Here is the article I just wrote up for my site. Please read it and give my site a look. If you comment on the site then hopefully we can get some discussion going from several different NCAA Blogs that I'll post it at. Thanks!
Early NCAA Wishlist
Early NCAA Wishlist
The NCAA 11 review is coming very, very soon. I’ve been hard at work analyzing every facet of the game and will be sure to offer you a great review with a fair rating. The new NCAA 11 has sparked a few ideas, however, as to how the next installment should be. This might be spoiling the review, but for the most part we believe that the raw gameplay is phenomenal and what would push this game over the top are a few things that sound quite familiar. We want old features back.
Don’t get me wrong, innovation is important in this industry to sell more copies, but the key selling point should start to shift. No more bells and whistles. It’s time for perfection. It’s time to take a good thing and make it great. It’s time to add detail to a great system. That’s what we have put together for our NCAA 12 Wishlist.
1. Create-a-Playbook
Create a Playbook doesn’t have to be a key feature to the game. You don’t have to go all out like Dynasty Wire or Teambuilder and make it an online feature. Just give us what was in the game years ago. The ability to pick formations from different playbooks and patch together your perfect playbook would be an amazing feature to compliment 120 Ways to Win. Now you can have your own way to win!
2. Mini-Games
In NCAA 11 they took out all of the mini-games. I won’t be too upset, but I know the potential mini-games have. They have a very high fun-factor and if done correctly can help increase in-game skills. I’m not asking for the Bowling or Tug-of-War games. How about drills for each position circa Madden 2005. I would love to do a Precision Passing drill with Mizzou’s QB or take Mark Engram into a 60 second rushing attack!
3. Expanded Celebrations
It’s silly that a wish list is decorated with old features, but that is certainly the case. I don’t want to run to the mascot. That doesn’t really happen. If it’s in the game it’s suppose to be in the game right? Well how about a expanded celebration engine like on the FIFA series? Run up to the goalpost, push up with left stick, down with right stick and dunk the ball on the goalpost (for players with sufficient JMP of course). Tap the right stick up twice for a subtle chest tap and pointing up above. This would make the game a million times more enjoyable for me.
4. Weather that Matters
I wasn’t aware of this idea until reading the forums at Operation Sports. Nevertheless, this is still an excellent idea. Have the sun gradually set throughout the game. Have a game start off crystal clear but in the middle of the third quarter clouds slowly cover the stadium and it starts to downpour. Have winds get faster and die down. Remember not to make every game a hurricane, but this could be an extremely cool feature.
5. Graphical Perfection
This is more an assortment of minor details that need to be addressed to make the game’s good graphics great. Among the category of graphical perfection includes expanded player faces, weathered uniforms, and game specific detail. How about bowl patches? A few 2011 mess ups need to be fixed as well. The fans in gameplay can ruin some great snapshots because they look like cardboard cutouts. That isn’t acceptable. Also, the sidelines just look silly. If you are going to put forth a halfhearted effort at sidelines, at least give the players off the field the same jerseys as the players on it!
6. Spring Games
I am a hardcore nerd or Dynasty mode. It is the reason I own an Xbox. It can be for online and offline dynasties, but we need the spring game back. This can give a team an opportunity to try new plays or new playbooks and effect player progression (very slightly). Also, if you wanted to expand this into a new “Spring Ball” feature. You could include the positional mini-games and have a few spring scrimmages before the spring game. That would make dynasty 1000 times better.
7. Coaching Carousel
For dynasty this has to be going to be in NCAA Football 2012. It just has to be. With the creation of 120 Ways to Win it gave each coach his own personality and it would be just wrong for it to not be expanded into coaching carousel. The next time a Rich Rodriguez leaves WVU for Michigan, I want to see the powerhouse adapt their play. Are real coach names too much to ask? How about assistants hiring/firing assistants who could potentially take over when coaches leave?
8. Teambuilder Perfection
The other day I was watching my brother do teambuilder and when he chose a real life helmet to use it certainly shows teambuilder’s shortcomings. It needs the NCAA Logos to put on helmets and jerseys. Also, Nike and Underarmor logos. Numbers on the backs of helmets would be a nice touch. How about having three logos and a more expanded stadium builder
It would also be nice if the logos on the field and pre-game didn’t look pixilated.
9. Presentation Perfection
Presentation was made a million times better this year in NCAA 11. With that said making presentation perfect would put this game over the top and make it one of the best games of the coming decade. A commentary upgrade is essential for the series. There are a lot of great cut scenes in NCAA 11, but expanding it with suggestion 3 and adding even more would put this game over the top. Also, the ability to change camera angles needs to be in the game. I need a widescreen angle.
10. RTG = RPG
I will never be a big Road to Glory player unless it becomes more of an RPG. There has to be more options for the player and it has to be more challenging to make it on the field. I want to spend a whole season as a redshirt on practice squad before I get my nod (sometimes). I want to do positional drills each week (not always to get better, but simply maintain my skills). I want to pick how I spend my free time and pick my major! I want to be interviewed after games, spring practices, coach firings, etc. etc, oh and have a sexy girlfriend to get jiggy with! I want everything I do to affect my legend score and my chemistry with the team. Maybe that’s just me though.
Dynasty Honorable Mentions:
* As I said, I am a dynasty junkie so there are plenty of ideas here that could make dynasty the best thing since last gen dynasty. There has to be more busts and gems in recruiting. Mizzou’s Sean Weatherspoon was a 2-star recruit out of Texas. He wouldn’t have existed in the game.
* I’m not a huge fan of player-discipline, but it was still fun. You had to recruit smart kids with good character. This could add to the coaching carousel and be a reason coaches leave or get fired.
* Give each player a major and let the commentators mention it in games sometime.
* When recruits are visiting, take notice to it in-game with a halftime welcome at the 50 yard-line.
* In-season progression and (gasp) regression should be in the game. Players don’t always get better, especially in season.
* Have a head scout that you can send out to watch/play a high school game once a week that has recruits playing in. They could play on RTG fields. It could give you a better feel of how the player will perform once in college.
* Have a national signing day animation where players announce the big decision. Have the ability to go watch a cut scene of each recruit (have a few locations) grabs the hat and puts it on their head.
* Out of game cut scenes in general would get me excited.
* This is a long shot, but I’ve been a fan of a “around the league” highlights show ever since I rented ESPN NFL2K.
That’s all she wrote. Comment on this to give me your feedback. I think it’s crucial we all band together now if we want to make a difference this year for NCAA 2012. Cheers and enjoy the new game!
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