[Thinking Out Loud]

Quote: Originally Posted by Phobia

My biggest concern at the moment is the blocking though. The blocking needs some major fixes, there is no eb or flow to the blocking engagements. So it is hard has the ball handler to read who is winning the battle and where should you take your running back to. I been playing some NCAA 11 lately and my biggest beef is the blocking. This is how a general blocking engagement plays out. 1) Both players lock in a blocking animation. 2) Both players remain in a static straight up block animation. No lateral or any kind of movement as if there was a struggle. Then 1 of 3 things happen 1) The system says the Offensive blocker has won engagement and either he slams the defender to the ground or brick walls him for rest of play. 2) The system says defender has beaten the offensive blocker and immediately shoots pass the blocker like he just let him go from the spot he was standing. 3) The system decides it is a neutral engagement and both struggle in a wrap around animation. Thus seeing the animation of the tackles trying to block a DE getting to the QB animation. Fixes that need to be in place. 1) Once a engagement happens. Weight/momentum of the blocker vs weight/momentum of the defender should be accounted far and the animation should steer the two players in the correct directions. 2) Then the blocker and the defender should engage in lateral movement as the defender tries to get around blocker. This would give some indication of what side the defender is attempting to make play and give a visual clue of where to take your back for best success. 3) The system should read the success rate of the ratings not entirely on just ratings. Weight and momentum should play the major role, then skill is the deciding factor of success.

I really feel you on this. I am no programmer but I think this could be greatly improved by just adding a user "engage" button, maybe the left trigger on the controller. If the user had an option to engage a player or not, so would the AI and this would allow for more realistic animation variation. For example, win/lose/tie animations for an offensive player engaging but the defender not engaging, trying to block shed (ie. defenders trying to get to the QB/ball carrier), win/lose/tie animations for a defender engaging but the offensive player not engaging, trying to shed contact (ie. OL getting out for screen passes, WR/TE getting off the LOS and finally defensive holding would exist) and win/lose/tie animations for both offensive player and defender engaging (ie. defender trying to hold the point or trying to push the offensive player back into the back field and a offensive player trying to pass protect or run block).