NCAA 2006 impressions thread

EDiddy · Post by **EDiddy** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:25 am

<Rant>
All have always been bothered with how you can add any team to your schedule and this year is no different. Would be nice if I was playing as
Wyoming, there would be logic to prevent me to add the top 1,2 teams in the country to my schedule without any regard to their schedule or my school power. Not a big deal, has always bugged me about this series.
</Rant>

Played my first game last night. Tried RFTH, but I think the lack of recruiting will kill that for me. I did enjoy starting my dynasty and played a few fun games. I have always liked this series, and this installment continues my enjoyment but does not really wow me yet. Only played 3 games though. (I skipped 2005, sounds like not a bad thing)

icvu42 · Post by **icvu42** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:33 am

I played my second full game last nite. Whereas my first was a shooout, this was a defensive struggle, until the 4th quarter anyways.

I was playing as Indiana vs Central Michigan (CPU). The score was 0-0 after 3 quarters, though I did miss two fairly easy FG attempts. Early in the 4th quarter, I finally break through and score a TD, to go up 7-0. Here's where things turned and I got pissed. I had pretty much contained CM offense all game. Going into the 4th quarter, they had a total of 63 yards rushing. Well, after I scored my TD, their running attack became unstoppable. They piled up 170 yards on the ground in the fourth quarter alone and won 14-7. There was nothing I could do to stop them.

Rick

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:16 am

icvu42 wrote:They piled up 170 yards on the ground in the fourth quarter alone and won 14-7. There was nothing I could do to stop them.

I bet if you played better defense you could have stopped them.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:24 am

I got beat 91-0 playing as Rice vs. Texas last night! AA defaults, 8-minute quarters. Gave up 2 punt returns for TDs, turned the ball over 6 times, and watched the Texas QB single-handedly destroy me through the air and with his feet. I compounded matters by deciding not to punt in the 4th quarter, just so I could get some extra offensive practice, but nevertheless it was an epic beatdown. Thankfully, I have a game against Navy next.

One thing the game has really, really gotten right is the athletic differences between players. Superstars are just that, head and shoulders above the rest.

One other odd note from last night -- the CPU missed 7 or 8 extra points. There was a 30+ mph cross wind, and the CPU either overcompensated or the wind blew the ball wide.

icvu42 · Post by **icvu42** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:29 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:
I bet if you played better defense you could have stopped them.

I tried everything to stop them. 5-2, 4-3 blitz, goalline D... I was basically giving them the deep ball if they wanted it, but they just rammed it right down my throat.

Rick

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:43 am

icvu42 wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:
I bet if you played better defense you could have stopped them.
I tried everything to stop them. 5-2, 4-3 blitz, goalline D... I was basically giving them the deep ball if they wanted it, but they just rammed it right down my throat.

Rick

3-4 can work well against the rush with the extra linebacker in there.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:53 am

It has to be mentioned that the online stability is pretty crappy. This isn't anything to do with the game, really, more with EA's BS 'we're too good to bother with XBL' servers.

I'd say close to half the games I've played online have resulted in disconnects. A couple times it has happened early ebough in the game that it was just inconvenient. More than that, though, it has happened late in a game, into the 3rd quarter or even with less than two minutes to go. Thosre are more than inconvenient, those are devastating.

Frankly, this kind of instability could threaten to ruin the game. I don't know if this is only happening to me, but I would imagine it is a universal problem.

Another minor quibble is the way the EA servers mess up the freinds list. I think it happens when folks turn off their Xbox without signing out of the EA servers, but my friends list, when I look in the dashboard or from another game, will have tons of people appearing online in NCAA, but when I boot NCAA, it turns out none of them is actually online. This is nothing new; it is a hallmark of EA's "XBL? What's that?" policy of running their own little online regime, and it's a issue in every single EA game that has online features for Xbox.

When I can find someone online and get a game going, the play is excellent and smooth. I've had great times online with NCAA, when it works.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:56 am

That's interesting Zeppo...

As already mentioned...Terry and I played for 4 or 5 hours straight with maybe one or two little hiccups of lag. Otherwise it was completely flawless. That is the only time I've played it online though so maybe it was worse last night...I don't know.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:32 pm

This is the best iteration of Madden Engine football I've played yet.

Enjoying RFTH, as I'm not really interested in recruiting, and the idea of myself as a mulleted New York Jew starting at halfback for Texas A&M is just too good to pass up.

redneck · Post by **redneck** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:36 pm

Guys,

If you play RFTH mode, what happens to your Dynasty after you graduate? Do then then gain the ability to recruit etc....? Or do you just continue in a season like mode for the rest of your Dynasty? Thanks.

red

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:43 pm

redneck wrote:Guys,

If you play RFTH mode, what happens to your Dynasty after you graduate? Do then then gain the ability to recruit etc....? Or do you just continue in a season like mode for the rest of your Dynasty? Thanks.

red

I believe you have the option of importing your player into Madden 2006 or becoming a head coach.

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:53 pm

Yep. Though as I understand it, if you opt to coach you can then pretty much pick your school. I'm glad you have that option (like being able to walk on when creating a high school player), but I think it would've been better if you were first given offers from a handful of small schools looking to give an opp. to a first time coach.
---Todd

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 2:10 pm

Slumberland wrote:This is the best iteration of Madden Engine football I've played yet.

Enjoying RFTH, as I'm not really interested in recruiting, and the idea of myself as a mulleted New York Jew starting at halfback for Texas A&M is just too good to pass up.

LOL, Slumber.

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:26 pm

Thanks for the impressions boys. I get the game next week.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:29 pm

JackDog wrote:Thanks for the impressions boys. I get the game next week.

What up JD...hope you're doing alright bro. Stop by more often...this place isn't the same without you bro.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:34 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
JackDog wrote:Thanks for the impressions boys. I get the game next week.
What up JD...hope you're doing alright bro. Stop by more often...this place isn't the same without you bro.

post some pics!!!!!

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:34 pm

Slumberland wrote:This is the best iteration of Madden Engine football I've played yet.

No offense intended, Slumber, but considering this is the 8th or 10th version of Madden Engine football (2 releases each year for the past 4-5 years on the current gen consoles), the fact that this is the best version yet is not saying a whole lot.

It really amazes me how guys can play 2 versions of the same basic gameplay engine every year and not be bored to tears by the "sameness" of it all. Plenty of people seem to be happy with the game though, so I guess others have a higher threshold for pain than I do.

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:36 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
JackDog wrote:Thanks for the impressions boys. I get the game next week.
What up JD...hope you're doing alright bro. Stop by more often...this place isn't the same without you bro.

Thanks brother! I will. I am done bouncing around for the summer so I have some time to hang out with my DSP mates. I am doing great by the way,thanks for asking. I hope all is well with you as well.

I see some of my favorite posters are digging this game. I can't wait to get it!

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:38 pm

Sudz wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:
JackDog wrote:Thanks for the impressions boys. I get the game next week.
What up JD...hope you're doing alright bro. Stop by more often...this place isn't the same without you bro.
post some pics!!!!!

Will do!!

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:42 pm

GTHobbes wrote:
Slumberland wrote:This is the best iteration of Madden Engine football I've played yet.

No offense intended, Slumber, but considering this is the 8th or 10th version of Madden Engine football (2 releases each year for the past 4-5 years on the current gen consoles), the fact that this is the best version yet is not saying a whole lot.

It really amazes me how guys can play 2 versions of the same basic gameplay engine every year and not be bored to tears by the "sameness" of it all. Plenty of people seem to be happy with the game though, so I guess others have a higher threshold for pain than I do.

for myself thats true about madden. I feel like I am playing the same game every year and it gets really boring.

But ncaa is different. Maybe its the atmosphere or that it feels more like an old school game, I dont know, it just is a better gaming experience for myself.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:43 pm

GTHobbes wrote:It really amazes me how guys can play 2 versions of the same basic gameplay engine every year and not be bored to tears by the "sameness" of it all.

That's the thing. I'm not getting that same old, same old feeling with this one. I've had consistent frustrations with the engine as far as lack of yards-after-catches, clusterf*cks at scrimmage on running plays, lack of atmosphere, ice-skateish controls, etc. Lots of those things have been turned around in this release.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:26 pm

I guess with me, I even got really bored with something as simple as the way the guys broke the huddle in EA's football games. In VC's game, they seemed to change that over the years, so guys would break the huddle and stumble to the line differently....they'd even line up in their stances on the OL or DL differently from one another. In EA's game, it seems like even something as basic as this has not been changed forever.

That's when I realized that I just couldn't take it anymore...when something as small as the way the guys break the huddle started to bother me about EA's game. I know I needed to just get a life, but damn, after playing Madden and NCAA every year, I just couldn't take it anymore. I really wish they'd let someone other than Tiburon handle either the college or the pro game. I wouldn't care which, just give me something different.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:40 pm

GTHobbes wrote:That's when I realized that I just couldn't take it anymore...when something as small as the way the guys break the huddle started to bother me about EA's game. I know I needed to just get a life

Agreed...

Are you kidding me?

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:55 pm

The thing about this game is that it is not always the same old NCAA. I relaxed while getting ready to return a punt, and was totally surprised by a fake. The punter threw a wounded duck that went for a TD.

I have blocked punts, had them blocked, returned both kicks and punts for TDs. Lots of different stuff. One thing that bothers me is that I have not seen the AI do much in the return game on AA.

I think the scores are inflated this year. I had a 62-59 (3 overtimes) game on 7 minute quarters using sliders similar to Abner's. I had two turnovers that just about killed me - a long run that ended in a fumble and a long pass that ended in a fumble. The lesson I learned is to avoid spins and jukes at the end of a long play.

THis game just feels so much better than last year and even than 2004. The player models are much better proportioned - not just as players, but to the size of the field. The stadiums look richer and more 3D, the animations are smoother and more varied. A lot of little changes made this a much improved game. Funny, the big addition -according to EA, was the RFTH mode, which is one of the weakest parts of the game.

With both MVP and NCAA being fun games, I feel better about my hobby lately. I would argue that neither of these games is exactly a sim, but they both have lots of variety and solid presentation that make them very enjoyable to play.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:12 pm

kevinpars wrote:The thing about this game is that it is not always the same old NCAA. I relaxed while getting ready to return a punt, and was totally surprised by a fake. The punter threw a wounded duck that went for a TD.

I have blocked punts, had them blocked, returned both kicks and punts for TDs. Lots of different stuff.

Really? Good for you. What's the trick? I've been trying to do so as well as blocking the odd fieldgoal with no success.