AFL LIVE 2011 - 360, PS3 & PC - Part - 25

[Beloved]

I agree with you EddieBettsIsAChamp. People who constantly bump are the absolute worst.

Shot blocking simply pales in comparison to how annoying constantly bumping is.

Me and my brother were playing online and had a decent streak going when we played against these two guys who were playing as Collingwood (I think). Before we knew it we were 3 goals down and weren't able to come back. Had a lot of random unlucky things happen, but the reason they got out to that early lead was because they were bumping at every opportunity and we didn't respond to it for a while.

I really think the bump needs to be re looked at as it pretty much ruins the game when people think they can gain an advantage by overusing it. It doesn't really give any advantage though - unless you have two players against their one, when a slightly better handball/AI system would be the trick anyway (I mean that you can't handball one metre to a player, and AI players don't run to the right spots in this situation). The only other time it gives you an advantage to bump heaps is if the opponent doesn't do the same.

It would be cool if bumping wasn't an animation as such but a reaction to your opppnent's position. Instead of flicking the left stick for the bumping animation, have it control a 360 shepherd sort of thing. Holding the modifier button would then make it an aggressive bump and have a higher chance of being penalised as well as higher chance of knocking your man over.

Would be awesome.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Frickin hate laggy games. Just forfeited one that was simply unplayable.

 

[Summer Nights]

Ross, can you confirm that marking isn't favoured to the attacking team but just the man in front?

Examples of flaws that just cost me momentum:

1. AI player is running to the right side of the screen towards a loose ball. I press right on the stick before I switch and hold it, then when it switches he starts running left for no apparent reason. Opponent gathers loose ball and easy kick for goal. Happens all the time.

2. Ball is bombed long to a contested marking situation in my defensive 50. Despite being in control of the player in the contest, and mashing the spoil button whilst holding L2, player stands there doing nothing and doesn't even attempt to spoil, despite standing right in the contest. Easy mark and goal for opponent.

3. Loose ball, my player runs over the ball. I'm holding triangle to make sure he picks it up as he runs over it, and he doesn't pick it up, but just stands there. Turnover and of course opponent gains momentum. Happens once or twice every match.

4. Ball is kicked over my players head. Despite holding the sprint button as I run towards where it will drop to the ground, the player (always) slows down and stops sprinting as the ball is over his head. There's nothing you can do about this. They actually disobey your instructions and it can mean you don't get to the ball in time.

That's why momentum variables are so damaging - because sometimes it just comes down to luck and poor players are rewarded. Yes it works both ways, but if you're a good player, it's only a matter of time before it costs you a game and your winning streak.

*I still won

Ross?

Also:

5. Why is there an invisible wall sometimes when your opponent plays on and you can't move off the mark?

6. Why don't bumps in the back constitute free kicks?

7. A major one. Why, when sometimes you kick a running goal, but get tackled after the kick, the ball gets brought back for a free kick and the goal doesn't count? Not allowing the play down field/goal is random and can really hurt if the ball is brought back.

So that's 7 points that, IMO, can cost momentum, let alone being flaws in their own right.

Also if you could answer the question about marking, that would be great.

Cheers.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

All that shit happens to me as well.

But FFS Ross, why the **** am I the only person in my games that gets called for a DELIBERATE RUSHED BEHIND?!?!?!? I'm under pressure every ****ing time and it gets called. This is seriously giving me the shits.

And what do I have to do to get a HTB? Opponent runs a few steps, tackle them, ball up. I do the same, I get pinged.

 

[HBK619]

Damn, just lost a 7 win streak and got given a 2nd forfeit....must've been a connection drop as I haven't been losing a game all night nor quit (as I haven't in all my games). Was really liking that winstreak.

 

[StoneyHawk]

Does anyone else have severe lag issues when playing against custom teams? My connection is always fine playing against standard AFL teams but as soon as I play a custom team the lag is unplayable!

And hows this for annoying....I was up by less than a goal in the fourth quarter and the other guy quit....with 39 seconds on the clock...and he was running in to his forward line...! Go figure. So annoying.

 

[Skeeta Olly]

The invisible wall when on the mark is a pain in the ass. As is your player propping when the opposition picks up the ball. That is, you both run at it, you are behind him, as he goes and picks up the ball, your player stops/props and waits for the opposition to pick up the ball, then chases after. This pause giving your opposition the time to hit up a lead etc

 

[Skeeta Olly]

And hows this for annoying....I was up by less than a goal in the fourth quarter and the other guy quit....with 39 seconds on the clock...and he was running in to his forward line...! Go figure. So annoying.

Probably realised Lindsay Thomas had the ball.

 

[melbournemartin]

The bumps are annoying but I will bump without mercy because, unlike blocking shots (which I NEVER do), the bump is legal in real matches.

When playing online I draw the line (in terms of using exploits) at what would down-right not be possible in real life. I reckon exploits that are unrealistic but possible in real games are fair game. Examples are excessive bumping, constant smashing from the ruck, and general time wasting.

 

[melbournemartin]

Does anyone else have severe lag issues when playing against custom teams? My connection is always fine playing against standard AFL teams but as soon as I play a custom team the lag is unplayable!

And hows this for annoying....I was up by less than a goal in the fourth quarter and the other guy quit....with 39 seconds on the clock...and he was running in to his forward line...! Go figure. So annoying.

Does it really matter? You still get the same amount of XP and the win, although I think your reliability rating DECREASES slightly if the other guy quits (stupid, I know).

Some guys think they are smart-arses by quitting just before the end of the last quarter, when really they should have done it before the end of the third.

 

[melbournemartin]

Frickin hate laggy games. Just forfeited one that was simply unplayable.

I have played against many people from Perth and only perhaps 1 in 10 have noticable lag. Just the luck of the draw I suppose.

 

[Summer Nights]

The bumps are annoying but I will bump without mercy because, unlike blocking shots (which I NEVER do), the bump is legal in real matches.

When playing online I draw the line (in terms of using exploits) at what would down-right not be possible in real life. I reckon exploits that are unrealistic but possible in real games are fair game. Examples are excessive bumping, constant smashing from the ruck, and general time wasting.

Do you bump in the back though?

 

[HBK619]

The bumps are annoying but I will bump without mercy because, unlike blocking shots (which I NEVER do), the bump is legal in real matches.

When playing online I draw the line (in terms of using exploits) at what would down-right not be possible in real life. I reckon exploits that are unrealistic but possible in real games are fair game. Examples are excessive bumping, constant smashing from the ruck, and general time wasting.

Excessive bumping really doesn't work from my experiences anyway.

Personally I view almost every single form of bumping to be absolutely fine.

An exploit in this game is really something that you personally can do nothing about to rectify. Shot blocking, 2 vs 1's (and their various tactics), mark tackling/bumping and somewhat constant ruck punching. However the last one I only see as exploitative if being used by a player that absolutely knows what they're doing otherwise I find that negligible 90% of the time.

But imo bumping is so easily countered it's not funny. There's a ton of ways you can either stop someone from bumping to their advantage or making sure they can't land a proper bump. Probably the best thing is to just space yourself better when running to the ball and they'll overcommit and send themselves backwards when trying it. Or control someone ELSE running to the contest, you'll likely have enough steam built up that while they're laying the bump on the non-controlled played you can run through and collect and get some metres gained too (not to mention you could be 2 on 1 in the contest too).

I do like EBIAC's idea though. Nicely risk/reward based (basically what this game has a ton of it's ideas built on) and could work similar to the tackling while holding sprint.

 

[Beloved]

I've come to the conclusion that this game doesn't allow you to have fun.

The online erase was bad enough but twice now, since I've started again, I've had my big streak be taken from me thanks to a freeze. It's so frustrating to lose hours of work for no fault of your own. On top of that, I now have three ugly forfeits next to my name - none of them involved me quitting - and I'm left to scratch my way up to another winning streak only to be screwed out of it.

It's great to play and when you're on the field, pretty much everything is fine. However, between the quitters, shot-blockers, people that tackle after marks, bumpers and constant freezing, you're simply not allowed to have fun. That's the biggest problem of all.

 

[dazman32]

I have plenty of fun with this game.

Why just last saturday night i had a blast, had 5 mates over, played some epic 3 v 3 games and them we all teamed up against the ai.

Was really enjoyable.

I also often match up against my friends online and always have fun in those contests also.

The difference between myself and others is i am always playing against opponents of quality who are also playing to have fun.

So i put it to those in here that the game does allow you to have fun, but its your opponents that aren't.

 

[entourage]

Just wondering if anyone can help me out here, it doesn't happen often, but when it does it really annoys me. I manually kick to a player in space, I select the player to mark it i get there at the perfect time, but when i press triangle to mark it the player kind of backs of and sticks his arms out? As if to shepherd? Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and if there's a way to avoid it...just cost me a controller

 

[BlackMamba]

Just wondering if anyone can help me out here, it doesn't happen often, but when it does it really annoys me. I manually kick to a player in space, I select the player to mark it i get there at the perfect time, but when i press triangle to mark it the player kind of backs of and sticks his arms out? As if to shepherd? Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and if there's a way to avoid it...just cost me a controller

You're pressing triangle too late.....so he's not going for the mark.... try pressing it earlier.

 

[vealesy]

Bumping is easy enough to get past. Try bumping first, or instead of holding triangle to chase a bouncing ball, manually run to the spot you think it will stop, basic geometrical lines.

Find space, and change your tactics so your players are in space to begin with.

And dont be afraid to bring another player to the contest, think one or two plays ahead.

If my opponent gets clear in the half back line, I will quite often allow him to run all the way up the wing, while im bringing an extra man down from the otherside of the field, to where he will eventually kick it. Use this extra man to bump or spoil, and you can run back up field and bomb it to your chf for a shot on goal.

Use more footy smarts, and stop getting caught chasing the ball, which is why the bump appears more damaging to you.

 

[Summer Nights]

What about getting bumped in the back instead of getting tackled just as you pick up the ball? Is there a workaround for this? 'Cause it just makes you drop the ball, and sometimes it doesn't matter how quickly you try to get your handpass or kick away, it still makes you drop it. What's a good strategy for this?

 

[vealesy]

Have more players at the contest.

Accept that you have lost possession and move on to the next passage of play.

If you don't bump, how do you defend, or, what skills do you use to turn the ball over? Tackle only?

I see the 'bump' in the back just a different way of implementing physical contact other than tackling, the game gets it pretty close to real life. Maybe not in the direct action, but in a general flow of play.

If you keep getting caught like this, soccer the ball, or bump him first.

Many times I will be leading a chase to the ball, but will stop and bump, just to gain a bigger gap, knowing that if I pick it up first I will just lose possession.

 

[LionMen]

I hate online in this game!!! 5 matches in a row people quit on me after i was winning in the 3rd qtr.... I dont win often and it pisses me off and to top it off my reliability rating went down because of it!!! this patch needs too come out asap cause it pissed me off sooo badly.....

 

[supergerbal]

Just had another error which signed me out of the playstation network, halfway through the 1st quarter. I know my 10 game streak is gone and I know Ill have my 2nd quit (both due to freeze errors) but to my suprise/bewilderment/fury/amusement the next game disconnects just after the team lists come up. I reconnect and check the leaderboard and my score has reset... AGAIN!

I lost 220K+ about 4 weeks ago and after a lot of blood sweat and tears (and nursing quitters through) I worked my way back up to 58th position with 60 odd wins. I had 4 losses and 2 freeze enduced quits from 100 games. I have just lost well over 300K+ WTF!!!!!!

This games bugs have cost me 600K xp, 1 x 26 game and multiple 10 - 15 game winning streaks, and far too many freezing issues to list... I love this game but I couldnt be more infuriated atm!

Ive put in too much time to be sitting on 0 xp!

 

[hirdylloydy1]

i played you last night supergerbai, how was it your end? i had severe lag the whole match and couldnt tell where the ball was most of the game! i thought it was in my forward line then all of a sudden your shooting at goal, probably laggiest match ive played yet!, just wondering if it was the same your end, or does lag only affect one person?

 

[supergerbal]

i played you last night supergerbai, how was it your end? i had severe lag the whole match and couldnt tell where the ball was most of the game! i thought it was in my forward line then all of a sudden your shooting at goal, probably laggiest match ive played yet!, just wondering if it was the same your end, or does lag only affect one person?

I remember the game and it was pretty bad at my end too. The ball did seem to end up closer to my goal after each lag which doesnt normally happen??

 

[hirdylloydy1]

I remember the game and it was pretty bad at my end too. The ball did seem to end up closer to my goal after each lag which doesnt normally happen??

was definately frustrating, also remember kicking it into my forward line a few times to a man with a bit of space and instead of marking it he would punch it! frustrating!!!