Share Your Impressions of NCAA Football 11

[HWill]

Wow! This morning I had my FIRST KICKOFF RETURN FOR A TD!!! I'm now is season three. That's the first TD for me and my special teams has still yet to give one up which seems ironic as my special teams grade is a D???

I got my first one yesterday playing as Boise St. against Va. Tech. On opening kickoff too.

[AustinWolv]

Nah. These are adjusted sliders on AA difficulty so that has quite a bit to do with it. But the comeback routes are ran weird as well (or at least some of them) at the point where the receiver is supposed to fake continuing going deep and turn around for the catch, they stutter step/stand there, for a sec and then turn. Pretty much totally makes the "fake" pointless cause the CB just turns right around to cover it most of the time.

Just curious. I've seen some considerable separation on them such that it was an easy catch. Honestly, I hardly used them prior to '11, but I've started throwing them now. I'll have to check on the stutter as I didn't notice it before.

[rhombic21]

And I'm digging that MY CB will jump it sometimes and pull my defense's butt out of the fire. Had a huge INT last night in a game that stopped a surefire scoring drive, as the CPU was at the 4 yard line and rolling.

DBs jump it EVERYTIME.

Man coverage is so unrealistic on the default settings that are used online that it completely ruins the experience. Zones, meanwhile, are completely useless for the most part, so if they ever fix man to man, then passing will be ridiculously easy (like it was on the demo), and defense will become impossible thanks to the improved run blocking (and horrible run defensive reaction).

[mundo]

I know the computer doesn't "cheat" per se but last night, I played a game where I felt like I was. I've lost my fair share of games in my dynasty already and I'm cool with that. They at least felt like I should have lost because my team sucks and the other team was just better. Last night, however, it felt like the game was determined before the opening kickoff. Wide open drops (not once or twice mind you, all game, WITH conservative catching turned on in gameplanning). Penalties on key 3rd down conversions. 4 or 5 missed tackles on plays. Super jumping linebackers and corners pulling down 1 hand interceptions while my defenders miss swats (always perfectly put a centimeter out of their reach) or drop balls the few times they were in position. It was unreal what was happening. It was truly frustrating.

I had a similar experience the other night for the first time. I have definitely lost before but this one is different. I imagine there is some mechanism to represent a "bad" game that is part of football and I can imagine it would be difficult for it NOT to seem cheeseball. It can be infuriating but thankfully it is much better than before.

[AustinWolv]

DBs jump it EVERYTIME.

Man coverage is so unrealistic on the default settings that are used online that it completely ruins the experience. Zones, meanwhile, are completely useless for the most part, so if they ever fix man to man, then passing will be ridiculously easy (like it was on the demo), and defense will become impossible thanks to the improved run blocking (and horrible run defensive reaction).

I'll take your word for it for default online. I don't play default online so we have unique cases.

[Cipher 8]

I've been running zone coverage for the most part since getting the game. It worked at first. I got pressure user controlling the LDE and they would throw early and into a zone and I would get picks. Then I started getting raped through the passing game so I started doing more man coverages and less zone. I would always switch to one cornerback and hot route him to man coverage his guy even if I did a cover 3 as well. That worked okay but today I tried TCU and thus I discovered the 4-2-5. I think I'm going to run this for three reasons.

- Lots of Man Coverage (again it's pretty common knowledge now that Man works best)
- You still got the front 4 but with better blitzes plays to overload the O-Line
- 5 defensive backs. I line up in Nickel (3 defensive backs) most the time anyways

I only play Online Dynasty though so don't worry I'm not using this to get an edge over someone on ranked matches. I just want a dominant D and a playbook that I can dial up pressure when I need to.

[souljahbill]

I've been running zone coverage for the most part since getting the game. It worked at first. I got pressure user controlling the LDE and they would throw early and into a zone and I would get picks. Then I started getting raped through the passing game so I started doing more man coverages and less zone. I would always switch to one cornerback and hot route him to man coverage his guy even if I did a cover 3 as well. That worked okay but today I tried TCU and thus I discovered the 4-2-5. I think I'm going to run this for three reasons.

- Lots of Man Coverage (again it's pretty common knowledge now that Man works best)
- You still got the front 4 but with better blitzes plays to overload the O-Line
- 5 defensive backs. I line up in Nickel (3 defensive backs) most the time anyways

I only play Online Dynasty though so don't worry I'm not using this to get an edge over someone on ranked matches. I just want a dominant D and a playbook that I can dial up pressure when I need to.

Forewarning: You aren't going to get a lot more pressure. I know because it's the defense I use in my dynasty.

[AustinWolv]

Remember to check your DB's ratings for man and zone coverage. If they are better in one, expect them to play better in that coverage. For example, my top two CBs are both higher in man coverage, and they do a much better job of sticking with WRs than when I play them in zone.....they seem retarded when receivers are in their zone (zone assignments in the game notwithstanding).

[Rudy]

I've been running with aggressive zone game planning the last two games and I think zone coverage is a lot better this way. Less short completions for easy first downs although it is a little riskier on corner routes which I like.

[jaymo76]

I've been running with aggressive zone game planning the last two games and I think zone coverage is a lot better this way. Less short completions for easy first downs although it is a little riskier on corner routes which I like.

Rudy do you have your hum pass covg slider at 40? That's what I have been using and with some gameplanning adjustments zone D is somewhat tolerable but I must say this is definitely the year of MAN D.

[ebin]

Zones, meanwhile, are completely useless for the most part

When was the last time zones actually worked well in this game?

[JeffHCross]

When was the last time zones actually worked well in this game?

NCAA 2004.

Though there's a big difference between 'tolerable', 'well', and 'useless'. We're on the third now ... we've been on the first for a while.

[ebin]

NCAA 2004.

Though there's a big difference between 'tolerable', 'well', and 'useless'. We're on the third now ... we've been on the first for a while.

Fair enough, but I can't remember the last time they worked well enough for me to use them consistently.

[morsdraconis]

I think they work fine as long as you get pressure on the QB, take away at least one flat area, and don't give them wide open seams. Granted, I don't play online so I'm sure that's a different story.

[rhombic21]

NCAA 2004.

Though there's a big difference between 'tolerable', 'well', and 'useless'. We're on the third now ... we've been on the first for a while.

Zones were terrible on NCAA 04. People could throw for 80% completion percentages with ease.

[JeffHCross]

Zones were terrible on NCAA 04. People could throw for 80% completion percentages with ease.

We've had this discussion before. I know you didn't like the defense on 04. Personally, I did.

[Cipher 8]

Forewarning: You aren't going to get a lot more pressure. I know because it's the defense I use in my dynasty.

Idk I've used it in my Illinois O.D. and my Michigan O.D. I won both games, actually held NIU to under 50 yards total offense. I think I got more pressure and just having the nickel package with better blitzes is what I like. I would normally choose Nickel or Dime and only blitz the front four now I can change that second SS via formation subs to my third corner and run a 4-2-5 whatever and blitz one of the two linebackers/safeties or both to get that overload added pressure. I'de say I like it better and I still got Nickel, Dime, and 4-4... just not the 4-3 stuff I never liked.

[JeffHCross]

I've used 4-2-5 on NCAA 09 and NCAA 10 and gotten decent pressure. Not necessarily "more" than the other formations, but good pressure.

[HWill]

It seems like the CPU-controlled players have superpowers, particularly on defense in RTG mode. I played a couple games today with my QB at New Mexico, and every pass I threw over the middle was batted down by a DE, and LB's have a higher vertical than LeBron James, pulling off crazy one-handed INTs and jumping out of the stadium to swat balls away.

[Rudy]

Rudy do you have your hum pass covg slider at 40? That's what I have been using and with some gameplanning adjustments zone D is somewhat tolerable but I must say this is definitely the year of MAN D.

I have human pass coverage at 35. Locker was 19-23 against me in the one game but overall I can get stops and he's an elite college QB. I still mix up zone. Playing solely against the cpu I still see breakdowns in man to man coverage quite often. On third and short plays a Cover 2 zone with aggressive zone game planning works just as good or better than man to man imo. Maybe it's just me but I'm not noticing the massive difference between man vs zone effectiveness when playing the cpu. And since I suck at throwing against zones it seems pretty balanced when I play on offense as well.