Live Blog: NCAA Football 09
May 29, 2008 by pastapadre
1201: Was playing Shopmaster from MaddenWars but hopped off to start the live blog. Heading into the 4th quarter he held a 26-7 lead (my defense could not get a stop). Have a few notes already and will add them shortly. Got a couple short video clips for tonight also.
1207: Got a late start due to the 360 I sat down at having the red rings. My luck! Plus I was sick this morning but I’m feeling much better now.
1210: I’m attempting to upload a few short video clips now. We’ll see if I can get them up soon.
1211: Husky Stadium is not the best place to play a snow game. While it looks great on the field, the track surrounding the field looked terrible.
1213: Overall the gameplay is more constricted. It still has the wide open feel but the acceleration that led to so many big plays seems to have been toned down.
1215: At this point I can’t really go in and directly answer some of the questions you guys have posed. I will try and get time later to seek some of them out.
1216: Could just be a coincidence, but so far I’ve seen less turnovers even in the head-to-head. Just one INT thrown by Shopmaster and I was immediately tackled. Can’t say for sure that the INTs for TD issue from last month has been resolved, though with the overall feel of acceleration not being as extreme I suspect it is at least improved.
1217: I’ll look into Campus Legend more tonight, but my understanding was that the only significant changes were that you can stay in an activity such as practice and do the whole week’s at once rather than exiting and spending so much time with the game loading, and that the camera won’t adjust by flipping around at a change of possession which was disorienting. That was a big issue last year and was one of the first things I noticed when playing the mode in 09.
1220: Good news on roster sharing. You don’t have to be on a friends list to grab it. You can pull it from anyone just by typing in their gamertag/name. Just found this out!
1224: One thing that still irritates me is that after kicking off the play call screen defaults to special teams. Also saw one of the sideline catch animations when the player wasn’t close enough to the sideline to warrant it.
1229: Seen many more inaccurate throws than we saw back last month. There was one play I was rolling out with Jake Locker and missed the receiver by about 10 yards. Can’t speak much to the CPU throwing inaccurate passes yet, but from a user perspective it seems more frequent. I’d say that DE contain and QB Spy works better than in the past, though I haven’t really seen anyone who is an expert at exploting QB mobility.
1233: The clips I’ve uploaded still haven’t processed yet. I’m hoping to be able to link to them before I jump off.
1234: I believe with NCAA it is close to being final, there won’t be many changes made from this point on.
1238: For the short clips I’ve been able to get up check out my vimeo page. I think a couple have processed by now. It is just a RB animation, and then a big hit from three different perspectives.
1245: The game just seems to be more balanced than what I had previously played. Scores aren’t going out of control or anything. There is the potential for big plays, especially thanks to the player control, but I wouldn’t say it is easy to score. This has been with All-American difficulty setting.
1248: For the specific videos: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 I’ll try to get more later but likely won’t post them until late tonight.
1252: Head Coach live blog late this afternoon or evening. I’m going to play another game here so I can have more to discuss in the full write-up.
That pic should satisfy all the clear visor complainers
I’m assuming it’s okay to go ahead and post a question - if not, apologies.
Can you tell me if Georgia Tech has Blue jerseys available in the game?
Feel free to ask questions, I’ll try and get some responses out during the live blog time. The questions/suggestions previously posted up will be addressed more in my full write-ups.
Better question is, Georgia Tech has blue jerseys?
How are the people on the sidelines? Are they realistic?
Are there refs or coaches this year?
Can you show a picture of the Big House (Michigan Stadium) I saw a screen shot somewhere and it was inaccurate. I want to see one straight from the game. Thanks!
pasta on the controls which analog stick does what?
Pal release?! Will there be one? It’s the biggest question us PAL region gamers have!
Does the veiw pan out as you drop back so that you can see where you are passing into the flats and sideline area. This was a huge problem on 08.
Is Rennie Curran #35,Linebacker on UGA’s Roster?
Cardinals make it on the front page! (Although it probably wasn’t intentional) Thanks Pasta for showing some love to the ‘Ville!!
I have just one question (for now, lol):
Is lighting progressive again this season as it was last season (i.e. day turns to afternoon and so on as time elapses)?
Please make sure you guys get the USF BUlls right this year they are soon to be National champs after only 10 years of football.
Go Bulls!!!
Do they actually have the Hurricanes playing in Dolphins Stadium this year? Thanks for all your hard work and dedication Pasta.
TheDove wrote:
Sure, if they can just avoid late season meltdowns…
do they have things like wraps for legs and towels implemented in the game maybe eye black? im an accessory guy so what they have for the player can make the game so much better. O yea some people had in screenshots that some of the players had different color shoes will that be an option to change
Did they add more depth to the Dynasty???
Does NCAA play just like Madden or is there still a huge gap between the two in terms of gameplay?
What are TD celebrations like? Is there a large selection of them? Do you really only get to choose whether to celebrate with the mascot or a teammate or are there more options and control over the celebration?
The previous videos show how open the running lanes are for QB’s in this game. I know that college has some QB’s who scramble but it looks like every QB can run on any given passing play. Pasta how is the DE containment? Or will it be a cheese fest online with WV and other fast QB’s
Thanks
During online dynasty can my brother and I play on the same team? Co-op?
Pasta,
Any chance you can post some UW Huskies rankings?
Can you check the scoreboard at Reser Stadium to see if its been fixed…last year they had 2 side-by-side scoreboards, it should be just one large one.
Have they made any changes to Campus Legend? Last year as soon as you became a starter it made no difference if you practiced.
Thanks,
Can you give us an update on the turnover issues (fumbles and INTs). Does the AI pass deep this year?
Are there in major changes to the playbooks this year(i.e. more automotion,different or new formations, total number of plays)? - Go Gators
Two questions about NCAA.
1. Do you still see dumb WR play? I started playing 08 again and its one of the glaring problems I noticed. Balls thrown a foot over the WR/TE head while they are open and they don’t jump for it, ends up being a pick by the defender behind him.
2. How does the spread offense work with the new “wide-open gameplay”? Does this new gameplay emphasis favor this kind of offense.
THanks a lot, man. Hope you have a great time!
is there field goal nets
Hey is ther field goal nets this year?
hey pasta do you know if they brought back formation subs by any chance?
Are there ANY improvements in play calling for Campus Legend? That was my biggest issue with the mode.
I know it is a long shot, but have they added any more stadiums than there were in the beta you have?
Thanks,
WOW, that’s great about roster sharing. This is probably the single best thing I have heard thus far.
Hey pasta Are you playing the game on the xbox 360 and is there a big graphic difference?
Ricky wrote:
Not in NCAA, but will be in Madden.
Pasta,
Give me your impressions on QB mobility and the ability to sprint backwards and run left or right and throw strikes…
Is there DE contain to address that or has that asp[ect of the game been toned down to make passes less accurate?
Thanks
Two questions, one NCAA and one Madden
NCAA - the roster sharing. This will allow us to put names and edit ratings, and share them online. This is the same as what we used to do offline? Im surprised they are allowed to offer that (guess no one is making $ off it)
Madden - EA Rewind. Im a sim gamer and wont ever have a do over or redo, but can we still access the feature where collinsworth shows us we missed an open WR or missed a block without doing a do over? Id love that feed back to see i missed a WR, just dont want to cheat to have to see that.
I’m really glad to hear about the more constricted gameplay. NCAA 06 Part II wasn’t something I was looking forward to.
Has anyone tested the stadium sounds, just wondering how the sound blends in with the background sound of the actual game.
Thanks
Also…The OPTION PITCH
Is the OPTION Pitch still suspect in that you can have people draped all over you and falling down but still manage to get off the perfect pitch to a RB????
Pasta,
Will they be able to fix some of the minor problems you find (ex.Huskies track in snow, sideline animation) or is the finished game?
nolesfan wrote:
CDJ from NCAA Strategies did, he’ll write about that tonight. He should also have some video/audio to display how it comes across.
If you somehow see Oklahoma v. Texas at the Cotton Bowl, would you check to see if the crowd is actually divided at the 50 yard line like they do in real life? One half if Crimson, the other half burnt orange.
Thanks…
Pasta,
Have somebody take the QB and Sprint backwards and run left or right just to see how effective that can be…I know you guys are mainly sim players but in order to have Tiburon see what alot of fools do its often necessary to show them some garbage so they know what to address…
Ask Madsci to do it…He will know exactly what I’m talking about
Pasta,
will weather be ONLINE???…and if it is will it be merely cosmetic or will there be a difference between a clear sunny day and a wet and rainy day…gameplaywise?????
From what ive been hearing and seeing would it be fair to say that that its gonna be another dissapointing year for from ea when it comes to gameplay in ncaa football 2009.
In terms of online play…What is Tiburon doing to remedy the online lag/delay issues…I know they are aware of the past years problems but what are they doing to make this year any different than the last 2-3?
Ricky wrote:
what makes you think that???
BOWL PATCHES?
BOWL PRESENTION?
NON GENERIC BOWL ENDZONES?
Bumble14 wrote:
Wishful thinking at this point. But I am hoping these are in too.
Afrodamus wrote:
I’ll try and find out for certain. As to the weather I didn’t notice much difference in the snow in how it affected the game vs normal weather. In the rain I do think fumbles happen more often.
MJ wrote:
Pretty pathetic that this is wishful thinking- especially when it’s been a staple of the series since 2002.
No Vimeo yet…its not working
I’m pretty sure team specific endzones are out.
Do stadiums all start off full and then only leave when there is a blow out? Or do smaller schools have fewer people in the stands to start the game. So far all of the screenshots I have seen show a full house - even at smaller schools.
Thanks
Well idk its just that i think the glitches from last year and pasta said the throws are little off and no refs or field goal nets and i really hope they toned the turnovers down. It seems they really improved Madden and not so much ncaa 2009.
No Vimeo yet…its not working
Bumble14 wrote:
Those things are fluff…Not discounting them at all because I’d like to see them too but these are not things that will ever effect my own enjoyment for the game. I’d much rather see them perfect gameplay, animations and all the meaningful things that make you want to see all the fluffy stuff
Hey Pasta could you check to see if Alabama has the numbers on the side of there helmets!?!? I just watched the new gametrailer.com video (see link below)
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34536.html
and they are not there please check. This may have been a early build video. Thanks
Ricky wrote:
1. All games will have glitches…Last year there were no Game Killers
2. Inaccurate throws are a beautiful thing…Thats realistic
3. FG nets and refs..Your Point is duly noted…I’d like to see them but in the grand scheme of things they are a minor issue.
4. I think Pasta said he’s only seen 1 turnover…At this point I’d say thats toned down..In fact, last year I had no problem with turnovers…But then again I speak specifically to head to head play and not gameplay vs the CPU
Afrodamus wrote:
Ummm…ever play 2004, or 2006? The game was perfect back then, and they were able to add the “fluff”. Not quite sure why people seem to have forgotten that the “fluff” was in the game back in 2002 (1st year on ps2)…..so I guess the “fluff” is just too hard to program on our powerful 360’s and ps3’s?
Afrodamus wrote:
Understand completely and I agree. However, except for maybe the bowl presentation. Unless I am mistaken about the ease of this, EA has the ingredients for the end zones and they have the graphical file for the bowl logo. To put this in shouldn’t be more than a few dozen lines of code at most.
i agree with you afro gamplay comes first. My main concern with this years game was gamplay and player models and we know they have already adressed one of those
Vids are protected
didnt realize the videos were defaulting to private. Should be working now, if not I’ll fix tonight.
… progressive lighting? (lol)?
MJ wrote:
Couldn’t something like Bowl Presentation and Logo’s be offered via DL content???…I’m not suggesting EA hit us with more stuff we need to pay for but if its not in the core game that might be an option…Personally I don’t think ALOT of people really focus on the BOWL stuff…I know that for me…I’d love to see and experience it…But at the same time if it aint there I won’t trip…maybe its because I’ve come to expect not getting stuff like that from EA or maybe its just not that important to me…Its one or the other..But if the gameplay is solid and there is adequate presentation to enhance the gameplay (i.e. stat overlays that are in game etc)…I’ll be happy.
If they spend time on Logos and Bowl presentation but at the same time a QB can sprint straight backwards 30 yards run left then right and toss a strike…I then have a problem with what they are really focusing on…
Videos work. Enjoying the live updates. Really looking forward to the Head Coach 09 details.
Are there any copies of the PS3 version there? How do they/look/play/compare to the 360 version?
Afrodamus wrote:
I’ve been saying that for years, especially when it comes to the Super Bowl. Why not release a special stadium package weeks before the game? Have fun with it!
Is there any way to find out if NCAA Football 09 has anything close to being a Senior Bowl at the end of the season? Also, could you see if Madden 09 Pro Bowl Teams will wear there team helmets. These things were in the Last Gen games, could you ask why they haven’t been used in the Current Gen Games. Ask if they can add that please.
Afrodamus wrote:
Well I guess after 6 years of GETTING THAT STUFF on my ps2, I EXPECTED it on my PS3/360.
Bowls and championship games are a HUGE part of college football- couldn’t EA have focused on that instead of Mascto games?
Eric wrote:
Or just include it in the $60 game we buy? Is it honestly that hard? Must take up more memory then a blu ray disc can hold. Probably more intensive then Metal Gear Ssolid 4, and Halo 3 combined.
In real life that WR drops that pass 9 times out of 10.
1) Because it’s in the snow
2) Because he held it out and didn’t tuck it and protect the ball.
That should be an incompletion. Just little things like this make the game so much more better (or worse)
At least make an animation of the guy tucking it instead of him holding it out there and still catching the ball.
Also the running video was sort of nice. Nothing to complain about there. The player models are kind of ugly though.
Okay, I’m now fixating on the bowl logos. Any word on this yet?
Nice videos, though I see nothing that makes me say, “Wow, EA let me give you my $60 dollars versus playing NCAA 08.”
Same animations, same issues as 08, but with a white texture on the field.
Eric wrote:
Wouldn’t you consider online dynasty as a feature worth $60?
That alone sets the game apart from NCAA 08.
Is there a halftime or postgame show?
I agree with you Eric. Man i miss last gen football games they where just so fun to play.
Im a gut that likes dynasty mode and franchise mode in madden and those have been let downs. All they care about is online features.
They just feel to arcade like now and not authentic!
Ricky wrote:
Apparently not, since that area has been greatly lacking. I care a lot about online. I want to play against real people. The new titles offer progress, but we should have been here sooner.
Another demonstration of how scoring has been reeled in some. I just beat Will Kinsler 27-3. I don’t think anyone was held to single digits last month.