NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

[Steve_OS]

Kotaku's Owen Good has posted his NCAA Football 14 preview. Probably the most interesting part of the article is when he describes player stamina and how it could play out in the game.

Most importantly, you're going to see a player's stamina during a play, and watch it drain as a long run plays out, or as he chains together a juke followed by a spin followed by a truck, with each move decreasing in effectiveness as his stamina runs out. "If you're scrambling with your quarterback, you're more likely to get a less accurate throw at the end," Richart says.

This should cut down on that multiplayer staple, the quarterback's 198-step drop followed by a sideline-to-sideline run followed by a laser beam to the flanker. Last year, NCAA Football 13 hardwired 3, 5 and 7-step drop animations into some plays to keep players from instinctively laying back on the left stick, but they still did it anyway. With play-to-play stamina—which will be informed by a player's rating, and will be less in fourth quarter or in overtime than at the start of a drive in the first quarter—cheap stuff can be more easily neutralized.

[PVarck31]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Great write-up by Owen, as always. Great to hear that they are putting so much focus on line play this year. This alone would improve the game immensely in my opinion.

[johnnyg713]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

good read. Some OL/DL stuff mentioned. Biggest thing I've read about so far is fatigue. Will be interesting to see if it works as advertised, but this could be one of the biggest sim mechanics in years.

[roadman]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Great write-up by Owen, as always. Great to hear that they are putting so much focus on line play this year. This alone would improve the game immensely in my opinion.

Need to find out more about OL/DL interraction.

Are the DE's driving up forcing the pocket?

[SageInfinite]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Need to find out more about OL/DL interraction.

Are the DE's driving up forcing the pocket?

I have a feeling we still won't get this. It always seems like they work on things in compartments. Seems like run blocking is the focus this year.

[XxJustAguessxX]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Good read, nothing new between all these articles but I'm optimistic.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

With play-to-play stamina—which will be informed by a player's rating, and will be less in fourth quarter or in overtime than at the start of a drive in the first quarter—cheap stuff can be more easily neutralized.

Play by play stamina is long over due. It will make having a deep depth chart more worth while. Past years I never cared for deep depth chart because players never got tired to the point it effected their performance. I could have ran the ball 35 times in a row with the same RB, he still performed on a high level as though it was his 1st running attempt.

So hopefully now you can TRULY tire out a defense and see them put in some 2nd and 3rd string defensive linemen. And that you will actually see teams use more then 1 running back during the game. Then finally HOPEFULLY it will penalize people who call blitz plays every down. Since technically if the same player is constantly doing a lot of running every play, he will get more and more tired & less effective.

So finally NCAA can be played more like chess and strategic, instead of just use the same 3 money plays all game long.

[SteelerSpartan]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

I have a feeling we still won't get this. It always seems like they work on things in compartments. Seems like run blocking is the focus this year.

If this hasn't been upgraded and given the depth it deserves then Im going to have a hard time buying the game again.

Too many years of having to withstand that ugliness finally became too much for me and I skipped last years games.

If its another year of dancing...then its going to be hard to look at any other area of the game....Im just that fed up with it

[TryHard_Nation]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Play by play stamina is long over due. It will make having a deep depth chart more worth while. Past years I never cared for deep depth chart because players never got tired to the point it effected their performance. I could have ran the ball 35 times in a row with the same RB, he still performed on a high level as though it was his 1st running attempt.

So hopefully now you can TRULY tire out a defense and see them put in some 2nd and 3rd string defensive linemen. And that you will actually see teams use more then 1 running back during the game. Then finally HOPEFULLY it will penalize people who call blitz plays every down. Since technically if the same player is constantly doing a lot of running every play, he will get more and more tired & less effective.

So finally NCAA can be played more like chess and strategic, instead of just use the same 3 money plays all game long.

Wow. That's what we call constructive and taking it to the next level.

[johnnyg713]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Play by play stamina is long over due. It will make having a deep depth chart more worth while. Past years I never cared for deep depth chart because players never got tired to the point it effected their performance. I could have ran the ball 35 times in a row with the same RB, he still performed on a high level as though it was his 1st running attempt.

So hopefully now you can TRULY tire out a defense and see them put in some 2nd and 3rd string defensive linemen. And that you will actually see teams use more then 1 running back during the game. Then finally HOPEFULLY it will penalize people who call blitz plays every down. Since technically if the same player is constantly doing a lot of running every play, he will get more and more tired & less effective.

So finally NCAA can be played more like chess and strategic, instead of just use the same 3 money plays all game long.

Hoping it is like this. It would be disappointing if JUST the RBs have this meter....

If this hasn't been upgraded and given the depth it deserves then Im going to have a hard time buying the game again.

Too many years of having to withstand that ugliness finally became too much for me and I skipped last years games.

If its another year of dancing...then its going to be hard to look at any other area of the game....Im just that fed up with it

From EJ Manuel's gameplay impressions article...

Another visual addition to the gameplay will be the different looking line play up front.

"The line play is a lot more violent. These guys aren't just standing there like before. I think they call it the waltz around here? These guys are really hitting each other up front, it looks better."

[SteelerSpartan]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

^^^Yeah I saw that earlier, but I still think he's referring to the run blocking

We'll probably find out in the 1st playbook....if not sooner from a GameChanger

[tril]

"Ballcarriers will have contextual animations that put up their arms and subtly steer them "around the manwall" as Richart put it, even if you're laying on the stick going straight ahead."

that "subtly steer" statement is very troubling. how about just giving the player control as to where he wants to go once he encounters the wall. .

I like the fatigue aspect, but wasn't that implemented in a football game a few years back. then taken out. so is this a re-introduction/re-tuned feature

[darren1024]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

Remember that this is still a WIP guys. With the infinity engine now in, does weight actually matter for OL? Will height come into play for WR/CB interaction? And why no mention of any defensive improvements?

[Rodimus13]

Re: NCAA Football 14 Preview (Kotaku)

There is still no mention of double-team pass blocking which is very worrisome. They are saying that they improved blocking, but what that means is anybody guess. Until they have 2 offensive lineman blocking 1 defensive player out of a play on pass plays, they fail in that respect. It doesn't have too be every play, but it should be on 3 man rushes. Well see in the coming weeks

[DukeRulz14]

Alabama still has the old SEC patches on their jerseys