NCAA Football 09 Hands-on Time This Week: Pasta Padre

[janglar]

The fluidness of transitions between catches/pass defense when you manually go user must be fixed to PS2 levels, they were horrible on 08. They also must fix the terrible glitch where your computer controlled defender will be chasing down the ball carrier, you hit the button to change to user control, and your defender magically slows down during the transition and a few steps after and the ball carrier is past your defender regardless of his speed. Last year playing a game manually (the way it should be, no computer assisted pansies please) was suicidal

[nxt]

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

My main concerns Pasta... 1. The Depth Chart bug MUST be fixed. 2. The DB and LB "Super Pass Defense" needs to be toned down. No more DBs jumping 3 feet in the air and "blocking" a pass like a Basketball. 3. The Jump the Snap feature...TONE IT DOWN. On All American and Heisman, it's comical how the CPU AI "mind reads" your play call and jumps the snap about half the time or more. 4. Turnovers...will we see the CPU turn the ball over 6-8 times a game? 5. Will the CPU QB challenge us deep?

Very good list. I seriously hope they address these issues... they were a game killer for me last year.

[BezO]

Quote: Originally Posted by pastapadre

I would think you would want the information? I know things like how home field advantage works, how online dynasty works, are things that intrigue me. Correct me if I'm wrong there. I'm not saying that I won't have opinion mixed in too, its just that there has to be some perspective on where the game is at this point. If I don't like something I'll certainly mention it but more in hopes of it being addressed prior to release (and that I had made a point of it) than making a final judgment.

Of course I want the info. But without opinions on these features, it sounds like a 3rd party announcement of NCAA's new features. And I guess my question comes from wanting info on specific improvements I'm looking for, which most 3rd parties don't cover. Pardon my biased question.

[BezO]

Oh, if you're taking question Pasta, I'd like to know:

• Has player interaction improved? Do OL & DL do more than play patty cake? Do WRs & DBs interact at the LOS? Do DEs still get stuck to OTs at the LOS? Have any defensive moves been added to spin & swim?
  
• Has blocking improved? Are nose guards in a 3-4 double teamed most of the time? Do playside guards leave a DL to get trapped on trap plays?
  
• Does a pocket form around the QB?
  
• Have animations been smoothed out at all?
  
• Has collision detection improved? Do ball carriers still go flying when barely touched? Is the shotgun-blast-to-the-back animation still in the game? Has gang tackling been improved?
  
• What has improved regarding presentation?
  
• How do you feel about the overall offensive & defensive AI?
  
• How do you feel about the new branch control over ball carriers? Are you able to spin in one direction & immediately spin in the other like in the trailer?
  
• Can you turn off any silly sounds they included like the bomb whistle on long passes?

[SteelerSpartan]

Hopefully we can also turn off that quick picture snap feature as well this year


and dear god tell them to put in a fumble slider for both NCAA and whenever you go and test Madden

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by BezO

Oh, if you're taking question Pasta, I'd like to know: Has player interaction improved? Do OL & DL do more than play patty cake? Do WRs & DBs interact at the LOS? Do DEs still get stuck to OTs at the LOS? Have any defensive moves been added to spin & swim? Can you turn off any silly sounds they included like the bomb whistle on long passes?

The OL and DL interaction needs a lot of work. I'm not holding my breath on this one. I didn't like the strong vs. finesse system last year. I want specific moves mapped to my R-stick if I can or at least buttons (and scrap the commit feature for all I care). I also want to direct my moves in a specific direction as last year I felt my guy went opposite where I wanted at times. I really hope I can actually speed rush around the OT rather than rely on an inside move for any sort of pass rush. I usually only play DE on an occasional basis (3rd and long) and it was almost a waste of my time.

I think the bomb whistle was in Madden and not NCAA last year.

And I'd also like a fumble and injury slider.

[SageInfinite]

Also I'd like to know if they kept the progressive lighting after each play. I liked how a game would start in the day and end at dusk or night time. They removed this feature from Madden 08. I hope they bring it over to Madden and didn't remove it from NCAA.

[rudyjuly2]

One last thing, I'd like to know if the speed of the game is the same. While I got used to it, I'd like it to be a little faster.