AFL LIVE 2011 - 360, PS3 & PC - Part - 20 - READ FAQ BEFORE POSTING

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Bear in mind I've only played 2 and a bit games so far. The "bit" was my first game, I was getting smashed by Freo so dropped the difficulty down one level from the default and started again
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In my two completed games I beat Gold Coast in the wet at the Gold Coast stadium, and Freo at Subi during the day.

The controls are going to take a bit of getting used to (which is probably my fault, I've been playing a bit of AFL Premiership 2006 lately to get a handle on all of the areas they need to improve, so I'm used to those controls). For example, in the ruck contest, I'm used to waiting for the meter to be in the green area before tapping the X button on the PS2 contoller. In AFL Live, you can move around the centre circle with the left stick (or, for around-the-ground ruck contests, try to out body your opponent), then when the ball is at its highest point after being bounced by the umpire, you push the right stick in the direction you want to tap it. There is also a button modifier to punch the ball instead of the default tap. It's more realistic in the sense that body positioning is all-important, but also a lot more complicated. It's good though. Sandilands crushed my Cox/Nic Nat ruck combination even at the lowest difficulty setting (he won something like 25 ruck contests to my 5). I have a feeling that Sandilands is the best player in the game. That's how important winning the ruck contest is in AFL Live.

I love set shots in AFL Live. Again, in ye olde AFL Premiership 2006, you simply wait for the meter to be in the green area before holding down the square (goal kick) button on the PS2 controller, taking into account wind and distance. AFL Live is similar, but there's no accuracy meter, you have to manually point your player in the direction you want to kick it, and the natural swing players have (direction of swing depending on left or right footedness) is much more pronounced. I was playing with no wind, and Josh Kennedy was taking a set shot from directly in front, about 55m out, and I still had to aim almost out of bounds, letting the right footer swing the ball back through the goals. It probably sounds weird and counter-intuitive reading what I've typed, but it feels so natural in-game.

I don't think I've scored a goal on the run that wasn't 2m out yet. It's very tricky. I'll hopefully get better at it with more practice.

Kicking to team mates around the ground is quite good. You can 'lock-on' to players downfield and your player will attempt to kick it to them. You can change who the locked-on player is manually, but I can never remember how to do it in-game
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Marking is generally quite good, and just like the ruck contests, body positioning is all-important. I haven't yet mastered the knack of spoiling, so when I lose possession, I really struggle to get it back.

The developers seem to have watched a lot of Sydney games. Don't expect to win the ruck contest, have your midfielder accelerate away from the congestion like Judd and boot a beautiful goal on the run from 60m out. You will be tackled. Repeatedly. I don't think I've seen a centre bounce result in a clearance without needing a secondary bounce first. People who went to the play tests all say that handball is your friend, and it really is true. To win the clearance, you need to fire out a few handballs before you can get clear. When you pull it off it's really awesome, I set up a great chain of handballs before hitting LeCras on the chest, and he calmly slotted the goal from the boundary. But when it doesn't it's just like a Sydney game, ruck contest after ruck contest and usually a random free kick (holding the ball, high tackle etc.) is the only way to win the clearance. I expect this to be inexperience more than anything, I just want to run through everyone like Judd and kick awesome long-range goals on the run. I have no doubt you could do this with experience, not every time but maybe a few times a game, but I need to rein that in for now and play more conservatively (and realistically) by setting up play properly.

There are are a lot of stats recorded by the game and you get a good overview of them at the end of each quarter, just like when you're watching on TV. Kicks, handballs, marks, turnovers, marks inside 50 etc. etc. etc.

Players generally look good. Nic Nat is freakishly accurate, really stands out (just like real life!) but others (LeCras) are a bit off. The crowd are 2D cutouts, but there is a bit of variety in their animations.

The worst part about the game BY FAR is the sound effects. Abysmal. Dennis Cometti repeats lines word-for-word from the old games. I don't mean "Player X kicks it to Player Y" type lines where you expect them to be pretty much the same, but his 'special comments' too, like the line which goes something like "when he's on song he sings a mighty fine song". It is word-for-word identical to AFL Premiership 2006. I don't know if this is some sort of copyright breach considering they were developed by different companies (IR Gurus did the old games, Big Ant does this one) but it is shockingly bad. I hope the sound people get a MUCH bigger budget next time around.

Sprinting is also pretty useless. The animation changes from the default run, and your player won't bounce the ball while sprinting, but I cant see any noticeable speed increase. If a patch were to be released I would make the difference between running and sprinting more pronounced.

Finally, Jack Darling is inexplicably called Jeff Darling in-game. I don't know what the commentators call him (he is not in the default Eagles line-up, and I haven't mucked around with the team management side of things yet) but in the team list he is Jeff. I don't know if other players have wrong names/jumper numbers/whatever.

And I haven't ventured inside the Footy Factory where you can edit teams and players, and create your own teams and players from scratch. So at least I'll be able re-name Jeff Darling with his proper name when I get around to it!

Overall though, AFL Live is exactly what I was expecting - a good, solid AFL game with enormous potential. It is the best AFL game ever (which I know isn't saying much, but still). I can't wait until I master it more so I get more experiences like the LeCras goal I mentioned earlier, and less Sydney-style congestion.

HANDBALL IS YOUR FRIEND!
 
Eb Will hold all ore orders till the end of week, but will not pricematch until they go on sale Thursday : s might just be waiting till then to pick up then, save $20-30
 

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I pre-ordered from EB games with express delivery... but my order still has the status of "pre-order". It better come before the long weekend, that's all i'm sayin.
 
Eb Will hold all ore orders till the end of week, but will not pricematch until they go on sale Thursday : s might just be waiting till then to pick up then, save $20-30

What happens if a Big W or Kmart in the same shopping centre have it on the shelf cheaper, they have to price match regardless of the day/date surely?!?
 
Hmmm, I just got a text from my EB. And I already have the game.....Guess I need to say goodbye to $20... I feel bad now :( My cousin isn't going to be happy with me or K-Mart bahahaha.(He works at EB)
 
I Got the text message, and thought i would ring anyway. Turns out they don't have it in stock, however they send the text message telling me its on sale today. pretty ****ing pathetic IMO, lucky i rang up before wasting my time going in.
 
I Got the text message, and thought i would ring anyway. Turns out they don't have it in stock, however they send the text message telling me its on sale today. pretty ****ing pathetic IMO, lucky i rang up before wasting my time going in.

Well I'd guess you've got the same text as me... if so.. read it again. It says please ring to see what time the delivery is occuring. or somthing to that effect.

Edit: Great News Mathew! AFL Live PS3 is on sale today! Please contact EB Games Brandon Park to check local delivery times. Save $ by bringing old games to trade in. Opt-out reply STOP
 
Hmmm, I just got a text from my EB. And I already have the game.....Guess I need to say goodbye to $20... I feel bad now :( My cousin isn't going to be happy with me or K-Mart bahahaha.(He works at EB)

Bad luck for EB, the only reason I pre ordered from them was because I live in QLD and stocks are likely to be lower here.

The thing that is frustrating about is EB is that they price match everyone else but set such high prices to begin with....why not just have the games the same price as Big W/Kmart/Target to start with?
 
Well I'd guess you've got the same text as me... if so.. read it again. It says please ring to see what time the delivery is occuring. or somthing to that effect.

Edit: Great News Mathew! AFL Live PS3 is on sale today! Please contact EB Games Brandon Park to check local delivery times. Save $ by bringing old games to trade in. Opt-out reply STOP

not just that, i rang EB games and the guy was convinced it was still coming out on the 21st and said i shouldn't of got that text message :confused:
 
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