NCAA Football 12: Title Update #2

Feature Article

Submitted on: 09/19/2011 by Dustin Toms

I’ve read through your impressions. I’ve seen what you gripes revolve around. But when I played NCAA 12 with its latest patch, despite all of the negatives, I found a more enjoyable game.

Before I get flamed, know that I rock the 360, so the no huddle problems you PS3 users experience aren't there for me.

However, the first thing I checked out was the no huddle, and I encountered no problems. My playbook was there, I had the options and could run a Pro-Style offense to near perfection.

My team of choice is Oregon, so the spread is my comfort zone. As you should know, the spread was a pain to run pre patch since option plays were a waste of time. The improvements of the quarterback’s acceleration and the lead blocking allow you to create something if it’s available. The blocking is still not the best, but when it comes to EA football titles it’s never up to par. But now that I can gain five, ten and sometimes 20 yards with Thomas or James, the spread finally feels more realistic.

Another big gameplay issue with NCAA was the terrible AI in the secondary. The patch has made it better, but I still find it slightly too easy to connect on deep passes. Zone coverage pays more attention to your quarterback, which is good, but they still aren’t where they need to be most of the time.

The only problem that I can’t stand is the CPU’s ability to run screens. Sure screens are always hit or miss, but they can’t move the ball at all. I love giving my opponent a 5-yard loss, but it really kills the realism and fun factor when they choose a screen play on third down.

Outside of gameplay, the changes made to roster edits are a great addition. I love how we can change other team’s ratings. Obviously if you want, you can destroy some ratings of good players. But it’s great how, especially later in the real college season, we can edit some freshman that are tearing it up. EA basically gave us total control for roster updates. If that isn’t win, I don’t know what is.

The game still is far from perfect, but the patch made it better than it was before. NCAA is now more enjoyable than Madden, and should be your top football choice until Madden receives similar treatment via a patch.

NCAA Football 12 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 Herky @ 09/19/11 04:38 PM

For as long as it look to release the patch they should have been able to fix coaching progression and the roster glitch at the very least. They said it was fixed but it wasn't, and there are plenty of posts about that.

Fumbles are very rare and the patch killed varsity level. Those are just a few negatives too.

If I could grade the patch I'd give it a D+. They had plenty of time to release something good and they didn't. So many people have gone back to pre-patch and that is telling.

# 22 Big Mocephus @ 09/19/11 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	NCAA Title Update #2 is far from a perfect patch -- you just have to ask PS3 users and they'll tell you that. But when you get down into the meat and potatoes of the gameplay, there are some real improvements here. Find out what our own Dustin Toms thinks of the update by clicking the link below! NCAA Football 12: Title Update #2 Thoughts

Dustin Toms is not playing the same game that the rest of us are...how else can you explain this reveiw? Patch 2 destroyed far more than it fixed and introduced crippling new bugs. Try playing defense agains the CPU when it runs HUNH offense.

Awful is the fairest way to describe Patch 2. It took a playable but flawed game and made it a bugg filled glitch collection that is unplayable for a huge portion of the time.

Freezes....still in the game. Rosters still bugged and OD issues still rampant. Option plays now result in defenders not reacting to the play at all against some fronts and overeacting in others. Awful I say.

# 23 newefan @ 09/19/11 05:34 PM

i disagree . i think madden 12 with some sliders as of now plays better than ncaa .
here is the problems i have seen myself with ncaa 12
*when i throw the ball no matter who is trying to catch it they let the ball wiz right past their head and not even put their hands out to catch it .
*o-line and fb blocking. no matter how good your o-line is they still get jazz hands.fb's seem to be clueless when it comes to blocking the right person on run plays.

# 24 wcwecw75 @ 09/19/11 05:54 PM

i have the ps3 version. why wont they fix the dam accelerated game clock?!! that is the most anoying thing ive ever seen! there isnt a accelerated game clock in a real ncaa football game is there?!! unless im missing something! the uniforms still dont get dirty for both teams in a game! and the espn radio sports center cuts off in and out! ive turned that off! and the espn ticker is up to date sometimes! just drop the whole espn license!

# 25 Sundown2600 @ 09/19/11 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by synjin


	Can I have fun with the game... yeah. Can I get through an entire game without saying "WTF?!?" because of one of the following: -some effed up bug -a lazy programming short-cut was taken when maybe 20 minutes worth of writing some extra code could have made it 10 times better -poor AI -unrealistic ball trajectory -pulling guards coming to a complete stand still and doing nothing once they get outside the O tackle -lead FBs coming to a complete stop in the gap on Iso plays when they should be charging at the MLB -at least 1 OL completely whiffing on a pass block within .5 seconds of the snap -Psychic DBs running one direction, then instantly leaping 12 feet in the opposite to swat down a pass that should be over their heads anyway -suction blocking, the kind where I can push the L-stick in the opposite direction of my defender and I still don't disengage. -DL's forced to run in a pre-set direction (usually right into the arms of a pre-assigned OL, or jog in place vs. option runs) for the first second of the play. -Horrible defensive assignment and man-alignment AI -Play action plays where the QB gets sacked before you can control him, even though the D didn't jump the snap. -MLBs and DTs "parting the red sea" on CPU runs up the middle when CPU sets their blocking to aggressive -QB's taking forever to get through their throwing animation, allowing what should be a quick checkdown or slant throw to end up being a sack, even if the QB is 90% of the way through the animation. -CB's assigned to Man defense stuffing RB's in the backfield even on inside runs. -CPU defense knowing your offensive playcall -skill players not returning to the game even when they haven't been injured, and they aren't tired because you've called 2 TOs over the last 2 plays. -Custom Playbooks completely effed up, including formations that I didn't choose and weren't even offered as a choice when I made the playbook (Jumbo Ace and Pro-I double tight to name two) -making me back out to "formation" to scroll to a different KO return play, or defaulting to FG when I'm 4th and 12 on my own 20 yard line when on offense, or defaulting puntblock on defense -6'1", 236 lbs HB's with 87 speed and 48 str. -6'6", 248 lbs ATH's that are HBs. -ATH's that can't play more than a couple positions and only on one side of the ball. What's the point of being an ATH if you can't be moved around to many different positions and play them all relatively equally. ...the answer to that: NO. I can't get through a single quarter without experiencing several of those things, much less an entire game. That Haumiller and his crew haven't been fired for this bug-filled debacle weeks ago is still astounding to me.

This just about sums it up

# 26 thdudeabides @ 09/19/11 06:37 PM

Option running is effective for you now, you say?

Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that two of the CPU cornerbacks are FROZEN in spot and out of the play?

You don't have the No Huddle Glitch affect you, you say?

You either, A) don't know what it is despite "reading all those impressions" or B) you downloaded the one patch that didn't mess this up. Which of those two options do you think it is?

Trying to sugar coat this patch is nonsense.

Just my opinion of course.

# 27 Anaxamander @ 09/19/11 07:38 PM

I'll say that NCAA Football is my favorite series of all time, and college football is by far my favorite sport.

But right now, Madden plays so much better to me than NCAA it's not even close.

# 28 TDavis45 @ 09/19/11 07:43 PM

Has anyone else had the problem with a CPU defender, on any kind of option, will just STAND there. Literally, not move or anything. Sometimes its 2 defenders.

# 29 Petey B @ 09/19/11 07:53 PM

Oy, vey! I have NOT yet downloaded the patch, and have adjusted sliders and gotten deep into a Dynasty very much to my liking (go Aztecs). So, should I avoid the patch or get it? I'm playin PS3.

# 30 thdudeabides @ 09/19/11 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDavis45


	Has anyone else had the problem with a CPU defender, on any kind of option, will just STAND there. Literally, not move or anything. Sometimes its 2 defenders.

Look at the post 3 above yours.

# 31 LionsFanNJ @ 09/19/11 09:53 PM

ah. So this thread pretty much turned into every other thread in this forum. Cool.

# 32 burter @ 09/19/11 09:53 PM

I don't understand what he is saying. I have the 360 and I have the no huddle glitch. I deleted all my playbooks and cache and I still have the error with formations missing after I do a new playbook. Also formations that you use to be able to pick while creating your playbook aren't there anymore.

# 33 MrC @ 09/19/11 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDavis45


	Has anyone else had the problem with a CPU defender, on any kind of option, will just STAND there. Literally, not move or anything. Sometimes its 2 defenders.

The DL you are probably referring to is the last man on either side of the line who is left unblocked.

In a classic I or Flexbone/Wishbone triple option play, the OL will leave the last man unblocked. This is the defender who the QB will initially read. If he is just "standing there," as you described, it means he is trying to take away the QB run -- if he is attacking, that means he is going to take away the FB (or equivalent) ballcarrier. A successful option play will involve doing the opposite of what this DE (or equivalent) is taking away.

There are advanced defending techniques that aren't reflected well by the CPU in the game, and you can try to play DE against an option team if playing online and really ruin the opposition's day (or make it, if you don't know how to play end against the option), but NCAA 12's interpretation of defending the option is far from being "broken." It's merely a bit simplified, just like anything else in this game.

# 34 thdudeabides @ 09/19/11 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrC


	The DL you are probably referring to is the last man on either side of the line who is left unblocked. In a classic I or Flexbone/Wishbone triple option play, the OL will leave the last man unblocked. This is the defender who the QB will initially read. If he is just "standing there," as you described, it means he is trying to take away the QB run -- if he is attacking, that means he is going to take away the FB (or equivalent) ballcarrier. A successful option play will involve doing the opposite of what this DE (or equivalent) is taking away. There are advanced defending techniques that aren't reflected well by the CPU in the game, and you can try to play DE against an option team if playing online and really ruin the opposition's day (or make it, if you don't know how to play end against the option), but NCAA 12's interpretation of defending the option is far from being "broken." It's merely a bit simplified, just like anything else in this game.

Wrong.

Its not simplified anything. The defensive backs stand still, 15-20 yards down field and DO Not Move, the defenders watch the play as if they are fans in the seats, usually there is a D-Back on one side and the opposite side of the field who are both affected. It Has Nothing to Do with Defending the Option, its BROKEN.

There are videos of this everywhere displaying the Glitch if you care to get a CLUE as to what the problem is before commenting.

# 35 xBaBaBooeyx @ 09/20/11 12:03 AM

I have a 360 and my no huddle is screwed up. It happens on both systems doesn't it? Kind of ruins your offense when you run shotgun formations w/ no huddle and your first formation is the gator heavy.

# 36 pdiehm @ 09/20/11 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thdudeabides


	Wrong. Its not simplified anything. The defensive backs stand still, 15-20 yards down field and DO Not Move, the defenders watch the play as if they are fans in the seats, usually there is a D-Back on one side and the opposite side of the field who are both affected. It Has Nothing to Do with Defending the Option, its BROKEN. There are videos of this everywhere displaying the Glitch if you care to get a CLUE as to what the problem is before commenting.

I posted 2 video's in the roster edit's thread...

1 is a toss, where the WR cuts a player, allowing my RB to go into the endzone, and the other is the CPU running the option to perfection.

It's all about editing the rosters. It's about making the WR's block, or the lineman getting out in space ahead of the RB. It's about lowering the CPU's astronomical pursuit speed, and agility which allows them to cut on a dime and change direction.

# 37 Sundown2600 @ 09/20/11 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdiehm


	I posted 2 video's in the roster edit's thread... 1 is a toss, where the WR cuts a player, allowing my RB to go into the endzone, and the other is the CPU running the option to perfection. It's all about editing the rosters. It's about making the WR's block, or the lineman getting out in space ahead of the RB. It's about lowering the CPU's astronomical pursuit speed, and agility which allows them to cut on a dime and change direction.

I know you have been in the roster editing thread and I think you are the guy who edited Air Force. Are you saying that editing the players fixes the DB freeze bug?

# 38 MrC @ 09/20/11 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thdudeabides


	Wrong. Its not simplified anything. The defensive backs stand still, 15-20 yards down field and DO Not Move, the defenders watch the play as if they are fans in the seats, usually there is a D-Back on one side and the opposite side of the field who are both affected. It Has Nothing to Do with Defending the Option, its BROKEN. There are videos of this everywhere displaying the Glitch if you care to get a CLUE as to what the problem is before commenting.

Easy on the random word CAPS there pal...

This "glitch" is a myth. There are bigger fish to fry in the glitch department -- for example passes bouncing off of unfocused receivers and user catch defeating triple coverage on the deep ball.

Chalk up any DB complacency during options to the option play confusing them -- which is what the option is generally designed to do. I would be more concerned if it was a passing play and the db's didn't understand their roles.

Again, relax there buddy. We are talking about a videogame, no?

# 39 pdiehm @ 09/20/11 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundown2600


	I know you have been in the roster editing thread and I think you are the guy who edited Air Force. Are you saying that editing the players fixes the DB freeze bug?

I've never seen the DB freeze bug. The most frustrating piece of this game is to properly read a DE on an option play, and have everyone do their job only to have the CPU blow it up because the CPU DB (Playside) instantly crashes. I understand that sometimes players read plays faster, but at the snap of the ball? No.

Editing the players makes them play as they should. From what I've seen, raising the AWR helps them immensely (no freezing in space). I also lowered the ACC/AGI...so they can't cut on a dime and switch directions. Obviously players like Greg Reid, these things will be slightly higher.

Up til last week I was like...can it really change the game? and in the first half of AF/AF, I saw more realistic things than I have ever seen on the 360 console. the CPU beat me on a 57 yard TD pass (I play in coach mode)...normally the trailing DB would jump up and swat it away. Since the jump ratings have been lowered, and the acc/agi also lowered, this did not occur. He did put his hand out to swat the ball at the last second but he was 2 yards behind the WR. Was really beautiful.

I also have seen the pulling guards, with their ACC at 90, get out ahead of the rB on toss and counters, and absolutely murder a CB. I've seen DE's use proper moves to get by the OT's with their lowered pass block strength slider, but at the same time the QB steps up in the pocket and delivers a strike.

It's not perfect, and I'm curious to see how things play out once all the players have been edited.

# 40 thdudeabides @ 09/20/11 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrC


	Easy on the random word CAPS there pal... This "glitch" is a myth. There are bigger fish to fry in the glitch department -- for example passes bouncing off of unfocused receivers and user catch defeating triple coverage on the deep ball. Chalk up any DB complacency during options to the option play confusing them -- which is what the option is generally designed to do. I would be more concerned if it was a passing play and the db's didn't understand their roles.

The knee-jerk reaction from folks like you to defend obviously broken gameplay is just nonsense.
If your point was "Yeah, its broken, but it's just a videogame and I can work around it." Thats a sensible response.
To pretend that the option causes defensive backs to become so disoriented that they are incapable of reacting, and they completely shut down, that is fjust foolishness.

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