Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

[RaychelSnr]

Hey everyone, it's time for a little strategy session during this edition of Dynasty Musings. We’ll be talking about recruiting in NCAA Football 11 by EA Sports.

With the roulette feature that EA has added this year, you no longer just get to pound the same topics over and over again. A much needed addition, the roulette requires you to pick your spots wisely because you might not get to talk about your A-plus pro potential as much as you’d like. I’ll go over a few tips, and hopefully you guys chime in with some helpful tidbits as well in the comments.

Read More - Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

[BroMontana82]

nice info. but what if you turn all CPU help off? is there any way to pitch something specific for each 10 minute slot in a call once you discover the rating for each one or is it always randomly generated?

[Drix10]

The promise works too. When you first start out, use the "win over 50 % of rivalry game" promise, or whatever it says. It's low stakes, and the payoff is big. Unless you lose your games, which happens but I've never busted it yet. The redshirt one works if you are going for higher caliber players and you have a lack of depth. You probably wanna stay away from the "guarantee freshman all american", I haven't had too many players of mine actually achieve that, and especially no offensive lineman since they never get enough pancake blocks to compete with the rest of the nation.

[blLLD0]

I disagree with offering a scholarship as early as possible. Being able to get an insta-commit is worth the risk of not offering a scholarship week 1. You can move up a prospects list selling and comparing pitches. I've only recruited with a 4* and 3* team and I've gotten a fair share of insta-commits by waiting to offer til I'm #1.

I was 5th for a 4* WR and by week 4 I was #1 on his list, offered and he accepted. The risk/reward is tottally worth it in my opinion.

[Kingfish]

Re: Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

Its a little more tough when you are a 1* or 2* program though. I have no proof only observed a lot of recruiting but, it seems like the 1* teams CAN get three star players if you get to the top of the list as fast as you can, you can fend of the others even 3* & 4* programs if you get out into a good lead quick.

The best way I've found is to drop the scholly early. That 150+ you get from offering can't be matched by anything else the little school has to offer...

Just my opinion tho...

[Bluesman]

I'd add that you should keep your board full, even if you are not calling/recruiting all the players. It lets you keep an eye on the "Plan C" guys and if no one else is heavily recruiting them you'll hold or rise in their interest level.

[Big Blue]

these are great

[hurricanefootball4]

You can get the insta-commit even if you have offered the scholarship already, the Recruit Advisor will let you know what guys will insta-commit that week

[hurricanefootball4]

The structure I go with is:

60 minutes - 1-5
50 minutes - 6-11

By about week 11 or so you should have your commits, then you can add some 3 star guys if you want to fill it out by searching for guys who are still in "Top 10" level of interest.

Then in the off-season you can usually score an extra 1-2 higher level recruit.

Makes for some solid recruiting classes with 12-15 4 star (some 5) guys and then a handful of 3 star guys

[ThatRadioGuy]

..

You know, due to unemployment, I've probably spent the Maximum amount of time that can possibly be spent playing The Dynasty section of NCAA Football 2011. It's kinda sad but I think it would be mathematically impossible to spend more time that I have with this section of the game. But you know, that's where videogames transcend just being a neat thing to have or do. It keeps some of us from blowing our friggin' brains out over dire economic circumstances. When somebody with a degree and 23 years of experience can't find a job, that's a dire economy.

.. anyways ..

Some of the things I have found out about Dynasty in this year's NCAA ..

The doggone computer is mean. It's convoluted. If you are going after some guy in recruiting that you really need, it will be stone cold dastardly in the "roulette" process. It's that EA "cheating" AI kinda deal. It'll give you five consecutive "very low" or "least" and you'll be happy when you see a "low". I've gone in after dumping 120 minutes in to a guy and looked at his "pitches" and I'm like: "Somebody needs get this dude some anti-depressants because he's sad about EVERYTHING!" If there is one thing I have learned about The Planet and this plane of consciousness: There can't be a top without a bottom. Unless it's EA NCAA this year. Just because you have 4 "very low" reactions does not mean you have an equal amount of "very high" reactions. If the game gets it in for you, there's no getting out of it. No matter what your lowest recruiting tool is, it will throw that at you 3 out of ten times .. and more if you have used all your "change topics".

And another thing I have figured over incessant 17 hour gaming sessions because I didn't want to think about .. think about crashing households and divorce and foreclosure and child support ..

There is no freakin' rhyme nor reason toward the point total or "visits". Visits are worthless and random. Just when you think you have something figured out that they really do mean something you see just the opposite occur. i.e, For every guy who commits right after a visit, they'll be a guy who has an A+ visit that week (because you spent tons of time "asking" what he likes) .. he loved everything about your college and had a spectacular visit THAT WEEK .. and he commits elsewhere. Wha? I have found no logical pattern here. And another thing .. those point totals don't mean anything. They really don't. Through long and extended analysis .. I'm telling you, if the computer doesn't want you to have some recruit, no matter how much you pour in to some guy, the school ahead of you magically stays out in front by a healthy margin. A+ visits, six weeks 60 minute of incessant skilled pitching .. it don't matter. It really doesn't. There is no rhyme nor reason to it. There's just some recruits or positions and that's just the way it is and there is no amount of influence you can exert to get them to come to play football at your school. And then there will be other guys that are listed "fourth" and a couple weeks at 20 minutes and you go to put in time for your random "Coach Prestige" B+ and *BOOM* 5000 points and they commit. Heck, I've had time left over and put 10 minutes in to some dude .. offer him a scholarship and HE FRIGGIN' COMMITS!. No prior pitching. No prior visit. No Rhyme. No Reason.

I don't know whether this is a simulation of actual recruiting (having never recruited and dam straight never been recruited .. HA! .. if only) .. I don't know whether this is good or bad .. and I'm not saying either.

I just know that it is.

DD

..

[peteykirch]

Re: Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

One of the things that makes no sense is the Proximity to Home pitch.

I was recruiting this 4 star DT from NYC, which is 45 minutes from Rutgers campus with a rating of B+ , also on his list was Syracuse, which is a solid 3 1/2 hours from NYC and they are rated A+.

Does all that matter if the town is in the same state, or what?

[youALREADYknow]

Re: Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

those point totals don't mean anything. They really don't. Through long and extended analysis .. I'm telling you, if the computer doesn't want you to have some recruit, no matter how much you pour in to some guy, the school ahead of you magically stays out in front by a healthy margin. A+ visits, six weeks 60 minute of incessant skilled pitching .. it don't matter. It really doesn't. There is no rhyme nor reason to it.

I've seen the same thing and it really makes no sense. What is the purpose of wasting all of this time in recruiting if the underlying point system means NOTHING.

I've been Green interest meter, 20 points behind the #1 school, and then I get a 60 minute call with a 2X Bonus... 700+ point phone call.

What do I see the next week? Minor incremental increase in points, Interest meter still not full, and still behind the #1 school.

If the point meter is 5,000 points then I should be getting 10-15% Interest in that one call. Instead it appears more like 5%.

[EZ Esquire]

Re: Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

I'd add that you should keep your board full, even if you are not calling/recruiting all the players. It lets you keep an eye on the "Plan C" guys and if no one else is heavily recruiting them you'll hold or rise in their interest level.

The reason I do not do this is because of the random 2X week or unlock week.

Having the board full reduces the chance the the top guys you want get the 2X.

I agree about the random and CPU AI. There are some guys no matter what you do you can't get the high pitches.

Recruiting with Texas is so easy. You never have to leave the state so you get the pipeline bonus on everyone. Yet for some reason this for this one 5* Guard I never get a high pitch. Make promises, change subject but no high pitch ever comes up. I looked at his interest one week and had 2 High, 2 Very High and a Most but some how the same pitches come up over and over. After 4 weeks of Low interest pitches and falling behind despite hour calls it was obvious the CPU did not want me to get him so I dropped him.

And I love how the “Random” selection brings up your one C+ 4 times in a hour call.

Yeah…that’s random.

But I do like it better this year.

I offer early and only wait if I think I can capture the lead in a few weeks.

[georgiafan]

Re: Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

If its a player i'm #1 on his list and it's a 3* guy I will always keep them on my list. Even if it hurts my chances of the x2 bonus I can grab those guys pretty easy without alot of minutes spent. Because by week 9 or 10 the 4&5* guys are commited and I don't wanna be left starting over with the 3* players.

[Deegeezy]

Re: Dynasty Musings: NCAA Football 11 Recruiting Tips

Something that has helped me remember recruits' "likes" is simply reading what they say after each pitch. I know a lot of people just quickly press the button to move on to the next topic but taking your time to read what they're saying not only helps you remember what they like, but you also start to associate a bit of a personality with the player, thus making the overall dynasty experience even more enjoyable.

Call me a video game geek or whatever, but I enjoy knowing that my starting QB had a high interest in academics before coming to my school or that my back-up safety couldn't care less about my coaching experience, etc.

I actually prefer doing it like this rather than "unlocking pitches." This makes it feel even more like I am recruiting since I have to actually remember the conversations I had.