games you just can't win

[tlef316]

you ever have one of those games you know the computer just wont let you win? Well, i just had one.

2020 Season (yeah, I've played a lot)

#4 Troy (me) @ #6 Cal.

My RB is 6'2 255 lbs. He is rated a 91 overall and has 93 speed. He carried the ball 15 times in this game. On at least half of those carries, he was absolutely laid out by guys he had at least 30 lbs on. It was basically the equivalent of Assante Samuel lifting Jerome Bettis into the air with tackles.....10 times in a row. 3 fumbles, 2 lost. By the middle of the 2nd quarter, i was starting to get worried.

I'm up 3 in the 4th quarter. Driving for the game clinching score. My 220 lb junior WR catches the ball over the middle. The 175lbs CB LAYS him out, causing a fumble (my 5th of the game. CPU had ZERO)

Still, I have the lead as the computer is driving. About 2 minutes to go. The computer completes THREE third and 12+. 1 is a screen pass where the cpu RB broke 3 tackles, including my AA 99 rated FS. The 3rd and final one is a 3rd and 18. Their TE catches a lob pass into a double team, then stumbles forward 6 yards for a first down (and the spot was bad)

Finally, they score the go-ahead TD on an option play. Their 81 rated QB, who has speed in the 60's mario runs through 2 defensive lineman and then breaks a tackle to score.

AND thats not all........

Even with all this, i still have 1 minute to tie the game. I work the ball down to the red zone. I have a 2nd and ten from the 20. I run a play action to my TE in the flat. He catches it and takes it in with 5 seconds left. BUT WAIT......HOLDING on my LT, who was nowhere near the play.

Next play, 5 seconds left, They play prevent and knock down the pass, ending the game.


At this point, my dynasty is now over. I turned the game off in frustration, because i didn't want to go through the whole "play of the game" and all that. It would just have made me mad. However, I'm not someone who's going to re-play a game, no matter how cheap it is. I can't possibly play through a whole season, as it was only the first game and I now have ZERO shot at a national title (since there are like 4 undefeated teams every year) So, it looks like I'm done. Over the past few months, i have come to like this game, but this was just unbelievable. I just can't play anymore. Easily the cheapest loss i have ever had to the computer.

And yeah, i realize this is nothing more than a rant. But i had to do something to avoid smashing a controller.

[jdrhammer]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlef316

you ever have one of those games you know the computer just wont let you win? Well, i just had one. 2020 Season (yeah, I've played a lot) #4 Troy (me) @ #6 Cal. My RB is 6'2 255 lbs. He is rated a 91 overall and has 93 speed. He carried the ball 15 times in this game. On at least half of those carries, he was absolutely laid out by guys he had at least 30 lbs on. It was basically the equivalent of Assante Samuel lifting Jerome Bettis into the air with tackles.....10 times in a row. 3 fumbles, 2 lost. By the middle of the 2nd quarter, i was starting to get worried. I'm up 3 in the 4th quarter. Driving for the game clinching score. My 220 lb junior WR catches the ball over the middle. The 175lbs CB LAYS him out, causing a fumble (my 5th of the game. CPU had ZERO) Still, I have the lead as the computer is driving. About 2 minutes to go. The computer completes THREE third and 12+. 1 is a screen pass where the cpu RB broke 3 tackles, including my AA 99 rated FS. The 3rd and final one is a 3rd and 18. Their TE catches a lob pass into a double team, then stumbles forward 6 yards for a first down (and the spot was bad) Finally, they score the go-ahead TD on an option play. Their 81 rated QB, who has speed in the 60's mario runs through 2 defensive lineman and then breaks a tackle to score. AND thats not all........ Even with all this, i still have 1 minute to tie the game. I work the ball down to the red zone. I have a 2nd and ten from the 20. I run a play action to my TE in the flat. He catches it and takes it in with 5 seconds left. BUT WAIT......HOLDING on my LT, who was nowhere near the play. Next play, 5 seconds left, They play prevent and knock down the pass, ending the game. At this point, my dynasty is now over. I turned the game off in frustration, because i didn't want to go through the whole "play of the game" and all that. It would just have made me mad. However, I'm not someone who's going to re-play a game, no matter how cheap it is. I can't possibly play through a whole season, as it was only the first game and I now have ZERO shot at a national title (since there are like 4 undefeated teams every year) So, it looks like I'm done. Over the past few months, i have come to like this game, but this was just unbelievable. I just can't play anymore. Easily the cheapest loss i have ever had to the computer. And yeah, i realize this is nothing more than a rant. But i had to do something to avoid smashing a controller.

I undertsand completely. Somewhere below this post, in another thread, I told how my AA HB fumbled 5 times by the midway point of the 2nd qtr. I took bonecrushing hits everytime I went up the middle. I had to score 55 to win. In the Sugar Bowl, one year, I threw 9 picks. The last 2 were careless, but the LB int was rampant. I finally just super-simmed to end the game and get it over with.

[timbeau0805]

Early in my Dynasty, as Michigan, playing Notre Dame. Every game it seemed like I couldn't win and a game winning drive by them was inevitable.

[jdrhammer]

I played in one last night after posting on this thread. It's still early in my season, and at the beginning of my season I upped the CPU's offensive and defensive abilities just one notch over to the right. They improved by about 200%, especially the HB, FB, and WR's breaking tackles. I got beat 58-55 and gave up around 500 yds or so. I threw two picks where the TE was just crossing across the field and easily had 2-3 steps on the LB and I led the TE as well. Pick six. The LB never stepped in front. I led the receiver and my QB is an impact with 96 ACC. It's like the ball just died and I threw a bullet from about 12-15 yds.

I couldn't dream of stopping the HB.

[Saber]

Yeah, NCAA has been like this for years though. I've played in games before when I absolutely couldn't complete a pass or I kept fumbling or whatever to get frustrated and try it again to only roll on that same team by 30. There's certainly something in the gameplay engine that makes game like that and though some would argue it's "more realistic", it's actually more like the computer just cheesing. I would say more often than not a game decided in the last 2 minutes goes the computer's way. There's well documented complaints of a player running the ball 11 or 12 straight times just to run a play action and the entire computer defense absolutely ignoring the ball carrier and sacking the QB to the point where I no longer even run PA in the NCAA games as well as any delays or fleeflickers because of the fact.

[Cardot]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlef316

you ever have one of those games you know the computer just wont let you win? Well, i just had one.

Despite all the bad breaks, you were still right in the game.

But yeah, I do agree that somethimes the game just decides to stick it to you. For good players such as yourself, I think it is the only way that EA knows how to program a CPU win once in a while is with the cheap stuff. For me, it is annoying because I suck....I make plenty of mistakes on my own to lose. LOL.

[Biodawg03]

I've had some tough losses as well. Had one game I lost when I kicked an extra point (would have tied the game) and after moving the stick forward the line jerked sharp right and I missed the EP.... I also missed 3 FGs in that game.... but my kicker was horrid.

Couple years later I was riding a 30+ game winning streak when I hosted unbeaten #3 ranked USC (I am UW). I got sacked about 6 times (PA is a waste of time), had 7 TO's (I had 3 picks though). I ended up losing the game 24-20 or so. USC kicked 3 FGs, had a INT TD, a Safety that occured when their DT got through my line (all rated over 88) so fast he tackled my QB before he could even hand off on a HB Dive, and their final possession (I was up 20-17) they scored a TD with about :20 left on a screen to the FB who broke about 4 tackles before getting to the LOS then beat everyone in my secondary in a footrace down the sideline for a 65 yard TD (gotta love when a guy with 80 speed pulls away from guys that are 95+ speed).

What really made me mad though was that their running back broke about 14 tackles, had 30 yards more after contact than he had in the game! which means I was hitting their HB in the backfield almost every time he got the ball.... but he broke free nearly every time.

Crazy game, I outgained them by about 200 yards. All my TO's were in the redzone and I had 3 stops inside the 5. But weird games happen! I ended up winning out and won the National title.

[tlef316]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cardot

Despite all the bad breaks, you were still right in the game. But yeah, I do agree that somethimes the game just decides to stick it to you. For good players such as yourself, I think it is the only way that EA knows how to program a CPU win once in a while is with the cheap stuff. For me, it is annoying because I suck....I make plenty of mistakes on my own to lose. LOL.

Well i wouldn't say that I'm a great player, but i tend to think that I'm above average. I play on heisman with tweaked sliders. The only reason i got back in the game at the end (was down 10 with 3 minutes left) was because i started playing a little bit "cheap". I know some people have trouble running PA passes, but for some reason, they work very well for me. I have a very fast QB, so i just ran PA, rolled out to the right, and hit my slot WR on a deep post route. If not for that play, it wouldnt have been close at the end(because i every time i ran the ball, my freak of a RB got jacked up)

For me, the worst part was the holding at the end. There hadn't been a penalty called all game (other than the occasional false start or offsides) but they "decided" to call a holding away from the play on the most important play of the game. For me, that is the absolute definition of the computer deciding i wasn't going to win. I had no control over that play, and it had no effect on the outcome whatsoever, but i still lost as a result.