NCAA Football 09 Full Drive Video: IGN

[Solidice]

Quote: Originally Posted by GetYaWeigtUp

For those of you who think this is the same game as 08, your crazy. EVERYTHING looks way smoother then 08. The pitch was a mistake, the guy obviously hit the wrong button. We've all done it before.

i agree about it not being the same. i played around 500 or so game on NCAA '08 so far and just watching the videos for '09 i can see the difference. alot smoother and people seem more aware of the other players around them(still not perfect).

I can't tell how many times i lost a fumble because i hit the pitch button on accident.

around the 1:40 mark, #91 of BC and #35 of BYU get into a post-play shoving match and then throw up their hands in the "I didn't do anything" animation, lol.

[GetYaWeigtUp]

Quote: Originally Posted by Solidice

i agree about it not being the same. i played around 500 or so game on NCAA '08 so far and just watching the videos for '09 i can see the difference. alot smoother and people seem more aware of the other players around them(still not perfect). I can't tell how many times i lost a fumble because i hit the pitch button on accident. around the 1:40 mark, #91 of BC and #35 of BYU get into a post-play shoving match and then throw up their hands in the "I didn't do anything" animation, lol.

Didnt see that, I'll check it out!

[BrianFifaFan]

Okay, I officially a "geek" now. I'm sitting here watching the video on fullscreen on Quicktime frame by frame. And it WAS a strip and aerial fumble that the TE caught. But here's something that really has me excited. At 3:13 the player calls a pass and at the snap the RE goes speed rush with inside technique and beats the LT. Does the tackle give up? No he goes for the cut block at the knees. There seems to be some relief from the suction. Yay! But I did see one run where the LB came on a delay and defeated the RT who preceeded to go for a second level block, only to turn back as his RB was getting hit (1:40). But this is still Beta. I do love how the OLB cheat in on run D on first downs. The LOLB starts to creep in at the beginning of the snap count leaving the TE with a bad angle for the pickup block. Nice to see the CPU do that. That's more of a Human move to me. That'd make me think about an audible. Nice pocket at 3:08. Funny that the guy drops back 5 yards more than he needed to. But the step into the throw and nice "zip" on the ball looked right. This guy really plays halfway decent.

Hey, WTH on the HB dive at the 1? Why did 4/5ths of the line go left on a straight ahead power blocking scheme? It left the FB 1 on 1 with the LB who defeated him to blow up the whole play! I see the weak side overload, but when they fire off the whole line goes left trying to seal guys who aren't even in the play and then the FB goes for the DE who the TE already had taken out with a cut block, only to be late on the MLB coming through the hole. Just some really funky blocking. But I am liking how the D seems really aggresive at hitting the hole and blitzing down near the GL. That sack was lovely how the DE hurdles the block and gets to the QB. It seems the D is free at last! The more I watch the little stuff the more I see what they've changed. Good job guys. But still more to go.

[Village Idiot]

Quote: Originally Posted by GetYaWeigtUp

And I think that some of the guys here are just to damn anal about this game. I mean get a life why wont you. You sit here and analyze every little aspect of this game as if its your life. "OMG no footprints, OMG no post play continuations." I mean geez, get over it. Its not that deep really. We all want a stellar game but sometimes when I surf around different forums I feel like everyone has OCD. Just overly compulsive about every last thing they see. Just enjoy what we have and be thankful you even have hands and fingers to even play a video game because some people don't.

There's some MAD irony in there, dude.

[BezO]

Quote: Originally Posted by jfsolo

I think the tackle at 3:30 is one of the best tackling plays I've ever seen in an EA game. I which I could see it at another angle, because to me it seems like at least 3 if not 4 players try to get in on the tackle with nary a hint of a forcefield or bumper car animation sequence.

Agreed! That's what I want to see on a consistant basis. For most power backs, I imagine a 1/3 of their carries end with 2 & 3 defenders bringing them down. If that type of interaction is typical, their finally getting it. Add some struggling-for-extra-yards animations to that, and that's what I would expect to see if they're skipping on a natural physics engine.

But it doesn't look like the blocking has changed a bit. D-linemen still just seem to give themselves up. No attemps to avoid being engaged, speed rush and take a corner, fake a speed rush before an inside move, hand fight, nothing. It was funny to see someone refer to Tecmo, because that's exactly what it looks like... with better graphics.

But between that gang tackle and the recent Madden blog, they at least worked on the tackling. Now just get some mobility & variety in the blocking mechanics so more defenders can get near the ball and this can start looking like football... at least near the line of srimmage.

[BrianFifaFan]

Quote: Originally Posted by BezO

Agreed! That's what I want to see on a consistant basis. For most power backs, I imagine a 1/3 of their carries end with 2 & 3 defenders bringing them down. If that type of interaction is typical, their finally getting it. Add some struggling-for-extra-yards animations to that, and that's what I would expect to see if they're skipping on a natural physics engine. But it doesn't look like the blocking has changed a bit. D-linemen still just seem to give themselves up. No attemps to avoid being engaged, speed rush and take a corner, fake a speed rush before an inside move, hand fight, nothing. It was funny to see someone refer to Tecmo, because that's exactly what it looks like... with better graphics. But between that gang tackle and the recent Madden blog, they at least worked on the tackling. Now just get some mobility & variety in the blocking mechanics so more defenders can get near the ball and this can start looking like football... at least near the line of srimmage.

Huh? You need to watch download the vid and watch it like I did. The DE play is a lot better. And the LB's are filling holes better than I've ever seen in an EA title. I'm critical too, but fair.... And the tackle at 3:30 is great-looking, but is the result of terrible blocking!

[BezO]

Quote: Originally Posted by Briankingsfan

At 3:13 the player calls a pass and at the snap the RE goes speed rush with inside technique and beats the LT. Does the tackle give up? No he goes for the cut block at the knees. There seems to be some relief from the suction.

Ahhh. I didn't see that. That did look good. They need WAAAAY more of that... and for outside moves, and skilled DTs, and LBs... and lateral equivelents for LBs & d-linemen beating blocks on run plays. And add some animations where the blocker wins by riding the defender beyond the play on moves like that.

Still way too much stationary blocking though. But EA's working. Maybe it's a matter of AI at this point and getting the situations to occur more often. With Madden having a month advantage on NCAA, they may finally address one of my concerns.

I might have to contact the Madden-Could-Be-Sweet-Next-Year Club for some literature.

[bad_philanthropy]

For those of you who think that pitch screw up play is unrealistic.