NCAA Football 14 Pre-Release Q&A: Gameplay

[gschwendt]

Last week was a barrage of news and info related to Gameplay... so what questions did the information bring up for you? We'll do our best to answer them.

Keep this strictly to Gameplay... we can't answer anything related to Presentation, Dynasty, NCAA Ultimate Team, etc.

[souljahbill]

How's the option and run blocking?

[bdoughty]

How's the option and run blocking?

Ditto. I really want to run a dynasty with an option team this year.

I think this refers to gameplay or at the very least affects it. Will there be sliders for fatigue and injuries?

[SmoothPancakes]

What, if any, changes were made to defense this year?

And did o-line/d-line interaction get an upgrade this year?

[souljahbill]

Ditto. I really want to run a dynasty with an option team this year.

Because I'm a bad passer, I ran a spread option offense similar to Oregon but not fast like Oregon (I huddled). I'd love to keep running that type of offense and better run blocking would be awesome. I don't care if my line fails in blocking. That was never my issue. My issue was always the non-blocking. Running past LBs to block the safety out the play. Pulling guards turning around to block trailing defenders instead of blocking LBs. Guards being matadors and letting DTs come through unblocked. That irked me to no end.

[jaymo76]

How effective is the pistol run game this year? Also does the fb/te continually miss his block resulting in big losses in the backfield?

[Deuce]

How did you guys feel about the collisions? Did you feel the were overdone? Specifically when using the truck and/or stiff arm.

What did you think about zone coverages? Did you see much improvement?

Did you see that damn DB glitch on option plays where the DB would continue to backpedal until the play was over?

Thanks guys!

[dhook27]

Pistol is awesome smashmouth power running this year but i would advise more of a speed back if u are running out of pistol all day

[CLW]

How quickly does the "energy level" fade from players? - does it depend on a player's stamina rating? - if so does a 99 stamina guy ever get gassed or can you just hold down speed burst the entire game with him?
Physics - can you still put Kickers in at o-line and he will still block 300lb d-lineman - i.e. does weight matter?
Personnel based playcalling - is this on the playcalling screen where you can say I want 5 WR and then it will give you all the 5 WR formations and plays regardless of the formation or is it just a limit on your audibles?
How does "acceleration burst" differ from the old "turbo"?
Defensive Breakdown - is this a manual control or an automatic thing?
Hit Stick - they are acting like they increased the effectiveness of the hit stick this year - How powerful is it? Is it causing allot of fumbles? Is the timing the same or even easier than previous years to pull off?
Truck Stick - same as hit stick - does it matter whether the RB is a power or speed back or can speed backs just truck their way through DL and LBs?



How (if at all) has pass defense been improved - safeties still not getting deep, zones messed up, etc....
Are QBs still too accurate?
Pass rush - has it been improved any to where elite DEs can really get to the QB in a standard 4 man front no blitz play call?
Are there any other gameplay improvements EA has made that they haven't already mentioned or is this it?

[PDuncanOSU]

Can you give any more detail about what spread-option plays were added, and how the defense defended them?

Was there a midline read (http://smartfootball.com/spread/more-on-the-zone-read-or-midline-read-of-the-defensive-tackle) out of the spread? Inverted veer (http://smartfootball.com/run-game/what-is-the-inverted-veer-dash-read)?
Does defense respond with a "scrape exchange (http://smartfootball.com/defending-spread/defending-the-zone-read-athleticism-and-the-scrape-exchange)" or anything similar to defend it?
Can you give any more detail about the personell-based playcalling?

Is this for calling plays out of the huddle, no-huddle, or both?
How is this affected by package subs?
Any chance we can customize our formation audibles? Or are they still pre-set with run, short pass, deep pass, playaction?

[Kwizzy]

-What different types of options have been added? (Inverted Veer, Mid-line reads, etc...)

-Is the blocker logic/decision making and execution improved significantly?

-Has WR blocking been improved/overhauled? Especially on WR/bubble screens but also on run plays.

-Can you tell us about any defensive improvements that will help counter the improved blocking? (Do defenders play with leverage? Realistic Run-fits? Etc...)

-Are interactions still static? (Do blockers and defenders come to a halt and chicken fight in place still or do these interactions have momentum?)

-With the foot planting: Are small agile players affected the same way larger players are or does agility and acceleration factor in? Do defenders suffer the same consequences of changing direction as offensive players? Do defenders still reverse course at the exact instant the ball carrier does? Is the right stick worth using to juke or is it still the unnecessary self-imposed penalty it has been in recent years?

[gschwendt]

Bear in mind that these answers are all based on my trip at the beginning of March so it was all still very much a work in progress. The event wasn't focused solely on Gameplay so my attention was spread out to the various areas. These answers may not necessarily reflect the final product in July.



How's the option and run blocking?
I assume you mean option blocking or do you mean option in general?

For the option this year, the big change is that you see the "icons" pre-snap to tell you who to read. You only see this by pulling up the Coach Cam (R2 + r-stick up) but even then it's not terribly off-putting. The Read man (typically DE/LB) was indicated by with a white box around him and it said "Read" above it. The Pitch man (could be LB, CB, S depending on situation) is indicated by a white circle around him that said "Pitch".
Personally, the pitch indicator became something that was huge because even going back to NCAA13, I'll start yelling at my TV "WHY THE **** DIDN'T YOU BLOCK HIM"... now I know that it wasn't an error but rather by design. Granted if it's 3 on 1 (QB, HB, & lead blocker), then I still think the blocker should pick up that one defender but now you'll at least expect that he won't.

In general, the run blocking was considerably better, particularly the lead blocking. For one, you should no longer see a lead FB or pulling OL that stops & turns in the middle of the hole he's leading you through... instead, he'll continue through the hole and find someone to block ahead of you. As well, runs to the outside, the lead blocker should do a better job of finding the biggest threat.

Ditto. I really want to run a dynasty with an option team this year.

I think this refers to gameplay or at the very least affects it. Will there be sliders for fatigue and injuries?
To my knowledge there are not sliders for fatigue nor injuries. I don't believe there are any slider changes other than the usual tweaks.

What, if any, changes were made to defense this year?

And did o-line/d-line interaction get an upgrade this year?
Defense is "better"... by that I mean the cleaned up some of the really ugly bugs that were in NCAA13 (DB Glitch, Option Defenders, etc.) though there aren't a lot of changes to the overall gameplay mechanics of the defense. The one major mechanic was the "breakdown" that was added... I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. Theoretically it should be a big benefit but I'm not sure that it improves your chance to tackle when broken down or not like it should. As well, the breakdown is automatic if memory serves correctly... it's not like pressing strafe makes you breakdown.

No... the o-line/d-line interaction is essentially the same as was in NCAA13.

How effective is the pistol run game this year? Also does the fb/te continually miss his block resulting in big losses in the backfield?
To be honest, I don't remember if I ran very much pistol or not. In NCAA13 I have a nice mix of it in my playbook and don't have too much trouble with it though I know it's not good enough to really use it as an every-down offense.

As mentioned, the run blocking in general should be considerably better.

How did you guys feel about the collisions? Did you feel the were overdone? Specifically when using the truck and/or stiff arm.

What did you think about zone coverages? Did you see much improvement?

Did you see that damn DB glitch on option plays where the DB would continue to backpedal until the play was over?

Thanks guys!
I didn't think the collisions were all that over the top. I personally didn't play Madden 13 very much so I can't really compare the two but comparing the little bit I did play, it certainly appeared cleaned up. As for the truck & stiff arm, I honestly didn't notice a great deal of difference in the trucking however with the stiff arm, it seemed much more of a viable option. In the past, it seemed like stiff arm was only for when there's a guy directly beside you but now it seems as more you can use it in most cases and the ball carrier will try to find the best target to try to use it. As well, there are considerably more variations of the stiff arm animation.

Zone coverages seemed quite a bit better... I know on NCAA13 I try to avoid calling it whenever possible mostly because the hook zones drop too deep, often for no reason. That said, I found a lot of success (possibly too much?) calling Dime 326 Cover 3. I don't think it will be the "one coverage to rule them all" but it certainly was a sign that zone coverage in general was improved.

Related, one of the major gripes that we passed along was that buzz zones (pink zones) were being pulled down to the flats when they shouldn't be... they were still doing that with NCAA14 but one of the gameplay devs had an idea on how to fix that and seemed confident it should be working properly by release.

I never saw the damn DB glitch on option plays in NCAA14.



How quickly does the "energy level" fade from players? - does it depend on a player's stamina rating? - if so does a 99 stamina guy ever get gassed or can you just hold down speed burst the entire game with him?
Physics - can you still put Kickers in at o-line and he will still block 300lb d-lineman - i.e. does weight matter?
Personnel based playcalling - is this on the playcalling screen where you can say I want 5 WR and then it will give you all the 5 WR formations and plays regardless of the formation or is it just a limit on your audibles?
How does "acceleration burst" differ from the old "turbo"?
Defensive Breakdown - is this a manual control or an automatic thing?
Hit Stick - they are acting like they increased the effectiveness of the hit stick this year - How powerful is it? Is it causing allot of fumbles? Is the timing the same or even easier than previous years to pull off?
Truck Stick - same as hit stick - does it matter whether the RB is a power or speed back or can speed backs just truck their way through DL and LBs?




I can't speak to specifics because I don't know all the ins & outs but it is definitely a noticeable difference... if your HB has a long run (let's say 40 yards), you probably won't see him in on the next play. Same goes for a WR running streak routes. I can't say for certain but I would expect that the stamina rating plays a big part but at the same time, I can't imagine that a 99STA guy would stay in the whole game.
I didn't test your specific example but my best guess is that a kicker would still at least engage with the DL most times due to the way they have OL/DL interactions. That said, they've said in the past and others have tested and shown examples that weight does matter to some degree...
It's in the playcalling screen... just like today where you can backout and see plays by type (run inside, run outside, shotgun pass, etc.), you can do the same and see plays by personnel. I didn't use this much but I know it's there. Where I think it will come in the most handy will be in practice mode so that you can theoretically call "11 personnel random" and then call an appropriate defensive formation and choose random plays.
I'm not 100% positive but this is my understanding of it... on NCAA13, if you didn't press speed burst, you'd top out at say 90% but then when you hit speed burst, you'd get to 100%. On NCAA14, if you don't press speed burst, you'll still eventually get to 100% speed it's more gradual and is automatic; however, if you press R2 to accelerate, you're manually telling the player to get to 100% now and you'll notice a quick first step to get there. Obviously you can't go from 0% to 100% that way but if you're running through the OL and line up your hole, you can press that to hit the hole hard.
I believe it's mostly an automatic thing but I honestly didn't get a full understanding of it while I was down there.
Truth be told, I didn't notice a great deal of difference with the hit stick. Now, that said, with the infinity engine, you'll notice new animations and specific body parts reacting (it's awesome to see a runningback's head jar backwards) but the actual mechanic seemed pretty much the same to me.
No, I'm fairly certain that it will be ratings driven... just like on NCAA13, if you have high TRK, you'll be able to push defenders backwards and pickup an extra yard or two falling forward. However, I think there are new animations that you'll see that will give you more chance to truck through a tackle instead of being wrapped up most times.





How (if at all) has pass defense been improved - safeties still not getting deep, zones messed up, etc....
Are QBs still too accurate?
Pass rush - has it been improved any to where elite DEs can really get to the QB in a standard 4 man front no blitz play call?
Are there any other gameplay improvements EA has made that they haven't already mentioned or is this it?



There was still work to be done with the coverage but for the most part, it was better. I didn't see very much of the "DB glitches" that NCAA13 has. That said, it was often too good... on NCAA13, going with Cover1/Cover0, DBs are toasted 99.9999% of the time on out-routes, curls, etc. However, on NCAA14, they were sticking to them too tight 99.9999% of the time. As I made sure to tell the devs, it shouldn't be an "every time" thing... there should be a lot of variety and obviously be ratings driven. Overall I expect it to be better than NCAA13 but at the same time, not necessarily to the level that it needs to be at.
For the most part, QBs seemed to be about the same as NCAA13... on the "too accurate" side with very few balls hitting the dirt. That said, at the end of the week we had a discussion about various tweaks, changes, etc. that could/should be made to improve upon this.
I don't think you'll see a great deal of difference from NCAA13. I'm sure it will be tuned & tweaked to a degree but not to the point that it needs to be... to get there, they'll essentially have to completely redo OL/DL interactions IMO.
I'm sure there are some (mostly minor I imagine) that haven't been touched on but truth be told, between a busy week last week and all of that information all coming out at the same time, I'm not certain what has & hasn't been touched on.





Can you give any more detail about what spread-option plays were added, and how the defense defended them?
Was there a midline read (http://smartfootball.com/spread/more-on-the-zone-read-or-midline-read-of-the-defensive-tackle) out of the spread? Inverted veer (http://smartfootball.com/run-game/what-is-the-inverted-veer-dash-read)?
Does defense respond with a "scrape exchange (http://smartfootball.com/defending-spread/defending-the-zone-read-athleticism-and-the-scrape-exchange)" or anything similar to defend it?

Can you give any more detail about the personell-based playcalling?
Is this for calling plays out of the huddle, no-huddle, or both?
How is this affected by package subs?

Any chance we can customize our formation audibles? Or are they still pre-set with run, short pass, deep pass, playaction?



As I think one of the news pieces last week eluded to, they added so many different spread option plays that they added a new generic playbook just to contain it all. Quite a few new formations (Shotgun Split Big is the first one to jump to memory - 22 personnel), new plays, more automotion options, etc.

I want to say I'm 99% sure that there was a midline read but can't remember for certain. There definitely is an inverted veer though; I remember because that's been the "when are they going to add" play for the past few years. There's also a triple option shovel (ala Florida under Meyer) to where you can pitch forwards (shovel) or backwards (as we have in the game today). The two pitches are executed with the L1 & R1 buttons.
Unfortunately option defense is largely the same to my knowledge... there isn't that chessmatch that needs to happen like it should.


As mentioned, personnel-based playcalling is done similar to how you can call play type (back out a menu, then pick By Personnel). From there, it gives you the various personnel sets, though I didn't really use it.

Both. When in huddle, you can back out a menu but when you run no huddle, it will only give you plays that match the same personnel as what you started with. The biggest benefit from this will be that the CPU is restricted to this as well... you won't see them call 5WR and then no huddle to goalline the next play.
It is affected by package subs poorly IMO... let's say you call a play from Shotgun Normal Y-Slot (11 personnel) but then package sub to 4WR. If you go no huddle from there, it will still only give you 11 personnel sets so you can still end up with a speedy WR lined up as a typical TE which is what I think they were wanting to avoid. There are countless other examples but that's the easiest one to explain. I made sure to complain (I think I was the only one there really complaining about it) and they understood my complaint but it certainly won't be changing this year. They indicated they expect to expand more on it in the future but no idea how soon that would be.


Nope... to my knowledge there are no changes to custom playbooks, formation audibles, custom packages, etc.





Not asked but I still want to comment on...

The computer running the Option (Flexbone, Shotgun Spread, etc.) should be better. Not only will they be better at playcalling but also at execution. Not that they said it but I think they saw the laughs/complaints from the E3 Triple Option video they put out last year showing how poorly the CPU ran the option and they've done a good job of correcting that. At the event, there was still some work to do with not only playcall scripts but also execution but in talking with the devs, it sounded like they were already working on it.
Watching a Navy vs Navy CPU game, I noticed that they both called quite a bit of triple option (as they should) and executed it well for the most part, however the lacking part was that once they got to the corner, if there was no pressure, the QB wouldn't commit to either tucking & running or pitching; instead he'd keep the pitch relationship. I talked to a dev about it and I got the impression that that should be fixed by release.

4-2-5/3-3-5 Defensive Alignment seemed to be largely fixed. There was still some quirks running it with Cover 0 but I made sure to point those out.

One of the major complaints that several of us made sure to harp on was that CPU playcalling was still extremely poor, especially in late-game situations (ex. calling HB Draw in must-score situations, etc.) That said, sometime after we came back home, we did have communication that indicated that they had found a bug that was causing that to occur and hopefully should be considerably better for release. Obviously I can't say how much better it will be by then but I'm fairly confident that we should see marked improvement in (at the very least) late-game situations.



Continue to ask more questions... seeing as it's been a month since we've had time with the game, it's always much easier to answer questions (helps jog our memory) then it is to just say "here's everything I know".

[Oneback]

Defensive Alignment/Assignment Questions:

Have they fixed defensive alignment? In a 2-high shell are the safeties always aligning 1-2 yards outside of each hash.

Have they fixed the bug where on the PS3 the left corner will never bump the reciever? I know you can't test that while in Orlando.

Can a defender in man coverage actually cover an out breaking route regularly?

Does the defense attempt to contain the ball carrier when playing Cover 1 or 3 and conversely in Cover 2 or 4 does the defense attempt to spill the ball outside?

Do cornerbacks playing Cover 2 (man or zone) still shoot inside the WR block without any regard to attempting to contain the play and not allow the ball carrier outside of them.

Do safeties in 2-high shells fill the alley (area between the EMOLS and the corner) once diagnosing run?

Do safeties in 1-high shells attack the ball carrier or do they continue to sink back into coverage?

Do coverage defenders play with leverage? Do Cover 1 or 3 corners attempt to funnel recievers to the FS - Will a Cover 1 corner play low and to the outside of a receiver once the reciever is inside the divider (on yard inside the numbers), does the coverage defender play high and inside with the reciever outside the divider?

Does a Cover 2 Zone corner midpoint the zone between the #2 (corner route) and #1 (hitch) or do they stick on the hitch leaving the corner route wide open?

Does a Cover 2 safety actually play the corner route?

Do offensive linemen in the zone running game get movement from the defensive front either vertically (inside zone) or horizontally (outside zone)?

If so, do defensive linemen attempt to maintain gap control and if so are they able to get hooked while still pushing the linemen horizontally on outside zone running plays?

Do linebackers attempt to maintain gap control until the ball crosses their face, think of the backside middle linebacker in a 3-4 defense over running the play with the offense running inside zone leaving the backside A-gap wide open.

Do linebackers pursue differently depending on the type of run - for example on quick outside running plays (Toss, Speed Option, etc) do they turn and run, on inside running plays do they keep their shoulders square and shuffle?

Are their partial wins in the blocking game? Can a defender be blocked but still be able to push the blocker into the ball carrier or is it still the instant win/loss?

Defensive scheme questions:

Are there more disguise coverages in the game, for example Cover 2 disguise in the 3-4 Nickle formation?

Is there any pre-snap movement by the defense in non blitzing plays in an attempt to disguise coverage?

Can you vary the depth of corners without manually moving them or while also moving the safeties? For example, I want to be able to play bump (tight), 2-4 yards off (normal) or man off (7 yards off) out of any coverage without moving the safeties.

Offensive Questions:

Do wide recievers run smart routes, take the corner route, if the defense is in Cover 3 does the reciever square off his route more giving the quarterback a throw without throwing into the corner (without using precision passing as that doesn't help the CPU)?

Do recievers running post routes actually run to the nearside goalpost instead of running their post route all the way across the field usually ending up on the backside hash?

Do pulling linemen kick out defenders if a defender is attempting to contain the play, if there is no defender to kick out will the pulling linemen pull through the hole and look to seal defenders to the inside? If no defenders to seal do they continue up the field?

Is there better logic on screen plays? Is there dynamic blocking on WR screens, namely quick screens and bubble screens depending on defender alignment to get the most favorable blocking angles? On bubble screens does the WR blocking the outside corner attach the outter half of the defender looking to seal him inside, heck do they even just block the defender?

That's probably enough for now, I've got more however.

[gschwendt]

-What different types of options have been added? (Inverted Veer, Mid-line reads, etc...)
-Is the blocker logic/decision making and execution improved significantly?
-Has WR blocking been improved/overhauled? Especially on WR/bubble screens but also on run plays.
-Can you tell us about any defensive improvements that will help counter the improved blocking? (Do defenders play with leverage? Realistic Run-fits? Etc...)
-Are interactions still static? (Do blockers and defenders come to a halt and chicken fight in place still or do these interactions have momentum?)
-With the foot planting:

Are small agile players affected the same way larger players are or does agility and acceleration factor in?
Do defenders suffer the same consequences of changing direction as offensive players?
Do defenders still reverse course at the exact instant the ball carrier does?
Is the right stick worth using to juke or is it still the unnecessary self-imposed penalty it has been in recent years?




Honestly, too many to really recall... Inverted Veer, Mid-line (99% I want to say yes), Triple Option Shovel (described when answering PDuncanOSU in my last post), and really there are quite a few more variations of what we've had before but my mind is drawing a blank to describe all of them. The new generic Spread Option playbook is (I believe) 100% new plays, new formations, etc. Really, there was so much in there that it was hard to get to it all. Assuming we get the game early, I'll make sure to record a video stepping through that playbook.
Yes, I'd certainly say significantly. It's not the full OL/DL overhaul that we want/need but in terms of just logic of who to block, etc. it is certainly noticeable.
I'm fairly certain that they said to expect it to be much better on bubble screens, etc. but honestly I didn't test it to be sure. As well, run blocking should be better but to what degree I'm not sure.
Honestly, there's not a lot of improvements like you're describing... they don't play specifically with leverage, utilize run fits, etc. My understanding is that it's largely similar run defense that we saw in NCAA13.
Blocking interactions are still pretty much static.
Honestly I don't have a good answer for this one... here's my response to each question

I'm not certain but I would assume it's all ratings driven... size probably doesn't play very much.
I would assume yes but honestly didn't pay very much attention to that... sorry.
I would assume it's the same as it was in NCAA13 but I can't say for certain... they certainly didn't say it was changed in NCAA14.
I'd say with the foot-planting that it will be better but how much better I can't really say...





More comments... I also forgot to mention, defensive playbooks did receive some love as well. Some of the biggest changes I saw were to the 3-4 playbook that saw more 3-man rushes such as a Cover 3 Man Under (MLB drops deep as a sort of Tampa 2), Cover 3 Sink (MLB drops deep), etc. I know there were more changes but I don't remember all of them.

[Kwizzy]

Did you notice the new option plays in several different formations or was it limited to 1 or 2? For instance, am I going to be limited to running Inverted Veer from 1 or 2 formations?

[ram29jackson]

4.I'm not 100% positive but this is my understanding of it... on NCAA13, if you didn't press speed burst, you'd top out at say 90% but then when you hit speed burst, you'd get to 100%. On NCAA14, if you don't press speed burst, you'll still eventually get to 100% speed it's more gradual and is automatic; however, if you press R2 to accelerate, you're manually telling the player to get to 100% now and you'll notice a quick first step to get there. Obviously you can't go from 0% to 100% that way but if you're running through the OL and line up your hole, you can press that to hit the hole hard.

is that available in online head to head or is that still set to auto ?

[bdoughty]

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

[Deuce]

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

:+1:

[WolverineJay]

Thanks for doing this gschwendt. I know you take the time to answer our questions every year, but I just want to say that is one of many reasons that makes this such a great place to visit.

My questions:

1. Any new ratings in the game (QB attributes from Madden, OL blocking strength and footwork make a return)?

2. Any changes to Special Teams (new formations, long FG kicking logic improved on Heisman, blocked kicks a possibility)?

3. Does the CPU defensive zone adjustments switch off from balanced still like in NCAA 10, 11, 12, and 13(at any point during a game usually quite early the CPU will switch their zones mostly to aggressive but sometimes conservative and then leave it like that for the rest of the game, aka the DB glitch)?

4. Penalties? Tell me you finally saw some pass interference penalties being called on both offense and defense?

5. Did EA Tiburon give us any more options to toggle on/off (game plan adjustments for both offense and defense) or add any new difficulty levels(scouting)? scratch that part on scouting since it probably falls under Dynasty.

6. Foot planting aka player movement tweaks. How does using the left stick only feel when controlling the player? Ice skating all over the field is what player movement in NCAA 12 and 13 felt like to me especially when I wasn't using jukes or spins.

7. The speed of the game increased again? It sure seems each new version just amps up the on field speed a notch from normal to fast. I recently played NCAA 11 then 12 then 13 all on normal speed and anyone can tell the default speed of the game increased each new version.

8. Pass Rush? How much time in the pocket we have gotten in last couple NCAA's and Madden's is beyond ridiculous. The norm in football at a high level is 3 to 4 seconds where as in EA Tiburon's world it is 6 to 8 seconds. Has this changed at all for NCAA 14?

9. More pass rush questions this one deals with finesse moves for 85+ FMV ends. In NCAA 12 and 13 only power moves mattered has this been remedied. Finesse moves were used often in NCAA 11 so why they became practically extinct the last 2 years is mindboggling. Do we finally see the return of finesse moves by my CPU teammates in NCAA 14?

10. Does the QB still drift to the right on pass plays resulting in the LE getting the vast majority of sacks during gameplay?

11. Please tell me the OL/DL interactions at least take into account ratings differences in NCAA14? In NCAA12 and 13 the LT was dominant no matter if he was a 70 rated pass blocker or a 95 rated all-American resulting in the 95 rated RE playing patty cake baker's man all day with the LT.

12. Any changes to throw a WR open? My problem with NCAA 13 and Madden 13 was that any WR could instantly change his route because the QB simply pushed a certain direction on the stick while passing. Way to overpowered for my liking in last year's games.

13. Any insight on the RT turbo button? How does it impact fatigue on a single play if used more than once? How quickly does it help to go from zero to top speed(i.e. is it 2x or 3x as fast compared to not using turbo to get to top speed)?

14. Injuries related to fatigue? More injuries for my team or is it still my QB, HB and WR?

15. Mario running? Finally gone?

16. Last question honest, lol. Anything overpowered in the early version of the game you played. I know that doesn't mean it will be come demo time or for the actual release. Really only concerned about the run game. Pro style running using 2 TE's and FB's? HB Counters too easy like NCAA 11? Running between the tackles? Option both under center triple option and Shotgun read/speed option? Just curious if you felt anything was too easy since from your videos I can tell we play very similar.

Thanks again we all appreciate it.

[gschwendt]

defensive alignment/assignment questions:


have they fixed defensive alignment? In a 2-high shell are the safeties always aligning 1-2 yards outside of each hash.
have they fixed the bug where on the ps3 the left corner will never bump the reciever? I know you can't test that while in orlando.
can a defender in man coverage actually cover an out breaking route regularly?
does the defense attempt to contain the ball carrier when playing cover 1 or 3 and conversely in cover 2 or 4 does the defense attempt to spill the ball outside?
do cornerbacks playing cover 2 (man or zone) still shoot inside the wr block without any regard to attempting to contain the play and not allow the ball carrier outside of them.
do safeties in 2-high shells fill the alley (area between the emols and the corner) once diagnosing run?
do safeties in 1-high shells attack the ball carrier or do they continue to sink back into coverage?
do coverage defenders play with leverage? Do cover 1 or 3 corners attempt to funnel recievers to the fs - will a cover 1 corner play low and to the outside of a receiver once the reciever is inside the divider (on yard inside the numbers), does the coverage defender play high and inside with the reciever outside the divider?
does a cover 2 zone corner midpoint the zone between the #2 (corner route) and #1 (hitch) or do they stick on the hitch leaving the corner route wide open?
does a cover 2 safety actually play the corner route?
do offensive linemen in the zone running game get movement from the defensive front either vertically (inside zone) or horizontally (outside zone)?
if so, do defensive linemen attempt to maintain gap control and if so are they able to get hooked while still pushing the linemen horizontally on outside zone running plays?
do linebackers attempt to maintain gap control until the ball crosses their face, think of the backside middle linebacker in a 3-4 defense over running the play with the offense running inside zone leaving the backside a-gap wide open.
do linebackers pursue differently depending on the type of run - for example on quick outside running plays (toss, speed option, etc) do they turn and run, on inside running plays do they keep their shoulders square and shuffle?
are their partial wins in the blocking game? Can a defender be blocked but still be able to push the blocker into the ball carrier or is it still the instant win/loss?

Short answer... prepare for disappointment, though I assume you're already expecting that.


Honestly I intended to pay more attention to that but I didn't... I can't say for certain but if I were forced to answer, I want to say it's the same as NCAA13.
Yes... my understanding is that it should now be fixed. I was on a 360 the whole week so I can't say for certain.
Yes... though too well IMO. To test it, I called Nickel Cover 1 vs Shotgun Y-Trips Levels. Using Air Force, I put in the worst DBs (FSes I believe) at starting CB and then ran out route after out route. Every time, the DB was right on his hip pocket, though I'd say the largest majority of the time I was able to complete the pass by leading outside. To me, this is favorable compared to NCAA13 but at the same time, there should be VERY few cases when "every time" should be used when concerning outcomes in football.
I don't think they have anything specifically designed in this manner... they didn't discuss it, though I didn't ask either.
Yeah... I'm pretty sure you'll still see much of the same in NCAA14. I can't say with 100% certainty though.
Again, I don't think it's specifically designed like that... they didn't discuss it, though I didn't ask either.
I didn't pay attention to that.
I don't think they made any changes to that... they didn't discuss it, though I didn't ask either.
My best guess is that they'll stick to the hitch still... I didn't do any specific testing for that.
Again, I didn't do any specific testing so I can't say for certain but I imagine corner routes will still be trouble.
If I understand your question, no, I don't believe there is very much movement for engaged blocks... it's still much like 13 in that once they engage, they stay in the same basic area.
See #11... my understanding is that it's largely unchanged.
I want to say this unchanged but at the moment I'm second guessing my memory... it's not something they specifically discussed with us though.
I didn't pay particular attention but again, I'd bet on unchanged.
Pretty sure it's still only win/loss...


defensive scheme questions:


are there more disguise coverages in the game, for example cover 2 disguise in the 3-4 nickle formation?
is there any pre-snap movement by the defense in non blitzing plays in an attempt to disguise coverage?
can you vary the depth of corners without manually moving them or while also moving the safeties? For example, i want to be able to play bump (tight), 2-4 yards off (normal) or man off (7 yards off) out of any coverage without moving the safeties.



I looked around a bit for them but don't remember seeing any...
Nope... pre-snap movement is essentially the same as it was on NCAA13.
Nope... still static/restrictive like NCAA13. Cover 1 still plays always deep (unless you B&R), Cover 2 still plays in the receiver's face every time. We talked to them about this but I don't expect that it will change by release.


offensive questions:


do wide recievers run smart routes, take the corner route, if the defense is in cover 3 does the reciever square off his route more giving the quarterback a throw without throwing into the corner (without using precision passing as that doesn't help the cpu)?
do recievers running post routes actually run to the nearside goalpost instead of running their post route all the way across the field usually ending up on the backside hash?
do pulling linemen kick out defenders if a defender is attempting to contain the play, if there is no defender to kick out will the pulling linemen pull through the hole and look to seal defenders to the inside? If no defenders to seal do they continue up the field?
is there better logic on screen plays? Is there dynamic blocking on wr screens, namely quick screens and bubble screens depending on defender alignment to get the most favorable blocking angles? On bubble screens does the wr blocking the outside corner attach the outter half of the defender looking to seal him inside, heck do they even just block the defender?

that's probably enough for now, i've got more however.



Nope... pretty sure that's still the same as NCAA13.
I want to say no but can't remember for certain... I believe this is unchanged.
They don't kick out defenders on the outside like you'd want but they do a better job of picking a block to engage, they just don't use any movement/leverage once engaged. That said, they will do a much better job of continuing up field if they don't have a block to make... no longer should you see a blocker stop & turn, instead he'll continue to lead until he finds a threat.
Blocking is better on screens but I don't know the specifics... I didn't run very many WR screens simply because I've trained myself not to on NCAA13.


did you notice the new option plays in several different formations or was it limited to 1 or 2? For instance, am i going to be limited to running inverted veer from 1 or 2 formations?
Fairly certain you should see the new base option plays (veer, midline, etc.) in several different formations... I don't recall specifics but I'm fairly certain I saw it in Shotgun Spread along with all of the new variety of formations they added.

is that available in online head to head or is that still set to auto ?
The R2/RT mechanic is now replaced by acceleration burst... there's no longer a speed burst. I would assume it's available in all game modes.

thanks for doing this gschwendt. I know you take the time to answer our questions every year, but i just want to say that is one of many reasons that makes this such a great place to visit.

My questions:

1. Any new ratings in the game (qb attributes from madden, ol blocking strength and footwork make a return)?
2. Any changes to special teams (new formations, long fg kicking logic improved on heisman, blocked kicks a possibility)?
3. Does the cpu defensive zone adjustments switch off from balanced still like in ncaa 10, 11, 12, and 13(at any point during a game usually quite early the cpu will switch their zones mostly to aggressive but sometimes conservative and then leave it like that for the rest of the game, aka the db glitch)?
4. Penalties? Tell me you finally saw some pass interference penalties being called on both offense and defense?
5. Did ea tiburon give us any more options to toggle on/off (game plan adjustments for both offense and defense) or add any new difficulty levels(scouting)? Scratch that part on scouting since it probably falls under dynasty.
6. Foot planting aka player movement tweaks. How does using the left stick only feel when controlling the player? Ice skating all over the field is what player movement in ncaa 12 and 13 felt like to me especially when i wasn't using jukes or spins.
7. The speed of the game increased again? It sure seems each new version just amps up the on field speed a notch from normal to fast. I recently played ncaa 11 then 12 then 13 all on normal speed and anyone can tell the default speed of the game increased each new version.
8. Pass rush? How much time in the pocket we have gotten in last couple ncaa's and madden's is beyond ridiculous. The norm in football at a high level is 3 to 4 seconds where as in ea tiburon's world it is 6 to 8 seconds. Has this changed at all for ncaa 14?
9. More pass rush questions this one deals with finesse moves for 85+ fmv ends. In ncaa 12 and 13 only power moves mattered has this been remedied. Finesse moves were used often in ncaa 11 so why they became practically extinct the last 2 years is mindboggling. Do we finally see the return of finesse moves by my cpu teammates in ncaa 14?
10. Does the qb still drift to the right on pass plays resulting in the le getting the vast majority of sacks during gameplay?
11. Please tell me the ol/dl interactions at least take into account ratings differences in ncaa14? In ncaa12 and 13 the lt was dominant no matter if he was a 70 rated pass blocker or a 95 rated all-american resulting in the 95 rated re playing patty cake baker's man all day with the lt.
12. Any changes to throw a wr open? My problem with ncaa 13 and madden 13 was that any wr could instantly change his route because the qb simply pushed a certain direction on the stick while passing. Way to overpowered for my liking in last year's games.
13. Any insight on the rt turbo button? How does it impact fatigue on a single play if used more than once? How quickly does it help to go from zero to top speed(i.e. Is it 2x or 3x as fast compared to not using turbo to get to top speed)?
14. Injuries related to fatigue? More injuries for my team or is it still my qb, hb and wr?
15. Mario running? Finally gone?
16. Last question honest, lol. Anything overpowered in the early version of the game you played. I know that doesn't mean it will be come demo time or for the actual release. Really only concerned about the run game. Pro style running using 2 te's and fb's? Hb counters too easy like ncaa 11? Running between the tackles? Option both under center triple option and shotgun read/speed option? Just curious if you felt anything was too easy since from your videos i can tell we play very similar.

Thanks again we all appreciate it.

No new ratings.
No changes to special teams. I don't know about the long FG kicking logic on Heisman... we typically play most of our games on All-American default to get a feel for the game in our limited time with it.
I want to say this is fixed but I didn't test it specifically... I know Chris has a test for it but I'm not sure that he was able to test it while down there.
I don't recall seeing any pass interference penalties...
I want to say that they actually took away one of the Gameplanning options... I can't remember which one at this point but no, they didn't add any additional.
I'd say it's better than in the past but at the same time it's hard to get a definite feel for it with only a few days with the game. It didn't jump out at me as bad but then again that could be either that it's improved or it could be that it's the same and I'm used to it... sorry.
I'd actually lean to it possibly being slower than NCAA13. Not drastically but I think with the new acceleration mechanic, you really see a difference in guys with high end Acceleration and Speed.
I'd lean towards little to no change... until they overhaul the OL/DL interactions, I don't expect this to change.
I really don't know...
Yeah, I think he'll still drift right and LEs will end up with the majority of the sacks.
I really don't know for sure... I think it's related to #10 where the QB drifts right and the RE keeps wanting to get outside his blocker but at the same time he wants to target towards the QB. I don't expect much change there.
There weren't any changes while we were there but after having some discussions, I think there might be some minor changes to it. No idea exactly what changes they'll have by release but we certainly discussed that it was too easy.
I don't know specifics of how the new RT/R2 acceleration burst works... I will say that you certainly feel it much more when the player has high rated ACC/SPD. Running with the Oregon HB#6, I was amazed at how much burst he had after having played with lower skilled players earlier in the day.
No idea if fatigue effects injuries really or not... as well, my guess is that you'll still see mostly skill position players getting hurt, though I want to say someone saw an OL getting hurt during the week.
I wouldn't say gone but the really bad Mario running that you saw in NCAA13 should be better. For one, I didn't feel as though I was getting hung on blockers nearly as much.
Pass Coverage was probably a little powerful but then again with the QB mechanics, it almost needs to be. Overall though, nothing just jumped out and said "this new thing is going to ruin the game"... there are still major holes that haven't been addressed but of the new stuff, it didn't feel too unbalanced. Granted, that's all 3 days with the game at a stage that still had several months of tweaking left.

[gschwendt]

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

:+1:
Happy to do it guys... I know I'd be wanting to ask a million questions myself.

[Oneback]

So is it safe to assume that in NCAA 14 much like NCAA 13 the sg spread running game will be vastly superior to any other style of offense, but only magnified even moreso. From what I've heard they've added more advanced options (still would like to see them run), improved run blocking, WR screens, etc (all improvements for the sg spread running game) without doing anything to give the defense a ice cubes chance in hell of stopping it.

[CLW]

So is it safe to assume that in NCAA 14 much like NCAA 13 the sg spread running game will be vastly superior to any other style of offense, but only magnified even moreso. From what I've heard they've added more advanced options (still would like to see them run), improved run blocking, WR screens, etc (all improvements for the sg spread running game) without doing anything to give the defense a ice cubes chance in hell of stopping it.

That's my concern as well. First one to 77 wins?

[SmoothPancakes]

That's my concern as well. First one to 77 wins?

How the hell are you guys scoring so much? Christ, my last three games in my Tulsa dynasty, I've won 12-7, lost 63-6, and lost 19-16 in double OT.

[steelerfan]

Thanks, Tommy.

Enviado de meu SAMSUNG SGH I997 usando o Tapatalk 2

[Deuce]

I did think of another question. Any info you can provide on the enhanced AI?

[CLW]

How the hell are you guys scoring so much? Christ, my last three games in my Tulsa dynasty, I've won 12-7, lost 63-6, and lost 19-16 in double OT.

I'd show you but I just mailed back 13 to Amazon for credit. It's really not hard. I play 8 minute quarters to get the appropriate # of snaps and I run a spread like offense (custom playbook but :Oklahoma_State: is my base with quite a bit of Pistol formations as well).

For me if its a pass play I make a read of man/zone and immediately know who is going to be wide open and when they will be open. For runs I usually call read option or spread guys out but be in the Piston and run dives if the CPU is in a Dime look which = 9 yards minimum per attempt. In my dynasty I regularly have 50 points at the half and then I sub in my backups and they put up 20-35 more points.

[Rudy]

Thanks Tommy for answering those questions. Too bad to hear the LE sack "glitch" will still be there. I hate it when my stud RE gets 4 sacks a year while the oaf on the other side is getting double digits. I also hated how the pass rushing moves (in M13) were so simple and so flawed. A basic turbo and run around the defender worked best. I was hoping they would finally upgrade the DL moves and make it more fun. Give us more control over the DL. This is an area that sorely needs attention. It hasn't been touched in 10 years. Furthermore I would love a slider to adjust for just user controlled DL. That way I can make pass rushing more difficult for me but easier for my cpu teammates if necessary.

[baseballplyrmvp]

really disappointed to hear that there arent any improvements to line interactions and that there arent any new ratings. but thanks for answering questions tommy.

[SmoothPancakes]

really disappointed to hear that there arent any improvements to line interactions and that there arent any new ratings. but thanks for answering questions tommy.

Yeah, line interactions was one of the very first things I thought of when this thread was created. Really hoping they would work on it some this year. Ditto for new ratings and I also would have liked to see some new sliders. Disappointing to hear none of those changed. :(

But likewise, thanks Tommy for taking the time to answer our questions. :up:

[Kwizzy]

Not gonna lie, pretty discouraging to hear about the lack of defensive additions. I am honestly to the point where I have given up hope about many of the basic elements of football being implemented anytime soon. Maybe next-gen? While I really hope that they do not have to start over from scratch on the next set of consoles, I hope that using where they are in this generation as a start point does not prevent them from seriously overhauling the core elements of football in this game. I will probably try to make a post soon in the wish list thread to keep this thread on topic but there are some things that cannot be faked and at some point they are going to have to address those areas if they truly want to move this game forward substantially. Obviously I will still play the game some to get my CFB fix before the season gets underway, but I have no doubt that these frustrating areas will keep me from playing the game too much after the season begins.

Thanks for the responses Tommy.

[Rudy]

Tommy, I thought EA said that they didn't work on OL/DL last year but were promising to work on it this year? Now that doesn't appear to be the case. Any chance this is another big letdown IF a big improvement is found in Madden 25/14 and not in NCAA 14? I wonder if Madden will get any new tech that leaves NCAA fans out in the cold like IE did last year.

It would be nice if NCAA was as smooth on the PS3 as Madden is. The graphics and frame rate are better for Madden than NCAA on the PS3 and I don't know why that is.

[gschwendt]

Serious question... where did they say they were promising to work on it this year?

We might have relayed our expectations for them to work on OL/DL interaction but I don't remember EA ever going on record as saying they would be. That said, at this point we don't know any specific future plans. My best guess is that a lot of the overhauls that want/need likely won't come until next gen.

[WolverineJay]

Yeah I think we all wanted OL/DL to be overhauled but I don't recall EA Tiburon ever saying publicly they would like they did with the infinity engine at E3.

[CLW]

They really keep mentioning how the hit stick has more power. I know you said you didn't notice any difference. Any chance this was an "improvement" that was added after the community event?

[jaymo76]

The blog said something about an energy metre on the player? Is that shown during the play or before the play?

[Rudy]

Serious question... where did they say they were promising to work on it this year?

We might have relayed our expectations for them to work on OL/DL interaction but I don't remember EA ever going on record as saying they would be. That said, at this point we don't know any specific future plans. My best guess is that a lot of the overhauls that want/need likely won't come until next gen.

Maybe they didn't. I just remember being under the impression that it was very high on their to-do list for the following year. I felt they implied it would be a major point of emphasis but that could just be me misinterpreting what they said. I'm not going to to research the old comments lol. I am getting old.

[cdj]

They really keep mentioning how the hit stick has more power. I know you said you didn't notice any difference. Any chance this was an "improvement" that was added after the community event?

I felt the animations for the Hit Stick seemed to convey a "big hit", something that hasn't been there the last few years.


The blog said something about an energy metre on the player? Is that shown during the play or before the play?

During the play it is on the outside of the player indicator. It is basically a bar meter along the bottom half of the circle and it will will drain as the player moves, performs actions, and especially if you use the Acceleration/Speed Burst button. You only see it for the player you are controlling.

[baseballplyrmvp]

Serious question... where did they say they were promising to work on it this year?

We might have relayed our expectations for them to work on OL/DL interaction but I don't remember EA ever going on record as saying they would be. That said, at this point we don't know any specific future plans. My best guess is that a lot of the overhauls that want/need likely won't come until next gen.

i just dont understand the logic of implementing this brand new physics engine into the game and then not having it affect where almost half of the players on the field are located on every play. great defensive lines dont always have someone come running into the backfield or have linemen who can shed blocks like superman, but they're able to consistantly collapse the pocket. i'm not asking for partial wins or new animations or anything like that. 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 interaction movement is the key thing i'm focussing in on. i want to see a 350 lb d-tackle be able to push and shove a smaller o-lineman around. i want to see o-linemen driving defensive players back. movement is what i'm asking for. line interactions are not a static shoving match.

[Jayrah]

Maybe they didn't. I just remember being under the impression that it was very high on their to-do list for the following year. I felt they implied it would be a major point of emphasis but that could just be me misinterpreting what they said. I'm not going to to research the old comments lol. I am getting old.It was high on OUR to-do list with the tourney, IIRC.


i just dont understand the logic of implementing this brand new physics engine into the game and then not having it affect where almost half of the players on the field are located on every play. great defensive lines dont always have someone come running into the backfield or have linemen who can shed blocks like superman, but they're able to consistantly collapse the pocket. i'm not asking for partial wins or new animations or anything like that. 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 interaction movement is the key thing i'm focussing in on. i want to see a 350 lb d-tackle be able to push and shove a smaller o-lineman around. i want to see o-linemen driving defensive players back. movement is what i'm asking for. line interactions are not a static shoving match. This.

[bdoughty]

The blog said something about an energy metre on the player? Is that shown during the play or before the play?

If your players energy is low there will be a little "G" will under your player... Oops wrong game. :blush:

[Rudy]

i want to see o-linemen driving defensive players back. movement is what i'm asking for. line interactions are not a static shoving match.

I would love to see this. The line interaction is still not that far removed from Tecmo. 2K4 had DL interaction better and more control over the DL moves. This area needs a massive upgrade. Considering that a lot of people like to play as DL you would think EA would spend more time making it more interesting. I only play as a DL on 3rd and long most of the time and that gets boring for me.

[Jayrah]

G, in past iterations I haven't really noticed an explosive athlete being super explosive at the point of attack. I'm assuming a guy like DeAnthony Thomas of Oregon now (finally) has "elite" capability in this game if his burst is used correctly? In the gameplay vid it shows him explode through a hole in a blink and he's off to the races. I really feel like there are not quite that many players in college football with his burst and speed all in one package, but in years past there are a LOT of players who could make it look like they were the same speed and such.

I guess my question is, is a DeAnthony Thomas' speed and burst a rarity where it feels like he's the fastest guy on the field? I know you can't speak on dynasty yet but my hope is that those athletes are more rare than in the past. A guy like that should impact an entire conference by being the fastest guy, and you should feel like he's the fastest guy you face. Right now as you get into the dynasty it kinda feels like there's one or two of those players per team. Way too many 99/97 players.

Also, defensively will there be a speed burst as well?

[psusnoop]

G, in past iterations I haven't really noticed an explosive athlete being super explosive at the point of attack. I'm assuming a guy like DeAnthony Thomas of Oregon now (finally) has "elite" capability in this game if his burst is used correctly? In the gameplay vid it shows him explode through a hole in a blink and he's off to the races. I really feel like there are not quite that many players in college football with his burst and speed all in one package, but in years past there are a LOT of players who could make it look like they were the same speed and such.

I guess my question is, is a DeAnthony Thomas' speed and burst a rarity where it feels like he's the fastest guy on the field? I know you can't speak on dynasty yet but my hope is that those athletes are more rare than in the past. A guy like that should impact an entire conference by being the fastest guy, and you should feel like he's the fastest guy you face. Right now as you get into the dynasty it kinda feels like there's one or two of those players per team. Way too many 99/97 players.

Also, defensively will there be a speed burst as well?

I was wondering this too, great questions. I'd love it if someone like DeAnthony Thomas would be a rarity and not the norm for all teams.

The defensive question is a very good one too. Can we shoot a gap with the burst or seal the edge with a burst? I wouldn't want to see it impacted to much on deep throws where a defender can make up 3 yards with a quick button press though. That would all but remove the vertical threat of an offense if that were to be the case.

[cdj]

G, in past iterations I haven't really noticed an explosive athlete being super explosive at the point of attack. I'm assuming a guy like DeAnthony Thomas of Oregon now (finally) has "elite" capability in this game if his burst is used correctly? In the gameplay vid it shows him explode through a hole in a blink and he's off to the races. I really feel like there are not quite that many players in college football with his burst and speed all in one package, but in years past there are a LOT of players who could make it look like they were the same speed and such.

I guess my question is, is a DeAnthony Thomas' speed and burst a rarity where it feels like he's the fastest guy on the field? I know you can't speak on dynasty yet but my hope is that those athletes are more rare than in the past. A guy like that should impact an entire conference by being the fastest guy, and you should feel like he's the fastest guy you face. Right now as you get into the dynasty it kinda feels like there's one or two of those players per team. Way too many 99/97 players.


Playing against David Schad (TSO), Oregon HB #6 was as fast as a bullet and it was noticeable each and every time he touched the ball. IIRC, at the time he was one of the fastest players in the game. It's been relatively tough to determine the fast, athletic players in the franchise on PS3/360 IMO, but I felt you could tell from the get-go that HB #6 was a cut above the rest on the field. (That match-up was Oregon v Alabama, FWIW. We agreed it felt like you could tell Oregon was the speed team and Alabama the power team. IIRC, Tommy played the same match-up versus DirtyBurt, so it would be great to hear if he felt the same.)

I can't comment with certainty on how many fast players exist throughout Dynasty or where any proverbial 'cut-off' exists between the elite, fast, average, etc. players.

[gschwendt]

G, in past iterations I haven't really noticed an explosive athlete being super explosive at the point of attack. I'm assuming a guy like DeAnthony Thomas of Oregon now (finally) has "elite" capability in this game if his burst is used correctly? In the gameplay vid it shows him explode through a hole in a blink and he's off to the races. I really feel like there are not quite that many players in college football with his burst and speed all in one package, but in years past there are a LOT of players who could make it look like they were the same speed and such.

I guess my question is, is a DeAnthony Thomas' speed and burst a rarity where it feels like he's the fastest guy on the field? I know you can't speak on dynasty yet but my hope is that those athletes are more rare than in the past. A guy like that should impact an entire conference by being the fastest guy, and you should feel like he's the fastest guy you face. Right now as you get into the dynasty it kinda feels like there's one or two of those players per team. Way too many 99/97 players.

Also, defensively will there be a speed burst as well?
As Chris, said, we definitely saw a difference in guys that have really high AGI/SPD. Literally the first time I saw it, I believe I vocally said "whoa" just because of how fast it was. I don't know what the threshold will be for where it starts to feel that dramatic but after controlling Arkansas State, then controlling Oregon, the difference in those top tier guys is noticeable.

Defensively, I can't say for certain just because I didn't test it specifically but my understanding and assumption is that yes, you should still feel that way with defensive players.

I was wondering this too, great questions. I'd love it if someone like DeAnthony Thomas would be a rarity and not the norm for all teams.

The defensive question is a very good one too. Can we shoot a gap with the burst or seal the edge with a burst? I wouldn't want to see it impacted to much on deep throws where a defender can make up 3 yards with a quick button press though. That would all but remove the vertical threat of an offense if that were to be the case.
Again, my understanding and assumption is that yes, you should be able to feel as though you can hit the hole as a defensive player. That said, with your example of deep throws, you're right, you most likely wouldn't see it because in many cases, by the time the ball is thrown deep, the WR & DB will already be near top speed so pressing the acceleration burst will likely not produce any significant results.

[Kwizzy]

Listening to the Game Changer's Radio Podcast from the other night and a question came up. With the new fatigue system being what it is, have the issues we've had in the past with Auto Subs not working correctly been addressed? In the past if a player subbed out he would be out for the rest of the game. Has that been addressed?

[gschwendt]

Listening to the Game Changer's Radio Podcast from the other night and a question came up. With the new fatigue system being what it is, have the issues we've had in the past with Auto Subs not working correctly been addressed? In the past if a player subbed out he would be out for the rest of the game. Has that been addressed?
Honestly, I'm not certain. That is a good question. I would assume if it hasn't been addressed, it will have to be at the very least in a post-launch patch. My bet though is that since they retooled the way fatigue works, I imagine it also ended up effecting the part that triggers the auto sub bug.

[Kwizzy]

Honestly, I'm not certain. That is a good question. I would assume if it hasn't been addressed, it will have to be at the very least in a post-launch patch. My bet though is that since they retooled the way fatigue works, I imagine it also ended up effecting the part that triggers the auto sub bug.

Might be worth shooting off an email.

[Jayrah]

Might be worth shooting off an email.Seconded!

[Jayrah]

As Chris, said, we definitely saw a difference in guys that have really high AGI/SPD. Literally the first time I saw it, I believe I vocally said "whoa" just because of how fast it was. I don't know what the threshold will be for where it starts to feel that dramatic but after controlling Arkansas State, then controlling Oregon, the difference in those top tier guys is noticeable.

Defensively, I can't say for certain just because I didn't test it specifically but my understanding and assumption is that yes, you should still feel that way with defensive players.

Again, my understanding and assumption is that yes, you should be able to feel as though you can hit the hole as a defensive player. That said, with your example of deep throws, you're right, you most likely wouldn't see it because in many cases, by the time the ball is thrown deep, the WR & DB will already be near top speed so pressing the acceleration burst will likely not produce any significant results.
That's a great point, if you're already at top speed the burst won't do anything but tire you out trying to go faster. Actually it would be cool if you were already AT top speed and you tried to use it if there was a "blown tire" animation where you begin to fall over yourself trying to go too fast and maybe add the possibility of a minor injury like a pulled hammy or something in this instance. This would make people start to think about when they use the burst even more than they will with the new tiring mechanic.

Speaking of that new mechanic, is there any animation to go along with running out of gas (where you see the player start to labor a little running down the field) or does the player simply begin to slow down. And as you run out of gas how much does your speed drop?

Also, thanks Chris for that answer as well

[CLW]

Guys you probably should NOT ask ?'s about specific players due to the lawsuits still making their way through the courts. You are putting the powers that be here in an awkward position. Just sayin'

[countryboy]

1) Did they implement the accelerated clock this year?

2) Are penalties more balanced? Meaning we will see more variety called outside of holding, false start, and offsides

3) Are there any changes to how challenges are done? Can we initiate what we want to challenge?

4) Are individual coverage assignments in the game this year? Ala the Madden series

[steelerfan]

I play with sliders, of course. I've never seen someone sub out and not come back in. Only reason I mention it is because it's obviously something that settings can fix.

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[AustinWolv]

I'm assuming in-game saves don't exist yet?

[SmoothPancakes]

I'm assuming in-game saves don't exist yet?

I completely forgot about in-game saves. I'm gonna guess I probably shouldn't hold my breath. :(

[Escobar]

They probably won't put that in since PS4 has taken care of that for you.

[Rudy]

They probably won't put that in since PS4 has taken care of that for you.

That's not really true. The PS4 just goes into stand-by mode and powers down for the most part. I still couldn't play a game in the morning, save half-way and go to work IF the kids want to play something else after school. Ben Haumiller stated years ago that he doesn't see it as a big need unfortunately. The EA guys don't see that feature as important in terms of adding sales.

[Kwizzy]

I play with sliders, of course. I've never seen someone sub out and not come back in. Only reason I mention it is because it's obviously something that settings can fix.

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I definitely agree that it's not a consistent problem. It has come and gone for me throughout the last couple years it seems like. Whatever the issue though, if there's going to be a more realistic fatigue system then that problem needs to be put at the top of the bug list to get ironed out before release IMO.

[bdoughty]

I completely forgot about in-game saves. I'm gonna guess I probably shouldn't hold my breath. :(

We are just lucky to have auto-save in NCAA, they can't even get that into Madden for some reason.

[gschwendt]

Just FYI, been a busy past couple of days and this weekend will be more of the same. I plan to continue answering questions but it may not be until Sunday night or sometime Monday.

[Jayrah]

Guys you probably should NOT ask ?'s about specific players due to the lawsuits still making their way through the courts. You are putting the powers that be here in an awkward position. Just sayin'
We're not asking EA anything. And if EA themselves say that 25% of their rosters are accurate, then the players we all know are probably accurate. Therefore their video game representation of themselves doesn't matter as far as what you name it... Be it HB #6 or DeAnthony Thomas, we all know it's the same guy.

[Jayrah]

I completely forgot about in-game saves. I'm gonna guess I probably shouldn't hold my breath. :(
As useful as in game saves would be, I would rather see a feature that allowed users to be invited into a game in progress. That would save all issues with the whole lost connection thing.

That's not really true. The PS4 just goes into stand-by mode and powers down for the most part. I still couldn't play a game in the morning, save half-way and go to work IF the kids want to play something else after school. Ben Haumiller stated years ago that he doesn't see it as a big need unfortunately. The EA guys don't see that feature as important in terms of adding sales.Ben's wrong here. Don't care what YOU don't see as a big need Ben. Half of the crap you work on is FAR less important than this feature and it wouldn't take much to implement, which is the MOST unfortunate part of all this.

[Rudy]

Ben's wrong here. Don't care what YOU don't see as a big need Ben. Half of the crap you work on is FAR less important than this feature and it wouldn't take much to implement, which is the MOST unfortunate part of all this.

I agree. In fairness to Ben he said that quite awhile ago. He also felt the supersim feature took away the need for in-game saves. What he failed to understand then is that most of us don't want to supersim. We want to play every second but a football game is a good hour of time. Some of us don't always get an hour of uninterrupted gameplay and would like to squeeze a half a game in when we can for our dynasty.

EA is just being lazy here. 2K and Sony have had it for YEARS as a feature. This is the 5TH year for it in Sony's baseball game. 2K has had it for awhile. I'm tired of the excuses.

[SmoothPancakes]

I agree. In fairness to Ben he said that quite awhile ago. He also felt the supersim feature took away the need for in-game saves. What he failed to understand then is that most of us don't want to supersim. We want to play every second but a football game is a good hour of time. Some of us don't always get an hour of uninterrupted gameplay and would like to squeeze a half a game in when we can for our dynasty.

EA is just being lazy here. 2K and Sony have had it for YEARS as a feature. This is the 5TH year for it in Sony's baseball game. 2K has had it for awhile. I'm tired of the excuses.
Hell, it's more like 2 1/2 to 3 hours for me to play 9 minute quarters in my dynasty, due to typing out play by play, drive by drive recaps to post in my dynasty thread.

The games take a while to play and between playing the actual game itself, and then typing up the scoring summary, team stats, etc, I need to set aside 3 to 4 hours of time just for a single game.

I NEED an in-game save option so I can knock out a quarter or two of a game during those times when I have limited time, then come back later and finish the game when I get more time to do so.

There are times right now where I'm lucky if I can even do anything other than recruiting in the current week over a period of multiple days due to just simply not having enough free time to actually play the game, forcing me to skip playing my dynasty games and wait, in some cases, over half a week just to simply play one game, putting my entire dyansty on hold.

[Rudy]

I totally agree. Right now 90% of my gaming takes place in the morning before work. I'm often up between 5 and 5:30. That means I will check my e-mail and surf for a bit but I have to start getting ready for work at 6:30 or not much after (breakfast - with kids often, shower). If I'm not up and gaming by 5:30 for a football game it doesn't happen for me. At night I will wait until after the kids go to bed but between being tired, watching TV shows and spending time with the wife my best bet is in the morning. There are so many times where I will have 30 to 45 minutes to game but can't continue my football season because of a lack of in-game saves. With MLB the Show I can play whenever the heck I want. If I run out of time I save. It is so convenient to have. I use that feature a lot.

[jaymo76]

I totally agree. Right now 90% of my gaming takes place in the morning before work. I'm often up between 5 and 5:30. That means I will check my e-mail and surf for a bit but I have to start getting ready for work at 6:30 or not much after (breakfast - with kids often, shower). If I'm not up and gaming by 5:30 for a football game it doesn't happen for me. At night I will wait until after the kids go to bed but between being tired, watching TV shows and spending time with the wife my best bet is in the morning. There are so many times where I will have 30 to 45 minutes to game but can't continue my football season because of a lack of in-game saves. With MLB the Show I can play whenever the heck I want. If I run out of time I save. It is so convenient to have. I use that feature a lot.

Same here except that for me it is usually late, late at night. In game saves really are essential. An entire generation of gamers are now married, have kids, careers, etc. Game companies need to keep this in mind when developing products.

[ram29jackson]

does controller commands fall under gameplay ?

are they altering controls to be more like madden ? strat pad etc ?

[baseballplyrmvp]

Same here except that for me it is usually late, late at night. In game saves really are essential. An entire generation of gamers are now married, have kids, careers, etc. Game companies need to keep this in mind when developing products.

same here. i've been playing this game progressively less and less over the past 3 years or so. and with being a dynasty only guy (online and offline), i'm just starting to lose interest in having to sit down for an hour and a half to play a game. it turns my dynasties into a recruiting coordinator dynasty because the games are so boring and filled with stupid crap that shouldnt happen. i've never been an in-game saves guy, but i'm starting to agree that they're badly needed.

[polamalupunisher43]

A quick question in regards to NCAA 14 gameplay...

There's a bug in NCAA 13, where, if an offensive play with option route(s) is flipped, whether in the play-call screen or on the field, the option route glitches and "flips" too. For example, in 61 X Choice, the option Dig route becomes an option Out route after the glitch, so instead of the Dig/Post option, your receiver ends up with an out/corner option instead.

After it occurs, you're stuck with the play being glitched like that for the remainder of the game. Anyone know what I'm referring to and whether or not it's been fixed?

[dhook27]

A quick question in regards to NCAA 14 gameplay...

There's a bug in NCAA 13, where, if an offensive play with option route(s) is flipped, whether in the play-call screen or on the field, the option route glitches and "flips" too. For example, in 61 X Choice, the option Dig route becomes an option Out route after the glitch, so instead of the Dig/Post option, your receiver ends up with an out/corner option instead.

After it occurs, you're stuck with the play being glitched like that for the remainder of the game. Anyone know what I'm referring to and whether or not it's been fixed?
i dont because option routes are so fucked up in this game.

[steelerfan]

i dont because option routes are so fucked up in this game.

You kiss your mother with that mouth?

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[AustinWolv]

Same here except that for me it is usually late, late at night. In game saves really are essential. An entire generation of gamers are now married, have kids, careers, etc. Game companies need to keep this in mind when developing products.

Exactly. Good discussion.

[WolverineJay]

Presentation info being released on Thursday right? Will TGT have its own write-up on the new info?

Sorry about presentation questions in gameplay thread, but didn't feel the need to start a new thread for couple quick questions.

[Jayrah]

Chris and Tommy I have a request of the highest order (in my mind) right now. I just lost a user national championship game on two plays that absolutely burn me up.

1: a deep wheel route to the RB simply goes over my LB's AND Safety's head for a 90 yard touchdown with a minute to go. I'm in a nickel man cover 2. Now, my LB obviously was toast as the RB is a 99 spd 99 acc. But my safety is a 94 spd 99 acc so he should have a chance and plays the proper technique from a help standpoint of which man he was supposed to help on and still gets absolutely TOASTED. If I was in regular coverage I concede this as bad coaching, but I had set conservative zones and aggressive play ball, which means my safeties should get depth throughout the play and then attack up when the ball is thrown. Here's the problem with what happened and the whole dynamic of the safeties in this situation.

The Safeties run back about 5-7 yards and then just sit down.... waiting for someone to get to them and then turning as they are getting passed up by the receiver going down field. With enough catch up spd and acc, your safety can sometimes make the play, but there's no hope for a flat-football safety in this instance. As you know, this is BS. In a conservative zone, my safeties should backpedal at about half speed the entire time until someone threatens them to turn and run. Maybe depending on awareness ratings he may not turn in time, which I will also concede. However if I have conservative on I'm expecting to give up underneath routes and my safeties need to get depth AT ALL COSTS. If you guys could point out to the devs that the safeties need to get depth until they are threatened in this situation it should be a pretty easy fix to have them continue to get depth so that it is more difficult to get beat over the top here. Maybe everything underneath is open, but that's my gameplan, at least let me live or die with THAT.

2: The second play probably won't happen now with the infinity engine, but reviews MUST be added to user games. I get tackled inside the 43 but because the particular tackle animation I got marked down at the 44.5 yard line, a 1/2 yard short on 4th down on the game-tying drive with 30 seconds remaining. I don't even know if a challenge would've made a difference, but I've seen reversals before in 13 on spot plays and I BELIEVE that this animation was one of the challenges I won against the CPU. I don't understand why there is no review option in user games.

[Oneback]

Chris and Tommy I have a request of the highest order (in my mind) right now. I just lost a user national championship game on two plays that absolutely burn me up.

1: a deep wheel route to the RB simply goes over my LB's AND Safety's head for a 90 yard touchdown with a minute to go. I'm in a nickel man cover 2. Now, my LB obviously was toast as the RB is a 99 spd 99 acc. But my safety is a 94 spd 99 acc so he should have a chance and plays the proper technique from a help standpoint of which man he was supposed to help on and still gets absolutely TOASTED. If I was in regular coverage I concede this as bad coaching, but I had set conservative zones and aggressive play ball, which means my safeties should get depth throughout the play and then attack up when the ball is thrown. Here's the problem with what happened and the whole dynamic of the safeties in this situation.

The Safeties run back about 5-7 yards and then just sit down.... waiting for someone to get to them and then turning as they are getting passed up by the receiver going down field. With enough catch up spd and acc, your safety can sometimes make the play, but there's no hope for a flat-football safety in this instance. As you know, this is BS. In a conservative zone, my safeties should backpedal at about half speed the entire time until someone threatens them to turn and run. Maybe depending on awareness ratings he may not turn in time, which I will also concede. However if I have conservative on I'm expecting to give up underneath routes and my safeties need to get depth AT ALL COSTS. If you guys could point out to the devs that the safeties need to get depth until they are threatened in this situation it should be a pretty easy fix to have them continue to get depth so that it is more difficult to get beat over the top here. Maybe everything underneath is open, but that's my gameplan, at least let me live or die with THAT.

Safeties in Cover 2 will very rarely cover HB's on a wheel route, pretty much once they get behind the LB its a factor of your QB getting it to him and the HB catching it. I sent an email to Mike Scantleberry documenting safety alignment, and reads depending on what #1 is doing - with the HB running a wheel route he would be considered #1 in 99.9% of the cases unless someone has hot routed the WR to a streak/fade. Hopefully this issue gets resolved.


2: The second play probably won't happen now with the infinity engine, but reviews MUST be added to user games. I get tackled inside the 43 but because the particular tackle animation I got marked down at the 44.5 yard line, a 1/2 yard short on 4th down on the game-tying drive with 30 seconds remaining. I don't even know if a challenge would've made a difference, but I've seen reversals before in 13 on spot plays and I BELIEVE that this animation was one of the challenges I won against the CPU. I don't understand why there is no review option in user games.

Since I'm no longer a part of the community program I guess I can comment on this, we were asked at one point last year if user reviews should be taken completely out of the game, if I remember correctly we all voted to keep them in even though its more of a dice roll and not 100% inline with the animation on the field, not sure why they were taken out of UvU games, I remember them being in NCAA 12. Even if its a dice roll, I'd rather them be in the game.

[gschwendt]

User reviews have never been in UvU games to my knowledge... it's because it uses the same game mechanic as standard online games and it's not in there because it would become an annoyance when playing random opponents.

[Oneback]

User reviews have never been in UvU games to my knowledge... it's because it uses the same game mechanic as standard online games and it's not in there because it would become an annoyance when playing random opponents.

I could've sworn they were in NCAA 12, I may be mistaken however.

[Jayrah]

Safeties in Cover 2 will very rarely cover HB's on a wheel route, pretty much once they get behind the LB its a factor of your QB getting it to him and the HB catching it. I sent an email to Mike Scantleberry documenting safety alignment, and reads depending on what #1 is doing - with the HB running a wheel route he would be considered #1 in 99.9% of the cases unless someone has hot routed the WR to a streak/fade. Hopefully this issue gets resolved.



Since I'm no longer a part of the community program I guess I can comment on this, we were asked at one point last year if user reviews should be taken completely out of the game, if I remember correctly we all voted to keep them in even though its more of a dice roll and not 100% inline with the animation on the field, not sure why they were taken out of UvU games, I remember them being in NCAA 12. Even if its a dice roll, I'd rather them be in the game.
Thanks for the answers on that OB. In this case the Safety DID cover the right guy but the fact that he sat and waited for the HB to get to him before turning and running killed me. On the other side of the field the Safety there took the streak route and did the same thing sitting down (and at the same exact depth), but he turned around MUCH faster, even with less agility. Regardless, they should not sit in conservative coverage.

I agree with you on the user challenges. I would rather see them in as well. Screw that whole logic though, the play SHOULD'VE been reviewed by the booth.

[Jayrah]

For gosh sakes! When will EA go back to giving you the closest player to the freaking ball? I'm sick of taking safeties that are 3 players away out of a play because the fudging AI decides that's the best player to make the play and I switch thinking I need to dive to make a shoestring tackle with a D-lineman

[Rudy]

For gosh sakes! When will EA go back to giving you the closest player to the freaking ball? I'm sick of taking safeties that are 3 players away out of a play because the fudging AI decides that's the best player to make the play and I switch thinking I need to dive to make a shoestring tackle with a D-lineman

Steve's write-up on OS said this aspect is better. I liked reading you can set difficulties separately for offense and defense.
http://www.operationsports.com/features/1629/ncaa-football-14-gameplay-hands-on/

[psusnoop]

Honestly Wheel routes are the biggest exploit on the ranked games online. If anyone is watching vids online there are so many videos of gameplay that shows exactly how to get these combos to work. The easiest way is to set far right or left on a streak and HB on a wheel route. You lead the receiver slightly outside and it's big play when you connect everytime. If you watch any Madden videos it's even worse there as there are some highly ranked players completely call these 100% of the time. It needs addressed big time but it can't really be attacked imo because of the advantages the offense has with precision passing and the terrible reaction and reads of the defense so this issue isn't going away anytime soon imo without some other type of brace which is leave or make something else not correct. Just my 2 cents here.

And yes for User vs User games the only way to use the challenge is if your playing on the same console otherwise it's not in the game.

[Jayrah]

Steve's write-up on OS said this aspect is better. I liked reading you can set difficulties separately for offense and defense.
http://www.operationsports.com/features/1629/ncaa-football-14-gameplay-hands-on/
That was a good write up! Interesting different levels for offense/defense

[baseballplyrmvp]

when switching players on defense, if the player you're switching to is currently pursuing the ballcarrier, does he come to a complete stop when you switch to him?

[PDuncanOSU]

I have seen/heard a few different comments on how the infinity engine and the improved running game are really allowing you to tell the difference between speed and power backs. I'm wondering if you can also tell the difference between different receiver types. For example an outside receiver with high end top speed and good jumping ability (think Randy Moss), and a slot receiver that is quick, shifty, and a good route runner (thinking like Wes Welker).

[Jayrah]

I have seen/heard a few different comments on how the infinity engine and the improved running game are really allowing you to tell the difference between speed and power backs. I'm wondering if you can also tell the difference between different receiver types. For example an outside receiver with high end top speed and good jumping ability (think Randy Moss), and a slot receiver that is quick, shifty, and a good route runner (thinking like Wes Welker).Good question!

[Rudy]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere but did you guys get a chance to play with the new broadcast camera? I know some guys are upset it's not like Madden's but Madden's version was impossible to play with. I'd love to have a true sideline view that is more bird's eye view like Tecmo which would be more playable.

[Jayrah]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere but did you guys get a chance to play with the new broadcast camera? I know some guys are upset it's not like Madden's but Madden's version was impossible to play with. I'd love to have a true sideline view that is more bird's eye view like Tecmo which would be more playable.
Like an NBA 2K game? I've always thought about this but holy crap I think I'd have a tough time adjusting! Especially with downfield throws, you'd have to really get a wide screen view or be able to read safeties and cbs in a flash.

[steelerfan]

Like an NBA 2K game? I've always thought about this but holy crap I think I'd have a tough time adjusting! Especially with downfield throws, you'd have to really get a wide screen view or be able to read safeties and cbs in a flash.

Not just that, running through traffic would be tough. I could see it being tough to hit the hole at the LOS.

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[Jayrah]

Not just that, running through traffic would be tough. I could see it being tough to hit the hole at the LOS.

Enviado de meu SAMSUNG SGH I997 usando o Tapatalk 2You're probably right, but I think that might actually provide a tremendously fun challenge without having to bump the defense to Heisman. There's more space in basketball, but you essentially do the same thing if you're driving the lane to the basket. I only play from that broadcast cam on 2K so in that aspect I probably wouldn't have much trouble adjusting. I also would like the view more on taking angles as a defender, making it easier to play LB for me but more difficult to switch defenders and make a play.

Reading the safeties is a serious challenge in the view though, like I said, unless the view pans out. Also, moving around in the pocket becomes really difficult too, because you can't see the rush unless you're looking directly at it, which would mean you're not seeing down-field at all.

[Rudy]

Like an NBA 2K game? I've always thought about this but holy crap I think I'd have a tough time adjusting! Especially with downfield throws, you'd have to really get a wide screen view or be able to read safeties and cbs in a flash.


Not just that, running through traffic would be tough. I could see it being tough to hit the hole at the LOS.

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Yeah, it would be a side scroller like the NBA cam but more like Tecmo Bowl back in the day. Madden's broadcast cam would shift from a straight sideways cam to slight diagonal. I didn't care for that. The other problem with Madden's cam is the angle was low and so it made it hard running through traffic and hitting the hole like Steelerfan said. However, if the camera angle was higher, like a bird's eye view and allowed more downfield vision it could be really good.

Look at this video (and screenshot) of Madden's broadcast camera. You can't see the holes at all. It pretty much makes the camera useless to play but coach mode guys like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ffbiPo9myOg#t=139s
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m195/rudyjuly2/Madden/madden13broadcastcamera.jpg (http://s104.photobucket.com/user/rudyjuly2/media/Madden/madden13broadcastcamera.jpg.html)


The biggest weakness for the camera I would like to try (it would be awesome it actually have zoom options) is simply not seeing downfield beyond 20 yards or so. A WR running a go pattern would disappear fairly quickly, much like a TV game. The other big weakness is not seeing the pretty graphics because it would be zoomed out quite a bit.

Here are some screenshots of what I would like myself. It's more of a blimp sideline camera. Again, I'd love to be able to have a zoom option. A dynamic zoom on run vs pass plays would help a lot too.

This one is zoomed out a bit too much. It's also on a bit of an angle, not truly top down but I think you can still see the holes. This angle would be my preference if it zoomed in more, especially on running plays.
http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/tecmobowl.jpg

The original Tecmo angle was too zoomed in for passing and it was a straight top down look making the running lanes easy to see.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQvUSlZwIjFeZnxXL-IL1ByOz20fpY2re8vOb2SaI2_T0QmhK40Ow

Either way, every veteran of football gaming loved Tecmo. Why not offer that old school camera as an option?

[Jayrah]

Good stuff Rudy. If that was the case, it would be nice to get a pre-play option that zoomed around behind the LOS when you looked at the play art so you could see everything from the qb view. This way you can kind of pre read your keys and determine where the hole should be, or make your audibles just like we do now. Then of course it would zoom back out before you could snap it.

[Rudy]

Guys, with the new foot planting/momentum and zig-zag running reduced how much of an impact did you see while playing defense? I've always maintained that manual pass defense, NOT just switching to guys and defending, was too hard this generation because of this. I think playing pass defense will be much better now than before. Did you notice anything in this area?

Also, are there any guys that got a chance to play both NCAA and Madden at your community days?

[Rudy]

Great article on improving Madden DL controls. This applies to NCAA as well. Have you guys talked to EA about improving this area? It's stuck in the stone ages of video football gaming.

http://gomadden.com/content/madden/madden-25-total-control-idea/

[steelerfan]

Great article on improving Madden DL controls. This applies to NCAA as well. Have you guys talked to EA about improving this area? It's stuck in the stone ages of video football gaming.

http://gomadden.com/content/madden/madden-25-total-control-idea/

I love it. I think all of this would be great. You're right, the current controls are lacking.

I'm using Tapatalk 2 and the Cleveland Browns STILL suck.

[C00KH4X]

Has it been confirmed that NCAA will have the precision modifier like Madden, I know both have been hyping up the "run free" thing.

[gschwendt]

Has it been confirmed that NCAA will have the precision modifier like Madden, I know both have been hyping up the "run free" thing.
It wasn't in in March and they weren't talking about it... So to my knowledge it won't be in NCAA.

[countryboy]

It wasn't in in March and they weren't talking about it... So to my knowledge it won't be in NCAA.

Do you know if individual coverage assignments are in the game this year, ala the Madden series?

[gschwendt]

Do you know if individual coverage assignments are in the game this year, ala the Madden series?

Didn't see them in March...

[countryboy]

Didn't see them in March...

Bummer....:(


Thanks! :)

[baseballplyrmvp]

Do you know if individual coverage assignments are in the game this year, ala the Madden series?


Didn't see them in March...


Bummer....:(


Thanks! :) i've been asking for em since 09. :smh:

[baseballplyrmvp]

have there been any additions to playbooks? play/formation/package editor? any new plays/formations?

[dhook27]

have there been any additions to playbooks? play/formation/package editor? any new plays/formations?
somebody said that comes out in like a month but they did say there was a playbook specific for running Spread Option with all the new option play like Veers and stuff.

[Big Blue]

Admin guys.. Do you know if ncaa will be having the same thing as Madden in regards to "run free" where there are 35 new moves and other features? I know ncaa made some improvements to the run game like madden but I am just wondering if it is a watered down version of what madden is getting. Thanks!

[steelerfan]

Admin guys.. Do you know if ncaa will be having the same thing as Madden in regards to "run free" where there are 35 new moves and other features? I know ncaa made some improvements to the run game like madden but I am just wondering if it is a watered down version of what madden is getting. Thanks!

Didn't you ask this in another thread? I think gshwendt responded to you there.

I'm using Tapatalk 2 and the Cleveland Browns STILL suck.

[Big Blue]

He redirected me here, I didn't see a response. But I looked back and saw he answered that question a couple days ago.

[gschwendt]

He redirected me here, I didn't see a response. But I looked back and saw he answered that question a couple days ago.

Sorry for the confusion... That link was taking you directly to the answer I have a couple days ago.

[Big Blue]

Sorry for the confusion... That link was taking you directly to the answer I have a couple days ago.
Okay thanks a lot for the help.

[thomguy123]

Other than the spread option, did they add any more plays or formations of any style (pro, air raid, etc)? Are there package plays anywhere (an example - you have the option to throw a quick screen or hand it off to a RB behind you)?

[Jayrah]

Other than the spread option, did they add any more plays or formations of any style (pro, air raid, etc)? Are there package plays anywhere (an example - you have the option to throw a quick screen or hand it off to a RB behind you)?
I could be wrong but to my knowledge those options don't exist in a single play. The QB would audible to the play (whichever one).

[PDuncanOSU]

Other than the spread option, did they add any more plays or formations of any style (pro, air raid, etc)? Are there package plays anywhere (an example - you have the option to throw a quick screen or hand it off to a RB behind you)?


I could be wrong but to my knowledge those options don't exist in a single play. The QB would audible to the play (whichever one).

I doubt these packaged plays will be available in NCAA 14, but I think this is what thomguy was talking about: Packaged Plays (http://smartfootball.com/offense/combining-quick-passes-run-plays-and-screens-in-the-same-play)

[thomguy123]

I doubt these packaged plays will be available in NCAA 14, but I think this is what thomguy was talking about: Packaged Plays (http://smartfootball.com/offense/combining-quick-passes-run-plays-and-screens-in-the-same-play)

Yeah they're called packaged plays, Oklahoma State runs the stick-draw concept and inside zone screen all the time.

[Jayrah]

I get the concept, but at some point it is an audible to the play not an after-snap decision where you can throw it out or hand it off. I would personally prefer to see the ability to pull up a full formation for choices, as opposed to having 5 plays to choose from whatever formation you want. I think that would accomplish the same thing.

[PDuncanOSU]

I get the concept, but at some point it is an audible to the play not an after-snap decision where you can throw it out or hand it off. I would personally prefer to see the ability to pull up a full formation for choices, as opposed to having 5 plays to choose from whatever formation you want. I think that would accomplish the same thing.

I think it sounds like we are talking about 2 different things here.

To the original post, no QB or coach can be 100% sure what the defense is going to do based on their pre-snap read. A "packaged play" gives the QB an after-snap decision. For example on the "stick-draw" play, the play-side linebacker can stop the draw play or the stick play but not both. The line and RB run the draw play, the WRs run the stick concept, and the QB reads the play-side LB and either throws the stick or hands off the the RB on the draw. Again, I really doubt anything like this will be in NCAA 14 but it is used extensively by teams like OK State and WVU.

[Tako 715]

As far as gameplay goes, improvement to the blocking out of flexbone and wingbone would be nice. I would even settle for a proper toss play and FB Trap. Getting those two plays to work for inside and outside threats would go a long way.

[TIMB0B]

Did they add co-op online dynasty?

[SCClassof93]

Thanks for the time you put in Tommy! Good work :up:

[Rudy]

Will you guys get more time in with the game? When is the next community day session? I'm assuming the game is pretty much done with a near final version to be available at E3 with a demo soon to follow. Last year's demo came out during E3 as many believed it was released early to appease the fans being upset about IE not making the cut.

[thomguy123]

Other than the new spread option plays, do you know any other plays and formations that they created?

[Jayrah]

I think it sounds like we are talking about 2 different things here.

To the original post, no QB or coach can be 100% sure what the defense is going to do based on their pre-snap read. A "packaged play" gives the QB an after-snap decision. For example on the "stick-draw" play, the play-side linebacker can stop the draw play or the stick play but not both. The line and RB run the draw play, the WRs run the stick concept, and the QB reads the play-side LB and either throws the stick or hands off the the RB on the draw. Again, I really doubt anything like this will be in NCAA 14 but it is used extensively by teams like OK State and WVU.
I don't know what you "thought" you saw, but 99.9% of college QB's have never had an after snap decision on run/pass. The only time I've seen anything resembling this was the the qb decided pre snap that his receiver was uncovered and did the ole' quick snap and fire. Generally there's a hand signal or something between qb and wr in that instance though.

Not saying the Stick/Draw concept doesn't exist, but the qb let's everyone know on the way to the line or at the line which it will be based on D alignment. The O-line has to know how to block for that... They can't be wondering if the qb is going to hand it off or throw it, the scheme there is too different. The qb may fake the stick, which is what a draw play is anyway. Even Peyton Manning makes his read on that pre play to set his entire team up to run the right play. He may have the choice of 3 plays coming out of the huddle, but he doesn't snap it and then decide which of the 3 it's going to be...

[PDuncanOSU]

I don't know what you "thought" you saw, but 99.9% of college QB's have never had an after snap decision on run/pass. The only time I've seen anything resembling this was the the qb decided pre snap that his receiver was uncovered and did the ole' quick snap and fire. Generally there's a hand signal or something between qb and wr in that instance though.

Not saying the Stick/Draw concept doesn't exist, but the qb let's everyone know on the way to the line or at the line which it will be based on D alignment. The O-line has to know how to block for that... They can't be wondering if the qb is going to hand it off or throw it, the scheme there is too different. The qb may fake the stick, which is what a draw play is anyway. Even Peyton Manning makes his read on that pre play to set his entire team up to run the right play. He may have the choice of 3 plays coming out of the huddle, but he doesn't snap it and then decide which of the 3 it's going to be...
Everything I've said came from these articles:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8287610/packaged-plays-rethinking-concept-modern-play-calling
http://smartfootball.com/offense/combining-quick-passes-run-plays-and-screens-in-the-same-play#more-2461
http://coachhoover.blogspot.com/search/label/Combination%20Plays
I know nothing else on the topic other than what was in these articles. If I've misread something, then fine. Give at least the Grantland story a read.

[Jayrah]

Everything I've said came from these articles:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8287610/packaged-plays-rethinking-concept-modern-play-calling
http://smartfootball.com/offense/combining-quick-passes-run-plays-and-screens-in-the-same-play#more-2461
http://coachhoover.blogspot.com/search/label/Combination%20Plays
I know nothing else on the topic other than what was in these articles. If I've misread something, then fine. Give at least the Grantland story a read.
Interesting. So that's kinda what I was talking about with the rise & fire. So basically putting one guy in a one on one situation on the edge if the defender is too far off, or running the regular play, which is a hand-off. If it's a run play, blocking ends up downfield so you have to throw the screen or it's a penalty...

[dw6xl]

Hey guys, new member here. This is a question more about gameplay. Did you guys notice any differences in how different teams call plays on defense like one team plays majority man because of their scheme or one teams blitzes alot or does every team still play the same zone defense 85% of the time?

[Escobar]

I know what he means by two play options. Oregon used to run it alot with Dennis Dixon/Darron Thomas. One version is in the game as the bubble screen out of the 4WR Trio Str formation, but they removed the playaction motion. The QB and RB run a read option motion while the slot receiver runs a bubble screen. The QB reads post snap if he's going to hand the ball off to the RB as if he is running a zone read. If he hands off that's the play, if not instead of running the QB throws the bubble screen (almost like a triple option run play). Another variation has the same look post snap but is a different play. It's a PA from the start. The slot receiver still runs a bubble screen, but the middle receiver out of the trio runs a streak. The QB carries out the PA fake then decides if he is going to throw the bubble screen or the streak depending on how the defense plays it. If the QB decides to throw the streak he pump fakes to the bubble screen, then throws deep. The key to getting these plays to work is each player has to run the play as if he is the one getting the ball, same as the zone read. The RB doesn't wait to see if the QB hands the ball off to him he runs the play as if he is getting the ball, if he doesn't oh well. Look at Oregon's offense two years ago. You would often see them hand the ball off to LaMichael then Thomas would carry out the fake and throw an air ball to the slot receiver running the bubble screen. This furthers the deception, because the defense has to stay home because they don't know which version of the play the offense is going to run.

[Tako 715]

I listened to the Operation Sports: Press Row Podcast, the episode on the Infinity Engine. The designer talked about a bunch of new blocking animations/styles. New reach blocks, pulls, outside zones, completely different run and pass blocking engines. It sounded like he was talking about Madden 25 only. Do you guys know if any of the new blocking made it to NCAA 14?

[no1geemoney]

Do both CB press on NCAA 14..i know on the ps3 the left side CB never did..so you were forced to have help on that side

[gschwendt]

I listened to the Operation Sports: Press Row Podcast, the episode on the Infinity Engine. The designer talked about a bunch of new blocking animations/styles. New reach blocks, pulls, outside zones, completely different run and pass blocking engines. It sounded like he was talking about Madden 25 only. Do you guys know if any of the new blocking made it to NCAA 14?I'm not certain. I've tried to get clarification but at this point I still don't know.

Do both CB press on NCAA 14..i know on the ps3 the left side CB never did..so you were forced to have help on that side
They said that that should be fixed in NCAA14. I didn't test it specifically so I can't say for certain but they were at least aware of it and trying to correct it.

[Rudy]

I would still like to hear more on how user pass defense is with the new Infinity Engine. I was hoping the lack of unrealistic cuts would make it a bit easier to cover guys in pass coverage.

I hope the near final build at E3 will show off a cpu that can run the option offense effectively. In all honesty I will buy this game if I go up against a team like Oregon or Texas A & M and the QB is running wild, running the option right and destroying me. I'd still like the RE vs LE sack issue to be fixed and I still want to see the cpu QB force the ball more to the elite WRs but the cpu running the spread-option offense is the biggest flaw that needed to be fixed.

[baseballplyrmvp]

does the cpu "learn" from your playcalling better? it just seems like the cpu always calls only a handful of different plays on defense.

[souljahbill]

does the cpu "learn" from your playcalling better? it just seems like the cpu always calls only a handful of different plays on defense.

It seems to me that when the CPU "learns," it goes Tecmo Bowl on me. It's most evident in practice mode. I call a play, it works the 1st time, less the 2nd time, and it just sucks every time after that.

[Rudy]

One question about the player lock camera. It's been said you can use it from any of the camera angles now. Does that mean it still rotates around in a 1st person sort of way for every camera angle or does the camera angle stay locked (no rotation) on the other camera angles as though it were just a defensive point of view? I just never liked how forward constantly changed direction under the player lock before as the camera always rotated due to the ball position. I would think with the co-ordinator cam or a wide cam you wouldn't have to do that in order to find the ball.

[JSmith03]

I know E3 is next week, and we're gonna get a lot of gameplay videos (along with team ratings, top players, etc.) but does anyone think we'll get some gameplay clips this week? Say, maybe a drive by a team or just a 2-3 minute video?

[Jayrah]

I know E3 is next week, and we're gonna get a lot of gameplay videos (along with team ratings, top players, etc.) but does anyone think we'll get some gameplay clips this week? Say, maybe a drive by a team or just a 2-3 minute video?I honestly don't think so... But who knows. They've been pretty quite though

[Rellik]

Did the audible (defensive and offensive)button mapping change? Or in other words, is the auidble interface like madden 13 or NCAA 13? I prefer audible interface of NCAA 13 over madden 13.....

[ram29jackson]

is auto sprint/speed burst still an option for online games or do you have to push a button all the time now to get any speed ?

[gschwendt]

is auto sprint/speed burst still an option for online games or do you have to push a button all the time now to get any speed ?There's no speed burst anymore. The game will attempt to get to top speed where space allows. The R2 is now an acceleration burst meaning "I want to try to get to top speed now."

[CLW]

There's no speed burst anymore. The game will attempt to get to top speed where space allows. The R2 is now an acceleration burst meaning "I want to try to get to top speed now."

LOL I still don't get how those two things are different.

[ram29jackson]

There's no speed burst anymore. The game will attempt to get to top speed where space allows. The R2 is now an acceleration burst meaning "I want to try to get to top speed now."


LOL I still don't get how those two things are different.



:confused: yeah? you push it for 2 steps and that's it, or something ?

[gschwendt]

I think it will make more sense when you can get your hands on the demo tomorrow.

[jaymo76]

:confused: yeah? you push it for 2 steps and that's it, or something ?


I think it will make more sense when you can get your hands on the demo tomorrow.

Sounds like the NHL speed burst philosophy. You notice it but it's subtle and short lasting.

[baseballplyrmvp]

is camera lock still the clicking of the left thumbstick? i always hated it when i tried to time the snap on a linebacker or safety blitz and the camera would flip 180 degrees and i'd get all out of position.