Do DB Ratings Even Matter?

[Old School SD Fan]

I've invested an absurd amount of time with this game, accumulating over 15 seasons of OD and offline dynasty game play. From the outset through post patch there is an overriding sense ratings mean nothing to CPU DB's. Virtually nothing.

DB's are glued to your receivers regardless of sliders at any level above Frosh. My last experience underscores it.

2nd year of an offline dynasty I started post patch, Illinois versus Northwestern at Northwestern. I have a solid QB in the high 80's and a couple of 80+ WR's. I scout NW and see their #2 CB is a lousy 68 overall with 70 in agility, 41 in AWR, and 58 in PRC. This SHOULD translate to a huge opportunity to exploit this slug, so I drop my #1 WR to the #2 spot so he can feast on the inferior CB.

I should note I'm playing on Varsity with CPU pass defense sliders AT ZERO.

I'm now in the 4th quarter of a tight game, I have had no luck exploiting this slug CB. I decide it's time to take a deep shot so I call a play with my #1 lined up on this guy and audible streak. I see single coverage as the play starts, I pump fake to the opposite side of the field, I launch the ball.

This QB with horrid AWR and PRC, poor AGI, stays with my guy off the bump and run, doesn't bite on the fake, and is there to pick off the ball (CPU INT slider is at 25) way downfield. The DB is slower than my WR, has lesser AGI as noted, and lesser ACC. He is 4" shorter. This SHOULD be a winnable play, but it's as though I'm throwing on Darelle Revis.

And it's this way for the full game.

WTF is the point of this game if players don't play to ratings?

[arotwlv]

Just want to wondering, did you make sure it was the #2 DB? The CPU could have noticed that and switched DB's. Anyway that is a disappointing thing to see. I have noticed that many CPU DB's play evenly. Maybe the best one's might actually catch INT's but everything else seems the same.

[Old School SD Fan]

Quote: Originally Posted by arotwlv

Just want to wondering, did you make sure it was the #2 DB? The CPU could have noticed that and switched DB's. Anyway that is a disappointing thing to see. I have noticed that many CPU DB's play evenly. Maybe the best one's might actually catch INT's but everything else seems the same.

Yes, I replayed it over and over, this one play was very representative of my experience over 15 seasons. I played MANY of those seasons on Frosh level as its the only level where the DB's aren't Supermen, but you get the other extreme, they constantly take bad angles, stand around, and don't try to make plays. Bump one level to Varsity and the next extreme kicks in and ratings go out the door.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Well for one......

Awareness, agility, and play recognition don't determine how well or bad a defender will stay with the WR. So you looking at the wrong ratings.

Man coverage, press and Zone coverage is the ratings you should have been looking at for defensive backs.

[Old School SD Fan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gotmadskillzson

Well for one...... Awareness, agility, and play recognition don't determine how well or bad a defender will stay with the WR. So you looking at the wrong ratings. Man coverage, press and Zone coverage is the ratings you should have been looking at for defensive backs.

I just checked, and yes, the CB had 80+ on those two ratings, HOWEVER, do not try and tell me those are the only two ratings that do or should impact a DB's ability to stay with a receiver. After all what is AWR and PRC? They should determine a DB's likelihood of biting on a PA fake or a PUMP FAKE, in fact we were told by EA this was tweaked in the last tuner update so DB's were less likely to fall for fakes. I'm not sure they didn't virtually eliminate the value of the pump fake.

Don't tell me a high coverage rating should make a 70 SPD CB stay with a 90 SPD receiver on a streak, step for step. Or that if a receiver with 90 AGI and 90 ACC breaks on an in route, that a CB with 70 AGI should be able to break with him step for step.

[Gotmadskillzson]

When it comes to coverage.....yes those 2 ratings greatly over rides awareness and play recognition.

In theory yeah it don't make sense and shouldn't be that way, but in EA football games, that is just the way it is.

Far as the speed thing.....yeah unless you play at a lower speed threshold, then yeah a 70 speed DB can stay step for step a 90 speed guy in a straight line. That is why I play at a lower speed threshold for my fast WRs can get seperation from a slower DB.

[carnalnirvana]

from my edits/testing PRC(play recognition) creates the mirroring anything above 70 and the CB will mirror the route.

man and zone cov determines how well they will play their man/zone but with a high PRC the DB can easily compensate for a low man/zone rating, you will see DB's with a 70's cov ratings but 90 PRC

and AWR determines if the player will be productive, higher the AWR the more guaranteed picks are with a decent catch rating

i edited PRC for a file before the patch and it cleaned up 90% warping/no look breaks on the ball..

play recognition is too high and it seems they toned it down alot in the patch.

with a 90 rating the DB knows the play, with it 70 or lower he plays a route differently the second time its called and respects route running also lower PRC and DB's trail alot more, i find passes easier to complete when the DB is ahead as i can easily strafe stop and make a catch, cover 2 works better also because its combination cov with over and under cov

[Gotmadskillzson]

Yeah basically, you have to lower ratings WAY LOW before you see a visual change in their AI. Takes a while to edit the roster, but in the end, it is definitely worth it IMO.