RaychelSnr's Blog
NCAA Football 14: Dynasty Mode Needs a Complete Makeover 
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 04:45 PM.
There are a lot of things NCAA Football 14 needs to do next July to show it's not simply content with treading water and being a distant second option for football gamers everywhere. Outside of getting the refined Madden 13 treatment, NCAA has to show it's got the same ability to innovate as the series once did.
From roster sharing to online dynasties and beyond, NCAA Football has typically been ahead of the game when it came to innovating this console generation. And now, heading into the next release cycle, I think the series needs to rethink dynasty mode with an almost complete overhaul.
Define Yourself
NCAA's biggest flaw in the dynasty mode is that it does everything and nothing all at the same time. While I'm pretty sure you are supposed to be a coach running your program, the series doesn't quite go all-in with that approach.
NCAA Football, the real-to-life sport version, is dominated and ran by coaching personalities. In a game with so much turnover (players leaving on average at four years), rosters turn completely over within 5-6 years in every program. But the one constant, the one thing that keeps fans buying into a program are the coaches.
Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. Bob Stoop's Oklahoma Sooners. Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes. Chip Kelly's Oregon Ducks. Tommy Tubervilles Texas Te...oh yeah.
But a coach defines a program. He is the essence of what a program is about. Is it flamboyant and cocky? Is it reserved and confident? Is it shaky and unsure of itself?
Dynasty mode has to mimic this. This is the essence of college football programs and your coach character you run with needs to be more dynamic, more impactful on the game, and the decisions you make need to shape your program now and for years to come. The time has come for static mission based menus to go by the wayside, it's time for NCAA Football to truly reinvent Dynasty modes in sports gaming.
The Menus Were Fine Five Years Ago...
NCAA Football 13 felt stale in every aspect. Why? Because it was a lot like NCAA Football 12 in every aspect. The developers definitely need to rethink how the menus are layed out, especially after they go with a new coach and program centric approach.
Recruiting is clunky now, the offseason takes a lifetime to go through, and the simulation engine is slowwwwwwwwww to put it mildly.
The user experience in NCAA Football 13 finally edged on frustrating in many respects. A new top-down approach to the menus with streamlined commands and an easier to navigate offseason would do wonders for the mode. Great developers and designers manage to build complexity with simplicity -- and that's what I'd love to see done with NCAA Football 13.
Defined Roles, Better Program Management
Building off of the first point, I'd like for there to be better and more realistic management of a program. Teams like North Texas should have limited recruiting and facility budgets, and you should be forced to make decisions about playing great teams for a guaranteed paycheck to boost your programs finances or going it on your own and hoping for the best.
Old NCAA games used to limit your program's reach Nationwide. Smaller schools were forced to only recruit locally for instance. I don't think that is the solution, but the mode eventually progressed to where farther visits costed more money. That makes sense and if you do it right, National Programs won't care and small programs would immensely about where to recruit from.
Also, you should be forced to negotiate scheduling (if you enable the option) as well. A big part of college football is how the schedule breaks down. Are you going to be a program that schedules anyone and everyone or do you want to get three guaranteed wins a year? Future schedules with home and homes and two-for-ones would be amazing with this in mind.
Final Thoughts
The simple message of my rants is simple: NCAA Football 14 needs a new approach to dynasty mode more centric to coaches and the programs they run. The NCAA Basketball series briefly got this dynamic -- and I'd like to see NCAA Football follow that thought process into the future. Deciding upon the program you want to run with real benefits and consequences to each decision you make would be a fun dynamic to add within dynasty mode.
Dynasty mode doesn't have to be Football Manager deep, but something new needs to be done to make the number one reason people play the game feel fresh again.
From roster sharing to online dynasties and beyond, NCAA Football has typically been ahead of the game when it came to innovating this console generation. And now, heading into the next release cycle, I think the series needs to rethink dynasty mode with an almost complete overhaul.
Define Yourself
NCAA's biggest flaw in the dynasty mode is that it does everything and nothing all at the same time. While I'm pretty sure you are supposed to be a coach running your program, the series doesn't quite go all-in with that approach.
NCAA Football, the real-to-life sport version, is dominated and ran by coaching personalities. In a game with so much turnover (players leaving on average at four years), rosters turn completely over within 5-6 years in every program. But the one constant, the one thing that keeps fans buying into a program are the coaches.
Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. Bob Stoop's Oklahoma Sooners. Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes. Chip Kelly's Oregon Ducks. Tommy Tubervilles Texas Te...oh yeah.
But a coach defines a program. He is the essence of what a program is about. Is it flamboyant and cocky? Is it reserved and confident? Is it shaky and unsure of itself?
Dynasty mode has to mimic this. This is the essence of college football programs and your coach character you run with needs to be more dynamic, more impactful on the game, and the decisions you make need to shape your program now and for years to come. The time has come for static mission based menus to go by the wayside, it's time for NCAA Football to truly reinvent Dynasty modes in sports gaming.
The Menus Were Fine Five Years Ago...
NCAA Football 13 felt stale in every aspect. Why? Because it was a lot like NCAA Football 12 in every aspect. The developers definitely need to rethink how the menus are layed out, especially after they go with a new coach and program centric approach.
Recruiting is clunky now, the offseason takes a lifetime to go through, and the simulation engine is slowwwwwwwwww to put it mildly.
The user experience in NCAA Football 13 finally edged on frustrating in many respects. A new top-down approach to the menus with streamlined commands and an easier to navigate offseason would do wonders for the mode. Great developers and designers manage to build complexity with simplicity -- and that's what I'd love to see done with NCAA Football 13.
Defined Roles, Better Program Management
Building off of the first point, I'd like for there to be better and more realistic management of a program. Teams like North Texas should have limited recruiting and facility budgets, and you should be forced to make decisions about playing great teams for a guaranteed paycheck to boost your programs finances or going it on your own and hoping for the best.
Old NCAA games used to limit your program's reach Nationwide. Smaller schools were forced to only recruit locally for instance. I don't think that is the solution, but the mode eventually progressed to where farther visits costed more money. That makes sense and if you do it right, National Programs won't care and small programs would immensely about where to recruit from.
Also, you should be forced to negotiate scheduling (if you enable the option) as well. A big part of college football is how the schedule breaks down. Are you going to be a program that schedules anyone and everyone or do you want to get three guaranteed wins a year? Future schedules with home and homes and two-for-ones would be amazing with this in mind.
Final Thoughts
The simple message of my rants is simple: NCAA Football 14 needs a new approach to dynasty mode more centric to coaches and the programs they run. The NCAA Basketball series briefly got this dynamic -- and I'd like to see NCAA Football follow that thought process into the future. Deciding upon the program you want to run with real benefits and consequences to each decision you make would be a fun dynamic to add within dynasty mode.
Dynasty mode doesn't have to be Football Manager deep, but something new needs to be done to make the number one reason people play the game feel fresh again.
# 16
tril @ Dec 11
I believe that a ccm would work better in a college game. so that would be the logical step for the NCAA series.
# 17
eye guy @ Dec 11
Chris, can you please write a similar article for NBA 2K's Assoc. mode please? : )
# 18
SkillzKillz719 @ Dec 11
I feel like the NCAA has borderline lost it's foundation...
It's going so many different directions but yet, going nowhere at all.
There needs to be LIFE into this game.
If you actually think about it, where is the life in the game? What about NCAA 13 makes you feel like you are a coach/player?
I would say little to anything. That's a little harsh but true.
Can anyone here honestly say they can reel off the names of the 15 or so recruits they are attacking? I would say less than 1% can. Myself included sadly. They are just numbers that help your team.
The recruits start to feel the same. I have to personally go in and edit their equipment to differentiate them.
I remember in my first year at Fresno State, long story short, I had a star QB, and clutch linebacker my first year. Star QB gets injured in biggest game. Backup comes in and throws pick six. Then overcomes it to lead a game-winning drive in Autzen Stadium in the closing seconds.
Why was he the star QB? Because I ran my offense around him and I called more plays that required good QB skill.
Why was the backup story so good? I made it up in my head. It's a great movie idea.
Why was my linebacker clutch? I made him QB Spy on 3rd down and 95% of the time he would put a stop to a scramble.
And WHY did I feel that way about them? Because I make it up in my head.
To the game the lifeless players are numbers. That's it.
When my backup QB throws a pick, does he drop his head? Does he get over it? Is he ready to avenge himself?
Furthermore, how does the coach react? Does he encourage like Mike Riley? Or belittle like Brain Kelly? Players respond to both sides.
NCAA 14 needs LIFE.
It needs fresh air. It does NOT need a game mode that is half, just asking the Heisman winners questions. Honestly, I think all of us here could create all the players used in the Heisman mode if given a full 10-12 hour work day. It REALLY shouldn't have been as big of a deal as they made it out to be.
I'm going to flip **** if Ben tells us why NCAA 14 is so much better than 13 because of the new scoreboard animations.
And I'm personally so handcuffed with this game because I need my college football fix... I love the sport too much. It's hard to just ignore it.
It's going so many different directions but yet, going nowhere at all.
There needs to be LIFE into this game.
If you actually think about it, where is the life in the game? What about NCAA 13 makes you feel like you are a coach/player?
I would say little to anything. That's a little harsh but true.
Can anyone here honestly say they can reel off the names of the 15 or so recruits they are attacking? I would say less than 1% can. Myself included sadly. They are just numbers that help your team.
The recruits start to feel the same. I have to personally go in and edit their equipment to differentiate them.
I remember in my first year at Fresno State, long story short, I had a star QB, and clutch linebacker my first year. Star QB gets injured in biggest game. Backup comes in and throws pick six. Then overcomes it to lead a game-winning drive in Autzen Stadium in the closing seconds.
Why was he the star QB? Because I ran my offense around him and I called more plays that required good QB skill.
Why was the backup story so good? I made it up in my head. It's a great movie idea.
Why was my linebacker clutch? I made him QB Spy on 3rd down and 95% of the time he would put a stop to a scramble.
And WHY did I feel that way about them? Because I make it up in my head.
To the game the lifeless players are numbers. That's it.
When my backup QB throws a pick, does he drop his head? Does he get over it? Is he ready to avenge himself?
Furthermore, how does the coach react? Does he encourage like Mike Riley? Or belittle like Brain Kelly? Players respond to both sides.
NCAA 14 needs LIFE.
It needs fresh air. It does NOT need a game mode that is half, just asking the Heisman winners questions. Honestly, I think all of us here could create all the players used in the Heisman mode if given a full 10-12 hour work day. It REALLY shouldn't have been as big of a deal as they made it out to be.
I'm going to flip **** if Ben tells us why NCAA 14 is so much better than 13 because of the new scoreboard animations.
And I'm personally so handcuffed with this game because I need my college football fix... I love the sport too much. It's hard to just ignore it.
# 20
chi_hawks @ Dec 11
great points. I hope they re-invent the NCAA Football brand, but I doubt they will.
# 21
Eski33 @ Dec 11
The visuals need an upgrade. NCAA 11 is still the best looking of this generation. Give me Madden 13 visuals and all is well.
# 22
djcorrosive @ Dec 11
Any one remember the great Choops 2k8 dynasty mode? Recruiting was far and above what we have in NCAA FB. It wasn't perfect and could use some tweaking, but it incorporated a lot of great ideas mentioned by the author of this article (for instance, making it more preferable for small programs to recruit close to home and have a higher cost the farther away the recruit is).
# 23
BLACKjersey53 @ Dec 11
Is it too early for a wish list altogether? Just seeing "NCAA Football 14" as a title gets me all excited lol. When does a legit wish list start up for this game anyway?
# 24
BreaksoftheGame @ Dec 11
How about more X's and O's. What about creating a playbook or style (ala Oregon's fast break, June Jones air raid, Oklahoma 4-2-5 etc.....). There needs to a multitude of settings for coaching strategies.
I would also like more emphasis on practice and the setup of the gameplan for an opponent. Instead of setting a slider for "aggressiveness" how about we design practice weeks focused on forcing turnovers that have a "chance" to increase our aggressiveness.
For me EA football games are just boring. Same playbooks, same sliders and same concepts every year. They really need to get to the basics of football strategically and work up from there. The additions are limitless and could change the way we think about football dynasty modes.
I would also like more emphasis on practice and the setup of the gameplan for an opponent. Instead of setting a slider for "aggressiveness" how about we design practice weeks focused on forcing turnovers that have a "chance" to increase our aggressiveness.
For me EA football games are just boring. Same playbooks, same sliders and same concepts every year. They really need to get to the basics of football strategically and work up from there. The additions are limitless and could change the way we think about football dynasty modes.
# 25
BreaksoftheGame @ Dec 11
And by creating a playbook. I mean formations, line splits, cadences, receiver routes, fake handoffs, QB setps, HB steps .....etc
# 26
BLACKjersey53 @ Dec 11
I'd sure hope that they're working on it. I've been playing NCAA football only for 10 years but have loved every game I bought. I'd love to see dynasty improvements, but I honestly can only play one or two games of 13 before I get aggravated and have to abandon it for a few days. I've tried 5 dynasties with this game and can't finish the first season with a single one. I love recruiting, but what's the point if the on field gameplay keeps me from advancing the season to play with the guys I recruit? Anything that improves this game and makes it more playable, especially to somebody who plays football, I'm all for it! I have nothing but the utmost respect for the guys at EA who make this game but like Skillz said, 13 goes in so many directions, yet it goes nowhere at all. I agree with everything in Skillz's post. I'd rather this game get half the hype of any NCAA game and completely blow me away when I play it. I don't need podcasts telling me why this game is so much more awesome than the last edition and they admit the last game was flawed. I don't want to know if I guy is a gem before I even put him on recruit board. I want a spring game/practices so I find out for myself. That's part of the beauty of recruit, finding them gem! Do juco guys play a factor in this game? Or does it just mean you only get them for 2 years of eligibility? Can you sign a Juco freshman, or all they all sophomores when you recruit them? Are there Juco gems? Not every Juco guy is a Cam Newton, but are there a good amount of Juco guys rated significantly higher than a majority of the upcoming freshman class? I don't know these things because I can't enjoy the gameplay long enough to find out. The gimmicks are great for those who enjoy them, but as a kid who has been playing football for 14 years (3 years Juco and hopefully a 4 year school next semester) I feel like EA has lost touch with me on NCAA. I find minimal enjoyment with slider sets and I'm happy people find enjoyment in gimmicky game modes, I wish they'd cater to the hardcore football fans like all of you and myself, but each year I find this game collecting dust earlier than the year before.
# 27
Juce734 @ Dec 12
I don't think a total make over is needed. I do think changes are needed though.
Scheduling for years in advance should be implemented. Schedule a big school for home and home is good competition but may ruin your BCS bowl chances. BCS bowls would give your program more money in which you could use for recruit visits and such.
Schedule easy teams for the easy wins to get your back ups playing time to help them improve skills.
Every year there should be some way to scout for walk ons and transfers.
Basically a financial element I feel should be added to the game. It could add so much more immersion for those who enjoy dynasty mode. Then you can craft a program into a dynasty.
Scheduling for years in advance should be implemented. Schedule a big school for home and home is good competition but may ruin your BCS bowl chances. BCS bowls would give your program more money in which you could use for recruit visits and such.
Schedule easy teams for the easy wins to get your back ups playing time to help them improve skills.
Every year there should be some way to scout for walk ons and transfers.
Basically a financial element I feel should be added to the game. It could add so much more immersion for those who enjoy dynasty mode. Then you can craft a program into a dynasty.
# 28
fnz21 @ Dec 13
I would love to have an AD-type mode, where you hire coaches if yours leaves. I think that's just as interesting as being a coach jumping from school to school
# 29
misterbroom12 @ Dec 14
Is it just me or can you do everything you asked for already? Want to build a program around a coach? Create a coach and preference your styles and play books. Want to build a program? Start with a 1 or 2 star school. Want to maintain one? Start with a 5 or 6 star school. Want to make recruiting more local for smaller schools? Force yourself to recruit only players from local states. Want to schedule cream puffs, edit your schedule, same goes for building strength of schedule.
TL;DR - The game has everything in it to personalize how you play it. For EA, and everyone, it's better to leave these types of things to user discretion and not force feed how the game must be played.
TL;DR - The game has everything in it to personalize how you play it. For EA, and everyone, it's better to leave these types of things to user discretion and not force feed how the game must be played.
# 30
kenneth_jacobs_00 @ Dec 24
Where to begin? I love NCAA for the pageantry, the upsets, the next superstars etc. I just wish EA would put forth a better effort!
[RECRUITING: 1) Being able to recruit HS So/Jrs should be in the game, I knew plenty of athletes that were committed before their Sr year even began. This was actually on NCAA Basketball 2k8.
GAMEPLAY: Different running styles should be implementeed. A 5'10 RB and a 6'5 WR should not run like they are wearing back braces. There is a such thing as "stride". Taller people tend to take longer "strides"!
I have much more but I am pretty sure EA doesn't care about what people that have actually played football, has to say.
[RECRUITING: 1) Being able to recruit HS So/Jrs should be in the game, I knew plenty of athletes that were committed before their Sr year even began. This was actually on NCAA Basketball 2k8.
GAMEPLAY: Different running styles should be implementeed. A 5'10 RB and a 6'5 WR should not run like they are wearing back braces. There is a such thing as "stride". Taller people tend to take longer "strides"!
I have much more but I am pretty sure EA doesn't care about what people that have actually played football, has to say.
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