Q: In your opinion, has the Super LB swat issue been addressed?
A: In my opinion, yes. I can't recall seeing any over-the-top LB jumping in my time with the game. It wasn't something I set out to look for, but it certainly didn't slap me in the face.
A: Yes, I wish I would have taken a screen shot at the time, but I was able to routinely put touch on balls and drop it in behind the linebackers. I even asked at one point if the ball trajectory had been tweaked.
Q: How does the ball look? Is there a more realistic look to the trajectory or its physics?
A: Ball physics have been improved. It's particularly noticeable when the ball comes to rest. It no longer comes to rest on it's nose. The trajectory seemed better too. Batted balls also act much, much more realistically than what we've seen in the past.
Q: I read that they have improved on the zone defense, now in a play now game how did the defenders protect their assignments and what was your take overall of the "new" zone coverage?
A: Obviously things are still being tweaked at this point but IMO they are MUCH improved. I had little to no hesitation with calling zones and anyone who played last year knows that's saying something! It is so cool to see one defender carry a reciever through his zone and then pass him off to the next guy with a hand signal.
A: The running joke from the events is that we'll be seeing a lot of 'the game is broke' comments on forums the first week (or month) as users adjust to the defense as they (at least on higher difficulties) shouldn't be able to wing the ball all over the field.
A: A little note regarding the new zone defenses... they mentioned to us back in January that they brought in some of the NY Jets coaches to teach them how THEY run zone defense. What they do is a bit different than spot zone coverage... instead what they do is play a man/hybrid to where a guy has a zone assigned to him and he basically plays man while a receiver is in his zone. As he leaves his zone, he passes him off to another defender. It works out really well for defenses in 12.
Q: Did anyone try out the different defenses (3-4,4-2-5, etc) and if so can you "feel" the difference? Also, how is the pass rush right now?
A: I tried out all of the new defenses and let me tell you things are looking good. There will be a lot of people early on thinking the passing game is broken because the defense now takes away a lot of those cheap throws and you actually have to read the defense or an underneath defender will come away with the ball. I really liked the half field concepts.
Q: How many of you guys "tried" out the new plays. How well were they executed and implemented into the game both on Offense and Defense?
A: While I was there I paid more attention to the defense and gave a lot of feedback on certian areas. The new defensive plays work as they should, the biggest thing I wanted to see was proper coverage assignments and the ability to generate a pass rush and I liked what I saw.
Q: Given that all you (saying bad things under my breath about you lucky SOB's) got to be part of this and help shape NCAA 12 what from the play now games stuck out to you guys the most? What was "your" wow factor within the Presentation and the Play Now? And please everyone chime in, I love different takes on it all.
A: The new wipes--which are conference-specific instead of generic "ESPN" if you play as conference rivals--are really cool to see. The overall presentation package is much closer to the actual ESPN TV package than NCAA 11 was, so it's really great to see that level of connection between real-life and the game. There are also some cool highlight packages after quarters and at halftime which help to "mask" the loading of progressive lighting, which I know was a bit of a bummer to people in NCAA 11.
A: Gameplay wise the thing that really stood out to me was the new animations. There are so many new animations that just look fantastic (sideline hits, blow up shots, normal tackles...) I had a blow up shot where I cleaned up a WR who was about to break a tackle that everyone within 20 ft, including the devs, was like "OHHHH!!!!!". Very good stuff.
A: The Presentation is very nice. More was added in what I saw last week than I had anticipated based on what we were told in January. Obviously, there are more important things than grass and such, but wow - the game looks good! The pre-game is a little longer, there is more going on now. There are some cool "wipes" that show highlights between quarters and sort of a recap of the first half's highlights right after the second half starts. Some of the entrances (not sure if it's all or some, but definitely some) have variations based on the opponent being a rival. Very cool.
A:Presentation - All of it is great. In March, Tommy and I played with the new Stadium Sounds briefly and that adds so much to the team entrance. Like steelerfan said, I also get a kick out of watching and seeing all of the team specific entrances, stadium nuances, etc. GameTrack is a feature visible in Play Now that no one has mentioned yet. After the opening kick-off of the third quarter Brad will toss it to Erin and she will give an update from the coaches or on the game while the big plays of the game are shown. While I did not listen to the in-game audio nearly enough, the little I heard was impressive and the devs themselves (non-presentation) were very pleased with the commentary improvements this year.
A: I really like the amount of new animations in the game. It definitely breathes some life into the game and doesn't feel stale. There are some BRUTAL hits too.
Q: How is man-coverage? Is it still flawed, in the sense that the defense knows the routes of the receivers?
A: Man coverage is definitely improved/fixed in that respect. That was my single biggest problem with defense in '11 (defenders breaking before WRs) so I watched that closely and did not notice it happening. Comebacks and outs are definitely an option now though not in any way overpowered.
Q: Is the new double-hit tackle system properly implemented? Do they rarely occur, or do they happen as they should (basically every play when a ball-carrier is in traffic)?
A: They are great, plain & simple. Don't happen in unrealistic situations either from my experiences with it.
Q: Is the offensive line and defensive line interaction improved? Is there an occasional bull-rush, and not the traditional, "patty-cake, patty-cake, patty-cake - swim move", instant pressure? Do defensive linemen actually use leverage, and not a "quick" move to get off a block?
A: I definitely saw a really nice bull rush animation once or twice. The OL/DL play is very much a work in progress right now but, as I said, I definitely noticed more varied animations. I'm pretty confident that OL/DL play will be much improved from '11 to '12.
Q: Were there any different commentary/celebrations after the game?
A: There are a LOT of new celebrations throughout the game and also new ones in postgame. At the March event, Greg sat down with Tommy and I and showed us a bunch on the devkit. The USC celebration from the Sizzle vid is an example of one. After a TD, you will get the ESPN wipe to a replay of the score and then it may cut to a scene of the players celebrating. It flows very well and looks great.
Q: How does the ball look? Is there a more realistic look to the trajectory or its physics?
A: In terms of ball physics, the team worked on eliminating the 'pinball' effect of when the ball bounces amongst a group of players and also how it lands and moves on the ground. You shouldn't see the ball flipping around on the ground this year.
Q: Did you guys play each other or were there times when you were facing the CPU? If you were able to play the CPU did you notice any differences in the AI? Did the teams play to their strengths?
A: Something they are working on now, but I can attest to leaving feedback on some aspects to help make the CPU more 'naturally competitive.' The team did work on some of the AI script for NCAA 12, but I'm guessing that happens every year.
Q: If you are playing a team with a tough D is it tough to move the ball?
A: In the tournament last week, I played RynoAid and lost 7-3. He was Oklahoma, I was Alabama. Neither one of us could mount drives against the other's defense. For comparison's sake, last year he defeated me in the tourney 27-14, most notably by running with the QB. That didn't work for either of us against OU/Bama.
Q: Special teams, especially kickoffs and punts -- any improvements you guys noticed?
A: The only real noticeable change to me was that I was ale to use the "directional" punt returns with some success (proportionate to Middle returns). On 11, I always choose Middle Return as the blocking is screwy on the Left and Right returns.
A: Nothing drastic to be honest... they've tuned it and the new ball physics certainly come into play (when the ball hits the ground) but nothing like the overhaul that has been requested in the past.
Q: The one im looking for is MULTIPLE PLAYABLE CAMERA OPTIONS... are there any this year?
A: Unfortunately there aren't multiple nor custom camera angles.
Q: How about run/pass commit and gameplanning--any significant tweaks that jumped out at anyone?
A: Nothing truly significant... I'm sure they tuned both to some degree but nothing earth-shattering. I believe the actual operation is identical to NCAA11 for both.
A: When on offense you can adjust your defensive game-plan, press LB/RB (IIRC) and it switches. A small, but welcome improvement. Users shouldn't forget to set their game-plan now as they won't have to wait until going back on offense or defense.
Q: It sounds like the improvements to zone AI will dramatically lessen the effectiveness of things like SG 5 wide and 4 verticals type plays. Is that the case?
A: It definitely will... however a good player on offense can find the holes in the zone (like they should in real life). I think it was very well done. As well, I had good success using the Quarters Normal (I think that's the formation name) where a safety is in the box beside the LB against 5-wide.
A: Obviously still being tweaked but I'm confident it will based on where it's at already.
A: This was the first play I tested and yes it does lessen the effectiveness of verts. There was a big improvement in this area from the first visit to the second visit, I will let others comment on what it was last week as I was unable to attend.
Q: Did you notice any difference in terms of defensive reaction to counter plays? On NCAA '11 they are way over-effective.
A: I can't say one way or another... I didn't look at this specifically.
A: I ran them quite a bit and defended them quite a bit and I didn't notice any running stats that seemed too far off. I think the game has a great chess match balance to it right now. It feels like you're always one or two blocks away from breaking the big one.
A: The dev team acknowledged the counter was over effective last year and did work to improve the defensive reation to the play. For me it felt good, as on offense you still had the ability to break a big one, but I did not feel helpless on defense.
Q: To what extent did you see a more fully developed running game from the shotgun? In other words, do more playbooks have non-finesse HB runs, such as dive and power plays? In a similar vein, the QB wrap plays from last year were basically broken. Do these work effectively now?
A: There are more plays to work with out of the shotgun run game but some of the shotgun formations are still missing attacks at all of the various gaps. Essentially it's better but wouldn't call it case closed. I didn't run any but in talking with Anthony White, he did specifically mention that they worked on QB Wraps.
A: Def. noticed more shotgun & pistol runs like you described. QB Wrap & Shotgun HB Counter blocking has been redone. Had a real nice 12 yd gain on a Shotgun HB Counter & the Wrap blocking looked improved. I only ran it twice, once for no gain & once for 2 yds but it felt realistic when it happened, no more instant pressure for a loss.
A: Anthony (play designer) and I sat down and talked for a few hours about blocking schemes and the shotgun running game, everything from Auburn's power run game to Oregon's Veer and Midline option from the gun. He was going to work to get a lot of plays and blocking schemes in but am unsure if he has yet, I'll leave it up to the guys that were there recently.
Q: Bubble screens on NCAA '11 did not really work all that well because of poor blocking AI and some odd animations that seemed to throw off the timing of the play. Do these work better now?
A: Another one that I didn't really run that much of... too hard to break out of the habit of the same playcalling from NCAA11. I do know that they are working on better WR blocking out of screens but a lot of that was going to happen after we left last week.
A: More tweaks made to this aspect rather than dramatic changes though I know that they'd like to do more. I will say that the tweaks definitely had an impact as I was able to have some success with WR screens in general.
A: This is another area I spoke with Anthony at length about and it seemed to be better when I was there, but was unsure if this was due to the new defenses or blocking logic.
Q: Is play action fixed so that it does not result in a disproportionate number of sacks? Similarly, is the defense able to respond/recognize play action effectively?
A: Yes... they made sure to mention to us in January that they would be addressing it. Essentially the problem with NCAA11 and the past was that the DL didn't react at the possibility of the run... instead they just had the reaction to get to the QB. This year though, the DL will have to pause to figure out whether it's a run or a pass, and then react. I didn't call a lot of playaction while I was there but the ones I did, it certainly seemed to work better while not giving the offense a big advantage.
PA Blocking is fixed & more realistic. As for how the defense reacts to it, I can't say anything definite however I felt like the production I got from PA was realistic.
Q: In terms of pass rush, did you see any significant changes in terms of DEs/OLBs getting better speed pressure off the edge and/or containing mobile QBs? Have there been any changes to how "QB contain" works? What about DTs? Do dominant DTs get penetration against both the run and the pass?
A: Honestly the DTs were overpowered last week, particularly in the run game so I couldn't give a fair estimate of them... it's part of tuning that I'm sure they'll address before they ship it. As for the others, I don't think there were any significant strides in edge pressure other than the fact that since there is less suction, the rushers do have more opportunity to get around the edge; that said, there aren't any new animations (that I saw) to provide a true speed rush DE.
A: I was able to generate pressure from a 4 man rush and they did have the ability to get off blocks in order to maintain containment. No changes to QB contain that I remember. As for DT's I remember seeing a replay where a DT pushed to blockers into the backfield colapsing the pocket but I did not specifically look for it.
Q: Generally speaking, how would you compare the pass rush in '12 to '11. I don't just mean in terms of sacks generated, but do you see a more realistic pocket? Do you see more realistic amounts of time in the pocket to pass against a 4 man pass rush? On NCAA '11 it basically felt like you either had all day or no time at all, and the real problem is that there weren't enough instances where the offense did not get sacked but was forced to throw it in under 4 seconds. To what extent is that still the case?
Q: I don't know if this counts as a non-play now feature, but do we have the Madden QB ratings yet? Similarly, NCAA QBs have been way too accurate for years, which has contributed to zones being under-effective and spread offenses being too hard to stop. To what extent is that the case this year (on default sliders)? Will there finally be a premium on pocket passers? Are there more significant penalties for throwing off-balance or on the run?
A: No new QB ratings. Regarding QB accuracy, I think it's better but at the same time it's hard to gauge while also adjusting to the new zone defenses.
Q: Any changes to the way run/pass commit work?
A: No changes
Q: Do dominant nose-tackles, particularly in a 3-4 defense, actually command a double team, particularly in the run game?
A: As mentioned before, the DTs were overpowered while we were there last week. I'm not aware of any code-based changes to account for focusing on double teaming them.
Q: Ever since NCAA '09, the OL has basically been psychic, in that they know who is blitzing and who is dropping back into coverage based on pre-snap assignments. This tends to make overload blitzes much less effective than they should be, and actually opens up some potential exploits with "fake blitzing." One of the most frustrating things about pass defense on NCAA '11 is drawing up a zone blitz, and the having the OT on the complete opposite side of the play peel back at the snap of the ball to pick up an overload blitz to the other side. Does this still happen on NCAA '12?
A: Another thing that I didn't really focus on... I do think it's better but to what degree I couldn't tell you. I do know that in January we made sure to mention issues with blitzes in the past, particularly the OL knowing a blitz is coming including mentioning the exploit of hot-routing a DB to blitz and then manually controlling him. Whether or not they were able to fix that, I'm not sure.
A: I did notice something that gave me some hope for this, I saw more sacks from blitzing LBs rather than DTs. Now in the past I feel like it was th opposite way around because, like you said, the OL knew they were coming and would pick them up. Now my only concern was that the OL shouldn't let the inside man come free all of the time & that was in my feedback. They assured my that is all still being tweaked so we'll see what happens.
A: This was the first thing I brought up with the devs and one of the first things I tested on defense and I felt as though I was able to confuse the blocking scheme and generate pressure with zone blitzes, this combined with pattern reading zone coverages allows for some exotic pressures.
Q: Many of the triple option and read option plays on NCAA '11 did not work as well as they should have because the double team logic often struggled to correctly identify players at the second level to block. This was especially an issue when the defense blitzed linebackers in the gaps between offensive linemen. Is this issue improved in any way on NCAA '12?
A: I will say that run blocking is better and I believe Oneback discussed this with them but I don't think it's something that they fully corrected. I can't be certain either way though.
A: I was able to run the zone read however I spent a good hour with Anthony just talking about the zone read, I will let others comment on if there has been any improvement from the early visits.
Q: Suppose my opponent keeps throwing the same route over and over. For instance, let's say that he keeps coming out and throwing the slant pattern to the right side on 3rd and short. Does the defense ever react to this? Is there any mechanism for me to manually tell a defender to shade to a particular side?
A: Not that I'm aware of.
A: The answer is yes and no, the defense called will determine the effectiveness of the offensive play, however again with improved coverages you are able to take things away.
Q: Any adjustments to hot routes on offense or defense?
A: Not that I'm aware of.
A: This is another thing I spent time talking about and how un realistic it is to be able to change routes for each individual play on offense, at the line of scrimmage offenses are able to change concepts which happens most notibly in the quick passing game depending on the leverage of the key defenders. I'll let others comment on if this has changed from the times I attended.
Q: Any changes to the kicking game? Will FGs be any more difficult to make than they have in the past?
A: They seemed relatively the same from last year. Granted I'm a guy that hits 99% of all of my FGs so I may be a bad one to ask but I still had no trouble hitting FGs.
A: Not that I remember, other than the fact you won't be able to attempt as many due to better defense.
Q: One of the things that is frustrating about run defense on NCAA '11 is that defenders really have no concept of gap responsibility. Essentially, at the snap of the ball everybody moves to try and tackle the ballcarrier, without any respect to the gap/hole they are responsible to fill. This is primarily an issue for DL and LBs. Do we see any changes in this respect? Will linebackers who are not assigned to blitz be more effective at stepping up and plugging holes when they recognize the play?
A: I want to say it's better but not leaps and bounds. I do know that it was one of the things that we talked with them while we were there but I don't believe it was something they were able to fully implement for this year.
Q: is there really a difference in crowd reactions? Gschwendt, did you get to play an Ark State home game and notice what that crowd was like?
A: Yeah... there definitely seems to be a difference. The way they captured the audio for each is that they went to varying sized games (Florida, FAU, high school, and more) to gather audio for the various sizes of crowds & stadiums. So... when you play at a big stadium, you'll hear the crowd react as though it's a large attendance.
Q: did they take out pro-tak all together or is it still in with the new tackle engine. Thanks for taking your time to do this for the community.
A: Pro-tak is still there... remember though that's not just the tackling, it's blocking, etc. There are still "9 man" tackling scrums that we saw last year. The new tackling mechanics though build on it differently.
Q: Stat Overlays are there more of them and are they more frequent in which they appear?
A: Yes... they're not timed or anything but now instead of being told "show overlay at 100yds", they're instead told to show up at more random times. An example might be that after 12 carries, you'll see your HBs stats... he might have 10 yards, he might have 70 yards. It's not a perfect system but certainly much improved in that regard. (FYI 12 is just a random number I threw out there)
Q: Secondary color armbands/sleeves?
A: Player editing isn't in play-now games but I want to say the answer is no.
Q: Playcard on the belt?
A: Again, can't say for certain but I don't believe you'll see that.
Q: How were the stiff arms in the game? They have basically been a non factor for the last few years and whenever I try them, they never really work. Any word on that?
A: Stiff arms work on 11, just they have to be "anticipated". You have to press the button a step or two before you need it. I actually think they are more realistic in 11 than they were last gen when you could pull it off after contact. I don't believe there was any change (at least not that I noticed) in 12,
A: I don't know about any change in timing/mechanics but I can say that there are new animations for the stiff arm (and other moves) that allow them to trigger at varying speeds. So on one play, you might be able to shrug him off quickly and keep your momentum whereas the next, you'll take a fraction longer and thus slow down allowing the defenders to swarm in.
A: Yeah with the new tackling engine, you're going to see different results when you're trying to use the stiff arm.
Q: Do WR's still get the "insta-boost" animation on a thought to be overthrown pass?
A: Not that I noticed, and like I said above, the diving catch animations are user triggered so you can lay out for balls that are overthrown.
A: The receiver warping to make a catch is significantly improved IMO... it falls in the same category as warping to make a tackle or suction blocking. Defenders should fall in that same category. I can say that I don't remember seeing either happen last week, though I wasn't specifically watching for that.
Q: Maybe you guys missed it or just cannot answer, but are custom playbooks allowed online or in OD's?
A: We can officially confirm that Custom Playbooks are in the game. We can't give any details to them but expect more info in the coming weeks. Additionally, Custom Playbooks are in Madden NFL 12 and they work with your gameplans/GameFlow.
Q: Did anyone try just power running the ball the whole time? How well did it work?
A: I ran with Wisconsin in the tournament that we had... I had fairly good success running inside and outside the tackles.
Q: Can you comment on the number of plays from a given defensive formation? If so, how many plays did you notice the 3-4 Predator had? Did it have any of the new zone coverages/zone blitz plays?
A: I couldn't tell you on the number of plays... I would say each of the new formations seemed to be fleshed out rather well. I never ran the 3-4 so I'm not sure on the Predator look specifically but I found a really good mix of new zones, man, and blitzes.
Q: Did the play now cutscenes include any shots of Coaches?
A: Yes... though you see them in the videos that EA put out (and also in the AZ State photo I took).
Q: Also, when the computer breaks into the open field, do they still cover up the ball and get caught from behind?
A: I believe that issue is fixed... fairly sure that was a bug that wasn't ever fixed in NCAA 11. I didn't test for it specifically but I don't remember seeing it.
Q: you said there was a difference in crowd noise depending on where you play. but are there different Crescendos and reactions to different happenings? a break away run at home or on the road etc. ?
A: Yes... great question. I definitely saw situations where my player would find a big hole with lots of field in front of him. The crowd almost seemed to anticipate this and started roaring about the time I hit that hole. They definitely amp up much better at anticipating a big play rather than reacting to a big play.
A: There would be times where I would have the sound down to a reasonable level since there are about 12 other games going on at the same time, and even at a low volume level, I was able to catch a spike in crowd reaction on a big play. Then when you listen to it with headphones on....holy cow.
A: Yes. Crowd responses are much better in 12. As a whole, the sounds are a nice upgrade from 11. Drum lines, PA guy saying, "Penn State FIRST DOWN" etc. Sound will play a big part in atmosphere and immersion in 12, IMO.
Q: What about this play? Is it late coverage by the FS or does he show before the snap of the ball? Same as above, does the strong side LB move to the outside of the DE to blitz or does he blitz from his initial position? http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/...7e40af51_z.jpg
A: Yeah, that's the play I sent in & like I said, it worked to perfection on 3rd and long (50 yd pick 6). The Red just indicated that that safety is manned up on the CB. No pre-snap movement that I noted when I checked.
Q: what is meant by user triggered? you just hit the user catch button and the animation happens relative to where ball is going or you have to hit the dive button or -triangle- or what ever ?
A: You can hit the Dive button ( :360x: or :ps3sq: ) and it will dive for the ball, wont always make the catch but they will at least lay out to try to get it.
Q: Oh yeah, and on replays, can you see the WHOLE replay this time? Not sure if y'all played it on PS3 but I remember that being an issue.
A: I honestly am not sure... I know it was a pain in the ass as well and meant to check it but in my time with the game, I never actually thought to do it. I will say though that in January I made sure to make a big stink about it. As well, the TD celebrations are a bit different in that they're automatically triggered (instead of waiting on you to run around like a chicken with your head cut off). That might help or hurt just because in NCAA11, if you didn't celebrate (and instead just hit X), in general you would see the entire replay.
Q: Do that athletic trainers actually wear their team colors this time and not random colored shirts?
A: I think they are still random colored.
Q: do uniforms still get dirty?
A: Uniform degradation looks great.
A: Uniforms still get dirty.
Q: did you play any fog games - how did they look ?
A: Fog games really look fantastic, especially at night.
A: Fog game look sweet, especially at night.
Q: did anyone use Nebraska or Utah in a conference game? Did the announcers mention the conference change for those teams ?
A: Used Nebraska but didn't notice the answer to your question. Wasn't listening for it though so take that fwiw.
A: I used Nebraska in a conference game, but don't recall the announcers mentioning the change....but I didn't have the sound fully up most of the time with so many people playing at the same time.
Q: Any changes in presentation to teams without any "cool" pre-game entrances. I.e. Duke?
A: I think they added a handful of new generic entrances and also on all team entrances, they added more players to them. Not sure the count but last year I think it was capped at 11... this year is definitely better in that regard.
Q: Is Season Showdown still in the game???
A: Only in the same way that it was in NCAA 11.
Q: To those that played the game, was the 3D grass still there during gameplay? Some people are speculating it's still 2D (or vintage "carpet" field) during gameplay and only 3D during the cutscenes and what not.
A: honestly didn't focus on it while I was there but I want to say that there was fairly significant improvement during gameplay. However, where it makes a drastic difference is during replays and cut-scenes.
A: The grass looks great. Honestly, the first thing I noticed was how much of a visual upgrade it is.
A: The grass is definitely 3d in game, it does have an affect too but like Tommy said, it's most dramatic in screenshots.
Q: Are all of the recently announced new uniforms available? (Arizona State, Washington State, Maryland, & TCU)
A: I'm sure everyone saw the screenshots we had of Arkansas State and Arizona State's new uniforms and Madden Matrix's screenshot of Maryland's new uniforms. I also wanted to mention that Washington State's new uniforms were in the game... though the Gray on Gray helmet was missing when we looked for it. One team that was missing their new uniforms was TCU... they had the Rose Bowl helmet but didn't have their new uniforms nor new "no frog" helmet.
Q: Please push for a slider for zone vs. man coverage. It would help with SO many complaints if people felt zone was over powered - at least offline.
A: Rudy, I spoke with the devs about this one personally. They are aware that it is on the community's radar.
Q: Did anyone play against a cpu Oregon team? Were they easy to shut down or were they actually tough to stop on offense? The cpu spread option game and scrambling QB needed a ton of work. Please tell me that drastic improvements have taken place. So many good things listed but this is a crucial area to really capture college football properly.
A: I didn't, but it is something I've mentioned in my feedback as needing an upgrade from 11.
A: I talked with the devs at length about CPU offensive execution (especially spread offenses) however for those of us hoping for a dramatic overhaul I'm afraid it was not a focus this year. Now I did have a couple CPU QBs take off on me for some success so I remain hopeful that tuning can help with it some. The CPU run game was better to me though.
Q: Were there any new features/changes to features that introduced anything that was overpowered as far as gameplay was concerned? I'm thinking about run commit on NCAA '10, or impact players on NCAA '06.
A: No nothing stood out to me as overpowered as far as the new defense, new enhanced tackling engine, etc... As we said before, we felt that the DTs were overpowered some, especially against the run but that's a matter of fine-tuning. I actually felt like the game was a very good balance of defense and offense. The defense could dominate the game but mess up & that could change really quickly. It had a very nice chess game feel to it IMO, especially user vs user.
Q: How are spread offenses this year? With the new blocking techniques can we now efficiently run a legitimate spread offense?
A: I believe that you will be able to, especially once the DTs are tuned correctly. The new way players interact & the lack of suction tackling allows you to get through smaller holes in the line which is what a good deal of the issue with shotgun running in '11 was.
Q: Regarding entrances, do all teams walk out of a locker room? Or just teams that have a tradition in the locker room?
A: I think it's mostly just bigger schools... didn't go looking for it but the handful I saw were only from the bigger schools.
Q: pre-snap = can you still only do one man in motion ? anyone try ?
A: Pretty sure the answer to this is yes, I didn't try to send more than one but I don't remember anything that would lead me to believe that's changed.
Q: Will we see injuries to non-skill position players?
A: I can tell you that the devs are aware of my feelings about the frequency of injuries to O-linemen. I think they need to happen more often. I'm still not certain it's been addressed, but I know Brian had a Center get hurt. When I was on my first trip, in January, I was assured that the "hey, I didn't even know he got hurt" of 11 will be gone in 12. This seems to be true, I don't recall any injuries that weren't conveyed to me somehow.
Q: With momentum added into the tackling engine, can you tell a significant difference in larger, bruising backs as opposed to small scat backs? Also, will delayed blitzes make it back into the game?
A: If you take the wrong angle as a corner or safety on a bigger WR or RB, that momentum will kill you and all you will end up doing is pushing the guy rather than tackling him or even slowing his momentum.
Q: what about penalties? did anyone get a late hit out of bounds, or taunting, or illegal touching penalyt? (did anyone ask about it?)
A: There are no new penalties. I have let the devs know that more (and more variety) are wanted.
Q: Is there a noticeable difference from the elite defense's compared to say average or below average?
A: Definitely. The new system makes a defense's ability to "RUN TO THE BALLLLL!" a lot more important.
Q: Was Auburn's "War Eagle" flight in the pregame?
A: Yep. We saw Auburn's War Eagle as part of their entrance, however it was still a work-in-progress when we saw it so they didn't really want us to capture any images of it.
Q: One thing that has been bugging me. How do you become an EA Gamechanger?
A:
http://insideblog.easports.com/archi...ply-today.aspx
Q: In general, how long were intros?
A: In general, they varied . It really depends on what school you're playing as and how much of their "tradition" that the developers have gotten into the game for this year. I played games as some of the lower-tier schools and they had generic entrances that were a little bit longer than last year's generics. I also played as a team like Auburn who had about 6-7 "separate" cut-scenes in their entrance before the team even got on the field. When you get the game, it'll be well worth your time to play as many games with as many different schools as you can just to see the new "traditions" incorporated this year.
A: They all seemed longer... as Paakaa mentioned, the generic ones are a little bit longer whereas the more authentic ones are quite a bit longer.
Q: Let's say I actually was a VA Tech and wanted to do the Enter the Sandman thing. Was their intro long enough to just put the song on and hit go or would I have to so some editing to make it work?
A: Actually cdj & I tested this in March on the PS3 since we each had an external drive with sound files. I think you could probably just start it and it would play fine, however, to get the true impact of the team running out right as the song intro amps up, you would probably have to do some editing. If you watch our most recent podcast video, I created a mock-up using NCAA11's intro and overlayed the music to it. I had to do a fair amount of trial & error to get it to work just right.
Q: can you tell me if defensive matchups are in (like setting your #1 corner to always line up against his #1 wr, #3 corner on #4 receiver, etc)?
A: I didn't see that option. However in January we did express that we REALLY want to get that in the game and while they said they didn't think they'd be able to get it in this year, it's something they can look to in the future. That said though, they did say in the short term they could provide us with a defensive package sub that put your #1 CB in the slot so if a guy is keeping his best WR in the slot the whole game, you can always use that. I didn't check to see if it made it in though.
Q: are dreads the only kind of hair style? are there different lengths as well? (sorry if that was already asked)
A: Long dreads are the only hair styles I saw.
Q: OK Steelerfan, you played with PSU what was the entrance like for PSU? Was it just running out of the tunnel or were there band and cheerleaders leading them out?
A: It was pretty generic, IIRC. I did play with them quite a bit, but mostly on the road so I could see more stadiums etc.
Q: Did any of you guys play with any lower tier schools? If you did could you tell us about their entrances? Like c-USA schools or Mac schools. How much attention did the smaller schools get?
A: I played about a half of Ohio at Akron to see the Zips' new stadium. I don't recall anything standing out about their entrance.
Q: I have a question about the new Zone defense... say you have a WR run a 5 yard hitch and there's a defender covering him in the zone... does the WR then move left or right and try to find an open space or does he just stand there? Thanks for any input.
A: I'm pretty sure he stands pat just like they have been. Especially if the QB is in the pocket. Now if he scrambles, that might be a different story....I don't remember 100% for sure.
Q: During entrances do you see the visiting team enter the field first ala last gen? I hate only seeing one team enter when I am the visiting team and don't get to see my own guys walk onto the opposition field.
A: Yep... the visiting team does in fact walk out into the stadium. It's a small but nice touch.
Q: Do any of the players have their helmets off or are the dreads simply "tacked" onto the helmets? I remember Adam saying last year that NCAA players had no actual heads to attach dreads.
A: No helmets off... best I can tell the dreads are simply "tacked" on as you mentioned.
Q: I have seen a shot where the ASU player looks to be warming up before the game. Have players warming up on the field been returned to the pre-game???
A: Yep... there are a fair amount of new cutscenes pre-game and the stretching/warm-up is part of that. A nice little touch.
Q: Just wanted if know you community day members only played Play Now games, or did you actually get to play dynasty or road to glory games? I would like to know if there is maybe some new commentary for those, like how a team has been doing, or player, throughout the season. Maybe some dynamic stuff. You probably can't talk about it, but just hoping.
A: We played those modes and will be able to elaborate when EA SPORTS discloses any changes made to those modes!
A: Let's just say we covered EVERYTHING in the past four months....we just can't say what we covered yet
Q: I just have couple quick questions and yes I know you're not allowed to discuss Dynasty mode (offline or online), but can you wet my appetite a little bit anyways. What would you rate the changes or improvements to presentation, gameplay, and Dynasty mode on a scale of 1 to 10? From what I am hearing so far it seems that they put a great deal of effort into presentation and good amount into gameplay so I'm just wondering if they put equal effort into Dynasty improvements without going into any detail just a number to go by to get me even more excited for NCAA 12.
A: I will say that there are some noticeable Dynasty Mode improvements as well. Honestly, I don't want to say too much or the wrong thing that may lead people down the wrong path or get hopes too high or too low. It will be a fun ride to see community reaction once all game features and released and discussed.
Q: Anyone get a chance to mess with the interception slider? Sounds like int #s were pretty high over the days. Some of that was due to zone and general Defense improvements, but did anyone try to tweak for more knockdowns? If so, is there a change in the way the db's attack the ball from an animation standpoint, or do they just simply go for the pick and drop more of them?
A: I didn't feel there were too many picks at all. JB might feel differently but that's because he likes to throw into double coverage!
Q: Does the CPU still call plays based on what play you choose (aka psychic playcalling where they know what play you choose)? For example, you come out in 4 WR Shotgun Speed Option and the CPU comes out in a 3-4 defense even though you've been doing nothing but throwing the ball out of that formation for a good 5-7 plays.
A: In terms of NCAA '12, like others have guessed, I'm not sure what we can and can't say on this.
In terms of the actual question itself, as it relates to NCAA '11, it's important to address the whole concept of 'psychic playcalling'. I won't deny it appears to exist, because I've seen the same thing you have -- call Gun Spread Flex HB Draw -- hey, look, a 3-4 defense! The problem with the psychic playcalling theory is that we only notice it when it appears psychic. I've seen plenty of times when I call Gun Spread Flex and call a pass play, and the defense comes out in a 3-4. It's not that defense is psychic, at least that doesn't explain everything, there's some larger issue at work.
Q: One question... I haven't read much on user vs CPU games. Did you guys get any time vs the cpu? Just wondering if the cpu is improved. I assume since zone is better that cpu D will be better at least. Is there any further info you can provide? How was CPU offense?
A: I played almost exclusively vs. CPU--save for the annual Community Event tournament--and I was playing 5 minute quarters on All-American difficulty with default sliders. I'll say that the CPU definitely puts up a better fight on defense; zone defense improvements--while I can understand why people are playing it as a "wait and see for myself" situation--are legitimate and definitely make you think harder about the plays you call when you have the ball.
CPU offense puts up a pretty good fight as well. Again, the game was a "Work in Progress" as we played it and defensive line play was perhaps a little too successful against the CPU. That said, the build of the game was being tweaked daily and we got that feedback up to the guys programming the game, so it should be a better balance when you play defense against the CPU as well once the game is finally released.
Q: are you guys done visiting ea or will they continue to bring you guys in, up until the game goes final?
A: According to Community Manager Justin Dewiel in his blog at the NCAA Football 12 title site, "All 16 members will be invited back into the studio in May to give one final pass at the game. That means another 30 hours of hands on time for each guy."
Q: With the new route reaction defense, did you notice good and bad Trail coverage technique by db's and lb's during man to man defense?
A: I'm not sure if it's technique or ratings, but with the removal of psychic Man, there are variations.
Q: No serious overhaul to Special teams, but with any new ball trajectory/physics, did anyone play in difficult weather conditions to see if field goals felt different? Similarly do deep passes become more interesting in these conditions?
A: I played one snow game, but I didn't notice anything about ball trajectory/physics that was different from good weather games. I did notice receivers slipping out of their cuts more though. I threw a pick on one occasion because my WR fell down.
Q: Are there any other new back-of-the-endzone/middle-of-the-field/sideline catch animations that will vary the wow factor in the passing game? Also, do the dive animations "have to" be triggered by the user, or will the cpu occasionally go and make a play for you? Are ratings a factor there?
A: There are a lot of new catch animations for full speed catches and drops. I don't think they have to be triggered every time.
Q: Is Gametrack something that only pops up early 3rd qtr or more throughout the game like 2k11 has implemented? Obviously can't talk about dynasty in that regard (and I'm hoping it is in there like that), but just generally will it pop up more often for us throughout the game?
A: I wasn't able to put my finger on when it happens, but I'm almost certain there were other Game Track scenarios besides the start of the 2nd half.
A: There's GameTrack and also montages. GameTrack definitively occurs at the start of the third quarter (after KO), montages occur after a standout player/team performance. Did you guys notice the GameTrack wipe on the screen? I didn't see any montages last week (guess no one had a great performance ) so I don't know if all montages are labeled with 'GameTrack.'
Q: Anyone notice any PI/Roughing penalties?
A: Yes. In January, I talked to one of the devs about PI and he said it should get better because of the new collision system. I saw a couple last week. Also, Roughing the Passer is back. I saw it several times, and I believe I had only bumped the slider to 55.
Q: are deep passes less balloon like as well ?
A: I didn't notice a problem with deep passes ballooning. I was able to put touch on the ball. I ended up saving one of my replays to show the devs and ask if they had done work on ball trajectory. I was impressed with some of the results.
Q: were there a lot of tackling animations or did it get a little repetitive with the ones you are familiar with from NCAA 11 ?
A: When I was there I was amazed with the amount of new animations they had in the game, especially in January. From tackle animations to a stumbling catch animation, diving catches, dropped catches, etc. There were a lot of new animations added to the game.
A: Like Oneback said, there are just a lot of new animations added. In the time I played, I never saw anything I thought were extremely repetitive. Granted, that may change once we all log 100+ hours.
Q: Not sure if any one of you guys played with Oregon but I wanted to know if the unis they wore from the Nat'l Championship game are in the game?
A: I think they were in last year's game (or close enough), but I don't think they added in the yellow socks and those shoes. I skimmed through UO's unis quickly (I knew we'd get some Oregon uniform questions!) and didn't see them. I'm not sure if all uni's were added in though.
Q: any new running animations (jukes/spins) or new running styles?
A: The devs told us that they've added some new running styles like they did last year.
Q: any changes to the locomotion system?
A: I don't think we were told of any specific changes to Locomotion, but I'm guessing they made some changes under the hood. Personally speaking, I felt like I could control my RB more (tighter), but it didn't mean I could pull off unreal moves though. It just made it easier to cut back towards holes at times.
