Intelligent football rewarded

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by ycbs

While I agree that for the HUMAN player intelligent play is rewarded (less INTs thrown, less fumbles, less sacks, etc.), and I definitely have gotten more intelligent in my playing, I cannot stop the CPU from throwing INTs. I play on AA with INTs set to 0, and even my own defensive awareness down to 30, but my CPU controlled teammates are gobbling up the INTs like crazy. Through 10 games of my dynasty as UNC, my team has a total of 26 INTs. With a game against Duke still on the schedule the over-under is 30+ by the end of the year. This despite the high in all 1A football last year being 24 total team INTs, and the fact that UNC doesn't have a good secondary at all (UNC hasn't had a decent secondary since Dre Bly left).

Keep lowering human def. awareness down to reduce CPU INTs. I've got mine down to 0 (I do put the CPU ACC to 40 to help produce more incompletions) and they don't throw many picks at all anymore.

[wonderl33t]

Quote: Originally Posted by ycbs

While I agree that for the HUMAN player intelligent play is rewarded (less INTs thrown, less fumbles, less sacks, etc.), and I definitely have gotten more intelligent in my playing, I cannot stop the CPU from throwing INTs. I play on AA with INTs set to 0, and even my own defensive awareness down to 30, but my CPU controlled teammates are gobbling up the INTs like crazy. Through 10 games of my dynasty as UNC, my team has a total of 26 INTs. With a game against Duke still on the schedule the over-under is 30+ by the end of the year. This despite the high in all 1A football last year being 24 total team INTs, and the fact that UNC doesn't have a good secondary at all (UNC hasn't had a decent secondary since Dre Bly left). I've never seen too many fumbles by the CPU and my own initial fumbling problem while playing the demo was fixed by covering the ball when in traffic or about to be hit. My only real problem with the gameplay right now is the CPU INTs thrown. With the sliders I'm using on AA, I've got the CPU running the ball realistically (YPC-wise) and I'm able to run the ball realistically myself. I'm very satisfied with my own passing game results. I can't just move up to Heisman, because I tried that and I couldn't run or pass the ball realistically at all on that level.

Heisman is a dream come true if you can get used to it. The CPU will stop turning it over so much, trust me. The only bad thing is that your team will randomly play horrible (unless you have 90 OVR players across the board) but that is real life, actually.

Adjusting to Heisman just takes calling the right plays and making good reads passing the ball. And you have to know just the right instant to throw certain routes or it gets picked (on certain routes, literally it will get picked every single time, no exceptions).

[davin]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheGreat

From my experience. Only the bad cpu QBs have had an interception problem against me. The good ones roast me just like they should. Im in week 6 of my season with FIU and the only game where i picked off the cpu multiple times was 3 against Troy. I am seeing more fumbles now than before, but nothing out of the ordinary. I just dont see the big deal. Maybe its my sliders, maybe its because I try and play like its real football or something. I dont know, but Im fine with this game. My QB might throw a terrible pass for no reason everynow and then that gets picked off, but hey, what can you do.

For the most part this is the case, however I have seen some exceptions. In dynasty year 4, it was the second game of a Texas series I had scheduled. Texas on paper looked like they were going to kill me with their 99 OVR 82 SPD, 94 Pass Accuracy stud at QB. It turned out he threw 5 picks on the day. I have also seen that with a top UCLA QB in year 3. However for the most part, I get realistic results. The Heisman Trophy winning QB from USC demolished my secondary in the title game, however it just turns out my running game was better. If I did not have an elite defense I would have gotten killed (like I did when I faced USC a couple years before).

Overall, yes you do have to play a lot smarter. You have to realize as a QB what is going to be there and what isn't. And from my experience, a pass over 15 yards will not be there for you. I have to work the short to intermediate passing game to get anything going. QB Motivation is also important. Get your QB's confidence up and those slants and 10-20 yard passes become easier. On play action last year my first read was to Ted Ginn and see how they were playing him (if it was man coverage, it was a TD), now even if it is man coverage and my awesome WR has him beat by a step, the chances of the ball getting there how I want and the chance of the defender catching up make me reconsider and most likely go for the simple dumpoff to the FB in the flat or the TE for a good 8 yards. My pass protection to be blunt is horribe so that makes it harder, and even very frustratingly so. I haven't figured out really what I can do when my OL just decides that blocking isn't for them and don't even touch guys. However for just about everything in this game on heisman, it has taken me time to learn really what is going on, so maybe this will come in time. However I really feel that this game rewards you for playing smart but if you start trying to force that pass in there or try something risky it will usually come back at you.

[RedmanR]

For myself short and flat passes to get my passing game going, mixed up with a run here and there forces the CPU defense to try and adjust to what your doing that's why I generally use pretty much ever play in single back, I-form and shotgun formations to try and stay on top of what the defense is giving me. Understand I do sometimes read the coverage and blitz wrong throwing Ints and getting flushed out the pocket for a sack... sucks!!! but not like when I first popped the game in... It's really not for the casual gamer IMO as past NCAA games. Past NCAA or Madden games my two sons and I would simply pick up the sticks and know what to expect and me since I enjoy playing with the kids as well as my adult kid friends lol... had to throw that out there...whereas now I have taught them not to force the ball to a receiver that is well covered because it will most likely get picked, and try not to throw on the run with a qb with limited moblity skills or to remember "RB" cover the ball in traffic because the potenial for a fumble does loom, result...turnover. Especially if your team is struggling to get something going. So everyones learning mistakes they make and try to play a more disipline style of football which is good because we can't wait to get the ball back to make up for the turnover we just had.

Learning curve... Yes. Casual gamer... No. Playing an intelligent game of NCAA 08'...Priceless

[coffeeholic]

I've had blowouts-close games-OT-etc. I like this year's version. Every team plays different and has a different plan of attack. If you can adapt and set up a proper counter attack quick,the reward is there.

[simgameonly]

Learning curve... Yes. Casual gamer... No. Playing an intelligent game of NCAA 08'...Priceless

Preach on brother!

[RedmanR]

Quote: Originally Posted by coffeeholic

I've had blowouts-close games-OT-etc. I like this year's version. Every team plays different and has a different plan of attack. If you can adapt and set up a proper counter attack quick,the reward is there.

Same here... I have games with a couple of turnovers...then some that will make me want to throw my sticks at my TV... Like my last game I was Cal vs UCLA. I fell behind early and started to turn the ball over again and again. I didn't want to pull Longshore so I let him stay in regardless of how bad the passing game was. Anyway... I lost but won the next game which was cool.

[capone2117]

Totally agree with everything here.

Playing offense on this game is nice. As a former QB, it is easy to know that there are always opportunities underneath and with intermediate passes. Also, 99% of the time, you can get someone to be open. Use the clock to check the defense. They move around alot and it opens up quick audibles for you. You can usually spot a blitz from a mile away. And you can tell when they are going to drop 7 or 8 into coverage. I usually just take off when they drop into a deep zone and gain about 10-15 yards. With young QBs, you have to be especially careful. They are liable to make big mistakes in their passes when someone is wide open. Usually for those deep routes(posts, corner routes, flys), you have to drop quickly, set your feet, recognize whose open, and get rid of the ball quickly. I have huge success in deep passes, only because I know who will be open and get rid of the ball. When you get rid of the ball, you will usually lead the receiver to where he is supposed to be and he runs to catch up, thus burning his coverage man. If you wait that extra second, you will under throw your man and this is where you see tons of ints, even with int set at 0.
You really know how to play "realistic" football. This year's game is not arcade like anymore, unless you set your sliders down and play on the lowest level. Because of this realistic football, I have found that the minutes for quarters needs to be high. I played 8 minute quarters and was only getting a total of 3 drives overall(my team 2, cpu 1). I think I am going to move up to 12 minutes to get that right feel. If not, I will continue to have low scoring games with no offense. I just started another dynasty and it had horrible results with my quarter length.