User Catching

[DVegaxSTOx]

if anyone one goes back to the demo you can tell a clear difference when you try to catch the ball. I've been user catching since 09' and mastered it. I really hope they fix this soon because is messing up how I've been playing this game for a long time now. Its even worse when it doesn't respond on defense and the CPU makes a catch that should have obviously been picked off.

[deezyskillets]

You have to control the guy straight to the circle and press triangle. He well adjust to the ball and catch it.

[dreezymac]

Catching wasnt an issue in the demo nor is it in Heisman or RTG modes...cant imagine what changed. The receiver can be eyeing the ball on a deep route or streaking across the field with a clear look and still not make a play. One person mentioned catch ratings play a part but its not like you're sending linemen out as legal receivers. A WR/TE/RBs catch rating would have to be set to "blind" or "dumb" to not even put their hands up and make a play.

Here are some videos I've collected showing a lack of catch response on deep balls but it regularly happens on any route.









Granted the catchability of some of these can be argued but catching and simply ATTEMPTING the catch are two different things.

I have noticed that the approach when running to make a play on the ball plays a big part in triggering a catch animation but when the pass happens quickly or there's coverage converging, sometimes there's not a lot of time to worry about approach...

[ju1092]

I absolutely agree that it's off.

The responsiveness of pressing the catch/swat button, whether you are the receiver or defender is lacking.

Most of the time the defender or receiver who is user controlled doesn't do anything. I've been user defending/catching for a number of years, and this is the first year that this has happened. It has nothing to do with being in the right position or not, when you press the button NOTHING happens most of the time. This desperately needs to be fixed with a patch/tuner.

[xXShowstopperXx]

Yeah the user catching is a real problem on both sides of the ball, but its worse on defense. If you were good at user catching/picking you noticed this immediately. After being frustrated on defense for a number of my first few games I went to practice mode and it seems like the game ignores your commands when you try to pick/swat the ball. But its worse than that, the game won't even let you move the defender after you've switched over to the defender when the ball is thrown. If you're not on the defender from the start of the play most time you won't be able to move the defender, he will just keep going on the path he feels is best, ignoring you.

I feel like the poster that said most times they aren't responding to your button inputs its because they aren't looking is half right. I think it is impossible to user pick a pass when your defender isn't looking but even when they are looking you have to be so precise and press triangle in the smallest of windows for the user pick attempt to register. If you go to practice mode and try to press it too early the defender will do absolutely nothing. If you do press it just right it will be registered as a user pick giving you the illusion of control; but in reality if you make a user pick this year the computer was probably going to make it anyway.

To play devil's advocate a bit here, I get that this year they don't want psychic DB's and they also wanted to "help" casual gamers. I think they had good intentions but they went way too far. The way the cpu plays the ball is done well imo but as for users its just terrible. If my defender isn't looking at the ball because he's looking at the receiver and I press circle, then triangle he needs to try for the pick. That is the intercept button on defense so if it is pressed then he needs to try for the pick. Period. Now maybe he shouldn't be as successful as he would be if he was looking, maybe trying an awkward play on the ball, but he needs to do something. In that same vein If I as a user press the catch/pick button too early then that's my screw up and I should pay for it. Let me jump early and miss. If I try for a pick but I should have tried to knock it down then oh well, let me try for a pick and get burned.

They basically imo have taken control out of the user's hands and made the period after the QB throws the ball and before the WR catches it or its incomplete a complete spectator sport. I kinda see what they were trying to do but they failed miserably. None of the suggested fixes helps (turn off auto strafe, delete re-install tuning update, etc.) and thats a shame because I like everything else about this game but this makes defense so frustrating. Especially seeing hail marys and other passes that have no business being completed actually being completed. This needs to be patched ASAP. The worst part is it was perfect in NCAA 12 and they made it so much worse...so much worse....okay end rant.

[dreezymac]

Quote:

The worst part is it was perfect in NCAA 12 and they made it so much worse...so much worse....okay end rant.

It was actually perfect in the demo and deleting the pre release tuner set doesnt resolve the issue which begs the question of what could EA have possibly done to mess it up this bad...

[Hoops737]

The LB (swat) button on defense rarely works.

It's difficult defending the pass because of the new and improved passing system.

[DVegaxSTOx]

the swat button is terrible as well. What is crazy is that you will see the CPU go up and get the ball for picks or make really good swats but you cant do anything when you're controlling the defense. It is one thing to be getting beat on the deep ball but when your DB is in position to make an easy pick and as soon as you press Y/Triangle nothing happens and the CPU makes the catch probably for the touchdown. Its even more sad when something like that happens and the little hints that come up "to intercept the ball press y" after pressing it 30 times.