NCAA 2010 early anticipation thread

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:07 am

Rodster wrote:I'm really enjoying the PSP version. The AI's defense is very tenacious even on varsity. It takes mixing it up to move the ball. One thing the game does not lack is atmosphere as has been noted in the PS360 versions.

They have most of the features of the new gen versions?

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:55 am

tjung0831 wrote:How do you get the $40 credit towards madden? Was that if you reserved a copy of Ncaa?

You buy the game (NCAA) and then sell it to gamestop used.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:58 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:
tjung0831 wrote:How do you get the $40 credit towards madden? Was that if you reserved a copy of Ncaa?
You buy the game (NCAA) and then sell it to gamestop used.

I guess my point was is there a coupon or something they are giving you when your purchase NCAA? I'm guessing there is some sort of time limit built in..

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:34 am

I tried playing some games of the Road to Glory as a cornerback last night and I have to say that the playcalling and effectiveness of the players around you really make that mode fun this year.

As a QB, my running back was chewing up yards and I was able to make dink and dunk passes around the field to move the chains against the stronger schools, but against lesser schools I was able to really go downfield at will.

As a cornerback, it's like my defensive coordinator called a gameplan to turn me into a destructive force. I think he called 6 or 7 cornerback blitzes from my side in the game. Lots of man to man.

In my first game I notched 9 tackles (3 TFL), 2 sacks, 1 FF, 1 INT and 1 TD with obvious player of the game/week honors. I even had three more times where I planted the QB and caused the floater ball...one of which got picked off by a secondary mate.

The play calling by the CPU seems to have gotten a massive overhaul. I've seen instances where there's absolutely zero pass rush (which pisses me off since that means I have to cover way too long and eventually my guy gets open), or the running backs running into piles, or other oddities, but I'm actually having fun with this. The play calls seem to have relevancy in most situations, and I'm not left scratching my head as to why we'd be going in a dime formation with a deep zone on a 3rd and 1 from my own 25 yard line, etc.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:36 am

tjung0831 wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:
tjung0831 wrote:How do you get the $40 credit towards madden? Was that if you reserved a copy of Ncaa?
You buy the game (NCAA) and then sell it to gamestop used.
I guess my point was is there a coupon or something they are giving you when your purchase NCAA? I'm guessing there is some sort of time limit built in..

Yes - expires 08/23/09

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:44 am

Leebo33 wrote:Worst.Demo.Ever

So far, I'm glad I bought the game. It seems much improved over last year in just about every way.

+1

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:49 am

Well color me surprised. There are a lot of quirks I don't like, the camera being the biggest but the game play has certainly been improved.

I saw some things last night i can't recall seeing in an EA game before.

- the cheap pitch tactic is gone with the QB, it's pretty hard to lateral late and I tried to force one last night and the defensive player step in front of it and picked it.

- I saw a MLB in zone chuck his man as he was crossing the zone on a drag, not only did he cuck him the WR lost his balance and my QB's throw was offline and picked off. Saw all this on one play.

- I really like running and contact in general, it's not the instant hit and go down. There is some good struggle and I was able to bust out some good runs after initial contact.

- Man coverage is most definitely improved.

- Guys seem to have a bigger spread in ratings. i was returning a kick and hit the lane to the outside, and figured i was gone and I got caught from behind.

- I don't like the game speed it is too fast.

- I can't get pressure on a rush unless I go into player lock as a DE. That is probably my issue though.

- The AI gets pressure, the pocket isn't really a pocket most plays but the guys get at you. On default AA i was sacked 9 times by Ohio State as Michigan. fiour of those were because I tried to scramlbe immediately to the side lines, I learned not to do that quick.

I still know madden is going to be much better then this but this will tied me over for a month.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:14 pm

I was only able to play 1 game last night but I have to say that I absolutely love player-lock. I only messed with it primarily as a d-lineman and a little as a linebacker. I haven't messed with Road to Glory yet, is the camera the same as when you player-lock? I love the player-lock camera for QB as well, it lets you read the field a little better and lets you see the lanes better.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:22 pm

Yes, Player Lock camera is the same as the Road to Glory mode.

I agree, it's what I've loved about this generation of football games. I like the single-player part of team sports. To be completely arrogant and honest, when I can control every player on every team, online or offline, I'm very tough to beat. I have to go out and set the difficulty to Heisman/All-Madden and then endure the CPU using sped-up players and other "cheats" to get beat on a little bit. I don't know why the CPU can't just call smarter plays on higher difficulties instead of physically changing the game physics and player abilities.

What I love about the Road to Glory type modes is just giving me the single player to control and hope the other 10 guys do their jobs. No matter which position I play on the field, I'm at the mercy of the other guys on my squad. My OL not blocking for me as a QB...nothing I can do but get rid of the ball quicker. I'm locking down my man in coverage as a CB, only to see the other side of the field give up easy completions time after time.

Playing a MLB and trying not to lose track of the ball in the middle of the scrum at the LOS is a hoot with the player lock camera. Doing it for a full career is entertaining, but I can't ever see myself actually making it through a full career as a rock-jawed run stuffer at the mike.

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:57 pm

fsquid wrote:
Rodster wrote:I'm really enjoying the PSP version. The AI's defense is very tenacious even on varsity. It takes mixing it up to move the ball. One thing the game does not lack is atmosphere as has been noted in the PS360 versions.
They have most of the features of the new gen versions?

Rodster, did you have the post-patch 07 version for the PSP? If so, how does 2010 compare to that? 09 was a huge step backward (stripped features, gigantic blue ball thing that couldn't be turned off, etc) and I've seen some posts complaining that nothing changed from the 09 version other than the roster problem.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:07 pm

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:29 pm

Blublub wrote:
fsquid wrote:
Rodster wrote:I'm really enjoying the PSP version. The AI's defense is very tenacious even on varsity. It takes mixing it up to move the ball. One thing the game does not lack is atmosphere as has been noted in the PS360 versions.
They have most of the features of the new gen versions?
Rodster, did you have the post-patch 07 version for the PSP? If so, how does 2010 compare to that? 09 was a huge step backward (stripped features, gigantic blue ball thing that couldn't be turned off, etc) and I've seen some posts complaining that nothing changed from the 09 version other than the roster problem.

I never played the '07 version as I heard it was pretty good sans the yardage bug. I like '09 and 10 seems to play a little better. Oh and it looks very nice on the PSP. The only blue thingy I notice is the highlighted player, not sure if that's what you are referring to.

On a side note I picked up NCAA 09 (PS3) for $15 at Target. Not sure if it's worth opening up. I have at least 45 days to return it.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:00 pm

Add me to the happy (so far) bunch. As others have said, much better than the demo. It's completely different in my eyes.

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:07 pm

I have had a couple of good games so far - but too early to tell if it will hold up. But it has been fun so far.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:34 pm

PS3 patch is out. I'm not sure what it fixes. The only slider I've messed with is interceptions. I had it at zero for both CPU and human. Saw a few too many interceptions last night and none tonight in an hour or so of gameplay post patch.

Nothing new to report...really enjoying the game, especially the errant passes, player lock, and elimination of the ridiculous amount of defensive TDs.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:03 am

1. Fixed Rosters

2. Fixed Sliders

3. Has option to turn off the crappy DLC Dynasty Accelorators in an Online Dynasty

4. Misc bug fixes whatever that means.

I'm reading the sliders actually work, the Pass rush slider at 100 is suppose to be pretty tough.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:47 am

Didn't they patch the sliders in '09? There is no reason to mess this up 2 years in a row, especially when they already fixed it once.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:53 am

matthewk wrote:Didn't they patch the sliders in '09? There is no reason to mess this up 2 years in a row, especially when they already fixed it once.

I bought '09 yesterday and I can attest to the fact that the sliders do work with v1.20

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:57 am

Thanks to my Blockbuster membership I used my monthly free game rental coupon on NCAA 10.

Only had about an hour with it last night. I am not a hardcore college football fan. Every year I get into college fb in short spurts. Up untuil this year I had been playing 06 and 08 in the Xbox1. Got '09 cheap about 2 months ago.

So far it seems a LOT like '09. I haven't played '09 a lot, so I'm, sure I'm not seeing a lot of the little changes in the AI and gameplay that some have noticed. On the surface it really does feels like an add-on update and not a $60 version. The pregame (or lack therof) is almost idetical. The fast facts before the game are the same. The commentary is the same. They even resued images on the menus (when you pick a favorite team) from last year. For casusl players, this will feel like NCAA 9.5.

I read over at OS about the camera making some people seasick. I suffer from FPS this way, and I do notice the re-centering of the camera during plays. It hasn't made me real nauseous yet, but I can feel it a bit after playing. Why not leave in the old camera as an option?

At this point I'm thinking '09 will do just fine between now and Madden. The rental should satisfy my curiosity and help eliminate the compulsion I usually get to buy a new sports title.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:01 am

matthewk wrote: So far it seems a LOT like '09.

Usually yearly sports titles are. That's why I went with NCAA 09 for $15 instead of $60 for NCAA 10. Hopefully Target will clearance the game out next year for the same price. I figure I can buy four yearly updated NCAA pigskin games for the price of one.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:54 am

matthewk wrote:
So far it seems a LOT like '09. I haven't played '09 a lot, so I'm, sure I'm not seeing a lot of the little changes in the AI and gameplay that some have noticed. On the surface it really does feels like an add-on update and not a $60 version. The pregame (or lack therof) is almost idetical. The fast facts before the game are the same. The commentary is the same. They even resued images on the menus (when you pick a favorite team) from last year. For casusl players, this will feel like NCAA 9.5.

I just don't agree with this statement at all. Well, maybe I agree with most of it, in that if all you are looking at is the pre-game, the music, the voice talent, then yes, mostly it's the same. But the gameplay? That's not the same.

I didn't play a huge number of games of '09, and I haven't played it in many months, but there's no way that it feels to me like 'an add-on update' to '09 or 'NCAA 9.5' any more than any other yearly update for a sports game. Yes, it is still a football game, so of course for the most part it isn't reinventing the wheel, but it's unfair to say they haven't made any substantive changes to the game.

There are a ton of things that are different right off the bat. Firstly, the whole 'gameplan' thing is a completely new feature that allows you to influence the play of your CPU teammates on the fly in the game, and as far as I can tell, it works pretty well. It's snappy and easy to use and the effects may not be huge, but they do seem to me to be real. And then there's the little touches, like the 'setup the play' feature that is a nice, new, different little touch to the playcalling aspect of the game. Even though I don't think it's prefectly implemented (it seems only to value the relationship between run plays and play-action fakes, not something like relating quick outs or hitches to a pump-and-go), it does brighten up playcalling for me quite a bit. The 'player lock' feature is a big change to the vs. CPU gameplay that will help get the monotony out of the defensive gameplay when you are playing against the CPU's playcalling, and I haven't even tried to run a pattern on offense yet, or run the HB on a screen play. I've only yet tried it on D.

And then there's the massive upgrade done to the option game in general, in terms of gameplay mechanics, and also the huge upgrade to the Flexbone offense. Maybe this kind of thing isn't for everyone (I mean, if you never run an option team, you'd never notice it), but for me it's the stuff in the college game that is different from the pro game that makes college ball so much fun for me, so improvements to the option game are very welcome for me. Also there are the big changes to the QB's throws in general and especially when he is getting hit or pressured, or the rumble they've added to let you know there is pressure coming, which have a big effect on the actual gameplay. And the 'season showdown' could end up having a huge effect on how I personally play the game, and I don't think I'm alone - I might actually have fun playing randoms online again.

Sure, the voice talent in the game is still the same three people, and the addition of Erin Andrews is exceedingly minimal to the normal game (the addition of automatically saved highlights in the be a pro mode is a big deal in that mode, much bigger than Erin in front of a green screen). Yes, the pre-game and the band music and all that stuff haven't changed much if at all. To me the basic gameplay feels a lot more polished, better balanced, and thus more fun. There are surely still plenty of quirks and unrealistic oddities to the gameplay, sure, but the core of it seems to me to be very solid. Of course, last year's was pretty solid, but then the pick-6 problem became overwhelming to many, so we'll see, but right now it seems to me like a much better game than '09.

Wilk5280 · Post by **Wilk5280** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:14 am

I truly hope some of you folks use the same criteria to judge MLB The Show or NBA 2K that you're using to judge EA's NCAA 10.

How are those games any less guilty when it comes to commentary and the like? Their pregames and commentary haven't really changed all the much over the years either. They're still very good sports games.

I for one would rather see EA make the necessary tweaks to make the game play better than to spend development resources on bringing guys in to overhaul the commentary. There are some new lines by Corso and crew this year at least.

The game plays great online, IMO and the presentation fills my needs I guess.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:40 am

I really can't remember seeing any more polar opposite opinions than I've seen for this game, both here and on OS. The people who love it are vehement with their praise, and those who feel like it's nothing but a minimal upgrade are just as vocal with their opinion. I know EA football tends to generate somewhat of the same response every year, but I can't remember it ever being this extreme.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:43 am

I haven't played '10 yet, but I can see where Matt is coming from. He's basing the game solely as a casual pick up and play game. He stated he's not hardcore about college football, so in that case he's more interested in turning on said system and playing. I don't think neither he nor I examine the game very hard, thus we don't notice the little nuances of change. I myself only generally play this game for a few weeks until Madden releases anyways. I think I'll be fine with the rip off rental pricing of $9 from Block Buster if I can play this game for a couple weeks.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:50 am

Zeppo wrote:
matthewk wrote:
So far it seems a LOT like '09. I haven't played '09 a lot, so I'm, sure I'm not seeing a lot of the little changes in the AI and gameplay that some have noticed. On the surface it really does feels like an add-on update and not a $60 version. The pregame (or lack therof) is almost idetical. The fast facts before the game are the same. The commentary is the same. They even resued images on the menus (when you pick a favorite team) from last year. For casusl players, this will feel like NCAA 9.5.
I just don't agree with this statement at all. Well, maybe I agree with most of it, in that if all you are looking at is the pre-game, the music, the voice talent, then yes, mostly it's the same. But the gameplay? That's not the same.

I stated that I only played it for an hour, and haven't played '09 a ton. That's why I said that I am sure I'm not seeing everything that has changed. From the perspective of a casual NCAA player, the games seem the same.