NCAA Football 13 The Gaming Tailgate Review

[PowerofRed25]

Quote: Originally Posted by mrprice33

It will definitely be something to lab and check. Theoretically, cover 4 should be the "4 verts stopper." But, if the zone coverages aren't getting deep enough or stumbling in coverage (which seems like a locomotion problem), then that's an issue. Hopefully it's not too hard to fix.

Exactly, it should be an easy test. We'll see. What I was seeing in the demo was that it was like a half second delay, almost like they were caught peaking in the backfield, before taking a drop step and turning to run with the WR. It almost seemed like a reaction time thing, which is why I was hoping it can be tuned via sliders.

From the impressions thread, I noticed someone saying sliders seemed to have a more obvious impact on pass D and pass rush, so maybe the delayed reaction time can just be tweaked via sliders and its no problem.

[redsfan4life]

Is anyone surprised? This game will be halfway decent once the 3rd patch drops. That will likely be in October sometime. Oh well, I'll stick with the Show and NBA 2k until Madden comes out.

[1GATOR FAN]

Ya at least this review was detailed the IGN review was crap like always lol

[JayD]

NCAA 13 = Madden hold me over

[JeffHCross]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

This is me wondering how the guy ever expected to stop four verticals with a Cover 2 zone.

Quote: Originally Posted by mrprice33

Yeah. 4 verts pretty much breaks cover 2, by design.

Quote: Originally Posted by N51_rob

Yeah, gonna chalk that up to user error. 4 vs 2 = advantage offense.

That would be true, if Cover 2 meant that the defense can't adjust to what the offense is running at all. Which, of course, is not reality.

http://www.bucpower.com/feature-covertwo4.html

Quote:

Pattern read: What is it? As you can see, Cover 2 is a zone coverage, but it is critical that the underneath defenders at times play man-to-man based on the routes the offense runs. This is the second technique that helps the safety. For example, if the wide receiver to the linebacker side releases outside in a position to stretch the safety deep, the linebacker must know that. He then must carry his coverage on the running back or tight end through the deep zone. This is called pattern read, which means based on what pattern the offense runs, man-to-man principles are applied. Cover 2: How offenses attack it - (1) Four vertical receivers The first thing an offense will do if they see Cover 2 is see how you defend four vertical receivers running down the field stretching the two safeties. If Cover 2 is not played properly, this is the first place the offense will go and it could result in a big play. In the previous paragraph, we showed how to defend four vertical by the corners flattening out the wide receivers and the underneath coverage linebackers running with the vertical of the tight end and running back. But it is also obvious that if the linebackers fail, a big play is possible.

If Four Verticals meant that Cover 2 couldn't possibly cover them, then Four Verticals would be called all game (which some teams do in real life), and Tampa 2 would no longer exist as a defense. Obviously, Tampa 2 still exists and, by proxy, must be able to adjust to Four Verticals.

Not to mention that if Four Verticals was the money play (in real life) that gschwendt's review describes, then it would be defensive suicide to call Cover 2, since you can't even cover well enough to play a bend-don't-break defense.

Short of pattern reading / adjustments being made by the defense, yes, Cover 2 is a mismatch against Four Verticals. But there could be improvements made in at least making it not impossible to cover.

EDIT: And, regarding Cover 3 -- if adjustments weren't possible, Cover 3 would also be a mismatch against Four Verticals. In real life, this isn't absolutely the case.

EDIT 2: I could also be totally wrong about all of this.

[JerseySuave4]

good review

Basically everything i've seen and read so far says this game is basically a cleaned up version of NCAA 12. Yes the passing trajectories are fixed and qb footwork looks nice, but apparently that stuff is rather minor considering everyone has said it's just like last year's game.

This year was a complete fail from EA and i think they need to really get rid of some of the people on the NCAA staff because they clearly have no idea what they are doing in terms of direction when they made Heisman challenge basically the only thing different in this years game.

The gameplay is subpar, the bugs & glitches this game is delivered with is ridiculous, the lack of improvement year to year on previous features (teambuilder, stadium sounds, coaching carousel, equipment) is inexcusable and it's quite frankly insulting to the consumers that this is the product we keep getting.

They clearly don't get it and it's time to find a new group of hungry people who do get it and are willing to push to create the next best sports game the way the MLB the Show and NBA 2k teams have recently done.

[PowerofRed25]

The one thing Cover 2 provides for is the ability to select who the offense beats you with vertically. Say the offense aligns their best WR's outside, you can have your safeties cheat as deep and as wide as those guys and force you to take what they give inside. Now a good team with good WR's and a smart QB will pick that up almost instantly and kill you, but teams with lesser 3rd and 4th WR's and a QB who may not pick up what you're doing right away, you can lead them into a pick.

None of that really applies to the game though. I suppose you could use the triangle up/left/right/down coverage adjustments to have the safeties shade to the more dangerous WR's side, but it isn't all that effective.

[JerseySuave4]

Quote: Originally Posted by JeffHCross

That would be true, if Cover 2 meant that the defense can't adjust to what the offense is running at all. Which, of course, is not reality. http://www.bucpower.com/feature-covertwo4.html If Four Verticals meant that Cover 2 couldn't possibly cover them, then Four Verticals would be called all game (which some teams do in real life), and Tampa 2 would no longer exist as a defense. Obviously, Tampa 2 still exists and, by proxy, must be able to adjust to Four Verticals. Not to mention that if Four Verticals was the money play (in real life) that gschwendt's review describes, then it would be defensive suicide to call Cover 2, since you can't even cover well enough to play a bend-don't-break defense. Short of pattern reading / adjustments being made by the defense, yes, Cover 2 is a mismatch against Four Verticals. But there could be improvements made in at least making it not impossible to cover. EDIT: And, regarding Cover 3 -- if adjustments weren't possible, Cover 3 would also be a mismatch against Four Verticals. In real life, this isn't absolutely the case. EDIT 2: I could also be totally wrong about all of this.

To stop a 4 vertical when playing a cover 2 you simply have a "stretch" call that should be automatic. I always teach my safeties that if we're in a cover 2 and we get a 4 Vert to yell stretch so the CBs stay with #1 and the safeties pick up #2. It also helps to teach your corners to stay with #1 until 2 crosses their face. That helps them stay involved in the play instead of just covering a zone where they might tend to stand in an empty area when they can be helping on a receiver.

Of course, that's in real life and not a game.

[mrprice33]

Yeah, they definitely need to give the defense "option routes" ala the offense and make it a true give and take with hot reads and whatnot.

4 verts is, however, a staple of many passing attacks, including leach's air raid as well as for the new Orleans saints. It's not a perfect passing play (especially if you don't have the personnel), but it can be deadly against cover 2, especially in the simplified version the games present it in.

As a user, you will not always be able to stop everything, and you will make wrong/unlucky calls from time to time. If the CPU calls 4 verts and you call cover 2, you should sometimes get burned. That's okay, IMO. And as the user you just need to limit your calls. It's not the end of the world against the CPU, but must be tough for the online guys. Then again, if you play randoms, that's your bad.

[JerseySuave4]

Quote: Originally Posted by mrprice33

Yeah, they definitely need to give the defense "option routes" ala the offense and make it a true give and take with hot reads and whatnot. 4 verts is, however, a staple of many passing attacks, including leach's air raid as well as for the new Orleans saints. It's not a perfect passing play (especially if you don't have the personnel), but it can be deadly against cover 2, especially in the simplified version the games present it in. As a user, you will not always be able to stop everything, and you will make wrong/unlucky calls from time to time. If the CPU calls 4 verts and you call cover 2, you should sometimes get burned. That's okay, IMO. And as the user you just need to limit your calls. It's not the end of the world against the CPU, but must be tough for the online guys. Then again, if you play randoms, that's your bad.

yea we used to run it out of the Ace formation and we just called it Ace-All Seams and the QB was looking at the TEs first to try and hit them over the LBs down the seam if the safeties went towards the outside guys.

It's a deadly play but i just hate how automatic it can be in the game because they made the defense so dumb. They'd rather have a CB stand in his "zone" guarding no one the entire time than have him move in the direction of an offensive player who might be near but not in his zone.