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gschwendt
04-21-2011, 09:27 AM
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5640175861_76e388a4a4_o.jpg

Last week, several members of The Gaming Tailgate attended a Community Event for NCAA Football 12. While more details of that will come very soon, continue below to read a write-up from Chris Jacobs (cdj) briefly talking about some of the things we saw. In addition, we plan to go into further details in a podcast but wanted to give you a sample of what to expect.

Presentation

Presentation in the NCAA Football franchise has come a long ways in the last few years and continues with NCAA Football 12. As we have seen and heard already, community members with an eye for in-game screenshots will utilize HDR, 3D grass and crowds along with new player related items to make their shots even more memorable: dreadlocks, bowl patches, heavy fog, increased player equipment & gear options, and more.

With 120 FBS programs, there is the need and desire by the development team to help make each team and school details as accurate as possible. Coming to NCAA Football 12 are more authentic team entrances (Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas), along with updated uniforms (rest easy, Arizona State and Washington State fans), stadiums (Indiana), stadium signage (Oregon) and field art (Arizona State, East Carolina, Florida State, Ole Miss). The teams listed highlight just some of the changes coming to NCAA Football 12, they are not the full list.

Thanks to the help of the NCAA Football community, the development team was able to gather information quickly and efficiently for school Marching Band and cannon information. The best news? Both of them will be featured in NCAA Football 12! Bands are visible in the stands and both will be featured in cutscenes following big plays. Joining them in cutscenes will be coaches rallying their team – or maybe even jawing with officials.

The presentation of NCAA Football 12 also adds in GameTrack, montages, new between quarter highlight and score overlays, new stadium camera pans,
special openings for BCS bowl games and some rivalry games, customizable Stadium Sounds situations for pregame (‘anticipation,’ ‘entrance,’ or both) and more. If you enjoyed the presentation in NCAA Football 11, you will be impressed by NCAA Football 12. As much as we’ve been able to disclose, there’s still significant new features yet to be announced.


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5640745736_28ab62e226_o.jpg

Gameplay

NCAA Football 12 continues to build on gameplay, highlighted by the Enhanced tackling system and improved defensive zone coverage.

The Enhanced tackling system helps eliminate ‘suction’ from the game by no longer allowing players to engage in tackles or blocks until a collision begins actually takes place. Three-man gang tackles as well as double-hit tackles aid in the realism while a bevy of new tackle animations will let you see something new as you play the game.

The defense also receives a boost with improvements to zone coverage. Defenders will read receivers to help get their coverage responsibility, will carry them through zones, and will point to receivers as they leave their zone passing the assignment on. Man coverage also benefits as defenders will make moves based on what the receiver does – but they will no longer ‘mirror’ them.

Playbooks received a significant revamp with new authentic formations (such as TCU’s 4-2-5 Okie Across), nearly 150 new plays, as well as the standard yearly updates based on team changes. The playcall screen has received a slight makeover as users can now press the corresponding button to pick one of the three highlighted plays while moving left and right to select a different formation.

While the defense will have some teeth in NCAA Football 12, the offense can also boast of improvements. If you make the right read against improved defensive coverages, receivers can now catch the ball in stride and players can engage user controlled dive catches. As the dev team motion captured these new catches, they also added in new realistic animations for dropped passes. Improved ball and pylon physics also add to in-game realism.

This is just the start of NCAA Football 12. In the next few weeks and months we will hear about and be able to discuss all of the new features coming to the game on July 12.


As well, we have takes from other attendees representing The Gaming Tailgate:

Brian Parker's (Paakaa10) blog (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?10-NCAA-Football-12-Community-Event-Experience-(with-Exclusive-Screenshots!)) discussing his thoughts on the game
Matt Kyler's (Kwizzy) blog (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?11-A-First-Timer%92s-Trip-to-EA-Tiburon) outlining "A First Timer’s Trip to EA Tiburon"
Michael Gillet's (Oneback) blog (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?12-What-is-Pattern-Reading-Zone-Defense) discussing "What is Pattering Reading Zone Defense"


As mentioned, stay tuned for more details about the game as well as the Community Events.

skipwondah33
04-21-2011, 09:33 AM
Goodness those gameplay additions sound all kind of sexy lol

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 09:34 AM
To give a heads up, we'll be able to talk about anything that you would see inside a Play Now game. So any questions you have, fire away and we'll do our best to answer, though remember it was still a work in progress while we were there. We'll likely answer your question inside a podcast that we'll record either tonight or tomorrow.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 09:36 AM
When can you guys talk about Dynasty mode?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 09:37 AM
When can you guys talk about Dynasty mode?
From here out, we'll only be able to talk about features and changes outside of a Play Now game after EA themselves have announced it.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 09:39 AM
Thank you.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 09:41 AM
during a play now mode did you have the option to choose a rivalry mode? If you did were there any different commentary/celebrations after the game?

coogrfan
04-21-2011, 09:42 AM
I'll ask the obvious question: in your opinion has the SuperLB swat issue been addressed?

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 09:44 AM
I'll ask the obvious question: in your opinion has the SuperLB swat issue been addressed?

In my opinion, yes. I can't recall seeing any over-the-top LB jumping in my time with the game. It wasn't something I set out to look for, but it certainly didn't slap me in the face.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 09:45 AM
How did the defense feel to you G? Will it reward recruiting the high pursuit tackle linebackers? Also, do the ratings help determine how often the DB's still mess up in their coverage assignments? Thanks man.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 09:45 AM
How does the ball look? Is there a more realistic look to the trajectory or its physics?

Oneback
04-21-2011, 09:47 AM
I'll ask the obvious question: in your opinion has the SuperLB swat issue been addressed?

Yes, I wish I would have taken a screen shot at the time, but I was able to routinely put touch on balls and drop it in behind the linebackers. I even asked at one point if the ball trajectory had been tweaked.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 09:48 AM
You lied to me OB! Came to Florida for "work" my ass! :)

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 09:49 AM
How does the ball look? Is there a more realistic look to the trajectory or its physics?

Ball physics have been improved. It's particularly noticeable when the ball comes to rest. It no longer comes to rest on it's nose. The trajectory seemed better too. Batted balls also act much, much more realistically than what we've seen in the past.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 09:50 AM
Ball physics have been improved. It's particularly noticeable when the ball comes to rest. It no longer comes to rest on it's nose. The trajectory seemed better too. Batted balls also act much, much more realistically than what we've seen in the past.

Great, that was one of my biggest pet peeves.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 09:50 AM
You lied to me OB! Came to Florida for "work" my ass! :)

We've all had to lie, lol. Don't hold it against us! :D

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 09:51 AM
Added Kwizzy's "A First Timer's Trip to EA Tiburon" (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?11-A-First-Timer%92s-Trip-to-EA-Tiburon)

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 09:51 AM
Could have at least picked me up! I am like 30-40 minutes away!:D

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 09:54 AM
Did you guys play each other or were there times when you were facing the CPU? If you were able to play the CPU did you notice any differences in the AI? Did the teams play to their strengths?

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:00 AM
You lied to me OB! Came to Florida for "work" my ass! :)

Don't worry, I bit too.

Paakaa10
04-21-2011, 10:03 AM
Ball physics have been improved. It's particularly noticeable when the ball comes to rest. It no longer comes to rest on it's nose. The trajectory seemed better too. Batted balls also act much, much more realistically than what we've seen in the past.

Especially in an epic game between myself and steelerfan where my defender tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage and his receiver caught it and fell into the endzone for a touchdown. Completed a comeback from down 14-0 for him and he ended up winning the game when he pick-6'ed my desperation heave to avoid overtime. :fp:

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:05 AM
Did you guys play each other or were there times when you were facing the CPU? If you were able to play the CPU did you notice any differences in the AI? Did the teams play to their strengths?

That's a little tough to talk about in the confines of "Play Now", which is what we can discuss at this point. I mean, teams used their playbooks, lol. You may have to get a little more specific for us to help you, or maybe I'm just thinking too much. :D

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 10:06 AM
Be sure to read Oneback's blog discussing "What is Pattern Reading Zone Defense"
http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?12-What-is-Pattern-Reading-Zone-Defense

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:08 AM
Especially in an epic game between myself and steelerfan where my defender tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage and his receiver caught it and fell into the endzone for a touchdown. Completed a comeback from down 14-0 for him and he ended up winning the game when he pick-6'ed my desperation heave to avoid overtime. :fp:

That was epic! Even if I had lost that one, I would have been amazed by that game.

I will add that most of the games between 2 users (on 5 minute AA) were very low scoring. ;)

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:08 AM
I read that they have improved on the zone defense, now in a play now game how did the defenders protect their assignments and what was your take overall of the "new" zone coverage?

Oneback
04-21-2011, 10:08 AM
You lied to me OB! Came to Florida for "work" my ass! :)

Had to keep things tight lipped, I do want to keep going to florida for "work".

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 10:11 AM
Had to keep things tight lipped, I do want to keep going to florida for "work".

Understandable, just busting on you because I just thought about it when you posted some impressions. lol

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 10:13 AM
I read that they have improved on the zone defense, now in a play now game how did the defenders protect their assignments and what was your take overall of the "new" zone coverage?

Obviously things are still being tweaked at this point but IMO they are MUCH improved. I had little to no hesitation with calling zones and anyone who played last year knows that's saying something! :D It is so cool to see one defender carry a reciever through his zone and then pass him off to the next guy with a hand signal.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 10:14 AM
That's a little tough to talk about in the confines of "Play Now", which is what we can discuss at this point. I mean, teams used their playbooks, lol. You may have to get a little more specific for us to help you, or maybe I'm just thinking too much. :D

Well, let me try lol. If you are playing a team with a scrambler does he scramble when the blocking breaks down. If you are playing a big bruser of a RB do they pound the rock? Or if you are playing a team with a tough D is it tough to move the ball?

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 10:14 AM
Did anyone try out the different defenses (3-4,4-2-5, etc) and if so can you "feel" the difference? Also, how is the pass rush right now?

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:15 AM
That is exactly what I was thinking Kwizzy, it had to look pretty cool just seeing it happen like that.

Just being able to call more zone coverages is a very very big plus. Can't wait to see a vid myself of this happening.

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:16 AM
How many of you guys "tried" out the new plays. How well were they executed and implemented into the game both on Offense and Defense?

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:17 AM
Obviously things are still being tweaked at this point but IMO they are MUCH improved. I had little to no hesitation with calling zones and anyone who played last year knows that's saying something! :D It is so cool to see one defender carry a reciever through his zone and then pass him off to the next guy with a hand signal.

+1

It was so fun to be able to call zone again. I never once felt like I was putting the game on the line by calling zone.

Paakaa10
04-21-2011, 10:18 AM
Well, let me try lol. If you are playing a team with a scrambler does he scramble when the blocking breaks down. If you are playing a big bruser of a RB do they pound the rock? Or if you are playing a team with a tough D is it tough to move the ball?

Some of the builds of the game that we played were more complete than others; I did notice that quarterbacks with lower speed and awareness would tend to stay in the pocket longer, while a quicker QB would give up the pass if the receivers were covered more quickly than in the past. But it was hard to get a full read on this at the stages that we saw the game.

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:18 AM
Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 10:18 AM
Do any of you guys know if custom playbooks are available online and in OD's also? Or can you not talk about it?

Oneback
04-21-2011, 10:19 AM
Did anyone try out the different defenses (3-4,4-2-5, etc) and if so can you "feel" the difference? Also, how is the pass rush right now?

I tried out all of the new defenses and let me tell you things are looking good. There will be a lot of people early on thinking the passing game is broken because the defense now takes away a lot of those cheap throws and you actually have to read the defense or an underneath defender will come away with the ball. I really liked the half field concepts.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 10:19 AM
+1

It was so fun to be able to call zone again. I never once felt like I was putting the game on the line by calling zone.

I just watched the new gameplay video. It is really nice to see the ball being thrown up between D players in a zone and the actually look like they know a o player is in their zone and the converged on the ball.

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:20 AM
+1

It was so fun to be able to call zone again. I never once felt like I was putting the game on the line by calling zone.

That is refreshing to hear/read. Honestly something that will add a whole new layer to the game compared to 11. Defense wins championships baby!!

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:21 AM
I tried out all of the new defenses and let me tell you things are looking good. There will be a lot of people early on thinking the passing game is broken because the defense now takes away a lot of those cheap throws and you actually have to read the defense or an underneath defender will come away with the ball. I really liked the half field concepts.


Oh boy, as "psuexv" would say "my pants just got a little tighter".......

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 10:21 AM
I tried out all of the new defenses and let me tell you things are looking good. There will be a lot of people early on thinking the passing game is broken because the defense now takes away a lot of those cheap throws and you actually have to read the defense or an underneath defender will come away with the ball. I really liked the half field concepts.

How about the pass rush in the 3-4? I enjoyed using it in powerhouse but it is tough to get pressure even with All-American OLB's.

Oneback
04-21-2011, 10:21 AM
How many of you guys "tried" out the new plays. How well were they executed and implemented into the game both on Offense and Defense?

While I was there I paid more attention to the defense and gave a lot of feedback on certian areas. The new defensive plays work as they should, the biggest thing I wanted to see was proper coverage assignments and the ability to generate a pass rush and I liked what I saw.

Paakaa10
04-21-2011, 10:23 AM
Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.

The new wipes--which are conference-specific instead of generic "ESPN" if you play as conference rivals--are really cool to see. The overall presentation package is much closer to the actual ESPN TV package than NCAA 11 was, so it's really great to see that level of connection between real-life and the game. There are also some cool highlight packages after quarters and at halftime which help to "mask" the loading of progressive lighting, which I know was a bit of a bummer to people in NCAA 11.

It's also awesome to see all of the new "tradition" elements that have been added this year, even for really small schools that you wouldn't expect to see that level of focus on. NCAA 12 is going to be a great tool for people to use to find out about the history and gameday experience of a lot of the schools in Division I football.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:24 AM
How many of you guys "tried" out the new plays. How well were they executed and implemented into the game both on Offense and Defense?

I ran Kwizzy's Spinner play on 3rd and long and it got my D off the field. I also confused JeffHCross with a play that had a lot of pre-snap movement and looked like 7 or 8 were rushing, but only 3 or 4 actually blitzed (in overload fashion). I don't remember the play though.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 10:25 AM
How many of you guys "tried" out the new plays. How well were they executed and implemented into the game both on Offense and Defense?

I definitely tried out a few of the plays they have posted... The one that stood out to me was the one I sent in to be added "Spinner Buck Dog 1" out of Nebraska's playbook. I called this play against Steeler in a 3rd and long situation & took the pick he handed to my FS 50 yds to the house. Very cool. Perhaps you have a specific play or two you were really interested in hearing about?


Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.

This seems like a good place to post something I wrote about presentation but wasn't sure where to post it.

As a gameplay first guy, I have often overlooked presentation in NCAA as fluff. Having attended the NCAA ’12 community events for the first time this year, and seeing firsthand the tremendous improvements made to the game this year in recreating the realistic sights and sounds of college football, I can say that no longer will I overlook the impact these details can have on the game. Simply put, the additions to the presentation in NCAA ’12 are a game changer.

In addition to the new lighting system that has already been discussed, things as simple as 3D grass, improved crowd models, and bands in the stands increase the immersion factor ten-fold; making you feel even more like you’re actually watching a real game of college football. It honestly took me a half a game or so to quit staring at the crowd instead of the plays on the field. Pre-Game entrances, warm-ups, team touchdown celebrations, and other various cut scenes have all been improved upon and are a very nice touch. Also, the crowd sounds are brand new and sound more realistic and immersive than they ever have before. Finally, though I’m sure I am forgetting about something, the authentic ESPN presentation has been taken to a completely new level complete with authentic telecast wipes, animations, and style.

All of this, combined with the enhanced gameplay and other little details make this the most vivid NCAA Football Game to date IMO.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 10:26 AM
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5640348861_89d4808983_o.jpg

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:26 AM
Some of the builds of the game that we played were more complete than others; I did notice that quarterbacks with lower speed and awareness would tend to stay in the pocket longer, while a quicker QB would give up the pass if the receivers were covered more quickly than in the past. But it was hard to get a full read on this at the stages that we saw the game.

I can agree with that. It's impossible to know what we'll see in July, but the devs got PLENTY of feedback.

Oneback
04-21-2011, 10:27 AM
How about the pass rush in the 3-4? I enjoyed using it in powerhouse but it is tough to get pressure even with All-American OLB's.

I mainly played with the 3-4 defense just for that reason and was able to get after the quarterback. I think the first game I played (remember we were all adjusting to the new zone coverages) I was able to generate 10 sacks. Now, everyone will gasp at that number but we were all used to spot dropping zone defense and a slow developing pass rush. Once we got used to the new coverages the number of sacks fell inline with what would seem reasonable.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 10:28 AM
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5640354357_b13ee5975b_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5640925150_48108ec35b_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5640925050_4c4a2ffbdd_o.jpg

vertigho
04-21-2011, 10:28 AM
Things are definitely looking good from what I've read here and have seen.

A few questions:

-How is man-coverage? Is it still flawed, in the sense that the defense knows the routes of the receivers?

-Is the new double-hit tackle system properly implemented? Do they rarely occur, or do they happen as they should (basically every play when a ball-carrier is in traffic)?

-How are the player models? Do players look properly proportioned?

-Is the offensive line and defensive line interaction improved? Is there an occasional bull-rush, and not the traditional, "patty-cake, patty-cake, patty-cake - swim move", instant pressure? Do defensive linemen actually use leverage, and not a "quick" move to get off a block?

Thanks in advance fellas.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 10:29 AM
On that second tackle image, I can tell you that the defender falling by himself was probably holding up the ball carrier and the actual tackler came through and knocked him off his feet. That's part of the new enhanced tackling engine.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 10:29 AM
-Gameplay wise the thing that really stood out to me was the new animations. There are so many new animations that just look fantastic (sideline hits, blow up shots, normal tackles...) I had a blow up shot where I cleaned up a WR who was about to break a tackle that everyone within 20 ft, including the devs, was like "OHHHH!!!!!". Very good stuff.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 10:33 AM
Things are definitely looking good from what I've read here and have seen.

A few questions:

-How is man-coverage? Is it still flawed, in the sense that the defense knows the routes of the receivers?

-Is the new double-hit tackle system properly implemented? Do they rarely occur, or do they happen as they should (basically every play when a ball-carrier is in traffic)?

-How are the player models? Do players look properly proportioned?

Thanks in advance fellas.

Man coverage is definitely improved/fixed in that respect. That was my single biggest problem with defense in '11 (defenders breaking before WRs) so I watched that closely and did not notice it happening. Comebacks and outs are definitely an option now though not in any way overpowered.

See my last post about the double hit tackles. They are great, plain & simple. Don't happen in unrealistic situations either from my experiences with it.

Player models looked good to me. Did you have a specific complaint in the past?

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:35 AM
Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.

The Presentation is very nice. More was added in what I saw last week than I had anticipated based on what we were told in January. Obviously, there are more important things than grass and such, but wow - the game looks good! The pre-game is a little longer, there is more going on now. There are some cool "wipes" that show highlights between quarters and sort of a recap of the first half's highlights right after the second half starts. Some of the entrances (not sure if it's all or some, but definitely some) have variations based on the opponent being a rival. Very cool.

If you played 11 though, zone defense and the new tackling are impossible to miss. I really like what I've saw in those areas and I'm very excited to play defense in 12!!

vertigho
04-21-2011, 10:35 AM
Man coverage is definitely improved/fixed in that respect. That was my single biggest problem with defense in '11 (defenders breaking before WRs) so I watched that closely and did not notice it happening. Comebacks and outs are definitely an option now though not in any way overpowered.

See my last post about the double hit tackles. They are great, plain & simple. Don't happen in unrealistic situations either from my experiences with it.

Player models looked good to me. Did you have a specific complaint in the past?

Awesome, awesome news.

No complaints about player models in the past. I had issues with the Madden player models, but not the NCAA ones.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 10:36 AM
One thing I noticed in the new video G posted, the defenders seem to move laterally a tad bit quick when trying to get in position to make a play. The one that stood out was the Oregon(I think) defender who makes the pick as the QB threw into like triple coverage. It seems like he is moving laterally rather quickly in that play.

vertigho
04-21-2011, 10:37 AM
I edited my previous post, but I believe that the question was missed. I'll re-post it below:

-Is the offensive line and defensive line interaction improved? Is there an occasional bull-rush, and not the traditional, "patty-cake, patty-cake, patty-cake - swim move", instant pressure? Do defensive linemen actually use leverage, and not a "quick" move to get off a block?

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:39 AM
For the record, Kwizzy and I went out of our way in January to replicate "psychic" Man Coverage and we could not do it. I did not see on example of it in 40 or so hours on the sicks between the trip I made in January and the trip last week. I feel safe saying it is GONE.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 10:40 AM
I edited my previous post, but I believe that the question was missed. I'll re-post it below:

-Is the offensive line and defensive line interaction improved? Is there an occasional bull-rush, and not the traditional, "patty-cake, patty-cake, patty-cake - swim move", instant pressure? Do defensive linemen actually use leverage, and not a "quick" move to get off a block?

I definitely saw a really nice bull rush animation once or twice. The OL/DL play is very much a work in progress right now but, as I said, I definitely noticed more varied animations. I'm pretty confident that OL/DL play will be much improved from '11 to '12.

psusnoop
04-21-2011, 10:41 AM
I really like that tackle animation in the first vid, where the defender kinda rolls over the HB after making the play. The continued motion was really cool to see there.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 10:45 AM
All great news! I cant wait to hear about dynasty. I liked last years game but it got old fast. All the little things that they added to the game really help to keep the game fresh. I hope the dynasty mode is good this year.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 10:48 AM
A few random thoughts.

I spent several hours playing the game with headphones on last week (mostly to avoid JB's rants, lol) and I must say the game sounds great. There are lots of new drum lines that play throughout the game that give you atmosphere. The PA guy also says, "Penn State FIRST DOWN". Nice little add.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 10:49 AM
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5640354357_b13ee5975b_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5640925150_48108ec35b_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5640925050_4c4a2ffbdd_o.jpg

Awesome shots. Can we get more?

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 10:50 AM
A few random thoughts.

I spent several hours playing the game with headphones on last week (mostly to avoid JB's rants, lol) and I must say the game sounds great. There are lots of new drum lines that play throughout the game that give you atmosphere. The PA guy also says, "Penn State FIRST DOWN". Nice little add.

Yeah to add to that, hearing opposite sides of the stadium chant "HUSKER!" "POWER!" back and forth after a touchdown was awesome to hear! :)

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 10:54 AM
Yeah to add to that, hearing opposite sides of the stadium chant "HUSKER!" "POWER!" back and forth after a touchdown was awesome to hear! :)

Awesome!

SmoothPancakes
04-21-2011, 10:56 AM
Just hearing this stuff about the new presentations and upgrades to defense and whatnot, this just quickly moved up from questionable to preorder status. I can't even begin to dream of what stuff we'll hear about regarding dynasties and stuff.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 10:57 AM
Just hearing this stuff about the new presentations and upgrades to defense and whatnot, this just quickly moved up from questionable to preorder status. I can't even begin to dream of what stuff we'll hear about regarding dynasties and stuff.

I agree, it looks like they really put in work this year and I will be pre-ordering for the first time in 4 years.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 10:57 AM
Awesome shots. Can we get more?
Those are directly from EA... as I find more, I'll be sure to post them and/or add them to our Info Central image feed.

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 11:01 AM
Those are directly from EA... as I find more, I'll be sure to post them and/or add them to our Info Central image feed.

Oh lol. Thanks. Those screens look great. The lighting is wonderful looks like a bright, sunny, saturday! Does it look that good on the TV's you guys were playing on?

coogrfan
04-21-2011, 11:04 AM
Special teams, especially kickoffs and punts -- any improvements you guys noticed?

cdj
04-21-2011, 11:08 AM
Were there any different commentary/celebrations after the game?

There are a LOT of new celebrations throughout the game and also new ones in postgame. At the March event, Greg sat down with Tommy and I and showed us a bunch on the devkit. The USC celebration from the Sizzle vid is an example of one. After a TD, you will get the ESPN wipe to a replay of the score and then it may cut to a scene of the players celebrating. It flows very well and looks great.


How does the ball look? Is there a more realistic look to the trajectory or its physics?

In terms of ball physics, the team worked on eliminating the 'pinball' effect of when the ball bounces amongst a group of players and also how it lands and moves on the ground. You shouldn't see the ball flipping around on the ground this year.


Did you guys play each other or were there times when you were facing the CPU? If you were able to play the CPU did you notice any differences in the AI? Did the teams play to their strengths?

Something they are working on now, but I can attest to leaving feedback on some aspects to help make the CPU more 'naturally competitive.' The team did work on some of the AI script for NCAA 12, but I'm guessing that happens every year.


I read that they have improved on the zone defense, now in a play now game how did the defenders protect their assignments and what was your take overall of the "new" zone coverage?

The running joke from the events is that we'll be seeing a lot of 'the game is broke' comments on forums the first week (or month) as users adjust to the defense as they (at least on higher difficulties) shouldn't be able to wing the ball all over the field.


If you are playing a team with a tough D is it tough to move the ball?

In the tournament last week, I played RynoAid and lost 7-3. He was Oklahoma, I was Alabama. Neither one of us could mount drives against the other's defense. For comparison's sake, last year he defeated me in the tourney 27-14, most notably by running with the QB. That didn't work for either of us against OU/Bama.


Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.

Presentation - All of it is great. In March, Tommy and I played with the new Stadium Sounds briefly and that adds so much to the team entrance. Like steelerfan said, I also get a kick out of watching and seeing all of the team specific entrances, stadium nuances, etc. GameTrack is a feature visible in Play Now that no one has mentioned yet. After the opening kick-off of the third quarter Brad will toss it to Erin and she will give an update from the coaches or on the game while the big plays of the game are shown. While I did not listen to the in-game audio nearly enough, the little I heard was impressive and the devs themselves (non-presentation) were very pleased with the commentary improvements this year.


-Gameplay wise the thing that really stood out to me was the new animations. There are so many new animations that just look fantastic (sideline hits, blow up shots, normal tackles...) I had a blow up shot where I cleaned up a WR who was about to break a tackle that everyone within 20 ft, including the devs, was like "OHHHH!!!!!". Very good stuff.

The animations are impressive. My favorites are the new ones when it comes to hitting the quarterback. It actually feels like you have weight and can level the guy as compared to year's past where you kind of wrap him up and slow roll to the ground.

In an earlier event, I had the CPU deep in their own territory and wanted to get a safety. The QB was able to get the ball out but my D-lineman absolutely crushed the QB. On replay, he hit him, wrapped up, and tackled through him as taught - the two actually slid on the ground for a couple yards, making it look like a monster hit.


For the record, Kwizzy and I went out of our way in January to replicate "psychic" Man Coverage and we could not do it. I did not see on example of it in 40 or so hours on the sicks between the trip I made in January and the trip last week. I feel safe saying it is GONE.

I saw it once in January, but when I ran the same play 10-20 more times in Practice Mode I didn't see it again.

CLW
04-21-2011, 11:08 AM
Anyone mess with trying to run out of spread shotgun playbooks? I.e. Mizzou and other spread no huddle type offenses. Any difference/improvements to the option and read option blocking/run game?

Is it going to be possible to play 7-8 minute quarters to get the realistic # of plays and keep the scores down? I know in the past we have said the defense is improved but then it takes most of us only a couple of weeks to learn the new plays and then the scores are back up in the 40s and 50s.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 11:08 AM
Special teams, especially kickoffs and punts -- any improvements you guys noticed?

The only real noticeable change to me was that I was ale to use the "directional" punt returns with some success (proportionate to Middle returns). On 11, I always choose Middle Return as the blocking is screwy on the Left and Right returns.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 11:09 AM
Special teams, especially kickoffs and punts -- any improvements you guys noticed?
Nothing drastic to be honest... they've tuned it and the new ball physics certainly come into play (when the ball hits the ground) but nothing like the overhaul that has been requested in the past.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 11:14 AM
A little note regarding the new zone defenses... they mentioned to us back in January that they brought in some of the NY Jets coaches to teach them how THEY run zone defense. What they do is a bit different than spot zone coverage... instead what they do is play a man/hybrid to where a guy has a zone assigned to him and he basically plays man while a receiver is in his zone. As he leaves his zone, he passes him off to another defender. It works out really well for defenses in 12.

tweety21
04-21-2011, 11:14 AM
Great info guys on presentation...but the one im looking for is MULTIPLE PLAYABLE CAMERA OPTIONS... are there any this year?????? I've searched all over the net and no one responds to this one question. thnx in advance

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 11:14 AM
Yeah, that was disappointing to see... However the devs are well aware that special teams is a big request. And we made sure to hammer that point home. Hopefully in the near future it will be addressed.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 11:17 AM
Great info guys on presentation...but the one im looking for is MULTIPLE PLAYABLE CAMERA OPTIONS... are there any this year?????? I've searched all over the net and no one responds to this one question. thnx in advance
Unfortunately there aren't multiple nor custom camera angles.

tweety21
04-21-2011, 11:19 AM
Unfortunately there aren't multiple nor custom camera angles.

thank u for answering my heart just dropped:(

xMrHitStickx904
04-21-2011, 11:20 AM
sucks about the lack of camera angles, but it's not a gamebreaker at all. last time I played with Broadcast Cam was in like 05 lol.

coogrfan
04-21-2011, 11:21 AM
How about run/pass commit and gameplanning--any significant tweaks that jumped out at anyone?

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 11:22 AM
"The running joke from the events is that we'll be seeing a lot of 'the game is broke' comments on forums the first week (or month) as users adjust to the defense as they (at least on higher difficulties) shouldn't be able to wing the ball all over the field."

I was thinking the same thing. I cant wait to get mad at myself for not reading the D right! I just hope it stays this way and no tuner screws it up.

"In the tournament last week, I played RynoAid and lost 7-3. He was Oklahoma, I was Alabama. Neither one of us could mount drives against the other's defense. For comparison's sake, last year he defeated me in the tourney 27-14, most notably by running with the QB. That didn't work for either of us against OU/Bama."

Great to hear I enjoy a D battle more than a score fest.

"Presentation - All of it is great. In March, Tommy and I played with the new Stadium Sounds briefly and that adds so much to the team entrance. Like steelerfan said, I also get a kick out of watching and seeing all of the team specific entrances, stadium nuances, etc. GameTrack is a feature visible in Play Now that no one has mentioned yet. After the opening kick-off of the third quarter Brad will toss it to Erin and she will give an update from the coaches or on the game while the big plays of the game are shown. While I did not listen to the in-game audio nearly enough, the little I heard was impressive and the devs themselves (non-presentation) were very pleased with the commentary improvements this year."

This answers another one of my questions. I was wondering if you guys got the chance to play with the sounds.

Thank all you guys for taking the time to answer our questions.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 11:22 AM
How about run/pass commit and gameplanning--any significant tweaks that jumped out at anyone?

Off the top of my head, no.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 11:22 AM
How about run/pass commit and gameplanning--any significant tweaks that jumped out at anyone?
Nothing truly significant... I'm sure they tuned both to some degree but nothing earth-shattering. I believe the actual operation is identical to NCAA11 for both.

fsuprime
04-21-2011, 11:25 AM
all of it sounds good, cant wait for OD and regular dynasty info.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 11:26 AM
Is there a noticeable difference from the elite defense's compared to say average or below average?

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 11:26 AM
Thank all you guys for taking the time to answer our questions.

Glad to do it! TGT was VERY well represented at these events, you will definitely get a lot of perspectives here.

cdj
04-21-2011, 11:30 AM
How about run/pass commit and gameplanning--any significant tweaks that jumped out at anyone?

When on offense you can adjust your defensive game-plan, press LB/RB (IIRC) and it switches. A small, but welcome improvement. Users shouldn't forget to set their game-plan now as they won't have to wait until going back on offense or defense.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 11:32 AM
When on offense you can adjust your defensive game-plan, press LB/RB (IIRC) and it switches. A small, but welcome improvement. Users shouldn't forget to set their game-plan now as they won't have to wait until going back on offense or defense.

I didn't even notice that, thanks cdj!!

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 11:36 AM
One thing I don't know that I've seen clarified is that the new dive catches can be user triggered. I had one where the ball was WAY overthrown deep & I was able to haul it in by diving for the ball. Very nice to have more control over that type of thing.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 11:36 AM
Is there a noticeable difference from the elite defense's compared to say average or below average?

I'm sure some others can chime in, but honestly, I never really played grossly mismatched teams. I can't imagine why it wouldn't be noticeably different though.

rhombic21
04-21-2011, 11:38 AM
Everything sounds very encouraging, so far. I have a few specific questions.

1) It sounds like the improvements to zone AI will dramatically lessen the effectiveness of things like SG 5 wide and 4 verticals type plays. Is that the case?

2) Did you notice any difference in terms of defensive reaction to counter plays? On NCAA '11 they are way over-effective.

3) To what extent did you see a more fully developed running game from the shotgun? In other words, do more playbooks have non-finesse HB runs, such as dive and power plays? In a similar vein, the QB wrap plays from last year were basically broken. Do these work effectively now?

4) Bubble screens on NCAA '11 did not really work all that well because of poor blocking AI and some odd animations that seemed to throw off the timing of the play. Do these work better now?

5) Is play action fixed so that it does not result in a disproportionate number of sacks? Similarly, is the defense able to respond/recognize play action effectively?

6) In terms of pass rush, did you see any significant changes in terms of DEs/OLBs getting better speed pressure off the edge and/or containing mobile QBs? Have there been any changes to how "QB contain" works? What about DTs? Do dominant DTs get penetration against both the run and the pass?

Generally speaking, how would you compare the pass rush in '12 to '11. I don't just mean in terms of sacks generated, but do you see a more realistic pocket? Do you see more realistic amounts of time in the pocket to pass against a 4 man pass rush? On NCAA '11 it basically felt like you either had all day or no time at all, and the real problem is that there weren't enough instances where the offense did not get sacked but was forced to throw it in under 4 seconds. To what extent is that still the case?

7) I don't know if this counts as a non-play now feature, but do we have the Madden QB ratings yet? Similarly, NCAA QBs have been way too accurate for years, which has contributed to zones being under-effective and spread offenses being too hard to stop. To what extent is that the case this year (on default sliders)? Will there finally be a premium on pocket passers? Are there more significant penalties for throwing off-balance or on the run?

8) Any changes to the way run/pass commit work?

9) Do dominant nose-tackles, particularly in a 3-4 defense, actually command a double team, particularly in the run game?

10) Ever since NCAA '09, the OL has basically been psychic, in that they know who is blitzing and who is dropping back into coverage based on pre-snap assignments. This tends to make overload blitzes much less effective than they should be, and actually opens up some potential exploits with "fake blitzing." One of the most frustrating things about pass defense on NCAA '11 is drawing up a zone blitz, and the having the OT on the complete opposite side of the play peel back at the snap of the ball to pick up an overload blitz to the other side. Does this still happen on NCAA '12?

11) Many of the triple option and read option plays on NCAA '11 did not work as well as they should have because the double team logic often struggled to correctly identify players at the second level to block. This was especially an issue when the defense blitzed linebackers in the gaps between offensive linemen. Is this issue improved in any way on NCAA '12?

12) Suppose my opponent keeps throwing the same route over and over. For instance, let's say that he keeps coming out and throwing the slant pattern to the right side on 3rd and short. Does the defense ever react to this? Is there any mechanism for me to manually tell a defender to shade to a particular side?

Generally speaking, is the defensive AI better suited to adjust when the offense runs the same play (or very similar plays) over and over?

13) Any adjustments to hot routes on offense or defense?

14) Any changes to the kicking game? Will FGs be any more difficult to make than they have in the past?

15) One of the things that is frustrating about run defense on NCAA '11 is that defenders really have no concept of gap responsibility. Essentially, at the snap of the ball everybody moves to try and tackle the ballcarrier, without any respect to the gap/hole they are responsible to fill. This is primarily an issue for DL and LBs. Do we see any changes in this respect? Will linebackers who are not assigned to blitz be more effective at stepping up and plugging holes when they recognize the play?

griffin2608
04-21-2011, 11:39 AM
Off topic, and I know the community guys cant answer but has anyone heard if teambuilder will be out early this year?

fsuprime
04-21-2011, 11:44 AM
lol rhombic dropped a bomb, gonna take a while to chew through that ;)

CLW
04-21-2011, 11:58 AM
OS dropped a interesting bit of info but I'm not sure if you guys can talk about it:


Custom Playbooks

Custom playbooks are in the game this year, and the interface to tweak your selected plays is really intuitive. Beyond just picking plays, you can even switch the three plays you see on each page of your playbook. So that means while you are in a game, you can flip through your playbook and know what three plays are on each page of that playbook.

http://www.operationsports.com/previews/111/ncaa-football-12-preview/


It sounds to me like no play creator but you can pick and choose formations/plays from the different playbooks to create your own playbook and even select where each play is in the formation.

#2 Can anyone comment on the Aggressive/Balanced/Conservative Coaching Options? Specifically, is there any negative to setting the d-line to aggressive every play? Since this was implemented I don't think I've ever seen a player jump off-sides when set to aggressive even with a fake snap. If this has been fixed will the CPU mix up their snap count so they don't snap the ball on the first sound?

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 11:58 AM
DAMNIT! Right in the middle to replying to Rhombic's questions & it disappears. FML! I'm gonna take it in chunks if that's ok... This may take awhile.

rhombic21
04-21-2011, 12:01 PM
#2 Can anyone comment on the Aggressive/Balanced/Conservative Coaching Options? Specifically, is there any negative to setting the d-line to aggressive every play? Since this was implemented I don't think I've ever seen a player jump off-sides when set to aggressive even with a fake snap. If this has been fixed will the CPU mix up their snap count so they don't snap the ball on the first sound?
I'm not sure that this is correct. They dramatically changed this after the patch last year, so that now you almost always get drawn offsides of the offense fake snaps and you have your DL set to aggressive.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 12:01 PM
Everything sounds very encouraging, so far. I have a few specific questions.

1) It sounds like the improvements to zone AI will dramatically lessen the effectiveness of things like SG 5 wide and 4 verticals type plays. Is that the case?
It definitely will... however a good player on offense can find the holes in the zone (like they should in real life). I think it was very well done. As well, I had good success using the Quarters Normal (I think that's the formation name) where a safety is in the box beside the LB against 5-wide.

2) Did you notice any difference in terms of defensive reaction to counter plays? On NCAA '11 they are way over-effective.
I can't say one way or another... I didn't look at this specifically.

3) To what extent did you see a more fully developed running game from the shotgun? In other words, do more playbooks have non-finesse HB runs, such as dive and power plays? In a similar vein, the QB wrap plays from last year were basically broken. Do these work effectively now?
There are more plays to work with out of the shotgun run game but some of the shotgun formations are still missing attacks at all of the various gaps. Essentially it's better but wouldn't call it case closed. I didn't run any but in talking with Anthony White, he did specifically mention that they worked on QB Wraps.

4) Bubble screens on NCAA '11 did not really work all that well because of poor blocking AI and some odd animations that seemed to throw off the timing of the play. Do these work better now?
Another one that I didn't really run that much of... too hard to break out of the habit of the same playcalling from NCAA11. I do know that they are working on better WR blocking out of screens but a lot of that was going to happen after we left last week.

5) Is play action fixed so that it does not result in a disproportionate number of sacks? Similarly, is the defense able to respond/recognize play action effectively?
Yes... they made sure to mention to us in January that they would be addressing it. Essentially the problem with NCAA11 and the past was that the DL didn't react at the possibility of the run... instead they just had the reaction to get to the QB. This year though, the DL will have to pause to figure out whether it's a run or a pass, and then react. I didn't call a lot of playaction while I was there but the ones I did, it certainly seemed to work better while not giving the offense a big advantage.

6) In terms of pass rush, did you see any significant changes in terms of DEs/OLBs getting better speed pressure off the edge and/or containing mobile QBs? Have there been any changes to how "QB contain" works? What about DTs? Do dominant DTs get penetration against both the run and the pass?
Honestly the DTs were overpowered last week, particularly in the run game so I couldn't give a fair estimate of them... it's part of tuning that I'm sure they'll address before they ship it. As for the others, I don't think there were any significant strides in edge pressure other than the fact that since there is less suction, the rushers do have more opportunity to get around the edge; that said, there aren't any new animations (that I saw) to provide a true speed rush DE.

Generally speaking, how would you compare the pass rush in '12 to '11. I don't just mean in terms of sacks generated, but do you see a more realistic pocket? Do you see more realistic amounts of time in the pocket to pass against a 4 man pass rush? On NCAA '11 it basically felt like you either had all day or no time at all, and the real problem is that there weren't enough instances where the offense did not get sacked but was forced to throw it in under 4 seconds. To what extent is that still the case?

7) I don't know if this counts as a non-play now feature, but do we have the Madden QB ratings yet? Similarly, NCAA QBs have been way too accurate for years, which has contributed to zones being under-effective and spread offenses being too hard to stop. To what extent is that the case this year (on default sliders)? Will there finally be a premium on pocket passers? Are there more significant penalties for throwing off-balance or on the run?
No new QB ratings. Regarding QB accuracy, I think it's better but at the same time it's hard to gauge while also adjusting to the new zone defenses.

8) Any changes to the way run/pass commit work?
No changes

9) Do dominant nose-tackles, particularly in a 3-4 defense, actually command a double team, particularly in the run game?
As mentioned before, the DTs were overpowered while we were there last week. I'm not aware of any code-based changes to account for focusing on double teaming them.

10) Ever since NCAA '09, the OL has basically been psychic, in that they know who is blitzing and who is dropping back into coverage based on pre-snap assignments. This tends to make overload blitzes much less effective than they should be, and actually opens up some potential exploits with "fake blitzing." One of the most frustrating things about pass defense on NCAA '11 is drawing up a zone blitz, and the having the OT on the complete opposite side of the play peel back at the snap of the ball to pick up an overload blitz to the other side. Does this still happen on NCAA '12?
Another thing that I didn't really focus on... I do think it's better but to what degree I couldn't tell you. I do know that in January we made sure to mention issues with blitzes in the past, particularly the OL knowing a blitz is coming including mentioning the exploit of hot-routing a DB to blitz and then manually controlling him. Whether or not they were able to fix that, I'm not sure.

11) Many of the triple option and read option plays on NCAA '11 did not work as well as they should have because the double team logic often struggled to correctly identify players at the second level to block. This was especially an issue when the defense blitzed linebackers in the gaps between offensive linemen. Is this issue improved in any way on NCAA '12?
I will say that run blocking is better and I believe Oneback discussed this with them but I don't think it's something that they fully corrected. I can't be certain either way though.

12) Suppose my opponent keeps throwing the same route over and over. For instance, let's say that he keeps coming out and throwing the slant pattern to the right side on 3rd and short. Does the defense ever react to this? Is there any mechanism for me to manually tell a defender to shade to a particular side?
Not that I'm aware of.

Generally speaking, is the defensive AI better suited to adjust when the offense runs the same play (or very similar plays) over and over?

13) Any adjustments to hot routes on offense or defense?
Not that I'm aware of.

14) Any changes to the kicking game? Will FGs be any more difficult to make than they have in the past?
They seemed relatively the same from last year. Granted I'm a guy that hits 99% of all of my FGs so I may be a bad one to ask but I still had no trouble hitting FGs.

15) One of the things that is frustrating about run defense on NCAA '11 is that defenders really have no concept of gap responsibility. Essentially, at the snap of the ball everybody moves to try and tackle the ballcarrier, without any respect to the gap/hole they are responsible to fill. This is primarily an issue for DL and LBs. Do we see any changes in this respect? Will linebackers who are not assigned to blitz be more effective at stepping up and plugging holes when they recognize the play?
I want to say it's better but not leaps and bounds. I do know that it was one of the things that we talked with them while we were there but I don't believe it was something they were able to fully implement for this year.

Answers in-line... obviously all of it is subject to change.

CLW
04-21-2011, 12:04 PM
I'm not sure that this is correct. They dramatically changed this after the patch last year, so that now you almost always get drawn offsides of the offense fake snaps and you have your DL set to aggressive.

Really? That has NEVER happened to me. However, I've only really used it against the CPU. I think in almost if not all of my ODs the aggressive D-line setting is banned b/c there was no penalty for using it.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 12:09 PM
Everything sounds very encouraging, so far. I have a few specific questions.

1) It sounds like the improvements to zone AI will dramatically lessen the effectiveness of things like SG 5 wide and 4 verticals type plays. Is that the case?

2) Did you notice any difference in terms of defensive reaction to counter plays? On NCAA '11 they are way over-effective.

3) To what extent did you see a more fully developed running game from the shotgun? In other words, do more playbooks have non-finesse HB runs, such as dive and power plays? In a similar vein, the QB wrap plays from last year were basically broken. Do these work effectively now?

4) Bubble screens on NCAA '11 did not really work all that well because of poor blocking AI and some odd animations that seemed to throw off the timing of the play. Do these work better now?

5) Is play action fixed so that it does not result in a disproportionate number of sacks? Similarly, is the defense able to respond/recognize play action effectively?


1) Obviously still being tweaked but I'm confident it will based on where it's at already.

2) I ran them quite a bit and defended them quite a bit and I didn't notice any running stats that seemed too far off. I think the game has a great chess match balance to it right now. It feels like you're always one or two blocks away from breaking the big one.

3) Def. noticed more shotgun & pistol runs like you described. QB Wrap & Shotgun HB Counter blocking has been redone. Had a real nice 12 yd gain on a Shotgun HB Counter & the Wrap blocking looked improved. I only ran it twice, once for no gain & once for 2 yds but it felt realistic when it happened, no more instant pressure for a loss.

4) More tweaks made to this aspect rather than dramatic changes though I know that they'd like to do more. I will say that the tweaks definitely had an impact as I was able to have some success with WR screens in general.

5) PA Blocking is fixed & more realistic. As for how the defense reacts to it, I can't say anything definite however I felt like the production I got from PA was realistic.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 12:15 PM
10) Ever since NCAA '09, the OL has basically been psychic, in that they know who is blitzing and who is dropping back into coverage based on pre-snap assignments. This tends to make overload blitzes much less effective than they should be, and actually opens up some potential exploits with "fake blitzing." One of the most frustrating things about pass defense on NCAA '11 is drawing up a zone blitz, and the having the OT on the complete opposite side of the play peel back at the snap of the ball to pick up an overload blitz to the other side. Does this still happen on NCAA '12?

I did notice something that gave me some hope for this, I saw more sacks from blitzing LBs rather than DTs. Now in the past I feel like it was th opposite way around because, like you said, the OL knew they were coming and would pick them up. Now my only concern was that the OL shouldn't let the inside man come free all of the time & that was in my feedback. They assured my that is all still being tweaked so we'll see what happens.

Also, as tommy said, the DTs were really overpowered last week so it's tough to say on anything related to line play at this point. I will say however that you are able to get through smaller holes because of the improvements to suction animations so that really helped with shotgun running.

souljahbill
04-21-2011, 12:21 PM
Can I change the color of my shoestrings? If not

http://www.nbc.com/30-rock/images/downloads/800x600_30rock_Wall_jenna.jpg

:P

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 12:22 PM
Can I change the color of my shoestrings? If not

:P
Sorry madam... consider the deal broken.

skipwondah33
04-21-2011, 12:23 PM
I second that

Oneback
04-21-2011, 12:25 PM
1) It sounds like the improvements to zone AI will dramatically lessen the effectiveness of things like SG 5 wide and 4 verticals type plays. Is that the case?

This was the first play I tested and yes it does lessen the effectiveness of verts. There was a big improvement in this area from the first visit to the second visit, I will let others comment on what it was last week as I was unable to attend.

2) Did you notice any difference in terms of defensive reaction to counter plays? On NCAA '11 they are way over-effective.

The dev team acknowledged the counter was over effective last year and did work to improve the defensive reation to the play. For me it felt good, as on offense you still had the ability to break a big one, but I did not feel helpless on defense.

3) To what extent did you see a more fully developed running game from the shotgun? In other words, do more playbooks have non-finesse HB runs, such as dive and power plays? In a similar vein, the QB wrap plays from last year were basically broken. Do these work effectively now?

Anthony (play designer) and I sat down and talked for a few hours about blocking schemes and the shotgun running game, everything from Auburn's power run game to Oregon's Veer and Midline option from the gun. He was going to work to get a lot of plays and blocking schemes in but am unsure if he has yet, I'll leave it up to the guys that were there recently.

4) Bubble screens on NCAA '11 did not really work all that well because of poor blocking AI and some odd animations that seemed to throw off the timing of the play. Do these work better now?

This is another area I spoke with Anthony at length about and it seemed to be better when I was there, but was unsure if this was due to the new defenses or blocking logic.

5) Is play action fixed so that it does not result in a disproportionate number of sacks? Similarly, is the defense able to respond/recognize play action effectively?

I will leave others to answer this question as they were still working on offensive line blocking the two times I was present.

6) In terms of pass rush, did you see any significant changes in terms of DEs/OLBs getting better speed pressure off the edge and/or containing mobile QBs? Have there been any changes to how "QB contain" works? What about DTs? Do dominant DTs get penetration against both the run and the pass?

I was able to generate pressure from a 4 man rush and they did have the ability to get off blocks in order to maintain containment. No changes to QB contain that I remember. As for DT's I remember seeing a replay where a DT pushed to blockers into the backfield colapsing the pocket but I did not specifically look for it.

Generally speaking, how would you compare the pass rush in '12 to '11. I don't just mean in terms of sacks generated, but do you see a more realistic pocket? Do you see more realistic amounts of time in the pocket to pass against a 4 man pass rush? On NCAA '11 it basically felt like you either had all day or no time at all, and the real problem is that there weren't enough instances where the offense did not get sacked but was forced to throw it in under 4 seconds. To what extent is that still the case?

I will let others that were there last week respond this this as again they were working on offensive line play.

7) I don't know if this counts as a non-play now feature, but do we have the Madden QB ratings yet? Similarly, NCAA QBs have been way too accurate for years, which has contributed to zones being under-effective and spread offenses being too hard to stop. To what extent is that the case this year (on default sliders)? Will there finally be a premium on pocket passers? Are there more significant penalties for throwing off-balance or on the run?

Rosters were just being put together when I was in Orlando.

8) Any changes to the way run/pass commit work?

None that I noticed.

9) Do dominant nose-tackles, particularly in a 3-4 defense, actually command a double team, particularly in the run game?

What do you mean by command? Just that they are unblockable?

10) Ever since NCAA '09, the OL has basically been psychic, in that they know who is blitzing and who is dropping back into coverage based on pre-snap assignments. This tends to make overload blitzes much less effective than they should be, and actually opens up some potential exploits with "fake blitzing." One of the most frustrating things about pass defense on NCAA '11 is drawing up a zone blitz, and the having the OT on the complete opposite side of the play peel back at the snap of the ball to pick up an overload blitz to the other side. Does this still happen on NCAA '12?

This was the first thing I brought up with the devs and one of the first things I tested on defense and I felt as though I was able to confuse the blocking scheme and generate pressure with zone blitzes, this combined with pattern reading zone coverages allows for some exotic pressures.

11) Many of the triple option and read option plays on NCAA '11 did not work as well as they should have because the double team logic often struggled to correctly identify players at the second level to block. This was especially an issue when the defense blitzed linebackers in the gaps between offensive linemen. Is this issue improved in any way on NCAA '12?

I was able to run the zone read however I spent a good hour with Anthony just talking about the zone read, I will let others comment on if there has been any improvement from the early visits.

12) Suppose my opponent keeps throwing the same route over and over. For instance, let's say that he keeps coming out and throwing the slant pattern to the right side on 3rd and short. Does the defense ever react to this? Is there any mechanism for me to manually tell a defender to shade to a particular side?

The answer is yes and no, the defense called will determine the effectiveness of the offensive play, however again with improved coverages you are able to take things away.

Generally speaking, is the defensive AI better suited to adjust when the offense runs the same play (or very similar plays) over and over?

I'll let others comment.

13) Any adjustments to hot routes on offense or defense?

This is another thing I spent time talking about and how un realistic it is to be able to change routes for each individual play on offense, at the line of scrimmage offenses are able to change concepts which happens most notibly in the quick passing game depending on the leverage of the key defenders. I'll let others comment on if this has changed from the times I attended.

14) Any changes to the kicking game? Will FGs be any more difficult to make than they have in the past?

Not that I remember, other than the fact you won't be able to attempt as many due to better defense.

15) One of the things that is frustrating about run defense on NCAA '11 is that defenders really have no concept of gap responsibility. Essentially, at the snap of the ball everybody moves to try and tackle the ballcarrier, without any respect to the gap/hole they are responsible to fill. This is primarily an issue for DL and LBs. Do we see any changes in this respect? Will linebackers who are not assigned to blitz be more effective at stepping up and plugging holes when they recognize the play?

This was unchanged in the early builds so I will let others respond.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 12:27 PM
sorry if i'm being lazy not reading everything.....

is there really a difference in crowd reactions? Gschwendt, did you get to play an Ark State home game and notice what that crowd was like?


:rolleyes:v how come Steelerfan got to be involved ?
I didnt know he was considered special around here? ;)

drlw322
04-21-2011, 12:29 PM
nice write up. Just a quick question, did they take out pro-tak all together or is it still in with the new tackle engine. Thanks for taking your time to do this for the community.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 12:30 PM
did they still keep run commit etc?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 12:34 PM
sorry if i'm being lazy not reading everything.....

is there really a difference in crowd reactions? Gschwendt, did you get to play an Ark State home game and notice what that crowd was like?
Yeah... there definitely seems to be a difference. The way they captured the audio for each is that they went to varying sized games (Florida, FAU, high school, and more) to gather audio for the various sizes of crowds & stadiums. So... when you play at a big stadium, you'll hear the crowd react as though it's a large attendance.


nice write up. Just a quick question, did they take out pro-tak all together or is it still in with the new tackle engine. Thanks for taking your time to do this for the community.
Pro-tak is still there... remember though that's not just the tackling, it's blocking, etc. There are still "9 man" tackling scrums that we saw last year. The new tackling mechanics though build on it differently.


did they still keep run commit etc?
Yes.

fsuprime
04-21-2011, 12:37 PM
U really should just read everything

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 12:51 PM
I took the morning off from work....woke up around noon....what I miss? ;)

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 12:52 PM
Especially in an epic game between myself and steelerfan where my defender tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage and his receiver caught it and fell into the endzone for a touchdown. Completed a comeback from down 14-0 for him and he ended up winning the game when he pick-6'ed my desperation heave to avoid overtime. :fp:

The ending of that game was SICK. One of the best endings I had ever seen in a NCAA game.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 12:54 PM
I read that they have improved on the zone defense, now in a play now game how did the defenders protect their assignments and what was your take overall of the "new" zone coverage?

...as I'm catching up.

At first people are going to think the game is broken because the defense is so improved. The cool thing is there were still a game here and there where both teams score 30, but there were also times where it was a defense struggle. You are basically going to have to revamp your offensive scheme because what you know now will not necessarily work in 12.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 12:56 PM
Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.

I really like the amount of new animations in the game. It definitely breathes some life into the game and doesn't feel stale. There are some BRUTAL hits too.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 12:57 PM
Oh boy, as "psuexv" would say "my pants just got a little tighter".......

We might have to create a Cold Shower thread for you two ;)

Boucher
04-21-2011, 12:59 PM
Couple of Questions...

Stat Overlays are there more of them and are they more frequent in which they appear?

Secondary color armbands/sleeves?

Playcard on the belt?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 01:04 PM
Stat Overlays are there more of them and are they more frequent in which they appear?
Yes... they're not timed or anything but now instead of being told "show overlay at 100yds", they're instead told to show up at more random times. An example might be that after 12 carries, you'll see your HBs stats... he might have 10 yards, he might have 70 yards. It's not a perfect system but certainly much improved in that regard. (FYI 12 is just a random number I threw out there)

Secondary color armbands/sleeves?
Player editing isn't in play-now games but I want to say the answer is no.

Playcard on the belt?
Again, can't say for certain but I don't believe you'll see that.

tweety21
04-21-2011, 01:09 PM
Again wanna say u guys are doing a great job...nice breath of fresh air not over hyped:up:

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 01:20 PM
A few random thoughts.

I spent several hours playing the game with headphones on last week (mostly to avoid JB's rants, lol) and I must say the game sounds great. There are lots of new drum lines that play throughout the game that give you atmosphere. The PA guy also says, "Penn State FIRST DOWN". Nice little add.

:D

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 01:25 PM
Again wanna say u guys are doing a great job...nice breath of fresh air not over hyped:up:

Thank you sir!

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 01:30 PM
Something that Jon Robinson did a really good job of describing in his article (http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/6403049/ncaa-football-12-first-look?readmore=fullstory):


Also look for new montages and highlight packages that showcase the theme of the game you're playing. "So if your dual-threat quarterback is having a big gamer or a freshman receiver is making a ton of catches or if the defense is getting a lot of sacks," explains Haumiller, "you'll see all of those highlights grouped together to go along with commentary to help give you the story of that game."
It really is a nice addition. These actually happen both throughout the game (let's say your QB just threw his 5th TD) and also a sort of analysis at the half breaking down one or two key elements of how things shaped up in the first half... both presenting highlights while it's doing so.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 01:32 PM
:rolleyes:v how come Steelerfan got to be involved ?
I didnt know he was considered special around here? ;)

Their people contacted my people and we were able to make it happen.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 01:33 PM
Their people contacted my people and we were able to make it happen.

They wanted a n00b to come in and look at the game. Enter Steelerfan.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 01:35 PM
They wanted a n00b to come in and look at the game. Enter Steelerfan.

And JB is the Mascot Mashup expert.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 01:36 PM
And JB is the Mascot Mashup expert.

Hell yeah....Mascot Online Dynasty is coming!! Oh crap, that's still embargoed.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 01:37 PM
Hell yeah....Mascot Online Dynasty is coming!! Oh crap, that's still embargoed.

Shhhhhhh!!!!

VWEBBJR
04-21-2011, 01:39 PM
Hey guys, great site and great info, I'm loving it! One quick question.

How were the stiff arms in the game? They have basically been a non factor for the last few years and whenever I try them, they never really work. Any word on that?

Thanks again guys.

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 01:43 PM
Hey guys, great site and great info, I'm loving it! One quick question.

How were the stiff arms in the game? They have basically been a non factor for the last few years and whenever I try them, they never really work. Any word on that?

Thanks again guys.

Stiff arms work on 11, just they have to be "anticipated". You have to press the button a step or two before you need it. I actually think they are more realistic in 11 than they were last gen when you could pull it off after contact. I don't believe there was any change (at least not that I noticed) in 12,

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 01:50 PM
I don't know about any change in timing/mechanics but I can say that there are new animations for the stiff arm (and other moves) that allow them to trigger at varying speeds. So on one play, you might be able to shrug him off quickly and keep your momentum whereas the next, you'll take a fraction longer and thus slow down allowing the defenders to swarm in.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 01:54 PM
Yeah with the new tackling engine, you're going to see different results when you're trying to use the stiff arm.

skipwondah33
04-21-2011, 02:00 PM
Do WR's still get the "insta-boost" animation on a thought to be overthrown pass?

Tarhead10
04-21-2011, 02:00 PM
Hey to any of the guys that went, has there been any change or upgrades to player models at all?....

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 02:02 PM
Do WR's still get the "insta-boost" animation on a thought to be overthrown pass?
Do you mean like warping to make the catch or something else?

Hey to any of the guys that went, has there been any change or upgrades to player models at all?....
I don't think there were any significant changes to the models, no. Any specific complaints?

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 02:05 PM
Do WR's still get the "insta-boost" animation on a thought to be overthrown pass?

Not that I noticed, and like I said above, the diving catch animations are user triggered so you can lay out for balls that are overthrown.

skipwondah33
04-21-2011, 02:05 PM
Do you mean like warping to make the catch or something else?

Yes sir

Guess the same could be asked for the defenders in the new and improved zone coverage as well.

Tarhead10
04-21-2011, 02:07 PM
Do you mean like warping to make the catch or something else?

I don't think there were any significant changes to the models, no. Any specific complaints?

No not really.... Just felt that some were way to large and couldnt be changed but so much, or on DT and OL the shoulder pads stuck out on the sides way too much... Also even though you could adjust there arms and chest, belly, etc. They still need a little tweaking to look more life like, for example Jacory Harris is pretty skinny...

mrlegend28
04-21-2011, 02:09 PM
can someone pass the message to ea plzzzz allow stadium selection online. how awesome would an online game in the rose bowl be? I dont see why it cant be done to be honest

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 02:11 PM
Maybe you guys missed it or just cannot answer, but are custom playbooks allowed online or in OD's?

VWEBBJR
04-21-2011, 02:12 PM
Thanks for the speedy response guys. I've tried my best to time the stiff arms in 11, but good to hear that they should work better in 12.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 02:12 PM
Yes sir

Guess the same could be asked for the defenders in the new and improved zone coverage as well.
The receiver warping to make a catch is significantly improved IMO... it falls in the same category as warping to make a tackle or suction blocking. Defenders should fall in that same category. I can say that I don't remember seeing either happen last week, though I wasn't specifically watching for that.

No not really.... Just felt that some were way to large and couldnt be changed but so much, or on DT and OL the shoulder pads stuck out on the sides way too much... Also even though you could adjust there arms and chest, belly, etc. They still need a little tweaking to look more life like, for example Jacory Harris is pretty skinny...
Well, since player editing falls outside of a Play Now game, we wouldn't be able to talk about that. The models in Play Now games though appear to be the same as last year.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 02:18 PM
Do WR's still get the "insta-boost" animation on a thought to be overthrown pass?

No, the animation is fluid on diving. There will be a decent amount of times where the WR dives but still can't reach the pass.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 02:19 PM
Maybe you guys missed it or just cannot answer, but are custom playbooks allowed online or in OD's?

Can't talk about items that have not yet been released by EA.

Tarhead10
04-21-2011, 02:29 PM
The receiver warping to make a catch is significantly improved IMO... it falls in the same category as warping to make a tackle or suction blocking. Defenders should fall in that same category. I can say that I don't remember seeing either happen last week, though I wasn't specifically watching for that.

Well, since player editing falls outside of a Play Now game, we wouldn't be able to talk about that. The models in Play Now games though appear to be the same as last year.

Oh ok, well thanks for answering...

morsdraconis
04-21-2011, 02:44 PM
1. Did anyone try just power running the ball the whole time? How well did it work?


2. Did anyone use this play? How did the blitzing work from it? Did they show blitz before the snap by walking up to the line of scrimmage or did they stay home and blitz from their initial position?

http://thegamingtailgate.com/images/NCAA12/25NewPlays/20110414%20-%204-2-5%20Okie%20Across%20Bullets%20Dbl%20A.jpg


3. What about this play? Is it late coverage by the FS or does he show before the snap of the ball? Same as above, does the strong side LB move to the outside of the DE to blitz or does he blitz from his initial position?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5592388622_bf7e40af51_z.jpg



4. Can you comment on the number of plays from a given defensive formation? If so, how many plays did you notice the 3-4 Predator had? Did it have any of the new zone coverages/zone blitz plays?

5. Did the play now cutscenes include any shots of Coaches? ;)

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 02:47 PM
Can't talk about items that have not yet been released by EA.

Sounds good. Thought that since it is confirmed in the game maybe you could say.

morsdraconis
04-21-2011, 02:49 PM
Sounds good. Thought that since it is confirmed in the game maybe you could say.

I would say that tidbit wasn't supposed to be leaked since no one else is able to talk about it.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 02:50 PM
Not that I noticed, and like I said above, the diving catch animations are user triggered so you can lay out for balls that are overthrown.

what is meant by user triggered? you just hit the user catch button and the animation happens relative to where ball is going or you have to hit the dive button or -triangle- or what ever ?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 02:50 PM
1. Did anyone try just power running the ball the whole time? How well did it work?
I ran with Wisconsin in the tournament that we had... I had fairly good success running inside and outside the tackles.

2. Did anyone use this play? How did the blitzing work from it? Did they show blitz before the snap by walking up to the line of scrimmage or did they stay home and blitz from their initial position?
http://thegamingtailgate.com/images/NCAA12/25NewPlays/20110414%20-%204-2-5%20Okie%20Across%20Bullets%20Dbl%20A.jpg
Didn't run it.

3. What about this play? Is it late coverage by the FS or does he show before the snap of the ball? Same as above, does the strong side LB move to the outside of the DE to blitz or does he blitz from his initial position?
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5592388622_bf7e40af51_z.jpg
I didn't run it but Steelerfan mentioned earlier that he used it and had good success with it on 3rd down. Kwizzy might be able to answer specifically because he was the one that submitted that play to EA.

4. Can you comment on the number of plays from a given defensive formation? If so, how many plays did you notice the 3-4 Predator had? Did it have any of the new zone coverages/zone blitz plays?
I couldn't tell you on the number of plays... I would say each of the new formations seemed to be fleshed out rather well. I never ran the 3-4 so I'm not sure on the Predator look specifically but I found a really good mix of new zones, man, and blitzes.

5. Did the play now cutscenes include any shots of Coaches? ;)
Yes... though you see them in the videos that EA put out (and also in the AZ State photo I took).

skipwondah33
04-21-2011, 02:51 PM
Thanks fellas. I know that issue has been in the game in-line with the suction blocking and tackling.

Another question is do ball carriers still seem to get faster after breaking a tackle?

Hard to explain but at times whenever a back ran through a tackle they would still be running at the same speed or faster. Maybe someone else has a better example than I do.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 02:52 PM
Mors, Oneback said he ran the 3-4 most of the time with the game so he might be able to answer your question.

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 02:54 PM
Also, when the computer breaks into the open field, do they still cover up the ball and get caught from behind?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 02:55 PM
Also, when the computer breaks into the open field, do they still cover up the ball and get caught from behind?
I believe that issue is fixed... fairly sure that was a bug that wasn't ever fixed in NCAA 11. I didn't test for it specifically but I don't remember seeing it.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 02:55 PM
you said there was a difference in crowd noise depending on where you play.

but are there different Crescendos and reactions to different happenings? a break away run at home or on the road etc. ?

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 02:57 PM
you said there was a difference in crowd noise depending on where you play.

but are there different Crescendos and reactions to different happenings? a break away run at home or on the road etc. ?

Yep.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 02:57 PM
you said there was a difference in crowd noise depending on where you play.

but are there different Crescendos and reactions to different happenings? a break away run at home or on the road etc. ?
Yes... great question. I definitely saw situations where my player would find a big hole with lots of field in front of him. The crowd almost seemed to anticipate this and started roaring about the time I hit that hole. They definitely amp up much better at anticipating a big play rather than reacting to a big play.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 02:57 PM
3. What about this play? Is it late coverage by the FS or does he show before the snap of the ball? Same as above, does the strong side LB move to the outside of the DE to blitz or does he blitz from his initial position?
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5592388622_bf7e40af51_z.jpg


Yeah, that's the play I sent in & like I said, it worked to perfection on 3rd and long (50 yd pick 6). The Red just indicated that that safety is manned up on the CB. No pre-snap movement that I noted when I checked.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 02:58 PM
Yes... great question. I definitely saw situations where my player would find a big hole with lots of field in front of him. The crowd almost seemed to anticipate this and started roaring about the time I hit that hole. They definitely amp up much better at anticipating a big play rather than reacting to a big play.

To build on this, I got off the field on 3rd and short once & the crowd went crazy. Not saying this is the only time that it happens but I took note of it happening that one time.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 03:01 PM
There would be times where I would have the sound down to a reasonable level since there are about 12 other games going on at the same time, and even at a low volume level, I was able to catch a spike in crowd reaction on a big play. Then when you listen to it with headphones on....holy cow.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 03:04 PM
what is meant by user triggered? you just hit the user catch button and the animation happens relative to where ball is going or you have to hit the dive button or -triangle- or what ever ?

You can hit the Dive button ( :360x: or :ps3sq: ) and it will dive for the ball, wont always make the catch but they will at least lay out to try to get it.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 03:04 PM
Yep.


Yes... great question. I definitely saw situations where my player would find a big hole with lots of field in front of him. The crowd almost seemed to anticipate this and started roaring about the time I hit that hole. They definitely amp up much better at anticipating a big play rather than reacting to a big play.

:) nothing personal JB but I kind of like gschwendt's answer a tad better.....every time I type - -gschwendt- I have to stop and stare at the keyboard for a bit...

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 03:07 PM
Yep.


Yes... great question. I definitely saw situations where my player would find a big hole with lots of field in front of him. The crowd almost seemed to anticipate this and started roaring about the time I hit that hole. They definitely amp up much better at anticipating a big play rather than reacting to a big play.

I take back what i said, that answer is an upgrade haha



There would be times where I would have the sound down to a reasonable level since there are about 12 other games going on at the same time, and even at a low volume level, I was able to catch a spike in crowd reaction on a big play. Then when you listen to it with headphones on....holy cow.

Adibesee
04-21-2011, 03:10 PM
Not sure if you can answer this, but where you able to play with different camera angles in the Play Now mode?

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 03:10 PM
Not sure if you can answer this, but where you able to play with different camera angles in the Play Now mode?

Unfortunately no.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 03:11 PM
Ram, read Scant's blog that cdj just linked & he answers your question about catches better than I did. I may have had the buttons wrong too.

souljahbill
04-21-2011, 03:11 PM
Do that athletic trainers actually wear their team colors this time and not random colored shirts?

souljahbill
04-21-2011, 03:13 PM
Oh yeah, and on replays, can you see the WHOLE replay this time? Not sure if y'all played it on PS3 but I remember that being an issue.

skipwondah33
04-21-2011, 03:14 PM
You can hit the Dive button ( :360x: or :ps3sq: ) and it will dive for the ball, wont always make the catch but they will at least lay out to try to get it.

lol I've been trying to manually do this for years...I think since 98. Great to hear that its officially in the game

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 03:15 PM
Oh yeah, and on replays, can you see the WHOLE replay this time? Not sure if y'all played it on PS3 but I remember that being an issue.
I honestly am not sure... I know it was a pain in the ass as well and meant to check it but in my time with the game, I never actually thought to do it. I will say though that in January I made sure to make a big stink about it. As well, the TD celebrations are a bit different in that they're automatically triggered (instead of waiting on you to run around like a chicken with your head cut off). That might help or hurt just because in NCAA11, if you didn't celebrate (and instead just hit X), in general you would see the entire replay.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 03:15 PM
Do that athletic trainers actually wear their team colors this time and not random colored shirts?

I think they are still random colored.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 03:18 PM
lol I've been trying to manually do this for years...I think since 98. Great to hear that its officially in the game

Yeah the hit stick this year is going to come with some risk. With the momentum based tackling, your chances of whiffing are going to increase by trying to use the hit stick. Down in FL I definitely had quite a few "ole" moments since I'm so used to using the stick as opposed to a button.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 03:20 PM
what teams and stadiums did each of you use? aside from intros and what theyve (EA) already told us,
did you notice anything else different or upgraded in the stadiums you were in or just what your looking at on the screen in general?

it might be a vague question, just seeing if I get varied experiential answers ?


they did mention new equipment, anything on the players look different/modified/new , aside from the gloves ?

ryby6969
04-21-2011, 03:22 PM
Yeah the hit stick this year is going to come with some risk. With the momentum based tackling, your chances of whiffing are going to increase by trying to use the hit stick. Down in FL I definitely had quite a few "ole" moments since I'm so used to using the stick as opposed to a button.

Damn, there goes my defensive scheme! lol

cdj
04-21-2011, 03:27 PM
what teams and stadiums did each of you use? aside from intros and what theyve (EA) already told us,
did you notice anything else different or upgraded in the stadiums you were in or just what your looking at on the screen in general?

it might be a vague question, just seeing if I get varied experiential answers ?


they did mention new equipment, anything on the players look different/modified/new , aside from the gloves ?

I'm unique in that I notice out of date stadiums, field art, and uniforms - but am pretty clueless when it comes to equipment. Aside from dreads, towels, knee braces, I don't notice much in that regard.

I tried to list every entrance I saw in my preview in the first post of this thread. LA Tech has a authentic entrance (as well as updated stadium) but I didn't see it personally. As noted in the Sizzle video thread, some stadiums are outdated in the vid but accurate/updated in the game. Oregon has proper stadium signage, FSU field art updated based on 2010 (though they just changed it again), Ole Miss field art updated, Arkansas State updated (based on mocks from last year, doesn't quite match real life). A big one is that East Carolina has their proper field art into the game. Many consider it the best (or most unique) in all of college football. Those are a few that stand out off the top of my head.

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 03:27 PM
what teams and stadiums did each of you use? aside from intros and what theyve (EA) already told us,
did you notice anything else different or upgraded in the stadiums you were in or just what your looking at on the screen in general?

it might be a vague question, just seeing if I get varied experiential answers ?


they did mention new equipment, anything on the players look different/modified/new , aside from the gloves ?

I played mostly as South Carolina and to be honest I didn't know enough about their stadium to notice any changes. I will say again though that the changes to EVERY stadium are captivating. I kept staring at the crowd and field & listening to the crowd & it is really awesome.

jaymo76
04-21-2011, 03:28 PM
So OS let it slip that there are custom playbooks. Did OS also let it slip that there is NO coaching carousel??? I noticed that in the OS write-up it mentioned specifically that the COACHES ON THE SIDELINES ARE GENERIC.

I know you can't answer... I just sayin...

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 03:29 PM
Yeah the crowd is SO much improved. It's going to make taking the screenshots look even better this year, and you won't want to omit the crowd.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 03:29 PM
So OS let it slip that there are custom playbooks. Did OS also let it slip that there is NO coaching carousel??? I noticed that in the OS write-up it mentioned specifically that the COACHES ON THE SIDELINES ARE GENERIC.

I know you can't answer... I just sayin...

Everything will be answered in due time, now is just not the time.

cdj
04-21-2011, 03:34 PM
I played mostly as South Carolina and to be honest I didn't know enough about their stadium to notice any changes. I will say again though that the changes to EVERY stadium are captivating. I kept staring at the crowd and field & listening to the crowd & it is really awesome.

To add on to my post above and to add on to kwizzy's post, the crowd noise and game visuals (upclose and from a distance) are pretty stunning.

Watching Paakaa10 play the game, I think SDSU has updated field art (notably end zones) and also stadium signage. The signage may have been the same in 11 (I'd have to check), but it really popped and looked great in conjunction with in-game visuals. It felt like a college game being played in a big NFL stadium.

I'm excited to see what the screenshot junkies here and at Operation Sports do with NCAA 12.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 03:39 PM
I played mostly as South Carolina and to be honest I didn't know enough about their stadium to notice any changes. I will say again though that the changes to EVERY stadium are captivating. I kept staring at the crowd and field & listening to the crowd & it is really awesome.


I'm unique in that I notice out of date stadiums, field art, and uniforms - but am pretty clueless when it comes to equipment. Aside from dreads, towels, knee braces, I don't notice much in that regard.

I tried to list every entrance I saw in my preview in the first post of this thread. LA Tech has a authentic entrance (as well as updated stadium) but I didn't see it personally. As noted in the Sizzle video thread, some stadiums are outdated in the vid but accurate/updated in the game. Oregon has proper stadium signage, FSU field art updated based on 2010 (though they just changed it again), Ole Miss field art updated, Arkansas State updated (based on mocks from last year, doesn't quite match real life). A big one is that East Carolina has their proper field art into the game. Many consider it the best (or most unique) in all of college football. Those are a few that stand out off the top of my head.

really? kept staring at crowd huh?
I wonderif I can google East Carolinas field to see whats unique about it?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 03:42 PM
I wonderif I can google East Carolinas field to see whats unique about it?
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/365865/fieldyarrr.jpg

Tarhead10
04-21-2011, 03:44 PM
really? kept staring at crowd huh?
I wonderif I can google East Carolinas field to see whats unique about it?

I think there referring to the state of North Carolina symbol with the pirate skull in the middle, I think they changed it when they played Virginia Tech couple of years ago...

PDuncanOSU
04-21-2011, 03:47 PM
I remember struggling with last years game when trying to catch a jump-ball as a receiver. A fade route to the corner of the endzone was pretty much impossible, at least in my experience. I'm excited about being able to dive for a catch. Is catching the fade/jump-ball also improved?

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 03:53 PM
I remember struggling with last years game when trying to catch a jump-ball as a receiver. A fade route to the corner of the endzone was pretty much impossible, at least in my experience. I'm excited about being able to dive for a catch. Is catching the fade/jump-ball also improved?

I scored on JB with a fade route. I too would like to see more control & some more animations for fades though. I guess to answer your question though, it's basically like last year where you tap the receivers button & then just kinda let him do his thing. At least, that's how I've had the best success with it.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 03:53 PM
what the heck team is that on CDJ's NCAA 12 review page?

it looks like an Ark State helmet ,..or is it Oregon State?

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 03:57 PM
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/365865/fieldyarrr.jpg

:)...well..half finished logos can be unique in their own right ....? :)

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:03 PM
Just curious..

What do Steelerfan, Gschwendt, and oneback do for a living and how old are you ?

does EA pay for the plane tickets- room -board etc? Are you treated like an employee with a questionnaire or survey or dialogue or something?

Rudy
04-21-2011, 04:05 PM
Sorry, haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet but I really like the improvements to zone coverage. One potential issue is that it could become too tough. Will EA split the pass coverage slider between man and zone coverage so we can tweak this to our liking?

CLW
04-21-2011, 04:12 PM
Can't talk about items that have not yet been released by EA.


Sounds good. Thought that since it is confirmed in the game maybe you could say.


I would say that tidbit wasn't supposed to be leaked since no one else is able to talk about it.


So OS let it slip that there are custom playbooks. Did OS also let it slip that there is NO coaching carousel??? I noticed that in the OS write-up it mentioned specifically that the COACHES ON THE SIDELINES ARE GENERIC.

I know you can't answer... I just sayin...


Everything will be answered in due time, now is just not the time.


Sorry, haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet but I really like the improvements to zone coverage. One potential issue is that it could become too tough. Will EA split the pass coverage slider between man and zone coverage so we can tweak this to our liking?

So...basically your saying OS violated the terms of their NDA with EA. Perhaps I should give them my card.... :nod:

Oneback
04-21-2011, 04:13 PM
Just curious..

What do Steelerfan, Gschwendt, and oneback do for a living and how old are you ?

does EA pay for the plane tickets- room -board etc? Are you treated like an employee with a questionnaire or survey or dialogue or something?

I am 31 and am a Technical Services Manager.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:16 PM
do uniforms still get dirty?

did you play any fog games - how did they look ?

did anyone use Nebraska or Utah in a conference game? Did the announcers mention the conference change for those teams ?

haha in a year or 2, the Rose bowl will finish its upgrade and I'll be the one bringing it up since I live a half hour away haha

CLW
04-21-2011, 04:19 PM
ESPN also spilled the beans on Custom Playbooks:


And while the new zones and tackling system are greatly appreciated by fans of the franchise, nothing will get "NCAA Football" gamers more pumped than the new custom playbooks. With these new playbooks, gamers can pretty much do whatever they want in terms of putting together the best plays from across the country. Like the wishbone? How about taking all of the wishbone plays from every team and put them all in one offense. You can go in and select entire formations or individual plays, building your playbook exactly how you want, and then customize the layout in the play-call screen so you can easily sort through the plays during a game, putting all of your play-action passes together or all of your wildcat runs together, making for a pretty awesome user/coaching experience.

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/6403049/ncaa-football-12-first-look?readmore=fullstory

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 04:19 PM
do uniforms still get dirty?

did you play any fog games - how did they look ?

did anyone use Nebraska or Utah in a conference game? Did the announcers mention the conference change for those teams ?

haha in a year or 2, the Rose bowl will finish its upgrade and I'll be the one bringing it up since I live a half hour away haha

-Uniform degradation looks great.
-Fog games really look fantastic, especially at night.
-Used Nebraska but didn't notice the answer to your question. Wasn't listening for it though so take that fwiw.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 04:21 PM
do uniforms still get dirty?

did you play any fog games - how did they look ?

did anyone use Nebraska or Utah in a conference game? Did the announcers mention the conference change for those teams ?

haha in a year or 2, the Rose bowl will finish its upgrade and I'll be the one bringing it up since I live a half hour away haha

Uniforms still get dirty.

Fog game look sweet, especially at night.

I used Nebraska in a conference game, but don't recall the announcers mentioning the change....but I didn't have the sound fully up most of the time with so many people playing at the same time.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 04:21 PM
31, Sharepoint administrator for a bank

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 04:21 PM
LOL Kwizzy ... we almost matched word for word on our fog games.

morsdraconis
04-21-2011, 04:22 PM
1. Did anyone try just power running the ball the whole time? How well did it work?


2. Did anyone use this play? How did the blitzing work from it? Did they show blitz before the snap by walking up to the line of scrimmage or did they stay home and blitz from their initial position?

http://thegamingtailgate.com/images/NCAA12/25NewPlays/20110414%20-%204-2-5%20Okie%20Across%20Bullets%20Dbl%20A.jpg


3. What about this play? Is it late coverage by the FS or does he show before the snap of the ball? Same as above, does the strong side LB move to the outside of the DE to blitz or does he blitz from his initial position?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5592388622_bf7e40af51_z.jpg



4. Can you comment on the number of plays from a given defensive formation? If so, how many plays did you notice the 3-4 Predator had? Did it have any of the new zone coverages/zone blitz plays?

5. Did the play now cutscenes include any shots of Coaches? ;)

Just bumping this hoping that some of the other guys get a chance to answer them as well. I'd especially like to know if anyone things that the running game is still as powerful as it is this year or if the improved defense helped against that any?

CLW
04-21-2011, 04:22 PM
Any changes in presentation to teams without any "cool" pre-game entrances. I.e. Duke?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 04:24 PM
Any changes in presentation to teams without any "cool" pre-game entrances. I.e. Duke?
I think they added a handful of new generic entrances and also on all team entrances, they added more players to them. Not sure the count but last year I think it was capped at 11... this year is definitely better in that regard.

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 04:25 PM
Just bumping this hoping that some of the other guys get a chance to answer them as well. I'd especially like to know if anyone things that the running game is still as powerful as it is this year or if the improved defense helped against that any?

Playing Kwizzy in the final four of the community day tournament (where he completely waxed me) I could not get a run game going at all. I was Oklahoma and he was South Carolina.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:25 PM
I am 31 and am a Technical Services Manager.


31, Sharepoint administrator for a bank


Oneback- I assume that means IT

Gschwendt- not exactly sure what that is ?

JBHuskers
04-21-2011, 04:25 PM
Any changes in presentation to teams without any "cool" pre-game entrances. I.e. Duke?

There will be some variance in entrances from time to time, some of the special entrances with Mike The Tiger and UGA will come on rivalry games, it won't happen on every pre-game.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 04:26 PM
Gschwendt- not exactly sure what that is ?
I'll just leave it that I'm an IT guy.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:28 PM
LOL Kwizzy ... we almost matched word for word on our fog games.


Uniforms still get dirty.

Fog game look sweet, especially at night.

I used Nebraska in a conference game, but don't recall the announcers mentioning the change....but I didn't have the sound fully up most of the time with so many people playing at the same time.


-Uniform degradation looks great.
-Fog games really look fantastic, especially at night.
-Used Nebraska but didn't notice the answer to your question. Wasn't listening for it though so take that fwiw.

:up: check and ditto

Oneback
04-21-2011, 04:29 PM
Oneback- I assume that means IT

I am an IT guy that manages other IT guys.

CLW
04-21-2011, 04:30 PM
Does the CPU still make the following "silly" decisions:

(1) 55+ yd field goal attempts with kickers that don't have the leg to get anywhere close

(2) calling time outs on the 2:00 or 1:00 warning regardless of score

(3) continue to throw the ball when way up in a game

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:32 PM
I am an IT guy that manages other IT guys.



I was just focusing on the tech part. I didnt mean to ignore your title :)

Oneback
04-21-2011, 04:34 PM
I was just focusing on the tech part. I didnt mean to ignore your title :)

I only replied like that because of g's reply:


I'm an IT guy.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:34 PM
anything new or odd about injuries ?

jaymo76
04-21-2011, 04:40 PM
With all the focus on presentation I hope that they went back to NON-TV BROADCAST GAMES. I loved earning a broacast when you started out as a weak team. Any comments on this gentlemen?

Dr Death
04-21-2011, 04:41 PM
Is Season Showdown still in the game???

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:41 PM
comment: noticed Akrons new stadium in a vid, looks like allot of seats for such a school.

close to 40-50 thousand seats now ? or it just looks big ?..that wasnt a question for you- just typing out loud- I can google that haha
just letting you see where my mind is going.....

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 04:41 PM
With all the focus on presentation I hope that they went back to NON-TV BROADCAST GAMES. I loved earning a broacast when you started out as a weak team. Any comments on this gentlemen?
Sorry... afraid that would fall under Dynasty instead of Play Now.

jaymo76
04-21-2011, 04:41 PM
anything new or odd about injuries ?

Oh good point... was last year's glitch fixed where Erin Andrews often would not mention an injury?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 04:42 PM
Is Season Showdown still in the game???
Only in the same way that it was in NCAA 11.

souljahbill
04-21-2011, 04:43 PM
Do that athletic trainers actually wear their team colors this time and not random colored shirts?


I think they are still random colored.

That makes no sense. I've never worn random colored shirts on the sideline. Me and the coaching staff either wore the colored shirt or the white shirt. Our colors were black, red, and white so it makes no sense for me to wear a green shirt or a blue shirt.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:43 PM
Is Season Showdown still in the game???

I really dont get the point of that? Doesnt really add to the experience, just something cute to look at, or find out which school is supported by the most cheezers haha......and where the heck have you been DD ?

Dr Death
04-21-2011, 04:46 PM
Only in the same way that it was in NCAA 11.

Thanks... I think... :D for answering that! Was hoping this would be gone.

Dr Death
04-21-2011, 04:50 PM
I really dont get the point of that? Doesnt really add to the experience, just something cute to look at, or find out which school is supported by the most cheezers haha......and where the heck have you been DD ?

There are too many problems w/ SS and if disc space is an issue on other areas, then by all means they should ditch it. You know me... I play the R&S and throw all the time, and I hate being "reminded" that I am being unsportsmanlike when throwing a 3 yard hitch on 3rd and 2 from my own 11 yard line and I'm up 31-10. Docked X amount of points for a 3 yard pass???

As for me... computer problems, some health stuff... just a crazy year last year!

Kwizzy
04-21-2011, 04:52 PM
Thanks... I think... :D for answering that! Was hoping this would be gone.

IIRC Season showdown has a lot more to it than meets the eye which makes it crucial to other areas of the game. Like it paved the way for Online Dynasty.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 04:52 PM
any slight tweaks or upgrades to Gschwendt's beloved Ark State field ?

is the shading at Penn State really dark now in that one endzone?

anyone play at home with Navy? in this years game it just seemed like it was made to be one of the brightest ones, as though the sun was fully on it or something . I personally liked/like it.

does asking about play execution fall under on field questions ? = how was option/ triple option/ play action blocking ?

Solidice
04-21-2011, 04:54 PM
There are too many problems w/ SS and if disc space is an issue on other areas, then by all means they should ditch it. You know me... I play the R&S and throw all the time, and I hate being "reminded" that I am being unsportsmanlike when throwing a 3 yard hitch on 3rd and 2 from my own 11 yard line and I'm up 31-10. Docked X amount of points for a 3 yard pass???

As for me... computer problems, some health stuff... just a crazy year last year!

I seriously doubt SS takes up much useful space as it is.

but I too get those -250 sportsmanship games with Texas Tech. apparently even only throwing on 3rd and long late in the game = bad sportsmanship. :D

rhombic21
04-21-2011, 04:56 PM
9) Do dominant nose-tackles, particularly in a 3-4 defense, actually command a double team, particularly in the run game?

What do you mean by command? Just that they are unblockable?
For the most part, yes. If you have a 340 pound monster at nose, the center should generally not be able to move him off the ball or keep him from stuffing interior runs without having a double team.

Also, in terms of this improved zone coverage, did you feel like there was a lot of differentiation between players/teams? If I have a team full of players with high zone ratings, will I notice a significant difference compared to a team with low zone ratings? For years and years now the game has basically been such that defensive productivity mostly relied on a handful of athletic ability ratings (speed, jump, strength, block shed, etc...) and man coverage ratings, with no real benefit to "smart" teams that have high zone and play recognition ratings. With the new zone system, do we see more differentiation in comparing how really smart/experienced defenses will play as compared to less experienced ones?

Is there any major penalty for playing a defender with lower zone and awareness type ratings? Is it possible for there to be coverage "busts" that result in big plays which are directly tied to defensive ratings, and not some global AI flaw that happens regardless of talent? If there are coverage busts, how often, in general, do they occur?

TexasFevour
04-21-2011, 04:57 PM
If anyone played as Texas, is the turf in the game this year?

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 05:00 PM
If anyone played as Texas, is the turf in the game this year?

^

Oneback ^

cdj
04-21-2011, 05:01 PM
If anyone played as Texas, is the turf in the game this year?

xRomo9 played as Texas I believe, so did Oneback I'm guessing. They would be the guys to ask. I saw people using them, but didn't catch the field surface.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:05 PM
Arkansas State's field surface is updated though not completely accurate. It's accurate to a rendering prior to last season but it's inaccurate to some changes they made when they actually installed the surface. As well, they made some minor changes to the stadium, specifically a retaining wall that surrounds the field.

Paakaa10
04-21-2011, 05:10 PM
One thing that I don't think has been covered too much; I'm one of those dorks that does the "Pump Up Crowd" when I play at home on defense, and it's amazing to hear a big stadium--like "The Big House" in Michigan--start roaring as fans are stomping on the bleachers. Definitely wasn't in NCAA 11 and it's one of those great details that people are going to love in NCAA 12.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 05:11 PM
Arkansas State's field surface is updated though not completely accurate. It's accurate to a rendering prior to last season but it's inaccurate to some changes they made when they actually installed the surface. As well, they made some minor changes to the stadium, specifically a retaining wall that surrounds the field.

so the endzones dont have that open look now? its more of a border behind the endzones ? I liked the open ended look...

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:13 PM
so the endzones dont have that open look now? its more of a border behind the endzones ? I liked the open ended look...
Here's a pretty good shot of it... notice the light brown brick
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cf/Arkansas_State_-_Field_View.jpg

ArkHogs
04-21-2011, 05:15 PM
Did anyone play as Arkansas?

Oneback
04-21-2011, 05:15 PM
For the most part, yes. If you have a 340 pound monster at nose, the center should generally not be able to move him off the ball or keep him from stuffing interior runs without having a double team.

Also, in terms of this improved zone coverage, did you feel like there was a lot of differentiation between players/teams? If I have a team full of players with high zone ratings, will I notice a significant difference compared to a team with low zone ratings? For years and years now the game has basically been such that defensive productivity mostly relied on a handful of athletic ability ratings (speed, jump, strength, block shed, etc...) and man coverage ratings, with no real benefit to "smart" teams that have high zone and play recognition ratings. With the new zone system, do we see more differentiation in comparing how really smart/experienced defenses will play as compared to less experienced ones?

Is there any major penalty for playing a defender with lower zone and awareness type ratings? Is it possible for there to be coverage "busts" that result in big plays which are directly tied to defensive ratings, and not some global AI flaw that happens regardless of talent? If there are coverage busts, how often, in general, do they occur?

As the guys were saying that were there last week the DT's were over powered so I will defer to them to answer or we may have to look into it further at the next community day.

As for zone coverage I would argue that zone ratings mattered this year, that being said I was more focused on the technique being used rather than the players. I did see some breakdowns in coverage but cannot tell you if it were due to ratings or code at that time. The last event I went to was a month and a half ago. I'll look into this further on out next trip as well.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:19 PM
Not a shocker from some of the other sites but just received word that we can officially confirm that Custom Playbooks are in the game. We can't give any details to them but expect more info in the coming weeks. Additionally, Custom Playbooks are in Madden NFL 12 and they work with your gameplans/GameFlow.

That's really all we can say on the subject at this point.

xMrHitStickx904
04-21-2011, 05:21 PM
This has been a great thread to read, love the early impressions from this build that you all played. It's crazy, I live in Jacksonville right now, next year somebody come pick me up just so I can watch :D

CLW
04-21-2011, 05:22 PM
Not a shocker from some of the other sites but just received word that we can officially confirm that Custom Playbooks are in the game. We can't give any details to them but expect more info in the coming weeks. Additionally, Custom Playbooks are in Madden NFL 12 and they work with your gameplans/GameFlow.

That's really all we can say on the subject at this point.

I assume that means you cannot confirm/deny the even further details provided by: OS; ESPN; etc.... on how it works?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:23 PM
I assume that means you cannot confirm/deny the even further details provided by: OS; ESPN; etc.... on how it works?
Correct. That really is all we can say on the subject at this point.

ArkHogs
04-21-2011, 05:31 PM
How is the commentating? Their no emotion commentating kinda bugged me in '11 lol

Dr Death
04-21-2011, 05:32 PM
Here's a pretty good shot of it... notice the light brown brick
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cf/Arkansas_State_-_Field_View.jpg

I've always enjoyed taking Ark. State and turning them into a team to be reckoned with... but now, the stadium changes, the new uni's... I don't see me playing w/ them this year. And that sucks! :(

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:34 PM
How is the commentating? Their no emotion commentating kinda bugged me in '11 lol
Other than the game highlights/halftime recap that we've mentioned previously, for the most part the commentary is similar to last year. Of course new lines were added (as they are every year) but the system itself is largely the same.

Just an opinion but I think a big part of the reason for that is that college football is a different beast entirely to any other sports game. The reason being, if they wanted to add true emotion, the best they could do would be to record all of the various lines with each individual team instead of using the [insert team here] style. Obviously though to do that would be not only a huge undertaking regarding time/effort but also huge in regards to the amount of disc space that it would take. That said, I think they still have capability to improve in the future but I think there will be hurdles along the way.

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:35 PM
I've always enjoyed taking Ark. State and turning them into a team to be reckoned with... but now, the stadium changes, the new uni's... I don't see me playing w/ them this year. And that sucks! :(
Any reason why corrections/updates would deter you from playing with a team?

MtneerManiac
04-21-2011, 05:35 PM
Hey guys,

To those that played the game, was the 3D grass still there during gameplay? Some people are speculating it's still 2D (or vintage "carpet" field) during gameplay and only 3D during the cutscenes and what not.

Can any of you that played give an answer as to which it is, and if it's there during gameplay how it looks in comparison with past versions?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:38 PM
Hey guys,

To those that played the game, was the 3D grass still there during gameplay? Some people are speculating it's still 2D (or vintage "carpet" field) during gameplay and only 3D during the cutscenes and what not.

Can any of you that played give an answer as to which it is, and if it's there during gameplay how it looks in comparison with past versions?
I honestly didn't focus on it while I was there but I want to say that there was fairly significant improvement during gameplay. However, where it makes a drastic difference is during replays and cut-scenes.

ArkHogs
04-21-2011, 05:39 PM
Other than the game highlights/halftime recap that we've mentioned previously, for the most part the commentary is similar to last year. Of course new lines were added (as they are every year) but the system itself is largely the same.

Just an opinion but I think a big part of the reason for that is that college football is a different beast entirely to any other sports game. The reason being, if they wanted to add true emotion, the best they could do would be to record all of the various lines with each individual team instead of using the [insert team here] style. Obviously though to do that would be not only a huge undertaking regarding time/effort but also huge in regards to the amount of disc space that it would take. That said, I think they still have capability to improve in the future but I think there will be hurdles along the way.
Thanks for the quick response :) from the video it sounds like the crowd is gonna be amazing. I can't wait :D

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 05:41 PM
...I still want a 1970s style artificial field .....

ArkHogs
04-21-2011, 05:41 PM
I've always enjoyed taking Ark. State and turning them into a team to be reckoned with... but now, the stadium changes, the new uni's... I don't see me playing w/ them this year. And that sucks! :(

I love taking Arkansas and State to the top :)

xMrHitStickx904
04-21-2011, 05:48 PM
...I still want a 1970s style artificial field .....


http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2007/200/reviews/938466_20070720_embed001.jpg

^ that suffice?

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 05:50 PM
ya' know.... since being on the internet and seeing this EA and different sites and forums stuff.
The last couple years it became Ian was the lead guy for Madden and all the internet strangers interested in the game knew it.

my question - Who is the NCAA lead guy?

gschwendt
04-21-2011, 05:51 PM
BTW, I'm sure everyone saw the screenshots we had of Arkansas State and Arizona State's new uniforms and Madden Matrix's screenshot of Maryland's new uniforms. I also wanted to mention that Washington State's new uniforms were in the game... though the Gray on Gray helmet was missing when we looked for it. One team that was missing their new uniforms was TCU... they had the Rose Bowl helmet but didn't have their new uniforms nor new "no frog" helmet.

As well, we also saw Auburn's War Eagle as part of their entrance, however it was still a work-in-progress when we saw it so they didn't really want us to capture any images of it.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 05:52 PM
http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2007/200/reviews/938466_20070720_embed001.jpg

^ that suffice?


no, I mean actually depicted. Not what you think the stuff that is supposed to be video game grass looks like to you haha

steelerfan
04-21-2011, 05:53 PM
Did anyone play as Arkansas?

I did, but only briefly.

ram29jackson
04-21-2011, 05:57 PM
BTW, I'm sure everyone saw the screenshots we had of Arkansas State and Arizona State's new uniforms and Madden Matrix's screenshot of Maryland's new uniforms. I also wanted to mention that Washington State's new uniforms were in the game... though the Gray on Gray helmet was missing when we looked for it. One team that was missing their new uniforms was TCU... they had the Rose Bowl helmet but didn't have their new uniforms nor new "no frog" helmet.

As well, we also saw Auburn's War Eagle as part of their entrance, however it was still a work-in-progress when we saw it so they didn't really want us to capture any images of it.


would you be able to group these somewhere or tell me where they are grouped because you have like 3 or 5 threads going and i'm getting lost.