An idea for 07

[Mr. Laxative]

For a while I have been thinking about how the game could be improved. Already I have talked about my ideas for rucks, mauls and scrums and now I have come up with a way to make stats more relevant to the game.

For players:

There should be stats that adjust according to form, morale and age. Also there should be strengths and weaknesses. Strengths will be were the players excels and weaknesses, there fallibilities. When playing in their preferred position strengths will become more apparent, out of position weaknesses will become more apparent. There should be a list of these where there is either a cross (weakness) or a tick (strength). The list should include things like positioning, handling, tackling, overall confidence, etc. Also I believe that star players should be improved. a) They shouldn’t be able to kick that far, it’s in the stats not the star, b: There should be two types of star players â€" club and country and c) Each team should have at least one star player that can affect the way the team plays.

For referees:

In the next game I hope to see referees properly included and they should also have strengths and weaknesses and stats that vary according to confidence. These should include vision around rucks and mauls particularly (incorporating a vision cone as I have mentioned before â€" if you don’t know of it say so), speed, strictness, positioning (A-line or D-line) and advantage, which should incorporate, length and type (tactical or territorial).

I would hope these ideas are included, and I’m sure they will make the game far better.

If there is any confusion do not hesitate to ask questions…. Also discuss.

 

[kaftka]

In other words you want a deeper game.

I agree. A deeper game would be perfect.

What I would really like to see first though is an entire reworking of the game engine. They really need to work hard at the physics and the actual game engine solidly for a year. And of course online multiplayer. Even if its just a tacked on mode after they've perfected the game.

 

[Mr. Laxative]

Sort of a deeper game, but it also would improve parts of play where star players have the greatest impact and it would make it easier to determine whether you play against the law or not........

You see?

 

[kaftka]

On the star players.... I would like to see form affect their game. Lets say a star player is having a rather bad patch... On the field the star over their head will be slightly dimmer so as you know that they're not likely to have the impact they might if they had a bold bright star.

That can also be incorporated into normal players. How about a circle around their feet when they have the ball will be a bit dimmer when they're playing like ****. Also, I like in FIFA 06, it suggests a substitution might be in order by having an icon down near their stamina bar. All these little things can help a game to no end.

 

[Mr. Laxative]

Absolutely, also with the dimmer thing that could also be the icon for club team, so they won't have the greatest impact but will have some if the players around them aren't great. This way they could lift them.

Also I think it would be good to be able to select star players, before a match or at the start of a season. This means they'd have a greater leadership role and would have a little more pressure to perform.

However, having said that I think my referee idea is the most essential one along with rucks, mauls and scrums.

 

[stan_stan]

Originally posted by Jacko@Jul 2 2006, 05:29 PM
For a while I have been thinking about how the game could be improved. Already I have talked about my ideas for rucks, mauls and scrums and now I have come up with a way to make stats more relevant to the game.

For players:

There should be stats that adjust according to form, morale and age. Also there should be strengths and weaknesses. Strengths will be were the players excels and weaknesses, there fallibilities. When playing in their preferred position strengths will become more apparent, out of position weaknesses will become more apparent. There should be a list of these where there is either a cross (weakness) or a tick (strength). The list should include things like positioning, handling, tackling, overall confidence, etc. Also I believe that star players should be improved. a) They shouldn’t be able to kick that far, it’s in the stats not the star, b: There should be two types of star players â€" club and country and c) Each team should have at least one star player that can affect the way the team plays.

For referees:

In the next game I hope to see referees properly included and they should also have strengths and weaknesses and stats that vary according to confidence. These should include vision around rucks and mauls particularly (incorporating a vision cone as I have mentioned before â€" if you don’t know of it say so), speed, strictness, positioning (A-line or D-line) and advantage, which should incorporate, length and type (tactical or territorial).

I would hope these ideas are included, and I’m sure they will make the game far better.

If there is any confusion do not hesitate to ask questions…. Also discuss.

Although these are good ideas I believe I thought of the idea of the cone of vision
see....http://www.therugbyforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4769&st=0&#entry117577

 

[BigTen]

For me a ref on the field isn't at all important.

I'd rather that EA works on other things first.


Jacko - you pretty much just stole my silver and gold star idea. No matter - they do say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

One thing that I would like to see is an attacking gauge and a defensive gauge.

The attack gauge could work by the more ball you have and the better you use the more this bar would grow. It could be an icon like a sword and it would work a little bit different to the momentum gauge. This bar would gauge how well you are using the attacking ball. For example if your players keep getting driven back in tackles then the bar would decrease. Whereas if you made some breaks or your forwards were driving the ball forward this would increase. If your bar was big you would know that you can attack with the ball in hand otherwise if the bar was low you might want to kick the ball or get your forwards to hit the ball up until the bar goes up.

The defence gauge would work in a very similar way but with increase every time that you made a good tackle and every time that you slowed the ball down in rucks and stuff. Also if the bar was really low this would indicate that your players are out of position and will struggle to make good tackles and turn the ball over. This icon would be displayed as a shield.

If one team's shield was low and the other's sword was full then a try is likely to be scored.

As the coach you could set the team's mentality to defend and your shield would be stronger more often but your sword would be lower.

This idea could improve the limitations of the momentum gauge and would also allow for a bit more strategy as your could set your team to defend when they have built a lead.

 

[Kage]

I see what you are saying BigTen, but i dont like games where the computer artificially handicaps you, and takes the fate of your team out of your hands.

An example is the dummy in rugby league 1, the cpu would make a break, with no supporting players within a kilometer, and throw a dummy to your fullback (who you are controlling at the time) and your fullback would fall for it coz the cpu decided the dummy worked.

I know thats not the best example, but i you are behind on the score board and the opposition has a full attacking guage and you have an empty defensive guage you would feel like it is out of your hands whether they score or not as the cpu is going to handicap your men.
Maybe it could be less subtle than i am imagining.

 

[Kage]

An idea for in-game player form, maybe the stamina bar could change colours depending on how good/bad the player is performing. If you select a player and his bar is red.....sub him quick. If the bar is green, keep feeding him the ball.

 

[Dr. Fantomas Jr.]

Some things I'd like to see:

World Cup/Heineken Cup/Currie Cup sponsership

Create-a-team/Create-a-kit

Progressive player rankings: as you progress through seasons, plyers ratings/stats should improve/decline based on play, and age

A in-depth scrum sytem

Improved dynamics in the physics of the kicking & bounce of the ball, specificaly the squibs...

The whole sh-bang when concerning player creation/customization... We know what EA is capable from their other games, why not go all out on the create-a-player?

More camera angles

a more in-depth franchise mode, where you make desicions on the day to gay workings of your club, from concession prices to the kit design

a superstar mode where you take controlof one created player from his rookie campaign, and lead him through a career, where achievments are unlocked when certain goals are met.

 

[I cant think of a username]

They've got to stop being so biased towards english players!
Lewsey, robinson, wilkinson, dallaglio all star players!! None of them should be!!!! Also that guy Tait is a 90, honestly hes no where near a 70

 

[guardian_of_the_stone_age]

I think the passing system needs a radical overhaul, especially for skip passes and on counter-attack. The system used in rugby 2001 worked quite well e.g. by tapping the pass button twice the pass would skip a man, and three times would result in a double skip.

Another improvement that needs to be made is the sidestep/fend/shoulder charge on the right thumbstick. There needs to be more variety in the animations and moves which are unique to each player

 

[ak47]

I really hope they dont change too much with the in game physics

i think the gameplay is near perfect with a few minor tweaks in:
rucks - fully manual
mauls - can create from a type of tackle - JLR
offload - picking righ n left
line-outs - having to throw to anyone, having form a ruck or maul, having a set play thereafter, or even from a tap back

apart from these things - i think the rest is fine.

obviously deeper franchise/back office things need to be notched up

better presentation - half time shows/full time shows/weekly wrap up - NFL2K

and of course - NEXT GENERATION - 360 PS3.

I have FIFA world cup 360..............Rugby is derived from the FIFA template in video games............now if they can port the sound, graphics, and presentation from FIFA world cup 360, into Rugby360...........i have already dreamt about it.........I would even watch a CPU v CPU match.......it would just add the cicing on the cake.

Rugby is video game form, if done well, is like poetry in motion.
I like nothing better than seeing a good build-up of phases turn into a try in Rugby 2006 and the counter attacks from kicks........it is air fisting stuff.
Just dreaming of what a Next Gen ***le would look like, turns into a nightmare, when u wake up....coz it aint here yet. :wah:

Now roll it out........next gen....online.....and deep deep franchise/career modes.

 

[CeeJay]

I think they need to do a proper franchise and abandon world league. I think you should be able to pick a club(s14 or european) and play in their repective competitions as a franchise. Inernationls, like tri nats, northeren and southern hemisphere tours etc will be factored into each year(like RL2 does with origin and internationals) except you choose the squad of the country you control. World cup will take place every 4 years like real life. This would make the replay value high, im sick of inernationals and clubs being separate things, sidhe got that part bang on but their game sucked. I think this would provide the deepest Sp expierience but doubt we will ever see it.

 

[kinkon89]

we need to write more of these ideas down...

i have a good feeling EA comes on here

 

[BigTen]

"...where you make desicions on the day to gay workings of your club..." Dr. Fantomas Jr.

That just sounds wrong - what kind of rugby game do you want!???

Kage,

Good point - I see where you are heading. Rugby 2k5 did this quite a lot - like with AI side-stepping your defender and stuff and it being pre-determined i.e. no matter how good you are it is not able to be stopped.

My idea was more along the idea that you would have to work on either your attacking or defending game to build it up. For example if you miss a few tackles and your players on the back foot it is harder to defend. But if you do make some good tackles and get your guys back in formation, maybe slow the ball a bit , then your shield will go back up.

I think that this would reflect rugby a bit more realistically.

guardian_of_the_stone_age,

Good points - this is not how I would design my passing. I would like to see a system where you press the button once for a short pass, twice for a cut-out pass, and three times for a long, long pass. Very same same as had been suggested before but with a slight twist.

If you hold the button down the receiver will run up into the line so you can use it to break the line. Time it wrong and the defender will get smashed or the receiver will overrun the pass. This would work for all of the different types of passes.

ak47 gets it right though - just a few improvements would improve the game hugely.

For me the biggest improvement would be the ability to easily modify the stats of exisitng players.