25Jul/057
NCAA – Dropping the Ball (in more ways than one)
Here's some tasty morsels from the first game of season 2 of my RftH. It was Michigan vs. Central Michigan at The Big House. While I eventually won 21-7, it was a joke of a game and by halftime I was too steamed to even try to playing the "right" way.
- Six interceptions by each QB (I got some frustrated I just started flinging the ball, maybe the AI QB did the same)
- I was 12/42; the AI QB was 10/42 thanks in part to...
- With the catching slider maxed out at 99, I still had eight wide open drops by Michigan receivers, with two each credited to my top two wide receivers (with 89 and 91 Catching ratings respectively). The sliders in this game are bullshit. There's just no other way to say it. I can't even blame HFA or the composure features of the game since I had Michigan at home against lowly Central Michigan. What the hell?
- The AI QB would not stop throwing the deep ball to whichever receiver had lined up on the left side. I mean it did throw elsewhere, but I basically just called my defense, took control of the safety and doubled whomever lined up on that side the entire game. The Chippewas were completely helpless after I did that.
If I continue to have games like this it's getting shelved as soon as I finish up my RftH. I hate WR drops on short open routes. Hate 'em. It's why I passed on NCAA 2005 altogether. If I max out the catching slider there should *never* be a drop by a wide open receiver. Never. That's the whole goddam point of having the slider and it makes me nuts that it basically has no effect on the game whatsoever.
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Glen:
Dan:
Dan:
July 25th, 2005 - 09:44
I am convinced that you, me, Dan, and Bill Harris have mutated copies of the game and everyone else got the ‘real’; thing. I have also heard, but cannot confirm, that the PS2 version plays a whole lot better than the Xbox especially re: the drops.
July 25th, 2005 - 11:14
Hey, the AI always catches that little swing pass where they run out of bounds for a loss or no gain.
This game is not as broke as last year, but it is still broke – at least on the xbox.
July 25th, 2005 - 13:25
The game flat out sucks. I look forward to NCAA 2004 checking out my review.
July 26th, 2005 - 07:49
Just a word of advice for those with drop problems.
I too have the Xbox version and have a problem with the drops. Putting WR catch at 99 and QB accuracy at 99 didn’t help. Putting more touch on the ball helped, but I still saw drops. Not to mention that it was impossible to complete a ball with any sort of zip on it.
So I gave in last night. I turned “WR Catch Assist” on in EAsy Play (left everything else off). No more bad drops. I actually had an enjoyable game.
This was only one game (Pitt vs. Ohio U), but it was encouraging.
It sucks turning it on because I feel like a cheater, but I’d rather have it on and not get pissed off than to not have it on and lose interest in playing (which was happening).
July 26th, 2005 - 09:07
Man you must totally suck at this game.
July 26th, 2005 - 12:35
Either I suck or this game has some issues!!
The jury’s still out since I admit to not having played it much. Been busy the last few weeks so I’ve only played a total of about 10 games.
I can complete 50% of my passes with the easy catch stuff off, but I have to throw a handful of bombs during the game.
Hell, I can catch a bomb in triple coverage, but forget about catching a 10 yard in route where my WR with 90+ hands is wide open. Ya gotta love that logic!!
July 26th, 2005 - 16:56
Yep, that’s the thing that bugs me about the passing game as it pertains to drops. I don’t think that’s it’s too difficult (wide open drops aside) it’s just flat out illogical that deep passes are easier to complete than short ones. Maybe if Jeff Blake were every team’s QB, but that’s it.