DB Going for Ball Without Looking

[Dr Death]

EA absolutely has got to fix this. If you watch the video, you will see the SS covering a WR running a Corner route... just as my QB begins to throw to another WR running a post, the SS turns, w/ out ever looking back for the ball... he just magically knows it's there... and intercepts it.

This cost me a huge conference game and it is this kind of unrealistic crap that must be removed from the game. Three photos that show the play in more detail will be below the video.

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/83877484

Photo 1: Look at the SS - {the red arrow on the right} - has his back to the QB and is running stride for stride w/ the WR...

http://i52.tinypic.com/1zq6aew.jpg

Photo 2: Here you see the SS breaking, w/ out ever seeing the QB, as the QB cocks his arm to throw...

http://i56.tinypic.com/2hs2obc.jpg

Photo 3: The resulting and game-deciding pick...

http://i56.tinypic.com/f4h2di.jpg

If you watch the video, focus on the SS on the right. And this is on AA... seems to only happen late in the game when the CPU is about lose. In this instance, Hawaii was up 52-49 w/ just over 3 minutes left. They then scored a TD to go up 59-49 and then a fumble on the kickoff resulted in them getting another 7 points. 14 points in roughly :30 and it all started because of some bullshit interception that could never, ever be possible even if you had Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson and Troy Polamalu playing SS. :fp:

[ram29jackson]

please understand me when I say- what else is new haha- its understood that this logic is in the game

[Undefeated]

I just wonder if the SS would have done the same thing if you hadn't thrown the ball.

I mean, in photo 2, deep-middle is clearly his assignment; he's breaking off from the guy he's on because there's another defender over there (two, actually) while the middle of the field (where you're throwing to) is uncovered.

What would you like him to do? Leave his zone wide open for you?

Not defending the lack of head-tracking, just saying.

[Dr Death]

I just wonder if the SS would have done the same thing if you hadn't thrown the ball.

I mean, in photo 2, deep-middle is clearly his assignment; he's breaking off from the guy he's on because there's another defender over there (two, actually) while the middle of the field (where you're throwing to) is uncovered.

What would you like him to do? Leave his zone wide open for you?

Not defending the lack of head-tracking, just saying.

Sorry Undefeated, but you're wrong. The two safety's are in Man. Watch the video. At the snap the FS takes a hard step to his left, your right... inside, then has a decision to make... does he cover Y {XBox Icon} or A? He chose Y, who is running a Go route. He turns, has his back to the QB and his running w/ Y and then, when the QB throws, he too magically starts running to the ball despite having his back to the QB the entire route.

The SS is in Man and you can see how he "mirrors" the LB receiver's route perfectly and then, just as the QB begins the throwing motion, he turns to face the end zone I am facing and then does a 180 and warps back over to intercept the ball.

I bring this up because EA needs to be reminded, over and over of this stuff. Enough people complained about Zone in last year's game... so they worked on that. Enough people wanted Dreads... so we got that... well, it's high time they start paying attention to the complaining about Psychic DB's and this was on AA too... not even on Heisman.

When the 2 safety's are in Man, and I have one guy running a Go route, in this case, Y... one guy running a Post route, the A receiver, and one guy running a Corner route, the LB receiver, then yes, I do expect one to be open and I don't care if you have Deion Sanders or Nnamdi Asomugha on the field... they can't do what gets done in this game.

Just watch the SS as the play develops, he turns his back to the receiver but perfectly runs the route w/ him. :fp: I've seen a lot of people complaining about passing in this years game and I am proud to say, I am not having the troubles that so many are. But when this Psychic Cleo crap happens... something needs to be done about it.

[Whatcha]

Well, I couldn't get the video to play from my phone, so comments about the visuals will be from what you've described in comparison to what I've experienced. Couple quick notes, in your game the score was already 59-49 according to the details screen from the video. 3:07 left in the game. I mention that because when we complain about something we find "wrong" with the game I feel we have to do that from an infallible position. If we misrepresent the facts whether intentionally or unintentionally, our message can be overlooked and/or lose credibility.

EA does an excellent job, IMO, of simulating the game of football. Unfortunately, they cannot get every head turn, every step, every rotation of the ball correct. I've seen examples of what you're referring to in both a positive and a negative. The positive, I threw a pass to my HB coming out of the backfield on accident (hit the wrong button). There were two defenders there but they had their backs turned to the ball. They didn't react until my HB had eaten up 10 yards. The negative, I've seen DBs swat and/or intercept the ball without ever seeing it. Whether from someone they're covering or from a route next to or near someone they're covering. It can be frustrating, but I've started to compensate for it by ignoring the head tracking when I'm throwing a pass. If there's a defender that can make a play on the ball, I automatically assume he will, whether he's looking at my QB or not. As much as I like to immerse myself in the game, it's still just a game. Removing the expectation of realism in certain situations keeps me sane when the DL who just got off the block has good enough hands to pick off the bullet pass that I'm throwing to the receiver 10 yards down the field. :)

[Unconquered]

Ridiculous. Not only did the SS "magically" see the ball and turn before it even left your QB's hand, he also made one hell of a momentum shift to peel off his coverage and make the pick.

That's a total failure of head tracking and momentum. I feel your pain, man. If that had happened to me with the game on the line I'd be buying a new controller right now.

I hope this stuff is addressed in a tuner pack. I find defenders are extremely -- unrealistically -- aggressive about attacking the ball in the air, and receivers watch like sheep and wait for the ball to smack them in the numbers instead of going after it.

[AustinWolv]

I agree with Dr. Death's post. I also agree with whatcha's sentiment that I've seen it happen BOTH ways, in that I've seen defenders not react while also seeing the magical all-knowing/sensing DB come off his coverage without looking to make an INT.

Although I think it hasn't bothered me nearly as much since moving CPU pass coverage to 40 on Heisman.

[morsdraconis]

Exactly. Pass coverage to 40 on either All-American or Heisman completely fixes this issue.

[BigDmo]

Almost broke my controller yesterday because this would constantly happen to me while playing UNLfreakingV. Absolutely ridiculous. I swear they don't beta test this game at all. As the years go by this game turns more and more into arcade. It's sad too when they claim to be sim and add all of these sim "features" that just break the game further.

Wah wah you get 1 year to make the game, but we would all rather have a game that works than a game that has 2 or 3 decent features that are broken.

We need some competition badddddd

[AustinWolv]

Exactly. Pass coverage to 40 on either All-American or Heisman completely fixes this issue.
The same goes for the leaping LBs, field-reversing quick reach-back LBs, and all that, as well as actually using passing windows, mors. Right now, I can't think of an INT that I've thrown in the past few days that wasn't completely my fault.......I can't recall having an 'Oh, that was BS' moment on a pick I've thrown since moving it to 40.

How much of that is me relearning to actually read coverages and find open guys? (Because the last two versions of NCAA required no ability to do so IMO....you could throw all day to whoever you wanted)
How much of that is me learning to 'play' the game to avoid certain situations?
Don't know, but my observations are what they are with the setting at 40.

[morsdraconis]

Same here. I've been using :sf:'s sliders since the beginning and haven't had any of those issues at all.

[Rudy]

Head tracking needs to be a part of next gen football, sliders or not.

[Dr Death]

Couple quick notes, in your game the score was already 59-49 according to the details screen from the video. 3:07 left in the game. I mention that because when we complain about something we find "wrong" with the game I feel we have to do that from an infallible position. If we misrepresent the facts whether intentionally or unintentionally, our message can be overlooked and/or lose credibility.


That was the score after they picked off the ball and scored. At the time, the score was 49-52. You can choose to believe me or not, it really doesn't matter, but I wouldn't post something that everyone can see and claim something that was not true. I saw the "score card" on the right of the video and all I could do was :fp: because it's one more feature that is wrong... unless, of course, they posted the score that resulted from the BS interception.


Same here. I've been using :sf:'s sliders since the beginning and haven't had any of those issues at all.

If you are referring to Steelerfan's Sliders, that's what I am using. Perhaps he has changed the CPU defense since I began using his sliders, but if not, then this is what happened to me using those sliders. I really can't tune the CPU D down anymore. Through 10 game at :Idaho: my QB is hitting 71%, w/ 40 TD's against 8 picks and has set school records for TD passes in a game, in a season, yards in a season and yards in a game and I have broken every WR record save for two Career records.

Now granted, I play 5-Wide and throw... a LOT. I am 120th in rushing offense, but number 1 in passing offense and total offense. But, back to the point... I'll check the sliders to see where the CPU Pass D is at... but if it's at 40 then all I can say is that these things still happen even w/ the CPU Pass D at 40 on AA.

[keyser soze]

Dr Death, I know this isn't what you want to hear but its part of the game. Its all EA can muster to attempt to put some sort of defense in the game that is semi-challenging to play against. While I too recognize it looks tragic in how it comes across, if you remove this the passing game becomes too easy and you can throw for Kazillions of yards and need to never run again. The simple problem is that we can see the entire field at once plus the individual players DON'T LEARN anything as the game/season/career goes on. The AI does not pick up on individual tendencies as there is no memory yet in the game. Until EA figures out how to enable the CPU to "learn" based on history, expect to see this type of thing on defense.

When forced to choose between this type of stuff or the past years of D, I pick THIS since defense at least feels semi-playable. Past few years my only defense has been hoping the offense messes up completely on their own.

[Dr Death]

Dr Death, I know this isn't what you want to hear but its part of the game. Its all EA can muster to attempt to put some sort of defense in the game that is semi-challenging to play against. While I too recognize it looks tragic in how it comes across, if you remove this the passing game becomes too easy and you can throw for Kazillions of yards and need to never run again. The simple problem is that we can see the entire field at once plus the individual players DON'T LEARN anything as the game/season/career goes on. The AI does not pick up on individual tendencies as there is no memory yet in the game. Until EA figures out how to enable the CPU to "learn" based on history, expect to see this type of thing on defense.

When forced to choose between this type of stuff or the past years of D, I pick THIS since defense at least feels semi-playable. Past few years my only defense has been hoping the offense messes up completely on their own.

I know, and I appreciate your response. My reason for posting it though is to keep EA alerted that this is a problem. As I stated prior... people want something, they try to give it to us. So hopefully... after years and tons of threads on this issue... hopefully something will either get done or maybe they'll just come out and admit that on this gen they can't do any better.