What I would like to see in Rugby 25

Rugby 25
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@RossSymons & @JNT_BA

I know a lot of players already shared with you certain aspects of the game that they would like to see in the game. I just wanted to share this as well, and I know most of these have been shared. I am also including a video to reference certain aspects. I used RC4 in this video because I think they almost nailed some of these. Especially the first match, the first half of the game is where I basically offload a lot, just to show that you are able to play that type of way if you wanted to, then the second half I tried to play more of a forwards game. And I feel this is what players should be able to do, if you can refine and bring these core aspects to Rugby 25 then I think we will have a great game. In this video I want to highlight some things that I mention below.

1.) The no. 9 must be at the rucks 85% of the time (You can see in the gameplay that most of the time, only when the 9 is involved with a tackle or previous ruck then an alternative player will take over that position.)
2.) We need mauls in the game, perhaps this is still coming, but I haven’t seen one maul as yet. (Especially mauls from line outs and kick offs)
3.) Tackle animations, in this video you will see a variety of tackle animation, although we have the tackle button (B) I think we need another one for heavy tackles as well, you will see in this video at one point a high and dangerous tackle, this happens sometimes when you do a heavy tackle. (I also know you said more animations are coming, but I just wanted to share this as well)
4.) Support runners, this might still be early days as well, and hopefully it gets implemented with one of the bigger patches shortly. But in Rugby 25 it just does not feel as if you have any support runners. In this video you can see what difference it makes to have support with players in order to utilize the offload button. On the offloads topic, it is very hard to do an offload currently, hopefully this can be improved, it does not have to be as extreme as it is in this video, but if the ball can be offloaded it should be able to do so.
5.) Box kicks, the slo mo option in RC4 makes it easier to pin point box kicks, but they failed to implement a way to really contest those kicks. If you could possibly add a slo mo kicking option (In RC4 you can turn it off in the settings if you don’t want to use it) and add a kicking line this will help a lot to bring this feature to the game, before these two minor updates I found that you could contest box kicks in Rugby 25, but currently it does not really feel that way anymore. The overall kicking in Rugby 25 feels a bit off in my opinion.
6.) Forward play, as you can see in the video, using the d-pad you can pass to the forward pods that form next to the rucks, this is a key feature that needs to be in any Rugby game.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, and again these might already be in the plans and I do hope that if not, that you will consider some of these aspects.

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Coming Very Soon!!!

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I would like to see more tactical kicking enabled in the game. For exiting effectively or for being able to pin teams down in their own territory the first receiver needs to have more time with the ball to kick.

Box kicks and kicks from the pocket can’t be the only kicking options (I hope).

Games would become so much more fun and easier to manage with this I think.

Super excited to see mauls! Nice one BA!

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Please just go easy on the offloads, if I see one more all black team offload the ball from their in goal area all the way to the try line I’m gonna lose it

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I really think trajectory lines need to be added for kicking, I said this before but the colour coded kicks were good for RWC2011, might feel outdated now but still think it’s useful and clear.

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Sure this has been said already, but hopefully there are selectable and adjustable tactics for each team, so there are distinctive styles of play that make each team unique and are noticeable when playing against the ai, and its not just the players that make each team different.

Rugby challenge 4 had a pretty decent system for doing this. With the number of teams available this is a must to add longevity and replayability.

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@JNT_BA @RossSymons
This is going to a be a long one, but I thought I’d rather right a lot of my ideas into one reply rather than 5 individual ones.

  1. Tackling
    Tackling during play would be great if it consisted of 80% around the leg tackles, either driving forward, or them falling over your player. The jockey movement could be implemented to mark a player in front of you, which locks on. A normal tackle (B), could be a straight forward tackle, but if they have momentum, a dive tackle is required. For example, they have a 5m run up before the tackle, not too much momentum gained as of yet and a B tackle will suffice, but say they have a 15-20m run up, have reached there highest speed and are running full pelt towards you, a dive tackle into them is required, which is a solid hit. using B tackle has a higher chance to be fended, or bumped out the way, and a higher risk of injury. Not necessarily being impossible to tackle with B, but definitely harder, and less chance of success. Dive tackle could also be changed to heavy tackle/chase tackle. Rather than making it a diving tackle. It can be used on front as a heavy impact tackle, and if they are in front of you, its a dive at the legs to wrap and pull them down. Pressing heavy tackle too often when they are at a slow pace, can lead to a high tackle if not timed correctly. The jockey movement, can also be a component in steps. You must predict their step movements, for example moving left, or right to read the tackle. If you get it right, successful tackle most likely, but if you get it wrong, it can lead to a line break.

Rucks:
Scrum half should be following the play, and at the ruck every time, unless tackled.
On a ruck it seems you can only add 3 players, so if the defending time gets 3 in before hand, they have a high chance to counter ruck. Also for Jackling the ball, if the defending player gets in their first, they have an easy chance to jackal. Having one offence player getting the ruck after may have the ability to get them off the ball, depending on their ruck attributes. Two players should almost always succeed, but rucks should be fast paced, and only be slowed down after the ball is out and ready to pass. Each players attributes should contribute to rucking ability. Rather than contributing players for less then security, it should be a continuous battle to regain and contain possession. Having to manually put players in, but also have urgency into the ruck, make the other teams offensive mistake to not clear, be an easy way to retain the ball.

Passing:
Passing seems to always throw to a player much to deep, and they never run onto it well, unless you manually pass with x, b, a and y. Having proper running structure, like pods, and a backline properly set out, instead of messy field positions the whole time would be nice. Following a player, and being in support at all moments, and the ai being able to adjust to your moves so that they can get a good structure going. Instead of 80 minutes of unstructured play. Set plays also would be nice.

Lineouts:
Lineouts could become more advanced. Rugby 08 has a great system for that, with a little more difficulty would be nice.

Penalties:
Penalties in rugby games are often non existent. Games always ending in multiples of 7 or 5, is a little unrealistic. And of course running rugby is fun, but also, penalties are a part of the game now, and i think having 2-3 penalties a game is not enough for it to be realistic. Having 8-11 penalties per side a game would be a more realistic standard. Having to watch your own discipline, and trying to force out theirs is another technical battle in which rugby offers.
Penalties can be often conceded via: Tackling, Rucks, scrums, offsides. And those are just a few. Tackling high, is a common problem often overlooked, but not always seen. Having the ability to get away with some foul play, and referee mistakes would be realistic as well. Having a player rating, for different referees, even if made up ones, would be nice. With them having different criteria’s, and different areas where penalties catch there eye much more, can make it easier to get away with some things but much stricter on others.

Stepping:

Sidestepping is a key in rugby, and can lead to tries, line breaks, and tons of meters made.
Having a skill move set would be amazing, such as:
right stick down, up: Goose step
Right stick right: step off the left foot to go right
right stick left: step off the right foot to go left
right stick right, left: step off the left foot, then the right, then the left
Something like a skill moves book (like fifi skill moves), could make a huge difference. Having that ability to become excellent at side steps, could make a big difference on your own rating and ability to win.

Defense:
Defense line seems to look almost like league. Most players are jotting out and aren’t running in a line to shut down offence. Also, having the ability to change defensive tactic, like:
Tight: defense- tight defense, shutting down attack fast and holding them off the line (weaker outside channels, very strong middle channels, very strong defense near ruck)
Kick: the wingers, and fullback come back, waiting to return a kick (slightly weaker outside channels, very strong on the kick return)
Man on: having every player man onto their own position (weaker on the kick return, stronger in outside channels and middle)
Wide: Wide defense, to mark the outside channels, and shut down and wide defensive play (weaker middle channels, strong outside channels)

Attack:
Attack structures, such as, two forward pods and then a backline wide move.
Being able to have proper structure instead of completely loose ball.

Sorry for the extra long paragraph, just have a lot of hope for the game, and feel these implements could make the game a masterpiece of a rugby game.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully its taken into consideration.

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There’s a lot of expertise here in demand of more complex gameplay. Interesting. My turn.

So i assume that their are only 2 passing buttons and set controls is there space for more passing buttons and option to customize controls.

And DLC i want to see DLC

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I concur, although I want to add that strategies were implemented in Rugby 22. So it is disappointing that the game did not have this implemented to start out with.

Also as much as running rugby is great. I would like powerful mauls and scrums and big hits implemented. I dont want to do this all the time but I would like to see an option:

  • have massive forwards smash a defensive line backwards with dominating powerful runs
  • demolish the opponent scrum and the ability score push over tries
  • demolish the opponents maul and the ability to score push pver tries
    I do love running and set play tries but the above seems to be usually neglected or missing and it is a part of the game and the reason why I prefer union above league.
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It’s a shirt brief thing you did in Rugby League Live 4 but it’s create a league/ completion for the ones you don’t include or for future years when you download new clubs
Thanks!

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For manger career i would like to see a fatigue and sharpness system for the players. The more games they play in a season the sharper they get but more fatigued and likely to get injured. So there is a constant balance to strike with squad rotation and managing team sheets

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mode top 14 and prod2 a system of promotion and relegation between the two leagues

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i speak for everyone when i say Rugby 25 would greatly benefit from real licenses, as incorporating authentic team logos, player likenesses, and official leagues would enhance the overall gaming experience and authenticity. Licensed content can deepen players’ emotional connections to the game, fostering a sense of realism that unlicensed alternatives often lack. Just as FIFA allows players to truly feel the thrill of kicking a ball or NBA 2K captures the excitement of a dunk, Rugby 25 should evoke the adrenaline and strategy of actual rugby gameplay. This heightened realism would not only attract dedicated rugby fans but also expand the game’s appeal to a wider audience, potentially increasing sales and player engagement. Furthermore, with real licenses, developers could explore unique marketing partnerships and promotional opportunities, driving additional revenue streams. Ultimately, authentic licenses would elevate Rugby 25 from a simple sports game to a comprehensive rugby experience, making it more immersive and enjoyable for fans around the world.

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This is a BRILLIANT IDEA!

Imagine if they could go out and get like … I don’t know 150 licenses or something? That would be unreal.

Or imagine if they got EVERY SINGLE NATION in the world rankings and then some for the international sides.

For the club side of the game could you imagine if a game had like 10+ licensed leagues or something and like 150+ club sides.

And maybe I am dreaming … but imagine if a game ever did photogrammetry for a heap of those. Wouldn’t that be mind blowing?

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Whoa whoa whoa. Now I’m cool with asking for things. But licenses, you expect us to work for years and have the licensing team get so many licenses that dwarf most other rugby titles. This is… this is too much. I think 1 team is good enough right?

You want us to travel the world? To get photographs of players to make them as real as possible?

This is a step too far.

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Hi @JNT_BA ,

Don’t know if this is possible, but could be really cool for the immersion if some of the anthem of the competitions you have the licensed for could be included during the entry of the players on the field etc…

I sent you the links for Top 14 / Pro D2 , Champions Cup on Discord, it seems I can’t share link here as I’m a new user

Have a good weekend

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