Best place to learn strat?

[Joph]

I'm starting to play with some coworkers who are all better... Where is the best place to learn strata to compete? Is the NCAA 12 guide worth getting?

Are there certain key o/d plays to use?

[NEOPARADIGM]

I've heard good things about the strategy guide. Don't quote me, though, as I haven't seen it.

I think the best approach is to just hit the practice field. Pick maybe 15 or 20 plays and just run them over and over and over and over until you can gain positive yardage with your eyes closed. When those get boring, pick another 5 or 10 to "install" into your arsenal. Rinse and repeat until you're crushing your coworkers.

Good luck.

[shaunlmason]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joph

I'm starting to play with some coworkers who are all better... Where is the best place to learn strata to compete? Is the NCAA 12 guide worth getting? Are there certain key o/d plays to use?

The best way to get better is find a good set of opponents, and I don't mean the cheesers in the lobby.

[Strategy101]

1) Real life football. As cliche as it may sound "the real thing" is still the best place to get a feeling for strategy and tactics. If you watch NCAA or NFL you should be able to understand why teams run certain base defenses (such as why teams run a 3-4 instead of a 4-3) or what the mindset of the west coast offense is. In NCAA it goes even further with the advent of the "spread" and "spread option" understanding how it works and why it works is a large part of the game. This is probably most easily learned and most enjoyable by watching real games and paying attention to the plays and what the commentators make an effort to point out about a specific play or offense/defense.

2) Against your friends/real people... psychology. A lot of beating your real life people comes in using setup plays and working on them mentally to create opportunities for yourself. This doesnt work against the CPU really since they play like a script and have programed responses, however your friends dont, and they WILL react to certain things when done over and over again or they'll anticipate things based on situations that a CPU would not.

3) Play to your teams strengths as well as yours. If you tend to use a couple teams quite regularly (which most do), learn who your best players are, and make sure you're running an offense and defense that favors them... also learn who your weakest links are and makes sure you're doing your best to hide them (especially on defense). This also applies to your opponent, as learning their stregths and weaknesses will make you more informed about what should and wont work (trying to throw deep with a 90 speed WR against a 97 speed CB isnt likely to succeed very often unless you're a master of the rocket catch).

4) Practice practice practice. Practice mode in NCAA is a fantastic way of mastering plays and finding ones you're comfortable with using yourself. If you cant make a play work with regularity against the CPU then its quite likely not going to work against your buddies either. So spend some time finding at least 10-20 plays you're comfortable with and know how they work. Not every play in Madden or NCAA is good, in fact some are terrible so its best to stick with what works for you and you understand rather than what doesnt work.

There is probably a lot more that could be said, and I'm sure I could list a lot more, but I think these are the general things you should make sure you master first before you worry about details.

[Joph]

When using practice mode what defense should I practice against

[Isura]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joph

I'm starting to play with some coworkers who are all better... Where is the best place to learn strata to compete? Is the NCAA 12 guide worth getting? Are there certain key o/d plays to use?

No need to spend money. These 2 sources will keep you busy for a while. http://ncaastrategies.com/utopia/ http://smartfootball.com/

[MagicMan1315]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joph

When using practice mode what defense should I practice against

Each and every one. Choose a formation and press random (select button). Thats what I do. Also, I wouldnt purchase it.. You could just go into Barnes and Nobles (if they have it there, I got no clue) and sit there and read it for a while if you want.