rhombic21
10-12-2007, 12:17 PM
Starting with NCAA 2007 on the PS2 and Xbox systems, and now on NCAA 2008 on the XBox 360 and PS3, EA introduced defensive hot routes. These audibles essentially allow the user to modify any defensive play by changing the assignment of any defensive player on the field. Now, with the new QB contain hot route, virtually every defensive assignment that would realistically be need in a game situation is available for use. While this is a great new feature, allowing for customization and ability to react better to the unique offensive strategies that are used on NCAA Football, there are some major problems.
The major problem with the defensive hot routes is the amount of time that it takes to execute. Currently, in order to change the defensive assignment of any player, the user has to cycle over to that specific player, press "A", and then use one of the analog sticks to execute the command. This can take a significant amount of time, particularly if there are multiple players that need to be hot routed. For example, against a team that has a mobile QB who likes to scramble, it may be necessary to audible both Defensive Ends to QB contain or to QB spy. With the limited amount of time prior to the snap, it is often impossible to execute the defensive hot route audible and then cycle back to the player whom the user wants to control during the play.
I have an idea that could greatly improve this feature, within the current framework. Aside from individual hot routes, EA has also implemented "group" hot routes. Users can press Y to bring up secondary adjustments (bump and run, loose, show blitz, roll safety coverage), RB to bring up linebacker adjustments (shift left/right, spread/pinch, blitz LBs, drop LBs back into zone), and LB to bring up defensive line adjustments (shift left/right, spread/pinch, crash/loop).
What I propose is that EA add in the ability to use face buttons in order to execute individual hot routes, by using this group system. Essentially what would happen is that the user would press the "group" button (Y, RB, or LB), and then a set of icons would appear under each of the players within that group. The user would then press the corresponding button to select an individual player (some type of indicator would light up indicating that the player was selected), and would then execute the hot route as it's currently done (using the analog sticks). This would allow the user to execute multiple hot routes each play without having to cycle through players, which can be frustrating, and possibly ending up controlling the wrong player during the play, which can be even more frustrating. It would make the defensive hot route process infinitely faster and more user-friendly. All of the current "group" adjustments would be preserved, since none of them currently use any thing other than the analog sticks. So when the user presses a "group adjustment button", they would still be able to execute group adjustments as they currently do, or they would have the option to select an individual player within that group to hot route individually.
Essentially what would occur is that individual defensive hot routes would now operate virtually the same way that offensive hot routes do. The user would press an icon to select which player to hot route, and would then use the right or left analog sticks to execute the audible.
For almost every defensive formation in the game, this process would be very easy to implement, because there are only a handful of formations that have more than 5 players within a group (Dime, Quarters, and Goal Line). Thus, for most formations, it would be relatively easy to assign a button to each player, and still have a button left over as a "cancel" command, in case the user wanted to back out of the hot route menu. However, even with the above formations, there aren't any that have more than 7 at a position, and since the 360 controller has 8 "buttons (4 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, and 2 triggers), this idea could still be implemented very easily.
Thoughts?
The major problem with the defensive hot routes is the amount of time that it takes to execute. Currently, in order to change the defensive assignment of any player, the user has to cycle over to that specific player, press "A", and then use one of the analog sticks to execute the command. This can take a significant amount of time, particularly if there are multiple players that need to be hot routed. For example, against a team that has a mobile QB who likes to scramble, it may be necessary to audible both Defensive Ends to QB contain or to QB spy. With the limited amount of time prior to the snap, it is often impossible to execute the defensive hot route audible and then cycle back to the player whom the user wants to control during the play.
I have an idea that could greatly improve this feature, within the current framework. Aside from individual hot routes, EA has also implemented "group" hot routes. Users can press Y to bring up secondary adjustments (bump and run, loose, show blitz, roll safety coverage), RB to bring up linebacker adjustments (shift left/right, spread/pinch, blitz LBs, drop LBs back into zone), and LB to bring up defensive line adjustments (shift left/right, spread/pinch, crash/loop).
What I propose is that EA add in the ability to use face buttons in order to execute individual hot routes, by using this group system. Essentially what would happen is that the user would press the "group" button (Y, RB, or LB), and then a set of icons would appear under each of the players within that group. The user would then press the corresponding button to select an individual player (some type of indicator would light up indicating that the player was selected), and would then execute the hot route as it's currently done (using the analog sticks). This would allow the user to execute multiple hot routes each play without having to cycle through players, which can be frustrating, and possibly ending up controlling the wrong player during the play, which can be even more frustrating. It would make the defensive hot route process infinitely faster and more user-friendly. All of the current "group" adjustments would be preserved, since none of them currently use any thing other than the analog sticks. So when the user presses a "group adjustment button", they would still be able to execute group adjustments as they currently do, or they would have the option to select an individual player within that group to hot route individually.
Essentially what would occur is that individual defensive hot routes would now operate virtually the same way that offensive hot routes do. The user would press an icon to select which player to hot route, and would then use the right or left analog sticks to execute the audible.
For almost every defensive formation in the game, this process would be very easy to implement, because there are only a handful of formations that have more than 5 players within a group (Dime, Quarters, and Goal Line). Thus, for most formations, it would be relatively easy to assign a button to each player, and still have a button left over as a "cancel" command, in case the user wanted to back out of the hot route menu. However, even with the above formations, there aren't any that have more than 7 at a position, and since the 360 controller has 8 "buttons (4 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, and 2 triggers), this idea could still be implemented very easily.
Thoughts?