An actual POLL!!! Your grade

[dave374]

Quote: Originally Posted by marino13882

i rated it a 9 i dont know why i need an intervention...can you please explain.

Quote: Originally Posted by heavy_hitter

The game is a 1 for me. EA failed and IMHO 2008 was a better game. This game has so many faults I don't see how any hard core football person rate this game above average with all the issues at hand. 1. Roster Bug. 2. Bad Defensive AI. 3. Poor Pursuit Angles. 4. Defensive Players standing and watching. 5. Lack there of a pass rush. 6. Offline Play Slider screw up. 7. Offline Robo QB. 8. FG kickers. 9. Ratings mean nothing on defense. 10. Return Game. 11. Most turnovers go for six. 12. Can still pitch ball late on option. 13. Having to invite someone to a game by going to the leader boards online. 14. Onside Kicks go at well over a 50% recovery rate. 15. Getting the ball back after missed FG's in the end zone. I am sure I could think of more if I really wanted to put thought into it. I look at the NCAA Series as replay value. After a 2 months most of you won't be playing this game anymore. I am still playing, but have already gone back to COD4 for some games. The patch, if they even give us a second patch, will not cover all of these issues.

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

I gave it a 6. Graphically, the game is to be commended. It's a pretty game. The fields look great. Lighting is wonderful. The player models are superb. They look like football players. Albeit some of the animations are a bit clunky. Some of the animations just do not look smooth. To add, anytime you have suction blocking I gotta give you a low score. The suction blocking in this game, mehhh, not going to rehearse it. Yes, it has become a rehearsal to talk about suction blocking. Twenty years of Madden, and what at least 10 years of NCAA and we still have suction blocking Last night I had the Va Tech HB pinned in the endzone only to see my OLB warp pass him into the FB because of suction blocking. It should have been a Safety. One other clunky looking animation is the stiff arm and defender reaction to said move. They have all runners doing the Greg Jones on Dexter Reid Stiff Arm and the defender just throwing his arms out like he's is screaming Hallelujah!!! at a Revival Meeting. It doesn't look right when a WR does this to a 278 lb defensive end, or a HB does this to a 310 lb DT. The jukes look good though along with the running animations on offense. Some of the running animations on defense look very stiff and also, on the blocking, break blocking, Oline vs Dline engagement, LB vs FB and OLine engagement, WR vs DB blocking, it looks too choreographed. The players do not move like they are playing football, they move like they are following directions. This may be the downfall of motion capture, where guys are doing more acting than actually getting after it. They need to figure out a way to make this appear more violent. After all football is a violent game. I'll give Midway credit on one thing. Even though their game is straight arcade, and some of the animations are over the top, when you look at their game, their players move around like what they are doing means something to them. Nobody appears to play "careful," and "choreographed" football. I need to see guys going all out and giving everything they have. Anyways, more positives. If I was only grading this game on offense I'd probably give it a 9. Like I said the game is beautiful, the playbooks have some depth, the player control, although maybe just a tad bit more momentum would be nice, but the play control is spot on. Even on defense the player control is spot on. The slide protection actually works and does a hell of a job when used. You can create some good pass blocking schemes. The formation audibles add depth to your offense - not like that's needed though Establishing a running game can be fun but they built this game to where you do not need to run at all. Just pass every play. Unfortunately I cannot simply take the offense and leave it at that. It's always been about defense for me and sadly there isn't much here. Speed- The lack of speed by some of the defenders is quite baffling. Linebackers with 85 speed who cannot catch a TE with 72 speed? especially when the TE catches the ball he's only around 2 yards in front of said player? I don't get it. The linebackers act like they are struggling to move. I can play linebacker in here a little bit though. I have had times where I've shed a block and actually made the tackle in the same play on inside runs. It needs more work though. On outside runs, I can be complete unblocked and the RB always will bet me to the Corner. What happened to pursuit angles actually meaning something? Blitzing - I understand; you want to try to get rid of nano blitzing. Well ok. But what are you going to replace it with? Guys are running all up against each other and going nowhere on blitzes, and when guys do get through, they either turn back into an offensive lineman or the Olineman will actually cheat and slide backwards and catch him so that he cannot run through clean. Needs a lot of work. Coverage - It's good that in man coverage if your back is turned you cannot see. Ok, that's a good fix. However, we still have problems and they are big. I'm specifically referring to positioning in both man and zone coverage. I harped on this with 2k8. CB and DB play is all about positioning, hip riding. This is, in my view, one of the reasons in most games you have ridiculous user catch offense. I must qualify this here. I'm not saying there should be no room in a video game for such to take place. But this is where ratings should come into play. I see no reason to have CB's in 2009 rated along a scale. Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone - Big issue in video football games. Stop turning your back and running out in front of the WR. Stop it please. If we are playing said zones and giving up the inside, backpedal and if the WR shows vertical threat, get on the outside hip and run with the man. If we are going to play our zone inside, get on the inside hip and run with the man, but please stop with the out in front, I can't see you, technique, Rocket Catch that every single time. If the outside WR's do not show vertical, stay in the backpedal and look for the Corner route by the next numbered WR from the inside. Ratings - Why are guys on defense rated? Every defense ends up playing the same. The carbon copy feel of yesteryear is in full effect. I think a good example will showcase what I'm getting at here. On offense I know the exact meaning and significance of a WR rated 92 overall. His meaning and significance is not only known by me, but in head to head games it is also known by the other player. He' knows that this guy is going to be a problem against any DB especially if I know how to rocket. On the flip side however, the meaning and significance of a 92 overall CB is straight arbitrary, whether he is up against a 92 rated WR or a 68 rated WR, his meaning and significance is arbitrary, he's going to always get out of position against the rocket; he's not going to blanket the lower rated WR's very well. Dline - I'm not going to rehearse it. I could go on, but these are the biggest issues with this game to me (there are other issues to be sure, backwards sliders and even equipment creation in the create a player) and the fact that I don't agree with the generalization of the game's premise for this year. Big question, LB, do you like the game? I'll use an structural category to answer that question. When understood in terms of a whole and its parts, I like some parts of the game alot. But in no way do I think some of its parts come together with the other parts to create a commensurate whole/ or complete on the field College Football experience. I think about the only thing that keeps me playing until I just accept defeat is, not too many guys have a great defense and so, it's the search to find something that most guys do not have LOL. But this search will most likely end in vain

Quote: Originally Posted by JMD

I had to vote Below Average. There is no excuse for releasing a game that does not work properly. I don't care if it can be patched later, it's just plain lazyness by the game developers to let a game be released with all these issues. I'm more of a 2k football guy so at first I didn't notice all the issues but the more I play the more I see. I'm playing on All American and still pretty much scoring at will so I'm going to crank it up the the next level. My 3 biggest complaints with this game are: 1. The kick off coverage is terrible, most of the A.I. seem like they aren't even interested in the ball carrier. 2. Moronic A.I. on defense. DB's and LB's just stand there and watch a play develope, by the time they act, it's too late. Example - out passes to the HB - the LB just stands there and waits until the HB catches the ball, then he begins to purse, but it's too late becaue a LB is not going to catch a HB. Another huge problem with the A.I. on defense is they do not take good angles on players to make the stop, or tackle. Instead of my WR or HB getting shut down or tackled he usually gets an escort to the endzone. The A.I. just runs along side him. The way the A.I plays defense must be fixed or this game will be useless to me. If it's not patched by the release of Madden it will be traded in toward Madden. ( I can only hope the Madden guys did a better job testing that game) 3. A.I. offense - makes bad decisions, does not throw the deep ball, pass to run ratio should be more realistic. I think some of the A.I. issues could be better if the sliders actually worked.

All criticism aside, I am legitimately glad you're having fun with the game.

[NC State-31 UNC-27]

I just can't believe how high some people's expectations are....

If 2k5 was ever broken down like this game has been, people would be trashing it the exact same way. Every sports game has fundamental gameplay flaws. In the end, the fun factor comes down to realistic outcomes (scores and stats), player control, graphics, and features. With how deep recruiting is, EA Sports World, and custom stadium sounds, I'm having a ton of fun with the game.

I hated EA's football efforts the last two years, but I'm having a blast this year.

[KG]

Quote: Originally Posted by feeq14

In reading LBs post I do see where some of his complaintts are coming from. However I have to disagree with most of the people complaining as a whole. I think the real flaws of the game gameplay wise come down to several issues. 1- There arent enough QB ratings. This is the reason why QB play is so iffy. If there were ratings for deep/shallow passing, or pass timing, pocket presence, etc. Then the QBs on offense and defense would not be so effecient in every way without turning the non working sliders up and down. Fixing pocket presence would help becuase what I see is EVERY qb manuevering excellently in the pocket, especially on blitzes which is a major issue with fixing pass rushing. QBs get the ball out too quickly and it hurts the realism.

Right on man. Why is there only a Throwing Power and Throwing Accuracy rating? I'm not saying have every intangible as a rating but playing the QB position is a little bit more complicated than that.

I give this game about a 6 with the feature that had me the most excited not working (on-line dynasty) and the roster glitch. By now I would be half-way through if not done with my first season in dynasty mode. Look at the lack of dynasties in that thread, that should tell you somethings up.

[Marino]

Quote: Originally Posted by NC State-31 UNC-27

I just can't believe how high some people's expectations are.... If 2k5 was ever broken down like this game has been, people would be trashing it the exact same way. Every sports game has fundamental gameplay flaws. In the end, the fun factor comes down to realistic outcomes (scores and stats), player control, graphics, and features. With how deep recruiting is, EA Sports World, and custom stadium sounds, I'm having a ton of fun with the game. I hated EA's football efforts the last two years, but I'm having a blast this year.

Have you used NCSU yet and if so what are your feelings towards them?

And man Carter Finley just looks beautiful

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by NC State-31 UNC-27

If 2k5 was ever broken down like this game has been, people would be trashing it the exact same way.

No they wouldn't because 2k5 came out 4 years ago on inferior hardware and cost 1/3 of the price. This game is horribly bugged and has serious gameplay issues. The pining for 2k5 gets old, but your statement is pure nonsense.

[NC State-31 UNC-27]

Quote: Originally Posted by marino13882

Have you used NCSU yet and if so what are your feelings towards them? And man Carter Finley just looks beautiful

I haven't used them a whole lot but do love Carter-Finley and the custom sounds we have.

EA hasn't found a way to replicate our disaster at QB yet, haha. Daniel Evans an impact player is downright hilarious. But Mike Glennon got a good rating and should be dangerous down the line in a dynasty. Anthony Hill is a weapon at TE and Donald Bowens is nice at wideout. I wish there was a better way to utilize Tony Baker and Andre Brown to go along with Eugene in the backfield. We really need formation subs.....I think the only way to do it is to use the sub at the play call screen and every quarter rotate the backs on the depth chart. Willie Young is rated 88 at DE I believe which is pretty generous too but I'll take it.

[Alliball]

Quote: Originally Posted by dave374

I think the big thing is improved player control. Everyone wanted it so bad, they're overlooking the 6,000 flaws in the game. Anyone who rates this game over 6/10 pre-patch needs an intervention.

Thanks for making my point. The overwhelming majority like the game, but some how the minority has it all right?

[heavy_hitter]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tengo Juego

Your breakdown along with Heavy hitter's=My exact review/feelings. There is one feature that I absolutely love, Custom Stadium sounds. It adds so much to the experience.

The one feature I feel they finally got right is the Playbooks. They are great this year.