NCAA Football 10 Video: Army vs. Navy

[hcopenhagenh]

Re: NCAA Football 10 Video: Army vs. Navy

The bottom line is the Flexbone offense is still broken. The Flexbone offense is based on a scheme. From the simple concept of having correct line splits to the concept of leaving particular players unblocked. This isn't happening since the OL is just Head on blocking. It makes me want to throw up because EA has butchered this offense.

[sportzbro]

Re: NCAA Football 10 Video: Army vs. Navy

Sounds about right to me.

I was told by a mod at NCAAstrategies who personally asked the Devs about unblocked defenders on the option.
They told him it wasn't feasible because unblocked defenders "caused AI problems"

but it looks like this tackle is at least programmed to step inside first, instead of step straight upfield. So that's a step, I guess.

If this is true... then its absolutely unacceptable. We aren't going to make schemes work correctly because that would mean too much work tweaking the AI.. WOW.

As Rocky said, I'm no programmer, but gameplay should be the #1 thing taken care of... should have been the top priority in 07, 08, & 09, & its looking like 10 as well. I mean I want the game to look cool with presentation, equipment & refs, etc. but we're talking about the guts of the game.

I don't get it. Its what makes the game go. Its the whole reason last gen is still better than anything that has come out since, and why you can still pick it up and play it for hours. I wont even go near the next gen titles.

[Rocky]

Re: NCAA Football 10 Video: Army vs. Navy

I don't know...

if the hypothetical imperative is to build a true or at least approximate simulation of college football action, then I agree, these sorts of things should be #1 Priority.

But that's not NCAA '10s only goal. They also want to appeal to the widest possible fanbase so that they can get more money - so they have to work on "atmosphere", cosmetics, fluff features, rosters, etc etc etc AND make a game that is playable for people who really only have a rough knowledge of football.

People who think there is a "SPREAD OFFENSE" that is only slightly different in application between Hawaii and Florida ("because they both run THE SPREAD, you see?"), who think that the triple option is where you give it the fullback a bunch of times and then you fake it, who don't know the difference between a Cover 1 and a Cover 3, who don't know the difference between a 3 Tech and a 2 Tech, etc etc....
are not going to enjoy playing a game that is a "true sim."
And then you can go up or down with kinda rough-hewn edges of levels of knowledge from there - people who don't know what a veer scheme vs. a zone scheme is, or people who don't know what a Guard is vs. a Tackle, people who don't understand what mixed coverages are, or people who think direct snaps to the running back were invented in 2008 by the Miami Dolphins, etc etc.

and all these people need a game they can understand and therefore can play comfortably.
(and all these sorts of people, to some degree, really are part of THE COMMUNITY here.)

So EA has to balance all this AND balance their checkbook

If I made a college football game, it certainly be much more "sim" than NCAA 10 is.
I just don't know if that's whats in THEIR best interest as a company.

I understand that. But the concepts of the triple option aren't that hard to explain to the "casual gamer". I think gamers will pick up on these things if presented to them.

And then there's the question....if you're doing a online dynasty, you're probaly going to care a little bit about gameplay here. If you're an Army or Navy fan or a triple option fan (or spread option for that matter), than you're pretty much SOL about running the playbook realistically (although it's effective).

It's about direction. I think EA is really underestimating the people who want great realistic gameplay.

[stylee]

Re: NCAA Football 10 Video: Army vs. Navy

I definitely agree that it's not that hard to explain the concepts to the average gamer or fan or whatever. "Make that guy make a decision and go the opposite way."
And if the average person can understand what a quick slant or a toss sweep is, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to understand what a combo block is, or a loop block
OR what it means to read an unblocked defender on the give or keep mesh.

That's not Heidegger or anything. But the problem is it that most people just don't
...most commentators don't seem to, most sportswriters don't seem to (with the usual blankets about option football "Team speed at X Level [where X = whatever level they're writing about, pee wee to the NFL] is just too fast for the option!" and "You have to play assignment football against the option!"), and most fans don't seem to.

The biggest issue I could see is if it were put in correctly and clueless folks got killed on the initial mesh phase, they would complain that the game was broken because their tackle just "ignored that guy in front of him!."

Now, you'd think most Navy or GTech or Army fans would probably be a little more clued in than that (as most Nebraska fans were in the Osborne/Solich days) and you'd probably be right.

So, maybe, I don't know. I'd love for this to be in correctly - and, as I keep mentioning, getting these principles right would positively affect EVERY spread option team, from Michigan to Army - but I keep telling myself there MUST be a good reason they're not.

[kyle81]

is it possible to get a video of GT running this offense against a good defensive team?? also i would like to see the trap option play so that we could see how that would work.

i didnt think it was bad overall sure the line splits and head up blocking is still going on but i dont think this O will be as easy to stop as in 09 or 08 due to the faster HB motions. overall though im loving this.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: NCAA Football 10 Video: Army vs. Navy

I understand that. But the concepts of the triple option aren't that hard to explain to the "casual gamer". I think gamers will pick up on these things if presented to them.

And then there's the question....if you're doing a online dynasty, you're probaly going to care a little bit about gameplay here. If you're an Army or Navy fan or a triple option fan (or spread option for that matter), than you're pretty much SOL about running the playbook realistically (although it's effective).

It's about direction. I think EA is really underestimating the people who want great realistic gameplay.

And if it's that hard to get get rid of the teambuilder and add an instructional mode where you learn the game. That would be just as fun and teach people how to succeed at the game.