Rugby League 26 - Megathread

Rugby League 26
1789

I honestly cannot play more than a few games in the space of a week, it’s just not enjoyable. The gameplay feels shallow, and whether or not you win or lose will often depend on how stupid your AI teammates are feeling on the day.

Fast players still don’t feel fast, the passing still floats across the screen and the players can’t seem to grasp the idea of running onto the ball in order to find gaps in the defense. Oh, and for the love of god please find a way to make the defending aspect of the game less monotonous and mundane.

Also most of these current tackle animations have overstayed their welcome in rugby league games and need to be punted into touch.

6 Likes
1790

I love the “Change Jersey Number” attribute, but you can only do it in the Academy, and not in the actual “Manage Lineup” it would be cool if we could do it in both. That’d make the game so much better. Also, the “Switch To Other Side” button as well, you can only do it if you’re the Home Team, they should make it so that you can do it no matter what

1 Like
1792

I know they’re working hard to make the game better and stuff but is it too little to ask to be able to remove players from their licensed team so we can edit rosters as signings happen and also change players numbers I don’t get why you can adjust NRL player numbers but not super league where they actually have different numbers not just 1-13😂… something little that’d make the game so much more enjoyable

2 Likes
1793

I’m finding the game considerably less appealing now. It’s been this way for the last several patches.

The problem is all of this adjusting that has been going on for the higher skilled players.

Nerfing side steps and nerfing fends seems to have applied across all difficulty levels. Since day one this game has had a ridiculously easy rookie level and a big jump to amateur level then a very small step to pro level.

Amateur is just a little too hard at times especially now with nerfing skill moves and making grubbers go far too long without having to power up much. Trying to pass close to the line or close to defenders just is too hard as well.

I haven’t scored from a bomb for about eight patches now. I don’t think I’ve been able to get close enough to contest for a catch in that situation for dozens of games, except maybe once.

There are a few gaps and when you break the line the opposition are all over you immediately with you having no support. If there is support and you try and pass to it it gets intercepted.

It would be really nice if there was some consideration for the very average player who just wants to relax and have a game where they might score 16-20 points and the opposition might score something similar. Currently most of my games end 6-0, 12-6 etc.

All of these above issues cause a lot of problems with local two player as well. The intensity of the defense along with the human defensive choices compound to make it very hard to score. I’ve had friends who can play a seven-minute half game against each other and it ends 0-0. Things like this are common.

I get the feeling local two player isn’t really being tested. The AI combining with the human element of defence just makes for a very boring games. To the point where we’ve gone back to rugby 25 for a decent contest between one another where a few tries can happen.

Seriously the only thing this game has got for the casual to moderate player is rookie we can smash through the defence at any time and end a 7 min game 60-0 up! Then go up to amateur and have extremely low scoring games.

The funny thing is even rookie level two player local it can be hard to score against one another because for some reason in two player mode the AI defenders are much better than when you play one player rookie.

Really hope that something is done because I was at one stage about to step up to pro but now I’m almost put off playing amateur half the time due to the boring low scoring and frustrating experience.

2 Likes
1794

Huge 36gb update today? Or am i trippin

1795

I put it all down to the defensive line movement, its far too fast and needs slowing down a bit to create more of a scramble or a slider or sliders to allow us to choose how fast each directional movement is to help create our own custom line speed balance.

As a single player game if you like defense you’ll love this game, if you want great tries, this isn’t your game.

The game just isn’t fun with the defense being too overpowered.

I reckon match attacking speeds to defensive speeds and the game will be much better.

3 Likes
1796

I didn’t have one. Mine wasn’t even GB, it was MB

1797

100%. When you see a real break in real life rugby league, the attacker has gone through the line at speed generally, sometimes moderate sometimes very fast. The support players also are usually there because they have also been traveling in the same direction.

It doesn’t make a great deal of sense to me that the defensive line that has been committed to the opposite direction can turn on a dime and be back at full speed going the opposite direction and be closer in support than anyone on your own team!

This instant turnaround might be alright for a challenge at the highest levels but really it makes life extremely difficult on the lower levels.

On top of this, limiting of the side step and the fend should not really have been applied as strongly as it has to the lowest two levels.

1 Like
1798

Simple answer…Gameplay sliders…for everything, passing, kicking, line defense movement, play the ball speed, passing speed, attack speed…

Would make things much easier for us and them.

2 Likes
1799

Loving the game and improvements have been great, but the short kick offs are killing it, it’s so spammed, it’s really frustrating, is this going to be tweak for online? Or something, the game was better without it in my opinion, Atleast only let you do it in last 10 mins of the half, line drop outs should be all the time. Sorry to rant, just over it.

1800

Depends on the system. Some can append the patch via some MB of data, others have to overlay a multiple GB sized chunk of data over existing data to get it fully updated, but the end result for both systems = the same updated game in the end.

1 Like
1802

There is a problem where I am waiting for 1st, 2nd or 3rd receiver to run their lines, and when I hold the pass button and press one of the four buttons(triangle, square, circle, X), it cancels and ends up making the hooker just stand there and do nothing. I have to press the receivers button straight away for it to pass but it just slows the play down, and they either actually run their line or just stand still, most of the time they just stand still, fix this at least, it’s like with every patch comes a new problem.

Fending and stepping nerf was okay for online, but when you just want to play a normal single player game it gets frustrating, I never used to rage out on this game till now because of this, it’s soo boring now that yous have taken it off single player, just taking the fun out of the game.

Add some support plays will you, when gone through thes line and comes to the fullback it’s an automatic tackle, since yous want to take the stepping and fending out, at least get the hb or fb or some player to support on the left or right, there’s no other way to get through the fullback unless you just run around of the fullback and hope they slow down, do something quick and listen to your fans tips, cause right now the game is just not fun at all.

1 Like
1803

One of the most frustrating elements is it feels like the AI opposition can do things you can’t.

From catching players offside, quick turning circles, gaining momentum on a hitup, quick play the balls.

It feels like being an actual player is hindering you. There’s no sharp turns, no draw and pass to create an overlap, no catching AI offside, no quickplay the balls to get on the front foot.

Spamming step/fend got tired, now they’re nerfed anyway so it’s a lot less fun.

Also PLEASE add opposition name plates. Surely that isn’t hard to code.

5 Likes
1804

I was playing on veteran and now I can barley score a try in amateur, won’t be bothering with ladder leader, you got no hope, everything is so slow now, Atleast make the defence line quicker, done good things but now the overall game play is so frustrating

4 Likes
1805

I dunno what to say to that mate, there’s so much that can be so much better.

3 Likes
1806

I feel like there was so many bugs that were there at the start of the game. Now in an effort to fix them the gameplay has tanked and become unplayable, and creativity has suffered too. Very soon this game will be binned before getting to 2026

1807

It’s heading that way, last couple days have been disappointing more then the joy you should feel playing a game.

4 Likes
1808

I genuinely don’t see a point in discussing how to improve Manager Mode in terms of a ‘managerial wishlist’ like player progression, improved transfers/stats or adding NSW cup etc when the gameplay is so bad in its current form.

I’m critical but I want this game and this franchise to succeed.

1809

I reckon the game just needs some speed changes. A few tweaks will make a huge difference to the gameplay. I don’t think much has to change to get it right it all seems good just speed changes will make a big difference especially Line defense movement. This is the key to opening the game up and making it more fun in my opinion.

Firstly I would get rid of all the slow play the ball animations and just a have the quickest play the ball animation in the game for every situation, held or not.

Second, I would speed up passing so passes are more crisp, there are too many floating passes.

Thirdly, I would slow the speed of the defensive line movement till it gets to a point when a tackle is made and the line retreats and spreads out it does it at a speed where quick play the balls and quick passes out wide can catch out the edges as the line spreads out when resetting. Holding down will allow time to reset the line.

This way you will get more of a balance where you can play the middle, suck in defenders, then if you get quick play the balls you can quickly spread the ball and attack the edges with more effectiveness because the defensive line will have to scramble more often due to a slower spread speed.

It’s just tuning till the right balance is found but I believe it will work.

Maybe sliders could be an option because we all have our own preferences.