It seems that some people like simple conversions and lineouts while others would like it more complicated. Perhaps have a settings option to determine the difficulty of each individual set piece (lineouts, scrums, kicks to goal). Goal kicking in Rugby 08 was great, where you have the directional arrow, with a “winding up” mechanic, almost like bowling in your cricket games, with the wind making it more difficult to judge the correct direction and individual player skill affecting the margin of error.
When the ball is kicked out of play, the scene cuts to the next lineout way too quickly. Take a few seconds to show the players jogging up to position. Also, after scoring a try, too many players are just randomly hanging around the try line. Have 3 or 4 closest players celebrate with the try scorer, with the rest jogging back to the half way line, perhaps throwing a quick fist in the air on the way back. The defenders can mope in the background, with hands on head and hands on hips.
I would like to see more cut scenes, but maybe some people are happy with the current amount. Perhaps have an option to select how many are included (no cut scenes for online/multiplayer and full cut scenes for full authenticity). Naturally have a much more significant build up to the game, with anthems, player lineups and commentary hype.
Add a crowd brush in stadium creation, so you can add crowd sections to grass areas or embankments, including the option to select the density of the brush.
Option to add multiple home stadiums for the same team, where they play at different venues during a season or internationals. Unless you can always select a different stadium under match settings, irrespective of the home stadium.
Some of the laws need updating, like calling a scrum on a mark, or dead ball behind the try line when passed back.
Currently, when tackled, momentum goes backward more often than not, but this should be flipped. More often than not, you get forward momentum after being tackled, unless there is a dominant tackle, a feature which could be included. A slider could be introduced to determine the automatic frequency of dominant tackles.
If you are finding it hard to decide on which direction to go, as far as focus on simulation versus action based, you could introduce a master setting, as previously suggested, like arcade or competitive, with the one where the player has more input (probably more suited for multiplayer) and the other where there is less player input (casual gamer) and more outcomes are determined by sliders and what you had selected (my preference), as sliders create randomness and unpredictability, as in real life. Sliders are the best way to fully customise your own experience and create authenticity as you perceive it.
Ideally have a TV Broadcast camera angle, where it ankers center of pitch, with low, medium and high options.
Since the patch, it takes the scrumhalf an age to get to the ruck. I have never been able to steal the ball. In a match, I had the ball for less than 2 minutes the entire game, made 5 passes all game and 3 of them got intercepted. The rest of the game I literally put the controller down as I had ZERO input into the game.
I feel like the game went backwards with the patch
