Alright Boyz, Here We Go!!! NCAA Football 2009 impressions thread

[Noop]

Originally Posted by JetsIn06

I'm in 2012....I actually think the game does a great job of simming out games. NOT in supersim, but just the regular old sim this game button. It makes it tougher because you lose games you are supposed to...I probably play out one game a year. I have so much fun recruiting and it's very easy and intuitive...you are definitely right about the WR's as well. I just recruited a 6-7 WR. He's not as good as my other guys but I want to slot him in there just for the jump balls.

Yeah I usually play the big regular season games that I normally schedule early in the season because I like to try to win at all of the toughest place's to play. Recruiting is very fun but it is also kinda of broken because it is impossible to recruit 25 players at once and a work around that I have found is to target 8 players and work them to commit early then add another 8 which gives me 16. The final slots I usually go search the list for guys who aren't being heavily recruited and just fill in those slots the next cycle.

One concern though it seems like my whole team wants to go pro every single season. I lost my entire starting O-Line(4 seniors and a R-Soph) and two backs which really destroyed my team for the next two seasons. I always try to stock pile O-Linemen but always lost 3 to the draft even if they are underclassmen. Its a good thing JUCO's are actually good in this game.

It's a very fun game. Current I just recruited a five star athlete who was rated 86 at WR with 97 and he is a baller.

[Sun Tzu]

I'm going to be home all day today, so if anyone is up for a game let me know.

[Logan]

Middle of season 1 with Rutgers and I just landed the #1 CB in the nation. Must've been a great visit as I went from 6th on his list to a soft verbal after his visit, and then a hard commit a week later. If I remember correctly, in last year's game, it was nearly impossible to keep a soft verbal.

Originally Posted by Noop

Recruiting is very fun but it is also kinda of broken because it is impossible to recruit 25 players at once and a work around that I have found is to target 8 players and work them to commit early then add another 8 which gives me 16.

I disagree with this. Are you sure you're not spending way too much time on each guy? I can squeeze all 25 into a week, although usually I'll leave a few out each week that aren't top priorities and already have me as their first choice.

[JetsIn06]

Originally Posted by Noop

Yeah I usually play the big regular season games that I normally schedule early in the season because I like to try to win at all of the toughest place's to play. Recruiting is very fun but it is also kinda of broken because it is impossible to recruit 25 players at once and a work around that I have found is to target 8 players and work them to commit early then add another 8 which gives me 16. The final slots I usually go search the list for guys who aren't being heavily recruited and just fill in those slots the next cycle.

One concern though it seems like my whole team wants to go pro every single season. I lost my entire starting O-Line(4 seniors and a R-Soph) and two backs which really destroyed my team for the next two seasons. I always try to stock pile O-Linemen but always lost 3 to the draft even if they are underclassmen. Its a good thing JUCO's are actually good in this game.

It's a very fun game. Current I just recruited a five star athlete who was rated 86 at WR with 97 and he is a baller.

Just won the national championship in 2013. Woohoo!!! It's funny that you say that you like to play in the toughest places to play...I do exactly the same thing. This season I scheduled a game at USC and then Cal back to back. I simmed the USC game and won, then played the Cal game and won.

[JetsIn06]

Originally Posted by Logan

Middle of season 1 with Rutgers and I just landed the #1 CB in the nation. Must've been a great visit as I went from 6th on his list to a soft verbal after his visit, and then a hard commit a week later. If I remember correctly, in last year's game, it was nearly impossible to keep a soft verbal.



I disagree with this. Are you sure you're not spending way too much time on each guy? I can squeeze all 25 into a week, although usually I'll leave a few out each week that aren't top priorities and already have me as their first choice.

I agree with you....I'm doing fine in recruiting. Sometimes I feel like I have *too much* time. I check to see how far ahead I am, and if I'm way ahead of the 2nd choice, I'll spend 10 minutes on him. That leaves me plenty of time for everyone else.

Logan...I'm also playing with RU. Like I said, just won the 'ship in 2013. D.C. Jefferson did great for a year as a Sophmore, but then my redshirted 4 start QB was eligible...I made a tough decision to bench D.C. for the new guy. He proceeded to set all kinds of school records and led us to the win in his JR year. I also had a 5-star RB and a 4-star RB. My biggest problem was rebuilding the o-line after a bunch of the original starters left.

[Logan]

Unless I bring in a big recruit, I'm hoping to give DC the job two years down the road.

[Sun Tzu]

Still lookin for a game here. Any east coasters get off of work yet?

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Still lookin for a game here. Any east coasters get off of work yet?

I may be able to get revenge in about 10 minutes..Gotta wait for the roommate to get done with her telemarketing.

[Sun Tzu]

Are you on dialup?

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Are you on dialup?

She uses voip, and swears the data transfering from the xbox makes her phone calls "choppy"...

PROTIP: Never live with someone who works at home.

[Sun Tzu]

Tell her to get a real job, and to do the dishes.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Tell her to get a real job, and to do the dishes.

Maybe he should give her chylmedia! True story ask Karl about it.

[JetsIn06]

Damn...had to return the game to blockbuster today. Ordered one on Ebay last night so I'll be without access for a few days.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Maybe he should give her chylmedia! True story ask Karl about it.

[Sun Tzu]

Pass Interference dammit!

[Groundhog]

I suck at this game. On AA I'm throwing about 3 ints a game with Midd Tenn State, though it has been against 2 good teams (Maryland and Kentucky).

Most alarming to me is the amount of sacks I'm able to tally. A lot of this has to do with how crap QBs are at running the ball, as my linemen get to them just as they begin to tuck the ball away to run with it. I played Kentucky last night and I sacked the QB 8 times, nearly all of them thanks to Kentucky's playbook which seemed to have an endless amount of delayed running plays by their slow ass QB.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Pass Interference dammit!

Revenge is sweet

[Sun Tzu]

Fine fine

Next time I'll choose a team 10 overall points better...bastard. heheh

[Noop]

Originally Posted by Logan

I disagree with this. Are you sure you're not spending way too much time on each guy? I can squeeze all 25 into a week, although usually I'll leave a few out each week that aren't top priorities and already have me as their first choice.

I typically like to give every guy at least one hour when i make the initial offer and this usually leaves me without enough minutes for the guys lower on my list. My current strategy has yielded about 5 number one classes and always in the top 10. I guess that was just my opinion, no harm done.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Fine fine

Next time I'll choose a team 10 overall points better...bastard. heheh

Yeah, I know the juggernaut that is the Arizona Wildcats can be tough to stop. Next time I'll go with Skyline, Foothill, or San Francisco Community College

[Sun Tzu]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Yeah, I know the juggernaut that is the Arizona Wildcats can be tough to stop. Next time I'll go with Skyline, Foothill, or San Francisco Community College

haha...hey I attended Foothill for 1 semester

[Kodos]

Wow. I am just getting shredded recently. Bigsmooth just beat me 31-0... Good game, man. I am having serious troubles with this game recently. I can't do anything right. No running game, can't stop the run, no passing game. Recipe for losing for sure.

[Bigsmooth]

Yeah that 2nd game was kind of fluky...I def got some home field love on that early fumble. The first game we played was pretty intense though.

[Anthony]

kodos: you also can't stop teams on 4th and 8th in your territory and freely allow them to score on such downs.

one thing i don't know what i'm doing wrong is when i'm on defense and the other guys throws a loooong bomb that connects with the WR who somehow got past my DB or is at least behind him enough so that the ball just drops into his hands. i don't know how to defend that cuz when i press Y to go for the INT i must time it wrong and jump too early or maybe not jump high enough to block/swat the pass. i can't seem to get any of my WRs to run past the DB. doesn't work for me. even if i can, it winds up being knocked away. that's one trick i don't have in my arsenal.

[Kodos]

Yeah. Punt defenses aren't great at coverage.

[Bigsmooth]

Originally Posted by Anthony

you also can't stop teams on 4th and 8th in your territory and freely allow them to score on such downs.

one thing i don't know what i'm doing wrong is when i'm on defense and the other guys throws a loooong bomb that connects with the WR who somehow got past my DB or is at least behind him enough so that the ball just drops into his hands. i don't know how to defend that cuz when i press Y to go for the INT i must time it wrong and jump too early or maybe not jump high enough to block/swat the pass. i can't seem to get any of my WRs to run past the DB. doesn't work for me. even if i can, it winds up being knocked away. that's one trick i don't have in my arsenal.

In this situation, use the A button instead of Y. The defender will jump to deflect the ball rather than trying to pick it.

[Anthony]

i'll post a highlight next time it happens. some guys i play against here seem to be able to just simply get the jump on me and will loft this high arcing nuclear bomb of a pass and i'm left scratching my head wondering how the WR was able to get behind my DB so easily. the only other thing i try to do is when the WR inevitably catches the ball i try to time the tackle so that the ball gets jarred loose but while that sounds great in theory it doesn't work in the game.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Anthony

i'll post a highlight next time it happens. some guys i play against here seem to be able to just simply get the jump on me and will loft this high arcing nuclear bomb of a pass and i'm left scratching my head wondering how the WR was able to get behind my DB so easily. the only other thing i try to do is when the WR inevitably catches the ball i try to time the tackle so that the ball gets jarred loose but while that sounds great in theory it doesn't work in the game.

Not me,though. I just punked you like the bitch that you are, hahahaha. Don't even act like you want another taste.


Just kidding. I got lucky.


And I'd get even luckier if we played again, bitch. BOOM!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

For those still considering whether to purchase the game, here's a pretty good video detailing some issues. I believe Peter Moore was quoted yesterday as saying there were "a handful of bugs". I'm guessing he has big hands...........

My Favorite NCAA 09 Videos - Operation Sports Forums

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Anthony

i'll post a highlight next time it happens. some guys i play against here seem to be able to just simply get the jump on me and will loft this high arcing nuclear bomb of a pass and i'm left scratching my head wondering how the WR was able to get behind my DB so easily. the only other thing i try to do is when the WR inevitably catches the ball i try to time the tackle so that the ball gets jarred loose but while that sounds great in theory it doesn't work in the game.

Sounds like someone is abusing the rocket catch which is very hard/nearly impossible to defend (low hit stick may be the only real way.) I've seen one person I play on here abuse it as well.

[Sun Tzu]

The best way to defend against long passes down the sidelines is...don't play man to man press coverage all game long. I see a lot of people crowd the line every single down, and then they get upset when I'm able to connect on long pass after long pass.

[Dr. Sak]

The way I have stopped a few long passes is when my DB was in position ahead of the WR and I just stopped; having the WR run directly into me. I know it isn't exactly legal but it works.

[Sun Tzu]

This is the nature of college football. Some teams air it out all the time, and if you go into a game against a team that regularly plays 3 or 4 wide spread offense, and your sticking to a 4-3, or even Nickel Strong, you're going to get burned. You have to switch up your play calling to match whatever they are going to throw at you. If somebody likes to air it out, then you're gunna have to predict the downs they are going to go deep and put a safety or two back there to help. Instead of giving up the long ball, you'll be swatting it down or even picking him off.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

The best way to defend against long passes down the sidelines is...don't play man to man press coverage all game long. I see a lot of people crowd the line every single down, and then they get upset when I'm able to connect on long pass after long pass.

Or it could be because the man to man coverage is one of the broken aspects of AI in this game, as has been mentioned on several message boards and reviews.

[Sun Tzu]

Eh, I have yet to have someone take me deep more than once or twice in a game. I think people just need to learn how to play defense...not necessarily directing these comments at anybody here btw. I just don't see enough people calling a defense that actually mirrors what the offense is doing. If I had listened to all of the things that are supposedely "broken" in every football game that's come out for Next Gen, then I'd be as delusional as you.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Or it could be because the man to man coverage is one of the broken aspects of AI in this game, as has been mentioned on several message boards and reviews.

You know, actually playing the game gives you an insight into the game that you just can't glean from reading reviews or viewing random isolated plays that you have no knowledge of how the sliders were set up or skill level of those playing.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Eh, I have yet to have someone take me deep more than once or twice in a game. I think people just need to learn how to play defense...not necessarily directing these comments at anybody here btw. I just don't see enough people calling a defense that actually mirrors what the offense is doing. If I had listened to all of the things that are supposedely "broken" in every football game that's come out for Next Gen, then I'd be as delusional as you.

You are right. You can't expect corners who are rated 15 pts below a WR to keep up with them in man press down after down. You have to adjust your playcalling to your strengths and weaknesses.

Just like on offense, if your line cant run block, you don't keep trying to run up the middle. You use short passes to supplement the running game.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

This is the nature of college football. Some teams air it out all the time, and if you go into a game against a team that regularly plays 3 or 4 wide spread offense, and your sticking to a 4-3, or even Nickel Strong, you're going to get burned. You have to switch up your play calling to match whatever they are going to throw at you. If somebody likes to air it out, then you're gunna have to predict the downs they are going to go deep and put a safety or two back there to help. Instead of giving up the long ball, you'll be swatting it down or even picking him off.

Totally agree with this. I blew up my neighbor playing with Mizzou and then I let him use Mizzou and by calling the right defenses, I held him pretty well with Texas Tech's defense.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Eh, I have yet to have someone take me deep more than once or twice in a game. I think people just need to learn how to play defense...not necessarily directing these comments at anybody here btw. I just don't see enough people calling a defense that actually mirrors what the offense is doing. If I had listened to all of the things that are supposedely "broken" in every football game that's come out for Next Gen, then I'd be as delusional as you.

So does this mean that I'm suddenly back off of your 'silence' list that I was supposedly on last week? I'm guessing that it's much easier to call me delusional than discuss the inherent problems 'in the game'.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cartman

You know, actually playing the game gives you an insight into the game that you just can't glean from reading reviews or viewing random isolated plays that you have no knowledge of how the sliders were set up or skill level of those playing.

I received the game over the weekend. Everything that has been posted about the game's significant flaws is spot-on. I was actually surprised at how little time it took me on my own to reproduce or find some of the major problems. It's pretty embarrassing stuff.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I received the game over the weekend. Everything that has been posted about the game's significant flaws is spot-on. I was actually surprised at how little time it took me on my own to reproduce or find some of the major problems. It's pretty embarrassing stuff.

Least surprising post ever.

[Sun Tzu]

+1

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cartman

Least surprising post ever.

There's very little to disguise at this point. It's become obvious that the concerns that several of us had before the release have come to fruition. Most people are smart enough to not defend the game at this point. It's been an absolute debacle. Not only are NCAA sales down, but the early indication from retailers is that it's expected to impact Madden pre-orders and sales as well. EA's major sales push in the past was to get the hype up to a level where people wer inclined to pre-order their games before the flaws were exposed. Now that pre-orders sales are down, EA is releasing spin to indicate that pre-sales aren't that big of a deal. When a company that relies on pre-order and first-week sales begins to downplay their importance, you know that something is amiss.

[Sun Tzu]

k

[Kodos]

thx.

[cartman]

It is no where near an absolute debacle. Metacritic scores it an 83, based on 13 reviews. By no means is the game perfect, and no one here is arguing that it is. Yes, there are flaws, but most rational people here can agree that they aren't gamekillers.

So call me stupid for defending the game, but I, along with quite a few other people here, are having a blast with the game as is. If a future patch addresses some of the flaws, that would be great, and further increase the enjoyment. But the game is very far from unplayable at the moment, no matter how much you protest to the contrary. If I wanted an unplayable football game, there is a much better candidate out there from Matrix.

[Bigsmooth]

You absolutely have to think on defense and mix up your coverages. My head usually hurts after a game versus a good player from trying to call the perfect defensive play, on every down, to contain the offensive team, especially considering the game caters to the big O.
If a guy goes deep a lot (and I've been killed by this online) you pretty much have to play as one of the safeties and double team the WR. Pretty much the only time I will go deep is on play-action, when my WR obviously gets a step on the defender. This, to me, is not taking advantage of AI. Also, cannot depend on your AI cornerback to make a play. It's hard to do but you have to switch to your CB, speed burst, and press A to deflect.

[MizzouRah]

I think I only enjoy flawed games nowdays.. I mean, I liked NHL 2k8, MLB 2k8, and now NCAA 09.

I hope Madden and Head Coach are perfect so I don't have to spend $90.

[Cringer]

I still say this is the best console football game I have played. Yes I see flaws, but I still have fun with the game. Hell I started a Campus Legend career and have not even gotten into a normal 'career' game yet. It has been fun.

[spleen1015]

I have watched those videos that show the bad pursuit. Is that the case on every play or is it just every once in a while?