Tuesday, August 04, 2009

NCAA Sliders (And Then We Wait)

I think this is probably the second-best set of sliders I've ever developed (with NFL2K5 probably always being the first). They provide a dynamic, exciting game, and both the stats and the visual representation of the game are very solid.

These are definitely stout in terms of difficulty, and if you're playing a team with a higher overall rating than you (particularly on the road), it will be tough going (as it should be).

A couple of notes:
--all settings are for both CPU and Human unless otherwise noted
--the special teams sliders were very unbalanced at 50, which accounts for the large adjustments to even out the Human/CPU abilities. Generally, if you max out the kick meter, you'll kick slightly (2-3 yards) farther than the CPU can with the same player.
--I don't think there are enough fumbles, but due to some strange complexities with the blocking sliders, cranking up the Running Backs Ability slider is necessary to have a decent running attack, and I believe that reduces the number of fumbles.
--don't try to sit back in the pocket for five seconds. That's not how real football works, and that's not how I balanced the sliders. You will get your ass blasted, and repeatedly.

Skill: All-American
Injuries: On
Fatigue: On
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Play Clock: On
Home Field Advantage Effects: On

Penalties:
All at 100 Except
Holding: 60
Facemask: 55
Clipping: 50

OFFENSE:
QB Accuracy: 20
Pass Blocking: 5
WR Catching: 45 (50 for Human)
RB Ability: 95
Run Blocking: 50

DEFENSE:
Pass Coverage: 50
Pass Rush: 70
Interceptions: 10
Rush Defense: 35
Tackling: 45

SPECIAL TEAMS:
FG Power: 40 (60 for Human)
FG Accuracy: 50 (40 for Human)
Punt Power: 45 (0 for Human)
Punt Accuracy: 100 (50 for Human)
Kickoff Power: 45 (30 for Human)

So I'm really, really happy with these sliders, and now I can't do a damn thing with the game until EA releases a second patch, because there are far too many outright, serious bugs to play it seriously. It's NCAA Football: The Patchening.

That's one of the serious problems with this series. It usually takes two months after release until the game is fully playable, and by then, NHL 10 will be out (and Madden will have been out for a month). So even though there are plenty of great moments when playing this game, and many things that have surprised me in a very positive way, the lack of leadership that results in the inability to ship a finished game is a boat achor dragging this series down.

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