Tuners, patches, ratings, oh my ! Madden 12 & NCAA 12 - Gotmadskillzson's Blog

Gotmadskillzson's Blog

Tuners, patches, ratings, oh my ! Madden 12 & NCAA 12

Posted on September 12, 2011 at 02:00 PM.

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This year Madden and NCAA 12 are so close but so far from a complete game at the same time. They have made big strides in some areas and taken steps back in other areas. With Madden 12, they nailed presentation, but their piss poor commentary completely takes away from everything you see visually. Quick fix, turn off commentary.

NCAA 12 looks great, however they lack the chain gang and arguing with the refs animations that their big brother Madden 12 has. They have head coaches on the sidelines but you rarely see them and over all their sidelines look dead and lifeless. And the crowd sounds the same, regardless of the stadium size or who is playing.

Moving on to patches......Patches have always been a double edge sword with EA Sports. They fix one thing but mess up other things at the same time. This latest patch corrected the roster tendancy gltich and some other stuff. However it also messed up no huddle, special teams play calling logic, custom play books and completed nerfed option and spread teams.

Now option teams and spread teams when ran by the CPU becomes stagnant due to them not blocking, their plays get blown up in the backfield more often then not. Reminds me of NCAA 11. They suppose to have speed up and improved the blocking, but in reality they sped up the defense reaction and acceleration to the ball when the cpu tries to run out of the shotgun. TSK TSK TSK EA Sports.

Now NCAA 12 & Madden 12 allow tuners. But for some reason EA Sports treat tuners like patches. Some of this stuff can easily been seen by your average person if they EVER PLAYED AGAINST THE CPU IN COACH MODE. Sometimes I wonder if they ever test their game against the CPU.

To me coach mode would be a great testing tool of the CPU AI. If they can't do it, then it needs to be fixed via tuner.

Fix via Tuner

Blocking on shotgun runs, option reads, toss plays.
Blocking on kick off returns and punt returns
Side line catches
Catching the ball in stride
Pass interfernce for offense and defense
Retun rating
Elusiveness rating
Ball carrier vision rating
Increase the probability of blocked punts and FGs by the CPU

One of the things that bugs me is the sideline catches. Too many of them end with the WR going out of bounds. They need more of the WR catching the ball, staying in bounds and turning up field.

Catching the deep ball in stride needs to be improved. Way too often the deep ball results in a jump ball. The WR needs to continue to run towards the ball, catch it in stride. Not stop, turn around and jump.

Blocking on special teams is just bad all around. CPU is never a threat to return a kick off or punt back for a TD. They need to use ALL OF THE FIELD when they are returning and not just run straight forward. Even their players need to BLOCK FOR THEM.

Especially on punt returns. On punt returns the gunners get down the field way too fast DESPITE THEIR SPEED AND ACCELERATION RATINGS. I say way too many punt returns for 2 yard gains because of the gunners getting down the field so fast and their own teammates not even blocking for them.

Blocked FGs and blocked punts don't exist in NCAA 12. This needs to be greatly improved. At least in Madden 12 they block FGs......but in NCAA 12 they don't block anything. They don' even try to. No penetration what so ever.

Ball carrier vision and elusivenes ratings needs a huge increase. Runners should use the ENTIRE FIELD WHEN RUNNING. High rated players in elusiveness and ball carrier vision need to avoid the piles and not run directly into them. I mean they need to cut clearly all the way back across the field if they have to. Way too much norh and south running.

ALL RUNNERS GOAL IS TO GET A TD. So all runners need an injection of fighting for extra yards and using their special moves to avoid or break tackles.

The lack of pass interference in both NCAA 12 and Madden 12 is absurd. Even with the slider maxed out to 100, I have yet to see one called.

The return rating needs to matter. At 99 or 0, it don't matter at all. I still see the same piss poor blocking and still see the cpu get the same amount of yards.

That logic is severely FLAWED. A player with a return rating in the 90s should be deadly. They should be a dangerous threat to kickers and punters. But in these games they aren't.

Dirty uniforms need to be fixed for NCAA 12 as well. White uniforms don't get dirty like colored uniforms do.