Any other old timers having success online ?

[georgiafan]

Like most of the people on this site I’m an older guy (42) that’s a sim gamer. I spent all of my time offline playing where in year 2032 doing things the hard way I’ve yet to win a national title. I’m heavy a run first guy (80/20) using my retro playbook which isn’t all that important I guess since you can’t use it online. I don’t consider my stick skills or even football x/o knowledge to be anything elite

I really wanted to get the platinum trophy for the game since it was the first one back. I was only missing the few tied to online. I had been putting off even trying because I didn’t want to deal with the young’uns running the cheese plays and trash talking also I assumed I would get beat bad.

Well to my surprise I’m 4-0 online with 3 of those being blowout wins and a few of those they got mad and quit. I’m still going heavy run which always confuses them early. Then they will go heavy blitz and leave the quick pass open. The biggest thing is how many interceptions I force by sitting in cover 3/4 and going overtop / expecting pass. I probably will need to use LB’s more then I usually do for the qb run or crossing cheese plays. I’ve got 2+ interceptions on 3 min quarters every single game just by sitting in zone coverage waiting for them to make mistakes.

Have any of y’all with similar resumes to me played any games online?

[mtmetcalfe]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I went through this scenario a couple months ago. Decided I wanted to get the plat also but needed online trophies. I haven’t played Madden in a few years and only played the CPU in CF25.

My initial and only attempt at the 3 online competitive trophies went much smoother than I had anticipated. I thought for sure I was going to get waxed and the trophies would be outside my skill set. Well come to find out people are still playing these games like they did 10 years ago when it was all about cheese. I just played smart football and I only lost 3 games out of the 10 in road to the playoffs and 2 of those I lost connection on.

Basically I found that if a fair amount of my opponents couldn’t get make some big plays early they usually quit by half. I did have a couple really good games where my opponent was competent and played a good game.

The experience actually opened me up to the idea of looking into participating in an online franchise for CF26.

[georgiafan]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

It sounds like you had a similar experience as I am. I guess my expectations were so low it that the risky stuff I saw just lowered their chances to win.

I decide to get crazy and play with army (lowest tier) and the random guy got bama. He came out and forced me to a FG and a punt so I figured I was in trouble. He forces a pass and that int leads to TD for me late in the 2nd. He pulls some cheese stopping at the 1 on purpose and then got a 99 yard run taking the lead. I just knew I was in trouble at this point then he decided to onside kick despite just 30 seconds till halftime. Which was beyond goofy as I wouldn’t have tried to score. That leads me hitting a pass play from the flexbone for a TD as time expired. I get another turnover to start the 3rd and hit another big run and quits. I’m so dang proud of myself lol

[jello1717]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I was surprised by how bad the players were in the bottom 2 tiers of road to the cfp (I didn’t bother going further, so I don’t know if it’s the same in tier 3). I’m old (53) and have poor skills, but it didn’t matter at all. My normal defense is to use a lot of match zones and zone blitzes, and like the OP I’ve found that simply playing pretty safe zones causes the opponents to just throw pick after pick after pick.

Thanx in large part to the interceptions I won a much larger percentage of my games than expected and even won the national championship in tier 2 (sophomore?).

[ODogg]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

Well it's funny you should ask...

I've always been about 50/50 against randoms onine, give or take...

I tried EA CFB online, so excited, had so many great online games, and I just proceeded to get curb stomped again and again

And I can't even blame it on cheese, I am just bad, so bad, that I haven't shown my shameful online presence since last Thanksgiving

None of this is a joke, as anyone who knows me I'm an honest guy

Really I don't know but since I'm so awful online it's killed a huge amount of my enthusiasm to play it more, I mean this years game, I'm very very ready for 26

I dunno, maybe I just need to suffer through it, but just can't take anymore 70-10 beatings, and worse, I use Ohio State, lol, so I no longer play onilne

Can't wait for the new game though, I will try it out online, I mean when you've hit rock bottom you have nowhere to go but up.

[jello1717]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

Well it's funny you should ask...

I've always been about 50/50 against randoms onine, give or take...

I tried EA CFB online, so excited, had so many great online games, and I just proceeded to get curb stomped again and again

And I can't even blame it on cheese, I am just bad, so bad, that I haven't shown my shameful online presence since last Thanksgiving

None of this is a joke, as anyone who knows me I'm an honest guy

Really I don't know but since I'm so awful online it's killed a huge amount of my enthusiasm to play it more, I mean this years game, I'm very very ready for 26

I dunno, maybe I just need to suffer through it, but just can't take anymore 70-10 beatings, and worse, I use Ohio State, lol, so I no longer play onilne

Can't wait for the new game though, I will try it out online, I mean when you've hit rock bottom you have nowhere to go but up.

What mode are you talking about? The only one I know of is road to the cfp (and I suppose ultimate team, but your post doesn’t sound like that). R2tcfp has 3 minute quarters though, and I can’t fathom how you could give up 70 points in 3 minute quarters.

[ODogg]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

What mode are you talking about? The only one I know of is road to the cfp (and I suppose ultimate team, but your post doesn’t sound like that). R2tcfp has 3 minute quarters though, and I can’t fathom how you could give up 70 points in 3 minute quarters.

the default online exhibition or whatnot

[georgiafan]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

That's a good point since outside of one game with someone on my friends list after he threw 7 interceptions. They have been on the opening tier of the online playoff mode. I'm sure as you get higher the competition would be better. Just playing the cover 3/4 and protecting from the deep passes apparently is the biggest key.

Some of the things I saw are so goofy it made me laugh. I had a few different people try onside kick with less then 1 minute before half. Which was never going to work as I just matched it since it tells me its a onside. I'm not going to try and block the XP so I'll be in a normal defense for the fake XP. Then going for it on 4th and 17 at the other 10.

I was surprised by how bad the players were in the bottom 2 tiers of road to the cfp (I didn’t bother going further, so I don’t know if it’s the same in tier 3). I’m old (53) and have poor skills, but it didn’t matter at all. My normal defense is to use a lot of match zones and zone blitzes, and like the OP I’ve found that simply playing pretty safe zones causes the opponents to just throw pick after pick after pick.

Thanx in large part to the interceptions I won a much larger percentage of my games than expected and even won the national championship in tier 2 (sophomore?).

Is that different then the online playoff thing? If so then you should check that out as I've learned on here that it's easier competition. As Jello said its 3 minute quarter so unless you are turning the ball over you should be able to keep it close. We are friends on PS5, so if nothing else let me know and I'll run a clean game with you.

Well it's funny you should ask...

I've always been about 50/50 against randoms onine, give or take...

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I'm sure as you get higher the competition would be better. Just playing the cover 3/4 and protecting from the deep passes apparently is the biggest key.

This is the key. Most guys online have only a handful of plays they understand, maybe 3-4 on offense and 2-3 on defense. If you can force them to drive the field on you, they'll have to go into that bag again and again and you'll generally catch on that X Formation = Y Play = He throws to _____ and jump it. If you're looking for deep strategic competition it's not easily found in Road to the CFP.


Fwiw I'm a fellow old guy and I tend to hover around the top of All-Conference, bottom of All-American division, so its possible to be competitive though I doubt I'll ever win my way into Heisman.

[ODogg]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I know one thing, I am hoping that we can get we can get a Head Coach version of Madden and EA CFB, before I retire in 10 years, lol, where my spectacles at??

[GOIRISH65]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

Shorter version of the long response I just wrote and accidentally deleted. I’m a lot like you guys older guy been playing forever actually coached in high school so I like to play football online online like I wouldn’t in real life. Also a run heavy type guy and someone who runs basic coverage and things on defense out of the 34 and nickel. I am in the third from the top conference. I believe it is all conference and I’m about .500 there. Good enough to stay at that level not good enough to move up yet. I also beat most people by just playing smart football and letting them do something stupid like not punting when they should the best thing I have done recently is to go to the PlayStation main menu and start a party of one - just myself. . This mutes the other guy and not just me. No more listening to guys trash, talk or talk to their buddies or their girlfriend. Nice and quiet.

[GOIRISH65]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I almost forgot the best part is that playing online has made me so much better against people and the computer because you have to learn to play better defense. This has been especially fun since I made a very small online dynasty with some old high school buddies and their kids. Been a blast.

[ODogg]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

Shorter version of the long response I just wrote and accidentally deleted. I’m a lot like you guys older guy been playing forever actually coached in high school so I like to play football online online like I wouldn’t in real life. Also a run heavy type guy and someone who runs basic coverage and things on defense out of the 34 and nickel. I am in the third from the top conference. I believe it is all conference and I’m about .500 there. Good enough to stay at that level not good enough to move up yet. I also beat most people by just playing smart football and letting them do something stupid like not punting when they should the best thing I have done recently is to go to the PlayStation main menu and start a party of one - just myself. . This mutes the other guy and not just me. No more listening to guys trash, talk or talk to their buddies or their girlfriend. Nice and quiet.

omg thank you, I never thought of that, I will definitely do that

I love a bit of socializing, but never happens, it's just comments if they do something, quitting if they don't so it's a brilliant idea

[ODogg]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I almost forgot the best part is that playing online has made me so much better against people and the computer because you have to learn to play better defense. This has been especially fun since I made a very small online dynasty with some old high school buddies and their kids. Been a blast.

Yeah, that's how I have always done it in the past, and it's always worked, until EA CFB 25 but I'll try again with the new game

[AUChase]

Re: Any other old timers having success online ?

I have mentioned this in a few threads but if you like playing guys online and are looking for a unique, sim, and fun experience check out the NDL.

Here's a recruiting thread I posted:

https://forums.operationsports.com/forums/ea-sports-college-football-online/1022173-come-join-ndl-sim-players-wanted.html

Here's the website:

https://www.onlinedynasty.net/newSite/

Here's a game I recently played with my Arizona State squad at Wisconsin. No gimmick plays, abusing the AI in the game, etc.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2425942198

I can help you get started and get you in the Discord. You will not find anything like this running anywhere with the care and effort.

If you're interested in checking out any of the media production stuff like the podcasts you can search NDL Media Hub on Spotify.

It's a one of a kind experience with some of the best people you can play with. There's no win at all cost and different skill levels and play styles.