NCAA Football 14 Blog - Breaking Down the Gameplay

[mattynokes]

I hopeful, but skeptical. This was my favorite line:

"This year, we enhanced the running game by enabling you to make hard cuts on the field."

So...you're bringing back the L1/R1 cuts from the PS2 days and marketing it as a "new feature?"

[seriousluboy83]

"Offense wasn’t the only side of the ball that got some love, this year in NCAA Football 14 you will find the Hitstick is much more powerful than ever before. Deliver bone crushing hits and tackles to the unsuspecting ball carrier."

Ugh, Really??? I just wish they'd just completely get rid of the hit-stick, it's SOOOO abusive by users it isn't even funny. Guys without high hit power now will be MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN BEFORE TOO and that worries me. Smh. Hope this doesn't jump to Madden 25 too but it probably will, smh.

[BLACKjersey53]

Just assuming the lineman are zone blocking, because I recall seeing somewhere that zone blocking was the overall scheme for Offensive line play in NCAA games. I was always taught that double team blocks were executed with "two hands, four eyes," neither O-Lineman fully engaged with the defender. The goal is to block your man until A) you push him to the next level of defenders (with this being a zone blocking scheme, these guys should have a backer they are climbing to) or B) if your designated man scrapes over/comes down to fill gap. This is where your free outside hand comes in handy. If the backer comes over the right of his D-Lineman, the left offensive lineman engaged in the double comes off and takes the linebacker. Then, the lineman opposite to the one engaging the linebacker fully engages the D- Lineman. It becomes two man on man drive blocks. At my old school, we cut when we reached the backer. We may not take him down, but he still has to step back, over, or around us. That slows him down and gives the ball carrier more time to run by untouched.

Maybe I've been taught how to double team wrong, which means that a former SEC Offensive Lineman coached me wrong, or maybe Maryland just executes it slightly different that what I'm accustomed to, but you almost NEVER fully engage a defensive player if there is another lineman engaging him as well. The way that offensive lineman's shoulders are turned away from the field and defense would've gotten me cussed out at the JuCo level. You don't turn you shoulders, you keep them square with your outside hand free in case you have to come off the double team block to get a linebacker. It's extremely difficult to come off of a block to reach a guy running full speed at you if your shoulders are turned to him. He runs right past you and makes the play. This picture makes me wonder if the only thing improved on blocking was WHO TO BLOCK, not HOW TO BLOCK them. End rant.

[Watson]

[post piling on to a previous post]


[EA is just lazy]


[smh EA just smh]

[jpdavis82]

Everyone sure is jumping to a lot of conclusions based on very little evidence. I also think people have unrealistic expectations when they say things like it looks the same. We're at the end of an era, the look of the games isn't going to change until next gen. They are using these new tools like the IE to perfect it for next gen, so we can truly have the best gameplay possible for years to come and not start all over. In the meantime I think ncaa 14 will be a vastly improved game compared to ncaa 13. I'm very confident in what this dev team is doing and Clint Oldenburg is going to get the o line stuff straightened out, that dudes working too hard for it not to be. Patience folks, the best football gaming of all time is around the corner.

[roadman]

JP, I used to have your enthusiam, but that is on a low level currently.

The only sliver of hope is the jump to NG.

[Gosens6]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

JP, I used to have your enthusiam, but that is on a low level currently. The only sliver of hope is the jump to NG.

Damn Road, you know when you've lost hope this game is a lost cause..

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gosens6

Damn Road, you know when you've lost hope this game is a lost cause..

Stems from not having Madden in my 360 this year longer than a few weeks or a month. Starting ripping on Madden after that.

Reality sets in and takes over hope.