NCAA Football 12 News Post

Staff Roundtable: NCAA Football 12 Demo Impressions

12:49 PM - June 29, 2011 by ChaseB

Since the beginning of this current-gen console era, the NCAA Football demo has signified the start of the "summer of football" here at Operation Sports. In many ways it is the most loved and hated time here for many folks, including myself. This time of year spawns excitement, anger and rampant discussion about all things related to video game football, but the NCAA Football demo acts as the catalyst that makes all of it happen.

With that in mind, it only seemed right to dedicate this week's roundtable to talking about the NCAA Football 12 demo. Read on to find out what some of our writers think about the demo at this point.

Read More - Staff Roundtable: NCAA Football 12 Demo Impressions

Game: NCAA Football 12Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 104 - View All

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Member Comments

# 61 TreyIM2 @ 06/30/11 07:21 AM

Played the demo again (PS3) and I am enjoying it, overall. Yea, certain things still need improving but I've never been one to through the baby out with the bath water. I DO believe that EA DEFINITELY needs to boost the dev teams for BOTH NCAA and Madden so all the lil nagging issues since who knows when can be finally ironed out at a faster pace. I know they said that they did that for this cycle and I want to see what can be accomplished for next yr but if those things can't be cleared up next yr with the current head count, more butter, pls. Heh...

# 62 Demoncrom @ 06/30/11 09:46 AM

I think the game feels good as a whole, not sure if I like the camera being so far back. The demo is set to auto sprint, which I am not sure if I like all that much. It feels like a little less interactive to me. In terms of gameplay the one thing I always notice is line play or a lack thereof. This year the line seems to be doing there job, properly called plays against the right Defense seems to yield the yards I would expect in the running game, with blockers for the most part putting a helmet on a body. In 4 games yesterday only once did I see a pulling guard tototally neglect to pick up the linebacker.

the passing game feels harder for sure, the zones are tight and there seems to be an emphasis this year on physical matchups. For instance it seems like If I can get my Tightend against a line backer then he will be more open as he should, not so much if he is picked up by a corner.

One crazy thing I saw was a game where there were 6 interceptions in the 1st half. Literally back and forth between the AI and myself. Admittedly they were bad throws but come on everyone aint Neon Deon.

So far the on field play seems good enough to hold my attention, so here is hoping the franchise mode is good

# 63 TheTodd84 @ 06/30/11 11:24 AM

Someone mentioned it earlier, but I could not agree more with what they said. This gameplay engine is simply broken, plain and simple. They can try and polish all they want, but you know how the old cliche goes, "you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s***." That is what they are trying to do. And they continue to say that it will be a "few years" until they get physics in their game. Why? That's lazy. Do they not see the glaring issues that continue to crop up EVERY year because the engine is broken?! Why are they ok w complacency and not making the necessary changes to upgrade this game to elite status?

Fifa 12 did it. It is now time for NCAA to go in that direction. Sure, the game has some good points, and I am excited for the coaching carousel, but the gameplay is so incredibly stale these days. I am almost done playing the demo because the 2 minute quarters are atrocious, it's hard to get any feel for the game. I think a new direction is needed because I've had so many "come on, man" moments. ESPN should have a segment on sportscenter where they showcase the top 10 Madden and NCAA c'mon man moments like they have on NFL live w real players. Then they could show the superhuman linebackers disregarding physics and jumping in the air in the middle of an animation to bat down a pass they'd never get to in real life. Or showing a defensive back whose back is to the play and who magically reacts to the ball in .02 seconds even though he can't see it and get a miraculous interception on what I THOUGHT was an open receiver. All these things can be fixed very easily with one thing... Physics.

Plain and Simple, there are still too many, "come on, man" moments to really justify that this is not NCAA 11.5 or to say that the gameplay is vastly improved. Sure, the lack of suction is awesome, but the warping and ice skating are still prevalent and abundant. It's just frustrating and the even more frustrating thing is seeing how willing people are to give these guys chance after chance to improve these things even though they have yet to show much progress. It's like staying with a girlfriend who keeps breaking your heart bc she is hot. It just doesn't make sense. We need to hold these guys accountable.

# 64 jmik58 @ 06/30/11 12:20 PM

You're going to see skating because there is no incorporation of anatomical physics in the game. The players are torso's. The legs and arms are graphical representations that move to "Keep up" with the animation of the torso. This is why players can make super human jumps and turns. The legs and feet don't mean anything.

Until this is fixed, we won't get realistic player movement.

Apparently EA has said they're not going to fix this or add physics, so we just have to live with it for now.

The AI of the CPU is always going to be at question because it's such a hard thing to program (I would assume). I would see this as something that can be adjusted with tuning packs...maybe not though, we'll see. It sounds like the biggest AI issue with the demo is the computer QB decision making AI with sliding and taking sacks/throwing the ball away too often, etc.

Finally, the eyes of the players don't mean anything either. Perhaps this is tied to physics and/or the issue of the "limbs" being pointless. The game needs to be adjusted so that the player can only react to what he is looking at.

When a WR has a DB burnt and both have their backs to the QB, I should not see the DB turn around for the ball before the WR does.

Give the players keys/reads that trigger their AI to respond accordingly. Make the eyes matter.

1. Add physics, make the limbs important
2. Tune the AI a little
3. Incorporate a vision based aspect with read and react logic to the players.

IMO, these three things would revolutionize football gaming, especially #1 and #3.

If you want a real-life sim experience; these are a must.

# 65 kingsofthevalley @ 06/30/11 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmik58


	You're going to see skating because there is no incorporation of anatomical physics in the game. The players are torso's. The legs and arms are graphical representations that move to "Keep up" with the animation of the torso. This is why players can make super human jumps and turns. The legs and feet don't mean anything. Until this is fixed, we won't get realistic player movement. Apparently EA has said they're not going to fix this or add physics, so we just have to live with it for now. The AI of the CPU is always going to be at question because it's such a hard thing to program (I would assume). I would see this as something that can be adjusted with tuning packs...maybe not though, we'll see. It sounds like the biggest AI issue with the demo is the computer QB decision making AI with sliding and taking sacks/throwing the ball away too often, etc. Finally, the eyes of the players don't mean anything either. Perhaps this is tied to physics and/or the issue of the "limbs" being pointless. The game needs to be adjusted so that the player can only react to what he is looking at. When a WR has a DB burnt and both have their backs to the QB, I should not see the DB turn around for the ball before the WR does. Give the players keys/reads that trigger their AI to respond accordingly. Make the eyes matter. 1. Add physics, make the limbs important 2. Tune the AI a little 3. Incorporate a vision based aspect with read and react logic to the players. IMO, these three things would revolutionize football gaming, especially #1 and #3. If you want a real-life sim experience; these are a must.

Thats the thing man. They dont have to add a physics engine for realistic movement. Check out the most recent iteration of the game on PS2. Running animations are spot on and the illusion of weight is there. You can feel the weight of the players when turning.

# 66 jmik58 @ 06/30/11 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingsofthevalley


	Thats the thing man. They dont have to add a physics engine for realistic movement. Check out the most recent iteration of the game on PS2. Running animations are spot on and the illusion of weight is there. You can feel the weight of the players when turning.

I understand where you're coming from. But I'm thinking bigger picture, beyond the weight of the players when running. It's a core change that needs to be corrected to improve the overall gameplay experience of all movements.

I've heard some say that playing on slower speeds gives it less of a skating/floaty feel.

Cosmetically, it may "feel" better, but like I said, I'm a proponent of fixing it at the core so that all action that results from that improvement will benefit from such an improvement.

# 67 SpreadEm @ 06/30/11 12:53 PM

Also why is has the speed option been wrong the whole time. with the speed option you are reading the frontside (5 technique or DE) or or the outside linebacker in some instances. since the blocking scheme is not right the linebacker and the corner are always having a chance to force the alley inside

# 68 guaps @ 06/30/11 12:55 PM

Thank you, Jayson Young!

# 69 bigsmallwood @ 06/30/11 02:59 PM

There is no feeling of weight to the players.....grrrrrrr

# 70 BeaverBeliever97267 @ 06/30/11 04:35 PM

I definitely enjoyed the demo, but wasn't expecting a whole lot different in terms of gameplay than 11. I more looking forward the deeper RTG and Dynasty's and I think the gameplay is great.

# 71 knighthawksfan @ 06/30/11 07:56 PM

I will wait for the real game too drop I am not downloading no demo it is a waste of time

# 72 statum71 @ 06/30/11 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTodd84


	Someone mentioned it earlier, but I could not agree more with what they said. This gameplay engine is simply broken, plain and simple. They can try and polish all they want, but you know how the old cliche goes, "you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s***." That is what they are trying to do. And they continue to say that it will be a "few years" until they get physics in their game. Why? That's lazy. Do they not see the glaring issues that continue to crop up EVERY year because the engine is broken?! Why are they ok w complacency and not making the necessary changes to upgrade this game to elite status? Fifa 12 did it. It is now time for NCAA to go in that direction. Sure, the game has some good points, and I am excited for the coaching carousel, but the gameplay is so incredibly stale these days. I am almost done playing the demo because the 2 minute quarters are atrocious, it's hard to get any feel for the game. I think a new direction is needed because I've had so many "come on, man" moments. ESPN should have a segment on sportscenter where they showcase the top 10 Madden and NCAA c'mon man moments like they have on NFL live w real players. Then they could show the superhuman linebackers disregarding physics and jumping in the air in the middle of an animation to bat down a pass they'd never get to in real life. Or showing a defensive back whose back is to the play and who magically reacts to the ball in .02 seconds even though he can't see it and get a miraculous interception on what I THOUGHT was an open receiver. All these things can be fixed very easily with one thing... Physics. Plain and Simple, there are still too many, "come on, man" moments to really justify that this is not NCAA 11.5 or to say that the gameplay is vastly improved. Sure, the lack of suction is awesome, but the warping and ice skating are still prevalent and abundant. It's just frustrating and the even more frustrating thing is seeing how willing people are to give these guys chance after chance to improve these things even though they have yet to show much progress. It's like staying with a girlfriend who keeps breaking your heart bc she is hot. It just doesn't make sense. We need to hold these guys accountable.

I think you guys make some good points. I really do. And I believe its sites like these that help make all of our sports games better.

But honestly.....
I can't wait 'til EA goes to physics in football so I can see what guys will complain about then.

Is the game perfect? By no means. But IMO it is a better game than '11. Its not gonna turn into The Show over night. And I have sad news.....next year's game won't be elite level either.

EA's playing catchup. And yes, I know its their own fault. But it is moving forward.

# 73 Skyboxer @ 07/01/11 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SA1NT401


	NO COMPETITION!! that's why the series isn't making huge strides....everyone knows and agrees with that. They are giving us the best they have with what they can work with. I hold NO BLAME towards developers....my hatred is for thr suits who limit the series cuz "THEY" want new fans not us old faithful ones.... Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

When has there ever been competition for EA's NCAA???
That argument may be true for Madden but not even remotely true for NCAA.

# 74 lwilkins @ 07/01/11 01:49 AM

Game plays smoother this year with more speed. These are two welcome additions to the game. Brad Nessler's team introduction has to be removed or made random. The use of �And here comes��(what ever the home team is)� has been heard in every intro video of the game. I�ve played the demo 6 times, using the four different teams, and he says that same phrase every single time (�And here comes�.�). Please, please, please just remove this all together. It has been heard way to much already.
I enjoy great game-play but as well as many others who buy these game, I am a nit-picker for detail. I spend more time trying to make the players look correctly then actually playing the game. With this demo, players still appear over sized at a lot of positions (Quarterback, Wide-receivers, Line-backers, Cornerbacks, Defensive-ends, Tight ends, Strong safeties, and Free safeties for examples). Player�s jersey sleeves also still remain unchanged, still to long and to large. Rest of uniform detail is great.

3D grass looks great during replays. Maybe I read wrong but thought we were getting 3D grass during actual game play. The look of the fields during game play actually took a step backward this year. And I know we�re only playing four 2 minute quarters in perfect weather on grass, but where is the uniform degradation?
Hope they fix the 4th down play select screen. Has happened to me 10 ten times now. There are three plays in the Play Select Windows; I can see the third play (the one in the far right window). The other two plays are not aligned properly (only see the bottom of the play in the Play Window).

# 75 br329 @ 07/01/11 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyboxer


	When has there ever been competition for EA's NCAA??? That argument may be true for Madden but not even remotely true for NCAA.

This! The only time I can remember any other game getting close to EA's NCAA game was 989's Gamebreaker series on PS1.

# 76 sublime55 @ 07/02/11 04:09 AM

one of the biggest things that bugs me is that EA once again has totally screwed up UTs roster... do they not watch spring games or look at spring rosters? how can they not know the jersey numbers of the players? it just really amazes me how badly they have screwed up texas' roster this year.

# 77 khaliib @ 07/02/11 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sublime55


	one of the biggest things that bugs me is that EA once again has totally screwed up UTs roster... do they not watch spring games or look at spring rosters? how can they not know the jersey numbers of the players? it just really amazes me how badly they have screwed up texas' roster this year.

Just to let you know, roster statements have reached their acceptability limit on OS.
Especially since it's been noted several times that we have the ability to Edit as we see fit through the in-game editor or TB.

Just don't want you to get in trouble over an aspect you will have the ability to change to your liking!!!

# 78 shaneralphie1993 @ 07/02/11 02:03 PM

I was excited about NCAA 12! But After playing the demo.. I am very disappointed.. The gameplay is worse than last year, The game openings are not much better than last year, and the replays are just the ball spinning aimlessly around the field in circles.. for a game coming this soon, it looks horrible. I love the franchise, but will PASS on NCAA this year, in hopes Madden is better, like every year..

# 79 bald_thunda @ 07/03/11 09:39 PM

Listen, can we all admit that no video game will be perfect? With that said, I think everyone is expecting too much from NCAA 12. Have there been improvements? Definately. Does it seem like Madden 12 is going to be light years ahead of Madden 11? Absolutely. But let's keep this in mind. NCAA 11 was a really good game and Madden 11 was gawd awful. So, if Madden 12 goes from an F to B-, then it seems great. But if NCAA 11 was a B and NCAA 12 is an A- then it doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal. Bottom line is an A- is still better than a B-. NCAA 12 is going to be a great game to play. Let's not put too much weight on the demo, and enjoy the game for what it is.

# 80 AuburnChamps2010 @ 07/05/11 06:22 PM

I don't usually chime in on these kinds of things but I do not feel that NCAA 12 was given fair "Impressions" by this group. Kind of disconcerting being that this is suppose to be a website commited to sport games.

Dustin Toms said; 'Down by eight with 22 seconds left, Texas opted to run a draw.' he noted this as a negative. I have been a football player/coach the last 20 years and I will tell you that running a draw in the situation the writer mentioned is completely feasible and anyone knowledgable in the sport of football would know this.

Caley Roark stated 'I saw a couple instances where I sacked the QB as he "threw" the ball -- it looked to either be intentional grounding or a fumble each time'. I know what the writer is talking about and again this is another unfair assessment. If someone is throwing the ball and contact is made on them an errant pass is considered an incomplete one if not obviously caught, now matter where the pass ends up, as long as it is not a lateral pass or the thrower's arm is not coming forward which would be considered a fumble.

Now for Jayson Young. This guy apparently is one of those people that enjoys going against the grain and out of his way just to show how 'cutting edge' he is. Mr. Young probably wears a full length leather trench coat, or something similar. He didnt really say anything in his 'impression' except to mention other sport games and an obscure title like Backbreaker. Why even write his piece? Mr. Young said '...(NCAA Football series) continues to sell well only because it belongs to the football genre...' Am I the only one that realizes that this comment made way more sense then he intended? I mean, I am not going to buy the game because it is in the science fiction genre! Wow!! For the people that agreed with him, what exactly did you agree with??? He said nothing!!!

There were a lot of things left our of this piece. The only thing that was spoken of was the in-game play, and the 'issues' they spoke of are so minute and silly or uneducated as I showed above.

I am a football fan but above all else a college football fan. I love the NCAA Football series and will buy the latest version and subsequent versions also. This series has not been the high selling series that it is because its in the football genre as Mr. Young so eloquently put it. It sells a lot of copies because it is a great and deep game and EA has done a great job year after year.

I love the idea of this site but please, in the future try to be more reverent with your impressions.

Thank you.

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