NCAA Football 13 Impressions Thread

[PowerofRed25]

I actually forgot the single most annoying part of this game, the fact that the offensive and defensive players operate on two different versions of physics.

Offensive players can cut on a dime, are in and out of breaks on pass routes with no loss of momentum and can otherwise move freely with very little loss of acceleration.

Defensive players meanwhile have the physics of a semi or cruise ship. In run support, the slightest change of direction forces the defender to a near stand still before he can get going again OR he blows past the ball carrier because you can only turn in wide arcs without losing all your momentum.

In the passing game, you've got WR's making hard cuts with little to no slowdown while it takes the defense forever to gather themselves. That's why curls/outs/pivots are guaranteed easy money this year. Ironically the opposite comes true in rain/snow games where only offensive WR's slip while defenders (the most likely people to slip on hard cuts) never lose their feet.

There just seem to be two different systems at play. The read & react defense is a joke, all they did was slow acceleration and reaction times of defenders. Mirroring is still there, it just takes away routes with shallow cuts (slant/post/underneath/cross) while routes hard cuts (out/pivot/comeback/curl) engage the poor acceleration and reactions. The same dumbed down defense concept is also why the read option works so well, it isn't blocked right, they just force the defense into canned animations which they can't recover from until the ball carrier is down field.

It was hard enough last year creating realistic offensive and defensive schemes with the god awful blocking and super linebackers. Now this year it is almost impossible because the blocking is even worse, the mirroring remains on some routes and people can get away with running money route after money route all game because of dumbed down defense.

I pride myself on being able to create schemes that could realistically be practiced and implemented by a real football team but this year it is basically spread it out and throw money routes and run dumbed down read option/dive. So, so disappointing.

[PowerofRed25]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pmoney327

The Mario running is awful. I don't remember it being this bad on the PS2 or Xbox. That's the CPU as Oregon State.

This is exactly what I was talking about with my player interaction point in the post before. The interior run game suffers from this nonsense constantly. Guys just got stuck on whatever and blindly run into the imaginary brick wall of the offensive line just waiting to get tackled. If you want to run a HB or QB draw, you better get through the hole cleaning the first time because if you accidentally bump into your own OL, you're stuck there for good.

This is the worst it has ever been in the NCAA series and it is painful.

[tacosaban]

I admit i didn't read through every page but I wanted to give my impressions and hopefully some will respond. After last years custom playbook deal. I played the first 2 weeks with just stock pbs. I finally made me a custom pb sunday night and played a user game in a dynasty online. Everything went well. Well, today I play a game and we kept freezing before the game ever got to the game. Finally, we both went stock and sure enough it worked. I got an idea EA. Why not make about 50 pbs of all the plays you offer and call it custom so that we can use them without much hassle online in dynasty mode?
I love when holes the size of a volcano open up and you hit it! But no so fast my friend! You get sucked into a lineman who is rated 90 but dumber than Llyod Christmas and can't get away. Other than the option, ive only had one take it to the house td on the ground. And we all know the option problem!
Whats up with the interception returns for tds? Its like nobody reacts to the guy returning the ball. I could go on and on. Such potential. But, just never gonna make it.

[slick589]

Quote: Originally Posted by PowerofRed25

This is exactly what I was talking about with my player interaction point in the post before. The interior run game suffers from this nonsense constantly. Guys just got stuck on whatever and blindly run into the imaginary brick wall of the offensive line just waiting to get tackled. If you want to run a HB or QB draw, you better get through the hole cleaning the first time because if you accidentally bump into your own OL, you're stuck there for good. This is the worst it has ever been in the NCAA series and it is painful.

2k had the animation where the runner would "get skinny" and not get stuck and run in place behind a lineman. Im at work so i cant post a video right now

[nazzman]

Quote: Originally Posted by PowerofRed25

This is exactly what I was talking about with my player interaction point in the post before. The interior run game suffers from this nonsense constantly. Guys just got stuck on whatever and blindly run into the imaginary brick wall of the offensive line just waiting to get tackled. If you want to run a HB or QB draw, you better get through the hole cleaning the first time because if you accidentally bump into your own OL, you're stuck there for good. This is the worst it has ever been in the NCAA series and it is painful.

Yep, I'm seeing all of that, too. It's not just that it's hard to run, it's maddening as you described. Experimenting with Sliders but no luck yet.

[nazzman]

Quote: Originally Posted by jenglund

I'm officially tired of studio updates. I almost always turn off the commentary on all sports games, so Studio Updates come in with no audio, and they've often cut in after great plays where I was hoping to see my own replay. I don't mind the idea of Studio Updates, but I really wish they would've put that effort into a halftime recap of MY game, or a better post-game recap. I like the idea of being better connected to other NCAA games, but first, I want to feel more immersed in MINE.

I, too, am officially tired of studio updates. I was tired of them on the demo. Your second paragraph is spot on.

All they need do is have an on and off option for the updates. If you're in the NC hunt near the end of a season (in a dynasty), it could be a great feature. And let the clickthrough kill Reece's audio as well as the graphic.

As it is, I want it gone.

[PowerofRed25]

Is anyone having a ton of alignment problems defensively? Or even man coverages switching from what was on the play art to what happened post snap?

I'm having a ton of situations where guys were aligned nowhere near the man they were assigned to, and not just in 425/335 like it used to be. I'll be in Dime and have guys assigned to random receivers/backs nowhere near where they are and they don't attempt to align on them. Even worse is when I can clearly see who is supposed to be covering who on the play art, and then it switches right at the snap so guys are completely out of position. It is especially bad on plays where there is just a TE and HB to one side of the formation, the defense doesn't align right and then it'll randomly change man assignments and leave someone wide open.

I'm used to nonsense like that out of 425/335, after all it has been that way for like half a decade, but now Dime and Nickel are having weird alignment problems that Man Align or flipping the play isn't solving.

[Donalder]

enjoying the game thus far.

[ehh]

After reading through this thread and knowing OS's obsession with sliders I'm pretty sure they're a detriment to the game.

I caved and bought the game over the weekend to do an online dynasty with some friends. We're playing on default AA and I don't see any of the crap that most of the guys in here complain about - granted I've only played 6-7 games.

They fixed so many major problems with '12 that I'm stunned with how much I like '13 and how good it is. The WR/DB interaction, the fact that DB's actually need to see the ball to react and the new passing stuff make this a huge improvement over last year.

[gopher_guy]

Quote: Originally Posted by FSU Spear 'Em

1. Man to man coverage - ball is in the air. My CB is step for step with their WR. About 5 yards away from the play being made, my CB cuts away from the WR giving him a wide open catch. Happens about 3 times a game 2. Pinball wizard - players bounce of my guys trying to tackle as if they were bumpers in a pinball game. I play as FSU.. Doesn't matter who I play against. Happens every game. My players on the other hand hit the ground the minute someone thinks of tackling them. 3. You hike the ball, no blitz coming. The 4 linemen get off the block and sack the QB within 2 seconds. Happens every game. 4. You press the button to throw the ball. 2 seconds later he gets sacked while the animation clearly shows the ball at the end of the QB's release. 5. Running the ball, my lineman stand there while they watch the D kill my RB. They don't even attempt to block sometimes and when they do block, they let go immediately 6. Sometimes you can play a game and you just know you're going to lose. It's like it's programmed that way. Example. I have to fight for every yard I get, I finally make it to the 2 yard line, just to fumble. Seriously, this happened every single time against a FCS school. Even my wife was totally appalled. 7. CPU FG logic - Explain why they go for 55+ yard field goals all the time and land 20 yards short? 8. CPU screen passes - thanks for the sacks.. like 4 a game. Unrealistic I could go on and on and on but why bother. The game is BROKEN. Yeah, it boots. And it plays. I guess I oughta be happy with that. When it DOESN'T lock up. Which is does, every time I attempt my dynasty game. Now, ban me because I paid $60 for this POS just like the rest of ya. Just tired of it after lets see... since NCAA came out in '98.. and even before that with Bill Walsh college football.

I must have a super copy, then.

I also have the 360 version. Have not frozen once, and don't have nearly as many problems as you seem to be having.

What sliders are you using?