2011 Wish List Tournament - "Best of the Best" Voting
The 2011 NCAA Football Wishlist Community Tournament is now complete. The final step is to now see which winning & top items across all four brackets standout most from the community.
Here is the field:
- Improved OL/DL Interaction
In football, the contest between offensive lineman and defensive lineman is often referred to as “the trenches” essentially stating that like in warfare, this is where a game can be won or lost. Unfortunately that hasn’t really translated to the NCAA Football video game series which has largely had similar OL/DL interaction since last generation, though obviously some improvements have been made here in there.
However, with this item, it would be a near overhaul addressing a sundry of issues including (but not limited to): new/wider variety of animations, more/new DL pass rush moves, add actual bull rush, purer formation of a pocket, added focus on Shotgun run blocking, DL gap assignment, better AI for double-teams in the run game, double teams and 1.5 teams in passing game, more/varied movement including horizontal & vertical movement, chicken-fighting, offensive blockers should “attack” their open field block instead of running to spot and reacting, make ratings more impactful (have higher rated players make a bigger impact on either side of the ball).
Previous Match-ups:
BYE
def. Deeper Playbooks 32-4
def. Proper Defensive Alignment 26-11
def. Better CPU Playcalling & Execution 28-12
- Better CPU Playcalling & Execution
The ultimate goal for CPU competition in NCAA Football is for the CPU logic to match and seem like a human is making the playcall and pre-snap decisions. Among the areas of CPU playcalling and execution the community has expressed the most desire as an area of improvement: Adapting to User Tendencies (over course of game, season, lifetime), Personnel Usage, Ability to Learn (and avoid) Unproductive Plays, Improved Option Offense execution, Aware when transitioning from Wildcat to other formations, CPU tipping blitzes, CPU Timeout logic, CPU pump fake attempts, CPU Coin Toss selection.
Additionally, the CPU would be more aware of how their roster is built and use it accordingly. If they have two highly rated HBs, they would be much more likely to split carries. If they have DBs with poor man coverage skills, they would be less likely to call man defenses. As well, if a QB struggles throughout the game, they would be more aware and ready to pull him and/or adjust playcalling based on that.
Previous Match-ups:
BYE
def. Deeper Gameplay Settings & Sliders 25-9
def. Special Teams Overhaul 26-11
lost to Improved OL/DL Interaction 28-12
- Special Teams Overhaul
In college football, strong special teams have been a staple of numerous programs, such as ‘Beamerball’ at Virginia Tech. A blocked kick can lead to a big play and a shift in momentum. In NCAA Football, special teams lack the big play potential as compared to real life and have received limited improvements over the years.
Potential areas of improvement could include (but not limited to):
- Potential for blocked punts & field goals
- More return formations (reverses, fakes, two-man punt return formation)
- Improved ball physics
- Rugby-style punting
- Swinging gate formations
- New kick meter/interaction
- Potential for horrible kick (shank) on bad attempt, based on rating. Make Accuracy rating factor in.
- Quick/Surprise Onside Kicks (As in Madden NFL, limited to one attempt per game)
- More intelligent coverage & blocking logic on returns
- Realistic kick trajectory (arrow on lowest point kicks longer but should be susceptible to being blocked)
- Pooch punts from scrimmage & FGs
- Improved CPU logic: on FG attempts, punting angles (angling towards corner), etc.
- “Get Away From Ball” button on return attempts
- Kickoff holder on windy days
- Different punt styles: End over end, spiral.
- New/creative fake FG & Punt Plays (EX: LSU ‘over the head’ FG fake, pitch to upback, etc.)
- Special Teams Quick Audibles: Would allow quick change to kick or fake. (Key is no movement to tip off defense on audible.)
- Bad snaps & slips in weather: Kicker attempts to fall on ball, near endzone may kick it out. In weather, may slip on approach. Block likelihood may increase and/or accuracy drops significantly.
Previous Match-ups:
def. More Pre-Play Options 44-7
def. Improved WR/DB Interaction 19-17
lost to Improved OL/DL Interaction 26-11
- Proper Def. Alignment & Assignment
The alignment portion primarily relates to DBs lining up on receivers to where defenders would recognize threats and align on top of them properly. The biggest culprit of this is when using man defense in a 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 formations and the safeties not aligning properly against receivers. However, beginning with NCAA 12, we’ve also seen issues with a 4-3 man defense against a Twins set, one CB won’t come across the formation resulting in a LB covering WR. Additionally, this would incorporate the WR/DB Match-Up feature that Madden currently has, allowing you to assign specific defenders to cover specific receivers all over the field. At the end of the day, this would help ensure that the best defenders are matched up against the best offensive players.
For Assignments, it relates to both gap assignment for defensive players in the box to contain and control their gaps, but also relates to players making reads and adjustments on the fly as a play happens. Currently in NCAA Football, players have no hesitancy... a play happens, they react almost instantly whether the right reaction or not. With these changes, players would at times have a hesitancy to adjust as the play develops, choosing which hole to attack, reading Playaction or not, choosing which pursuit angle to take, etc. This would largely help in the option offense game where even if you read the DE correctly, other players still easily come in to clean up the play.
Previous Match-ups:
def. Additional/Custom Camera Angles 45-6
def. New Animations & Improved Fidelity 22-13
lost to Better CPU Playcalling & Execution 26-11
- Custom Conferences 2.0
One of the more-detailed and well-received features of NCAA Football 12 was the revamped Custom Conferences feature. As is the way with all video game features, there are more improvements and additions the community would like to see to further improve the feature.
Among the community requests:
- Ability to go above 120 teams: The feature currently allows for reorganization, but not for the addition of programs. In real life, UMass, South Alabama, Texas State and UTSA will be joining the FBS ranks but they cannot currently be added without removing an existing program. Being able to add five to ten programs would allow for the “what if” scenarios featuring the aforementioned programs and others, such as Villanova, Georgetown and other TeamBuilder-created squads.
- Dynamic Field Art: When selecting a (new) Conference Championship Game location, the existing field art is brought over. For example, moving or creating a CCG at the Holiday Bowl (Qualcomm Stadium) brings over the Holiday Bowl field art. This would see a conference specific field art for the game.
- Dynamic Conference Uniform Logos: Currently, moving a team will change the conference logo on the field art, but not on team helmets and uniforms. This would either add in the new conference logo or remove the existing (and now out of date) logo.
- Ability to rename, remove, edit entire conferences: While likely an aspect existing conference partners would not support, community members have frequently asked for the ability to rename, remove, or edit (IE: logo) conferences.
- Dynamic Conference Prestige Recruit Pitch Rating in Dynasty Mode
- Ability to edit conference tie-ins for all bowl games
Previous Match-ups:
def. Return of Mini-Games 54-8
def. In-depth Create-a-Play 27-11
def. Practice Mode 2.0 22-10
def. In-game Saves 20-11
- In-Game Saves
- Enhanced Dynasty In-Game Experience
Within Dynasty Mode, many users have repeated the same thought: Their team and experience seems isolated from the college football world and also from fellow users/competitors in Online Dynasties. This item would see news and information from the ‘outside world’ (non-user games) brought into each Dynasty Game and the mode in general to help make each game feel unique.
Among the numerous possibilities:
- Weekly Highlight Show: Perhaps using ESPN’s College Football Live branding, this could recap games of the previous week while also highlighting upcoming match-ups. A similar feature has been featured in 2K Sports’ defunct College Hoops and NFL 2K franchises. (The biggest complaint with 2K being that the highlights were randomly generated from a pool of clips and did not actually occur in games.)
- Dynasty Specific Commentary: Season records, outstanding players, award candidates, coaching match-up, etc.
- Dynasty Banner Overlays and Presentation: Conference standings, BCS Standings, etc.
- Scores and updates from other games: Local programs, rivals, conference foes, BCS Top 10 and Top 25 (if relevant).
- Game Backstory: Discussion of previous games, establish relevance and importance of the match-up. Mention of team being defending conference/BCS National Champions.
- Game Importance: Top 25, Hot Seat, Rivalry, On-the-bubble for bowl eligibility, conference games, ‘Game of the Century’ for regular season #1 vs. #2 match-ups, etc.
- Special Dynasty Games: Homecoming, Senior Day, Military Appreciation Day, “Color”-Outs (Penn State “Whiteout,” Iowa “Black/Yellow/Black” sections, etc.
(All would have proper commentary to reflect them.)
Previous Match-ups:
def. In-depth Dynasty Training 47-5
def. Dynamic or Manually Selected Rivalries 36-2
def. Player Personalities 21-11
def. Coaching Carousel 2.0 18-14
- Coaching Carousel 2.0
One of the most welcome additions in recent memory to NCAA Football was Coaching Carousel in NCAA 12. After a solid start, many users are clamoring for the mode to be deeper and more enhanced in the future.
Among the top community requests:
- Real Coaches: Acquisition of the coaches’ license to utilize names and faces of all FBS coaches.
- Ratings for Each Coach: This would help differentiate coaches, particularly throughout Dynasty Mode. Possible ratings could include: Recruiting, Player Development, Playcalling, Aggressiveness, etc.
- Enhanced Face and Apparel Options: The customization and editing options for coaches in NCAA 12 were considered among the worst aspects of the mode. More face and hair options as well as more apparel choices (sweatshirts, houndstooth hats, licensed clothing, etc.) would give more uniqueness to each coach. An additional option could be the inclusion of the GameFace feature from Tiger Woods PGA TOUR franchise to help add more customization to the user experience and possibly for CPU coaches.
- Position Coaches: Each program would have assistant coaches at each position that could ultimately (if Coach ratings added) help develop and aid in the progression of players.
- Ability to Hire/Fire Coordinators: One of the biggest complaints within the mode, this would give the user an option as head coach to hire and fire their offensive and defensive coordinator(s) as they see fit. Also, this could include an option for the head coach to watch all plays, relying on the OC & DC to call plays with the HC having an option to provide feedback or override playcalls.
- Free Agent Pool of Coaches: An option that would add more storylines to the mode, this would allow users to edit and add coaches to the free agent pool. For example, instead of generic coaches being added, users could edit in former/fired coaches who would then reappear throughout Dynasty Mode as assistant and head coaching hires.
- In-game Presentation: Each game, career records (and possibly the pursuit of significant win totals) would be shown and/or discussed. Conference, National Championship, record versus Top 25 foes, record versus foe, etc. are among other stats that could be reflected in overlays and/or commentary.
- Coach of the Year Award visible in award section: Currently this is a winnable award, but it does not show up during the season to track status and contenders.
- Coaching Tree: As years rack up in Dynasty Mode, this would show where former coaches with ties to each coach move and progress to. Successful head coaches could then take pride as they see their ‘coaching tree’ expand across college football.
- Backstory: This would keep a record of coaching records at each stop in a coach’s career.
- Dynamic Coach Contract goals: Relative to Playbook and Play Style, this would see Coach Contract goals based upon playstyle. For example, an Option team would have more goals focusing on rushing yards. Goals could also have their own difficulty level to help reflect the differences between novice and experienced users.
- Coach Personality: An option within coach editing, this would give coaches a ‘Personality’ style that would be reflected in any and all cutscenes showcasing the coach. These could include ‘Calm,’ ‘Stoic,’ Intense’ (Bo Pelini, Brian Kelly), ‘Figurehead’ (no headset, Joe Paterno).
- Ability to watch all CPU plays continously until coordinator duties return versus one play at a time.
Previous Match-ups:
def. Online Dynasty "Bookmark and Continue" 43-8
def. OD Spectator Mode 32-4
def. Improved Recruiting Experience 20-12
lost to Enhanced Dynasty In-game Experience
- Player Personalities
Dynamic Player Performance - A new feature in Madden NFL 12, this led to players performance changing in numerous categories over a several game period and led to 'no two franchises playing the same way.' While NCAA Football has featured Hot and Cold Streaks for numerous years, the ultimate effect on players is unknown and it lacks the clear notification of changes in play that Madden NFL 12 features with DPP.
Player Morale - Similar to the feature found in the MVP NCAA Baseball franchise, in Dynasty Mode players would let the ‘coach’ (user) know if they are unhappy with playing time or the delivery of promises so the coach can make adjustments in-season or risk them transferring in the offseason. Failure to act on player promises or alleviating player concerns would not only risk offseason transfers, but also damage Coach Prestige rating.
Week-to-Week Fatigue - A new aspect of Dynasty Mode, this would see fatigue carry over from one week to the next. For example, running a HB 30+ times for consecutive weeks would see him fatigue more easily until there was either a bye week or the user began to split carries to help rest the player.
This item does not include player discipline. Due to an excessive amount of player violations and scandals in recent years, we are going to assume the NCAA will not allow this random variable to occur in-game.
Previous Match-ups:
def. 16 Users in Online Dynasty 45-6
def. Medical Redshirts 32-8
lost to Enhanced Dynasty In-game Experience 21-11
- Dynamic Weather & Effects
Taking The Weather Channel Feed feature to a new level, this addition would see weather change in-game, similar to progressive lighting in NCAA Football 11. The feature could exist by either checking the TWC feed between each quarter and then changing in game or the Weather tab would have options such as ‘Rain to Snow’, ‘Clear to Cloudy’, ‘Snow at Start (ending later)’, etc. This could also see more noticeable field degradation (especially in extreme weather conditions) and weather have more of an effect on play. For example: high temperatures could lead to quicker player fatigue, heavy rains could lead to increased field degradation and slipping as play progresses, heavy snow could accumulate in stadium corners, etc. Schools/stadiums in high elevation (Colorado, Wyoming, etc.) could see slightly increased effects in fatigue, particularly for road teams and/or less athletic teams/players on both squads.
Previous Match-ups:
def. Better Celebrations 47-22
def. More Player Options 21-12
lost to Improved In-game Experience 29-10
- Improved In-Game Atmosphere
Very few sports are known for the importance of home field advantage as college football. Also, very few last-gen features are as universally requested as Home Field Advantage. While some elements currently exist in-game, community members have asked for the (optional) Camera Shake, controller rumble shake, etc. to return.
However, college football also features a unique focus on neutral site games (actual and otherwise) in the postseason – Bowls, Bowl Championship Series and BCS National Championship Game. This feature could see team introduction/runouts for each squad and the crowd cheering for big plays by each squad. Crowd noise levels could possibly be determined via school distance from site and/or Fan Base rating for each squad. This would help recreate the virtual road atmosphere numerous schools (IE: Nebraska and Oklahoma) faced when playing against Miami in the Orange Bowl during the 1980s and 1990s, for example. However, those programs also had a significant (though minority) crowd support and this would help reflect that.
Perhaps the most requested “fix” to the current HFA structure is for the removal of the home-field benefit by the Home team on the scoreboard in neutral site and bowl games. Community members have oft-requested unique presentation aspects for neutral site and bowl games, but not for one squad to receive full HFA benefits over the other.
Previous Match-ups:
def. Improved Info Presentation 43-29
def. Improved Commentary 18-17
def. Dynamic Weather & Effects 29-10
- Improved Commentary
One of the longest running complaints in regards to presentation in NCAA Football has been the commentary. Shallow commentary, long periods of silence and repetitive lines have been the focal points of criticism. Many gamers have suggested more in-depth commentary focusing on aspects such as top players, outstanding performances, strategy and personnel, game stats, etc.
Previous Match-ups:
def. Stadium Sounds 2.0 59-10
lost to Improved In-game Atmosphere 18-16
In the poll above, pick the three items that you most hope to see added to the NCAA Football franchise in the future.
