My thoughts on Dynasty
 

Well I have been playing NCAA 14 off and on since it came out. Seems like I always play it more during the real college football season. I did have a couple of concerns though.

I am in year 6 of my current dynasty and it appears that many of the teams I play are RPO and running quarterback related. I don't play many games where I play pocket passers. Is it just me?

Also two things I have always felt were a glitch are as follows:

On AA difficulty it seems to me like with approximately 3 minutes to go in the first half, the CPU is going to score. I don't care if they start on their own 10 yard line, all the sudden the QB is Tom Brady and the receivers cant miss. Anyone get this feeling?

Also I have always felt the game pretty much sets up for you to have a good competitive game, or it decides before the game even begins that I am going to lose. No matter what I do, I cannot stop the other team and I cannot do anything right. I cant explain it, but I just know when I see it that I pretty much have no chance because the CPU has already decided I am going to lose. Anyone else have these same concerns? I just want to make sure it is not me.

Don't get me wrong, I have many amazing games as I have been tweaking my sliders for 4 years so they are perfect for me. The above concerns are just frustrating.

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

Yes and no.

I never feel like I can't win, but there are times cheese is insane.
But, then again, I have played my 5-6 team vs an 11-0 99 rated CPU team, and had everything go my way. CPU guys miss blocks, etc, next thing you know my team wins 30-17, got 5 sacks and 2 INTS, and didn't even get challenged on a 75 yard TD run.

Also had my 11-0 team get rocked by a 2-9 that shouldn't even had been a challenge. The game is good, but there are moments that are like "WHOA!"

Part of me thinks it's great actually though. Why bother playing if 11-0 always beats 2-9. Remember WVU in 2007? Them vs Pitt shouldn't have happened, but lucky for fans it did!

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

I'm currently in year 14 of a dynasty, and I still get surprised at times. I also play on All-American.

I thought my team was ready to finally compete for a National Title last season - only to see my #8 team get thumped 55-17 by #5 USC in the opening game. And that was a game I actually led, 10-0. I ended up demolishing the rest of the schedule, but that opening loss is what kept me from getting to the Championship.

This season, I was expecting to have an outstanding year from my QB, since he had already been starting the previous 2 seasons and was a Heisman finalist last year. Half way through this season, he has a career-low completion percentage and more interceptions this season (8) then all the previous seasons combined (6).

In games where one might think the CPU is going to dominate from start-to-finish, I go with more conservative calls on the offensive side. I don't go to cheese plays. Instead, I try to establish a running game and short passing game. I try to get 3-6 yards per play, and just try to sustain long drives. I feel I can flip the momentum with these drives and getting some points.

I haven't experienced where most teams are going with a scrambling QB. I still face my fair share of pocket passers. Some games they'll stay in the pocket the whole game. Once I see the scramblers make some nice gains, I'll start calling less aggressive pass rushes and more spy formations.

I've also had some games where the CPU is starting to go right down the field before the half. If they seem to be rolling, I will call a defensive timeout just to re-group. I might make a few substitutions, but I'll also try to call a defensive play where I have the best 11 guys out there for a hurry-up situation- usually a nickel or dime formation. It helps me avoid having to watch an extra linebacker get exposed when the offense hurries from a single-back trips set to a five-wide formation. Sometimes it would work, and other times I would just have to eat the touchdown.

What I've found is that each season has been completely different with challenges and surprises. In-game adjustments and in-season philosophy changes have been a good challenge for me.

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

I have found editing the opposing QB to be necessary for a good challenge. Too many of the mobile QB's have low awareness, which makes them almost immediately scramble. I raise their awareness to avoid this. Generally, the game does seem to favor mobile QB's.

I also have to agree that the game has some sort of algorithm for each game. It is a predetermined factor as to whether it will challenge you, or you will easily run away with the game. I had one where I demolished a Texas team I had probably very little business keeping up with, and another where I lost to a Boise State team I should have beat by 2 scores at least. That, however, is college football in it's purest form. You just never know!

I play on Heisman with JKit's sliders, and before that Matt10's. I do not experience the "tom Brady effect" if you will before halftime or at the end of a game.

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

On a separate but related topic, SB I know I saw in another thread that you mentioned the awareness change helping with gameplay with mobile QBs. Is there a certain threshold that you edit the QBs above as far as awareness goes when doing this? Sorry if you've posted that answer elsewhere, I just didn't know where I had seen it so I figured I'd just ask here based on your prior reply to this thread.

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

Hey Moose, typically I'll bump them to somewhere around 75-80. If that makes them insanely good overall, I may drop the speed a tad too. I think it was TCU where the QB was like an 81 with 89 speed and awareness in the low 60's or 50's. Once I edited his awareness to 80, he was a 97 overall! lol. I dropped his speed to 81 or so and he was still over 90. It produced a tough game.

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

I play on default sliders and am currently on Heisman difficulty. One thing I have noticed is AA is too simple but Heisman is way too challenging what would you guys recommend? I am tired of throwing to a wide open receiver and all a sudden a defensive player dives 10 yards and picks the pass off.

Re: My thoughts on Dynasty
 

I can honestly say I don’t have issues with defenders diving 10 yards for picks. I’ve never seen that. The game does punish ill advised passes pretty regularly though, and you do need to make use of the lob/bullet options. It does help to lead the receiver open a lot too.

Perhaps turn down CPU interceptions if it’s too difficult?


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