Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

[Epiffani]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Ha, I was up 14-9 after the CPU scored a TD. They came out in a FGA formation, and then hurried up and called an audible into a passing formation to get the two extra points to make it a one possession game. I was too shocked to even make changes to my defense. Speaking of defense, it's fun to play now that everyone is a threat on the field. I got my first "user-controlled" tipped pass (relative to where you are on the field and when you use focus:



Felt better than an INT tbh.

As for running, I'm literally running AWAY from my O-line, and I'm doing a bit better because of it. Got my first 100 plus yard game on 30 attempts (NO big gains just medium ones with a couple of 10 yarders.) The run blocking 0-line simply can not be relied upon to hold their blocks. One minute it looks like their doing a good job run blocking until you try to run in a lane they created, and then all of a sudden they get overpowered and you get blasted. Tosses, pitches, and a little bit of stretch to the outside is all for me. I refuse to run in between tackles unless I need 1 yard, or a couple of inches, and I'm doing that with my fullback not RB. The first thing I'm getting when I play RTBB is a fast running back, so I can bounce it outside.

[adamgod8]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Glance button is the best feature! I use it every pass play now...for whoever was asking about it....you tap or hold L1 and it will glance over to your blindside on a pass play to get a good look at your whole line and opposite receivers, when you let go it shifts back to your receiver

[zmcman1]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Currently up on the NE Militia 21-10 with my created team at half. Pro-Medium

QB (93 focus) 13/17 160 yards, TD/INT, Rushing TD
RB 9 carries for 38 yards (4.2 YPC) TD (Low 80s stats)

Using the protect ball (Aggressive + Down on stick) after catching passes has really, really helped the dropped ball situations. I was actually 12/13 at one point until running a 2-minute offense before the half.

While the run blocking does need tweaking, I had gains of 5, 7, and 11 yards going up the middle. I'd advise for when you call a run up the middle, make sure you have enough blockers to contain the amount of people the defense is sticking in the box. If not, audible out. Those 3 runs all came when I had either an equal or greater amount of blockers on the line than the defense had in the box.

edit: Finished up the game. Won 31-17. Strayed from my own advice of switching out of runs plays late in the game so my YPC took a huge hit. But still stayed very successful passing the ball.

QB - 21/29 (72%) 288 yards, 2 TD, INT
RB - 18 carries for 54 yards (3.0 ypc), TD

[JayBee74]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Played a few games on Pro Hard-can't get into it. I like the new passing game, but bored to tears with the CPU and Human impotent run games. The CPU's regular draw play is getting on my nerves.

I'm getting beat regularly, mostly with plays away from me in the passing game. The O-Line blocking is non existent and a game breaker for me. The game has degenerated into a passing contest, and that doesn't work for me. I would like an option for a regular camera on defense.

I'll stick with APF until the next update.

[zmcman1]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

the game in its current state is way too easy, even on Pro-Hard.

Played equal teams last night, NE-Indy, on Pro-Hard, Average form. Won 48-0, completing 28/34 passes. Protect Ball now seems more like an exploit instead of a resolution as WRs still reel in catches even with hard contact. Meanwhile, the CPU doesn't have the logic to Protect Ball, so CPU QB Completion %'s are being killed. Add that on to the CPU struggling with the run game and they don't really put up a fight on offense.

Playing more I realized the CPU QB AI really hasn't improved. They've attempted to mask the lower completion %s/high INT #s by having the the CPU throw more screens/dump off to the flats. In that same game, if you factored out screens/dumps, the QB went 4/14 for 52 yards and an INT (complete stats: 14/24 71 yards, INT.) I know NM can't re-write the QB AI code completely so adding more screens/dump offs are understandable. But with the run blocking being so poor now, they barely have a chance to pick up yardage on these.

With how easy the passing game is now and no real way to tune it down besides maybe turning accuracy back down a bit, the CPU really needs a boost. Even if that means giving them a higher probability of holding onto passes where defenders make contact. I'm not saying they should catch everything thrown to them, but it should be a bit more favorable that they hold onto catches. It's really the only way NM can balance the CPU passing game.

[opd897]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

the game in its current state is way too easy, even on Pro-Hard.

Played equal teams last night, NE-Indy, on Pro-Hard, Average form. Won 48-0, completing 28/34 passes. Protect Ball now seems more like an exploit instead of a resolution as WRs still reel in catches even with hard contact. Meanwhile, the CPU doesn't have the logic to Protect Ball, so CPU QB Completion %'s are being killed. Add that on to the CPU struggling with the run game and they don't really put up a fight on offense.

Playing more I realized the CPU QB AI really hasn't improved. They've attempted to mask the lower completion %s/high INT #s by having the the CPU throw more screens/dump off to the flats. In that same game, if you factored out screens/dumps, the QB went 4/14 for 52 yards and an INT (complete stats: 14/24 71 yards, INT.) I know NM can't re-write the QB AI code completely so adding more screens/dump offs are understandable. But with the run blocking being so poor now, they barely have a chance to pick up yardage on these.

With how easy the passing game is now and no real way to tune it down besides maybe turning accuracy back down a bit, the CPU really needs a boost. Even if that means giving them a higher probability of holding onto passes where defenders make contact. I'm not saying they should catch everything thrown to them, but it should be a bit more favorable that they hold onto catches. It's really the only way NM can balance the CPU passing game.

You must have great skills. Before the patch I was winning nearly every game. After the patch I lose games regularly on medium and hard is well................hard (for me).

[boooey]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

What I did was take the latest 360 NFL roster and tweak it with Fynn's editor for the team I play as the Falcons, I upped the stats on my RB's and O-linemen and my QB. So I can pass well without to many INT's but now I have at least a reasonable running game

Now I still get a good challenge on medium and in my last game I even lost to the Colts on a missed FG with ZERO on the colck because they committed a PI on the last play. That was one freakin awesome game even though I lost.

I edited my Raiders with Finn editor, saved, rehashed, and copied it back to my 360, yet the ratings that are in Finn editor are not the same as what i am seeing in the game.. am i doing something wrong?

[zmcman1]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Just wrapped up another game.

Charleston (me) (69 Offense, 31 Defense, 47 Overall)
vs
Cincinnati (80 offense, 66 defense, 75 Overall)

Got down 24-0 early on in the game due to a huge 76 yard run by their RB and a few defensive lapses on my part (switching control to CBs and taking them out of position to defend the pass.) Final ended up being 41-24 Cincy.

Weren't too many drops this time around for the CPU as I wasn't in position to force them. Still had a good amount of success passing...31/41 489 Yards, 3 TD, 3 INT with Greathouse. CPU Cardona went 14/19 for 197 yards and 3 TD.

Their pass rush is what got me though. Team ended up with 11 sacks, 7 from the left side of their defense. 3-4 may have been my fault from dropping back to deep, but for the most part they just torched my OL.

Better competitive match-up than the match before, though I did cut down on their offensive production a lot in the second half (first half: 237 yards. second half: 98)

Trying the Indy/NE matchup again.

[TheWatcher]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

The passing game is much improved, although passes are still too prone to INT's both Human and CPU. Still too many fumbles, too.

I can't run anymore. The upside is that the game is harder now. If there could be one more patch, I'd decrease the defensive catch attributes some more and do something to open the run game a little.

[JayBee74]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Just wrapped up another game.

Charleston (me) (69 Offense, 31 Defense, 47 Overall)
vs
Cincinnati (80 offense, 66 defense, 75 Overall)

Got down 24-0 early on in the game due to a huge 76 yard run by their RB and a few defensive lapses on my part (switching control to CBs and taking them out of position to defend the pass.) Final ended up being 41-24 Cincy.

Weren't too many drops this time around for the CPU as I wasn't in position to force them. Still had a good amount of success passing...31/41 489 Yards, 3 TD, 3 INT with Greathouse. CPU Cardona went 14/19 for 197 yards and 3 TD.

Their pass rush is what got me though. Team ended up with 11 sacks, 7 from the left side of their defense. 3-4 may have been my fault from dropping back to deep, but for the most part they just torched my OL.

Better competitive match-up than the match before, though I did cut down on their offensive production a lot in the second half (first half: 237 yards. second half: 98)

Trying the Indy/NE matchup again.

You must have played on MEDIUM.

[zmcman1]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Nah, it was definitely on hard. I had saved the settings in the Options menu to prevent having to adjust it each time I wanted to begin a new game. I just played an error-free game, no turnovers.

Just wrapped up the Indy/New England game. Lost 35-17 after throwing 3 pick 6's, 2 other INTs, and fumbling the ball away 3 times. The fumbles were very costly as they two of them came from within my 30 yard line (one on a KR, the other after a receiver made a catch.)

Still noticeably outgained the opponent 338 to 181 with less TOP (9:34 to 10:26). Indy's QB did put up a pretty efficient game of 16/26 for 155, INT.

I overreacted from calling the game easy based off of one game. The CPU offense isn't particularly hard to defend against, but I could see it very challenging if run blocking weren't screwed up. Good AI backs are very good at slipping tackles using skill moves, so I could picture them being pretty damn hard to contain with good blocking. But the defense will make you pay if you don't place your passes properly. I messed up on the pass leading a few times in that game and they jumped them for pick-sixes.

If NM can fix the run blocking issues, Pro-Hard will be an extremely challenging mode.

[ac-greasy]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Impressions:

The game is "harder" but the problem is it's to easy on "easy" and it's impossible to run the ball on "medium"...haven't really tried "hard" because medium is enough of a challenge and if I can't run the ball now it's going to be even more frustrating on hard.

I think they compensated for the extra time you get while passing by incorporating more random dropped passes. I'm not really sure how I feel about this, it doesn't really bother me when a WR drops a pass when he gets stuck right when the ball arrives but the wide open drops are getting annoying. Like I said, running is next to impossible on any level other than "easy". It's weird how the pass blocking is now so good yet run blocking is non-existent. Even when the O-line has a number advantage on the D a D lineman just blows right by the blocker, consistently.

There seems to be less crazy and exciting bounces of the ball. I've played over a dozen games and haven't seen a tipped pass for a pick yet. Overall I'm kind of disappointed with the patch. They did correct some glaring problems but the end product produced some new glaring problems. It's one step forward two steps back and I'm right back to where I was pre patch...just scratching my head at the problems and I feel like I'm gonna shelf the game again and wait to see if they fix the new problems.

Mind you these are impressions against the cpu...I have had some fantastic games online. Problem is, there's rarely anyone online to play. Human v. human the game is alot better than playing the cpu, in that sense it's probably the best football game I've played against another person.

[JayBee74]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Nah, it was definitely on hard. I had saved the settings in the Options menu to prevent having to adjust it each time I wanted to begin a new game. I just played an error-free game, no turnovers.

Just wrapped up the Indy/New England game. Lost 35-17 after throwing 3 pick 6's, 2 other INTs, and fumbling the ball away 3 times. The fumbles were very costly as they two of them came from within my 30 yard line (one on a KR, the other after a receiver made a catch.)

Still noticeably outgained the opponent 338 to 181 with less TOP (9:34 to 10:26). Indy's QB did put up a pretty efficient game of 16/26 for 155, INT.

I overreacted from calling the game easy based off of one game. The CPU offense isn't particularly hard to defend against, but I could see it very challenging if run blocking weren't screwed up. Good AI backs are very good at slipping tackles using skill moves, so I could picture them being pretty damn hard to contain with good blocking. But the defense will make you pay if you don't place your passes properly. I messed up on the pass leading a few times in that game and they jumped them for pick-sixes.

If NM can fix the run blocking issues, Pro-Hard will be an extremely challenging mode.

You had 0 turnovers the first game, 8 the next. How is your rushing?

[JayBee74]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

Mind you these are impressions against the cpu...I have had some fantastic games online. Problem is, there's rarely anyone online to play. Human v. human the game is alot better than playing the cpu, in that sense it's probably the best football game I've played against another person.

Isn't the run blocking a problem online too?

[zmcman1]

Re: Backbreaker Patch "Greathouse" Impressions (PS3, 360)

You had 0 turnovers the first game, 8 the next. How is your rushing?

I just passed better the first game. The second game I made a few errors with my lead passing that I didn't the ball in the spots I wanted. New England's DBs made good plays on the ball. And can't explain the fumbles. Prior to that game, I hadn't had more than 1 fumble in any game since the patch released.

My rushing is pretty bad. If I struggle at it early on, I almost abandon it completely. Usually its between 2-3 YPC, but I've had a few games of 4-5. I've used passing teams a lot since the patch came out and haven't really played with a rushing based team.