The "why I love NCAA 14 three years later" thread

[StoneCalf]

Great post Hellisan, and good thread.

I've been pulling my thoughts together and for me it boils down to combination of fun gameplay, and a total package of sound football (gameplay + dynasty) that compels me to continue playing.

For me, NCAA 14 doesn't present any "fatal flaws", or at the very least- significant issues, that some earlier versions had that were bad enough to kill the experience (examples: CPU not running enough, RoboQB-especially early versions, fumble rate, jump the snap, defenders taking bad pursuit angles, and superhuman LB's with 57" verticals leaping up to pick off passes, to name a few)

I've been refining my house rules, player edits, etc. over the past 42 seasons in '14 and found that it can yield an exciting, unpredictable, and realistic game of football that surpasses what I've seen in any other version.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hellisan

More than any other NCAA football game, when I start up a game I feel like anything could happen. I could win a game on a punt return, or lose a game on an ill-timed penalty. Or have a ball bounce off my player's helmet, into the waiting hands of the other team for a huge touchdown. Any of these things might have been possible in a previous NCAA game, however these impressive moments seem to happen more often in this game. Or more accurately, things that surprise me happen more often. Things I never saw coming and make my jaw drop as we grasped victory from the jaws of defeat, or vice versa in a way I'd never seen previously.

This is a great point, and very well said. I would describe the game as more organic than most others.

And I still see new animations and/or things happen that I've never seen before. And I agree, these unique moments seem to happen more often in '14. Here's three things that just happened in my last two games, that I'd never seen before:

1. My HB got smacked at the line of scrimmage - ball pops straight up in the air - and my LG Zirkle catches the loose ball in mid-air!
2. I just got sacked the CPU QB with my DT by lunging/diving almost immediately after the snap- knifing in between the RG and C to catch the QB's ankles as he was backpeddling.
3. Cool interception: I"m backed up on 3rd and long - the CPU brings a DB blitz - I spot an open receiver and I'm trying to get th ball off, but my QB is hit as he releases - sandwiched betwixt a DT and the DB - ball pop up in air and the another defender catches the ball at grass-level for the pick!

Quote: Originally Posted by SilverBullet19

I love that the game will put you in your place...just like real life.

This just happened to me in a big way. I started my 6th season with Southern Miss trying to build them up and had delusions of grandeur that I might be able to make a Title run this season. All started well, as I kicked off the season taking down #6 Stanford 33-6 (My Golden Eagles were ranked preseason #43). I continued to 6-0 working my way up to #6 in the polls. Then things fell apart. Despite my earnest and best efforts, I'm at 7-3 now, having dropped 3 of my last 4 games, in C-USA play no less!!

Contrary to what you might think, I'm actually thrilled about this as it demonstrates how '14 has completely shattered my preconception of how I thought this season would play out.

Furthermore, these last four games (where I went 1-3) may very well be the most fun stretch I've ever had in four consecutive games. The CPU earned these victories straight-up without a hint of cheese or comeback shenanigans. Actually it was me trying to make the comebacks, as the CPU was leading firmly at the end of all three halves in my losses. The average margin of victory in those games was under 5 points.

I do a little note when I write down my game results, stats, notes, etc. of how I grade how much "fun" that game was, which is usually a function of excitement, competitiveness and how realistic that game was. These four most recent games graded out at the second highest level, just short of my "epic" category, which only occur once every 5 years on average. Looking back, 6 of my last 10 games have been that good, including a double OT win in the AlamoDome.

So now I sit at 4th on the East side of C-USA when I thought I'd surely lock up my first conference championship. So yea, I got put in my place, and that provides some serious fuel for next season.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hellisan

The modern offense with the fast quarterbacks provides a challenge as they usually keep your guys on the field and it can be difficult to stop a combo of a fast QB and good HB. My rushing yards allowed aren't as embarrassingly low as in any other NCAA game I've played.

Exactly. I'm so glad the game accommodates the ability to tune the tendency of the CPU to run the ball. Making this adjustment to most of the HC's in my conference, I now have games where the CPU will have a functioning run game and almost always eclipse 100 yards rushing. Also, and probably equally important in my experience, is that I have made a change (recent house rule) that I can't control my LE when the ball is snapped. The LE had been the position I usually control, and I had gotten pretty dominant at shutting down scrambling QB's in space; Plus since a right-handed QB will flush to my side, I'd often be sitting there waiting to devour them. Now I control an interior DLineman, and it's really opened up the CPU's ability to move the chains in a way that emulates many of today's fleet-footed dual-thread QB's.

Another interesting thing about moving to that interior DT position is that I can really see a difference in how opposing OL's can block from week to week. One week I can get penetration, help collapse the pocket and hurry the QB to throw it away, and the next I find myself matched up against a really good RG that just stonewalls me.


Lastly, I agree with a previous poster who mentioned how great the community is here. Great place to get ideas, get help on questions, share stories, etc.

[SolidSquid]

Haven't played since I sold my 360, still hav my PS3 but the game just doesn't feel right on PS3.


The thing I loved the most was the carousel. It added so much intrigue to every off season. Not to mention it gives you a reason to start as a coordinator on a poor team to work your way up to that HC gig for a powerhouse.

The game just felt so alive compared to madden.

[kaletore11]

I sold my PS3 and hated myself since. I miss this game so much, the only football game I really enjoyed.

[TarHeelPhenom]

NCAA series has always been my favorite game and i miss it dearly. But, to answer your question, the reason why i love/loved it so much was because it was deep and fully customizable. ..especially with editors that dropped at the time. It added a lot of replay value. The coaching tiers were great and recruiting received an upgrade. When a company gives the gamers the ability to fully customize and edit, it means everything...which is why its so headscratching that EA chose to go in the other direction with their current gen games. I look at Madden on current gen and just daydream about what a college football game would be like on the One or PS4.

i ended up selling my Xbox 360 and games over 2 years ago and for very good reason at the time. But, make no mistake, this was my fav NCAA game.

[SilverBullet19]

Seems this thread died a bit, but I recently found another reason I love this game.

I love the CPU AI for formation subbing. In so many games, CPU players are restricted to just their position. I recently played NMSU, and they had their backup QB playing running back in formations that had two RB's. This was because their starter was injured, but their backup QB was #3 on the depth chart. He had 89 speed and filled the role well. A couple teams also had their TE as the #3 and #4 receivers. I loved seeing how the CPU subbed guys based on their ability to play the position, and not holding them back with a QB, TE, or CB label. When I played Boise State, their starting FS was a CB.

The artificial intelligence used to make the subs impressed me. I've never seen it before, or at least never noticed it. This game still throws me curveballs.

[jbrew2411]

Every summer from 1997-2013 was spent waiting for the next edition of this series to hit the market. This is the first edition of the game that I really had time to get invested. I started getting deeper in the dynasty mode to find that this thing is a really good game. I guess knowing it will be the last I fell the need to keep playing so a part of my life does not die.

[jello1717]

Here's another awesome example of the situational awareness that the dynasty stories have.



This is a story during week 1. Pollock is my SR starting QB. He was on the Maxwell watch list last season until he broke his collarbone and missed the last 5 games of the season.

The game made note of that injury and now the news is saying that Pollock could win the Heisman..........if he can remain healthy.

How awesome is that?

[Carboncoms]

I love this game so much because I've played the craziest most intense user games against my friends. Just yesterday I played an extremely important late season game that pretty much sealed my fate of not making it to the SEC championship.

I started game with the ball and threw a pick on the first play. My friend then proceeded to score on 1 play putting me in a deep hole. I pretty much matched him until halftime and he went in with a 7 point lead. His WRs had been beating me deep all day and on his first drive in the 2nd half he tried to go deep again. But this time on about a 40 yard pass my corner picked it on the goal line, and I returned it for an 100 yard touchdown.

I continued bringing blitzes and pressure after that and he threw another interception on the next drive. He got rushed and made another bad decision, a pick over the middle.

We both kept scoring and he had the ball with about 2 and half minutes left, down by 7. On 3rd and 4 he tried scrambling with his QB about 5 yards out of the endzone. I hit his QB, who fumbled! But his WR jumped on it and recovered for a 1st down, giving him first and goal from the 1. After he scored I had the ball and was marching down the field. With about a minute and a half left I'm on his 40 yard line. I drop back to pass and he perfectly times the snap and nails my QB. My QB fumbles and his defensive lineman picked it up and returned it 60 yard for a touchdown.

With a minute and a half left and now down by a touchdown I had to march down the field quickly but I got anxious. I forced a throw and I got picked off, sealing my fate.

As frustrated as I was losing the game because of a weird fumble recovery and then a scoop and score it was one of the most exciting games I've ever played in, and that's why I love this game so much.