NCAA 09 Patch #2 Available --- Impressions Here

[JAYMO76]

Well, let's not get too carried away. The game is decent on next gen but the patch has definitely made it more enjoyable and has a similar feel to last gen. My advice: if you can deel with inferior graphics buy the game for PS2 but if you need great graphics go for next gen and remember at the end of the day, it's just a game.

Dynasty~ last gen
Recruitng~ last gen
Overall fun~ last gen
Progression~ next gen
Graphics~ next gen
Animations~ next gen

[a4reak]

Quote: Originally Posted by JAYMO76

Well, let's not get too carried away. The game is decent on next gen but the patch has definitely made it more enjoyable and has a similar feel to last gen. My advice: if you can deel with inferior graphics buy the game for PS2 but if you need great graphics go for next gen and remember at the end of the day, it's just a game. Dynasty~ last gen Recruitng~ last gen Overall fun~ last gen Progression~ next gen Graphics~ next gen Animations~ next gen

I put an asterisk next to dynasty. If your in a good online dynasty where people follow it daily and it progresses at a moderate pace, its like crack (props to AA)

[jobalo85]

Quote: Originally Posted by CNLJ1981

How long are we going to have to wait? What a joke. How much longer did it take for the 1st Patch on PS3...compared to the release on the 360?

A week to a week and a half if I remember correctly...

[jobalo85]

Quote: Originally Posted by oChaos_Nine

Being able to talk to a recruit for too long and removing a recruit from your board after a visit and offering him a scholarship again and another visit.

Bingo! This was used in my first online dynasty, got so many 5 star players and he was Oregon State! I hope thats gone for good...I wouldn't know though, Im a PS3 user

[Spanky]

OK, my 2 cents after only one game post-patch:

My biggest beef pre-patch was robo QB (I was able to tone it down with the broken sliders, but of course this meant that my passing suffered a bit as well. Still CPU averaged 68 percent, still too high for my liking, pre-patch). Anyway, I'm no longer concerned about robo QB, as the sliders have made a tremendous difference.

Mind you, I play on varsity because I'm not that good, and I know that's too easy for most people here. But anyway, I beat Memphis 13-10 in OT with Western Michigan. First half, I had the three CPU sliders all set at 0 and the Memphis QB went 1 for 9. I bumped it up to 50 for all three sliders at halftime and in the second half he was much better, 12 for 19.

My second biggest concern was CPU's inability to run. I don't know how good Memphis is running the ball but they rushed 12 times for 30 yards (5 min. qtrs) and seemed to favor the pass. That was with the two CPU run sliders at 75. I'm confident I can adjust the silders to get better CPU run results (Memphis' featured back averaged 4.3 yards a carry, which is the gauge I use the most in determining CPU run effectiveness).

Super kick and punt returns have been fixed. I believe the KO returns came out to between the 30 and 35, which might be a tad long still, but I had KO power at 50, so if I up that to like 70-75, that should further reduce KO return distance, though I'd be fine starting consistently between the 30 and 35.

I've never been as obsessed with needing a good pass rush and sacks as many others are (provided CPU completion pct. is normal) and I was able to get respectable sack totals pre-patch (1-2 per game in 5 min QTR). In this game, I was sacked twice and I registered one sack. I read this theory on the Madden board and believe it holds true for NCAA, as I've noticed it on many of my sacks: They are almost always coverage sacks, as blitzes don't help, and even hinder, your ability to get to the QB. The CPU has a tendency to get rid of the ball super quick when facing a blitz. So I'm not concerned about pass rush, which I know others are claiming is a game-killer.

Just off the top of my head, the only thing from this one game that bugged me was that CPU receivers still went out of bounds a couple of times when there was real estate ahead. I need more games to see if this is still a problem, but even if it is, I can live with it.

Overall, I think this is the best NCAA ever, game-play wise, though I'm still upset about the presentation downgrade (removal of about 30 mascots, no fan cutscenes, no coach cutscenes, no team entrances, no endzone art in bowl games, etc.)

It's hard for me to define what makes a game good. It's like that old Supreme Court justice's view on pornography: I'll know it when I see it. I know a good game by how it feels in my gut, how much I think about it when I'm not playing it and how much I look forward to making time to play it. And this game has IT.

There is no better contrast, to me, than NCAA 08 and NCAA 09. I hated 08, I knew it the first couple of times I played it. I tried to force myself to like it and gave it about 10 games before shelving it. Played two more games post-patch and it did nothing for me. I should have traded it in sooner but I'm glad I was able to get $8 for that P.O.S. a few weeks ago.

I am really digging 09. I've played 41 games, all exhibition (I'm not a hardcore dynasty guy but will start one now that the patch is out). Really love the look of the game (player models, uniforms, stadiums), and the fact that I was able to stomach 40 games pre-patch shows the hold it still had on me. I now expect that hold to be stronger than ever with working CPU silders.

I'm not going to thank EA, not before they apologize to me for some of the trash they have put together in the past (NCAA 05 and 06 on regular XBox, NCAA 07 and 08 on 360). But this game looks like it will be one of my all-time favorites. How do I know? It's late and I have to get to bed and I'm real disappointed that I can't play another game until tomorrow.

[gogators]

After this patch, I can now say this game was worth buying. I quit playing about 2 weeks ago, because I could not stand the "cheapness" the game was showing. I play on Heisman and the patch makes a world of difference. The sliders actually work, LB and CB are now in position to make plays and not just interceptions all the time. I have loved the game post patch

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by a4reak

I put an asterisk next to dynasty. If your in a good online dynasty where people follow it daily and it progresses at a moderate pace, its like crack (props to AA)

Agreed. I have had more fun in the OS Legends online dynasty than I ever had on a last gen NCAA game.

I could never go back to the lat gen NCAA games, but whatever floats your boat.

[bdmjr]

As for Dynasty Mode, this patch hasn't changed anything defense wise, the defense is still a hollow shell of what it used to be in prior versions. The pursuit angles are still bad. The defensive line barely gets any penetration on Jump Snaps and blitz packages and corners are still giving it up on 3rd down. This is as good as they say it's gonna get people and that's just bad. I see many are waxing poetic on this patch and that's fine but I'm just not seeing any difference where the defense is concerned. The Defense in this game plays only what the CPU allows and even when I control a defensive player, they are so unresponsive on knockdowns and clumsy that it's a joke.

I have to say it but Madden this year is way better and more responsive. At least the defense plays smarter and does zone coverage much better. This game despises zone coverage.