Re: NCAA Football 09 Patch Announcement
I agree with you on most of this. Last year on the PS2 version they took those bad pursuit angles as well.
While I think the sliders working would help (and help a lot in regards to being able to fine tune the cpu without giving the human bonuses), I don't think that alone can fix the defense.
I used to be apart of the pass rush isn't a huge issue crowd, but the more I play, the more it has bugged me. I didn't sack the QB once as OSU against an FCS team. Not once. On one play my entire DL was on the ground. The CPU seems to have this amazing ability to put our DL on the ground. If this were real life I am pretty sure we'd see a discussion of how "dirty" the teams the cpu used were with the OL. I also want pressure when I do get it to have more of an effect. It takes a special QB to stand in the pocket with a DL charging at him to step into the throw into the middle of the field and take the hit. But these QBs for the most part not only can do that, but they become virtual Peyton Mannings. I'm not asking for the pass rush to dominate the game, but I want pressure to at least be attainable. If I am lucky enough to get sacks in some games, it is just because the CPU holds the ball too long on screens. It isn't just guys being upset that used to nano blitz, my playcalling patterns last year on defense might use one blitz sending 6 guys every 12 plays or so. Now my blitzes of 7 get stone walled by 5 OL. That is James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman, Ross Homan (two 90+, one 85+), Lawrence Wilson (90+), Cam Heyward (85+), Todd Denlinger (85+), Dexter Larrimore (85+) being stone walled by an FCS team on a consistant basis. For comparison, I watch my DL on run plays. My guys can get amazing penetration on a blitz or even without it. It is like on run plays, when the OL is trying to push my guys away, the DL gain ultra strength and can push through it.
The zones are another problem that really need to be looked into. Running zone is almost pointless because my guys are not going to react the way they should. Zone defenses are not set up to last for 8 seconds. No defense is really planned for that, except maybe prevent (which unless it is a hail mary isn't entirely effective). My guys play zone at maybe a high school level. They quite often drop back way past their assignment, and if they do stay in it, will refuse to recognize a guy coming across the screen into his zone. That is fine for a lower ranked guy, but the highly ranked guy should at least be aware of it.
Pursuit angles are also pretty bad. This isn't as high of priority to me, but it is still bad. It is amazing to watch the cpu players as you turn the corner. Most of the time, they have the angle, but abandon it. At the very least they should try to force you into a move. I wouldn't complain if it was the CPU just simply being overwhelmed by a Ted Ginn or Reggie Bush out there, but it is far more than that. Go run in open space where it looks like the CPU has the angle at first when you are using turbo, then watch as they give up their angle. Now stop using turbo, and they correct their angles. I have actually stopped myself from scoring just because I felt bad that my 89 speed running back was shredding FSU's defense on a big run because they forgot how to take angles on plays.
The game still is fun, more fun than last years. But the fun of being a great defensive team isn't there as much anymore. Now I am only bringing up the negative and not writing what I think the game does right, which is a much bigger list. I love the new running system and think that alone could lead to "wide open gameplay". Sliders could really help in some aspects like I said before such as the run game where I do not need a boost on my ratings but the cpu does. It is challenging for me NOT to have 1500 yards rushing on the year with my lead RB, but I need the sliders where they are or else the cpu run game dies.
I used to be apart of the pass rush isn't a huge issue crowd, but the more I play, the more it has bugged me. I didn't sack the QB once as OSU against an FCS team. Not once. On one play my entire DL was on the ground. The CPU seems to have this amazing ability to put our DL on the ground. If this were real life I am pretty sure we'd see a discussion of how "dirty" the teams the cpu used were with the OL. I also want pressure when I do get it to have more of an effect. It takes a special QB to stand in the pocket with a DL charging at him to step into the throw into the middle of the field and take the hit. But these QBs for the most part not only can do that, but they become virtual Peyton Mannings. I'm not asking for the pass rush to dominate the game, but I want pressure to at least be attainable. If I am lucky enough to get sacks in some games, it is just because the CPU holds the ball too long on screens. It isn't just guys being upset that used to nano blitz, my playcalling patterns last year on defense might use one blitz sending 6 guys every 12 plays or so. Now my blitzes of 7 get stone walled by 5 OL. That is James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman, Ross Homan (two 90+, one 85+), Lawrence Wilson (90+), Cam Heyward (85+), Todd Denlinger (85+), Dexter Larrimore (85+) being stone walled by an FCS team on a consistant basis. For comparison, I watch my DL on run plays. My guys can get amazing penetration on a blitz or even without it. It is like on run plays, when the OL is trying to push my guys away, the DL gain ultra strength and can push through it.
The zones are another problem that really need to be looked into. Running zone is almost pointless because my guys are not going to react the way they should. Zone defenses are not set up to last for 8 seconds. No defense is really planned for that, except maybe prevent (which unless it is a hail mary isn't entirely effective). My guys play zone at maybe a high school level. They quite often drop back way past their assignment, and if they do stay in it, will refuse to recognize a guy coming across the screen into his zone. That is fine for a lower ranked guy, but the highly ranked guy should at least be aware of it.
Pursuit angles are also pretty bad. This isn't as high of priority to me, but it is still bad. It is amazing to watch the cpu players as you turn the corner. Most of the time, they have the angle, but abandon it. At the very least they should try to force you into a move. I wouldn't complain if it was the CPU just simply being overwhelmed by a Ted Ginn or Reggie Bush out there, but it is far more than that. Go run in open space where it looks like the CPU has the angle at first when you are using turbo, then watch as they give up their angle. Now stop using turbo, and they correct their angles. I have actually stopped myself from scoring just because I felt bad that my 89 speed running back was shredding FSU's defense on a big run because they forgot how to take angles on plays.
The game still is fun, more fun than last years. But the fun of being a great defensive team isn't there as much anymore. Now I am only bringing up the negative and not writing what I think the game does right, which is a much bigger list. I love the new running system and think that alone could lead to "wide open gameplay". Sliders could really help in some aspects like I said before such as the run game where I do not need a boost on my ratings but the cpu does. It is challenging for me NOT to have 1500 yards rushing on the year with my lead RB, but I need the sliders where they are or else the cpu run game dies.
The first patch looks like first week of August maybe and the second patch may be September and there is no guarantee it will patch some of the gameplay issues people have (look around 45 or so for OMTs post).
One has to read through several pages of complaining just to find any real information. I'm probably a little guilty about cluttering this up 
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