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

 

[BigAntStudios]

Gday Ross, when do you reckon we’ll see a patch on being able to play with two players offline. Can’t add another controller without being disconnected from PSN

Two players does work, you need to have both controllers logged into accounts (they can be free accounts).

 

[hooked on fishing]

Any word on wind / what the new set shot difficulty entails??


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[pd_89]

Hey all,

Just my observations from the latest patch playing on PS5 on Medium:

• Game is playing much better now and gameplay is better than AFL Evo series. You can actually string plays together and it feels rewarding, probably the best it's felt in a while in terms of AFL gameplay (I've been playing since AFL Live). Can improve but now playable and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
• Overall gameplay feels light years better than when it was last week. Have played it a lot over the last few days and have really enjoyed the game now.
• There is a weird pause however sometimes at the end of some quarters and the game just freezes there. I usually have to restart the game to solve this.

Overall, positive steps in the right direction and focus should be now on releasing further game modes. I have hammered this game in the last week so credit where it's due, yes the game has improved a lot so well done to Ross and the team.

 

[hooked on fishing]

I was bored and thought I’d read back on the launch day & the days that followed. If people still don’t think the game has improved I’m tipping it’s user error. It’s definitely a fast paced game and once tactics are in and once players are completely ridden off those random pauses it’ll be great. At the stage it is now it’s easiest for me at least the best looking, best playing and in depth afl game created.

I’m hoping that the people that cracked the sads end up buying the game back and a heap of money gets pumped into it. They’ve laid a great base for next year’s edition which I think we should all be pretty excited about to see what that brings.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[GoldbergsGold]

They’ve chosen to take on 4 games this year, and they have the numbers to do so(over 100). Their reputation is on the line. Just because it’s playable doesn’t make it okay.

On the field we are still not in adequate control for things like running direction, tackling and player select. There is still an unacceptable lag for kicking the ball in play from the time of possession to when you can start to actually power up the kick. The AI and tactics is still mediocre around the ball. At the moment when you try to kick the ball in congestion, the AI will either tackle you or will just stand there and let you kick it. No weight in how the players move. No depth to management mode, no working interchange, bugs, glitches and crashes galore.

And that’s before even releasing the ‘roadmap’ list of features which were supposedly meant to be released over the week that was.

the patches might be daily, but I am surprised at the little impact each patch is having on the game- considering the road map they gave. Still a long way to go…

100% to everything you said here. Basically the game doesn't give the user the control and responsiveness that is required to simulate the sport. I've sent the control and movements issues to the support team via a bunch of video footage, just waiting for them to patch those problems. And I do hope "the home stretch" doesn't mean less patching, the game needs endless more patching.

 

[Treehill23]

Saves will continue after patches - no need to restart.


I'll make that happen - really can't say when. It will be free for everyone regardless of purchase.


Sounds like watching Carlton... for them, it's lack of skill - for you, I think you've been unlucky.


I have a dev Steam Deck but not a final - really need to grab one. Glad to hear it runs well.


Appreciate the sentiment but we're on the home stretch now, Steam will get patches over the weekend, Consoles will get an update that includes the Weekend + Monday's patch.

Geeez I worry if this is the ‘home stretch’
Guess my expectations of this EA and 2K standard game was just way too high !
I guess it’s not really fair to expect that much of BigAnt considering they’d never compare themselves to the likes of the big boys themselves !

 

[Treehill23]

There is no way this got a 4.5/5
Wtf

 

[Treehill23]

Sooo what did this patch improve gameplay wise ?
Didn’t Ross say it’ll be focusing on gameplay ? Aside from set shots, has anything changed ?
Player control ?
Tackling ?
Handball/kick receives ?
Interchange ?
Tactics ?
Specky ?
Players getting stuck in front of the man on the mark ?

Wish the list wasn’t this long on a ‘home stretch’

 

[Bakesy]

There is no way this got a 4.5/5
Wtf

Yeah nice enough review, but that score is way too generous

 

[Cummdog3000]

A comment from big ants twitter patch notes:
“Brooh Eagerly waiting for #C#Cricket24lease Release atleast a Trailor or Net session We r sed af”

Does anyone wanna tell him??


But really, gameplay has improved heaps. Can’t comment on the patches overnight because I’m on PS. Even the more harsh critics in here must admit we are at a stage where this is now at a bare minimum better than evo 2??

I think once sliders come in and we can tweak things like handball distance and tackle distance we’ll be able to get things set to our own individual liking, making it more enjoyable for each person.

Has the behind the goal view as the set shot flies through been in the whole time? I noticed for the first time yesterday and really liked it.


Edit: played more games, I was wrong

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Sooo what did this patch improve gameplay wise ?
Didn’t Ross say it’ll be focusing on gameplay ? Aside from set shots, has anything changed ?
Player control ?
Tackling ?
Handball/kick receives ?
Interchange ?
Tactics ?
Specky ?
Players getting stuck in front of the man on the mark ?

Wish the list wasn’t this long on a ‘home stretch’

It's the lack of precision movement, lack of responsiveness from user commands, you can't do very short passing, ie 1 metre or less, lack of support from your teammates user or CPU controlled, ie can't help teammate when they're tackling opposition player. Players receiving a hand pass play stuck in the mud or run straight into the opposition tackler. Sometimes user controlled players just stop moving or move in a completely different direction than being commanded.

I've been documenting all that to the support staff, because once all that stuff is patched up, it will be really fun to play a fast brand of possession football.

I have been able to play a little bit of the hand ball, possession and run gamestyle, which is how I played in Live 1 with these latest patches, when it would have been impossible to do only a few days ago, but it's still held back from what I just said.

I've even been able to win on the hardest difficulty with this latest patch, but the game is still very wonky.

The AI is definitely getting smarter, which is one of the better changes.

Here's some gameplay footage, with disposals you can't do small precise passing, because I wanted to pass short a few times in that footage, I was trying to get number 5 to pass back to number 33, but he instead incorrectly passed to number 6, who was the furthest option and closer to opposition. Although, you can now do a bit of methodical traveling, but be prepared for the overpowered hand balls, when you want to pass at short range.

View attachment AFL 23.mp4

 

[Grechy]

Goalkicking is slightly harder. In Michaels stream Ross mentioned they’d be further patching shots on the run and goalkicking.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Goalkicking is slightly harder. In Michaels stream Ross mentioned they’d be further patching shots on the run and goalkicking.

Live 1 just about perfected on the run goals, where you had to compose yourself and move in a straight way to score a goal. Zig-zagging and being off-balance just before shots on goal would cause you to be inaccurate.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

I will say, with the uncontested long range passing, this game is starting to get very sophisticated, same with the AI. It's really the short range stuff, lack of short hand balls, and turns/rotations/movement that needs a lot of work, though.

View attachment afl 23 long.mp4

 

[Nicho50]

The game sucked me in after watching the Tigers match. Chucked it on and went the Bulldogs v Suns at Norwood.

Again ground looks great!

5 min quarters on medium and within 2.5 minutes Ainsworth had kicked 4 straight. It was like ground hog day, Suns won the tap straight to Rowell who bombed it forward to Ainsworth who was on his own at the top of the 50, not a player in sight. Every single shot at goal went dead straight through the middle.

Turned it off in rage, I don’t get why people are asking for online and state leagues and stats I’d be wanting the gameplay fixed first surely like having the ability to try and select a player in the middle and tackle.

 

[Xtreme]

It's really the short range stuff, lack of short hand balls, and turns/rotations/movement that needs a lot of work, though.

View attachment 1685898

I hope the movement gets tweaked bit concerned it hasn't been completely fixed. That said it's better than it was from when I first played, still not perfect though.

If further improvements are made I would happily buy it on Xbox (or if that version never sees the light of day, the ps5 version). As things stand right now I wouldn't double dip.

 

[St 07]

I will say, with the uncontested long range passing, this game is starting to get very sophisticated, same with the AI. It's really the short range stuff, lack of short hand balls, and turns/rotations/movement that needs a lot of work, though.

View attachment 1685898

Your teammate on the wing was the one who applied the most pressure in that whole chain. That fella ran HARD

 

[mickelboy182]

There is no way this got a 4.5/5
Wtf

Same score as Tears of the Kingdom

Can safely add that writer to an ignore list.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Your teammate on the wing was the one who applied the most pressure in that whole chain. That fella ran HARD

I would have hand balled to him, if the short range controls didn't punish me with having him stuck in the mud or moving in an awkward position.

 

[BlackMamba]

There is a weird pause however sometimes at the end of some quarters and the game just freezes there. I usually have to restart the game to solve this.

This happens to me on the second game I play (5min quarters).
It’s essentially like a crash. I’ve reported it to Big Ant Support, but workaround it now by closing the game app after my first match, and starting it up again.

 

[saucydikos]

Two players does work, you need to have both controllers logged into accounts (they can be free accounts).

This is what comes up when it gives me the chance to log in. It’ll come up with the log in info, then half way into entering the info it’ll say “connection error”.

I understand this is one of the less serious issues in the game but I’d thought I’d point it out just incase others are having issues too

 

[LTFabled]

Can anyone tell me if the management mode issues have been fixed

 

[ptrg]

It's the lack of precision movement, lack of responsiveness from user commands, you can't do very short passing, ie 1 metre or less, lack of support from your teammates user or CPU controlled, ie can't help teammate when they're tackling opposition player. Players receiving a hand pass play stuck in the mud or run straight into the opposition tackler. Sometimes user controlled players just stop moving or move in a completely different direction than being commanded.

I've been documenting all that to the support staff, because once all that stuff is patched up, it will be really fun to play a fast brand of possession football.

I have been able to play a little bit of the hand ball, possession and run gamestyle, which is how I played in Live 1 with these latest patches, when it would have been impossible to do only a few days ago, but it's still held back from what I just said.

I've even been able to win on the hardest difficulty with this latest patch, but the game is still very wonky.

The AI is definitely getting smarter, which is one of the better changes.

Here's some gameplay footage, with disposals you can't do small precise passing, because I wanted to pass short a few times in that footage, I was trying to get number 5 to pass back to number 33, but he instead incorrectly passed to number 6, who was the furthest option and closer to opposition. Although, you can now do a bit of methodical traveling, but be prepared for the overpowered hand balls, when you want to pass at short range.

View attachment 1685889

Have you sped up that footage? (I hope you have)

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Have you sped up that footage? (I hope you have)

Yes, I did to fit the file size on here.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Two players does work, you need to have both controllers logged into accounts (they can be free accounts).

It doesn't. Just tried now after latest update. Both controllers signed in to PS accounts but when I try and add the 2nd controller to the team selection page it comes up with a sign in page within the game which then crashes due to "connection error".