• EA SPORTS: Breaking Down NCAA Football 14 Gameplay

    EA SPORTS has posted an official blog breaking down the gameplay improvements coming to NCAA Football 14, including the Force Impact System and running game improvements.

    Continue on to read the blog and then share your thoughts with the community.


    College football is unpredictable, and now so is NCAA Football 14.

    The addition of Infinity Engine 2 allows you to play true to your team with gameplay tuned with the college game in mind, bringing multiple college play-styles to life. Players have been significantly tuned to balance based on position and size, which means you’ll also feel momentum as you run with the ball. You’ll also notice updated player behavior after each play is over.

    Here’s a look at specifically what you can expect with the new Infinity Engine 2.

    The Power of Force Impact


    Use new stiff-arm to create your own space around the outside

    As we continually evolve the Infinity Engine, we have more control to build physics-based features to create more realistic player interactions on the field. The Force Impact System allows us to create more realistic hits that take momentum, speed, and mass into account. You can now feel the big plays on offense and defense, which provide a more real feeling than ever before.Offense wasn’t the only side of the ball that got some love, this year in NCAA Football 14 you will find the Hitstick is much more powerful than ever before. Deliver bone crushing hits and tackles to the unsuspecting ball carrier.

    Players can now recover from a near tackle with the new Stumble Recovery, which you can see a ball carrier put their hand down on the turf and keep trudging along for more yards. Based on a combination of player attributes and the impact of the hit, this is a real-life movement from the field that makes a huge difference in the open field. The stumble recovery will help assist in those frustrating moments where you run into a defender and watch your player fall to the ground without any way to recover.


    No longer at the mercy of the dice roll

    With the Infinity Engine 2, things like dive tackles, trucks, and stiff arms are now driven by physics when timed correctly. All of these improvements to gameplay are made possible by the Infinity Engine 2, which allows for thousands of organic, unpredictable outcomes with some of the biggest hits we’ve ever seen in the NCAA Football franchise.

    Swerve Not


    You could drive a truck through that cutback lane

    Another significant improvement to gameplay in NCAA Football 14 is the running game. This year, we enhanced the running game by enabling you to make hard cuts on the field. The running game is an integral piece of college football, and in order to deliver the most realistic experience, we’ve emphasized changing the running game to eliminate inauthentic turning and running. With NCAA Football 14 you can make more hard cuts, which give better feeling of better weight and realistic running.


    Follow your blockers and run to daylight

    Building a Better Back

    One thing we’ve learned over the years is that running backs are almost never moving at full speed the moment they take the ball, and need to be patient to allow blocks to develop and find the hole. While we’ve previously put an emphasis on getting the running backs up to full speed as quickly as possible, this year we’ve tuned the game to give users more control over running backs behind the line, as well as when making moves in the open field.


    Make the safety pay for taking a bad angle to the ball

    We’re also aware that sometimes you need that extra burst of speed, so we’ve introduced an acceleration burst mechanic that allows you to hold the right trigger and reach top speed more quickly to get around the corner or evade a pursuing defender. There’s a tradeoff though, as running harder – as well as making moves like spins, jukes and cuts – drains your stamina faster, so you may lose your steam on long runs. We’ve included an on-screen stamina meter this year, so you’ll know exactly how much energy you’ve got left on any given play before you run out of gas.

    Fans are encouraged to keep up to date by visiting the NCAA Football website, Facebook, and Twitterfor exclusive assets and unique insights into all this year’s new features. College football enthusiasts can also get involved in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #PLAYTRUE.


    ***

    Keep up on all the latest NCAA Football 14 news & media heading into the July 9 release date with our NCAA 14 News & Info Central page. We'll provide all the best & latest information regarding improvements to Gameplay & Infinity Engine 2, Dynasty Mode, Presentation, and new features such as NCAA Football Ultimate Team & Play a Season.

    NCAA Football 14 News & Information Central: http://tgt.pw/ncaa14info
    Comments 44 Comments
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      They really keep hyping up the power of the hit stick.
    1. psusnoop's Avatar
      psusnoop -
      They've got to hype something and this is the start of it.
    1. Deuce's Avatar
      Deuce -
      I listened to CDJ on the game changer radio show and it all sounded 'balanced'. I was really glad Chris touched on the AI...this is what I'm most curious about since 90% of my games are against the CPU.
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      I want to see if the running movements are indeed more realistic with weight and momentum. Big plus if true.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rudy View Post
      I want to see if the running movements are indeed more realistic with weight and momentum. Big plus if true.
      Not watching the vids?
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      Quote Originally Posted by Jayrah View Post
      Not watching the vids?
      I just saw the one video they released but it's so cut up I need to see longer gameplay clips. I really need to play it myself. Are there more vids?

      The new media gamelends to so many different sites publishing the same stuff all the time. I just tune it out. I wish there was just one thread with all the unique info in it.

      I do like the new defensive targeting system. I've maintained that the lack of momentum makes jukes poorly done in the past but also defence. I'm just keeping my expectations in check as I've been let down by EA too much this gen.
    1. xMrHitStickx904's Avatar
      xMrHitStickx904 -
      Out of every NCAA game that has come out over the years, I'm really eager to get my hands on this for the sole reason of the improvements to the infinity engine. I'm a user based player, meaning that I try to make all of the plays myself( user catches, picks etc. ) & the engine that was introduced on Madden is very conducive to players with good user skill. However, that gap is made up because of the ridiculous ball hawk feature. I'm interested to see how the changes will affect how we play.
    1. TIMB0B's Avatar
      TIMB0B -
      Quote Originally Posted by xMrHitStickx904 View Post
      Out of every NCAA game that has come out over the years, I'm really eager to get my hands on this for the sole reason of the improvements to the infinity engine. I'm a user based player, meaning that I try to make all of the plays myself( user catches, picks etc. ) & the engine that was introduced on Madden is very conducive to players with good user skill. However, that gap is made up because of the ridiculous ball hawk feature. I'm interested to see how the changes will affect how we play.
      I didn't play the new Madden. What's the ball hawk feature?
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rudy View Post
      The new media gamelends to so many different sites publishing the same stuff all the time. I just tune it out. I wish there was just one thread with all the unique info in it.
      If only there were.

      You should check out NCAA Football 14 News & Information Central.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Quote Originally Posted by TIMB0B View Post
      I didn't play the new Madden. What's the ball hawk feature?
      IIRC, it was added to NCAA 13 in a patch but I don't think it was to the same degree as Ball Hawk in M13. (I've heard significantly more discussion regarding the feature in Madden than NCAA. In Madden, I am playing as a RB in CCM, so I have little experience with the feature there.)

      From what I understand, basically as a defensive back just hold down TRI/Y when the ball is near to make a move/swat/INT. Timing is either not as important or no longer important. Someone who has played Madden 13 more than I have or who understand the feature more will have to clarify.
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      If only there were.

      You should check out NCAA Football 14 News & Information Central.
      Sometimes you can't lead a horse to water.




      Quote Originally Posted by TIMB0B View Post
      I didn't play the new Madden. What's the ball hawk feature?
      People said it was way too easy to get picks in Madden but whenever I tried using the feature it never helped me lol.
    1. xMrHitStickx904's Avatar
      xMrHitStickx904 -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      IIRC, it was added to NCAA 13 in a patch but I don't think it was to the same degree as Ball Hawk in M13. (I've heard significantly more discussion regarding the feature in Madden than NCAA. In Madden, I am playing as a RB in CCM, so I have little experience with the feature there.)

      From what I understand, basically as a defensive back just hold down TRI/Y when the ball is near to make a move/swat/INT. Timing is either not as important or no longer important. Someone who has played Madden 13 more than I have or who understand the feature more will have to clarify.
      Just now checking this thread again, but TIMB0B ballhawk is a feature that is much more effective on Madden than it is NCAA. In past games, you had to time your user skills in order to catch interceptions, and learn how to time the strafe as well. Ball hawk allows you to basically cover about 20-25 yards & catch picks easily with a ridiculous animation. You can literally control a safety, run around the field & if the ball is thrown anywhere near you, just hold down Y/Triangle & you'll jump a good 10 feet in the air & take the ball out of the air. For example, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a 6'2", 98 SPD CB that I always put at safety & control him on every player. Ball hawk makes him the best safety in the game. Just yesterday I user controlled a drag, saw that a 25 yard post route was open & I ran back there, caught a one-handed INT & took it to the house. Ball hawk at its' finest.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      Quote Originally Posted by xMrHitStickx904 View Post
      Just now checking this thread again, but TIMB0B ballhawk is a feature that is much more effective on Madden than it is NCAA. In past games, you had to time your user skills in order to catch interceptions, and learn how to time the strafe as well. Ball hawk allows you to basically cover about 20-25 yards & catch picks easily with a ridiculous animation. You can literally control a safety, run around the field & if the ball is thrown anywhere near you, just hold down Y/Triangle & you'll jump a good 10 feet in the air & take the ball out of the air. For example, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a 6'2", 98 SPD CB that I always put at safety & control him on every player. Ball hawk makes him the best safety in the game. Just yesterday I user controlled a drag, saw that a 25 yard post route was open & I ran back there, caught a one-handed INT & took it to the house. Ball hawk at its' finest.
      And people wonder why they score 50+ points per game and get bored easily...

      Yes, the feature is rotten, but if you want a good game, you have to play SIM football. Clearly, that is not sim. Seriously, if you play Sim (meaning playing without using exploits to your advantage) you can get a good game.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Here is a screenshot of the pre-snap option keys:



      The design of it has changed since we saw it in early March. Previously it was a white shape around the player and the word Read or Pitch.
    1. JBHuskers's Avatar
      JBHuskers -
      That design definitely looks a lot cleaner than what we saw.
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      Here is a screenshot of the pre-snap option keys:



      The design of it has changed since we saw it in early March. Previously it was a white shape around the player and the word Read or Pitch.

      Well that's not as bad as I thought as long as it only shows up when you pull up Coach Cam (which is my understanding) then its not a bad addition.
    1. psusnoop's Avatar
      psusnoop -
      That is how I would have thought EA would have implemented this. When everyone was jumping on their desks about this I honestly had a good laugh about it. It had to be in the play art thus allowing you to either bring it up manually or set your play art to appear every pre-snap. I'll be honest I have my play art show every snap. It does two things for me, it allows me to slow down and read the defense for a extra second and it allows me to be sure of my quick reads as well.
    1. PDuncanOSU's Avatar
      PDuncanOSU -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      Here is a screenshot of the pre-snap option keys:



      The design of it has changed since we saw it in early March. Previously it was a white shape around the player and the word Read or Pitch.
      I like the pitch keys, but it doesn't look like the o-lines blocking assignments are showing. I liked in NCAA 12 (or maybe it was back in 11) when the blocking assignments were included in the play art.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      Quote Originally Posted by PDuncanOSU View Post
      I like the pitch keys, but it doesn't look like the o-lines blocking assignments are showing. I liked in NCAA 12 (or maybe it was back in 11) when the blocking assignments were included in the play art.
      Personally I like the cleaner look. I'm not really sure the blocking assignments mean anything other than make me think everybody is going to get picked up when in reality there are not. I like just seeing the 2 guys I have to read.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      Chris and Tommy is that what the "wide" screen version looks like for camera angle? Where you can see the entire field?