Gamevideos.com: NCAA 08 Recruiting Walkthrough 6-8-2007

[JeffHCross]

http://www.ncaastrategies.com/images/ncaafootball08/gamevideos.gifVideo offers a walkthrough of the recruiting process in NCAA Football 08. Courtesy of GameVideos.com






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[durd2817]

Thanks!!!

FWIW
That is a walkthrough of current-gen.

[IowaWolverine]

So, um, at least on my computer, the video that plays is the dynasty gameplay one from the other thread. If you go here (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12173), though, you can view the recruiting video.

So in this game, if you find the most important pitch of the prospect you're recruiting, I'm interested to see if the best strategy at that point would be to "hard sell" or if it would be to find other somewhat important pitches.

I'm surprised there have only been a couple replies to this thread so far.

[JeffHCross]

Sorry guys, my computer got screwed up between the two URLs when I posted that. I'm correcting it now.

Corrected now. Embedded is now the Recruiting Next-Gen vid.

[CFR-116]

OMG!...I hope I'm smart enough to figure all this out.:p Thanks for the video Jeff! Now thats "Next Gen." recruiting....I never thought they'd go this far...this fast. I needed something to light the fires for the '08' game and this really helps, gotta give EA props for their upgrade to the recruiting. Can't wait to get reports back from the guys on the gameplay....if their impressed with how well the game plays, man...Ncaa '08' maybe a real hit.

[JeffHCross]

Yeah, seriously CFR. I'm loving this.

[durd2817]

One thing that has me really disappointed is the number of 1 star players the elite CPU controlled teams signed. This happens in current-gen too. I can understand it happening in real-life because the coaches scout these guys but in the game the CPU just signs them to use all of their scholarship without caring how good they are/could be. I'm sure there are better players at a position they could add depth where they will be needing it the next year. I think it is a result of another problem with the CPUs recruiting...

In past NCAAs the CPU will oversign at one position and leave one or more others thin. I think it oversigns when they have a need(s) and have a lot of prospects interested. The CPU targets a lot of the prospects at the position of need and recruits them very aggressively to make sure they sign what they need, thus oversigning. Hopefully the promise system affect how the CPU recruits. I think an 85 scholarship limit would help get rid of the needs problem.

[CFR-116]

Yeah, seriously CFR. I'm loving this.

Ya Jeff....I've always really loved the recruiting in Ncaa, but this is over the top compared to what we've known before this. Anything that draws you deeper into your dynasty adds greatly to the replay value....plain speak: holds your interest. I know Jeff you prefer not to pay any attention to the news about the coming Madden game, but man...I hope that many of the gameplay related upgrades in Madden '08' find their way into Ncaa.

The shared engine and atleast belief [ie hope] of equally shared tech stuff between the two games gives me hope this will happen. EA is doing IMO some very inovative [sp] upgrades to Madden's gameplay, if many of these gameplay upgrades spill over to Ncaa, along with the cool new recruiting....Ncaa '08' is going to be flat out awesome!:)

[joshuahuskers]

I hope you don't have to promise prospects to land a good class. I don't like making any promises.

[JeffHCross]

I think it is a result of another problem with the CPUs recruiting...

I think an 85 scholarship limit would help get rid of the needs problem.Yeah, you're definetly talking about two factors of the same problem. The fact that teams automatically have 25 scholarships to give away every year is ridiculous. No school does that, and very few players would sign an LOI if they knew there was competition at their position and their school had drastically oversigned.

I don't think we need 85 players, and I don't want an 85 limit because of that. But there does need to be a scholarship limit that's actually a hard limit in recruiting, not just the number you can have after spring practice. Maybe we should do our cutting before recruiting? Or label players as "expendable" (or something similar) where they'll be cut if we sign a player at their position, or maybe we just manually cut them as we sign players. Point being, the number of scholarships we have left should be a reflection of how many cut.

However, I don't think 85 scholarships would be good for the game at all. We're going to have enough difficulty balancing all the incoming freshman as it is.

[joshuahuskers]

Yea, either cut before recruiting, or limit the number of sholarships you can give out to 70 (or whatever the max roster will be) total, and up to 25 per season, but you can't go over 70 total.

[JeffHCross]

The only problem I have with a hard 70 limit is that I go into almost every season (at least in my lesser-schools dyansties like American) knowing I'm going to cut. So I wouldn't want to lose out on recruiting because of some 48 OVR walk-on from the year before. That's why I don't mind the 25 schollies per year, really.

Though, it's worth noting that if the CPU cuts properly, those 1-stars are likely to be cut before they ever see the field, so maybe it evens out in the long run. It's weird to see, but if it doesn't effect the on field product I wouldn't mind.

[durd2817]

However, I don't think 85 scholarships would be good for the game at all. We're going to have enough difficulty balancing all the incoming freshman as it is.As a User you do not have to use all of your ships. I brought up the 85 schollie limit solely for correcting the CPU recruting issues.

[durd2817]

Ya Jeff....I've always really loved the recruiting in Ncaa, but this is over the top compared to what we've known before this. Anything that draws you deeper into your dynasty adds greatly to the replay value....plain speak: holds your interest. I know Jeff you prefer not to pay any attention to the news about the coming Madden game, but man...I hope that many of the gameplay related upgrades in Madden '08' find their way into Ncaa.

The shared engine and atleast belief [ie hope] of equally shared tech stuff between the two games gives me hope this will happen. EA is doing IMO some very inovative [sp] upgrades to Madden's gameplay, if many of these gameplay upgrades spill over to Ncaa, along with the cool new recruiting....Ncaa '08' is going to be flat out awesome!:)I've been saying the samething.

Madden looks and sounds incredible. I mean they really seem to be digging deep.

[Mr. Tennessee]

Just please tell me that Coach mode is in the game.

[steelerfan]

WOW...this recruiting is looking VERY good, I did not expect such a huge change in the process. We have been basically using the same system since the ps1 days. This is outstanding. This game has huge potential.

[FieldingBLUE]

Just please tell me that Coach mode is in the game.You're not actually expecting it are you?

[Mr. Tennessee]

You're not actually expecting it are you?
All they have to do is add the QB auto throws the ball and you have a psuedo coach mode like on the current gen.

[husker_blitz]

I hope you don't have to promise prospects to land a good class. I don't like making any promises.
Yeah, I don't like it much either. It has caused me to lose some players in MVP NCAA. I suppose if I sat down and really got all into recruiting then maybe I would appreciate it more. I like recruiting, I just don't want it to be that labor intense...namely because I don't have the time I used to.

[CFR-116]

I've been saying the samething.

Madden looks and sounds incredible. I mean they really seem to be digging deep.

Digging deep is a good way to put it Durd. I'm really impressed with what EA is doing with the nuts and bolts of the gameplay in Madden '08'. The focus really seems to be on making the gameplay as realistic as possible, I hope Ncaa isn't leftout of these great sounding upgrades to how the game will play. I hope that EA doesn't leave out some of the new tech stuff in Ncaa because they think it doesn't in their minds reflect college football as much as the NFL. What I'm trying to say is....that Madden sounds like it's going to be tighten up in it's gameplay. For every offensive move, there's a defensive counter move thats just as effective so the game is balanced....not over blowen one way or the other.

I guess in the end, what I'm dying to read is that we can expect Ncaa to have every gameplay related upgrade that Madden has had added, and it's a very impressive list. I'd decribe it as a point-counter point type of gameplay that sounds quite realistic....the roll out and bomb it up over and over days sound like their history in Madden, hopefully in Ncaa as well. My fingers are crossed very tightly.[smile]

[worst2first]

All they have to do is add the QB auto throws the ball and you have a psuedo coach mode like on the current gen.

The sinking suspicion that it will be impossible to play coach mode on next gen is the only thing keeping me from creaming my pants right now.

[Jokerace]

I must say that after seeing all the new recruiting "upgrades", I am once again getting hyped for '08 (I was so disappointed in '07 Next gen that I honestly didn't know if I was going to worry about '08 w/o BIG CHANGES).

The one thing that still has me "on the fence", is whether or not they are going to add CPU/CPU games into '08 for dynasties. That one "omittance" from '07 next gen pretty much KILLED the game for me. In fact I played maybe 3 games once I bought my 360 and '07 (in December) and haven't touched the game, or my machine, since.

I am pretty sure "coach mode" WON'T be in '08, but I really see no reason as to why they pulled CPU/CPU games from '07 and why they shouldn't add them back in in '08. I mean honestly , to me at least, running dynasties with CPU/CPU games seems a "truer" way to run a dynasty as they players/game outcomes depends on your players "abilities", not the users "stick skills".

[JeffHCross]

I mean honestly , to me at least, running dynasties with CPU/CPU games seems a "truer" way to run a dynasty as they players/game outcomes depends on your players "abilities", not the users "stick skills".Well, you'll have Super Sim available, so there's gotta be some kind of CPU vs CPU mode, since SuperSim runs through the game without the player playing. It's not the same obviously, but it's at least a worst-case scenario option.

[djaeb2001]

Is this just next-gen, or is it gonna be on PS2 also??? THis might actually make me buy a PS3 just for the recruiting feature...

If it us just on PS3, is there a link for PS2 somewhere?

PEACE

[JeffHCross]

If it us just on PS3, is there a link for PS2 somewhere?As far as we know, this is only next-gen. All the current-gen information we know is contained in other threads, such as this one (http://www.ncaastrategies.com/utopia/showthread.php?t=49371).

[JackRyanWMU]

The sinking suspicion that it will be impossible to play coach mode on next gen is the only thing keeping me from creaming my pants right now.

Say wha?! Why you be messin' wit' strategy when dis game's 'bout showin off some M4DZ B4LL1N SK1LLZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111

[glare]

[djaeb2001]

As far as we know, this is only next-gen.

DAMN IT!!!! It looks like only NG. Well, time to start saving for PS3...


PEACE

[dawg_gone]

Say wha?! Why you be messin' wit' strategy when dis game's 'bout showin off some M4DZ B4LL1N SK1LLZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111

[glare]

[laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

I too am excited about the new recruiting approach. What I haven't heard is "points." Instead we get 10 hours per week to spend on chatting up the players. So my questions at this point would be....

a. does the process work both ways, i.e., do we learn more about their true abilities during the recruiting process..

b. makes me wonder about how the discipline system will be administered ...

c. makes me also wonder about training, if you bypass the M4D SK1LLZZ of summer camp...

Regardless, we got new mysteries to solve and problems to optimize. I'm ready. [cool]

[JeffHCross]

a. does the process work both ways, i.e., do we learn more about their true abilities during the recruiting process..Well, my guess is that you will have to consciously spend time to find out these abilities ... much like you would spend points last year. I don't think anything has really changed in that regard, just that it's called time now rather than points. The mechanics underneath are still awfully similar, imo.

[steelerfan]

But, Jeff, is it really the same if everyone has 10 hours as opposed to USC having 275 points and Buffalo having 75? That's why I never fully liked the old system. Why can't Buffalo talk and visit just as much as USC? With the new system, Buffalo can talk just as much as USC it just won't help.

[cdj]

But, Jeff, is it really the same if everyone has 10 hours as opposed to USC having 275 points and Buffalo having 75? That's why I never fully liked the old system. Why can't Buffalo talk and visit just as much as USC? With the new system, Buffalo can talk just as much as USC it just won't help.

Theoretically, I think (and hope) your thoughts are correct. If program prestige, TV appearances, etc. truly play a factor in NCAA 08 recruiting, schools like Buffalo should have a very difficult time becoming successful, which is the way it should be.

[JeffHCross]

But, Jeff, is it really the same if everyone has 10 hours as opposed to USC having 275 points and Buffalo having 75?Why on earth do you keep responding to my statements about stuff I'm not addressing? Dawg_gone was specifically talking about finding out the "true" abilities of the players. As in similar to the current system of "scouting" the players to find out what they really have versus what we're told they have during the scouting process. That's all I was guessing is the same, not the entire process. You'll have to spend "time" scouting the player to get their true ability, just like you had to spend points in the old system. That's my guess, that the actual programming mechanic really hasn't changed.

It remains to be seen how this recruiting system differentiates between Buffalo and USC. My guess is that both will have 10 hrs or whatever to recruit, but Buffalo will be severely lacking in both player interest and the necessary program grades to match up with recruits pitch importance.

[steelerfan]

just that it's called time now rather than points.

Um, I took this to mean something different than what you, apparently, meant. And I'm not sure I've taken you out of context anywhere else. Have I? If so, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to have a healthy discussion about all of the new information we've gotten over the past couple of days.

[JeffHCross]

And I'm not sure I've taken you out of context anywhere else. Have I? If so, I'm sorry.Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that (I was just coming to edit it, actually). I enjoy the healthy discussion you're bringing. It's just [laugh] because what happens is that I'm talking about one aspect of the game (in this case, time being used to evaluate player's real abilities) and you reply to my comments with a separate part of that subject (i.e., that all teams will have the same amount of time).

While the two subjects are related, they also aren't. My comments, for example, about time being just a new name for points were only meant in the case of evaluating "true" abilities, not as an overall system. So what ends up happening is that you make a response, one that I completely agree with, which is even more [laugh], to a comment that has nothing to do with what you're responding with.

But yes, healthy discussion == good, so please continue. Let's just make sure we're talking about the same thing first, agreed? lol. I'm sure I've made the same mistake.

[WKUsSledgehammer]

Good find, Jeff. Nice vid.

Does anyone else think it's going to be a lot harder now to bring up low-tier programs, the Buffaloes and Wyomings and such? Not that that's a bad thing ... in fact, I'd consider it an improvement. It should be much more difficult, as well as easier to bring down a Texas or USC if you're not careful, IMO.

[JeffHCross]

Yeah, WKU, I think it's going to be a lot harder to bring up a program. We might not even need artificial recruiting restrictions now. Even though, I have to admit, I've enjoyed the recruiting restrictions I've imposed on my myself in my American dynasty, it'd be nice to not have to worry about them.

Then again, ever since the massive changes to recruiting in 06, I feel like it's been improved enough that it was at least more difficult. Though it certainly wasn't hard, it wasn't as easy as in past games.

[Makaveli_Reborn]

I assume (and pray) that you are right about everyone having the same time with recruits.

That was always a pet peeve. Like USC is somehow budgeted for more phone calls than Stanford or some crap.

[JeffHCross]

EA just needs to steal recruiting from CH2k*. I've been saying it for years.