Played a couple of games earlier of new update on the Xbox - quick thoughts on the gameplay and patch notes
Improved Passing
Some passing is lagging, e.g. press to pass, player keeps moving for 2s, then the pass is initiated based on previous player positioning, which is often floaty and behind the receiving player and runs into touch. This is detracting from gameplay quite a lot
Improved Ruck Turnover
Great addition to not have the pushover, will help build a more fluid game
Hope to see ‘Y’ become a way to jackal properly, or result in penalties for not releasing (e.g. if press too early or spamming)
Similarly want an option to hold onto the ball at ruck in case isolated, with high risk of penalty
Improved AI decision-making
Experienced different passes, some going deeper in midfield, but didn’t experience any phases with more than 1 pass
Improved Support Runners
Seemed ok but do notice support runners can be in the way and obstructing ball holder’s line at times
Am experiencing 1 player is randomly located 10-20m ahead in an offside position, not rejoining play and need a restart or similar for them to return to the playable game
Massive backward step. Update has made the game full of more bugs to the point that it’s almost unplayable.
Passing - Keeps freezing then glitching when the halfback passes and then throws a massive skip ball out to no one which either goes straight into touch or the opposition wing picks up the ball. When you’re passing the ball down the line the ball will go straight out in front to no one rather than to the player you’ve chosen. Support players still far too deep and not keeping up with or supporting the ball carrier, most passes go directly behind.
Set plays/tactics - When you select 1-3-3-1 with the key pad or other set plays the players don’t line up in the correct formation to the tactic/shape. You just have the forwards standing bunched up outside the 9 with no option to do a tip pass out to the 10 who is standing far too deep.
Player positioning - Still no change to player positioning. Forwards still standing bunched up outside 9 with no plan, shape or structure. 10 is still hitting too many rucks when in reality they probably only hit the odd ruck on the edges when there’s little support. They are also standing deep out of play most the time or on the blindside. When they should be involved in the attack, receiving the ball from 9 unless you are running 1-3-3-1 when they are receiving the ball out the back from the forward pod. If you’re not doing a tactic, we need correct backline formation, 10, 12, 13. A lot of people have mentioned this and it doesn’t seem to be getting addressed, there needs to be some structure and shape to make the attack fluid and true to rugby. It’s far too clunky at the moment. There is literally no difference between forwards and backs at the moment, apart from putting the 10 in the pocket to clear.
Running lines and support - Getting better but support players are still running too lateral or aiming back in towards the ruck or are far too deep and not supporting or keeping up with the ball carrier. It’s like watching 5 year olds play ripper rugby. They need to have intent and be running at the gaps, so the 10 can take the ball to the line and feed the support runners depending on where the space is. Need to be able to control line width and depth, line is either far too deep or way too flat there’s no in between.
Inaccurate offsides - Keep getting pinged for being offside when I’m attack and have the ball.
Animations - Running and passing animations need some work. Running animation looks like Forest Gump, passing movement of the player doesn’t align with where the player is trying to pass the ball. Ball doesn’t rotate when being passed, particularly with a skip pass.
Awesome to see regular updates but at the moment just seems to be a few steps forward then a few steps backwards with updates only addressing the passing and rucking. Which are obviously two crucial parts of the game which need to be done correctly. Now Thursdays patch will probably be to fix the issues Tuesdays issues created and so the game ends up being in the same position it was on Monday. Would be awesome to see some of these other areas addressed as well in the updates as they are massive parts of rugby. Really want this game to be a success but alot of work needs to be done. Hopefully these updates start to cover a lot more areas of the game.
Just want to ask if people can please state a couple of things when reporting bugs.
If you can please say which system (PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, or PC).
Which Game difficulty level.
Half length.
Game Mode (Career, Play Now, Tournament etc).
Any or all of those things will probably help.
I reckon it could help them nail these annoying bugs a little earlier.
Just a suggestion to Big Ant Admins, but how about a pinned bug reporting thread where people can name these details and help you check out the bugs?
I’m reading some of these bugs and sometimes thinking “yeah mate had that one!” and other times thinking “whaaat? That’s actually happening to someone”, as I haven’t had them at all (or yet).
There should be a thread for each platform because the game plays different on each platform, as I sometimes have a different experience on pc than I have on ps5
I just want to know who test these patches before it gets released. It’s Early Acess all over again. Have a feeling they are developing to many games at the same time and struggling with resources. Either that or the test team don’t have a clue about rugby.
These dudes clearly don’t know union. It’s that or they’re like performing monkeys clapping their hands when the see the AI upgrade to making not just one but TWO passes per phase.
Passing in new update - cut out pass options not working all the time. From ruck choosing some passing options, 9 wont pass and stand up. Then just gives a floating pass or pass it forward.
Thank you bud, You gave good feedback yourself mate, I like what you said about the bunching as that’s what I was trying to get at but I didn’t know how to word it correctly, the shape on the backs really needs looking at as 99% of time I have a lock in the center and my 12 is out on the left wing, I’m sure they’ll read the feedback and take note but the bugs that this latest update has caused is crazy
I do believe the guys will get it right but after what was promised from yesterday’s update and what was received I think this is going to need some more testing before they release the patches as yesterday’s I feel made the game much more buggy and less enjoyable.
100% mate agree with you fully! Can’t workout how positioning has not been addressed yet. Onwards and upwards hopefully! It would be good to have a roadmap with the parts of the game that
they are working on improving for each week.
At the moment it just feels like
-Passing
-Support lines
-rucks
-stability
Are the only areas of the gameplay being worked on. But aren’t noticing any real noticeable changes just slight tweaks which in some cases like the most recent update has made it worse.
Could release a roadmap that covers the next 3 weeks and then as you get more feedback you can address these areas down the roadmap depending on the importance of the issue. That way people would know they are going to address what they want changed or improved in the game and don’t need to keep repeating themselves in the forum asking for the same area to be fixed. As we still don’t know if they are going to fix the positioning as hasn’t been addressed.
Should spend a bit of time with attack/defence coaches or players when getting the licensing from the pro clubs. Get them to have a play and give you feedback. So you can get a good understanding of how rugby is played and how it should feel for the player when playing the game, structure, rules, interpretations of rules, shapes, patterns, tactics.
I agree, one question I’d like them to answer for us is do they play the game before releasing each patch because if they had played this patch (I can’t comment on other consoles except PS5) then they’d see that there was no way this patch was ready for release and that the biggest thing for me was the bugs this patch has compared to others is absolutely crazy.
2 more examples here for the team to look at:
I think with the bunching I’ve managed to get a really good screenshot of what we mean.
I’ve just won a ruck and all my players are just bunched together, why?
Why not have the players get into position and create a backline, this is domino affect as with the bunching here what then happens is the scrum half will do the “floating pass” which then allows the opposition to tackle you just as you landing after jumping to catch the ball. So no space made. This I think/hope is what people mean with the bunching together at rucks and lineouts after they’ve been won.
@Lachie_BA feel free to send this feedback and my other lengthy one above if you want to bud, always happy to help.
As I said before many people have said it should have been released but it’s here now and I’m off work with a broken ankle so I can’t do anything but relax and play rugby 25 so happy to help if needed for the PS5.
I just hope the passing and bugs can’t be put right for tomorrow’s release.
Can we just please be able to add the licenced players to custom teams. I’m currently trying to make the npc and I don’t want to have to make all the players for it. I just wanted to grab some of the super rugby players and put them in.
