Multiplat AFL 23: Launch Thread (Xbox release date TBC)

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

STATE OF PLAY:

• The game is out for Steam and PlayStation. There have been issues with Xbox release and it is unclear when the game will be available.
• Big Ant are aware that there are playability issues & bugs at present.
• Content has been temporarily removed from the game to identify where the issues lie.
• This content will be re-introduced via patches in the coming days.
• Big Ant have released a summary of what is to be reintroduced, which can be seen below.

Spoiler: Features to be added

Spoiler: MOST RECENT PATCH NOTES

Issues & constructive criticism are best communicated to: support.bigant.com

Michaels Twitch video with QA from Ross(BigAntStudios) from 31:40

 

[Grechy]

I get where the "at least they're fixing it!" sentiment is coming from, but just think, had they broken the mould set by AO Tennis and reinforced by Cricket 22 and actually launched in an acceptable state, then all this time until the launch of Cricket 24 could have been spent fine tuning and improving things beyond that.

Instead we might get what should have been the launch version by mid-late June, and all support dumped as a stretched-thin Big Ant shift focus to the golden egg that is Cricket 24.

And then Rugby 24 is due out in September

Spread way too thin, imo. There is no way they can punch out 3 quality sports titles with a limited budget.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Is there a newer patch for PS5 or just the 1.000.0005 from yesterday?

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Cricket 24 comes out in a month.

Im fairly sure that will be getting the bulk of BA's resources.

 

[Poopybum22]

Personally I enjoy it when you take a mark that isn’t paid as a mark. Playing on is very easy, no need to worry about someone teleporting into a tackle at all. There is genuinely no point in trying anything other than a chip-mark playstyle.

How long will it take to turn the game into something playable, if it even happens at all? Think there’s a lot of issues they’ve left unacknowledged. Seems there’s no guarantee they’ll fix everything. There is physically too much for them to do.

 

[caloschwaby]

Instead we might get what should have been the launch version by mid-late June, and all support dumped as a stretched-thin Big Ant shift focus to the golden egg that is Cricket 24.

This is what frustrates me the most, BA are busting their asses just to get this game to a playable state when this time should've been spent working on things like tuning, improving simulation, updating player likeness and QoL updates. And there's no way they take off resources for Cricket 24 to play catchup.

 

[Dez!]

The AI handballing and instant decision making is killing the game for me.

 

[FearTheBeard13]

Has any PC users noticed whether or not the player switch button has improved since the newest patch?

Also Treehill23 if the pattern so far is accurate, most PS5 patches will be coming 2-3am sadly. Just a time difference issue I’d presume.

 

[Tokyo Sandblaster]

Online is broken. First quarter went great, halfway through the second neither of us could pick up the ball anymore. Managed to soccer it all the way over to a goal then the game froze during the replay. Not good.

 

[Poopybum22]

Seb Ross having a killer season in my management career. Always in the top goalkickers stats weekly with a hefty 1 snag.

Improvements like these should be the ones coming in the patches but because there’s simply too much to prioritise, I genuinely believe most of the game will still have glaring issues.

 

[kingbob182]

Play now or exhibition / season modes ?

In fairness the full crowd shot I did was just the exhibition/play now mode. Hopefully they rectify it in a patch.

I was in management mode. Haven't cheked play now. Have you got on-field wind display for set shots? Mine vanished after the first patch

 

[caloschwaby]

The AI handballing and instant decision making is killing the game for me.

Joined the whingers now have you?

 

[BlackMamba]

So when Ross says the console players will get the patch on Monday, I wonder if he really means Monday, or 2-3 am Tuesday morning ?

Sounded like the go-live time of a patch was largely out of their hands…given they can’t update it if there’s an issue until 24 hours later.
Maybe Sony need to accept it… or Nacom need to publish it… but doesn’t seem to be completely up to BigAnt (the way Steam releases appear to be).

 

[Xtreme]

I was in management mode. Haven't cheked play now. Have you got on-field wind display for set shots? Mine vanished after the first patch

The crowd in play now is basically my screenshot that I posted, hence why I thought it was weird. Maybe they've stuffed up the crowd settings in AFL (meaning the small sizes are meant for state leagues/AFLW modes).

No wind, even though it's selectable in the options.

 

[biggus_di]

I've reinstalled and gone back to EVO 2. WW might not have made the best AFL games but at least they were functional and sometimes resembled a game of AFL, and you could play around with the sliders to tweak it how you like.

AFL23 is absolutely appalling to play.

 

[kingbob182]

I was hoping they’d submit it this evening for a Monday 3am update.

From what we've heard about the reasoning for Steam pathes first and PS Monday, I'd guess they'll update Steam, wait a couple of hours to make sure they haven't broken the game further and then push to Sony. I reckon it'll be there for Sony early tomorrow.
But this is largely a guess.

 

[kingbob182]

I've reinstalled and gone back to EVO 2. WW might not have made the best AFL games but at least they were functional and sometimes resembled a game of AFL, and you could play around with the sliders to tweak it how you like.

AFL23 is absolutely appalling to play.

If Big Ant just gave us those sliders, we'd have found a solution to half these issues by now.

 

[Rowdoss]

The AI handballing and instant decision making is killing the game for me.

Agree. I cant tell if it s their super decision making/disposal speed or the overall game speed or a mixture of both. The game does feel too fast overall.

 

[Xtreme]

If Big Ant just gave us those sliders, we'd have found a solution to half these issues by now.

They need to fix the teleporting tackles - so many times I should have gotten a kick away, only to get mysterously brought to the ground as the kicking motion was about to complete.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

This game honestly needed another year.

 

[Cocomarsh]

You are talking out of your arse here, 'legal ramifications'
An apology does not consitute admitting liability or fault in virtually any area of law.

There are potential share price ramifications and that's it; it's all to protect their own interests. Whether that directive is coming from Nacon is another matter, but the AFL game would be a drop in the ocean.

I've given you the explanation.
If you don't understand the complexity, perhaps best educate yourself rather than make ignorant, uneducated statements.

 

[bdawwg1021]

They have to take the game offline and fully fix it then release it at the same time as xbox. Reading these posts is like a knife slowly twisting in my gut, and I'm a xbox owner.

Can't do that after people have purchased their game.

 

[JT_the_Man]

BigAnt may have unintentionally killed any future that AFL video games had with this release. I’m at least 25% serious here.

 

[boncer34]

I've given you the explanation.
If you don't understand the complexity, perhaps best educate yourself rather than make ignorant, uneducated statements.

Give us an example of a legal ramification for apologising.

 

[Poopybum22]

Crash 3 times trying to find an online game. Finally get in.

Crashes after I kick a goal.

Gg thanks Big Ant.

 

[MightyMagpieMan]

can you guys post the platform these issues are happening on?

there's 3 different versions out there w/ steam being the up2date & its a little confusing