First NCAA Football 12 Screenshot, Dreads Are Back - What Else Can You Spot?

[Bama83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Catamount53

There is not ever going to be a year where they don't work on graphics at all and only focus on gameplay.

Understood. I made this point earlier as well.

Graphics/Presentation are a rabbit you can never catch. They can always find new ways to enhance or tweak the graphics. It's a never-ending voyage.

The issue I have is that the core that these graphics are built on is broken and there is no excuse for that. This is the one aspect that should be rock solid and require very little tweaking year to year or generation to generation. Especially since physics engines are so prevalent, yet EA clings to animation engines of the Sega Genesis era.

Quote:

The most important point is that they have not announced anything about game play changes yet but you are on this thread about a picture complaining about something that has nothing to do with it.

I looked at that picture and could point out the gameplay flaws simply from the graphic itself.

[UH53]

It's still early and my eyes might be deceiving me but EA seems to still have a lighting issue.... The ankle braces i.e. Miami still turn white! I know this is knit picking but it's not all about what looks good. I'll still see you in July and hopefully you guys have done your due diligence in fixing the game. Oh yeah NO MORE PATCHES ...PLEASE unless it's absolutely necessary.

Here's an idea. Release an earlier demo so you can get feedback on what needs to be fixed rather than releasing it to get Pro Combat uni's. Plus you know these uni's are gonna be out dated once the season starts!

[da ThRONe]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bama83

Doubt it all you want. I would easily be happy this year with an authentic football experience. Physics, momentum, more diversity in playing styles and skills all wrapped in the stick figure shell. Add the graphics and presentation layers after. Yes, they added/changed/tweaked gameplay last year too. The issue is that the core is broken. So they simply spin their wheels and promise new enhancements to gameplay but it's more of the same. The issue is that the core aspect of fundamental football isn't entertaining or splashy. The foundation of the gameplay foundation is broken. It's the offensive and defensive line. Without these players doing their actual jobs properly (assignments, skill, etc) the rest of the engine is broken. Instead, we'll get enhancements to QBs. Or new running animations. Or new tackling "engine". Which is all fine and dandy, but the fundamental of the entire game is broken which means the rest will follow suit. So, sure, they'll tell us what they "fixed" but they still won't address the real issue - the core engine.

You ever heard of Back Breaker? That sounds more like your game. No license ,bad graphic ,but outstanding engine.

[ReadyForTheShow]

I thought there was supposed to be a second gameplay photo today?

[AuburnAlumni]

It just wouldn't be NCAA time without some "6 post wonder" popping up to bitch and moan about the game over one photograph. Been like this for a decade.

[Bama83]

Quote: Originally Posted by SynShadowzz

Why the anger over a screenshot? It seems the point of this screenshot is to show-off a little of the graphical, equipment, and personality changes. Gameplay videos will come out, just relax.

I can answer this from my perspective -

It's historically what EA does. They pepper in a great looking screen shot at a visual depth that is not representative of the in-game product to get people in a lather.

People go ga-ga and say "this is the year they really get it going" because it looks amazing.

But, the truth is - it's a zoomed in shot of the replay screen which shows depth that is actually not in the actual gameplay. So, they show off visual details that are misleading when you actually compare to gameplay visuals.

Further, EAs typical brand strategy is:
1) Upgrade graphics with small tweaks
2) Add/Enhance a poorly implemented gimmick feature
3) Upgrade some offensive aspects (including plays)
4) Make some minor tweak to the engine and call it revolutionary
5) Rinse and repeat for EA yyyy+1

So, I get upset when I see the same pattern emerge and the ongoing issues with the core mechanics are overlooked.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - football is a sport based around size, speed and strength. Yet, only one of these factors matter. The core engine needs to be built around a physics model. I don't mean layer in a few physics aspects and call it a day - I mean actually make it the fundamental aspect of the entire game.

From there, the entire attribute ratings system needs an overhaul. There should be far more actual attributes and modifiers that there currently are. As it currently stands, players are clones of one another for the most part. There is nothing that makes one player unique compared to another. There's no reason to sub players into certain plays or formations because they are an OVR downgrade. There was no real difference when I played with Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy ... but in real life each of these players play the game completely differently and have different skillsets.

From a actual gameplay standpoint, football begins at the offensive/defensive line and spreads outward. Get the basic mechanics and assignments correct here. Bring in OL/DL gurus and determine actual blocking schemes and what a lineman would do in certain situations. Give these positions a priority. Build outward from this.

Assign as much time to "boring defense" as you do to "exciting offense". Give people the ability to truly bring in complex defenses that mask or confuse the offense.

Until they begin to admit it's flawed and outline a strategy to address them - they are not making a better product. I would liken it to building a computer with a crappy graphics card and rather than updating the graphics card to make the system better, you buy a new monitor and hard drive. Sure, it adds value to the system but the same core issue remains.

[khaliib]

Folks should stop saying it's too early.

Whether slip of tongue, Dev's on EA Forum years ago said that by May, what's in is what's in. There is little to no tinkering at that point.

That leaves us with about 6 weeks, while nothing about the gameplay side has been talked about in the past 3 years.

After all the luster of the visuals has burned off after release, it's the gameplay issues that never get addressed that litter the forums.

Also there's history with EA that they never address the issues that plagued their last release and when questions about those things are brought up, we get the "It's Too Early" reply, only to see many of those issues pop-up again.

I can't believe folks have become so satisfied with OK.
That's what NCAA has been since being on Next-Gen, OK.
Compared to itself, you can see some enhancements and efforts, but compared to other Next-Gen games, NCAA is so behind in many of the core areas.

History also shows that, what we see in pre-release screen shots, are not exactly what ends up in the game bought. Especially with the Post-Release Patch method being used on a greater scale.

I'm just waiting for something "Innovative" to happen to this Game.
There is nothing like Collegiate Sports.
Right now, EA's Pro and College version of Football are too much the alike.
The games have different skins on them, but seem/play the same.

As a College student, I just don't see it at this point and I'm not basing this off of (1) screenshot, but off of (4) releases of NCAA.

[Bama83]

Quote: Originally Posted by da ThRONe

You ever heard of Back Breaker? That sounds more like your game. No license ,bad graphic ,but outstanding engine.

Actually, it's not an outstanding engine. It's a terrible engine, but a decent implementation of physics.

The physics engine should be the foundation upon which the gameplay is built, but gameplay encompasses more than physics. Just as presentation is more than commentary.