NCAA 2005 First Impressions
Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady
Sudz wrote:
-the R and L icons are too big. you can't see around them.
--------------
AMEN! Running draws is a mess because of this. Talk about sloppy. It only took one play for me to notice the problem, and I can't imagine anything that would've been easier to fix.
-the R and L icons are too big. you can't see around them.
--------------
AMEN! Running draws is a mess because of this. Talk about sloppy. It only took one play for me to notice the problem, and I can't imagine anything that would've been easier to fix.
XBL Gamertag: RobVarak
"Ok I'm an elitist, but I have a healthy respect for people who don't measure up." --Aaron Sorkin
"Ok I'm an elitist, but I have a healthy respect for people who don't measure up." --Aaron Sorkin
You can turn it off entirely. Took me a while to find it as well, it's in the "Controller Settings" menu. Also there is the ability to turn "quick passing" off, essential for old school Madden guys.Sudz wrote:-VIBRATION! I turned off the HFA stuff and I wish i could turn off vibration all together. my hands hurt worse than writing ALL day
Otherwise, though, I agree with your assessment. I'd be hard-pressed to recommend an upgrade to anyone who still had 2004, unless you need Xbox Live.
Thanks for all the input guys. I for one am still picking up the game. All your points for disliking the game are valid but I started football gaming on the Atari many many moons ago. The first Atari football only had 4 people per side and you couldn't play by yourself. I have since gone through almost every gaming system and computer system (including commodore VIC 20 and Commodore 64). Yes, I even had mattel hand held football games plus the other hand held football game called Mr. Quarterback. (Extra points for anyone who had that game)
For me not to pick up the game because of too much grass on the uniform or that Michigan passes a little too much would be a mistake. For me, all I have to do is remember my past history with football gaming. Trust me for all the stuff we get now with games (including online playing) I really can't complain too much. As kids my friends and I would wish that we had a game like the NCAA series. Now it is here and I have a big smile on my face.
For me not to pick up the game because of too much grass on the uniform or that Michigan passes a little too much would be a mistake. For me, all I have to do is remember my past history with football gaming. Trust me for all the stuff we get now with games (including online playing) I really can't complain too much. As kids my friends and I would wish that we had a game like the NCAA series. Now it is here and I have a big smile on my face.
NCAA has (unfortunately) always been about sliders. Hasn't it pretty much been bad out of the box the past couple years?
I'm pretty confident there is a solid game of football here. It's just going to take some tweaking.
Luckily, it seems like there is more to HFA than just the camera shake and the vibration. I turned both of those off after about 10 minutes, but still found playing on the road much more challenging.
I'm pretty confident there is a solid game of football here. It's just going to take some tweaking.
Luckily, it seems like there is more to HFA than just the camera shake and the vibration. I turned both of those off after about 10 minutes, but still found playing on the road much more challenging.
the OS forums are vastly different from the DSP forums.Parker wrote:It's amazing the different overall impressions you get here compared to OS. At OS, they are for the most part, proclaiming it the mecca of video football because of a few cosmetic changes and minor options added, nevermind what has gotten worse.
BP, you're right of course. But a day later I'm still feeling a little let down by this year's version - completely opposite to last year. Last year 2004 almost immediately struck me as a classic, made me think about how far gaming had come, etc. This year, the frustration of all the gameplay elements that could have been fixed but weren't cast a pall over my initial impressions. And while the green-paint grass stains may seem like a nitpick, they do get damned annoying with time.
Again, this is EA we're talking about here - they have the resources to fix things properly before they go out the door. If they actually listened to hardcore gamers they could fix a lot of the problems in a heartbeat. As so often seems to be the case with them, I tend to see the influence of the beancounters and marketing wonks in this year's version, rather than the developers like last year.
If they needed more time (which I doubt), I couldn't agree more with gripes about the release date. Does a football title really need to see the light of day before the baseball All Star Game? How in the hell can the rosters even be remotely accurate when training camp hasn't even begun?
I'm no longer having slowdown problems. Not sure if this is because I bumped up the difficulty (as some on OS claim) or switched to overhead cam. But it's safe to say it's gone for the time being.
When it comes down to it, it seems like the core gameplay is exactly the same as last year with the addition of more tipped balls. Good and bad. Still mostly great gameplay. Still SuperMario running. I'd be shocked if Abner's sliders from last year didn't turn out to work just fine with the new version. Oh yeah, sliders are exactly the same as well.
I still think NCAA 2004 is right up there with WE7 as one of the greatest sports games of all time. But 2005 seems a little less than that given what it adds and the passage of time. It's hard to forget the impact of the ESPN NFL pricing decision, which probably makes me look at a $50 update a little more critically.
Again, this is EA we're talking about here - they have the resources to fix things properly before they go out the door. If they actually listened to hardcore gamers they could fix a lot of the problems in a heartbeat. As so often seems to be the case with them, I tend to see the influence of the beancounters and marketing wonks in this year's version, rather than the developers like last year.
If they needed more time (which I doubt), I couldn't agree more with gripes about the release date. Does a football title really need to see the light of day before the baseball All Star Game? How in the hell can the rosters even be remotely accurate when training camp hasn't even begun?
I'm no longer having slowdown problems. Not sure if this is because I bumped up the difficulty (as some on OS claim) or switched to overhead cam. But it's safe to say it's gone for the time being.
When it comes down to it, it seems like the core gameplay is exactly the same as last year with the addition of more tipped balls. Good and bad. Still mostly great gameplay. Still SuperMario running. I'd be shocked if Abner's sliders from last year didn't turn out to work just fine with the new version. Oh yeah, sliders are exactly the same as well.
I still think NCAA 2004 is right up there with WE7 as one of the greatest sports games of all time. But 2005 seems a little less than that given what it adds and the passage of time. It's hard to forget the impact of the ESPN NFL pricing decision, which probably makes me look at a $50 update a little more critically.
Yep, it usually is, but this is the most dramatic example yet. The reason is posters here care more about gameplay and realism and are not as impressed by cosmetic additions. Also, the OS mods try to gear the discussions to be as positive as possible.Sudz wrote:the OS forums are vastly different from the DSP forums.Parker wrote:It's amazing the different overall impressions you get here compared to OS. At OS, they are for the most part, proclaiming it the mecca of video football because of a few cosmetic changes and minor options added, nevermind what has gotten worse.
-
matthewk
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 3324
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2003 3:00 am
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Thank you so far to everyone that has posted their impressions. They have been very informative, and not at all fanboyish or anti-EA. I thank you all for that, as it has helped me to make my decision on this game.
As far back as March I had put it in my head that I would try my best not to buy this title. I love football, but it seems like as soon as the NFL games come out, NCAA sits and waits. This year I picked up NCAA 2004 cheap ($25). I had pretty much resigned myself to using 2004 for my college football fix this year. As I began seeing the "Got It!" posts, my willpower was wavering, but I'm glad I was able to hold off. I was afraid this would be NCAA 2004.5, and from the sounds of it, that's what it is to me. The urge has passed, and now I can move to finding ESPN Hockey cheap (Damn you PK!).
As far back as March I had put it in my head that I would try my best not to buy this title. I love football, but it seems like as soon as the NFL games come out, NCAA sits and waits. This year I picked up NCAA 2004 cheap ($25). I had pretty much resigned myself to using 2004 for my college football fix this year. As I began seeing the "Got It!" posts, my willpower was wavering, but I'm glad I was able to hold off. I was afraid this would be NCAA 2004.5, and from the sounds of it, that's what it is to me. The urge has passed, and now I can move to finding ESPN Hockey cheap (Damn you PK!).
-Matt
-
dbdynsty25
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 21619
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
But then again when was the last time we were completely awestruck by a game and realized that it completely met every single expectation. You mention 2004...but that game came at a price as well.Blublub wrote:BP, you're right of course. But a day later I'm still feeling a little let down by this year's version
Matt, at this point your strategy of picking up a cheap copy of 2004 and using updated rosters sounds like the best bet. When I picked up my copy at EB last night there were about ten people waiting and nearly half were trading in their old version at the same time. Shouldd be able to get it for a song.
BUT, you'd be missing out on the great DS online league which will use 2005. Seems like everyone who played last year enjoyed it immensely. I know I did.
BUT, you'd be missing out on the great DS online league which will use 2005. Seems like everyone who played last year enjoyed it immensely. I know I did.
-
dbdynsty25
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 21619
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
Blub-
That is the one thing that I forgot to mention and you are so right..... why is this game coming out in mid July? I so agree with working on the game a few weeks more to make sure everything is up to speed. (no pun intended) I think early August would of been the best time for release. Just when NFL football camps have opened and all the different websites start talking college football.
I also agree about the money side of all of this. IMHO, EA has tried to totally distance Madden and NCAA. With EA releasing college football in July and Madden in August they have continued their trend of seperation. If you remember when college football first starting coming out on the Sega Genesis it was a total after-thought to Madden. (Remember it Bill Walsh was the title on the game when he was coaching Stanford. How scary is that?) Then college football started to take on a life of its own and here we are now releasing the game in mid July.
BB
That is the one thing that I forgot to mention and you are so right..... why is this game coming out in mid July? I so agree with working on the game a few weeks more to make sure everything is up to speed. (no pun intended) I think early August would of been the best time for release. Just when NFL football camps have opened and all the different websites start talking college football.
I also agree about the money side of all of this. IMHO, EA has tried to totally distance Madden and NCAA. With EA releasing college football in July and Madden in August they have continued their trend of seperation. If you remember when college football first starting coming out on the Sega Genesis it was a total after-thought to Madden. (Remember it Bill Walsh was the title on the game when he was coaching Stanford. How scary is that?) Then college football started to take on a life of its own and here we are now releasing the game in mid July.
BB
Never, of course. But take the Winning Eleven series, for example. Every year (and actually six months if you count the "i" or "fe" releases) it locks in those elements which are solid and works on improving the margins. I feel confident in spending the $60 for every Japanese release and while none completely meet every single expectation, I can't say I feel cheated.dbdynsty25 wrote:But then again when was the last time we were completely awestruck by a game and realized that it completely met every single expectation. You mention 2004...but that game came at a price as well.
I would have paid twice the $50 for the innovation that was last year's game. Actually I did, as I had both the PS2 and Xbox versions.
Don't get me wrong, 2005 does not even come close to "sucking." I don't feel cheated. It's just a bit of a letdown. I'm confident that it has just as much staying power as 2004 and that some of the big issues can be fixed with slider tweaks just like last year. Unless money plays start to show up online, then there's always that as well.
-
dbdynsty25
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 21619
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
The issue with random online opponents is really going to be the 'created players' issue. People maxing out all of their guys and then taking their custom roster online and pasting people that are playing legit with the default ratings.
It's a good thing when you can use your custom rosters (along with named players) but when you start editing players ratings, that's going too far.
It's a good thing when you can use your custom rosters (along with named players) but when you start editing players ratings, that's going too far.
AFAIK, you can't take players with edited attributes online or any created players.
Names will show up but any changes to player ratings will not take effect online.
Fans have asked EA for custom rosters online and their stock reply is that it would be unfair. They would have to architect their games a bit differently and looks like they're in no hurry to do so.
The PC version of Madden, you can do this by sending a custom roster to the person you're going to play (both games must load the same roster) and then connect by IP.
The console versions only can connect through the lobby servers, which enforce the official roster (and updates, although there was never a roster update for NCAA 2004 last year).
Names will show up but any changes to player ratings will not take effect online.
Fans have asked EA for custom rosters online and their stock reply is that it would be unfair. They would have to architect their games a bit differently and looks like they're in no hurry to do so.
The PC version of Madden, you can do this by sending a custom roster to the person you're going to play (both games must load the same roster) and then connect by IP.
The console versions only can connect through the lobby servers, which enforce the official roster (and updates, although there was never a roster update for NCAA 2004 last year).
-
dbdynsty25
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 21619
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
http://forums.operationsports.com/ubbth ... o=&fpart=1
From OS, so who knows how legit it is, but it's still disconcerting if it's true.
BTW, Parker, I'm sorry if your Eagles can't keep up with the Canes...it's like that in real life too you know.
From OS, so who knows how legit it is, but it's still disconcerting if it's true.
BTW, Parker, I'm sorry if your Eagles can't keep up with the Canes...it's like that in real life too you know.
One thing that someone else mentioned in another thread - they've finally fixed the schedule rotation problem. This is HUGE! Last year using Arizona I could NEVER play Stanford, since they were the only Pac 10 team not on Az's 2004 schedule (and conference opponents couldn't be added). Now it seems to rotate properly. That alone is nearly worth the price of the update for me.
-
pk500
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 33885
- Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
- Contact:
>>>I had pretty much resigned myself to using 2004 for my college football fix this year. As I began seeing the "Got It!" posts, my willpower was wavering, but I'm glad I was able to hold off. I was afraid this would be NCAA 2004.5, and from the sounds of it, that's what it is to me. The urge has passed, and now I can move to finding ESPN Hockey cheap (Damn you PK!).<<<
MattK:
Sorry, man! I'm all over eBay trying to pick up ESPN NHL on the cheap this week, too. I think I can get it for around $10-15, tops. And the game is so good now with the patch that I think it will give me an excellent pucks fix until the 2005 games are released.
I had no plans to buy NCAA 2005 and haven't changed my mind one bit after reading the excellent impressions in here. Any serious sports gamer who buys a title for which they're on the fence without reading the DSP forum is a fool or rich, and that's a credit to all of us.
Roll on next week for ESPN NFL!
Take care,
PK
MattK:
Sorry, man! I'm all over eBay trying to pick up ESPN NHL on the cheap this week, too. I think I can get it for around $10-15, tops. And the game is so good now with the patch that I think it will give me an excellent pucks fix until the 2005 games are released.
I had no plans to buy NCAA 2005 and haven't changed my mind one bit after reading the excellent impressions in here. Any serious sports gamer who buys a title for which they're on the fence without reading the DSP forum is a fool or rich, and that's a credit to all of us.
Roll on next week for ESPN NFL!
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
You couldn't do that on the PS2 last year and you've never been able to do it in Madden.
Unless something radical was done, it doesn't seem likely. EA football games depending on syncing the rosters. How would he load custom rosters while you still had the default ones?
For the Texas A&M players to be all 99s, the roster on your machine would also have to have those ratings for those players.
By all means, try it and see if it works. Would be an interesting development if it turned out true.
Unless something radical was done, it doesn't seem likely. EA football games depending on syncing the rosters. How would he load custom rosters while you still had the default ones?
For the Texas A&M players to be all 99s, the roster on your machine would also have to have those ratings for those players.
By all means, try it and see if it works. Would be an interesting development if it turned out true.
Okay, a little testing of franchise mode results in 2005 vs. 2004. Both using Xbox version, AA difficulty, 5 min. quarters:
Season Sim in 2005:
Time to sim: 3 min., 30 seconds
Top ppg: Oklahoma, 47.0
Worst ppg: Rice, 15.5
Top D ppg: Texas, 14.9
Worst D ppg: Duke, 47.8
Top Total Yards: Va Tech, 7362
Worst Total Yards: Duke, 4942
Top 5 Rankings: 1. WV, 2. OK, 3. Tenn, 4. Minn, 5. Ga
Lowest score, all teams entire season: Kansas State 9, Colorado 7, followed by Air Force 3, UNLV 17. Only two games with under 20 total points.
-----------
2004:
Time to sim: 2 min., 15 seconds
Top ppg: Miami, 40.5
Worst ppg: Army, 11.3
Top D ppg: Okla, 12.4
Worst D ppg: Wyoming, 38.8
Top Total Yards: Washington, 7560
Worst Total Yards: Vandy, 4924
Top 5 Rankings: 1. Ok, 2. Purdue, 3. Texas, 4. Miami, 5 Neb.
Low scores: Week 2-3 only - James Madison 12, Memphis 19 OT
Buffalo 7, Iowa 17. GA Southern 10, Tulsa 7
Season Sim in 2005:
Time to sim: 3 min., 30 seconds
Top ppg: Oklahoma, 47.0
Worst ppg: Rice, 15.5
Top D ppg: Texas, 14.9
Worst D ppg: Duke, 47.8
Top Total Yards: Va Tech, 7362
Worst Total Yards: Duke, 4942
Top 5 Rankings: 1. WV, 2. OK, 3. Tenn, 4. Minn, 5. Ga
Lowest score, all teams entire season: Kansas State 9, Colorado 7, followed by Air Force 3, UNLV 17. Only two games with under 20 total points.
-----------
2004:
Time to sim: 2 min., 15 seconds
Top ppg: Miami, 40.5
Worst ppg: Army, 11.3
Top D ppg: Okla, 12.4
Worst D ppg: Wyoming, 38.8
Top Total Yards: Washington, 7560
Worst Total Yards: Vandy, 4924
Top 5 Rankings: 1. Ok, 2. Purdue, 3. Texas, 4. Miami, 5 Neb.
Low scores: Week 2-3 only - James Madison 12, Memphis 19 OT
Buffalo 7, Iowa 17. GA Southern 10, Tulsa 7
My take on the above:
Time to sim: 2005 takes quite a bit longer. Not really surprising considering it has larger rosters. Quicker load times make up the difference anyway.
Scoring: Well, this didn't really turn up the smoking gun I thought it might, but the stats do reflect that there most definitely seems to be "scoring inflation" in 2005. I was surprised to see that 2004 also had this to a lesser extent. In 2005, a lot of weeks start to look like basketball scores, with a lot in the 49-42 area, and a whole lot of huge blowouts, like 76-0.
Top 5 teams: 2004 is sold, as we already knew. Can't say about 2005 since IT'S TOO DAMNED EARLY FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL, and as far as I know, there aren't even any pre-season picks out yet.
Time to sim: 2005 takes quite a bit longer. Not really surprising considering it has larger rosters. Quicker load times make up the difference anyway.
Scoring: Well, this didn't really turn up the smoking gun I thought it might, but the stats do reflect that there most definitely seems to be "scoring inflation" in 2005. I was surprised to see that 2004 also had this to a lesser extent. In 2005, a lot of weeks start to look like basketball scores, with a lot in the 49-42 area, and a whole lot of huge blowouts, like 76-0.
Top 5 teams: 2004 is sold, as we already knew. Can't say about 2005 since IT'S TOO DAMNED EARLY FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL, and as far as I know, there aren't even any pre-season picks out yet.