For other past games a topic strictly about sliders settings, really helped the community to improve the game. I personally, don’t have to much time to test. But will start of by saying definitely turning down the defensive aggression has opened up offensive play. But does turning down offensive aggression add to 1 on 1 drive tackle to try score , while the defenders are standing around. Has anybody had success with the sliders helping with try line defense against the 1 on 1 drive over the line while defenders just stand around. The fear is bringing down the defensive aggression will help with general play but at the same time cause more goal line 1 on 1 drives without other defenders getting envolved. Thoughts? This topic could get a boost if Big Ant could get a little more specific as to what each slider really impacts. Would be nice to have a slider on probabilities of a second or third defender being added to the tackle. Particularly on the try line, but over all as well. There is a really good game in here which just got find the right combo of slider settings.
For other past games a topic strictly about sliders settings, really helped the community to improve the game. I personally, don’t have to much time to test. But will start of by saying definitely turning down the defensive aggression has opened up offensive play. But does turning down defensive aggression add to 1 on 1 drive tackle to try score, while the defenders are standing around. Has anybody had success with the sliders helping with try line defense against the 1 on 1 drive over the line while defenders just stand around. The fear is bringing down the defensive aggression will help with general play but at the same time cause more goal line 1 on 1 drives without other defenders getting envolved. Thoughts? This topic could get a boost if Big Ant could get a little more specific as to what each slider really impacts. Would be nice to have a slider on probabilities of a second or third defender being added to the tackle. Particularly on the try line, but overall, as well. There must be a way to get more defenders involved in the 1 on 1 drive tackle to try, it was much better in past patches of the game. There is a really good game in here which just got find the right combo of slider settings.
its not the sliders cause it happens in my player career mode cause sliders don’t work in career mode well least not for your ai controlled team.
its something else with the new update its big ants side not the sliders. i tested in my career with out the sliders and it still happens on the line cant join tackle.
Yea very weird, because in earlier build the defender would join in and help turn the player to cause the ball to be held up. I even remember giving a tip to a player (that holding the left shoulder key seemed to help the defense come in tighter so that it would protect against the 1 on 1 drive over try, the most annoying and least satisfying try on both side of the ball, when the AI does it and when the user does it. Come on Big Ant, thanks for the sliders but fix this already, I am sure most of us are tired of seeing this drive over 1 vs 1 try, does not matter if by the user or AI either way, it is the most predictable and boring try ever. If there is a way to more likely add a second defender to stop this then please let us know, although I doubt it because I can score the same try on the AI. Please fix this Big Ant, and thank again for the sliders.
Has anyone managed to find the most difficult slider settings for the Ai attack? Without them just spamming constant sidesteps and fends every tackle. I’m finding that after the last update even the legend difficulty is far too easy to defend against.
The problem with turning down the defense AI is that there is even less chance of multi-player involved in the tackle, and seem to have more defenders standing around instead of engaging the tackle, particularly on the try line, this is very frustrating. The 1 player drive over try , while defenders stand around really is for me the most annoying least satisfying part of the game. On both sides of the ball, I hate when I do it do the AI and I hate when the AI does it to me. Playing around with the sliders it seemed turning up the defense aggressiveness helped some with this, although you have to counter it by making sidesteps, fends, and shoulder barges more effective. So you are making it harder on defense, were the defense gets more involved when 1 on 1 struggle tackle (hit up happens) but you are giving the offense more skill by increasing the offensive set of skills. Seems to help, but need the find the correct balance to all of it , which takes time. Would be cool if users started posting their slider settings and what they were able to achieve with them. Take note though, some like more arcadey play some like more simulation type play. None is superior just different likes. So if you post your sliders reference to what you are trying to achieve with them. I will post mine once I tune them better, but I have been leaning towards the above-mentioned settings.
***********Big Ant please let us know if one of the settings increases the chances of 2 and 3 player defensive involvement in a (one on one drive or hit up) and is there a particular button combination or defensive button press that would help more defenders getting involved, particularly on the try line, to stop those ridiculous 1 on 1 drive over tries. In past patched versions it seemed to work better. It felt like the shoulder button used to bring in the defense to help in more players getting involved in the struggle tackle.
Hi, I need some clarification on the sliders: and I’ll probably sound dumb here lol
there’s several headers, AI, Evades, Passing, Ref, Tackles, Kicks, misc.
AI - this section seems self explanatory..
Evades - is this AI evades or user evades?
passing - assuming this is user ?
tackles - assuming this is also user?
it should be self explanatory but I’ve been mucking around with the sliders for ages and haven’t noticed any difference, if anything now all the AI tackles are big hits, even with all the sliders turned down? Also big hits success & ball spill only show under evades + tackles, so not sure why it’d be there for the user twice? Which means I’d imagine that one of those (evades or tackling) must be directly for AI?
You would think the least Big ant could do is give a proper description of what the slider effect, who it effects and whether a low percentage or high percentage doe what you think it does. Because right now its unclear if these sliders are actually doing that much. I have made a couple of difficulties and I actually prefer to have most of the ai ones set to there max base difficulty and ones I assume are human to a lower difficulty. Games seem closer yet all the jank remains so still are not very fun beyond a game or two.
I really wonder if the sliders do much at all.
For example If all settings are set to Rookie Default you would expect the game to be the exactly same as using the built in Rookie setting, but it is not.
The starting base for the sliders seems to have nothing to do with the built in default settings. Rookie base does not equal built in Rookie, Am base does not equal built in Am, Pro base does not equal built in Pro etc..
You are not modifying the default settings, you are starting from a different base and for no real reason they use the same terminology.
I agree does anyone have the option for the sliders so that the AI does not win every tackle I seem to be push back in defense and attack by AI
Sorry this might sound dumb. I’ve got version 1.0.3634 on PS4 and I cannot find sliders any where
As soon as i use the sliders i never miss a tackle and all i have done this time is put the default serrings to vintage for all.
Better late than never, but I am currently working on a slider set. My overall aim with the sliders is to reduce the arcade feel, and swing it more towards a realistic feeling that best represents Rugby League.
I think it is important to identify what the base gameplay offers, to establish a baseline of what we are working towards. So let’s get stuck in!
Base Gameplay
First off, I think the core game already has a strong gameplay foundation, however it focuses too much on “highlight reel” gameplay as opposed to what we see on weekends.
Fortunately, the overall structure of rugby league exists here;
- Field position matters
- Middle-third football exists
- Fatigue can impact a game
- Shape and support play is possible.
Whilst there a few positives to the base gameplay, the biggest issues I consistently noticed was around defensive compression and line speed.
The defensive line often moves up extremely fast, which creates the following issues:
- Halves have very little time on the ball
- Football shapes feel very rushed, and often don’t play out
- Middle momentum isn’t naturally built or encouraged
- Attacking edges can often feel compressed
Because of this, middle forwards initially didn’t feel impactful enough. Carries often lacked post-contact momentum, and sets could become overly lateral too early.
The result was a style of gameplay that sometimes felt more reactive and collision-heavy than authentic NRL.
What we see on weekends:
- Middle forward dominance creates opportunities for your halves
- Quick play the ball speed generates momentum
- Fatigue opens gaps in the defensive line
What I’m Trying To Create
The goal of these sliders isn’t arcade gameplay or creating inflated attack. I am aiming to create a more authentic “broadcast style” NRL simulation where:
MIDDLE FORWARDS MATTER
The forwards should:
- Carry the ball frequently
- Generate momentum
- Create quicker ruck speed
- Soften defensive lines
however, they cannot become unstoppable.
HALVES CAN INFLUENCE A GAME
Elite playmakers should:
- Engage the line
- Manipulate defenders to create overlaps
- Attack retreating defensive lines off the back of quick play the balls
Average halves should feel a little more limited in this space, but still contribute to good structured attack.
ATTACKING SHAPES COME NATURALLY
I don’t want attacking shapes to feel forced, I want it to to come from:
- Winning the middle
- Generating faster ruck speeds
- Fatigue
- Compressed defensive lines
Not simply throwing the ball wide, every single play.
OUTSIDE BACKS FEEL RELEVANT
Your back 5 should:
- Receive cleaner ball
- Have attacking space
- Exploit overlaps
- Feel involved in attack structures and sets
DEFENSE STILL FEELS PHYSICAL
I still want:
- Strong line integrity
- Dominant tackles
- See the wrestle
- Punishments for poor plays / reads.
But it’s important that defenders don’t:
- Magnetise into tackles
- Instantly shut down plays
The ideal balance is:
- To be able to witness and play structured footy
- Have middle momentum make an impact in the game
- Have realistic fatigue and subs
- Have effective attacking plays
- Elite players need to feel different
HERES A LOOK AT V.01 OF MY “REALISTIC” SLIDER SET:
AI:
Base difficulty - Veteran
AI Captains Challenge Aggression - 20%
Drag Into Touch Aggression - 4/20
Defensive OVR Influence - 1.00
Dive Tackle Cooldown - 2.80s
Hold Down Penalty Chance - 8%
Hold Down Penalty Limit - 10/20
Fend Ratio - 13%
Only Middle Forwards Can Fend - ON
Hit Up Ratio - 62%
Only Front Row Can Hit Up - OFF
Side Step Ratio - 28%
Only Backs And Middle Forwards Can Side Step - OFF
Only Half Players Can Fake Pass - ON
Only Forwards Can Big Hit - OFF
EVADES:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Side Step Success Modifier - 52%
Big Hit Success Modifier - 28%
Hit Up Success Modifier - 68%
Fend Success Modifier - 55%
Goose Step Cooldown - 3.0s
PASSING:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Offload Cooldown Time - 2.2s
REFEREE:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Hold Down Penalty Call Aggression - 58%
Wrong Call Probability - 8%
Send off Aggression - 28%
TACKLES:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Controlled Movement Tackle Buff - 8%
Standing Tackle Release Frequency - 34%
Ball Strip Frequency - 6%
High Tackle Ratio - 7%
Big Hit Ratio - 4%
Big Hit Ball Spill Chance - 5%
Kicks:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Penalty And Place Kick Error Angle - 28%
MISC:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Injury Probability - 18%
Stamina Regen Speed - 28%
Stamina Drain Speed - 68%
Wind Effect On Placed Kicks - 22%
I like what im seeing here, somewhat similar in areas to what i have been playing around with. - wish we could just import these settings !
What i have found is that the settings are also affected (somewhat understandably) by the teams you choose to play with. So if its NRL against NRL - the you will not see many (if any) stripped balls, ruck infringements, big hit ball spills etc.. compared to say using the same ruleset with two QLD Cup teams
I have found when messing with the sliders, the AI will have big hits every other tackle. Anyone else finding this? Big Ant really should put the correct default setting for each level, be it pro or harder. So we are not breaking our heads trying to tune the game. And explain what each slider does when it is not straight forward explanation.
Has anyone else figured if any slider help get more defenders to get involved in tackles more instead of standing around particularly to prevent the 1 on 1 struggle tackle try (while defenders just stand around and watch) this is my most annoying part of the game. And I even dislike scoring these type of tries, when done on the AI. Defenders(particularly on the try line) must get more involved instead of standing by and watching the 1 on 1 struggle try to happen.
Sliders don’t work on custom tournament which is a shame
I have played several games on my previous slider set, and have tweaked a long the way.
There has been some positive experiences along the way, but there’s still some refinement required to get a polished version that I am happy with.
Here Are My Takeaways From V.01 Of My “REALISTIC” Slider Set:
- Middle forwards began to matter - However the hit-up success has now become too effective. As a result I was seeing inflated line breaks and tackle busts.
- CPU attack is still too linear - This is probably my biggest realism issue to tackle. As it currently stands, the AI is to predictable in attack, and doesn’t look like scoring a try throughout the course of the game.
- Where are the back 5? I really loved seeing the meters ramp up from the forwards, but it was at too much of detriment to my back 5. My backs very rarely got involved, thus meaning they were lucky to combine for 100m as a collective.
The Next Slider Refinement (3 focus points):
Reduce forward dominance WITHOUT killing momentum
Hit-Up Success Modifier:
FROM: 62%
TO: 54%
This should, still allow for strong carries, force more contact outcomes and reduce the amount of line breaks, without impacting middle productivity.
Reduce fend success:
FROM: 55%
TO: 46%
Right now the engine is combining this with hit-up success and it’s creating a chain of powerful carries, that result in constant tackle breaking and line breaks.
Increase controlled tackle buff :
FROM: 0%
TO: 4%
This shouldn’t be enough to kill some of the shape we are starting to see, however it should stabilise the contact between middle forwards, reduce some of the broken play and reduce the excessive line breaks.
V.02 “REALISTIC” Slider Set:
Base difficulty - Veteran
AI Captains Challenge Aggression - 20%
Drag Into Touch Aggression - 4/20
Defensive OVR Influence - 0.90
Dive Tackle Cooldown - 2.80s
Hold Down Penalty Chance - 8%
Hold Down Penalty Limit - 10/20
Fend Ratio - 13%
Only Middle Forwards Can Fend - ON
Hit Up Ratio - 56%
Only Front Row Can Hit Up - OFF
Side Step Ratio - 42%
Only Backs And Middle Forwards Can Side Step - OFF
Only Half Players Can Fake Pass - ON
Only Forwards Can Big Hit - OFF
EVADES:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Side Step Success Modifier - 66%
Big Hit Success Modifier - 12%
Hit Up Success Modifier - 54%
Fend Success Modifier - 46%
Goose Step Cooldown - 3.0s
PASSING:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Offload Cooldown Time - 1.6s
REFEREE:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Hold Down Penalty Call Aggression - 85%
Wrong Call Probability - 8%
Send off Aggression - 28%
TACKLES:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Controlled Movement Tackle Buff - 4%
Standing Tackle Release Frequency - 48%
Ball Strip Frequency - 6%
High Tackle Ratio - 7%
Big Hit Ratio - 1%
Big Hit Ball Spill Chance - 1%
Kicks:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Penalty And Place Kick Error Angle - 28%
MISC:
Base Difficulty - Veteran
Injury Probability - 18%
Stamina Regen Speed - 28%
Stamina Drain Speed - 68%
Wind Effect On Placed Kicks - 22%
Have you or anyone actually worked out a theory on what the three “Ratio” sliders do ? The Side Step, Fend and Hit Up ? It refers to “Player Balance” - what does “Player Balance” mean or refer to ?
When I test, setting it at 0 or 100 does not seem to make a real difference, sometimes you think it is, but it all seems like a placebo effect - so for now, I leave them at 50.
Also how are you testing ? You against AI, or AI v AI ?
@Lionmaul - Nothing I can see helps with the goal line defence where the players just casually stand and look on while there is a one on one play right next to them. BUT the aggressive slider seems to help in making it harder to get to that point.
Big Hits dont worry me so much, its the Spill that is hard to control, mine is set very very low.
@Rickster - do you mean when you go to Competitions Tab > Competition > New Competition > Create and Play. You can choose the custom settings, but you seem to say they do not work at all ?
What happens is I never miss a tackle and my players tackle break all time
Maybe it was because of the veteran level but I didn’t like the sliders it felt too arcade like.
The AI broke tackles at will and the fends and sidesteps were too dramatic within 10 minutes of gameplay the AI had 11 linebreaks another ting I hate about this game is the pick player closest to the AI ball runner doesn’t work and is delayed.
I’ll try it again on Pro mode.