Rubber-Band AI or Late-Game Pressure?

[immortal]

In today's gaming world, sometimes it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between rubber-band AI logic and late game pressure. In MVP baseball, on MVP difficulty, regardless of where the pitches are thrown, if you are up big late in a game, the cpu will somehow "manage" to string together hit after hit until the game becomes competitive. This is definitely rubber-band AI, which has become apparent in many EA Sports games. Visual Concepts has always been known for their late-game pressure, making it feel more realistic and not just the cpu trying to make the game competitive in any way possible. However, last night, I am not sure if I encountered the former or the latter.
I was the Jets playing against the Saints. With 3:31 left in the game, I was enjoying a 27-13 lead with the ball (thanks in part to Sam Cowart's 4 INT's - All-Pro difficulty with default sliders). Anyway, after dropping 2 wide-open passes, I punted. 2 plays later, the score was 27-20 after a 45-yard TD reception by Joe Horn. With a little over 2 minutes left, I get the ball back and proceed to throw an INT on second down deep in my own territory. Once again, 2 plays later, they score, tying the game. In less than 2 minutes, they doubled their score to tie the game. I got the ball back and started driving but got stopped around mid-field. I punted and the cpu regained possession with under 1:20 to play. After killing some time, they had the ball on my 30 on 3rd down with under :30. They complete a 10-yard pass, which would have given them first down, but a penalty was called for an illegal forward pass. They challenged and surprisingly, they overturned the call. So now they are on my 20 with under :20, but with their kicker already missing one fg within 30 yards, the cpu felt the need to complete another bullet pass on the sideline and get out of bounds with :03, setting up the game-winning chip shot fg and my 30-27 loss.
Now usually, I would just take the loss and move on. But I couldn't help but think to myself whether this was late-game heroics or rubber-band logic at play. I was thinking that maybe it's an all-pro higher difficulty type thing, but if I move down to pro, I am afraid there will be no challenge, especially since I just about beat a decent team on all-pro.
Any thoughts, opinions, suggestions, queries?

[bronxct1]

well passing the ball with that little time left shouldnt be done unless needed try and run the clock out.

[Reznor]

Quote:

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immortal said:
In today's gaming world, sometimes it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between rubber-band AI logic and late game pressure. In MVP baseball, on MVP difficulty, regardless of where the pitches are thrown, if you are up big late in a game, the cpu will somehow "manage" to string together hit after hit until the game becomes competitive. This is definitely rubber-band AI, which has become apparent in many EA Sports games. Visual Concepts has always been known for their late-game pressure, making it feel more realistic and not just the cpu trying to make the game competitive in any way possible. However, last night, I am not sure if I encountered the former or the latter.
I was the Jets playing against the Saints. With 3:31 left in the game, I was enjoying a 27-13 lead with the ball (thanks in part to Sam Cowart's 4 INT's - All-Pro difficulty with default sliders). Anyway, after dropping 2 wide-open passes, I punted. 2 plays later, the score was 27-20 after a 45-yard TD reception by Joe Horn. With a little over 2 minutes left, I get the ball back and proceed to throw an INT on second down deep in my own territory. Once again, 2 plays later, they score, tying the game. In less than 2 minutes, they doubled their score to tie the game. I got the ball back and started driving but got stopped around mid-field. I punted and the cpu regained possession with under 1:20 to play. After killing some time, they had the ball on my 30 on 3rd down with under :30. They complete a 10-yard pass, which would have given them first down, but a penalty was called for an illegal forward pass. They challenged and surprisingly, they overturned the call. So now they are on my 20 with under :20, but with their kicker already missing one fg within 30 yards, the cpu felt the need to complete another bullet pass on the sideline and get out of bounds with :03, setting up the game-winning chip shot fg and my 30-27 loss.
Now usually, I would just take the loss and move on. But I couldn't help but think to myself whether this was late-game heroics or rubber-band logic at play. I was thinking that maybe it's an all-pro higher difficulty type thing, but if I move down to pro, I am afraid there will be no challenge, especially since I just about beat a decent team on all-pro.
Any thoughts, opinions, suggestions, queries?

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14 point lead with 3:31 to go and you're throwing the ball? A run on 2nd down instead of "dropping 2 wide open passes" would have eaten up those 3 seconds that cost you the game.

[Michael23]

Tough loss man.

Stuff like this happens in the NFL every week. Because it's a video game, there will always be a tendency to be a little skeptical becuase of the "catch up AI" that has been in every game for years.

Anyway, I'd keep playing.

[BigBadB]

It depends on several things...

What were the circumstances of the Joe Horn TD? Look at the play systematically and see what caused it. Like your defense, the position/reaction of your DB's - things like that. Most importantly does this type of comeback happen frequently?

On the interception deep in your territory. Why were you throwing late in a game with a narrow lead? Even if its 3rd and long I'd run the ball, eat some clock, and punt the ball as far down field as possible.

[smalley]

yup

[sportsgeist]

Buddy Ryan would hit you on TV for passing the ball instead of running the clock out with your running game.

[D_Money]

A couple of thoughts:

* Late game pressure is valid. EA's comeback AI is too evident.

* Missed opportunties on your part hurt you. That's what makes the game good. There were probably signs that you missed. What's your end-game (O/D) strategy when you are ahead?

The CPU howvever, tracks every move you make. Do you do the same? If the CPU puts it all together at the end, who's the blame if a furious comeback succeeds?

It means that we have to dig (think) a little deeper.