Final Four: Custom Playbooks vs. Better CPU Playcalling

[cdj]

- Before voting, feel free to revisit previous voting discussion threads to get more ideas on how the community would like each feature to be designed in the franchise.
- After voting, share your thoughts behind your vote and how you would like to see each feature implemented into the game, regardless of vote.
- Vote early: all future rounds will be open just three days for voting.


Custom Playbooks

Many NCAA Football gamers spend days (if not weeks) trying to find the perfect playbook – one with the right mix of plays and formations they feel comfortable with. However, many end up disappointed – only finding a playbook that contains a portion of what they want. With Custom Playbooks (a feature in last-gen NCAA Football), users could pick a set number of formations to use in a custom playbook linked to their profile or similar to All-Pro Football 2K8, they could pick individual plays from any formation(s) to be in their playbook. (Round 1 Discussion - Round 2 Discussion - Sweet 16 Discussion - Elite 8 Discussion)


Better CPU Playcalling

The general idea here is that the CPU would better utilize their team and also vary their playcalling. For example, if a CPU offensive team is strong running but poor passing, they would call plays accordingly, regardless of how their playbook is setup. As well, plays that are too often called (ex. Engage Eight blitz) would be called less and used in better situations.

Another possible aspect to this could be that the CPU would monitor what is effective against particular users and then call plays accordingly. For example, if a user's defense shows tendencies that it is more susceptible to the pass, the CPU then call more passing plays against that user. These tendencies could be learned over time to always keep the CPU's playcalling fresh. (Round 1 Discussion - Round 2 Discussion - Sweet 16 Discussion - Elite 8 Discussion)

[souljahbill]

WHAT?!?!?! Custom playbooks won in the Elite 8? I thought it was dead in the water to Special Teams Overhaul. Color me surprised.

[cdj]

It had a late rally, from down one to up four. We're still recounting the ballots.

[morsdraconis]

I gotta say I'm disappointed. As much as I'd LOVE to have Custom Playbooks, better playcalling and better special teams is just more important to me.

[Rudy]

Better playcalling. This one is a no brainer for me.

[jaymo76]

I will continue to push for custom playbooks until it's in the game. It's a true "feature" versus playcalling which should be a mandatory improvemtn from year-to-year.

[CLW]

This is CLEARLY the classic "weak" semi where the other gets the prime-time slot and the winner is the HEAVY favorite to cut down the nets.

[JeffHCross]

Custom Playbooks would be a huge feature. But the CPU isn't competitive. Too many bad calls, especially on defense, pretty much kill the fun of dynasties unless you give the CPU such an advantage in sliders that you put yourself in a deep hole. If the CPU got a little better in playcalling, maybe, just MAYBE, we could have a competitive CPU for the first time in a long while.

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

as ive said before... there are some things that im insulted that i must vote for, and better playcalling is one of those... honestly better CPU playcalling, upgraded defensive playbooks SHOULD BE EXPECTED NOT VOTED FOR... therefore, i vote for something that is a "feature" which is custom playbooks... i have always been one of those guys that takes up for EA, and still do as NCAA 11 was leaps and bounds, but im not going to vote for something that i now expect them to do after they showed me how much they can do in a one year cycle...

"E"

[gschwendt]

as ive said before... there are some things that im insulted that i must vote for, and better playcalling is one of those... honestly better CPU playcalling, upgraded defensive playbooks SHOULD BE EXPECTED NOT VOTED FOR... therefore, i vote for something that is a "feature" which is custom playbooks... i have always been one of those guys that takes up for EA, and still do as NCAA 11 was leaps and bounds, but im not going to vote for something that i now expect them to do after they showed me how much they can do in a one year cycle...

"E"

I understand your point but consider that everything they do in a year requires a budget of time. The idea here is let's say in order to add Custom Playbooks, they would have to completely not touch CPU Playcalling at all, would you still want Custom Playbooks?

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

so the thought here is that they dont budget for improvements only additions? thats absurd...

"E"

[JeffHCross]

so the thought here is that they dont budget for improvements only additions? thats absurd...

No ... the thought is that you can't always have your cake and eat it too. If they chose to "improve" the defensive playbooks and the CPU Playcalling, those two "improvements", as you have called them, might take up enough time that they couldn't also do Custom Playbooks and Coaching Carousel.

It's a simple choice of which do you want more ... no matter what you think you "deserve". Which is more important to you, the consumer.

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

and this is based on the opinions of all of us that agreed that they wouldnt be able to change the gameplay engine in one year cycle... the NCAA team created a double edged sword with 11's release... on one side of the sword they put out the best next gen releases... on the other side of the sword they showed us how much they can actually do in one cycle... so we all know that custom playbooks have been in the series before, so this is like formation subs... its just them realizing that it should be there and knowing there is no reason for it to NOT be... i let myself be trashed on the "other site" for taking up for the devs for NCAA 11, and i still believe they can do it... but im not going to agree with voting for things that they should do every release... the new guy came in talking about being far from where they need to be, and i hold him to that...

"E"

[JeffHCross]

No, it's not based on any assumption of what they can do in one year. If they could do every single one of the 68 items in this tournament, we'd be ecstatic. If they put enough people on it and had enough time, I'm sure they would love to do everything we want as well. That's not the issue here. It's an issue of priority.

I'm going to try to work out an anology here ... it'll probably bomb, but bear with me. My sink is full of dishes, I have some trashbags that need to go out, and I have laundry that needs done. It's fairly safe to assume that I can do all three in a reasonable amount of time, I just have to consider them a priority. I think we can all agree on that. But sometimes, one is more important that the other (such as the fact that I have no clean bowls for breakfast tomorrow).

Now, my thought process behind this tournament is to decide which of those tasks I absolutely have to do, under no circumstances can I skip.

I agree that Improvements to the Defensive Playbooks and Better CPU Playcalling should be an automatic part of their feature set. But, at the same time, I want to make it clear that I'm not talking about a cursory glance at the defensive playbooks where they add a couple new plays. I'm talking about a complete overhaul where they make sure that my defense can stack up to practically whatever my opponent can throw at me. Where the defense has a chance to be dominant, rather than the current method of every defense being "bend but not break" or "bend some more and eventually break".

Coaching Carousel and Custom Playbooks are great features. I want them in. But I'm not going to assume anything. I'm going to vote for things that I want in the most. Whether EA only adds the final two features in, or whether they add all of the Elite 8, I want to make sure they know what I consider a priority.

[Coachdenz]

I will take custom playbooks, I have been playing with there CPU playcalling for years, what's another year going to hurt.....I need custom playbooks.

[jaymo76]

Custom playbooks simply put are a new feature. Improving cpu playcalling is a tinkering aspect to the game. Custom playbooks can be marketed to the masses. Improved cpu playcalling is almost a PATCH conversation. We have seen through the years how patches/tuning updates have drastically changed the flow/abiltiy of cpu teams. Pre-patch 2 NCAA 11 played an amazing and competivite game. The cpu run game was stellar. Post patch the cpu run game dissappeared on A.A. In truth I have minimal issues with the cpu playcalling. The bigger issue by far is NOT cpu playcalling, it's cpu playcall EFFECTIVENESS.

This gets back to the basic premise that cpu playcalling is a mandatory adjust to be made to the game each and every year, no exceptions. Custom playbooks however is a "new" feature that would bring a lot of enjoyment to a lot of people on this site and in general. Choosing a custom playbook is the most basic aspect missing in this game. If we are truly the coach of our team we need access to develop a playbook that meets our own unique thoughts and styles as to how football should be played. Just thinking about custom playbooks adds so much excitement to me for this game. Can you imagine choosing all of your own formations again and recruiting personel to fit those schemes? I can see it now, an I formation offense that employs 2-3 pistol sets as well as a split back set. Combine this with a quick paced no-huddle approach... I would never turn the game off. Give me pre-patch 2 cpu playcalling from this year and add custom playbooks (and a coaching carousel) and finally ncaa 06 will be replaced as my favourite game in the series.

[steelerfan]

Better playcalling affects everyone and every game against the CPU. Custom Playbooks only affects those who'd use. There's still a part of me that feels like I'm "cheating" when I don't use a team's default playbook.

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

agree with jay^^^... the new features added should dictate the upgrades needed to CPU playcalling... coaching carousel and custom playbooks are features, not part of making the game survive... we see eye to eye around 90% of the time, and we all know this is a debate that can turn ugly, as it always does on "other sites"... guess my stance is that the devs spoiled me with NCAA 11, i expect more from them every year, i expect it because i was promised by the new guy and his public statements of failure to be where they SHOULD be... i dont want to be that guy that sounds like a prick, so apologies on my part for being so blunt about my feelings... sorry, i should have expressed that a bit different... but even in the elite 8 these are items that all of us do not want to see lose, so this is where the emotions and personal preference is going to really get laid out there lol...

"E"

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

Better playcalling affects everyone and every game against the CPU. Custom Playbooks only affects those who'd use. There's still a part of me that feels like I'm "cheating" when I don't use a team's default playbook.

cheating is a hard word to use there, as most of us are wanting this for dynasty reasons, where in which we become the "coach" having our own style of off/def... i understand what you mean personally but man thats tough wording lol

"E"

[steelerfan]

cheating is a hard word to use there, as most of us are wanting this for dynasty reasons, where in which we become the "coach" having our own style of off/def... i understand what you mean personally but man thats tough wording lol

"E"

Lol, that's why I put it in quotes.