• EA SPORTS: NCAA Football 14 Playbook 4 - Dynasty

    EA SPORTS has posted part one of three blogs that will detail the improvements coming to Dynasty Mode in NCAA Football 14.

    The first blog covers some aspects of Coach Skills, Power Recruiting, and Presentation-related Dynasty Mode improvements.

    There is no known date for blog parts two & three. Continue on to read the blog and then share your thoughts with the community.

    Dynasty mode in NCAA Football 14 offers several new features that should excite any would-be head coach. All-new Coach Skills allow you to focus on the traits you believe are most important for a coach both on and off the field, while Power Recruiting streamlines the process for scouting and signing players without sacrificing depth.

    Furthermore, presentation enhancements tell the story of your Dynasty with more detail than ever before. Players can also once again export their NCAA Football 14 Draft Class into Madden NFL 25, allowing your players to continue their journey into the NFL.

    Here’s a look at what makes this year’s Dynasty the best yet.





    A GREAT TEAM STARTS WITH A GREAT COACH

    College football coaches have to devise on-field strategy as well as recruit, star elite prospects to join the team.



    This year introduces a new wrinkle in the form of Coach Skills, which allows coaches to excel in specific areas. There are 18 upgradeable, multi-level skills spread across two skill trees for head coaches, as well as separate skill trees for offensive and defensive coordinators. Altogether, there are 36 upgradeable skills.



    Here’s an example: if you know which players you want and would like to sign them with minimal fuss, you can invest in Insta-Commit. This higher-level skill takes a while to unlock, but it’s a must-have for anyone who spends a substantial amount of time recruiting players. This skill provides a 5% chance of instant commitment when you offer a scholarship, and goes up to 10% and 20% over the next two levels. Insta-Commit allows coaches to spend more resources on those guys who are playing hard-to-get.

    Conversely, if you’re more interested in on-field bonuses, you may want to upgrade a skill like Clutch, which helps your team out in close games. This is a high-level skill that isn’t available right away, but it’s worth strong consideration once it unlocks. At its first level, Clutch will let your team start off the fourth quarter HOT if the score is within 14 points. At the next level your team stays HOT throughout the entire quarter, and when maxed out your players get VERY HOT in the final two minutes (and overtime) if the score differential is within a touchdown. The HOT and VERY HOT descriptors are dynamic ratings adjustments, so you’ll see your team perform well above their normal skills as long as they’re in those states.



    Coach Skills are also available for offensive and defensive coordinators, each of which gets nine upgradeable skills.. These skills will assist in certain areas on one side of the ball, such as improving blocking or enhancing zone or man coverage.



    A LEAN, MEAN RECRUITING MACHINE

    This year, NCAA Football 14 introduces Power Recruiting, which streamlines the process of scouting and recruiting players without sacrificing the depth fans have come to expect. Rather than using phone calls and pitches to try and sign players, Power Recruiting allows coaches to assign a set number of points to each recruit on a week-to-week basis. If you see a player you want, set your board so that you spend the maximum number of points available each week to win him over. Once you feel a commitment is imminent, move some of those points over to a different player who needs a bit of extra persuading. Power Recruiting makes it easy to efficiently adjust your focus and put the perfect amount of energy into signing the players your team needs most.



    Dynamic Pitch Grades return this year, but with benefits measured in a slightly different way. Now you’ll be able to see which factors are most important to a given recruit, and you’ll be granted bonus points based on how your school measures up. Players enamored with your program are easier to reel in without having to expend precious resources.



    Power Recruiting also plays a role in deciding when to offer scholarships or schedule campus visits, so there’s an added layer of strategy when planning your moves. Power Recruiting will be further detailed in another article devoted solely to the sweet science of snagging those highly-coveted players.



    Offseason recruiting has been streamlined into one stage, which creates a quicker, more intense experience. This is your last chance to make a play for those undecided prospects, and your ultimate opportunity to go all-in on that player (or players) your team desperately needs. For more on Power Recruiting, be sure to check out the blog that lays out all the details.

    TELLING YOUR STORY

    In addition to all these new features, presentation upgrades will help make your league feel more alive.. Right from the outset, loading screens give info on stats and standings, and pregame commentary will sometimes center on your team’s position in the college football. Studio Updates with Rece Davis have returned, and have been tuned to be particularly relevant to your team. Are conference rivals squaring off at the same time as your game? Is a team close to you in the standings trailing late in the game? Hear all about it from Rece. Not only do the updates relate more directly to your team, but they’re also designed to appear during natural breaks in the action, such as after a kickoff or change of possession.



    Neutral site games have been added to Dynasty mode this year, so all games for the 2013 season are scheduled at their correct location. Furthermore, you can set up neutral site contests of your own with Custom Schedules, and even put your team in one of the season-opening Kickoff games if you wish. You can also schedule both conference matchups and non-conference contests at neutral sites.

    This year has been one of big changes for the NCAA Football franchise, and that goes double for Dynasty mode. Coach Skills and Power Recruiting put great new spins on this classic mode, all while making the experience faster and more intuitive. Whether you prefer to take over a powerhouse program and extend their dominance or build up a small school from scratch to national acclaim, Dynasty in NCAA Football 14 lets you build your team your way.

    This is just a small glimpse of what you can expect in NCAA Football Dynasty Mode, and we’ll be diving into additional insight on the all-new Coach Skills feature.

    NCAA Football will be available on Tuesday, July 9, for Xbox 360 and PS3, and fans can learn more at the NCAA Football website. Pre-order today to receive exclusive Conference Packs.

    Fans can keep up to date by visiting the NCAA Football website, Facebook, and Twitter for exclusive assets and unique insights into all of 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 30 Comments
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      I just hope some of these coach upgrades aren't over the top. I don't want to see "clutch" used as some ridiculous comeback code that pisses people off (namely me). I remember the over the top momemtum meter of NCAA 07 that was lousy. Insta-commit going up to 20% sounds very high. May make it way too easy to recruit. This has potential if done right.
    1. JBHuskers's Avatar
      JBHuskers -
      Also to note, this is part one of three for this playbook.
    1. JSmith03's Avatar
      JSmith03 -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rudy View Post
      I just hope some of these coach upgrades aren't over the top. I don't want to see "clutch" used as some ridiculous comeback code that pisses people off (namely me). I remember the over the top momemtum meter of NCAA 07 that was lousy. Insta-commit going up to 20% sounds very high. May make it way too easy to recruit. This has potential if done right.
      I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up tuning these percentages later on (or patching, or whatever). I do wonder if there will be an option to, say, disable individual skills.

      Because if the "clutch" skill is anything like the clutch trait in 2k13...
    1. JSmith03's Avatar
      JSmith03 -
      Quote Originally Posted by JBHuskers View Post
      Also to note, this is part one of three for this playbook.
      So are you able to specify what the other 2 parts will cover? I'm assuming Part 2 will go more into Power Recruiting and the Coach Skills.
    1. MC1's Avatar
      MC1 -
      Sounds like there's gonna ba a lot of options this year...outstanding! Wonder if we'll be able to post videos on EA's website, and write our own stories? Pre-ordered, pre-paid, I'm ready!
    1. oweb26's Avatar
      oweb26 -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rudy View Post
      I just hope some of these coach upgrades aren't over the top. I don't want to see "clutch" used as some ridiculous comeback code that pisses people off (namely me). I remember the over the top momemtum meter of NCAA 07 that was lousy. Insta-commit going up to 20% sounds very high. May make it way too easy to recruit. This has potential if done right.
      AND ME!
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rudy View Post
      I just hope some of these coach upgrades aren't over the top. I don't want to see "clutch" used as some ridiculous comeback code that pisses people off (namely me). I remember the over the top momemtum meter of NCAA 07 that was lousy. Insta-commit going up to 20% sounds very high. May make it way too easy to recruit. This has potential if done right.
      Well the powers that be here indicated that the 20% thing was a 20% increase in the likelihood not 1/5 insta-commits. Although you are right it does NOT read that way and they could get WAY over the top easily. Implementation (as always) will be key.
    1. JBHuskers's Avatar
      JBHuskers -
      Quote Originally Posted by JSmith03 View Post
      So are you able to specify what the other 2 parts will cover? I'm assuming Part 2 will go more into Power Recruiting and the Coach Skills.
      Coach Skills, and I don't know
    1. oweb26's Avatar
      oweb26 -
      For some reason clutch still worries me!
    1. JBHuskers's Avatar
      JBHuskers -
      Quote Originally Posted by oweb26 View Post
      For some reason clutch still worries me!
      I'd say just wait til the Coach Skills blog comes out, then we can look at it. A good amount was changed that we are not aware of yet.

      Even after the blog, a lot of this stuff is hard to pick apart by typing on a forum. It's going to take actual multiple seasons of play to truly get the gist of it.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      Quote Originally Posted by JSmith03 View Post
      So are you able to specify what the other 2 parts will cover? I'm assuming Part 2 will go more into Power Recruiting and the Coach Skills.
      Almost positive 1 will be coach skills and the other will be power recruiting
    1. JBHuskers's Avatar
      JBHuskers -
      Quote Originally Posted by Jayrah View Post
      Almost positive 1 will be coach skills and the other will be power recruiting
      Yeah I guess they didn't go full in with the Power Recruiting today. Kind of an overview of both.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah -
      I'm with Rudy on this one though, if that clutch trait is overdone (and it immediately sounds like it is) I won't be happy getting raped in the 4th when I've dominated the game and am up 14. HOWEVER, the counter to this is that you could get it yourself, then everybody is "hot" and it cancels out. Just kinda stupid imo. No team just gets hot in the 4th quarter, certain individuals do and the team might feed off that. I would rather see the clutch trait take into account a big play. So if a big play is made your team suddenly gets "hot" off of the momentum of that big play. It should be able to be cooled by a big play on the other side though. Checks and balances do not sound like they are in at this point.

      Also, the thing they didn't re-add that I wish they would've is the ability for a bigger conference to invite you without just moving conferences. Like you have to accomplish so many goals to get an invite from conference X.
    1. JSmith03's Avatar
      JSmith03 -
      Quote Originally Posted by Jayrah View Post
      I'm with Rudy on this one though, if that clutch trait is overdone (and it immediately sounds like it is) I won't be happy getting raped in the 4th when I've dominated the game and am up 14. HOWEVER, the counter to this is that you could get it yourself, then everybody is "hot" and it cancels out. Just kinda stupid imo. No team just gets hot in the 4th quarter, certain individuals do and the team might feed off that. I would rather see the clutch trait take into account a big play. So if a big play is made your team suddenly gets "hot" off of the momentum of that big play. It should be able to be cooled by a big play on the other side though. Checks and balances do not sound like they are in at this point.

      Also, the thing they didn't re-add that I wish they would've is the ability for a bigger conference to invite you without just moving conferences. Like you have to accomplish so many goals to get an invite from conference X.
      I think another alternative would be for the skill to give a small (say +1 boost) to regular players' relevant skills, and a bigger boost (say, +2) to the impact players.
    1. dhook27's Avatar
      dhook27 -
      so i am guessing with all these on the field skills they took out gameplan settings?
    1. SmoothPancakes's Avatar
      SmoothPancakes -
      God I hope not. While some of them were overdone, I much preferred being able to have my WRs focus on staying short and catching the ball as opposed to running deep after their route was over, among others. Allowed me to get my team to play exactly how I wanted and focus on the fundamentals.
    1. countryboy's Avatar
      countryboy -
      Conversely, if you’re more interested in on-field bonuses, you may want to upgrade a skill like Clutch, which helps your team out in close games. This is a high-level skill that isn’t available right away, but it’s worth strong consideration once it unlocks. At its first level, Clutch will let your team start off the fourth quarter HOT if the score is within 14 points. At the next level your team stays HOT throughout the entire quarter, and when maxed out your players get VERY HOT in the final two minutes (and overtime) if the score differential is within a touchdown. The HOT and VERY HOT descriptors are dynamic ratings adjustments, so you’ll see your team perform well above their normal skills as long as they’re in those states.
      This worries me a lot. I don't like the idea of immediately starting the 4th quarter hot when I'm down 2 touchdowns, simply because its a skill I have obtained. I mean, what if I turned the ball over on back to back possessions to end the 3rd quarter? What would make a team "hot" to start the 4th quarter if have been dominated the entire game?

      I truly hope we can turn these off. I would much rather have the gameplan in place where I can give "realistic" advice to players to try and beat the defense or stop the offense, rather than get a generic boost to ratings simply because I obtained a skill.


      Does anyone know if we can turn off the skills? If not, does the cpu at least have access to obtaining/using these skills?
    1. Deuce's Avatar
      Deuce -
      Quote Originally Posted by countryboy View Post
      This worries me a lot. I don't like the idea of immediately starting the 4th quarter hot when I'm down 2 touchdowns, simply because its a skill I have obtained. I mean, what if I turned the ball over on back to back possessions to end the 3rd quarter? What would make a team "hot" to start the 4th quarter if have been dominated the entire game?
      This made me think of a question. If you are 'cold' going into the 4th qtr does the ratings boost start at the original rating or from the 'cold' rating?...hopefully that makes sense.




      Typed by thumbs.
    1. countryboy's Avatar
      countryboy -
      Quote Originally Posted by Deuce View Post
      This made me think of a question. If you are 'cold' going into the 4th qtr does the ratings boost start at the original rating or from the 'cold' rating?...hopefully that makes sense.




      Typed by thumbs.
      Makes sense and is a very good question. I would like to know this as well.
    1. beartide06's Avatar
      beartide06 -
      To expand on this a bit, how will the length of quarters factor in? If I play 10 min. quarters for example, does that mean my team will be "hot" (assuming that's the red circle underneath the player) the entire quarter based on particular skill tree sets? That sure is a long time to stay on fire. It coincides a little with what countryboy said, because I don't think I would want my team to get "hot" right at the start. To me, that would be a huge advantage and cause a large separation. Also, will momentum factor into this as well?

      I was also curious, with the new match-up stick and skill tree sets, if the game planning adjustments are still in the game?