• Kotaku: NCAA 14 Promises It Won't Give You the Same Old Line This Year

    by
    Deuce
    Published on 04-03-2013 08:19 PM
    14 Comments Comments
    Share/Bookmark
    You can load all the physics, all the momentum, all the jukes and trucks and fakes you want into running the football in a video game, but it all unravels when the right guard just watches as a free linebacker strolls into the backfield and cleans your transmission. No matter how good the rest of NCAA Football has been, this has always been its worst controller-throwing moment, for years.

    Well, yes, this is the time of the year when we talk about what the next edition of the game will deliver, and the time of the year when we get promises that something has been fixed. Last April, it was the end of robo-linebackers and "suction blocking." This year Larry Richart, a producer on EA Sports' football gameplay team, vows they have fixed or at least substantially improved blocking and offensive line play.

    How? They put a real-life lineman on the job.

    Click here to read the full preview from Kotaku and then come back here to share your thoughts with the TGT community.
    1. Categories:
    2. NCAA Football 14
    Comments 14 Comments
    1. JeffHCross's Avatar
      JeffHCross - 04-03-2013, 09:55 PM
      Skeptical, but very interested.
    1. GatorfanStovy's Avatar
      GatorfanStovy - 04-03-2013, 10:38 PM
      Lamo heard that before. Announcing is where it counts . It'll be the same crap and wording during games . Prove it EA!
    1. AustinWolv's Avatar
      AustinWolv - 04-04-2013, 12:25 AM
      Hopefully they worked on the FB blocking too then.
    1. steelerfan's Avatar
      steelerfan - 04-04-2013, 12:27 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by GatorfanStovy View Post
      Lamo heard that before. Announcing is where it counts . It'll be the same crap and wording during games . Prove it EA!
      Um, what?

      Did you READ the article? It's about run blocking, not commentary.

      Enviado de meu SAMSUNG SGH I997 usando o Tapatalk 2
    1. bdoughty's Avatar
      bdoughty - 04-04-2013, 04:47 AM
      Until we see some gameplay videos it is just a wall of text to me.
    1. Oneback's Avatar
      Oneback - 04-04-2013, 07:01 AM
      Like everyone else I will hold judgement until I see it. Taking an offensive lineman having him tell you how to block one or two players and teaching technique is one thing, but having him implement a scheme to block an entire defense is completely different. There's a reason why players are players and coached are coaches - I like the effort, but like others it seems like the same song different verse until I see it in person.

      I remember sitting in a conference room with the powers that be at EA telling us they implemented pattern reading coverage's only to be disappointed a day later when I got my hands on it, still feel the same way to this day.
    1. Deuce's Avatar
      Deuce - 04-04-2013, 09:14 AM
      Ya, the blocking is going to have its issues...no doubt about it. I just want to see improvement.
    1. ryby6969's Avatar
      ryby6969 - 04-04-2013, 09:17 AM
      How long before CD guys can comment on the info released already?
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW - 04-04-2013, 09:17 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Oneback View Post
      Like everyone else I will hold judgement until I see it. Taking an offensive lineman having him tell you how to block one or two players and teaching technique is one thing, but having him implement a scheme to block an entire defense is completely different. There's a reason why players are players and coached are coaches - I like the effort, but like others it seems like the same song different verse until I see it in person.

      I remember sitting in a conference room with the powers that be at EA telling us they implemented pattern reading coverage's only to be disappointed a day later when I got my hands on it, still feel the same way to this day.
      Agree it sounds great but I could see it going 3 ways:

      #1 O-line is improved and the o-line d-line interactions are very realistic
      #2 O-line is improved but it completely overpowers the D and you just run wild no matter what
      #3 The attempt completely fails and the o-line AI is not any better than previous games


      I think there is a 2/3 chance this "improvement" either opens up another can of worms OR doesn't improve the run blocking. Time will tell.
    1. ryby6969's Avatar
      ryby6969 - 04-04-2013, 09:37 AM
      I hope they also addressed pass blocking. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a OG go all the way across the formation to pick up a blitzer that he should have never seen. Or having 2 OL there to block 1 DL only to have 1 of the OL just watch as the DL get to the QB.
    1. AustinWolv's Avatar
      AustinWolv - 04-04-2013, 09:49 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by ryby6969 View Post
      I hope they also addressed pass blocking. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a OG go all the way across the formation to pick up a blitzer that he should have never seen. Or having 2 OL there to block 1 DL only to have 1 of the OL just watch as the DL get to the QB.
      Or the OL ignore the player over him completely to go pick up a blitzing LB, while the protection FB or RB stands and watches the OL without even trying....
    1. baseballplyrmvp's Avatar
      baseballplyrmvp - 04-04-2013, 10:10 AM
      i just want the OL/DL interactions to feature momentum and to make size/weight matter. a corner lined up at the DE spot should get driven 30 yards downfield on a run play....like that one scene in the blindside.
    1. illwill10's Avatar
      illwill10 - 04-04-2013, 10:22 AM
      I really hope pass rushing has been improved. I cant even call plays how I want to because of lack of pass rush. I want to rush 4-5 and have the rest in coverage. But, I am forced to do some exotic nickel blitzes to get pressure.

      I think something that would help for future years is to actually have a Pass Rush rating and a Rush Stop rating. There is nothing that really differentiate the pass rushers from the run stoppers.
    1. ram29jackson's Avatar
      ram29jackson - 04-04-2013, 02:12 PM
      it would be nice to see a guard go after a linebacker for once,or keep him from shooting through