NCAA 09 Gameplay Issues (response from EA)

[Bronk_Bonin]

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

All of the problems with this game stem from the "Wide Open" Passing game. All of them. EA put in programming that basically neutered anything and everything having to do with Defense. 1. They knocked out the effectiveness of blitz packages. Honestly, as an experiment try this... Go to Varsity, AA, Heisman, whatever. Set HUM Break block at 100 and CPU Pass block at 0. Then call Engage Eight every single play. All out blitz. Go so far as to "Show Blitz" and put everyone on the line. Do this over and over and over. I promise you...you will get maaaaaaybe 1-2 sacks in 20 plays with this. Maybe. And most likely it will only happen with the guy you are controlling. 2. The CPU QBs are perfect...on every throw, with every decision they make. They elude pressure, throw on the run, and basically make every play look like they are a virtual Brett Farve...no matter what their "rating" is. 3. The DBs can't cover anyone. Playing against Florida is damn near child abuse. Their WRs are open all over the field and your poor DBs have no aggressive AI anymore. Sure...you don't see DBs jumping every route...but you also don't see DBs ever play hitches, ins, etc. with any pressure or intensity. As someone else stated...if a receiver runs a 5 yard hitch route in man coverage, the DB will literally just stand there behind the WR, let him catch the ball and THEN attempt to tackle him, instead of doing what he SHOULD do which is charge the receiver and stick him as the ball gets to him OR try and knock the ball away. 4. The Front Four gets put on its butt like clockwork. Literally, 2 out of every 4 plays, half of your Defensive line will get pancaked at the snap. It doesn't matter if its USC or San Jose State...they'll get flattened. Thus negating any hope of getting to the QB in a timely manner. 5. There are some funky AI glitches. DEs will suddenly run backwards or back pedal AWAY from a QB instead of sacking him (I have a vid I'll upload showing this). Take all of those..and you get a defensive nightmare.

I would love someone from EA to address the problems on this list and hear what they have to say. It makes me believe that they didn't just happen to overlook these issues. It appears they were going for wide open offense this year and could care less about defense. It's a shame, and I hope these issues can, and will be addressed with the "patch".

[dave374]

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

All of the problems with this game stem from the "Wide Open" Passing game. All of them. EA put in programming that basically neutered anything and everything having to do with Defense. 1. They knocked out the effectiveness of blitz packages. Honestly, as an experiment try this... Go to Varsity, AA, Heisman, whatever. Set HUM Break block at 100 and CPU Pass block at 0. Then call Engage Eight every single play. All out blitz. Go so far as to "Show Blitz" and put everyone on the line. Do this over and over and over. I promise you...you will get maaaaaaybe 1-2 sacks in 20 plays with this. Maybe. And most likely it will only happen with the guy you are controlling. 2. The CPU QBs are perfect...on every throw, with every decision they make. They elude pressure, throw on the run, and basically make every play look like they are a virtual Brett Farve...no matter what their "rating" is. 3. The DBs can't cover anyone. Playing against Florida is damn near child abuse. Their WRs are open all over the field and your poor DBs have no aggressive AI anymore. Sure...you don't see DBs jumping every route...but you also don't see DBs ever play hitches, ins, etc. with any pressure or intensity. As someone else stated...if a receiver runs a 5 yard hitch route in man coverage, the DB will literally just stand there behind the WR, let him catch the ball and THEN attempt to tackle him, instead of doing what he SHOULD do which is charge the receiver and stick him as the ball gets to him OR try and knock the ball away. 4. The Front Four gets put on its butt like clockwork. Literally, 2 out of every 4 plays, half of your Defensive line will get pancaked at the snap. It doesn't matter if its USC or San Jose State...they'll get flattened. Thus negating any hope of getting to the QB in a timely manner. 5. There are some funky AI glitches. DEs will suddenly run backwards or back pedal AWAY from a QB instead of sacking him (I have a vid I'll upload showing this). Take all of those..and you get a defensive nightmare.

Absolutely 100% dead on.

[Bill_Abner]

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

How about "down and distance/score" recognition too. I'm sick to death of seeing the CPU in a tie ball game GO FOR IT at MIDFIELD on a 4th and 3. Or Instead of kicking a field goal on 4th and 2 in a game that is either tied or they are up by 10 points...they go for it. Some really bad AI as far as when and when NOT to "go for it".

Absolutely true.

[bad_philanthropy]

I agree with most of what AA said, except I don't think DB play is all that bad, yeah they a little bit too passive in certain coverage situations but I think in terms of balance in the game less accuracy from QB's would help by not having those hooks completed all the time. Then again I do feel like better rated corners should be making a stick or a play to knock the ball down on situations like that.

Also a pass rush would go a long way in not allowing the ball to get to those receivers who break away from coverage deep or over the middle. If the QB has less time for those routes to develop they aren't going to be completed as often because he's going to have to make a decision before anyone gets wide open or he faces being sacked. There is no threat of that now to him. As I said earlier it is like the cpu QB is playing in a pass skeleton drill.

[Ace08]

Quote: Originally Posted by stoncold32

agreed. I watched the vid the first time and didnt see anything wrong. It wasn't until I read the complaint then I could see where he was going with his argument. BUT, I dont want players who have their back to the ball, turning around like they have eyes in the back of their head.

Hopefully Ian or one of the other devs reads this...

The problem is NOT the fact that the DB who had the man assignment on that out pattern didn't react to the deep in over the middle. This is actually correct and nobody should have a problem with that. The bigger problem here is the underneath coverage itself. The only reason peeps on here are complaining about this play is because you see the defender (who has been horribly beaten and completely out of position) in the neighborhood of the pass and you're yelling at the screen in frustration cause he was so close the ball...HOWEVER....in reality he shouldn't have even been there...HIS COVERAGE ON THAT OUT PATTERN IS SO HORRIBLE that he's left roaming around like a 2 year old in the middle of the field while the receiver runs his out pattern. This is college football...most of these kids can play...even when a guy is beaten on an out it should NEVER look that bad. I'd argue that the guy playing offense (not sure if it was a human or the comp) made a bad read and actually should have thrown that 5 yard out pass cause I'd argue it probably would have turned into a 20 yard gain once you factor in YAC due to the ridiculous separation.

The morale of the story is...the underneath coverage (as well as the D-Line) needs to be corrected via a patch. NOTHING should work so easily so often.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

All of the problems with this game stem from the "Wide Open" Passing game. All of them. EA put in programming that basically neutered anything and everything having to do with Defense.

Those may be true, but now you can celebrate with the mascot!

[bad_philanthropy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ace08

Hopefully Ian or one of the other devs reads this... The problem is NOT the fact that the DB who had the man assignment on that out pattern didn't react to the deep in over the middle. This is actually correct and nobody should have a problem with that. The bigger problem here is the underneath coverage itself. The only reason peeps on here are complaining about this play is because you see the defender (who has been horribly beaten and completely out of position) in the neighborhood of the pass and you're yelling at the screen in frustration cause he was so close the ball...HOWEVER....in reality he shouldn't have even been there...HIS COVERAGE ON THAT OUT PATTERN IS SO HORRIBLE that he's left roaming around like a 2 year old in the middle of the field while the receiver runs his out pattern. This is college football...most of these kids can play...even when a guy is beaten on an out it should NEVER look that bad. I'd argue that the guy playing offense (not sure if it was a human or the comp) made a bad read and actually should have thrown that 5 yard out pass cause I'd argue it probably would have turned into a 20 yard gain once you factor in YAC due to the ridiculous separation. The morale of the story is...the underneath coverage (as well as the D-Line) needs to be corrected via a patch. NOTHING should work so easily so often.

Yeah that's very true about underneath coverage, most teams to not give those yards up easily. These days DB's are put through tons of drills during practice on how to close instantly and defend underneath.

I remember last year watching the Ducks fall practices and was amazed by how many drills the DB group went through that emphasized underneath coverage. They had one where they backpedaled and had to explode out of the backpedal and break on the catch and contact the receiver, they had another drill with the same concept except they had to make a play on the ball and there were all sorts of variations of this that they went through. It was shocking how quick they were to make a play. The main idea of the drills being to ingrain an instinctive response to react instantly and make a play on a pass underneath.

[JohnDoe8865]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

Those may be true, but now you can celebrate with the mascot!

And earn achievements for it on the XBOX 360!!

[AuburnAlumni]

Guys....

This is getting absurd. Check this out.

You saw Mr. Blackmon and his incredible "run backwards, then run forwards" defense earlier?

Well I now bring you Mr. Antonio Coleman, 90 rated DE for Auburn. Watch as Mr. Coleman does a great job of speed rushing past the Georgia OT, then he leaps over the tackle trying to take out his legs. He's got Stafford dead in his sights, moving in for the kill, but then....

He decides to WARP BACKWARD and BACKPEDAL AWAY FROM STAFFORD. Once again, the QB having pleeeeeenty of time to throw, finds his man.

What. The. Hell. Ian.

EA SPORTS World: NCAA Football 09 Video

[ehh]

Talk about taking suction cup blocking to new heights!