The Recycle Bin

Stay away from rFactor if you want to have a life! I turned up the graphics to their highest setting, and they are gorgeous. From what I gather so far, you start off in the kiddie circuit and have to prove yourself in order to get car improvements and advance to higher ranked races. This is a racing sim, so the physics are realistic. This isn’t Need for Speed or GT4, so be careful through the turns.

rFactor seems quite a steal at $39.99. I’ll try some online racing once I can get around the track once without spinning out into a wall.

I broke down and purchased rFactor this evening based on Geoff’s recommendation. He may take his licks in OOTP and Madden (although, he did beat me the last game we played), but Geoff knows racing. The man’s been raving about it since the official release and he’s hardly ever available online in the evenings anymore. These are clear signs of a great game.

Geoff is modest, but he happens to actually race real cars on real tracks – as a hobby. So I am willing to believe him when he says that rFactor is the best thing since sliced bread.

Was reading a recent news brief about a US submarine that hit a merchant vessel and I was struck by how little accountability there is in the federal government. This poor submarine captain’s career is over. No matter what the reason was for the collision, there just isn’t any excuse that will save his career. He is the captain. He is responsible for his ship. Period.

Contrast that to FEMA and the government’s response to the situation in New Orleans. Does anyone believe that this same accountability standard will be applied to FEMA’s chain of command?

Nice opening weekend of college football. I think I watched all or parts of 10 different games, with TCU vs. Oklahoma, Boise State vs. Georgia, and Georgia Tech vs. Auburn getting the majority of my attention. Some random thoughts follow.

TCU took care of the Sooners, which has to be considered the shocker of the weekend. I assume that Stoops and company just assumed that they would win, but obviously assuming makes an ass out of the best of us. Peterson was never a factor, except for some decent runs that he stringed together on the opening TD drive to start the second half. In short, Adrian Peterson’s Heisman hopes were swallowed by the Hornfrogs.

I think Tennessee also underestimated their opponent (the Blazers of UAB), but unlike Oklahoma, the Volunteers managed to escape with a victory. I have to assume that Tennessee is much better than they played; after all they have been hyped like crazy this preseason.

Man does Zook suck or what? Illinois barely escaped Rutgers, winning in overtime 33-30. I am sure that Zook is a decent guy and all, but he ran Florida into the ground (not that I am complaining) and I see no chance for him pulling Illinois to the top of the Big 10.

The Weis era got off to a great start as Notre Dame easily dispatched Pitt 42-21. To be honest, I never considered Pitt much of anything, but I did not think Notre Dame would score that many points. The obvious question – is Notre Dame that good or is Pitt that bad?

Texas destroyed the Ragin Cajuns (La Lafayette) 60-3, which was hardly surprising. This game was little more than a tune up for Ohio State next weekend. I got to watched some of the game, but to be honest I am not sure that I learned anything about this year’s Longhorns. Next week’s game is going to be awesome and should define what sort of season is in store for Texas (and Ohio State).

How about the ACC? Of course I dislike the Bumblebees and the Tigers, but the Georgia Tech vs. Auburn game was plenty good (Tech won 23-14). I guess if Tech was going to surprise anyone, the first game of the season is the time to do the needful. Another exciting game was Clemson’s last second victory over Texas A&M; Clemson won 25-24.

I guess the weekend games mean that the Big 12 and the SEC are both down this year. Early days, but something to think about.

The Dawgs easily took care of the Broncos from Boise State 48-13, and DJ Shockley looked damn impressive in the process. The Dawgs came out running, which is what I was hoping they would do – DJ hands off to the left; DJ hands off to the right; DJ up the middle. It worked very well, but little did I know that Shockley would pass for 5 TDs! His final numbers were 16-24-5, good for 290 yards in the air, but DJ was equally impressive on the ground gaining 85 yards on 5 carries (17 yards/rush) including a TD. Wow! What a way for the Shockley era to begin.

Georgia could be in for an interesting ride this year � tons of talent is gone from both sides of the ball, but under Richt Georgia has recruited very well. With three stud running backs in the fold – Brown, Ware, and Lumpkin – I think Georgia should be in good shape. If Lumpkin is fully recovered, expect him to beat out Brown and Ware for the top HB spot.

The real question is going to be if DJ Shockley can be a productive QB. If he is, then Georgia may have a good year, maybe even a very good year. If DJ struggles early, then the Dawgs are going to be in for a long year.

Boise State is certainly a scary early test, but I see no reason why Georgia should not win with several points in hand. Everyone is making this game out to be the favorite pick for an upset, but I just do not see it happening. The game could be tight early, or even high scoring, but in the end I think Georgia will walk away with a win. Call it 34-17 for the opening salvo in the Shockley era.

Who? Jay Cutler, the famously unknown QB at Vanderbilt. Contradiction? Sure, but most people do not have a clue about Cutler, much less his NFL potential. Apparently all the NFL scouts love Cutler – great size, wonderful arm, perfect prototype QB. I am not sure how many preseason publications I read this year, but almost everyone in the “know” thinks the Vandy QB is the next big thing.

Most of us SEC fans think “WTF?” Surely Vanderbilt does not have the best QB in the SEC, but in Vanderbilt’s 24-20 victory over Wake Forest last Thursday night, Cutler put up impressive numbers: 25-36-1, good for 276 yards. Cutler also ran the ball 10 times for 89 yards.

Going into this season I never expected Cutler to be the best QB in the SEC, but Cutler looks like he is going to prove the pundits wrong. Should be an interesting season.

Imagespace Inc (ISI) has been developing racing sims for quite a while. They have produced several of EA’s very popular titles, including the very poplular F1 Challenge and Nascar Thunder series. Now ISI has, they say, compiled all of the lessons learned in a new product entitled rFactor.

Check out the features:

http://www.rfactor.net/index.php?page=features

And some screenshots:

http://www.rfactor.net/index.php?page=wip

ISI has an rFactor “multiplayer test” available on their site which was used both as a preview to generate enthusiasm in the race sim community, and also to stress test the online engine. I spent a few weeks getting to “know” the demo’s Taban racetrack and its small sedans (there are three classes), and it was by far the most enjoyable race sim experience I have had since I started with Ferrari GP on my Mac SE30.

Every sim will have its critics, but I really believe that most of the “it doesnt feel real” claims for most sims come from not working to find steering ratios and steering linearity, and total steering lock settings that match an individual’s hardware and driving style. It takes work, much like testing racecar setups, and is only gratifying once you get it right. I was reading Tune to Win (one of several “To Win” books by legendary race engineer Carroll Smith) in the middle of my rFactor demo “phase”, and was reading about differential settings. How I had the differential set in rFactor was somewhat contrary to what I had read, so I booted the game, made the change according to the book and went 1/2 second a lap faster immediately. Coincidence? I honestly don’t think so.

rFactor is being built with mod makers in mind (see “Open Architecture” section of the features list), which is why you see screen shots of both sedans and open wheel cars. Unlike many other sims that have been modded by third parties, I gather that ISI is more interesting in giving users the right tools to control the performance envelope of the mods they choose to allow in their online races, rather than building barriers to editing that have never historically retained their resiliency. The great “Grand Prix Legends” sim of 1998 ultimately was ultimately ruined as an online sim when the modders began enabling cheating in the name of creativity.

ISI is distributing this one direct via internet and you can prepay for your unlock code via Paypal. I like this as I do not have to shake my head at the EBGames guy when he asks if I want to buy the disk warranty.

You can tell that I�m a product of Action!PC football by Dave Koch Sports � I like to call formations, plays, subs, and who�s blitzing, but I�m not a thumb-jockey by trade, and it may come as a surprise to many that I sometimes hit the �3� button when I should hit �4�. Don�t tell Chris, but one first down last Saturday was thrown into what looked like quadruple coverage in just such an instance. I own Madden �03, but without a human opponent, that game didn�t have any endurance factor relative to other things I was playing. Prior to now, I�ve never gotten over the fact that Tiki Barber can stink just because it�s me controlling his movements.

Regarding the cone. I�m not using it yet(?)(!). On offense, I�m focusing on high percentage routes in my play selection, reading the defense, calling audibles, calling hot-routes and changing primary receivers. I realize this will not serve me well against experienced opponents, but for now it keeps the ball moving and I don�t intend to get complacent. It seems that if you don�t yet have a feel for when the WR curl actually comes open during your QB�s drop, for example, you can put the cone right on your man and it won�t matter much. This is Madden 102 I�m taking, guys. I think most people are in the 500-level advanced courses. I�ll start scanning soon, but not just yet.

Somebody mentioned in one of the Madden fan site threads that the game slows down gradually if you play it a lot�not a revelation, but its pretty key to your development and I think it�s starting to happen already after a week. That said, I have NOT mastered throwing the ball away as Chris mentions, so I�m taking a fair number of sacks, and my reads when running the ball are only beginning to show some feel. I�m not sure I�m a good judge of whether or not the gameplay is too �slow�, but I also watch a lot of NFL football and I don�t get that impression in the least. I re-watch a lot of my practice and solo plays in slow motion, and I can see where the runner falling, getting tripped up, or bouncing between two defenders as he goes down would give that �quicksand� impression, but it doesn�t occur to me at all when playing head to head.

I still haven’t created a franchise yet because the on field portion of the game is so interesting. This is the first Madden that requires you to scan the field and make realistic decisions about where to throw the ball. The hit button 4 and make a perfect pass to the reciever is gone under the QB vision model. Many times my team gets to the line of scrimmage, I survey the defense, see one on one coverage, and immediately switch my “cone” to that side (if necessary) after the snap to hit the receiver. I didn’t have to worry about any of this stuff in other Madden versions.

I actually learned how to throw the ball away in Madden NFL 06 because forcing the pass to double covered receivers is a fast way to an interception.

Yesterday, Geoff and I played about three quarters of a 12 minute All Pro game. It’s clear that we both have to work on passing because many of the turnovers were created by our still in progress learning curve with the vision system. Otherwise, the game was pretty exciting and produced reasonable statistics. The running game was as effective as you’d expect and the passing game worked very nicely. Play action passes are very effective when mixed with a good running attack. Geoff burned my team on a blitz and threw a 40 yard bomb into single coverage for a touchdown.

Some people are complaining that the game is “too slow” on the field. I agree that on some running plays the end of the play seems to be moving in quicksand at times. Otherwise, it looks just fine to me. I’ve watched many, many football games live and until I moved to Texas, was a Jacksonville Jaguars season ticket holder. Maybe those used to the quick pace of some of the arcade games are noticing this slow down, but I am not seeing it except where previously mentioned.

I’m no EA Sports fanboy, but I am having fun with Madden NFL 06 PC so far.

As I continue to play Madden, I continue to appreciate it for what it is – a solid game of football. At this point I am not worried about what it is not � a perfect simulation of football. I only have a few disappointments thus far. First, the franchise mode has not been overhauled. Second, decent/consistent punt returns are darn near impossible. Third, my fingers are no longer nimble enough to make sure of all the fun stuff in the game such as the new passing cone.

Let us talk about the franchise mode for a minute. I have a feeling that it is built well enough for the majority of the fans that purchase Madden year in and year out, but simulation fans will quickly grow depressed with some of the limitations and the questionable (dare I say poor) AI logic.

I did a simulation last night and the Vikings beat the Colts 18-17 in the Super Bowl. Come on! That would never happen in real life …

Seriously, Bill Belichick retired after the 1995 season. No way, not going to happen. The Falcons let Alge go. That’s crazy talk! The Giants used a Top 10 draft pick on another stud QB. That is just the top of the list; I have more, but I am not going to dwell on the other items right now.

The AI still has no concept of drafting for need, and if they draft for value (i.e. the Giants example) they do not trade a QB such as Eli or the newly drafted wunderkind to help fill a hole on the team. I am not going to write that this sort of AI is easy to implement, but you would think EA would have made some improvements by now. Then again, maybe they figure that only a few geeks with blogs will notice the problems, much less care to complain. Anyway, it is the same old same old with the drafting AI, and that is a rather bitter pill to swallow.

Another issue with the off-season franchise stuff is the order you perform the various tasks:

1. Retired Players
2. Restricted Free agents
3. Re-sign Players
4. Rookie Scouting
5. NFL Draft
6. Sign Draft Picks
7. Free Agent Signing
8. Re-order Depth Charts
9. Start New Season

Maybe it is this way in real life, but I hate having to decide which restricted free agents and players I want to sign prior to the draft. I would be much nicer to at least be able to scout the draft prior to having to decide to re-up a WR when the draft is full of WRs.

The franchise mode is fun, but most of us (sim fans we be) will have to implement house rules to keep from exploiting the CPU (via the draft or trades). The CPU AI logic for drafting is so weak, that I suspect that many sim-heads are going to run all 32 teams and manually draft to keep things nice and tidy. I do not really want to do this, but after watching several stupid drafts, I am pretty sure that the alternative will get disapointing after a few seasons. That is enough talk about Madden’s franchise mode for now.

What about punt returns? Still trying to figure this one out. Last night I watched (Falcons/Jaguars) many punts go unreturned, but Madden’s implementation of punt returns may be downright poor. I have read enough posts that say punt returns are broken (and that “there is nothing you can do”). I am not sure if most of these posts are coming from Xbox or PS2 owners; sometimes there is a difference between systems when it comes to this sort of thing, so hopefully the PS2 version can be “fixed.” I guess I am going to have to break down and tweak sliders and read more message boards to see if someone has come up with a decent solution. I am not expecting miracles, but I do expect Rossum to average around 10 yards per return.

My final issue for this post is really more of a criticism of me as opposed to the game. New features such as the passing cone are neat – sure it looks like a giant flashlight as so many others have described it, but I think it does a great job of simulating a QB going through his progression of reads. My problem is that my dexterity (or lack there of) more often than not lets me down. Maybe practice makes perfect, but I am just not adapt at pressing buttons (especially combinations of buttons) very quickly.

Overall I like Madden, but as of right now, I think I like NCAA Football better. It may not be the best “pure” football game, but it plays well enough to be fun, and I think the NCAA AI recruits better than the Madden AI drafts.

Three quick points. First, it does not matter if Vick learns to stay in the pocket, rolls out, becomes a West Coast Master, etc. If the o-line does not learn to block Vick is going to have his freaking head knocked off. Second, for the second week in a row Atlanta’s first string offensive has looked pretty good. Vick is making good decisions, and Dunn has looked extremely impressive. Third, the Falcons’ secondary is too damn small. Hall may turn out to be impressive, but the rest of the guys are just not going to cut it if ATL is to make tracks this year.

Madden punt watch is on: the punting game appears to be fairly broken (I know, this after my last post) so I figured I would pay special attention to the punts tonight to see what happens. First punt (Falcons to Jaguars) � the returner is drilled; this looks exactly like Madden. Second punt goes in the end zone. Third punt, plenty of running room for Rossum, but a block in the back cancels the play out. End of the first quarter, so maybe more to come.

It had to happen sooner or later; I decided to check out some of the old hang-outs (and some new places) to see what sort of buzz on the street was surrounding the latest, greatest Madden release. Big mistake.

For starters, I learned of some glitch that lets you figure out if your opponent (CPU or human) is going to run or pass. Granted, it is only for certain formations, but apparently this is a game killer for lots and lots of people. Interesting enough, it seems to be more of a game killer for fans of NFL2K5. Go figure; strange happenings that one.

SPOILER WARNING IF YOU CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK: This glitch (for a lack of a better word MaddenMania.com* does not want to describe it as a bug) was apparently in previous versions of Madden including 2004 and 2005, so says the rumors. It is just crazy out there; apparently MaddenMania was trying to suppress any description of the “glitch” in their forums for fear of something. What? No idea. Like I said strange happenings abound.

The crazy thing with this bug is that some gamers are chalking it up as part of the “EA exclusive NFL license means bad games” theory. Why on Earth would EA want to screw the general gaming public by purposely giving us games full of bugs? Some of the message boards just leave me speechless.

Or how about how EA’s QA department sucks – if this problem has been in 2 prior versions of Madden, it was obviously not that easy of an issue to spot. The whole thing leaves me very perplexed – I guarantee you that 99% of Madden owners did not know about this issue until someone posted on a board, and of course it spread like wildfire. Where there is dung, there are flies.

Another head turner is the inordinate number of posts clamoring about the lack of football choices. “I have to buy Madden 2006 because it is the only choice for NFL football this year.” WTF is that about? Did someone force all these gamers to stop playing NFL2K5 (or Madden 2005 or any other previous version of a NFL game for that matter)?

The casual gamer in me thinks that some rabid fans need to get a life, but the football fan in me understands the importance of getting things right. The franchise mode is nice and all, but the AI cannot draft for crap – this is a recurring problem and it has to be pointed out to EA. With that said, at this point in my gaming life it is much better for me to focus on having fun with my games, not finding every single flaw.

I don’t know. Some days I want to bitch and moan and complain about all the problems in Madden (and other games), but these days it just seems so silly, petty, and otherwise unimportant. I suppose I will always have my moments, but I could do without reading about glitches/bugs/flaws that I would never find without the help of message boards.

I am not sure what is worse – the fact that I wasted part of my life reading through the waves of crap, or the fact that I actually posted to MaddenMania. Ouch. Pretty damning.

* [You may have to be a MaddenMania.com registered member to read the post; I am not going to quote the spoilers here.]

Anybody that has played five minutes of football at the high school or higher level understands why the cone used in Madden is very realistic. Heck, every player has such “cones” on the field and it is the hardest thing to adjust to when starting to play football. As a receiver, I always had to remember to use my field of vision and not get lulled into sleep because of the way the helmet restricts your ability to see left and right. Many times a defensive player would appear at my side and I wouldn’t see him until his pad was making contact with my torso.

Same with QBs. They too are restricted by the helmet and what their field of vision allows them to see. Some are better at viewing receivers down the field and others are not. So kudos to EA Sports for trying to model this in Madden.

I suggest people like Bill Harris try putting on a football helmet and making a pass down the field to four or five streaking wide receivers. Their complaints about cones might cease. The execution of the field of vision feature can be improved, but I certainly like the concept.

I came across an interesting article for beer drinkers/lovers. Last month The Boston Globe ran an article about the great beer debate – bottles vs. cans. Apparently Jim Koch (of Sam Adams fame) said that canned beer more or less sucked.

I have always liked bottled beer, but I have to admit that I am not sure that I could tell the difference between my favorite brands in a taste test. I guess I need to learn to save money and go with cans, which is precisely what I did tonight when I picked up a 12-pack of Budweiser Select – the can 12-pack was several dollars cheaper than the 12-pack of bottles. I have been curious about Select, but to be honest it is nothing to write home about. Bud Select is more or less beer flavored water; sort of like Natural Light with a little more beer flavor.