07-25-2004, 08:17 PM
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#1
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Banned
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NCAA 2005 a sim? (Warning: lengthy)
I apologize in advance for the length of this piece (you can call it rant, if you like).
I have attempted to break it into sections and upsized the type to make it as easy to read as possible.
Again, sorry. But I really wanted to get this off my chest.
Everyone keeps calling this a 'thinking man's game' and a great sim.
This is not a sim.
It's tough as hell, but it's not a sim.
A 'sim' replicates football. This game does not replicate football.
Again, it's tough as hell, but it does not replicate football.
It was a very admirable effort to shut down flats, take away speed advantages and kill money plays, but it isn't real football - college or pro.
Oddly enough, I still like the game. I think it was Onelove who said this game really brings out your emotions. That's true. It really does.
But it is not, and never will be, a sim.
Sim = simulation.
NCAA 2005 is not a simulation of the football we know or watch on TV.
Stats are e-mailed. I defy anyone who can show me true football stats over a ten game period (without fudging their stats).
A look at the differences between real football and NCAA 2005.
PASSING
Real football: QBs on average (especially for the winning team) complete about 54-60% of their passes.
NCAA 2005: 45-50% ... if you're lucky. Most are happy with 40%. Raise your hand if you've finished a game 12-30 with 165 yards. Now, I could buy the theory that you finished 12-30 because you suck. But why, when playing offline, does that 40% completion rate hold true for your CPU opponent?
I've been pummelled by opponents who went 12-36 passing. How many times does that happen in real football? You go 12-36, you lose. Period.
OUT OF THE BACKFIELD
Real football: Auburn's RB Williams gets open in the field for passes because of his pure speed advantage. 99% of NCAA linebackers can't keep up with him out of the backfield.
NCAA 2005: Linebackers stick to Williams for at least 10 yards in man coverage like glue. They all have Brian Urlacher speed and awareness. Those rare times Williams is open - drop!
PASS LENGTH
Real football: Filled with shot passes - curls, slants, little dump offs in the flats. 70-80% of football passes are 10 yards and under.
NCAA 2005: Short passing game difficult for most, save for a few exceptional players. Super zones and blazingly fast linebackers leave little time for a short passing game. How many dump offs to the RB do you see in this game? NCAA 2005 has become a game of medium and deep passing, with a lot of running to open up those passes.
RUNNING GAME
Real football: At least half the run plays are inside the tackles, with some success.
NCAA 2005: 95% of the successful runs are outside the tackle. Unfortunately, while trying to fix Madden 2004's outside running game, they messed up the inside game.
TIPPED PASSES
Real football: Tipped passes that stay in the air 3-4 seconds are intercepted 95% of the time.
NCAA 2005: Thank God this isn't the case.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Real football: Defensive tackles do not lead team in sacks, save for top 5 NFL pick types. Defensive ends and linebackers usually hold the sack lead.
NCAA 2005: DT nano blitzes a regular occurence, even if they're facing left guards with full composure and high ratings.
CATCHING
Real football: Halfbacks and WRs drops short passes yes, but not at an alarming rate of 60-70% of passes thrown their way.
NCAA 2005: An astonishing number of drops, manual catch or otherwise.
DEEP PASSES
Real football: WRs rarely, if ever, make a catch 40 yards down the field in triple coverage (where oddly enough there's an outside linebacker - who somehow can run a 4.4 40 to keep up with the WR. Neat trick).
NCAA 2005: WRs make sub-human catches in triple coverage (even cpu catches), where oddly enough one of the defenders is the ubitiquitous linebacker. Pretty fast guy.
QUARTERBACK COMPOSURE
Real football: QBs rarely lose their composure one quarter into a game.Yes, it happens ... but not every game. If it did, the QB wouldn't keep his job.
NCAA 2005: An all too common occurence. QB (even rated 80 or higher) loses composure and is replaced by a 75 rated QB who magically completes five passes in a row.
PASSING YARDS
Real football: On average, a good passing team averages 225-275 yds a game ... a conservative estimate.
NCAA 2005: 250 yd passing games by all but a few players rare, possibly 10% of the time we play.
NUMBER OF PLAYS A GAME
Real football: On average, each team averages 60-70 plays a game ... which allows guys to set up pass with run, because they know their RB will get 20-25 carries.
NCAA 2005: Five minute quarters do not allow this. How many games have you passed for 250 yards, and had a main RB rush for over 100? Unless you're playing a scrub, it ain't happening. You just don't get enough plays in a game to establish anything.
So far, after 27 games, I've averaged 39 offensive plays a game.
Jett Kyle 02, possibly NCAA 2005's best player so far, averages 40 plays a game. With his stunning 84-10 record, he's only averages 168 yds passing a game.
Kushmir, who's off to a great 12-3 start, averages 40. Even with his great start, Kush is only averages 160 passing yds a game. He uses U. of Miami.
Bandy72 (who's 54-26) averages 41. Gotta give Bandy credit (even though he lost to me). He somehow averages 244 yds. passing, but only 21 rushing (with LSU!!!!!)
MMOldSkool 34.
You get where I'm going here. Not enough plays to properly set up the pass or run. Most West Coast offences set up the run with the pass, not vice versa.
PLAYACTION PASS
Real football: After eight straight running plays, most defences will bite at a playaction pass.
NCAA 2005: I ran the ball 11 straight times for over 40 yards (very little on the inside, of course) - and threw a first down playaction interception (into triple coverage) ten yards down the field. Again, tough as hell, but not real football.
KICK RETURNS
Real football: Punts and kickoffs return for TD once a game, by at least one team - if not both. Because of the dramatic difference in speed between an NFL first round pick and college's 50th best player (who's likely on special teams), these things are gonna happen. Not with Madden 2004 regularity, but they happen.
NCAA 2005: In 27 games, I've had a few 20 yd kickoff returns and a couple 25 yd punt returns. Raise your hand if you're the same. Play as LSU vs a Div 1-AA team and try to return a kick for a touchdown.
FORMATION SUBS
Real football: You can rest your main RB.
NCAA 2005: Online, you're forced to pause. How difficult would formation subs have been to include? Most teams use 2 RBs through a game. The main one gets 20-25 carries and the backup 7-8.
Disclaimer: I know a lot of people are gonna flame me for this thread and say "you suck". Ok, I'll get it out of the way for you ahead of time. I suck.
I started 0-13, but am now 7-22 (7-9 since my horrid start), so I am getting a little better and learning the game.
But here's a tell-tale sign of this 'sim' game.
Even with my brutal record, look at my opponents' overall offensive yardage.
OFFENSE
Avg. Points For 8
Avg. Yards For 139 yds.
Avg. Offensive Plays 37
Avg. Pass Yards 112 yds.
Avg. Rush Yards 27 yds.
3rd Down Success 24 %
4th Down Attempt 21 %
4th Down Success 29 %
Avg. Punts 4
Avg. Giveaways 1
Avg. Time of Possession 9:33
DEFENSE
Avg. Points Against 19
Avg. Yards Against 203 yds.
Avg. Sacks 2
Avg. Interceptions 0
Avg. Takeaways 1
Imagine how good my record should be if I'm only giving up 203 overall yards a game?
SORRY ABOUT THE IMG CODES. THOUGHT THIS SITE MIGHT SUPPORT THEM. APPARENTLY NOT. THIS POST LOOKS BETTER AT www.MADDENMANIA.COM
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