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One slider I feel that could make a huge impact is the Player Min Speed Threshold. This slider, "raises or lowers the minimum actual in-game speed for players. A low setting will create the greatest speed difference between the slowest and fastest players in the game; a higher setting will narrow the disparity between slow and fast players" as per EA. This slider is located here:
Main Menu > Settings > House Rules > Gameplay Options > Player Min Speed Threshold
I call it the NCAA09 WOGP slider.
I'm afraid to ask...what is the WOGP slider?
I plan on playing some Exhibition games on different skill levels to determine how much of an impact it can make. This may be "The Slider" to adjust to fine tune the game to our liking. In theory, the slower the setting should provide more disparity between the elite teams and the bottom feeders. It will also help showcase teams and players with speed and will allow them to make a bigger difference (like real life!). My first test will be Army (me) vs. Alabama (CPU) on Varsity skill level, 8 minute quarters, default sliders, with Player Min Speed Threshold (or PMST) set to 40 (default is 50).
Teams: Army (me) vs. Alabama (CPU)
Location: Army
Offensive Playbooks: Army and Alabama
Defensive Playbooks: 4-2-5 and Alabama
Skill Level: Varsity (first full game out of the box)
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Sliders: Default except for PMST (40)
Stats (Army / Alabama):
Score: 34 / 15
First Downs: 15 / 15
Total Offense: 314 / 357
Rushes-Yards-TD: 36-80-3 / 21-114-1
Comp-Att-TD: 12-21-0 / 12-28-1
Passing Yards: 234 / 243
3rd Down Conversion: 6-13 (46%) / 7-11 (63%)
4th Down Conversion: 1-1 (100%) / 0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conv: 0-0 (0%) / 1-1 (100%)
Red Zone-TD-FG: 4-3-1 (100%) / 3-1-0 (33%)
Turnovers: 0 / 4
Fumbles Lost: 0 / 0
Intercepted: 0 / 4
PR Yards: 14 / -1
KR Yards: 56 / 134
Total Yards: 384 / 490
Punts-Average: 4-31.5 / 4-37.8
Penalties-Yards: 0-0 / 2-15
T.O.P: 23:59 / 12:56
Sacks: 1 / 2
Definitely a new breed of football. I didn't have any expectations going in since this was my first full game out of the box. All I wanted to do was play smart, limit mistakes, and grind the clock a little bit. I ended up winning the game, but I felt challenged the entire time. The score really doesn't indicate how close this game was. Turnovers we key to me winning. I got two hard earned interceptions inside my red zone to turn Alabama away from a couple of scoring opportunities. The other two interceptions were CPU bonehead mistakes. The CPU had a beautiful 30+ yard pass for a TD (a diving one at that) over two defenders that was wiped out due to a holding penalty. On the other hand, I did fumble once (I recovered) and had at least three passes that could have been picked off. Without the turnovers...dare I say it...I would've lost on Varsity difficulty for the first time ever. Alabama was noticeably better and faster than Army. After the 1st quarter, I went pretty conservatively defensively just to try to keep them in front of me. If I blitzed and didn't get pressure, they would get a big play. On to the next test...
Teams: Army (me) vs. Alabama (CPU)
Location: Alabama
Offensive Playbooks: Army and Alabama
Defensive Playbooks: 4-2-5 and Alabama
Skill Level: Varsity
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Sliders: Default except for PMST (40)
Stats (Army / Alabama):
Score: 35 / 28
First Downs: 18 / 12
Total Offense: 305 / 312
Rushes-Yards-TD: 32-121-2 / 24-67-2
Comp-Att-TD: 13-23-0 / 15-25-2
Passing Yards: 184 / 245
3rd Down Conversion: 4-10 (40%) / 2-7 (28%)
4th Down Conversion: 0-0 (0%) / 0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conv: 1-1 (100%) / 0-0 (0%)
Red Zone-TD-FG: 4-2-2 (100%) / 2-2-0 (100%)
Turnovers: 1 / 2
Fumbles Lost: 1 / 1
Intercepted: 0 / 1
PR Yards: 0 / 30
KR Yards: 79 / 131
Total Yards: 384 / 473
Punts-Average: 4-42.0 / 4-34.8
Penalties-Yards: 1-6 / 1-5
T.O.P: 22:49 / 14:41
Sacks: 2 / 2
For my second game, I used the same philosophy from game #1 - play smart, limit mistakes, and grind the clock a little bit. Going in, I felt like I could lose the game being that 1) I got a little lucky the first time at Army and 2) The game was played at Alabama with home-field advantage in full effect. Sure enough, this one was one hell of a nail biter. I was ahead by a point mid-way through the 4th quarter, but my offense stalled and I was forced to punt. On Alabama's next series, they went no-huddle leaving me a little out of my of comfort zone. Next thing I know, I give up a huge pass down the sidelines putting Alabama up 28-27 with 3:30 to play. I proceeded to march down the field, score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to put me up by 7 with 0:23 left and then managed to hang on. Again, I was really tested, but never felt cheated or abused by the CPU which is an awesome feeling. However, I should be getting these results from playing an equal team to Alabama. Army, in no way, shape or form, should not be able to compete with Alabama. I may be able to gain a few yards, even possibly score a touchdown, but never outright win - let alone two games in a row. More testing to come...
Changed PMST to (30)...
Teams: Army (me) vs. Alabama (CPU)
Location: Army
Offensive Playbooks: Army and Alabama
Defensive Playbooks: 4-2-5 and Alabama
Skill Level: Varsity
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Sliders: Default except for PMST (30)
Stats (Army / Alabama):
Score: 35 / 28
First Downs: 12 / 19
Total Offense: 322 / 330
Rushes-Yards-TD: 38-104-3 / 29-105-1
Comp-Att-TD: 13-16-2 / 9-19-2
Passing Yards: 218 / 205
3rd Down Conversion: 3-9 (33%) / 2-9 (22%)
4th Down Conversion: 0-1 (0%) / 0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conv: 0-0 (0%) / 1-1 (100%)
Red Zone-TD-FG: 5-4-0 (80%) / 2-1-1 (100%)
Turnovers: 2 / 3
Fumbles Lost: 2 / 2
Intercepted: 0 / 1
PR Yards: 6 / 9
KR Yards: 99 / 114
Total Yards: 427 / 453
Punts-Average: 4-42.0 / 4-37.5
Penalties-Yards: 1-5 / 1-14
T.O.P: 23:41 / 14:48
Sacks: 0 / 2
For my third game, I used the same blueprint from before. I didn't know what to expect with a bigger speed discrepancy, but saw no difference from previous testing. At one point, I was ahead 28-10 and was feeling a laugher coming on. However, I got my first taste of the CPU making miracle plays to bring them back into the football game. Fumbles, multiple broken tackles, awesome throws into tight spots - the whole enchilada. I managed to keep them at arms length and won the game, but some of the cheapness returned. It helps that I'm learning Army's playbook and I have a good grasp of what Alabama likes to do, but I should still be getting my ass whipped routinely. I could play a perfect game and should still lose by 14+ points. I had a glimmer of hope early on as I was forced to punt the first three times I had the football, but then the floodgates opened and I didn't punt again until the 4th quarter. I think next time I'll dig deeper into PMST and take it to the bare minimum.
Changed PMST to (0)...
Teams: Army (me) vs. Alabama (CPU)
Location: Alabama
Offensive Playbooks: Army and Alabama
Defensive Playbooks: 4-2-5 and Alabama
Skill Level: Varsity
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Sliders: Default except for PMST (0), changed game speed to "Slow", changed penalty sliders (All set to 100 except for "Holding", "Facemask", and "Clipping" set to 55), and tweaked KPW to 35 and KAC to 15.
Stats (Army / Alabama):
Score: 31 / 14
First Downs: 16 / 13
Total Offense: 366 / 372
Rushes-Yards-TD: 33-98-0 / 19-16-1
Comp-Att-TD: 13-23-2 / 16-32-0
Passing Yards: 268 / 356
3rd Down Conversion: 7-12 (58%) / 4-14 (28%)
4th Down Conversion: 0-0 (0%) / 2-2 (100%)
2-Point Conv: 0-0 (0%) / 0-0 (0%)
Red Zone-TD-FG: 4-2-1 (75%) / 3-1-0 (33%)
Turnovers: 1 / 2
Fumbles Lost: 0 / 1
Intercepted: 1 / 1
PR Yards: 2 / 12
KR Yards: 60 / 117
Total Yards: 428 / 501
Punts-Average: 4-40.3 / 3-37.0
Penalties-Yards: 3-25 / 4-60
T.O.P: 21:56 / 14:56
Sacks: 3 / 3
For my fourth game, I tried to be a little more wide-open in terms of offense. I used more downfield passing while maintaining my running game. I noticed no difference in terms of player speed when setting PMST to (0) which should've given me the highest speed differential. I'm beginning to wonder if the slider has any effect at all and if it is broken. The game was close heading into the 4th quarter (I was ahead 10-7). I scored a TD, followed it up with a Fumble Forced and Fumble Recovery for a TD on their next possession, and then got a pressure QB hit turning his errant throw into a pick-6 to go up 31-7 the very next series. I will note that Alabama missed three easy FG's due to my slider tweaking, so the game would've been much closer. I like what I'm getting in terms of offensive production, but these results should be between evenly matched teams - not from one of the worst 1* teams vs. the best 6* team. The penalties were much better, but they were the same penalties that are always called in the history of the NCAA franchise. Last note: Varsity level at default slider settings is fairly easy. If you're looking for a competitive game with a weak team that gives you a chance to win every game, this is the setting for you. Otherwise, the sliders need to be adjusted or a move up in difficulty.
Wide Open GameplayQuote:
Originally Posted by Roy38
Roy, you said you changed PMST to 0 and changed Game Speed to Slow. Those two could both have an effect. "Slow" may even all-but-neutralize the effect of PMST.
It's also worth mentioning that because of Locomotion's changes to the influence of SPD vs ACC, I don't think differences in SPD are going to be effectively noticable. Probably the only way to really test the slider would be in Practice mode ... running 40 yard dashes, effectively.
Personally, I think Game Speed will have an effect on gameplay this year, but PMST will have practically none.
But shouldn't the PMST change the difference in speed where the CPU should have guys running down the field wide open because the defenders don't have enough speed to catch them? Or crossing routes should be more open because the defenders aren't as quick to cover them?Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffHCross
Seems to me pushing PMST to 0, leaving the game speed at normal would result in huge passing plays for the CPU elite team.
Maybe, instead of playing against Alabama, play against a team that's more likely to attack down the field, like Texas.
I wouldn't think changing the game speed would have any effect on player attributes. I think of game speed like using a DVD player - I can advance the movie frame-by-frame or watch it in fast forward. I do agree that locomotion, in particular acceleration, minimizes the effect of overall speed. I assumed PMST would allow for better separation. If my 80 Speed CB with 90 Acceleration is matched up on a WR with 95 Speed and 90 Acceleration, the WR should beat the CB easily and noticeably. However, in my testing, I'm not seeing the difference expected.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffHCross
I'm not sure that's the answer. Alabama did test me deep and over the middle often, but my defenders hung with them frequently. Even when Alabama had a one-on-one matchup with no safety help, my defenders stayed with them stride for stride. If they did catch a deep pass, I was in position to make the tackle. Granted, Alabama doesn't have burners at WR, but they are better than any CB that I could throw at them. I should be extremely uncomfortable running a Cover 0 defense against them and I never felt that way once.Quote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis
From my offensive prospective, I was able to complete a few deep throws of my own. I was getting enough separation to make comfortable throws all over the field. I did generate a few big plays - for instance I ran a play where my B-Back ran a streak down the center of the field. Alabama called a defense to double my outside WR's with both safeties which left my B-Back one-on-one against a LB. He got great separation, I got time in the pocket, made a beautiful throw, and hit him in stride. However, I didn't score as the LB did make up ground and tackled him for a 55 yard gain.
Yes, and no. I can't remember the exact numbers from the Locomotion discussions, but there's a distance between the line of scrimmage and when the players will reach full speed. In normal gameplay, you're not going to have many plays where the players are racing 100% throttle down the field. And certainly you're not going to notice speed differences unless you're controlling them.Quote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis
So, unless you're breaking running plays out into the open often, or running 40 yd dashes in practice, you're not going to see much effect, imo.
Crossing routes would be all about acceleration and agility. Top speed isn't going to have an influence there.Quote:
Or crossing routes should be more open because the defenders aren't as quick to cover them?
Played around with the Min Speed Threshold some on Heisman in practice with WVU as both teams.
Edited Brunetti to have 99 throwing accuracy and power (best case scenario stuff)
Put Tevon Austin (94 spd and 96 acc) in at WR2 against the slowest DB WVU has on the roster (64 ovr FS Darwin Cook with 86 spd and 88 acc) and ran streaks with Austin with no help coverage (one on one coverage).
The throw is always no pressure not lofting it up (just a solid mid throw).
And I'm not noticing ANY difference at all on Heisman. At 50 and at 0, Cook still occasionally gets beat, but never gets absolutely blown away like you think he should with a disparity of 8 points in speed and acceleration.
So, next, I edit Cook to only have 80 speed and acceleration and leave the speed threshold at 0.
Even with this setting, sure, Tevon always beats him (if you take control of him and hit speed burst) but it's still not the drastic difference in speed that you would expect 94/96 and 80/80 to represent.
Leads me to believe that Heisman is giving the CPU unnatural boosts in speed.
Next, I try it on Freshman with the final setup to see if there's any difference.
And I FINALLY see the separation that you would think as it's finally a 5 yard separation or so between them. But it's on FRESHMAN difficulty...
Next I push the pass coverage slider up to 100 to see if there's a difference.
And no, there's no difference between the two, even with the slider all the way up.
Next, I put the speed difference slider back at 50 to see if it's just the difficulty change making the difference.
And it appears to not make a bit of difference at 50. Still beating him by 5 yards of separation on Freshman difficulty.
Next I up it to 100 on the slider to see if there's any difference at all.
And it too doesn't make a difference.
So, from this we've learned two things:
1 - Difficulty causes a DRASTIC change in the abilities of the players on the field.
2 - The speed min/max threshold slider APPEARS to do nothing at the moment.
Sadly, none of that surprises me, mors. Good info to have though.
Additional information:
Tried the last setup (100 CPU Pass Coverage, 100 Min Threshold slider, same players and play setup) but on Varsity, All-American, and Heisman.
Varsity: 4 yards of separation
All-American: 3 yards of separation
Heisman: 2 yards of separation
Conclusion: Difficulty most definitely has a drastic effect on the ability of the player to keep up with faster players.
Good experiment.
The difference between a 4.4 and 4.7 guy at the 40 yard mark is about 11 feet.
Somewhat related and for a laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU_3encGVP4
Did you mean (0) or (100) for Player Min Speed Threshold? Huge difference there - if it's working! In theory, setting PMST to (0) should yield the greatest separation while (100) should tighten them up.Quote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis
Do we dare look at Freshman difficulty and play with sliders (putting on mad scientist hat...) for dynasty purposes? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis