Multiplat AFL Evolution 2

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Not having a crack, just making an observation, but the majority of the animation is the same PS3 animation as the original AFL Live, I say that as I know the animation intimately - Sebastian Giompaolo may be able to confirm this but I don't believe there has been any additional motion capture since our game?

 

[ZeppelinChisel]

I haven't been back on this thread in a while, now. I came back to post my long list of frustrations, but have seen that most of them have already been mentioned, so I won't bore people by repeating information.

I was one of the bigger defenders of this game, but I've grown to dislike it more as time goes on. Ongoing time with a game should result in you gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanics, and with this should come greater satisfaction. Whether that is by the game cleverly grading difficulty (single player titles) or because you can pull off more "realistic" things in sport sims like this. However, with AFL Evo 2, more time only exposes more are more bugs.

With Wicked Witch now having developed three "main line" titles (AFL Live 2, Evo 1, Evo 2), they have had ample opportunity to create a solid title. In the span of these three years, there has been little new development, since the big selling point of AFL Live 2 was that it had everything AFL Live 1 didn't; it had a multi-year career mode, more teams......but also non-functioning gameplay.
The excuse, for Wicked Witch, then, was that they focused on adding features, and will then go back and polish it up with subsequent titles, +/- further additional features.

So, where is that polish? No significant features have been added since AFL Live 2; sure, "pro" mode is there, but it's borderline non-functional (this was the motivating factor to post). It has been 6.5 years since AFL Live 2, and this is still playing like a title made by a developer who have had the project dumped on them at the last minute.

Is it better than AFL Live 2 and Evo 1? Yes, but marginally. It's nowhere near better enough to justify the time elapsed, though, which begs the question of why this is the case. It appears that Wicked Witch don't have the ability, budget, or knowledge of the game to properly pull this off. I loved Big Ant's approach of getting the fundamentals down-pat, and building from there. Wicked Witch has now had 2 opportunities to do the same, and have failed at both.

Sadly, I think we're going to have to have a break from AFL games, not unlike the break post "AFL Live 200X" era on PS2/XBOX. We need to wait until the publishing rights are given to someone else, or for TruBlu to stop giving Wicked Witch further wasted chances, and have another dev do a "reset version", not unlike the original AFL Live; however, this time, without shafting the developer for whoever can punch out the cheapest, fastest version.

I originally wanted to support this title by encouraging everyone buys it, but it will only justify the terrible decisions made by both the publisher and developer (and I am not ruling out the possibility that the developer's are just doing what is best, within the publisher's constraints, but that would not explain how BigAnt did such a better job with 1 title within the same constraints).
If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right. AFL games have a horrible reputation, and Tru Blu ruined their opportunity for redemption by switching to Wicked Witch when they did, IMO. This will only further tarnish the perception of AFL games, making it harder to justify budgeting on the publisher's end, and the purchase on the consumer's end.

I'm sure Wicked Witch can make some good games, but AFL games are clearly not for them.

The reason it took 3 years is because they needed to put all of the mechanics in to the new gaming engine. It takes much longer than you think to do that.

 

[D1Matman]

... IMO though, you lose people, if you don't patch for ages, people just move on...

In the case of AO Tennis 2 for instance, I think I saw a post go out about the mid-March update that featured the ability to import player lists into the career save game while in progress- this was a big win so it jolted me to buy it, after having enjoyed AO1.

Now for the next trick Ross... forward-compatible career save games in future. MLB: The Show was one of the first sports game series to start doing that - before then it always seemed like the holy grail of 'career save' related features. Solving the age old problem for sports games of having to restart your career every time you pickup the next title (while serving as another compelling reason for folks to buy the next one).

AFL, Cricket, Soccer, Tennis, NFL, NBA, whatever - you really want to be able to 'resume' on that time investment of playing a major career mode. Apologies, I digressed a lot there guys - but sports games yay right!

 

[GoldbergsGold]

I haven't been back on this thread in a while, now. I came back to post my long list of frustrations, but have seen that most of them have already been mentioned, so I won't bore people by repeating information.

I was one of the bigger defenders of this game, but I've grown to dislike it more as time goes on. Ongoing time with a game should result in you gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanics, and with this should come greater satisfaction. Whether that is by the game cleverly grading difficulty (single player titles) or because you can pull off more "realistic" things in sport sims like this. However, with AFL Evo 2, more time only exposes more are more bugs.

With Wicked Witch now having developed three "main line" titles (AFL Live 2, Evo 1, Evo 2), they have had ample opportunity to create a solid title. In the span of these three years, there has been little new development, since the big selling point of AFL Live 2 was that it had everything AFL Live 1 didn't; it had a multi-year career mode, more teams......but also non-functioning gameplay.
The excuse, for Wicked Witch, then, was that they focused on adding features, and will then go back and polish it up with subsequent titles, +/- further additional features.

So, where is that polish? No significant features have been added since AFL Live 2; sure, "pro" mode is there, but it's borderline non-functional (this was the motivating factor to post). It has been 6.5 years since AFL Live 2, and this is still playing like a title made by a developer who have had the project dumped on them at the last minute.

Is it better than AFL Live 2 and Evo 1? Yes, but marginally. It's nowhere near better enough to justify the time elapsed, though, which begs the question of why this is the case. It appears that Wicked Witch don't have the ability, budget, or knowledge of the game to properly pull this off. I loved Big Ant's approach of getting the fundamentals down-pat, and building from there. Wicked Witch has now had 2 opportunities to do the same, and have failed at both.

Sadly, I think we're going to have to have a break from AFL games, not unlike the break post "AFL Live 200X" era on PS2/XBOX. We need to wait until the publishing rights are given to someone else, or for TruBlu to stop giving Wicked Witch further wasted chances, and have another dev do a "reset version", not unlike the original AFL Live; however, this time, without shafting the developer for whoever can punch out the cheapest, fastest version.

I originally wanted to support this title by encouraging everyone buys it, but it will only justify the terrible decisions made by both the publisher and developer (and I am not ruling out the possibility that the developer's are just doing what is best, within the publisher's constraints, but that would not explain how BigAnt did such a better job with 1 title within the same constraints).
If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right. AFL games have a horrible reputation, and Tru Blu ruined their opportunity for redemption by switching to Wicked Witch when they did, IMO. This will only further tarnish the perception of AFL games, making it harder to justify budgeting on the publisher's end, and the purchase on the consumer's end.

I'm sure Wicked Witch can make some good games, but AFL games are clearly not for them.

It shouldn't have you 7 years to get that Wicked Witch are the cheap, sub-par alternative. But I guess some people do like the jagged movements, scripted kicking and broken gameplay...

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Not having a crack, just making an observation, but the majority of the animation is the same PS3 animation as the original AFL Live, I say that as I know the animation intimately - Sebastian Giompaolo may be able to confirm this but I don't believe there has been any additional motion capture since our game?

It doesn't look nearly as fluid as Live's animations. It comes off faster and jagged.

 

[terrybull]

Playing career mode as a rookie player.

Started in the u18 with Dandenong and got drafted by Gold Coast.

When the finals got around only two teams made it and the rest it was a wild card. Is this true to life in this competition?

Also I saw a random team misses a year in NEAFL.
In 2020 NT played no games
In 2021 Brisbane played no games
Strange

 

[Sixpence]

****. Got drafted to Freo. Pick 77 despite winning league and club BnF and leading goal kicker. At least it wasn't Gold Coast. How shit was that draft though? Couldn't even look back to see if any teammates were drafted.

Port picked up a guy called Patrick Player17! What a surname!

 

[kaiserchief13]

Watch from about 5.45 in this video. Classic afl game

 

[Wilburosis]

I haven't been back on this thread in a while, now. I came back to post my long list of frustrations, but have seen that most of them have already been mentioned, so I won't bore people by repeating information.

I was one of the bigger defenders of this game, but I've grown to dislike it more as time goes on. Ongoing time with a game should result in you gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanics, and with this should come greater satisfaction. Whether that is by the game cleverly grading difficulty (single player titles) or because you can pull off more "realistic" things in sport sims like this. However, with AFL Evo 2, more time only exposes more are more bugs.

With Wicked Witch now having developed three "main line" titles (AFL Live 2, Evo 1, Evo 2), they have had ample opportunity to create a solid title. In the span of these three years, there has been little new development, since the big selling point of AFL Live 2 was that it had everything AFL Live 1 didn't; it had a multi-year career mode, more teams......but also non-functioning gameplay.
The excuse, for Wicked Witch, then, was that they focused on adding features, and will then go back and polish it up with subsequent titles, +/- further additional features.

So, where is that polish? No significant features have been added since AFL Live 2; sure, "pro" mode is there, but it's borderline non-functional (this was the motivating factor to post). It has been 6.5 years since AFL Live 2, and this is still playing like a title made by a developer who have had the project dumped on them at the last minute.

Is it better than AFL Live 2 and Evo 1? Yes, but marginally. It's nowhere near better enough to justify the time elapsed, though, which begs the question of why this is the case. It appears that Wicked Witch don't have the ability, budget, or knowledge of the game to properly pull this off. I loved Big Ant's approach of getting the fundamentals down-pat, and building from there. Wicked Witch has now had 2 opportunities to do the same, and have failed at both.

Sadly, I think we're going to have to have a break from AFL games, not unlike the break post "AFL Live 200X" era on PS2/XBOX. We need to wait until the publishing rights are given to someone else, or for TruBlu to stop giving Wicked Witch further wasted chances, and have another dev do a "reset version", not unlike the original AFL Live; however, this time, without shafting the developer for whoever can punch out the cheapest, fastest version.

I originally wanted to support this title by encouraging everyone buys it, but it will only justify the terrible decisions made by both the publisher and developer (and I am not ruling out the possibility that the developer's are just doing what is best, within the publisher's constraints, but that would not explain how BigAnt did such a better job with 1 title within the same constraints).
If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right. AFL games have a horrible reputation, and Tru Blu ruined their opportunity for redemption by switching to Wicked Witch when they did, IMO. This will only further tarnish the perception of AFL games, making it harder to justify budgeting on the publisher's end, and the purchase on the consumer's end.

I'm sure Wicked Witch can make some good games, but AFL games are clearly not for them.

Couldn't of said it any better myself. I don't trust any Australian gaming companies to be able to absolutely nail an AFL game, but I sure trust Bit Ant more than WW in developing something at least decent.

 

[Wilburosis]

Nothing beats the footage of where they just decide they are going to keep kicking out on the full. That footage is hilarious and sums the whole thing up.

 

[Sixpence]

First pre season match against Doggies. "Hunter, with a driving kick.". Ha!

 

[melbournemartin]

Not having a crack, just making an observation, but the majority of the animation is the same PS3 animation as the original AFL Live, I say that as I know the animation intimately - Sebastian Giompaolo may be able to confirm this but I don't believe there has been any additional motion capture since our game?

Bits and pieces seem new, and the odd new thing looks quite nice.

There is a rather nice set shot snap around the corner animation.

But the stock standard drop punt animations are just wrong.

 

[Atavistic]

First pre season match against Doggies. "Hunter, with a driving kick.". Ha!

Driving kick to Gowers, shepherded by Smith?

 

[CazC30]

Go watch the recent recall match of Carlton and Essendon from 1993.
Bombres is on their banner then and been on it numerous times. ha ha

 

[CazC30]

Nothing beats the footage of where they just decide they are going to keep kicking out on the full. That footage is hilarious and sums the whole thing up.

The testers must have clocked of then.

 

[kaiserchief13]

I kicked a goal in my player mode and they called it out on the full even though I saw it go through the goal. This game should be $20

 

[footyfan1978]

I kicked a goal in my player mode and they called it out on the full even though I saw it go through the goal. This game should be $20

Bullshit. We all know you really missed.

 

[T2B_]

The handball glitch right when you're doing a handball chain running towards goals is the worst.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Queueing handballs is great, except when you accidently hit the button one too many times and you handball it to no one without being able to cancel the queue (unless you can and I haven't worked it out yet).

The queue timer needs to be shorter in such a fast-paced game.

You also don't always handball it to the player you're pointing at either. Happens in FIFA sometimes too, you end up kicking it to someone you didn't want to, but not as often as in Evo 2.

 

[BlackMamba]

The handball glitch right when you're doing a handball chain running towards goals is the worst.

What's the glitch you're talking about?

 

[happy_eagle]

Has anyone managed to be taken with Pick 1 in the draft ?
Always end up being taken outside the top 10 despite being rated as "Number one Pick". Playing as a midfielder

Sigh. If you are going to link a game function to a trophy, make sure its reliably ****ing attainable.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

The testers must have clocked of then.

Not sure the testers are to blame. They would have reported how often the AI spray it out on the full, purely because it happens so often.

Willing to bet management made the call that the game was fit for release despite that.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

 

[Wilburosis]

I kicked a goal in my player mode and they called it out on the full even though I saw it go through the goal. This game should be $20

More like they'd want to pay me 20$ to play it.
This is why I love buying from EB. Price match plus the ever handy 7 day refund. This one went back next day. AFL Evo 1 went back same day .... so I guess it has improved a little bit. Next one might go back day 3.

 

[Wilburosis]

If Big Ant made it it'd probably be half decent. At least worth keeping. Nothing fantastic, but I don't think any AFL game will be. That's what I think the difference between whether WW made it or Big Ant. One just goes straight back, the other I think would be at least worth keeping. Their after sales patching I'm confident will be better than we see from WW too.