NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

[RaychelSnr]

This is a guest post from forum user JLoco11. Be sure to check him out on his arena page here on OS.

There is no true right or wrong way to fill out your coaching skills. Some of you will want game management if you have a high ranked coach. Some will start at the bottom of the skill tree and work your way up. This is a mini-guide on the Recruiting Tree only from level 1. This is not a Game Management guide.

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[DetroitStyle]

Nice write up. I would want to choose slowest. I mean, there's only so many skills and it would feel dumb to max everything out after your third or fourth year. Also I don't think you lose skill points or unlocks so you basically reach max level and then are done.

[Dogslax41]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

Nice write up. I would want to choose slowest. I mean, there's only so many skills and it would feel dumb to max everything out after your third or fourth year. Also I don't think you lose skill points or unlocks so you basically reach max level and then are done.

I am playing slowest on my Hawaii dynasty and just hit level 2 in my fifth game of the season with a 3-2 record. Seems like the speed I want to progress, given if I stay just about 500 and play like I have I would expect to finish 10 years as an average to above average coach. If I can coach my way to better teams, stats and performance will go up and so will my levels per season. The skill tree has some major boots in it and I would like to make sure I feel like I earn them rathen than finish one season with 9 wins at Hawaii and have half my skills unlocked.

[DetroitStyle]

That's exactly how I feel. It needs to feel organic kind of like CH2K8 where it would take years and tons of success to max out all the coach attributes. I really don't want it to feel like a gimmick where you max everything out within a couple years and then dominate.

[jmik58]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

Great job on this Loco ... I think I want to go with the slowest setting. My goal is to build a juggernaut, but once I get there I get tired of it.

[rhodeisland1982]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

Great read. I might dictate the speed I go based on my plans/what school I'm at. This guide helps a lot.

[Nick_Wilhite]

Great guide, great write up, great everything. Helpful in countless ways. Thanks so much!

[Executor]

When you set a skill tree progression to a certain level, will CPU coaches progress at the same rate too? E.g. when I set it on slow, do the CPU coaches progress on "slow" as well?

[swimfunk]

Has anyone found a website for Online Dynasty? I can't find one.

[BadAssHskr]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

you guys choosing slowest, a fine idea i might add, how many dynasty games are you playing per week?

i'm just curious, my schedule is generally about 1, 8 min. quarter a night. may or may not play on the weekend due to recruiting which i like to do from my pc when we are slow at work.

anyhow, figure 5 games a week max. i'd love to choose slowest, but i may never get there at my game playing rate. i guess the new recruiting system may alter what i've become accustomed to, but just trying to feel it out.

[JLoco11]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

You will notice that you get XP for a number of things in the game. Breaking school records, breaking NCAA records, win streaks, rival wins, etc.

Pretty much anything you do including recruiting, earns coach XP. Some as little as 10 points (kneel in the 4th quarter with less than a minute left) to winning the national championship (1,000 XP).

Out of curiosity, I set a coach at max level 54. The XP requirement to go from level 53 to 54 on normal was 17,000.

With each level, the XP requirement to advance increases. Low levels = less XP required. Highest levels = Much higher levels of XP required.

I honestly suggest simming a few dynasty seasons to see what you prefer. Then you will get an idea of the progression

[DTucker06]

Question on the Skill Tree Progression. Does the commissioner choose the speed or does each coach decide his own speed?

[Timeetyo]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

you guys choosing slowest, a fine idea i might add, how many dynasty games are you playing per week?

i'm just curious, my schedule is generally about 1, 8 min. quarter a night. may or may not play on the weekend due to recruiting which i like to do from my pc when we are slow at work.

anyhow, figure 5 games a week max. i'd love to choose slowest, but i may never get there at my game playing rate. i guess the new recruiting system may alter what i've become accustomed to, but just trying to feel it out.

Here is some perspective for you.

I'm on slowest and have seen the following:
Year 1 ended at 3.75
Year 2 ended at 7ish
Year 3 ended at 9.5
Mid year 4 currently at lvl 10

I seem to be getting approximately 10K XP / season although this varies greatly on how well I play (well meaning hitting xp goals, not necessarily winning) and the recruits I sign. It seems to be going up slightly as my team gets better (was 1* GA State, now 3*).

Going from 10-11 was ~11k (from memory) so I am now into about a level a season and just into the 3rd tier of 1 tree but looking at being a LONG way off from the insta commits (I'm guessing 10-15 years).

Granted I haven't tested this, but based on others posts it is x2 for normal > slow and x4 for normal > slowest. 53-54 is 17k XP. That'd only be 1.5 seasons on normal, ~3 for slow, and ~68k or ~7 seasons for slowest. Yikes!

Needless to say, when I start up my OD in a bit it won't be on slowest. I am ok with my choice for slowest on my offline dynasty as I normally go deeeeep into it and this gives me some motivation to keep it going, but if you aren't planning on playing ~20+ seasons i'd stay away from slowest. Without knowing the increments it'd probably be 50+ seasons to max out on slowest. Although maybe if you are winning in the big leagues you'll be progressing faster (+100 sign 5*, +1000 win NCG, etc)

[The JareBear]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

I think slowest is best for offline, you have to work to be Bowden, it makes sense.

OD wise, when you're talking 12 seasons is a lot for even active leagues, I'd say slow or maybe normal to make everyone happy, but probably slow.

[Timeetyo]

Re: NCAA Football 14: Breaking Down the Recruiting Skill Tree

Here is some perspective for you.

I'm on slowest and have seen the following:
Year 1 ended at 3.75
Year 2 ended at 7ish
Year 3 ended at 9.5
Mid year 4 currently at lvl 10

I seem to be getting approximately 10K XP / season although this varies greatly on how well I play (well meaning hitting xp goals, not necessarily winning) and the recruits I sign. It seems to be going up slightly as my team gets better (was 1* GA State, now 3*).

Going from 10-11 was ~11k (from memory) so I am now into about a level a season and just into the 3rd tier of 1 tree but looking at being a LONG way off from the insta commits (I'm guessing 10-15 years).

Granted I haven't tested this, but based on others posts it is x2 for normal > slow and x4 for normal > slowest. 53-54 is 17k XP. That'd only be 1.5 seasons on normal, ~3 for slow, and ~68k or ~7 seasons for slowest. Yikes!

Needless to say, when I start up my OD in a bit it won't be on slowest. I am ok with my choice for slowest on my offline dynasty as I normally go deeeeep into it and this gives me some motivation to keep it going, but if you aren't planning on playing ~20+ seasons i'd stay away from slowest. Without knowing the increments it'd probably be 50+ seasons to max out on slowest. Although maybe if you are winning in the big leagues you'll be progressing faster (+100 sign 5*, +1000 win NCG, etc)

I forgot to add - if you are playing as a coordinator expect this to be way slower. I am lvl 10 and the OC who started with me (and my offense does VERY well) just hit lvl 4.