NCAA Football 2012 game catch-all

The linebacker at around 0:05 doesn't seem to make much effort. He like head butts him and then sits there.

Jayhawker wrote:

They have nerfed a lot of plays. The counters I used to depend on do not develop nearly as well as they did last year.

I have some sliders I am pretty happy with. They also seem to tone down a lot of the super pass defense we have been seeing. I've just played a few really good games with these amd the INTs are way down, and even the leaping LB's don't seem so prevalent. These are based on SN's All-American slider over at OS. But I have also adjust them quite a bit, as I did last year when we used them in the 2Star league. Would love to hear some feedback on these now.

Gameplay Options
Skill.........................All American
Injuries.....................On
Fatigue.....................On
Quarter Length...........8 minutes
Play Clock..................On
Game Speed...............Slow
Speed Threshold..........40
HFA Effect..................On
Ice the Kicker..............Off

Game Rules
Offsides……………………95
False Start……………….95
Holding…………………….53
Facemask................53
O Pass Interference..100
D Pass Interference..100
KR/PR Interference...100
Clipping...................53
Intentional Grounding.100
Roughing the Passer..53
Roughing the Kicker..100

Custom AI (HUM/CPU)

QB Accuracy……………….40-40
Pass Blocking..................70-65
WR Catching……………….65-50
RB Ability…………………..45-75
Run Blocking……………….40-60
Pass Coverage…………….50-40
Pass Rush......................80-100
Interceptions………………20-10
Rush Defense………………20-65
Tackling.........................40-40
FG Power.......................50-50
FG Accuracy……………….50-40
Punt Power.....................55-55
Punt Accuracy……………..40-75
KO Power........................45-45

Jay, I was hoping you'd provide a slider set! I will save these and use them (I trust your judgement) once I'm able to play. Have you done any coordinator stuff yet? I can look back in the thread and check to see if others have tried it as well.

airicc8 wrote:

Jay, I was hoping you'd provide a slider set! I will save these and use them (I trust your judgement) once I'm able to play. Have you done any coordinator stuff yet? I can look back in the thread and check to see if others have tried it as well.

Have not done any coordinator stuff. It's something worth looking into, as I think it could be a cool way to re-launch a 2Star type OD.

As for the sliders, don't consider them done yet. I have liked them, but I'm curious as to what others think. They are definitely not easy, as I got spanked by Mizzou even though I was using Oklahoma. But I feel like they have cut down on both INTs and leaping LB's.

One of the theories I've read at OS is that the speed threshold is an important part of balancing the DBs' ability to make plays on balls they shouldn't get to.

Regardless, I will probably continue to adjust for awhile. And I'll probably want to wait and see what comes down in the way of a patch. Also, EA started issuing tuners last year, which affect how the sliders affect the game. Sometimes these can undo the slider adjustments that have been made.

How exactly does "game speed" change things?

Speed threshold affects the gaps in speed of players with different speed rating. Zero produces the largest difference, 100 produces zero difference.

I believe game speed affects the overall speed of the game. It's gong to give you more time to think in the pocket, as well as select and move a defender.

Yeah threshold I knew. I had just never tinkered with game speed. Assumed that Normal was fine, and wondered if it was something that changed the speed of the clock or the actual movement of players, more time to react and such. Huh, guess I should just try it.

A few observations --

*I think it's lying to say that there's no more "suction" in the game. The claim with the new tackling system was that there would be no more drawing of players to one another magically. I don't think this is happening with blocks now, but what I see are defenders who get an incredible speed boost to cover the last yard or three when one hits the tackle button. It's as if they replaced the "dive" button/animation with a "sprint to the ball carrier" animation.

*The window of opportunity to throw passes is a lot smaller this year, especially deep and down the middle. That's good in most ways! I think TEs are de-emphasized comparatively because of this.

*The counter is less effective, in part because they've neutered the blocking AI of the guards. When an OG pulls to the edge of the Oline on a counter, he now stops just behind and outside of the tackle and waits for the HB. Rather than lead the charge and identify someone to block, he simply stops and waits. This makes the counter much less effective than last year, which is okay, but it also makes it horribly unrealistic.

*My god the bloom, the bloom! Turn it off!!! Please give us an option to tone it down!

*It really annoys me that they took what is essentially the same recruit calling system as last year, and made it smaller to put some pretty ESPN graphics around the edge. This just makes the text smaller with no real gain! Maybe I'm the only old man whose TV is evidently not big enough, but this change has no real purpose.

*Speaking of minor ways in which the team sought to differentiate this year's offering from last year's: We mentioned before that they swapped the direction one scrolls through the playcalling screens. This actually extends to the tactics or tendencies screens for offense/defense. The aggressive/conservative calls are swapped right/left from last season. They also took all the text and centered it on the screen rather than having a left justified text block. Brilliant! It's so much different than last year! Bravo, team!

*While it's probably a bit closer to what things are like on the field, they lowered the volume on the fight songs so much that you almost can't here them. I want my opponents to have to grit their teeth through the blaring Notre Dame Victory March after I score! (Although, to be fair I don't miss the USC fight song at all...and don't get me started on Michigan...)

There is suction still or something similar. I ran a blitz where my LB ran all the way behind the line past the QB to be blocked by the RB on the opposite side of the QB. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen. It wasnt a playaction pass, simple drop back and it caught me so off guard I had to instant replay it to make sure I wasnt hallucinating.

firesloth wrote:

*While it's probably a bit closer to what things are like on the field, they lowered the volume on the fight songs so much that you almost can't here them. I want my opponents to have to grit their teeth through the blaring Notre Dame Victory March after I score! (Although, to be fair I don't miss the USC fight song at all...and don't get me started on Michigan...)

I agree with most of what you wrote, but especially this. Partly because, as an Oregon State fan, I've sat in my own stadium and heard the USC band play that song incessantly for entire games. Even playing over the top of the Oregon State band. I hate USC.

Also agree because my HS fight song was literally just taken from Notre Dame. So I have a soft spot for that.

Spoiler:

This just in: USC sucks! ;)

Firesloth, you aqre dead on about the counter. I probably used them too much in the last game. But that pulling guard has becom worthless. At one point I thought I should start checking their Awareness ratings.

What I have done is run the counter more inside that tackles now. It's not a juicy as those outside counters last year, but you can run in much tighter spaces this year, too. But outside runs are harder to pull off. But I think last year saw that they were too easy to break for long runs.

-And I think you are right about passing having a smaller window. But the last game I played, I picked off two passes, and avoided any INT's with Kansas. I think with some time, we will learn and adapt to the windows of opportunity of a given route.

-One of my favorite quotes from you last season was about how great it was to roll into the opponent's endzone on a kick-off return while the band is still playing the other team's fight song from the previous score.

One other thing I've noticed is that it seems easier for a WR to get behind the last defender, setting up a big lob pass. The CPU also uses these, as I found out in my game against USC this morning. Fortunately I was only able to hold them to one offensive FG through the whole game. (In my dynasty, my MLB has the most INTs of my team at 5 through 7 games. These aren't of the jump 30-ft in the air variety, thankfully...)

-One of my favorite quotes from you last season was about how great it was to roll into the opponent's endzone on a kick-off return while the band is still playing the other team's fight song from the previous score.

I can only hope that Leroy and Counselor get a chance to experience that first hand this season...

firesloth wrote:
-One of my favorite quotes from you last season was about how great it was to roll into the opponent's endzone on a kick-off return while the band is still playing the other team's fight song from the previous score.

I can only hope that Leroy and Counselor get a chance to experience that first hand this season...

That brings up another thing I have really enjoyed so far. The kick and punt returns feel much more real, as you can actually make some plays and pick up decent yards. I think the potential for exploiting it is there, but I think the kick return games seem more realistic than any other game I have played. And so far, they have done this without making too easy to break one for a TD.

Yeah, the punt returns, in particular, are much improved. I had a 30 yard return this morning. It felt very satisfying.

Incidentally, does anyone know why I'm suddenly getting the italics brackets anytime I type a capital I? Ran into this before...is it fixed in Goodjer land or my browser?

Tried out that slower game speed last night and I think I like it. It's not a huge difference but it seems to be just enough to find holes better with my RB, or see WR routes develop just a little better.

Also the game I tested the random opponent exhibition picked Kansas. Put a 24-0 whipping on them thanks to 2 INTs and 1 FUM TD return.

firesloth wrote:

*I think it's lying to say that there's no more "suction" in the game. The claim with the new tackling system was that there would be no more drawing of players to one another magically. I don't think this is happening with blocks now, but what I see are defenders who get an incredible speed boost to cover the last yard or three when one hits the tackle button. It's as if they replaced the "dive" button/animation with a "sprint to the ball carrier" animation.

Definitely. Noticed this a lot in RtG as a defender. I can hit that tackle/dive button from a few yards away and my guy will beeline for the ball carrier pretty much every time.

firesloth wrote:

Yeah, the punt returns, in particular, are much improved. I had a 30 yard return this morning. It felt very satisfying.

Incidentally, does anyone know why I'm suddenly getting the italics brackets anytime I type a capital I? Ran into this before...is it fixed in Goodjer land or my browser?

Happens a lot. Just press ctrl by itself once to unstick it.

Stele wrote:
firesloth wrote:

Yeah, the punt returns, in particular, are much improved. I had a 30 yard return this morning. It felt very satisfying.

Incidentally, does anyone know why I'm suddenly getting the italics brackets anytime I type a capital I? Ran into this before...is it fixed in Goodjer land or my browser?

Happens a lot. Just press ctrl by itself once to unstick it.

Ooooohhh...thanks!

firesloth wrote:

One other thing I've noticed is that it seems easier for a WR to get behind the last defender, setting up a big lob pass. The CPU also uses these, as I found out in my game against USC this morning.

In my game where I passed for 1,000 yards and just broke the game (112 - 14 or some such score) I was able to throw lob passes left and right by lofting the ball. It was actually just me venting on the game. I was so tired of the super LBs killing 20 yard outs that I started lobbing the ball deep up the middle. Shockingly that was not only open, but open in a broken kind of way.

DSGamer wrote:
firesloth wrote:

One other thing I've noticed is that it seems easier for a WR to get behind the last defender, setting up a big lob pass. The CPU also uses these, as I found out in my game against USC this morning.

In my game where I passed for 1,000 yards and just broke the game (112 - 14 or some such score) I was able to throw lob passes left and right by lofting the ball. It was actually just me venting on the game. I was so tired of the super LBs killing 20 yard outs that I started lobbing the ball deep up the middle. Shockingly that was not only open, but open in a broken kind of way.

You did say that it was on Varsity, against an FCS team, right?

Jayhawker wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
firesloth wrote:

One other thing I've noticed is that it seems easier for a WR to get behind the last defender, setting up a big lob pass. The CPU also uses these, as I found out in my game against USC this morning.

In my game where I passed for 1,000 yards and just broke the game (112 - 14 or some such score) I was able to throw lob passes left and right by lofting the ball. It was actually just me venting on the game. I was so tired of the super LBs killing 20 yard outs that I started lobbing the ball deep up the middle. Shockingly that was not only open, but open in a broken kind of way.

You did say that it was on Varsity, against an FCS team, right?

All-American against an FCS team.

I put up a 60 spot on an FCS team with EMU. You should be embarrassed you didn't score 200 points.

Does anyone feel like they have less control on defense this year? I don't know if it's the tackling system or the changes in the switching (which seem better...mostly), but when there's a pile and I'm trying to get to the ball carrier, it seems a lot more like guessing, pressing X, and praying.

Also, just after the ball is snapped, the CPU takes control of your player...and it's incredibly annoying. Say you have a play called that asks your DE to jump to the inside, but you read that the run is going outside of you. When the ball is snapped, your player will take that inside jump, even if you are using the stick to try to lead him outside of the tackle to intercept the ball carrier. DUMB. Not only dumb, but insulting. Let me control the player I've picked!

The switching seems somewhat better, but I'm still getting odd switches. Maybe playing at a slower speed is the way to go.

Also, there's some rumbling on OS that playing on Heisman difficulty may alleviate some of the issues with the defensive stuff, but I haven't followed that discussion closely enough to know what the final verdict is on that.

firesloth wrote:

Also, just after the ball is snapped, the CPU takes control of your player...and it's incredibly annoying. Say you have a play called that asks your DE to jump to the inside, but you read that the run is going outside of you. When the ball is snapped, your player will take that inside jump, even if you are using the stick to try to lead him outside of the tackle to intercept the ball carrier. DUMB. Not only dumb, but insulting. Let me control the player I've picked!

Yeah! That's the one that was bugging me in the few non-RtG games I've played. I'm controlling a DE, trying to move forward, and he steps to the right on whatever push the play calls for. Really throws me off.

For those playing in my starter dynasty. It is up, see original thread for info. Be patient with me as I haven't run a league in a long time.

Finally some news about the next patch:

Custom Playbooks
With this Title Update the missing play issue that led to a number of problems when using Custom Playbooks has been fixed. Not only is the issue fixed, but you will not need to recreate your playbooks! Any existing playbook will have the fix applied, and you will be able to continue using that playbook without issue.

Tendencies
As with the Custom Playbooks resolution, the fix to the issue of edited player tendencies changing will not negate any previously edited roster file. The fix will be applied to both those existing files, as well as any new roster file that is created.

If you are in a Dynasty or Online Dynasty you will not need to restart as long as your Dynasty is still in year one and you have not advanced past “Training Results” in the off-season. If you are before this point, the update will be applied to your existing Dynasty/Online Dynasty and the tendencies will be correct for all players going forward. If you are in year two and beyond, the tendency issue impact will be less and less as the players graduate/are cut from the rosters.

In addition to the tendencies issue, we have also included both the ability to edit height and weight for players, as well as the option to edit the rosters of CPU controlled teams. In an Online Dynasty the commissioner will have the ability to edit the rosters for other human controlled teams. These were both big requests from you in the community.

Finally, a bug was fixed with the profanity filter that was preventing many common names from being entered. Now, any name can be entered, for offline use. A profanity filter is applied to Online Dynasty when the Dynasty is created. If you prefer to opt out of this filter, you can set the Dynasty to Private and the profanity check will not run.

Freezes/Crashes
A major focus for this Title Update was to address any freezes/crashes that were found. There were a number of these issues fixed in this Title Update including a crash that occurred when there were multiple TeamBuilder teams in an Online Dynasty, as well as a crash that occurred during the downloading of an Online Dynasty file.

Gameplay
Increased the acceleration of QB’s on Speed Option plays.
Improved WR blocking, especially on option plays
Fixed an issue where defenders assigned to play the curl to flat/buzz zone did not engage immediately when the QB scrambles past the LOS.
Fixed an issue where safeties with inside deep ¼ zone would drop back instead of read-and-react on run plays.
Fixed an issue in Nickel Cover 3 where the flat zone defender didn’t move as the QB was running at them.
Fixed an issue with Double Outs from 4-2-5 Normal where the RLB wasn’t blocked properly vs. certain formations.

Highlights
Fixed an issue that caused a blank photo to be uploaded leading to issues with other highlights being uploaded.

Dynasty
Fixed an issue in Online Dynasty where injured players did not remain injured when the week advanced.
Fixed an issue where a player’s injury time was only reduced by one week when going from Conference Championship week to Bowl Season. Players will now be back for their Bowl game if they should be off of the IR when their bowl game is played.
Fixed an issue where coaches that changed jobs could get stuck in a state where they were still listed as coaching at their old school on the Players Leaving screen, leading to a Transfer Failed issue.
Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented Dynasties from advancing to the post season.
Fixed an issue with the schedule that prevented entering the Virginia Tech vs. Boston College game (fixed for both Dynasty and RTG).
Fixed an issue where recruiting related trophies/achievements were not unlocked properly if you signed an extension in that season.
Fixed an issue with Program Stability where the grade would drop from A+ to D+ in one season.
Fixed an issue with the Unlock All Promises PDLC not unlocking properly on the Dynasty website.
When viewing an Online Dynasty invite, added information to show what type of job can be selected by default.
Fixed an issue when in the off-season where player stats did not match up between the web and console.

RTG
Fixed an issue where CB’s could not audible after earning the ability to do so through Coach Trust.
Fixed an issue where HB’s could not flip the play after earning the ability to do so through Coach Trust.

Online
Fixed an issue where player’s online stats were not displaying promptly on the Online Leaderboards.

Nice! Like that. QB acceleration on draws and options was so weird.

Leroyog wrote:

Nice! Like that. QB acceleration on draws and options was so weird.

Yep, that's going to be a big improvement.

It's a bit frustrating to try and run the option and QB designed runs when your QB WALKED THE FIRST 3 STEPS!!! :p

Glad that the roster fixes are retroactive. Maybe the community rosters are still getting updated and will be ready to use by the time this patch is released. And they won't have to start from scratch.

I think some people just gave up when they found the tendency problem.

I certainly did. I've just been doing Play Now games.