Another NCAA Football 11 wishlist - LucianoJJ's Blog

LucianoJJ's Blog

Another NCAA Football 11 wishlist

Posted on November 21, 2009 at 10:05 AM.

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Another NCAA Football 11 Wishlist
By LucianoJJ

I�ve played NCAA Football games on three different platforms for nearly a decade. I�ve seen the look, the sound, and the feel of the games change. I wrote a wishlist for another sports video game website last season. Consider me a transfer to Operation Sports, but I hope this wishlist is a positive contribution to the program.

Quarterbacks need added attention in EA Sports� NCAA Football 11. QB at the major college level is not one-size-fits-all. Tiburon needs to better differentiate between poor and average, good to great. A pro prospect looks and performs differently from a redshirt fifth-year senior destined to be benched, in favor of a highly touted recruit. While anyone who has gone into editing a player�s ratings can tell you, EA labels quarterbacks based on attributes, their on-field performance doesn�t always reflect these classifications. Varying the throwing motion animation from QB to QB would be nice. Classic pro-style quarterbacks throw differently than smaller quarterbacks in a run-oriented offense.

Fans howled when the more complex ratings for passers in Madden 10 did not make it into NCAA 10. Hopefully, this season these marks will be included and tweaked. While I would not want to see the return of the passing cone, like Madden had a few years ago, some approach bringing passing back to realistic levels would be welcome. The Robo QB�s presence was diminished in NCAA 10, for the next version he needs to be stopped altogether. Added animations for play-action fakes might make the passing game look more realistic.

The option is the one tactical element that separates the NCAA from the NFL. The option game in NCAA Football 11 needs an upgrade. Tiburon has to improve upon it, to add to the authenticity of their college football game. By featuring more realism in its appearance and execution, improving the blocking for it, as well as the defense�s reaction to it NCAA 11 could bring the option to life. Spread shotgun offenses keep defenses guessing by incorporating the option as an alternative to their basketball-on-grass passing attacks. Studying Brad Smith in his days at Missouri, or Pat White teaming with Steve Slaton at West Virginia could add to the incorporation of the option. If you want to see how the option was executed Old School, watch Oklahoma and Nebraska in the seventies and eighties. Dig for footage of Conredge Holloway at Tennessee. If you wonder how a school with average talent can have a successful option attack, check out tape from Northwestern over the last decade.

Others on various forums have been critical of the blocking schemes, and the way defenses tend to attack, rather than stringing the play out, and taking more of a read-react approach. With the success of Georgia Tech and Navy in running the option, we may see more schools taking the step back to that strategy.

A mini-game should be added based on all of the trick plays, just as there is currently a mini-game for the option. What good is it to have the trickeration of the Wildcat formation, the Circus, Flea Flicker, and Statue of Liberty, if you can�t run them? Another mini-game could focus on Special Teams, especially executing fake punts, fake field goals, fumble-rooskies, and kick blocking. Reverses and fake reverses should return to next gen Special Teams playbooks.

Whether you are a disciple of the late Bill Walsh or embrace the philosophy of Mike Leach, your inner OC (Offensive Coordinator) should be addressed. Create-a-playbook should return. This type of customization would make dynasties and online play even more unpredictable. Ineffective plays could be weeded out with custom playbooks and new formations could be used to further exploit personnel. A �retro run� playbook featuring the veer, the wishbone, and the power-I should be added.

There should be a huge screen in the shrine listing each school. For a victory against each school, you should be given a check mark, and earn points based on the strength of that school�s team. When you defeat all schools in a conference and you should earn a trophy, and more points, based on the overall prestige of the conference. When you defeat all schools in all conferences and you should receive a platinum trophy.

Some may feel game play is more important than the RPG aspect Dynasty has. When playing Dynasty you should have the choice of turning off recruiting altogether. The focus of some dynasties then could be limited to game play. The recruiting has bogged down my own dynasty play.

Madden 09 featured a controversial feature at the beginning of the game meant to tweak and tailor the game to the user. While I wouldn�t want to go through another Tron-like sequence, I do think something could be done to analyze your own skills and adjust the sliders. Some spend months adjusting the sliders on their own, trying slider sets from the forums, or just complaining about the default sliders. A path to take is to have tiered schedules. The scoring of this mode could be similar to the way points were tallied in Need For Speed: Shift. Just as most real programs open the schedule with a FCS school or a non-BCS school, your first game would be against a one-star opponent. You may have a couple more against a two-star opponent, then a three-star opponent, then you jump into your conference play. The competition gradually gets steeper. The final game of your schedule would be a big rivalry match-up against a five-star school. At the completion of this schedule, you could move on to a conference title game, then a bowl. At the end of this thirteen- or fourteen-game run, based on your stats and the scores your points will be totaled up and a suggestion will be made. This suggestion will be what level to play the game at, whether Heisman, All-American, etc. Your scores would also give you letter grades in run offense, pass offense, run defense, run offense, and special teams. This could be your Game Play GPA. You may earn special equipment upgrades, or other DLC.

Presentation-wise, I echo the calls for greater use of the ESPN license, as well as the appearance of coaches and chain gangs. Timeouts could feature a QB or defensive captain approaching the sidelines for a conference with a coach. I miss a coach jawing with an official over a penalty, as well as the post-game handshake. The opening sequence with the marching band in NCAA 10 was decent, but another animation with the teams taking the field needs to be in NCAA 11.

The sidelines also need a reboot. It�s no wonder these potbellied, pencil armed geeks are on the bench, they look pathetic. Give them a bit more animation than simply raising their arms in response to a long run. Some could be lifting their helmets over their heads, or waving towels. As is, the cheerleaders are generally the only display of emotion in the next gen game. The crowds need a touch-up as well. In FIFA 10, during a snowy tournament game in the Netherlands, I could see the crowd was dressed for the weather. NHL 10 also featured crowd upgrades. An NCAA game needs to look better in the stands, as well.

What about the defense? As others have pointed out, Pro-Tak should make an appearance in some form in NCAA Football 11. Mini-games could be added to sharpen up our abilities to force fumbles or break up passes, as well beating offensive linemen on the way to a quarterback sack. I�ve already mentioned the proper defense of the option. The one big weakness I saw in NCAA 10 was the tendency of some defenders to stand still. While you can choose a look that requires a defensive end or a linebacker to stay home, if it is an obvious pass or run, they should react in a proper way. The speed of the game play seems to work to the advantage of the defense. For Madden to play slower than NCAA is a contradiction. Ask any real life pro player and he will tell you the speed of the NFL on the field is bewildering. While wide open play has been criticized for being too arcade-like, it is more appropriate, since college games tend to have more lopsided blowouts.

Tiburon did a good job addressing a lot of the glitches and bugs, making NCAA Football 10 a better game. They also take a lot of heat from their fanbase, whether it regards Madden or the college game. Hopefully, their continued focus is on sim-styled, game play, with a deeper, further college-oriented approach.