NCAA Football 10 Blog: Season Showdown: Show Your Skills

[countryboy]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

LOL....for people that don't give a rat's behind about a feature, you guys sure are talking the hell out of it.

But I do have a question, and I'm sure I'll get an answer. I've seen this posted quite often on this forum...but how does the implementation of Season Showdown equate to poor gameplay? What does one have to do with the other?

I already know the answer...and it will come in the form of "time spent"

[stewaat]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

I said it somewhere else that I'm a little disappointed just because it feels like the game is geared towards the younger crowd this year. The majority of on-line players who want to worry about their rank are young kids. This feature is geared heavily towards them to run up the score and get more credits. It says it has that little "sportsmanship" category but I wonder if it takes into account what I just said. I highly doubt somebody's sportsmanship rating will mean they play fair.

[4solo]

Re: NCAA Football 10 Blog: Season Showdown: Show Your Skills

YESSS! They finally added the the stat tracking, space taking, so we can't have better gameplay, or realistic atmosphere, or....(just too much stuff to name), casual gamer attention getting, so my whole fam will want to sitdown and answer college triva questions together (esp DAD), so we can have braging rights b/c we kicked the **** out my rivalry by earning more credits b/c i punted on 4th down, over hyped minigame!

You guys read our minds! Can't Wait. WTF!?!?

[thmst30]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

LOL....for people that don't give a rat's behind about a feature, you guys sure are talking the hell out of it.

But I do have a question, and I'm sure I'll get an answer. I've seen this posted quite often on this forum...but how does the implementation of Season Showdown equate to poor gameplay? What does one have to do with the other?

I already know the answer...and it will come in the form of "time spent"

I'm going to give you a different answer. The implementation of Season Showdown further proves the direction that the NCAA team has decided to go. Instead of doing like Madden and focusing on absolutely nothing but pure realism and actual football, they continue to work on fluff (thats what SS is to me). So in regards to gameplay, if the majority of what the NCAA team seems to be doing is to add fluff and go a more casual based route, then how can any of us expect the gameplay to be significantly better (read, more sim-like) than 09,08,07,etc. So it's not so much the time spent on SS to me, it's the whole viewpoint and direction of the dev team that it demonstrates. That's why people are the most upset.

[countryboy]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

I'm going to give you a different answer. The implementation of Season Showdown further proves the direction that the NCAA team has decided to go. Instead of doing like Madden and focusing on absolutely nothing but pure realism and actual football, they continue to work on fluff (thats what SS is to me). So in regards to gameplay, if the majority of what the NCAA team seems to be doing is to add fluff and go a more casual based route, then how can any of us expect the gameplay to be significantly better (read, more sim-like) than 09,08,07,etc. So it's not so much the time spent on SS to me, it's the whole viewpoint and direction of the team that it demonstrates. That's why people are the most upset.

but we've heard of the gameplay improvements (pocket forming, OL/DL interaction, pursuit angles, amongst others). I just don't see how adding something like SS automatically equates to arcade gameplay.

In my eyes, Season Showdown is no different then TeamBuilder and Campus Legend, which are things I consider built for a more casual audience. Yes, I understand that TeamBuilder will be used by diehards in regards to online dynasty and such, but in my opinion its a casual feature.

.02

[J-Unit40]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

but we've heard of the gameplay improvements (pocket forming, OL/DL interaction, pursuit angles, amongst others). I just don't see how adding something like SS automatically equates to arcade gameplay.

In my eyes, Season Showdown is no different then TeamBuilder and Campus Legend, which are things I consider built for a more casual audience. Yes, I understand that TeamBuilder will be used by diehards in regards to online dynasty and such, but in my opinion its a casual feature.

.02

Agreed.

People who think Madden is going to be "the most realistic football video game experience ever" are probably going to be disappointed. The game is still going to have the same EA feel. It's pretty much the same engine with add-ons and improvements (which NCAA already has except PRO-TAK).

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

but we've heard of the gameplay improvements (pocket forming, OL/DL interaction, pursuit angles, amongst others). I just don't see how adding something like SS automatically equates to arcade gameplay.

In my eyes, Season Showdown is no different then TeamBuilder and Campus Legend, which are things I consider built for a more casual audience. Yes, I understand that TeamBuilder will be used by diehards in regards to online dynasty and such, but in my opinion its a casual feature.

.02

Season Showdown does not automatically mean poor gameplay. But it does indicate some things.

1) They lack the direction and focus I would prefer.
2) They allocated serious resources to this mode rather than spend it elsewhere - like formation subs, in-game saves, and the new qb ratings.

The new QB ratings Madden is getting DO impact gameplay. OMT directly said in an earlier thread (when I was really bitter about not having the QB ratings) that they didn't do the QB ratings because they didn't have time to implement it due to focusing on other things. I'm going to assume SS was one of those. So yes - Season Showdown has led to inferior gameplay. That doesn't mean bad gameplay but it could have been better if they chose to spend their time more appropriately.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

Agreed.

People who think Madden is going to be "the most realistic football video game experience ever" are probably going to be disappointed. The game is still going to have the same EA feel. It's pretty much the same engine with add-ons and improvements (which NCAA already has except PRO-TAK).

I hope you are right and that the NCAA gameplay isn't inferior to Madden (or at least close). But yesterday's interview didn't sit well with me.

[J-Unit40]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

Season Showdown does not automatically mean poor gameplay. But it does indicate some things.

1) They lack the direction and focus I would prefer.
2) They allocated serious resources to this mode rather than spend it elsewhere - like formation subs, in-game saves, and the new qb ratings.

The new QB ratings Madden is getting DO impact gameplay. OMT directly said in an earlier thread (when I was really bitter about not having the QB ratings) that they didn't do the QB ratings because they didn't have time to implement it due to focusing on other things. I'm going to assume SS was one of those. So yes - Season Showdown has led to inferior gameplay. That doesn't mean bad gameplay but it could have been better if they chose to spend their time more appropriately.

I do wish the new QB ratings were in NCAA this year. That sure would have been nice.

Oh, and not having formation subs is just lame. No excuse.

[countryboy]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

Season Showdown does not automatically mean poor gameplay. But it does indicate some things.

1) They lack the direction and focus I would prefer.
2) They allocated serious resources to this mode rather than spend it elsewhere - like formation subs, in-game saves, and the new qb ratings.

The new QB ratings Madden is getting DO impact gameplay. OMT directly said in an earlier thread (when I was really bitter about not having the QB ratings) that they didn't do the QB ratings because they didn't have time to implement it due to focusing on other things. I'm going to assume SS was one of those. So yes - Season Showdown has led to inferior gameplay. That doesn't mean bad gameplay but it could have been better if they chose to spend their time more appropriately.

I'm almost positive that their are separate departments working on features and gameplay. Maybe they could've scrapped SS for in-game saves or even formation subs, not sure who actually would handle that, but you can't say with certainty that if they scrapped SS that these other things would've been implemented.

I honestly believe that more has been done to this game(speaking improvements) then what they are being given credit for because for whatever reason the addition of SS has become a focal point and is now the reason for every and anything that is not added into NCAA '10 and will be the reason for any shortcomings that people find within the game.

[J-Unit40]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

I'm almost positive that their are separate departments working on features and gameplay. Maybe they could've scrapped SS for in-game saves or even formation subs, not sure who actually would handle that, but you can't say with certainty that if they scrapped SS that these other things would've been implemented.

I honestly believe that more has been done to this game(speaking improvements) then what they are being given credit for because for whatever reason the addition of SS has become a focal point and is now the reason for every and anything that is not added into NCAA '10 and will be the reason for any shortcomings that people find within the game.

Yep. Just like people think Mascot Mash-Up took away time from OL/DL interaction in NCAA 09.

OK that's an extreme example, but you get my point. Features,gameplay and art are all different departments of the game if I am not mistaken.

[4solo]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

I'm almost positive that their are separate departments working on features and gameplay. Maybe they could've scrapped SS for in-game saves or even formation subs, not sure who actually would handle that, but you can't say with certainty that if they scrapped SS that these other things would've been implemented.

I honestly believe that more has been done to this game(speaking improvements) then what they are being given credit for because for whatever reason the addition of SS has become a focal point and is now the reason for every and anything that is not added into NCAA '10 and will be the reason for any shortcomings that people find within the game.

I see where u are coming from countryboy but i think what is really frustrating people is that the time spent on marketing this feature. They have makerted this feature much like the madden team has marketed pro-tak but the two hardly even compare. People were getting tired of hearing about protak but at the same time u can see it as something that can really alter your game play, so it was more tolerable. But SS don't offer that. But they are marketing it like it is revolutionary. Then with the other features NCAA has tagged as being changed they breeze through the info and put up crappy vids or no vids at all. (we have yet to see solid game play footage of a pocket forming, or WR DB interaction and the flexbone vid was horrible) And I may be wrong b/c i truly don't know but it wouldn't seem that the madden team can go into in depth concrete example and detail of how things are dif from last year game but ncaa can not.

[countryboy]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

I see where u are coming from countryboy but i think what is really frustrating people is that the time spent on marketing this feature. They have makerted this feature much like the madden team has marketed pro-tak but the two hardly even compare. People were getting tired of hearing about protak but at the same time u can see it as something that can really alter your game play, so it was more tolerable. But SS don't offer that. But they are marketing it like it is revolutionary. Then with the other features NCAA has tagged as being changed they breeze through the info and put up crappy vids or no vids at all. (we have yet to see solid game play footage of a pocket forming, or WR DB interaction and the flexbone vid was horrible) And I may be wrong b/c i truly don't know but it wouldn't seem that the madden team can go into in depth concrete example and detail of how things are dif from last year game but ncaa can not.

I understand what you're saying about being tired of hearing about it. And if I'm not mistaken, Adam(OMT) said something along the lines that Madden was given more leeway to talk about things such as pro-tak and such more than NCAA due to Madden being the backbone/centerpiece of EA Sports. I think it was something like that.

But even with how info is flowing from NCAA and even though they are promoting SS moreso than "gameplay elements" doesn't equate to gameplay not being better/polished/fixed. Russ gave us a list of gameplay things that were tweaked, we know that dynasty was tweaked, and we know there is something in the pre-game presentation area that we've haven't been told about.

My guess is that TeamBuilder and Season Showdown are what the marketing department want talked about right now for NCAA, as they have a broader appeal to the gamers than say, OL/DL interaction or DB/WR interaction. But as I said, just because these things aren't being hyped as much as SS or TB, doesn't mean they weren't addressed, nor does it mean that they are subpar to the features being touted right now.

[4solo]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

I understand what you're saying about being tired of hearing about it. And if I'm not mistaken, Adam(OMT) said something along the lines that Madden was given more leeway to talk about things such as pro-tak and such more than NCAA due to Madden being the backbone/centerpiece of EA Sports. I think it was something like that.

But even with how info is flowing from NCAA and even though they are promoting SS moreso than "gameplay elements" doesn't equate to gameplay not being better/polished/fixed. Russ gave us a list of gameplay things that were tweaked, we know that dynasty was tweaked, and we know there is something in the pre-game presentation area that we've haven't been told about.

My guess is that TeamBuilder and Season Showdown are what the marketing department want talked about right now for NCAA, as they have a broader appeal to the gamers than say, OL/DL interaction or DB/WR interaction. But as I said, just because these things aren't being hyped as much as SS or TB, doesn't mean they weren't addressed, nor does it mean that they are subpar to the features being touted right now.

I really hope they are not supar. I guess its safe to say it bad marketing b/c i know they want to appeal to more people but at this point we know casual gamers are not checking blogs everyweek and up early SAT morning debating the features of the game lol

[the onizzle]

Re: Season Showdown: Show your skills

Seriously, Part 1 of THREE, you have got to be kidding me. This feature isn't as worthless as windsocks, but we understand what it is by now so stop talking about it.