EA College Football News & Info

[TripleCrown9]

Figured we could have a thread for any news that comes out, since we're roughly 18 months away.

Saw today from Matt Brown (runs the Extra Points blog that deals with all sorts of real life NCAA stuff, the guy I've been following for news) said he had it confirmed from a couple sources that the newest FBS members (James Madison, Sam Houston State, and Jacksonville State) WILL be in the game, stadiums and all. 2023 will be their first season in FBS.

So on the outside it looks like they're trying to be as accurate as possible.

[Hooe]

Go Dukes!

I have a lot of friends who went to JMU, I am sure they will be thrilled to know their alma mater will be properly represented in the game.

[dickey1331]

Im really happy for the new game but its also EA so who knows what we will get. It will be interesting how much love dynasty mode gets since its the first game and how much they improve on it. I doubt we get anywhere close to NCAA 14.

[canes21]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickey1331

Im really happy for the new game but its also EA so who knows what we will get. It will be interesting how much love dynasty mode gets since its the first game and how much they improve on it. I doubt we get anywhere close to NCAA 14.

NCAA 14 was very barebones Dynasty mode, so I hope we get something at least on that level 10 years later. It had a poorly done carousel and offered custom conferences, but outside of that it had no other true features to it that don't already come with the game naturally. Recruiting was worse than it had been in years past, there were no spring camps or any of that.

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by canes21

NCAA 14 was very barebones Dynasty mode, so I hope we get something at least on that level 10 years later. It had a poorly done carousel and offered custom conferences, but outside of that it had no other true features to it that don't already come with the game naturally. Recruiting was worse than it had been in years past, there were no spring camps or any of that.

I have to disagree on "barebones".

Foremost, NCAA 14 introduced the coach skill tree to the series. That feature had an extremely obvious effect on both football gameplay and recruiting, and the differences between a school with a renowned head coach and one without was readily apparent.

Additionally, NCAA 14 also streamlined recruiting and did away with the phone call system, which was tedious. The point allocation, scouting, and competitiveness of the mode really shines to me. It's easy to use and creates interesting stories, especially in a multiplayer setting. It might be a little too easy in practice for a single-player dynasty, admittedly? I've been playing Revamped a fair bit recently and I notice that CPU teams are pretty stubborn in their recruit targeting, so it's easy to scoop up guys who slip through the cracks.

Conference customization, as you alluded to, is a big reason the game has endured as long as it has.

I generally remember NCAA 14 fondly, and I'm greatly enjoying playing Revamped. Different strokes, though.

[canes21]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

I have to disagree on "barebones". Foremost, NCAA 14 introduced the coach skill tree to the series. That feature had an extremely obvious effect on both football gameplay and recruiting, and the differences between a school with a renowned head coach and one without was readily apparent. Additionally, NCAA 14 also streamlined recruiting and did away with the phone call system, which was tedious. The point allocation, scouting, and competitiveness of the mode really shines to me. It's easy to use and creates interesting stories, especially in a multiplayer setting. It might be a little too easy in practice for a single-player dynasty, admittedly? I've been playing Revamped a fair bit recently and I notice that CPU teams are pretty stubborn in their recruit targeting, so it's easy to scoop up guys who slip through the cracks. Conference customization, as you alluded to, is a big reason the game has endured as long as it has. I generally remember NCAA 14 fondly, and I'm greatly enjoying playing Revamped. Different strokes, though.

Coaches mattered little. Playbooks were king. That's why every dynasty leads to any smaller school running one of the OP playbooks making the BCS game half the time, or GT or an academy school taking over and creating a dynasty because the sim engine loved the option playbooks.

I believe most also disliked the streamlined recruiting. Simply allocating points and leaving it at that was way too simple and that's one complaint I still see the most regularly when people compare 14 to earlier titles.

Based off wish lists around the internet most people want a system more like what Choops 2k8 had and not like what NCAA 14 had.

Outside of the streamlined recruiting, though, there wasn't really anything else the player was to do during the season. It was essentially going down a list of Play Now games each season with no depth to the mode during the year. Only in the offseason when the carousel took place or you made conference changes was there any interactivity or depth to the mode, and even then it wasn't much.

I get many people hold 14 near and dear since it was the last title and it wasn't a bad game. It is definitely one of my most played sports games of all time, but it truly did lack in the content department off the field and that's easily my biggest knock against the game. The streamlined recruiting and oversimplified scouting were akin to something you'd see in a mobile game, not what we should have in a console game, and I truly hope the reboot of the series has both systems being much more in depth and also not omniscient this time around.

[simbayless]

Do you think EA won't release in 23 if they don't have Norte Dame in the game???

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by simbayless

Do you think EA won't release in 23 if they don't have Norte Dame in the game???

Why wouldn't they be in the game? THem saying they wouldn't be in was prior to the NIL rules. Did I miss something?