AFL Live 2

[melbournemartin]

Tru Blu have said that they will patch and the only way the game can be improved is if people point out the errors. It's not a matter of hating on the game but trying to develop it into something better.

I think our game of three years ago holds up pretty well for its time, however rather than thinking about which game is better, as clearly I cannot be objective, I'd say that the games are different and will appeal to different markets. The time and space offered by the easier levels will be exactly what the casuals will want and I can see that reflected here in the comments.

There is a general message for those emailing me and calling our office - Big Ant are not involved in the creation of the latest AFL Live 2 game, comments and enquiries need to be directed to Tru Blu/HES.

Ah, excuse me Mr Symons. On the Itchy and Scratchy CD-ROM, is there a way to get out of the dungeon without using the wizard key?

 

[SugarShane]

THe crowd numbers are funny one game there was a big crowd then the next they would have no one there.

First Showdown in my season drew about 15,000 people looking at the stands.

 

[mulehoops]

Is it possible to see stats for every player during the game? Or even after the game?

 

[KAYNE]

Is it possible to see stats for every player during the game? Or even after the game?

Yeah the stats aren't to bad. You get to see everyone's at the breaks and end of the game. Issue is you can't make it so the highest stat getter is at the top. So who has the most kicks. (I think unless you can I haven't figured it out) Also no qtr by qtr breakdown of the scores is frustrating. One game I was behind in the 1st and then 2nd qtr.

 

[Skerret]

Tru Blu have said that they will patch and the only way the game can be improved is if people point out the errors. It's not a matter of hating on the game but trying to develop it into something better.

I think our game of three years ago holds up pretty well for its time, however rather than thinking about which game is better, as clearly I cannot be objective, I'd say that the games are different and will appeal to different markets. The time and space offered by the easier levels will be exactly what the casuals will want and I can see that reflected here in the comments.

There is a general message for those emailing me and calling our office - Big Ant are not involved in the creation of the latest AFL Live 2 game, comments and enquiries need to be directed to Tru Blu/HES.

Oh man, you're getting contact from people that think the game is yours? Yeah Tru Blu, keeping the identity of the developer a secret really worked a treat didn't it. Game aside, the way they've handled this has been utterly embarrassing and now an inconvenience. This all but confirms they were banking on punters thinking it was a direct sequel to shift copies. Shameful.

No need to respond for obvious reasons Ross.

 

[soups1982]

Yeah the stats aren't to bad. You get to see everyone's at the breaks and end of the game. Issue is you can't make it so the highest stat getter is at the top. So who has the most kicks. (I think unless you can I haven't figured it out) Also no qtr by qtr breakdown of the scores is frustrating. One game I was behind in the 1st and then 2nd qtr.

yeah you can, you just use the L stick to move and triange to sort.

 

[KAYNE]

yeah you can, you just use the L stick to move and triange to sort.

Ah awesome thanks!

 

[Gyroscope_182]

In terms of the stats though, they count spoils as hitouts and navigation isn't exactly user friendly.

 

[SugarShane]

On easy the game is great, flowing. As you move the difficulty up the game is terrible. I turned it off and put AFL Premiership 2007 in and they are not only identical but 2007 gameplay is better. The harder AFL Live 2, the harder it is to tackle and kick the ball....what you now get is 8 players diving to the ground at once (remember that!) and u can only kick the ball more than 8 metres if you are twenty metres away from the opposition (think there was 40 smothered kicks in a quarter and a half).

This is what i'm finding. On hard it takes eons to charge your kicks and nearly as long after you let go of the button for him to actually kick it, which means no goals on the run unless you're, like you said, 20m in the clear. When play is congested the best your guys can muster is 10m clearing kicks that sometimes go in the completely opposite direction. The opposition also seems to go the torp at every opportunity with perfect results.

It's not so much challenging as it is frustrating. Miss a tackle by half a metre? Guess your guy is going to be laying on the ground for the next 10 seconds. Got in position early for a mark? Try bending over, the guy behind you wants to take a hanger (for the 15th time in the game).
The whole thing graphically just seems sloppy and rushed. Having the charging meter for kicks on the side of the screen is really annoying on a big TV. You're either mis-kicking because you're watching your player so he doesn't get tackled, or getting tackled because watching the charge meter takes your eyes off your player.

Is anyone else's ruck dominating? Mine seems to be everywhere. He invariably leads the tackle count after each game because each after each tap out he's the one who chases and tackles. One 10 minute game had him at 18 tackles.

Does rain have an effect? I played a game with heavy rain, and it didn't change the gameplay at all apart from making it harder to see by putting a terrible sweeping animation of rain across the screen.

After playing it for a night, there are things that are done well. I like the spoiling. Marking as well seems a bit more evenly balanced, and i like that some go to ground. The stats are good too, a full rundown is handy. I'll keep playing it, because it's AFL, but it's no where near what it could've been. I get the feeling it'll start gathering a lot of dust once F1, WWE and DBC come out.

 

[SugarShane]

In terms of the stats though, they count spoils as hitouts and navigation isn't exactly user friendly.

I was wondering how Rory Laird was getting hitouts.

Speaking of hitouts, had any gems in the ruck? When Jacobs needed a rest i thought the game might switch him with either Jenkins or McKernan.

"SugarShane pls, you need the 1.8m Douglas in the ruck. Trust me bro."

 

[haydo]

I was wondering how Rory Laird was getting hitouts.

Speaking of hitouts, had any gems in the ruck? When Jacobs needed a rest i thought the game might switch him with either Jenkins or McKernan.

"SugarShane pls, you need the 1.8m Douglas in the ruck. Trust me bro."

Had the exact same thing happened with Melbourne. Jamar needed a rest as fatigue set in and thought i would go in and change Mitch Clark to the ruck, but no... Jordie McKenzie was starting ruck against Leigh Adams who had taken over from Goldstein!

 

[Skerret]

Reducing the player's capacity to perform basic actions (like kicking) is not how you increase difficulty. Reducing the time and space one has to perform those actions, that's preferable. Increased difficulty should challenge the player's skills, not punish them. They've got a lot of work to do by the sounds. I'll start a bugs and fixes thread, hopefully they read it.

 

[Peck]

Tru Blu have said that they will patch and the only way the game can be improved is if people point out the errors. It's not a matter of hating on the game but trying to develop it into something better.

I think our game of three years ago holds up pretty well for its time, however rather than thinking about which game is better, as clearly I cannot be objective, I'd say that the games are different and will appeal to different markets. The time and space offered by the easier levels will be exactly what the casuals will want and I can see that reflected here in the comments.

There is a general message for those emailing me and calling our office - Big Ant are not involved in the creation of the latest AFL Live 2 game, comments and enquiries need to be directed to Tru Blu/HES.

I think they've prioritised a little better than you guys did. I believe you guys probably took the better approach from a huge AFL/game fan standpoint, having better graphics, controls and AI (resulting in what was probably better multiplayer too). However, I think that this game will give casuals a lot more, if they actually buy it - it is a bit ugly in some ways, but it is also cheap. Note I haven't actually played it, but my brother looks like he will buy it today, so I will be able to get his opinion on the gameplay soon enough, but I must say that the videos I saw are extremely promising (given the 12 month, and first attempt factor).

I also want to point out quickly that I realise Tru Blu do have the benefit of hindsight, and player feedback that you guys didn't have.

Oh man, you're getting contact from people that think the game is yours? Yeah Tru Blu, keeping the identity of the developer a secret really worked a treat didn't it. Game aside, the way they've handled this has been utterly embarrassing and now an inconvenience. This all but confirms they were banking on punters thinking it was a direct sequel to shift copies. Shameful.

No need to respond for obvious reasons Ross.

I don't agree with this. They made the game themselves, and probably didn't feel the need to tell everyone they did so. Most people buying the game would barely know who BigAnt are, and the fact that they don't appear in the games opening credits, or the trailer should make it obvious.

 

[SugarShane]

Also, Essendon's clash jumper has a huge Kia logo for some reason and watermarks are too visable.

Agreed. Looks really bad. Would've looked way better if they didn't bother, considering how hard they are to see in real life.

 

[ShaunWCEFC]

When will a AFL game let you customise teams kits, so you can choose home guernsey with white shorts and you can pick whatever socks you want.
I hard is to have a feature like that.

 

[LeeARM]

Speaking of hitouts, had any gems in the ruck? When Jacobs needed a rest i thought the game might switch him with either Jenkins or McKernan.

"SugarShane pls, you need the 1.8m Douglas in the ruck. Trust me bro."

I think it's just whoever's first on the bench.

 

[Skerret]

I don't agree with this. They made the game themselves, and probably didn't feel the need to tell everyone they did so. Most people buying the game would barely know who BigAnt are, and the fact that they don't appear in the games opening credits, or the trailer should make it obvious.

I disagree with your disagreement. It should be obvious yes, but a quick look at the Facebook pages tells me it isn't and Ross did say that they are being contacted by people who think they are the developers. If they didn't want anyone to know they were developing it in-house, the least they could have done was tell the world who wasn't making it.

I think most people have some idea who developed the game they are playing. Given no recognized developer has their name on it, most people assumed BigAnt were it.

 

[mighty]

Were can you get this game early?

 

[Bellzzy]

They seriously need to patch the interchange situation, it's doing my head in.

 

[Micksy]

The likeness is uncanny...

I will not play for Carlton unless Visy pays me.....ONE MIIIIILLION DOLLARS!!!

 

[Skerret]

Were can you get this game early?

Nowhere, the game is released on the 12th. I assume all these people are lying.

Actually, you can get it pretty much everywhere.

 

[Skerret]

They seriously need to patch the interchange situation, it's doing my head in.

I started a fixes thread, pop it in there.

 

[SugarShane]

I disagree with your disagreement. It should be obvious yes, but a quick look at the Facebook pages tells me it isn't and Ross did say that they are being contacted by people who think they are the developers. If they didn't want anyone to know they were developing it in-house, the least they could have done was tell the world who wasn't making it.

I think most people have some idea who developed the game they are playing. Given no recognized developer has their name on it, most people assumed BigAnt were it.

I think when a developer is specifically not named, and the game is named AFL Live 2, it's pretty clear exactly what they were trying to do.

 

[Skerret]

Agreed.

 

[Bellzzy]

The thing I hate is, that they pretty much took the Iphone app/AFL Live Wii, and made it for PS3 and Xbox 360. I kinda wish Big Ant made this but with a better career mode.