AI v AI match : Sale Sharks 0-3 Harlequins
Game set on 20 minute halves, medium difficulty and side view camera.
Not the score I was expecting after the last couple of games I’ve played. I have thought since the patch on Thursday and Fridays smaller patch that the AI generally have gotten better. But there are a few glaring issues I’m still seeing or not seeing as the case may be.
Overall I’ve noticed there are not many if any knock ons in the game and therefore very few knock on penalties awarded. Infact there are very few penalties at all during games.
High tackle penalties, when they happen which isn’t much, the opposing team are awarded the scrum but the offending player doesn’t receive a yellow/red card for it. Colour of card would be depending upon severity of tackle, no arms, shoulder, head, intent etc. all those require consideration as to severity of punishment for the offending player. But like I say there’s nothing awarded, only the scrum for the other team.
Like someone else has mentioned I’m noticing every box kick is being caught. There are no handling errors I’ve seen. No dropping of the ball be it forwards or backwards. Especially in rain affected matches. You would think in those conditions you would see more handling errors of any kind anyway because of wet conditions. But everything seems to be caught/handled perfectly every time.
When a kick for territory is performed the opposing side in the 22 don’t call for the mark at all. I know there are different situations whereby a mark can be called but I’ve never seen this rule implemented in game yet.
When the clock is in the red (beyond 80 minutes) a team should never be box kicking when they are 7 or fewer points behind there opponents. This just results in the opposing team either kicking or running the ball into touch thereby ending the game. I’m seeing this happen a lot during matches.
When a team are attempting to take a quick line out it results in a complete mess. The players can sometimes be literally faffing about for a short while which for some reason then ends up in an offside penalty to the opposing team. Something else which needs looking at.
Try animations need to be looked at. I’ve had an instance now where a player has ran under the posts and by the time he has dived to make the grounding he’s gone over the dead ball line resulting in a goal line drop out to the other team. I know there are occasions where players need to or want to dive to get the try but surely you could implement a simple placement of the ball down for the try without the need for dives too?
Another bug I’m seeing is when a player goes to offload the ball, rather than the ball being it passed it takes off into orbit for some reason and finally comes down seconds later somewhere else and sometimes the opposing team will catch it. I’m sure this is a bug though.
Look the game is on the right track no doubt about that and I’m enjoying it more now than at launch. I realise rugby Union could be a harder game to simulate because of various laws etc. But hopefully a few of these issues will get ironed out.
Sorry for the rambling long post. Good patches this week. Keep up the good work and thank you very much for addressing issues. Most appreciated Big Ant 
. Thank you 
Edit: I’ve just remembered another issue. I had an instance whereby a team committed an offside just outside the 22 and right in front of the posts. The AI went for a scrum?? Surely you would choose a kick at goal for 3 points or kick to touch with the hope of winning a line out and maybe go for a driving maul towards the try line. That’s what I’d pick.
I know there are situations whereby you may choose a scrum but it’s getting to the point now in my games where the AI are constantly choosing a scrum, and when I’m playing my games entirely AI v AI that becomes a lot of scrum penalties when other options are available.
Hopefully folk agree with me and this is something that can be sorted in a future patch perhaps?
