"Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

[AuburnAlumni]

NCAA 12 is light years ahead of NCAA 11 in terms of Computer Offensive AI, running AI, and option AI.

What is still lacking is the absence of any real "fighting for the ball in the air" when a pass is attempted.


I've seen several instances both ways....

-A WR runs a simple curl route, the ball is thrown, and the receiver just stands there, letting the DB covering him run around him and bat or pick the ball. He should be using his body to shield the DB from the pass and make the catch.

-The CPU QB throws a deep pass in the endzone. My 84 rated DB stands there....not even facing the play...and doesn't move. No jumping. No hands in the air. He's in a catatonic state basically with his back to both the WR and the QB. The CPU WR then just jumps up and catches it. This makes you want to throw your controller through a window.


Wide Receivers and Defensive backs need to be a major focus of NCAA 13 in creating some real "Fight for the Ball in the Air" type moments and to cut down on some of these major football "no nos".

[MagicMan1315]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

Personally, before they do this, I would like to see them improve the actions of the O-Line and D-Line. Both improve the O-line intellegence when run blocking and the D-line moves when pass rushing.

I am talking about when the oline is run blocking, you hit the gap with a line man leading you and then he stops, turns 75 degrees and trys the block the CB or LB that is running along the outside and is out of the play and leaves you unprotected.

And with D-line, have line men have more personallity and moves..

Great teams are built from the inside out. You start with the men in the trenches and then work on other positions. Why shouldnt NCAA/Madden be the same?

[drlw322]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

agree with both of you guys completely

[Pokes404]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I've said it before but I'll say it again, NCAA and Madden need to go steal the jostling system from FIFA. It would be incredible to see WR/DBs interacting and positioning themselves like this, all while still having full control over your player. If you've never played FIFA, go download the demo and just watch how players jockey for position both on the move and when stationary. I'm really hopeful that they do this next year.

Also, the OL/DL interactions need MAJOR work.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I've said it before but I'll say it again, NCAA and Madden need to go steal the jostling system from FIFA. It would be incredible to see WR/DBs interacting and positioning themselves like this, all while still having full control over your player. If you've never played FIFA, go download the demo and just watch how players jockey for position both on the move and when stationary. I'm really hopeful that they do this next year.

Also, the OL/DL interactions need MAJOR work.

Kind of funny, in one of the old EA Inside blogs, one of the developers said they were adding that for Madden 10.

http://insideblog.easports.com/archive/2009/03/02/madden-nfl-10-improvements-to-wr-db-interaction.aspx

Second, we took a page from the FIFA team and added in the concept of 'jostling'. Personally I am extremely stoked to have this in the game because I've written a design for it for 5+ years in a row...unfortunately we just never had the technology to accomplish it. The 'jostling' concept is a set of looping 2-man animations that can play for the WR and DB as they run downfield. The main reason that I am so big on these animations is that it really helps alleviate a balance problem that has existed in Madden for years. I'm talking about the fact that traditionally you can send a player with a 99 speed rating (regardless of his other ratings like route running, catching, etc) on a streak and easily get behind a defender in man coverage. In real life, regardless of the difference in speed, a good defensive back can use his body to keep the receiver in check... a fly route is rarely an untouched foot-race sprint to the endzone. So here's a video example of just one of the many jostling animations you can expect to see in Madden NFL 10:

[Cj7298419]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

NCAA 12 is light years ahead of NCAA 11 in terms of Computer Offensive AI, running AI, and option AI.

What is still lacking is the absence of any real "fighting for the ball in the air" when a pass is attempted.


I've seen several instances both ways....

-A WR runs a simple curl route, the ball is thrown, and the receiver just stands there, letting the DB covering him run around him and bat or pick the ball. He should be using his body to shield the DB from the pass and make the catch.

-The CPU QB throws a deep pass in the endzone. My 84 rated DB stands there....not even facing the play...and doesn't move. No jumping. No hands in the air. He's in a catatonic state basically with his back to both the WR and the QB. The CPU WR then just jumps up and catches it. This makes you want to throw your controller through a window.


Wide Receivers and Defensive backs need to be a major focus of NCAA 13 in creating some real "Fight for the Ball in the Air" type moments and to cut down on some of these major football "no nos".

You stole my thunder AA, lol! I was about to start a thread with this. This along with the O-Line, D-Line interaction is the main thing pulling this game down IMO.

[Strmtrp]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I agree completely and think that this might actually be a bigger issue than line interaction. I can handle something stupid happening every once in a while on the line that results in 5-10 yards more or less one way or the other. The fact that db/wr interaction issues result in at least one touchdown every game that I as a user feel like I can really do very little about, though, is a major problem.

[Playmakers]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I personally don't think the Option has been improved but maybe i'm missing something

RB AI was the easiest thing to fix in NCAA 12 so EA gets no hype for that from me.

I agree with the other posters who said fix the OL vs DL interaction 1st because right now it's sub par

Game is good but i think it's really overated in a lot of areas and every time i read the main boards there's always someone finding something out about the game that just makes me upset (Terrible DB play on the deep ball and now some weird problem with naming the players and having them play different)

EA needs to focus on one thing at a time because they obvioulsy can't multi task.....so i vote for OL vs DL interaction 1st

[AutoMG]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

Yeah WR/DB interaction needs an overhaul. Receivers need to be able to avoid each or DBs when crossing each because it gets annoying to see a WR run into a defender, halting his route which leads to an incompletion or easy pick. Or when a receiver and defensive back are running stride for stride and they go into the exact same over the shoulder catch animation and it is just a 50/50 shot who gets it.

[MisterDMU]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I think "fighting for the ball" should extend to fumbles, too. It takes me out of the game a bit everytime I see a fumble and some 300 lb. DL just non-chalantly steps into a pile of bodies and grabs the ball in stride. I'd love to see some collisions as players throw themselves at the ball, maybe see the ball bounce off of some limbs, and possibly even see a ball on the ground for longer than half a second.

[frankstallone83]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I agree. I also think wr should be able to strafe just like db's. I know everyone hates this b/c of rocket catch, but it seems to me like they should be able to have wr's strafe without having rocket catch. I've got a few ideas but I don't feel like typing a long post. But basically I think this should be doable.

[ODogg]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

NCAA 12 is light years ahead of NCAA 11 in terms of Computer Offensive AI, running AI, and option AI.

What is still lacking is the absence of any real "fighting for the ball in the air" when a pass is attempted.


I've seen several instances both ways....

-A WR runs a simple curl route, the ball is thrown, and the receiver just stands there, letting the DB covering him run around him and bat or pick the ball. He should be using his body to shield the DB from the pass and make the catch.

-The CPU QB throws a deep pass in the endzone. My 84 rated DB stands there....not even facing the play...and doesn't move. No jumping. No hands in the air. He's in a catatonic state basically with his back to both the WR and the QB. The CPU WR then just jumps up and catches it. This makes you want to throw your controller through a window.


Wide Receivers and Defensive backs need to be a major focus of NCAA 13 in creating some real "Fight for the Ball in the Air" type moments and to cut down on some of these major football "no nos".

AMEN AMEN AMEN!! I was just getting ready to start a thread about this and saw this one.. Couldn't agree more. This is my #2 pet peeve with this game (that's not a glitch/bug) that I believe needs fixed, right behind the audio/commentary!

I sure hope EA sees this thread, let's make it blow up and keep it up top all year long people!

[NoTrouble]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I just don't understand why WRs can't attack the ball the same way the DBs do.

[Sabo's corked Bat]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

I just don't understand why WRs can't attack the ball the same way the DBs do.

Agreed. My WR are bigger, stronger and can jump higher than my opponents DBs, but they get pushed around like every DB was David Fulcher.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: "Fighting for the Ball" should be a major focus in NCAA 13

What they really need to do is mocap 11 on 11 and just let them play naturally. Problem with the interaction is that every thing is staged on a 1 on 1 level. That is why in the line interaction you have 2 or 3 people on the line doing the same move at the same time. Or they take the same path to the QB at the same time.

For all the talk about the new bull rush animation, I have yet to see the cpu do it against me in over 45 games now. The only move I see the cpu use to win against the offensive line is the rip move.

Not we should see it all the time, but no way a person who much stronger then the blocker should they be getting stone walled. And DEs need more variation to their path of the QB.

As it stands now they only rush to the outside of the Tackle, they never rush to the inside. Should be more varied.

And the special team line interaction needs to be overhauled. On punts and FG attempts, there is no rush up the middle. Defenders just get stone walled like it is an invisible force field there.

CPU shows no type of aggression. I mean what is the point of having a special team rating for schools if it doesn't mean anything ? FGs need to be blocked, Punts needs to be blocked.

There needs to be some bad snaps on punts. Punter bobble the ball, miss the ball when kicking, or the ball sails over his head. or ball skips off the ground on the snap. For FGs it needs to be the same way, with bad holds too.

Special team kicking is just too automatic. No threat what so ever. It has been many times the cpu came out in an all out punt block and I came out in a regular punt formation.

Nobody from the cpu came pass my line. That is unrealstic, if you see more guys then blockers, some people should be getting through. But nobody got through.

There is no difference between a 33 awareness kicker or punter from a 93 awareness kicker or punter. They both kick the same way in a smooth motion, robotically.

Robo kicking.