Downsize This!

What is up peeps! It has been almost a while since I have put up a post, but I am back in effect, baby! First things first. No review of Harry Potter. The reason being is that…I really don’t remember it. And I saw it TWICE. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good. It was just a movie. It is kind of how I felt about “The Island” last summer. It wasn’t bad, wasnt good, things just blew up. I have to give this movie a 7, because it was better than average, but average isn’t what they were aiming for.

Now for the big news. As many of you know, I preordered NCAA Football 08 for the X-Box360 and I was pretty damn pumped about it. Well, I played two games yesterday and it is time for the first ever installment of…

CHACHI’S VIDEO GAME MADNESS!!

Today’s Game: NCAA Football 08!

So last night I did my usual. I picked my team (went with the Colorado Buffaloes because I am a glutton for punishment), created my players (myself and Griff. No Rick and I will tell you why later) and started my recruiting. I tell you what, recruiting in this game is a good idea gone annoying. I do like the talking to the recruit to see what interests them, but it is cumbersome to have to do that for 22-25 recruits EACH WEEK. The thought is awesome but the execution is a little overbearing.

Secondly, the interface is hella clunky. Maybe it’s just the lag in the wireless controller but it felt like the game (in menus and in actual games) was unresponsive. Just navigating the Top 25 was a damn hassle. Oh, and Arkansas is rated WAY TOO HIGH. Just my personal opinion. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t BAD to the point of hating it I just expected more from “next-gen”. I still think it’s the wireless controllers that is causing the lag, it was the same thing in NCAA Football 07 for the 360 and the PS2. Small gripe.

Now on to the in-game action! All I can say is that visually it is impressive. The atmosphere of the “Rocky Mountain Shootout/Showdown” was pretty bad ass, especially the recreation of Mile High Stadium (FUCK Invesco Field, and no one does it like NFL 2K5) and the aura of the college game, which I had the privilege of seeing in 2001-2002 (I think, I was totally blitzed). From the kickoff I felt that something was wrong. In a good way, but wrong. The I realized it. After dropping back in the pocket and getting sacked before the zoom out for the passing occurred I noticed that 60 fps may be too many.

Now I know that more frames equals more fluidity and animations, but really think about it. With all those frames, a dropback motion is overdone to the point of Ryu throwing a fireball in SFIII. I know throwing off the back-foot takes off from the velocity but when you are throwing a fucking slant you don’t take A SEVEN STEP DROP! Literally. It fells like your drop back takes forever and by the time your feet are set, someone is in your face. Or even better, your receivers don’t run their route. I don’t know if this is a glitch or what, but I called for a go route (play action timing to boot) and as I rolled out…the receiver ran a quick hitch route. If you don’t know what that means, imagine going to see Prince and getting Sanjaya.
Now I will admit that last year I raped the CPU and online players with Georgia Tech’s the go route and Post/Play Action Screen (hard to pull off, but like the self congratulatory reach around is WELL WORTH IT) with Calvin Johnson/Tashard Choice and maybe ran the ball…three times. EVER. It was not worth it to run the ball because the passing game was so effective. Hell, look at my numbers for the first season in 07 (Keep in mind, this was me as a created player):

348/401 (att/comp)
5,714 yards
61 Touchdowns
4 Interceptions (Three in one game against USC)
242.7 Passing Efficiency Rating (No idea what that means. Rick, clarification?)

This was on All-American difficulty and I ran roughshod. Yet I only had 612 rushing yards. AS A TEAM. It was like trying to stop a bro rape. You can try and you may even succeed, but in the end the scars are just as bad if not worse had you just went along with it. This year is the EXACT OPPOSITE. The go route is ineffective at best because even the shittiest cornerback can keep up with the best receivers. Oh, and if he is shorter by a foot then his vertical is a small child. It is bullshit; every other pass over the middle is picked off. And don’t even THINK about throwing to the sidelines (I do a lot of screens and slants) because since there is only ONE FUCKING CAMERA VIEW (another gripe altogether) it is a surprise of how many people are over there waiting to pick you off. I swear they had a six man blitz, Griff double covered, a spy, single coverage on my tight end and other wide out so when I threw the screen to what should have been a wide open fullback…he was double covered. WHAT THE FUCK?! Are they running the 5-4-5 defense? This isn’t SOCCER!

What is even more annoying is the effectiveness of the running game. Now I am all about clock management, blistering defense and effectively running the football (ask Griff about how many times I would have three backs over 100 yards against him in Madden) but the run game is WAAAAAY to effective in this game. Unless they stack the line (and vice versa) you are guaranteed at least 4 yards a carry without trying because your back always falls forward. Case in point, against Ohio State (who has a pretty stout run defense) I got 184 yards on 22 carries and got four touchdowns. In the Horseshoe. On All-American (I may try Heisman, but I want to fucking win) in a nationally televised game. That doesn’t happen, ever. On the flip side, I threw four interceptions with two of those coming from timing routes where the receiver RAN THE WRONG ROUTE! This game totally needs a passing oriented camera. The only downside to the running game is that you will fumble. A lot and for no reason. You will get the SHIT smacked out of you and stumble for 8 more yards but someone will get stiff armed by you and you drop the ball and keep running. It is really hit or miss: realistic but rather unrealistic at the same time.

The presentation of the game is awesome. You feel a sense of self worth when you break off a huge run (which happens a hell of a lot more than in the last version) and you REALLY feel good when you see the replay of a long touchdown pass (which RARELY happens. There are no blown coverages in this game but linebacker overshoot or miss their gaps all the time which is why big runs are less fulfilling). Although the stadium looks amped up the sound doesn’t match the excitement. The screen doesn’t shake and no one gets rattled. Oh, except me as QB because when the crowd gets loud I cant even find my asshole.

Overall, I think the added realism actually hurts the game in some areas (the impossibility of the passing game, the dominance of the running game, overblown recruiting) but helps out a lot in others (the return game is a lot more realistic, the presentation is awesome and trick plays/open field running is bad ass). The game is fun and a step up from 2007’s version. However, it isn’t perfect and these issues are major. The mastery of the passing game is a big part of college football (Ask Michigan. Oh, snap!) so the difficulty of getting a good passing attack going will turn some gamers off. However, the running game is realistic (If you are playing against Ohio State or West Virginia’s defense every week. Oh, I am on a ROLL!) and much like old school Nebraska or Notre Dame if done correctly you are unstoppable. The look and feel of the game is up there with RPG’s because you feel like you are at a college football game (visually, anyway) and the announcers aren’t as annoying as everyone makes them out to be. In the end, it is a good game, worth the $60 (GASP!) for the X-Box 360 and if you have HDMI…fuck yeah. Never had it, but I don’t need sex if I have that kind of graphical euphoria. I don’t have to take my X-Box out to dinner or hear it tell me I’m insensitive, either. So I give NCAA Football 08 for the X-Box 360…

8 out of 10 Controllers!
(Not as arcade-like as 07, which is both good and bad. The atmosphere is awesome but the new additions like Campus Legend and the new recruiting are hit or miss for some people. Can recommend for any system. Go State U!)

So it is official. As some of you know, I became a contractor when I parted ways with “The Q” a few months ago and I knew my time was limited. Despite the total idiocy that came with the end of my access (But not the end of my contract which cost me three and a half working days worth of pay, which is a pretty penny at my salary) and the irritation that is the internal interview process (Not having the courtesy to email me that I didn’t get a position when I fucking work there, interviewing me three times to say I don’t have the experience they are looking for) I enjoyed my time here and was hoping to at LEAST get a word of whether I would be come permanent or let go. Well, all I can say to you is this…

THEYTOOKMYJERRRRB!!

Yes, I was put on a call today to train my replacement pretty much out of the blue. You heard me. That is JACKED. The reason why there is no corporate loyalty is RIGHT THERE. I have been lied to about the security of my job, laid off and then been reoffered my job at less pay in a different state, screwed out of pay and commission more times than I care to remember and told that I don’t “fit the mold” of what they are looking for as I was walked out past an all white staff. Needless to say, my work experience has been teh hilarious. So now I have…

Rules To Being Laid Off/Outsourced/Workforce Reduced/Quitting

Rule #1: Do NOT Ask Employee To Document What They Performed & How.

Does a coach ask a quarterback how he ran the offense before he is traded or cut? Fuck no. Each person is an individual and will tackle the job differently. Not only that, you should know how to do the job any-fucking-way; you train them! I am willing to gauge that 65-70% of bosses have NO IDEA what their employees jobs actually entail. It isn’t the leaving employees job to train, it's management. Before you say it is good business, piss off. My blog, my rules.

Rule #2: Never Ask For Ways To Improve.

Usually, a laid off employee couldn’t give a rats ass about closure, and that is what this is all about. I think that communication for the most part should be severed when someone is laid off. Pay them for two weeks, let the do transfers or whatever needs to be done for the job itself and send them on their way. Asking questions about personal feelings is not professional, especially if being laid off or non-expensed (the official term for an ending contract for some reason) isn’t personal! It’s a business decision to let the employee go, it is a business decision for the employee not to want to talk about it because they may just give you the whatfor.

Rule #3: Don’t Ask For What Was Not Provided.

Now training is what you make of it. I have had a total combined training time of 12 weeks. THREE MONTHS! And I learned very little about what the actual job was. You see, training is like driving. A book can only tell you so much; it is about getting in there and doing it. Hell, I wasn’t even TRAINED for the most part! The person I replaced said it was easier to just do it than explain it. I just got tossed into it! I was better for it because most jobs are better if you just dive right in. Besides, I’m dumb as hell and I am sure it is best that no one ever learns from me. Ask Jen.

Ah…had to get that out. Not going to lie to you, I was a little pissed. THEYTOOKMUHJERB! I will be back this Friday, maybe before then. Friday is payday and I am totally down to break some stuff if anyone is with me. Until then, stay up.

Chachi Out.