McElroy was 10-15, 107 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs and no sacks. Bama still punted three times through three quarters.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Many of these smaller RBs are special because of their quickness and speed. If they can only handle 15 touches a game so what? I'd rather have 15 good touches than 20-25 mediocre touches. More teams are realizing this now in the NFL as many of them now want two running backs to shoulder the load. Plus having two good backs will allow them to use different styles and protect against injuries.
Case #1: Steve Slaton. He had a great rookie year and rushed for over 1200 yards. He was always a quick and fast player and played at 199 pounds. He bulked up to 215 last year and sucked. He did have some injuries which hurt but he wasn't the same back. This year he's going back down to 199.
Case #2: Kevin Jones. He rushed for over 1100 yards his rookie year with the Lions with much of that coming in the second half of the year. He averaged 4.7 ypc. After that rookie year he never rushed for as much as 700 yards and his best ypc in any year since was 3.8. He currently weighs 228 pounds but he's not a bruiser. He went from being a big play guy in college to very average in the NFL as a bulked up back. He was listed at 209 in college and had great elusiveness. You would never know he was elusive watching him today. Here's a clip from his VT days.
I'm sure there are many examples of this. I'm just tired of hearing NFL coaches asking running backs to bulk up for the NFL. I'd rather have a RB that can do something good (like get outside) than bulk him up so he's not particularly good at anything. Why add that bulk to handle 25+ carries when it makes you lousy? The expression "Jack of all trades but master of none" applies here. When you see guys like Chris Johnson, Brian Westbrook and Warrick Dunn all excel despite their size, why change that?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
· I thought the pass rush was pretty good on AA. Played 5 games on that level and it's too easy despite my rust. I went 4-1 and beat OSU pretty easily with Miami.
· Playing as a DL is a lot of fun. Less suction blocking imo. I was able to get some nice sacks with the Miami DE and the Clemson DE. It felt instinctive and fun with the r-stick moves. Probably too easy to get user pressure as opposed to my cpu lineman teammates although I never tried any game planning stuff.
· Sideline awareness is a lot better. You can swing passes out, especially on the short side of the field without smacking yourself in the head for even trying it.
· Locomotion is nice but part of me wishes it was even more effective (heavier momentum). I still think receivers can get in and out of “out” routes a little too quick. Certain routes should require a little more slow down imo.
· Some people are saying the deep ball is too easy. Not sure about that but I did hit a few and if it's too easy I'm OK with that. I saw a WR beat a CB jam on one play and toasted him. Very nice.
· I feel with the toned down passing speeds I'm a factor on defence. Madden 10 passing speeds were too slow imo - these feel just right.
· The camera is good. I like it better than NCAA 10’s. It doesn’t pan around like it did but I still can’t get used to the player lock camera. I’d like a true defensive perspective camera but I’m happy with what they have on the demo!
· PS3 ball rotates in replays! Play of the game works on PS3 demo.
· I like that auto strafe is back.
· The graphics look good and the play seems smooth.
· I like the ESPN music and pre-game stuff. I like seeing a player spotlighted in warm-ups again along with in-game fan cutscenes.
· The trajectory of passes does seem improved. Leaping defenders are toned down. It’s subtle but I snuck a pass in the end zone that never would have been completed in the past.
NEGATIVES
· Too many fumbles imo. I hope there is a fumble slider. I’d like to hear more about the slider system and options as well.
· The worst thing about the demo is the play call screen limiting you to 3 plays and the slow cycling. This is worse on defence imo. You better know your playbooks. I wish they hadn't changed this as the old way was a lot better imo. I will have to learn to adjust.
· Why did the cpu win the coin flip in OT and go on offense first? Wasn't this fixed already?
· CPU QB still makes a few too many bad decisions on default AA imo. AA is too easy in the demo but sliders will help at retail.
· Definitely saw a few instances of warping to the ball (WR sped up to catch).
· The cpu tried to run about three screen plays – never even completed one pass.
NEUTRAL
· I don't have a good feel for the running game yet and barely tried the option. I saw some nice runs but didn’t see enough of the pro-tak and gang tackling yet. Need some longer quarter games and more play time to get a good feel for it.
GAMES
· I beat OSU with Miami 28-7 in my first game. Pryor threw 3 picks (one pick 6).
· Beat Texas with OU 14-7 in OT. CPU coin toss logic needs fixing for OT.
· Lost to FSU with Florida 7-3. I need work running the option.
· Beat Mizzou 17-3 with Clemson.
· Beat OSU again with Miami 17-0.
· The computer hasn’t scored more than 7 points on me (all on AA). Will try Heisman out tonight.
OVERALL
Overall I liked it. I won't say I was blown away by it but this demo is infinitely better than the NCAA 10 demo. It started to grow more on me as I got comfortable. I definitely like the locomotion and added momentum but I think it might be even better if it was more pronounced. It may be fine too – I need more game time. The two minute quarters aren’t so bad but you really can’t establish a ground game in such limited time. I haven’t tried turning on the auto sprint. I’ll try that tonight.
You can definitely tell that the underneath engine is still the same core engine. If people were expecting a totally different experience I think they will be disappointed. But the addition of locomotion and a lot of refinement makes the game a lot better than NCAA 10 imo. It's a lot more polished. Definitely a day one purchase for me at this point.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
1 Rams - QB Sam Bradford. They need a new face for the franchise.
2 Lions - DT Ndamakung Suh. Could go LT here due to value at that spot.
3 Buccaneers - LT Russell Okung. Freeman needs his protector.
4 Redskins - LT Trent Williams. Chris Samuels retired and needs to be replaced.
5 Chiefs - S Eric Berry. Berry is a terrific player but they would love a LT.
6 Seahawks - DT Gerald McCoy. McCoy slips a bit but Seattle is loving it.
7 Browns - QB Jimmy Clausen. The Browns need a QB.
8 Raiders - DE Jason Pierre-Paul. Raw but a physical freak the Al Davis loves.
9 Bills - OT Bryan Baluga. They need a tackle and hope he can play on the left side.
10 Jaguars - CB Joe Hayden. They could use a pass rusher and a WR but take the best CB.
11 Broncos (From Bears in Cutler deal) - WR Dez Bryant. Looks like double speak but they didn’t want to pay Marshall and need weapons. Bryant easily the best WR.
12 Seattle from Dolphins (proj. trade) - OT Anthony Davis. Dolphins get an extra 4th to move down while Seattle beats SF to get the best remaining tackle.
13 49ers - FS Earl Thomas. Could be the best safety in the draft. Another Ed Reed.
14 Dolphins from Seahawks (proj. trade) - OLB Jerry Hughes. Is a 3-4 OLB that can rush the passer. May be a little high so Miami may move down some more.
15 Giants - MLB Rolando McClain. He falls in to the Giants laps who may have to move up to ensure they get him.
16 Titans - DE Brandon Graham. The DL is depleted.
17 49ers (From Panthers) - CJ Spiller. Gore gets hurt and Coffee is a plugger. Spiller is always a big play away from scoring.
18 Steelers - C/G Maurkice Pouncey. The OL needs to be restocked.
19 Falcons - DE Derrick Morgan. They need a bigger pass rush.
20 Texans - CB Kyle Wilson. CB big need. RB also strong possibility.
21 Bengals - TE Jermaine Gresham. They need more weapons for Carson Palmer and TE has been bad for awhile.
22 Patriots - RB Ryan Matthews. New England is old and thin at the skill positions on offense. Matthews brings back some balance.
23 Green Bay - OT Bruce Campbell. A physical freak and the Packers need OL help. Could draft a CB too.
24 Eagles - OL Mike Iupati. Need to improve the OL.
25 Ravens - TE Rob Gronkowski. Todd Heap is old and not the same player anymore.
26 Cardinals - OLB Sergio Kindle. Fits the 3-4 system and will replace Joey Porter in a year.
27 Cowboys - OT Roger Saffold. They released big Flozell and need a new LT.
28 Chargers - NT Dan Williams. They need to replace Jamal Williams.
29 Jets - DE Jared Odrick. A 3-4 DE or a smaller DT. Will help boost the Jets defense.
30 Vikings - CB Devin McCourty. Have to slow down the Saints!
31 Colts - OT Charles Brown. Have to protect the franchise.
32 Saints - LB Sean Weatherspoon. A great all around LB.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
So why were TV networks in such a rush to hire this guy? He WAS a great announcer. But that was because people trusted and valued his input as a former player and talking football head. The credibility he once had with viewers is gone. While Millen may still make relevant points while working on college of NFL games, how can anyone take him seriously? When he talks about how great a player is should I believe him or laugh since he proved in his time in Detroit that he knew nothing about what makes a player great? When he talks about what a team needs to do in order to win, should I take that advice as better than mine or just hit the mute button as his dismal winning percentage with the Lions proved he doesn’t know what it takes to win?
SI’s Peter King feels Millen’s past reputation as a great announcer should be maintained despite what he did in Detroit but that’s foolish. If you thought your financial advisor was great and he went bankrupt, would you keep listening to his advice? Absolutely not. You’d pull your money and move on. Matt Millen is a not a football genius. He’s just another talking head without a shred of credibility. I can no longer stand listening to him.
Monday, September 21, 2009
There seems to be this level of anger against the Wildcat that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. It’s as though proponents of the NFL feel their sport is denigrated by anything other than a pro-style attack. People laughed at Mouse Davis for trying to bring the run n’ shoot to the NFL and they hoped he would fail. It didn’t work out that well but at least the Lions offense scored points and moved the ball. Could you imagine if a college coach like Urban Meyer moved to the NFL and tried to implement his version of the spread? Whether or not that would work as a full time offence is certainly questionable but the amount of hatred and ridicule he would face would be high.
Urban Meyer had this to say about the NFL and it’s aversion to the spread. "I think it (the spread) would have worked years ago," Meyer said. "No one has had enough - I don't want to say courage - no one has wanted to step across that line. Everyone runs the same offense in the NFL. A lot of those coaches are retreads. They get fired in Minnesota, they go to St. Louis. They get fired in St. Louis and go to San Diego. I guess what gets lost in the shuffle is your objective is to go win the game. If it's going to help you win the game, then you should run the spread."
Andy Reid faced criticism for throwing the ball a lot with Brian Westbrook in the backfield years ago. Those criticisms faded because his offense worked. Any different offense that doesn’t work will get crucified. If you run a standard offense and suck, that’s fine. At least you are doing the status quo. It’s similar to the basketball coach that gets fired for losing too many games 125-120. The basketball coach that loses all his games 85-80 is much smarter because he played good defense. But both coaches lost by 5. Does that argument really make sense?
The NFL once thought the forward pass was terrible. Running the ball was the way the sport was meant to be played. But times and rules have changed. Fans want to see more passing and the rules were changed to allow receivers greater separation. You started seeing shotgun formations, situational substitutions and multiple receiver sets become standard. College football was slow to change but now seems to have overtaken the NFL as leaders in innovation. There are a ton of ways colleges attack on offense. From a standard pro set to the triple option to a variety of spread attacks by the likes of Urban Meyer and Rich Rodriguez. They have shown that using extra quarterbacks with a different skill set can be a positive and not an afterthought.
The NFL shouldn’t dismiss the tremendous variety of offenses in college football as a fluke or a fad. They aren’t going anywhere. Rather than lament how these non pro-style attacks affect draft projections, maybe they should look at using them in the NFL. The spread, triple-option or Wildcat may never be full time offenses in the NFL. But there is no reason those concepts can’t work on a part time basis. The Wildcat may not surprise anybody anymore but neither does a dive play out of the I-formation. Both require people to block and tackle. The only difference is one set of plays is accepted by NFL snobs and the other isn’t.
Monday, September 14, 2009
I do miss the old days where you had truly great teams and great matchups. The old 49er and Cowboy teams with Montana, Young, Elway, Watters/Craig, Emmitt, Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin were great. And that's just on offense. On defense you had Haley, Deion, Lott, etc. The salary cap era has deluted every team to the point where you will NEVER see a collection of talent like that again. Today's teams all have weaknesses. It's very rare to find a team that is truly good on both sides of the ball.
Teams bash baseball for the lack of revenue sharing and how some franchises suck year after year. There is a lot of truth to that. The NFL's revenue sharing is what has made it successful and the #1 sport today. But I think it goes a bit too far. I want dynasties to stay together longer before the cap breaks it up. I wish the NFL would have some sort of Larry Bird rule where teams could sign their own free agents at a discount against the cap and keep the great teams together.
New England would have never traded away Richard Seymour to the Raiders if it weren't for the hard cap. Why isn't Marvin Harrison still a Colt? Competitive balance can be fun but dynasties and flagship franchises are still important imo. I'd love it if the Cowboys were great every year. People could love them or hate them year round. It's far better than apathy which is what I felt looking at my TV Guide this Sunday.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
When a team has two good running backs like Miami has with Javarris James and Graig Cooper (or Clemson last year), the cpu should try to make sure the second running back gets on the field more often through packages and substitutions. Both backs need to get more touches. When you only have one great back, he should get all the touches.
If a quarterback like Bradford got hurt, shouldn’t Oklahoma try to run the ball more? Or if a scrambling quarterback like Tyrod Taylor got hurt, the cpu shouldn’t run the same plays with the backup if he’s a pocket passer. Even better, if two quarterbacks are evenly rated but one is a scrambler, would the cpu ever bring him in for a series or two to run a different offense?
Whenever we do get formation subs back in NCAA, pass rushers should be subbed in on obvious passing situations if warranted. The MLB should not always be the default LB in the dime package. Put the best player there and for the best situation.
The computer needs to recognize and utilize all the talent on the team properly. In other words, I want the cpu to play and think more like a human. Play to your strengths in every way. Make the appropriate play calling adjustments when injuries happen. I wonder how much longer this will take?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
I’ve run my own league for 14 years but the end of the road has come. I just don’t care anymore. I still love draft night, although we have tried an auction the last two years, since it’s a great time to get your friends together and talk smack while picking players. It’s the rest of the year that falls flat.
I’m certain my lack of interest in the NFL is hurting my enjoyment. Family life has also played a role. I hate rooting for or against players just because of how it might affect my fantasy team. Running to check the latest update on the fantasy scores or watching the ticker during games just to see how my guys are doing feels dumb now. Anyone else giving up on fantasy football?
Friday, July 24, 2009
This year I feel as though I am clearly in the minority. After renting NCAA 10 for a week I like NCAA 09 better. I know many love NCAA 10 and I’m a little envious. So I thought I would just do a quick breakdown of my thoughts. Yes I’m anal and overly critical at times. Can’t help myself. So here’s my tale of the tape between NCAA 09 and 10. Again, just my personal opinion and I only had a week with NCAA 10.
Areas Where NCAA 10 is Better
q Better sliders. These work great and really let the user tweak the game well.
q Better cpu running game. Partially due to the sliders, the cpu can mount a very effective ground game. Probably the biggest improvement imo.
q CPU QB Play. They throw the deep ball far more than the rarity in 09. And the cpu QBs doesn’t toss the amount of interceptions, primarily the game killing red zone ones that 09 had.
q Over the shoulder catches. These are really well done and also make the fade route relevant.
q OL movement in the running game. They get a better push in 10 and the added movement makes it more fun to read the holes while running.
q Game plays better out of the box on default settings.
Areas Where NCAA 09 is Better
q Camera. This is definitely user preference but I really like the old camera in 09. The feel and look of the game are much better. I can see downfield easier and it’s easier to defend. I hate the constant panning around in 10. This is easily my biggest beef and something I simply could not adjust to. Some will consider the new camera and player lock as positives but I don’t like those angles.
q Graphics and sound. Another personal opinion and it may be related to the camera angle but I feel the players look better in 09. They also seem more detailed and have better colours. The band and crowd sounds seem better in 09 as well. Some of the crowd chants, particularly the defense chant, are embarrassingly bad in 10.
q Pass speeds. I really like the passing speeds in 09. Feels just right. In 10, some passes can be zipped in at lightning speeds off the back foot and the overall speed feels too fast. I feel useless trying to manually defend the pass in 10 because the passing speeds are too fast.
q There is no menu lag in 09. For some reason the clunky and laggy menu system of 08 reappears in 10 to annoy us.
q I think some of the strategy elements of 10 are overdone. Asking your defense to strip the ball should not result in vastly increased fumbles or facemask penalties. Yes there is risk/reward but some of the new stuff feels gimmicky or overdone.
q Injuries. This is a bit of a crapshoot. There may not have been enough in 09 but there are too many to the skill position guys in 10. Minor complaint although this may be a bigger issue on Heisman this year.
Overall there are a lot of areas where I see improvement in 10. But the damn camera just pisses me off. When I pop 09 back in, the game just seems more fun to me despite its flaws. Too bad the NCAA team didn’t consider user options and customization when creating 10. Give us more camera options, a true accelerated clock, more sliders like Madden (game speed, fatigue, injury, stamina) and you might have a truly great game next year. But for now my NCAA posting has dwindled and I have essentially moved on. I’m enjoying a Miami Hurricane dynasty in 09 right now and hope Madden 10 will be great on August 14th.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Why you may like it and others may not
I think this game plays a lot better out of the box than ’09. So if you never liked playing with sliders you will like ’10 better right away. Non-slider guys probably will feel much better about ’09 than guys who adjusted ’09 a lot (I tweaked ’09 to extremes). This could also be a big plus for online guys forced to play on default settings. But I’m only an offline gamer so this isn’t the big plus to me as it is to some others. I’ll talk more about sliders later which are greatly improved after the patch.
I do think your enjoyment of this game will also be tied to your view on the camera angle. I don’t like it and it hurts my enjoyment. The NCAA team really screwed over a good portion of us by not leaving the old camera in as an option. I think the new camera is perfectly fine on running plays. But on passing plays I can’t see as well downfield as I like. My biggest problem with the new camera occurs when I’m attempting to play pass defence. I feel completely disconnected when trying to defend the pass in coverage. I usually suck in pass coverage anyways but I REALLY suck now. If you are someone who only plays as a DL this is a moot point. But I like to play as a LB and I really don’t like it. I just feel helpless and useless out there when trying to defend the pass. The player lock camera moves around way too much for me too and I won’t use this feature. Again – something some people will love but it’s not for me.
Feel of the game, Graphics, Sound
The game does feel a little different. The players look a bit smaller than ’09 and the camera is different. I think the game might even be faster than ’09. Players have slightly more weight but the momentum is still far from where I’d like it to be and where Madden ’10 will be. You still have overly twitchy players and the running animation is still poor in the open field. There are new animations to the game that do make it feel different than ’09 and these are a nice upgrades that you really see in the running game.
The graphics aren’t quite as sharp as ’09. I played a game as Miami @ LSU and then popped in ’09 and played a quarter just to confirm what I was seeing. Not a big deal to me but the players do seem smaller and not quite as crisp. What I found took a bigger step back was the sound in this game. It’s not good. The crowd chants are lousy – especially the “defence” chant, which almost pauses before it comes on to remind you that this is a video game with terrible audio. The surround sound took a step back too. The bands and crowd played through all my speakers well in ’09 but in ’10 they don’t come out very loud in the rear mounted speakers on my wall. Most of the sound tends to come from the front speakers. For those with a decent surround sound setup, I think ’09 was better.
Sliders
The patch made the sliders work a LOT better. I played my games with some tweaks based on early OS impressions (boost pass rush, I dropped my run defence to 0 to see if the cpu can run on AA, and dropped my FG accuracy to 0) and I notice a huge improvement over ’09. Honestly, if ’09 had sliders that worked this well, I wouldn’t think twice about buying ’10 – I’d stick with ’09.
I missed two FGs in my Miami game including a game tying 49 yarder with 10 seconds left against LSU. I thought I hit the last one good and it still went wide left. Setting FG accuracy to 0 does make a bigger difference. I had the cpu FG accuracy at 25 and I saw them hit the post on a 32 yarder. I still don’t like the analog stick kicking since kicks from the middle tend to be easy (dare I say perfect) compared to kicks from the hash but it’s better. I’m boosting human FG accuracy up a bit for my future games since I was bad with it at 0.
Running Game
I now see why everyone likes the running game this year. OL get much more movement on their blocks and it’s more fun to read the OL as you hit the hole. The game still plays on the fast side so you have to be quick but I think this area is the biggest improvement in ’10. Not only do you get good OL movement but the break tackle mechanic (from Madden ’09 but my first experience) is a lot of fun. Reminds me of the PS2 days. It also makes power backs more effective. I played against LSU and Charles Scott ran all over my Miami defence. He had 26 carries for 174 yards and 0 TDs. This was on AA with human run defence at 0, cpu run block at 50, cpu RBA at 60 and human tackling at 40. Only one run was a longer one. He just pounded the rock at me, broke tackles and got consistent yards. It was beautiful. Never saw this happen with ’09 as the cpu OL never got a push. They get a push with the good sliders in this game. I saw one OL drive blocking a guy 5 yards down the field. I still see some guys getting sucked into tackles and suction blocking among the OL/DL but the running game was easily my favourite part of the game. I see the biggest improvement in the game in this area.
Passing Game
I don’t see a big improvement here. Offensive playbooks are largely the same (defensive ones appear untouched) and I found myself calling similar plays and doing similar things. I did see some nice over the shoulder catches, which I like. The cpu went deep only once but I know from the demo this is improved over ’09. But for all those that are saying, “Yes, no more super leaping LBs!” this was really fixed in ’09 with slider adjustments. As someone that only plays on tweaked settings, this wasn’t an improvement for me. A couple times a game you will see a QB just rocket a ball out of his hand off his back foot at crazy speeds. Not sure why they did that.
There are more overthrows and under throws which are nice. You don’t see them too often but seem good. I do see some WRs getting bumped around and some jams can be really effective. I didn’t see a ton of this but it was an improvement over ’09. I never sacked the cpu once as the pass blocking is way too good on default and I have to boost the pass rush slider some more. Some of the zone coverages seem to get busted really bad. The cover 2 can be bad and I think more guys will run with man to man this year. The cpu QBs seemed better and only threw one pick in the 1.5 games I played (a bad one near the goalline) so this may be another nice improvement. Overall though, I just didn’t find a big upgrade in the passing game when I combine my dislike for attempting to defend passes with the new camera angle. I might like this more over time but I certainly wasn’t blown away by it last night.
Odds and Ends
I do like the halftime highlights and the EASW videos load much faster (is it because the quality is downgraded?). I lost two fumbles inside my opponents 5 last night. I never tried any of the strategy settings but did the cpu switch to aggressive to cause this? I have some concern over how effective defenders can strip the ball on aggressive. I’ve read about too many fumbles or facemask penalties on this setting but I can’t really comment first hand.
I had 3 injuries half way through the second quarter of my first game. While not big injuries I do get the feeling that the starting RB is going to miss time every single game with something. I had my starting RB, WR and TE all get hurt in my first game. Game #1 was a 31-28 loss @ LSU and great game score over 600. Too bad I blew the tying field goal. Game #2 I was down 17-13 after one half to Oregon with Cal. Best (Cal RB – me) was great as I had 17 carries for 168 yards. But I did have a 67-yard TD run where a defender completely whiffed on me – the new greased pig animation?
The menus do suffer from lag. I don't like this but what can you do?
Overall
I think the presentation took a step backward rather than forward with the lousy crowd chants and downgraded sounds. I saw my first stat overlay in the fourth quarter of a 7-minute game – not nearly enough. I don’t like the new camera as it really gives me a complete disconnect in terms of defending the pass. Makes me feel like I’m not even a part of the play, which isn’t good. I shouldn’t have to be a DL all game to feel like I’m doing something when the cpu is passing. I like the new camera in the running game but I really wish they had left the old camera in as an option. For those that love it then I’m happy for you. But there are going to be a lot of people where this change significantly hurts the fun factor.
Again, I’m not comparing default ’09 to default ’10. From what the settings I used last year, the biggest improvement is in the sliders and running game. I don’t see a big difference in the defence. The pursuit angles may be better but I’m still getting similar end results when looking at stats. That’s not a bad thing but I definitely don’t have the “Wow! This game is awesome feeling!” others have. Just a difference of opinion here. The game does have a different feel and look so I think there is certainly a new car smell going on for some. The running game is very nice and I love that we can finally get a consistent cpu running game. That is huge and a big upgrade imo. That alone is the real selling point for me on this game.
It’s early (1.5 game is far too little play time) and I will play all week but I don’t see this game being worth a $60 upgrade. I liked ’09 and will stick with that until Madden comes out. I will then decide on what game to get as I’m only going to get one football game this year.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
I feel like a giant yo-yo this year with regards to NCAA 10. Some times I feel good about the game and others I’m upset over what Madden is getting and NCAA isn’t. The last day before the demo came out was weird. I was feeling good until we found out the sliders were broken. Then I was extremely ticked off and swore off buying NCAA 10. Then positive impressions of the demo come in and the EA team announces a patch to fix the sliders. I feel good again. And then I play the demo.
Let me first say that it’s awful hard to get a real good impression for a football game with 2 minute quarters. It’s just too hard to get into a flow. Plus a demo is often limited to a small size and doesn’t have all the bell and whistles of a retail copy. This is clearly the case with this demo. I played two games; one with OU and one with Florida and both went into double OT. It usually takes me at least 5 full games at 7 minute quarters to start to get a good feel for a new game. No way can I make real judgments on NCAA 10 based on my play time but I’m unhappy about quite a few things.
DEMO RESTRICTIONS
The graphics in the demo (PS3) are mediocre. I had just played a couple games of NCAA 09 before the demo and played a game afterward. The demo is a small step back in how crisp the players look. The sound is very poor. The crowd chants are awful. Where were these recorded? The band music is missing and the overall presentation is extremely blah. I have to assume this is related to demo size as ’09 was better imo. If this is how the retail version is, I won’t understand it at all.
There are a couple tackle animations that happen over, and over, and over. This was confirmed to be fixed for the retail copy but it doesn’t make the demo look that good.
Lastly, you can’t adjust the sliders in this demo. Most demos don’t allow you to do that but when I compare the demo to my adjusted ’09 copy, I preferred the ’09 version without a doubt. It’s an unfair comparison – like buying a new suit off a rack without alterations and comparing the fit to the old one hanging in the closet.
GENERAL FEEL
The game feels very similar to ’09. I didn’t notice a big difference in the player movement. The differences are small if any and the players still lack too much weight and momentum. I can understand why many reviewers said the game feels just like ’09. It’s because it does! The subtle AI difference might be there but the feel is still similar.
POSITIVE COMMENTS
I’ll start with this short list. Again, very limited playtime but I did like the fact the cpu QB went deep. So nice to see. Over the shoulder grabs looked really good too. The corner routes may be a bit too easy to complete but the return of the deep ball on both sides was nice to see.
I’ve missed the r-stick DL moves since ’06. Barely used it tonight but I’ll just include this as I know I will like it once I get more playing time with it.
NEGATIVE COMMENTS
I don’t like the new camera. As soon as I started playing I hated it and this was one of my biggest annoyances while playing initially. As time went on I adjusted but I don’t like it. Plus it seems to pan and zoom during play a little more than I like and the transition doesn’t always seem so smooth. Why couldn’t the NCAA team add the old camera as another option? At least they could say they offered two camera angles. It does pan out a bit more to see the flats but the camera angle is too low imo. I like a higher view. I do think I will adjust but I think this is a step backwards.
I really loved the idea of the player lock camera when I first read about it. I thought this would be great on defence but I didn’t like this either. The camera is constantly panning around and moving making it very hard to either control your player properly and/or see the play well. I actually think its best if you are a DB but if the play is away from you, you can’t see anything. I would much rather prefer a fixed, defensive third person camera at this point.
Not much from either running game. Still early but without sliders, it's hard to tell if the cpu will be able to run effectively this year. The 2 minute quarters makes it extremely hard to judge as both teams are in hurry up most of the game. The running animations are still poor.
Shorter, bullet passes seem too fast. Not a big deal but I did notice it.
Not much of a pass rush on the cpu QB but I didn’t really have a chance to take a good look at this. Without replay, how do you really tell? I’ll have to defer to the OS videos.
Still not enough momentum for players but the least of my worries right now.
Why does the cpu still choose to receive in OT if they win the flip? They did this last year and it’s flat out wrong. You choose defence first in college OT.
Defensive playbooks appear unchanged.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
Not impressed with this demo. I was hoping to like it but instead came away disappointed. At this point I really don’t think I will buy this on day one. I’m no longer dependent on my football gaming and there are enough good games to play for now. I might just wait until Madden comes out before I decide or just keep playing NCAA 09 and deal with its flaws. Other than the improved cpu deep ball, I just don’t see anything significant here that warrants an upgrade – certainly not a $60 one.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It was a really good game. I lost 28-24 as Murray lost his second crucial fumble in the ball game with less than two minutes left as I was leading 24-21. Tebow converted a 4th and short on my 35-yard line into a play action TD pass. He completed 51% of his passes on the day for 326 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs. Only 10 yards rushing though on 11 carries. One of his picks was returned for a TD and I also got a kickoff return for a TD to start the second half. My passing skills were rusty early and losing Iglesias to an injury at the end of the second quarter didn’t help.
Despite the “wide-open gameplay” people complain about, my sliders and skill set actually didn’t see too much of this. No deep balls by either side and Florida punted 6 times in the game. I only punted 4 times but when you turn the ball over 6 times you don’t tend to punt too often. Bradford was actually 30 for 45 for me but no TD passes. Both running games didn’t do too much. The game was close throughout and ended up being a great game with a greatness score of 1215 (#3 all time for me).
The lack of the deep ball in the game was the greatest glaring error along with no QB scrambles by Tebow (looks to be an issue in the NCAA 10 videos still). Of course the pass rush wasn’t too bad with slider tweaks unlike the demo I’m about to play Thursday night. We’ll see how the two games stack up but with only 2-minute quarters (I play with 7) and no sliders, I don’t expect to have a great experience. I love playing with sliders and so not getting them will dampen that a bit. Still, I'm hoping to see some nice improvements.
11,530 Forum Posts
86 Blog Entries
1 News/Blog Comments
8 Reader Score Votes
179 Friends
106 Chalkboard Messages
63 Screenshots
36 Videos
81,178 Arena Visits
rudyjuly2's Blog Categories
More
rudyjuly2's Friends
Recent Visitors
The last 10 visitor(s) to this Arena were:
rudyjuly2's Arena has had 81,178 visits
rudyjuly2's Arena has had 81,178 visits
Working...