NCAA Football 2006 Wishlist

[bclancy]

New Coaching System
I'd like to see a complete overhaul of the current coaching system. Add assistant coaches- at a minimum an offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and recruiting coordinator (maybe one more like an AD-type position, main scout, or graduate assistant as well?). All these positions should be filled from a single pool of coaches, each with non-exact ability ratings in several categories: leadership, discipline, offensive playcalling, defensive playcalling, recruiting ability, offensive coaching ability, defensive coaching ability, scouting accuracy, special teams, etc. But instead of giving us exact ratings like 80 in recruiting ability, use non-exact decriptions (Poor, Fair, Good, Exc or A-B-C-D-F as it allows for more to be "felt-out" through trial and error like in real life...If it's in the Game, It's in the Game, right? ) I'd like to see that last suggestion applied to player ratings too for the same reason.

But back to the suggested coaching changes-what this does is create numerous exciting and interesting options that great increase the replayability of the Dynasty Mode. Coaches can change jobs in real life - some get fired, some get promoted. Make this happen in NCAA-say you win 2 NC's, chances are some of your coaching staff leaves for better opportunities elsewhere (see USC this year). If a "cohesion" rating is included, it adds incentive to keep that staff together as the total becomes greater than the sum of the parts, such is real-life. As programs succeed and stay together coach ratings should subtly improve; possibly coaches improve their weaker areas by being on a staff with outstanding other coaches (say the Charlie Weis effect at ND?).

Recruiting Effects
Assign each staff member regional recruiting areas-West, South, Midwest, South-East, East for example. Track coaching records, positions held, & at what school - maybe a HC at a I-AA school in Florida becomes FSU's DC, he should rock at recruiting the South-East region based on his experience in that region plus his position at a power school also in that region. The longer a coach recruits a particular region, the great his success should be (all other things equal) because it should reason he has developed a pipeline to HS in that area. Please assign each coach a "Scout Accuracy" rating that determines how well that coach "sees" recruits ability and potential as well as his current evaluation of current players (the Offensive Coordinator is the main "scout" for offensive players, DC for defensive players...meaning we never know the exact ratings with 100% accuracy!) Also add some more variability by having other staff coaches scout ratings effect these evaluations to a lesser degreee. Although the Recruiting Coordinator should have a more major scout evaluation factor in all recruits, and the Head Coach on all the current roster.

Program Effects
Coaches will come and go based on success, lack of promotion, retirement, etc - having the option to hire staff from other programs or lose staff to other programs is a huge factor in real-life. It effects recruiting, development of current players, staff continuitity often leads to greater successes (the whole is greater than the sum of the parts mentality), a great staff should increase player's awareness on a somewhat temporary, somewhat permanent basis meaning if a great OC leaves to be HC at a new school, that All-American QB from last season should struggle more the next season because the old OC was a better coach, gameplanner, teacher, etc than the new OC which all temporarily peaked that QB's awareness only when the old OC was on staff! Imagine the effect a coaching change could have on current players and recruits- a head coach getting replaced means an entire new staff has to be brought in; schemes should be coach specific, but should grow in depth overtime and coaches should be able to "learn" new formations and plays over the years of working with other coaches. This learning of new formations and plays should be related to on-field success, coaching staff continuity, and player awareness so all have both positive or zero effect on these additions, by no means should they be "automatic."

Player Effects
Each coach has ratings in several key areas that will determine how each player on the roster progresses over their career: for offensive players OC will have 60-75% effect & HC 25-40% effect on their attribute increases each year. More importantly, the OC & HC will have huge in-game effects on abilities; the coaches "coaching ability" attributes should be able to boost attributes just like great gameplanning does in real-life giving their players better opportunities to succeed. I'd like to see attribute increases (other than awareness) limited more than in previous versions. I believe coaching has a bigger impact than the game currently models, and we can implement a system to better reflects real-life this way. [DC/HC 60-75%/25-40% will affect defensive players same way; OC/DC/HC will equally affect special teams players same way]

Implementation
For programming sake, make this a separate task during the "offseason checklist." By using just one pool of coaches it allows for coaches to move into different positions which should increase/decrease their abilities in each of the attribute categories; it also allows an OC/DC to become HC at the same school should a HC retire. Also, just like the current offseason recruiting (2005 and older versions), if the user wants to cpu to make decisions for them the option should be present for such-possibly just add sliders in the Coaching Options section for: staff continuity, offense vs defense ability, disclipline vs. congeniality, etc.

My two main points behind this proposed idea are: 1) there isn't one best coach or way to coach. Implementing all those (and hopefully more!) coaching options introduces a completely new, but vital layer to the game that has a ripple effect on the entire nature of the Dynasty Mode. 2) Replay-ability. The variability provided by the unknown effects of each decision that arises in this coaching system adds tremendous value to the game. In addition to allowing a more customizable program building option, adding non-exact ratings (example-Poor, Fair, Good, Exc) as part of incorporating this idea means that trial-and-error becomes a necessity - like in real-life...you don't for sure that a coach will work out until you see the results.



Other notes
Tons of great ideas already on this board, here's a few more (mostly repeats-but that's because they're important enough to be mentioned again):
1) Adjust DB AI - too often a DB in man coverage jumps and swats a ball down without ever turning his head.....get rid of the mind-reading, all-knowing defenders for good. Please.
2) AI abandons run too quickly. Probably due to the difficulty establishing a running game. Either adjust the AI or create more fluid, realistic run-blocking that creates running lanes and prevents DL that are already engaged by a blocker from still making the tackle so often!
3) Lessen the talent divide - 2005 took a huge step forward by limiting 5-star recruits to 35-60 which is much more accurate of real-life than older versions with 100 5-stars. Keep moving in this direction because in real-life coaching is as much, if not more, a factor in "creating" great players than individual "skills" with the exception of a few truly elite players
4) Completely rid of the 0-100 ratings scale for player ratings. Generalizing ratings into levels such as letter grades or scales (Poor, Fair, Good, Exc) adds much more feel to the game and more accurately models real-life (nobody ever says something like "Darren Spoles is a 95 for speed")
5) Add spring and fall practice plus an optional spring game. Allow us to select starters whose attributes get small bumps thru receiving additional reps...underclassmen should generally see greater bumps than upperclassmen unless the upperclassmen is moving into a starting position for the first time. The greatest increases should be in awareness. Injuries should occur (but be rare-fun factor concern).
6) Inseason recruiting-I've heard this is on tap for 2006; great and much needed addition - can't wait to see the implementation!
7) Better and more on-screen stat overlays - more, more, more


Well that's enough for now...this is a fantastic series that I've been playing for nearly a decade now! I've tried to incorporate ideas from my own experience and from other games such as Solecismic's Front Office Football series and The College Years, EPSN's NFL Football & College Hoops Series, and Simulatedsports.com multi-player, online college basketball simulation. Don't get me wrong, IMO EA's NCAA is overall the best of the bunch, but each has some small areas that are done fantastic and I tried to incorporate numerous ideas into one concept above.

[shyvoodoo]

"Real time lighting. Day games gradually turn into afternoon games and afternoon games turn to night. That would be real cool."

Actually this feature was in 2004. Dont know what happen to it in 2005. Games that "started" at 6pm had sunsets, by the time the game was over it was.. still sunset!?!?! whats up with that??

[hawkeyes19]

Bring back the option from the old sega Madden where if you made substitutions during the game, the players had to run on and off the field accordingly. You had to take that into account with the play clock and game clock. Clock management is huge in college football. If you want to punt or kick a field goal, those units had to run onto the field and get into the huddle. If you wanted to substitute your 'hands', 'fast' package or goalline package, the players had to run on and off the field accordingly. It makes for a better simulation b/c you can play longer quarters without ridiculously high scores.

Also, in that same line, make substituting runningbacks and receivers easier, like in Madden 05, where you can do it directly from the playcalling screen.

[dawgdan7280]

I like that idea hawkeyes. I think they actually had the subs running on and off the field on the ps1 ncaa games. I dont know why they remove things that seem so simple to leave in - on field subs, chain gang, camera angles. I know these are small things, but that's the point. It only adds to the feel and the realism, so why not leave them in... or bring them back.

[ChicagoChris]

1. Put game in XBOX
2. Hook XBOX up to widesceen TV
3. Slowdown?
4. Take disc out and fix code

My only request..

[USF11]

All I care about is that it BETTER have Multi-player dynasty. The other guys wishlists are good though, especially the playoff option. My brother, our cousin, and I have had some pretty heated moments, they ABSOLUTELY cannot get rid of that. I would cry.

[Hawaii_Stars]

Need to have multiple penalties possible.
injuries be time affected meaning if someone tears an ACL in bowl game, he shouldn't be 100% when the next season starts