Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

[return.specialist]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

I noticed that EA was pushing the new tackling system which had done away with 'suction tackles'. It is fine and dandy (and realistic) that a tackle sequence or animation cannot commence until the player makes contact with the ball carrier. Great.

However, it is obvious that the tackle system is either separate of the blocking system, or the coding team chose to disregard tweaking the blocking component because THERE ARE STILL SUCTION BLOCKS.

I can deal with a defender being smashed from the side by a blocker, thus derailing his pursuit. I cannot deal with a defender rotating 90 degrees mid stride to engage in an approaching blocker.

Logic would infer that there would be a player contact system, not two separate modules. Regardless, this lies at the heart of the lackluster physics engine.

I have much less gripes about the engine than others I have read on the site, however, the aforementioned really irks me.

Also, being as I have not played NCAA since '05 on PS2, I was shocked when I encountered difficulties in the initial setup (e.g., restrictions for Team Builder and created players, amongst others) and the sheer absence of features from earlier games that i really enjoyed (e.g., NCAA violations in Dynasty mode, the impact player blinking circles, the atmosphere in the stadium). The limitations of certain aspects were rather appalling when compared to what I remembered in previous installments.

My two cents, I have others, but I'll leave it at that

Oh, and I agree with everything in the initial post, sans the classic teams. I just want FCS and Other schools which were present in the older games.

Yea,

[gator3guy]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

Just pop in NCAA 04-07 on last gen and take notice of things that were done right. I used to play those games for hours on end because the games were actually fun and didn't leave you with those WTF moments for the most part.

This year I stopped playing in September and just haven't had the urge to play since. It's just not really a fun game to play. It get's boring. And it'll stay that way unless they finally decide to cut the fluff and actually try to improve the game and not just put a band-aid on it. It's amazing how the last gen games didn't have nearly as many glitches but now that we have patches it's glitch after glitch. Something needs to change.

[jwilphl]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

I admit I am highly skeptical of EA's ability to right this ship, for a number of reasons.

First, it seems the engine needs a complete rebuild, and certain "features" of the game will continue to exist so long as the engine remains in its current capacity. This mostly refers to the gameplay, i.e. suction blocking, lack of momentum, super linebackers, and bad receiver/CB interaction. Most of this is basically runover from the last generation engine. It's simply old.

Second, I worry that this development team just doesn't have the right tools--whether it is a resource problem, personnel problem, or direction problem, I just feel like they have blinders on to a lot of the NCAA issues. The audio department is maddeningly unacceptable, and while they have made an "admirable" attempt to input college tradition, they are still completely missing on presentation and atmosphere. As a side note, no more Ben please.

Third, the short development cycle means it is approaching impossible to really fix the game the way it should be fixed. That means stripping down the foundation and redoing it with a whole new core that can perform like a next-gen game. Physics and the whole shebang could be included in this. My guess is it would probably take at least 20 months (and likely more with troubleshooting) to fix this appropriately.

This game has a long way to go to be great, but the list presented would definitely mean an improved iteration. I don't expect EA go get it all done at once, if we can even expect these additions in the future at all.

[SkillzKillz719]

One of the little things that I miss from the PS2 days are the score updates from the rest of the country. They should add the ESPN ticker on the bottom with scores from that day's games in dynasty, and give people the option to turn it on/off so that it doesn't distract people who don't want it there.

Somebody mentioned it earlier, but every game in dynasty just feels like a one-off exhibition game. Remind us during the game that there's a college football "world" beyond that single game.

Yes! I've been saying this exactly!

[rudyjuly2]

So true. The author's comments on the physics engine couldn't be more perfect to sum up my feelings. I just can't take the lousy physics engine and the way the players move anymore. I simply am giving up on EA football until this is MUCH better. Or at least give us an option similar to the speed threshold where we can make momentum matter.

As for the recruit weights, the game randomly generates weight which is completely and unrealistically independent of the type of player. Seeing a 4*, 6' 7" 198 pound "run stopping" DE is ludicrous. Either start tying weight into attributes or at least change the weight ranges for specific player types. Run stopping DEs should have a higher range than pass rushers. It's common sense.

[raulstar12]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

Imo we need someone to go work for ea from here ok????????

[TDenverFan]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

I think the game play is fine, focus on Dynasty.

[blkrptnt819]

I think the game play is fine, focus on Dynasty.

Really? Gameplay looks like what you see on Saturday? I just wanna see your side of this.

[TDenverFan]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

Really? Gameplay looks like what you see on Saturday? I just wanna see your side of this.

No. But is it pretty realistic compared to Recruiting and the Coaching Carosel? YEs.

[fcboiler87]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

No. But is it pretty realistic compared to Recruiting and the Coaching Carosel? YEs.

I think the gameplay has a lot of glaring issues. But I cannot argue with you on this.

[WipeOut464]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

No. But is it pretty realistic compared to Recruiting and the Coaching Carosel? YEs.

Yeah, but how hard is it to beat the realism of a roulette pitch wheel for recruiting?

Sure, Recruiting and Coach Carousel (and Custom Playbooks, for that matter) could be worked on, but they're really just ancillary features -- and the CORE game still needs tons of work. Think of how much time you spend recruiting and going through the Carousel versus the time you spend on the field watching 220lb 6'7" DEs hold the line against All-American OTs or CBs and WRs being oblivious to one another (or ball trajectory or momentum-less DBs or psychic playcalling, etc. etc...).

[blkrptnt819]

No. But is it pretty realistic compared to Recruiting and the Coaching Carosel? YEs.

Umm I'm not too sure about that, but either way the gameplay needs a lot of work. The carousel needs more work that recruiting. Let us pick our topics, problem solved. There's more work that can be done to recruiting but physics ,psychic DBs, pass trajectory, psychic play calling, blocking interactions and wr/db interaction while the ball is in the air all need work.

[kc816]

bottom line is its 2012 we all feel that technology has come far enough to where we should see better physics amongst other things such as halttime show post game show basically becasue we all saw that in nfl 2k5, great game btw. ea is holding back period, 2k is holding back. hopefully we can get back to some good o fashing competition with more gaming companies. socialisim is bacisally what we are experiencing as far as sports games r concerned. make it more real and stop cheating us cuz we seen better and and spend 67.66 at freakin game stop. s/o to the 816 kcmo

[blkrptnt819]

head coaches play editor was good, but i remember NCAA 00 or 99 for the PS1 that had an amazing play editor. I remember creating a quad option from the I were you could either hand off to the FB, pitch to the RB, pitch to the WR on a Reverse or keep with the QB. You could even select what direction you wanted players to block like: run block left, middle, or right and same for passing.

So I popped this in today to see what you are talking about and that play editor was pretty good. If they had every route available it would be amazing!! I just hope they have something to allow you to make option plays and playaction plays.

[DaTwolves21]

Re: Five Things to Improve NCAA Football 13

Great write up, it's sad I use to think the NCAA series was better then madden but now I just don't play either. I don't think I will get NCAA 13 first day. I hope things get better for EA and then I can return to enjoying the series.