Revamped Recruiting/Dynasty in NCAA14

[dghustla]

Based on some articles posted earlier about EA meeting with WVU to discuss recruiting. We can assume that Recruiting and Dynasty are at least getting a mini-overhaul. What changes are you hoping to see NCAA14 in regard to recruiting and dynasty?

[CM Hooe]

My thoughts which I cross-posted elsewhere previously:

For more major changes: I'd open up recruiting more. Too often, I can look at a recruit and immediately say to myself "I have zero chance of getting this player", regardless what school I choose to play as. I would keep the schools more even for longer periods of time during the process; it could still be the case that I have no chance of getting a particular player, but it shouldn't be so immediately obvious that I shouldn't even try. Perhaps eliminate the interest meters entirely, and have the only indicator of where a recruit is in his individual recruiting process be the stage indicator: "Top 10", "Top 5", "Top 3", and whatnot. Make it a less sure thing.

I would also eliminate the idea of a hard commit before National Signing Day, since a recruit cannot sign a letter of intent before that point. To compensate for this, I'd make a verbal soft commitment more meaningful and harder to break. Further, I would put a large chunk of resources into some sort of presentation package for National Signing Day - kids putting on hats, kids switching commitments at the last second, and so on.

I would add recruiting news stories to the Dynasty Wire beyond "Player X has committed to school Y". There should be storylines in the recruiting process; a kid who verbals to one school but then gets home-sick and reneges his verbal, a kid being heavily influenced by his parents to go to a particular school, a kid who doesn't have good grades and must go to prep school, a kid who gets injured in high school and loses a star off his rating, and so on. I'm taking a lot of inspiration from the draft class storylines feature in Madden NFL 13 here, admittedly.

I think these changes would inject some life into the recruiting process and make the non-football portion of the game more lively and less old-hat than it has become to us over the past few years.

[dghustla]

I agree with you point about Verbal Soft Commit. Maybe they can make where the school the player is committed too get another multiplier to fend off the competing schools. I like the idea of storylines but I dont want any recruiting classes to be pre-scripted it takes away the surprise of the class and with draft guides becomes stale. I love how in ncaa a RB can randomly be 5'9 with 90 str. Where as with prescripted drafts all 5'9 HBs will be speed backs and all 6'0 220 backs will be powerbacks.

Would love to see some type of signing day presentation also. Even it's it just a ticker and maybe the top recruit at all positions.

I think they do need to add either known or unknown variables like this recruit is waiting until signing day no matter what, or like you said. Players Parents like school X.

[cuttingteeth]

True - I rethought the hard commits before signing day, too. What I decided is that because the AI doesn't really act like several guys on my staff legitimately working that recruit (that it really is just me making the difference in efforts to get kids), then that's why I can accept solid commitments when we get them. Otherwise, the game doesn't allow for any kind of contingency plans - there's not enough "call time" to keep working the process for backup recruits, should I need them. So, yeah, I'd like to see:

More targets/time/hours allowed to be able to recruit (or a much, much better SIM option of slider/selected variables for the CPU AI to do it).

National Signing Day presentations and/or seeing commits put those hats on "after" you get to either coach/play/see them play in the Under Armour game and/or Army All-American game.

That'd be the shiz.

[BA2929]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

I would also eliminate the idea of a hard commit before National Signing Day, since a recruit cannot sign a letter of intent before that point. To compensate for this, I'd make a verbal soft commitment more meaningful and harder to break. Further, I would put a large chunk of resources into some sort of presentation package for National Signing Day - kids putting on hats, kids switching commitments at the last second, and so on.

I like this idea, however I'd add in a 'Verbal Hard' 'and a 'Verbal Soft' commitment.

The soft is easier to break, obviously. But the Hard would be much, much tougher. Basically a team wanting to make a run at it would have to promise the world to the recruit. Then it wouldn't even be guaranteed to work. It'd basically be a hard commit, but there would be an element of doubt if another powerhouse was trying it's hardest to steal him from you.

I'd love the idea of a National Signing day show as well. That would make those top 10-15 guys really special to sign. I'd also take away the instant commit, or at least make it incredibly rare. Too many times I'll have 5 guys instant sign in the first week of recruiting. Really takes the enjoyment out of recruiting for the remainder of the regular season.

[TomSellecksMustache]

dynamic recruit rankings would be cool. say the #1 player is listed at 82, but after scouting he turns out to be a "bust" at 74. goes from a 5 * #1 position to 4* #20 position

[DorianDonP]

I'd have soft and hard commits.

Hard commits=prospects that have shut down their recruiting. They aren't accepting phone calls or setting up any visits except to the school they committed to. In video game terms, you don't have to spend recruiting points on them anymor.

Soft commits=prospects that are still flirting with other teams, and you still have to actively recruit them.

But I'd make it where there are far more instant hard commits out there, especially from lower rated guys, so you could theoretically have your entire class filled during the season if you wanted to. But there needs to be an accept commit screen just like in 2K's free agency where you have to "press x" to accept the signing.

I think the strategy involved with this process would make recruiting incredibly realistic and fun every cycle. ESPECIALLY if recruiting classes were editable and sharable. Sigh.

[gharp14]

I just want to see a lot more teams offer players and actually have recruiting battles between 4 and 5 teams especially for the top end players. Also commitments would be a good idea and they would have a higher chance of decomiting with decrease in job security, other teams having good years , or a coaching change at his committed school or elsewhere