Be A Pro

[Duckdee]

It does seem an obvious addition, but I'm not sure how it would work for forwards, and if it would be engaging enough. Also, how would you make lineouts and scrums work when playing online with others?

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

The more I think about Be A Pro - Rugby, the more I think that there are too many other issues preventing this from happening. It's a wonderful idea, but so is a huge $100 million dollar budget and Ultimate Team - Rugby and many, many other things that just are not so likely for a first edition on the new consoles.

Nearly everyone making suggestions are complaining that they'd like the fundamentals of the current rugby gameplay completely overhauled, new commentators, more licenses, more stats tracking, Madden style gameplay and a wealth of other wishes. Honestly, HB will have their hands full making the rugby itself play well, really they will, without Be A Pro.

If the game outsells expectations, I could see it possibly being in a follow up.

 

[Cymro]

The more I think about Be A Pro - Rugby, the more I think that there are too many other issues preventing this from happening. It's a wonderful idea, but so is a huge $100 million dollar budget and Ultimate Team - Rugby and many, many other things that just are not so likely for a first edition on the new consoles.

Nearly everyone making suggestions are complaining that they'd like the fundamentals of the current rugby gameplay completely overhauled, new commentators, more licenses, more stats tracking, Madden style gameplay and a wealth of other wishes. Honestly, HB will have their hands full making the rugby itself play well, really they will, without Be A Pro.

If the game outsells expectations, I could see it possibly being in a follow up.

This is how I see it, people can always dream but they need to think realistic also. If the game sells well then these features can be added, a good next gen rugby game, with the basics sorted will do me fine.

 

[Saints1]

I think the big thing about "Be A Pro" is that rugby union is very much a game of phases. It'd be great to see you time a run to perfection as a powerful centre, running onto a pass at full speed and hitting the gap, but is the AI up to that stage just yet? Can the AI pop a pass off at just the right time?

 

[irishguy]

I think the big thing about "Be A Pro" is that rugby union is very much a game of phases. It'd be great to see you time a run to perfection as a powerful centre, running onto a pass at full speed and hitting the gap, but is the AI up to that stage just yet? Can the AI pop a pass off at just the right time?

good point! i think they should just concentrat on the gameplay are stuff first and maybe Be-a-pro in the next ***le!(please bring out the next ***le no longer then two years (after 2012), please)

 

[Duckdee]

I think the big thing about "Be A Pro" is that rugby union is very much a game of phases. It'd be great to see you time a run to perfection as a powerful centre, running onto a pass at full speed and hitting the gap, but is the AI up to that stage just yet? Can the AI pop a pass off at just the right time?

Have it like in NHL, where the AI passes when you press pass, even if it's not smart to?

I wouldn't be upset if BaP wasn't added, and I'd actually be surprised if it was, but I wanted to see what others thought about how it could work.

 

[SavageLez]

Have it like in NHL, where the AI passes when you press pass, even if it's not smart to?

I wouldn't be upset if BaP wasn't added, and I'd actually be surprised if it was, but I wanted to see what others thought about how it could work.

I agree, take the controls from Rugby 08, they are brilliant, add the right analogue stick for turnovers when possible (maybe there should be a setting like the injury setting. Make the graphics phenominal, concentrate on player details and accurate info, add create a tourny, add TMO decisions if a try does not look like it has been scored and we will have a super game.

 

[Lochsta22]

It could be pretty fun. Be a bit boring for fowards though unless their was some kind of rucking system kind of like on NHL 10 with board play where you press a button to go into it and then try and get the puck out? Something like that perhaps

 

[Darquan]

I must admit, the ONE thing about the NHL ***les that keep me coming back, is the Be-a-Pro mode. I stopped playing Madden because this feature in NHL was superior in my opinion! But, having said that, I think they should first get the gameplay sorted out. Rugby 2008 had some flaws regarding implementation of the rules. I got free kicks where I should have gotten penalties and visa-versa. and the set plays? By the time my backline players were in position I was blown up and a scrum awarded to the oposition (sometimes even after the scrumhalf made the pass). As a former player (centre,prop,lock,hooker,wing) and current follower of the game, getting the rules right, and having a fun game experience, will be the most important part for me. Definately looking forward to this release om my X-Box!!

 

[Kdog]

I really hope their is a be a pro mode though
i think it could be really good if done well

 

[Hamez]

id like it, but I would prefer the rugby be like life first, then concentrate on the extras.

 

[mikeeboy]

There's no point cherry picking one of the most recent additions from an annually releasing multi million pound franchise. This game won't be on the same planet budget wise.

Would be lovely to have of course, but I think we're just setting ourselves up for disappointment.

 

[Gahagan]

I rate the game must have a awesome manager mode, like the fifa one where players improvew and buying and selling of players and sponsorships etc.

 

[Teh Mite]

Am I the only one who thinks be a pro on a rugby game would be really boring?

If you're at grass roots level at a winger, would you literally stand there for the whole match? Play under the shower with an industrial fan blowing at you for the whole wet and miserable effect.

Or if you play as a prop and spend the match with your head up someone elses arse?

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Am I the only one who thinks be a pro on a rugby game would be really boring?

If you're at grass roots level at a winger, would you literally stand there for the whole match? Play under the shower with an industrial fan blowing at you for the whole wet and miserable effect.

Or if you play as a prop and spend the match with your head up someone elses arse?

I also really don't think that it'd work. Be A Pro Cricket would suffer the same fate whilst your fielding. Please remember that rugby and football are not the same game. Cricket has more in common with rugby in this way. You'd bore yourself silly.

I have to hand it to the cricket fans going from Ashes 2009 to International Cricket 2010 soon. They bought up large on the last ***le, then came up with common sense suggestions all day long to help the development team with the patch for 2009 into the bargain. Then they got shafted as the patch was then used as the basis for the upcoming International Cricket 2010.

Still they are offering up logical ideas all day long on their forums and believe it or not the people who bring up "Be A Pro Cricket" in the suggestions at Planet Cricket are not in the majority.

End of the day though it's up to you to decide is this just a "ooooooh Fifa's got it, so it translates to any sport" suggestion or an honest to goodness workable idea? I certainly have heard a lot of "I'd like to play Be A Pro Rugby", but I haven't heard a great deal (maybe a brief post or two) on how this would really play out and be exciting fun.

 

[scuubasteve]

Well I'm going to play Devil's Advocate on this debate then, because I don't think it is too unreasonable to think that it could be done and done well in a lower budget rugby game format.

For me there has to be a coupe of important other factors worked out first. Firstly there has be be a better manager mode than World Leage mode. You need a new system with much more depth to it. This would include players aging and skills waxing and waning with form age and training. You need to be able to upgrade club training staff and stadiums and most importantly you need to have new youth players generated that can be scouted into teams and grown into superstars. This is not THAT much of a stretch of resources as it is hardly a big drain on aesthetics or computing power. These features are needed to make the manager mode playable for any decent length of time. Players should have salaries and contract lengths that you negotiate in order to fit in with your clubs finances. The better a player gets the more money they demand upon contract negotiations. You could offer contracts to players from other clubs to being them in, if you could afford it etc.

The second thing that is needed is another important factor for general longevity of normal gameplay. That is a better breakdown system which is more fluid and dynamic with better depth to allow for skilled gamers to test their abilities and improve their skill levels.

Once these two features of the general game are sorted them Be-A-Pro becomes pretty easy. Things like tackle busts, tackes made, tries scored are universally important. Other features like turnovers, rucks made and assists are more role specific. Things like scrums success and lineout accuracy are evenore specific. You just need to push the pass button on the correct side to call forcrhw ball at the right time. Then you need to make rucks and try for turnovers no matter what position. I don't think it'd be that weird at all.

 

[ranger]

I also really don't think that it'd work. Be A Pro Cricket would suffer the same fate whilst your fielding. Please remember that rugby and football are not the same game. Cricket has more in common with rugby in this way. You'd bore yourself silly.

I have to hand it to the cricket fans going from Ashes 2009 to International Cricket 2010 soon. They bought up large on the last ***le, then came up with common sense suggestions all day long to help the development team with the patch for 2009 into the bargain. Then they got shafted as the patch was then used as the basis for the upcoming International Cricket 2010.

Still they are offering up logical ideas all day long on their forums and believe it or not the people who bring up "Be A Pro Cricket" in the suggestions at Planet Cricket are not in the majority.

End of the day though it's up to you to decide is this just a "ooooooh Fifa's got it, so it translates to any sport" suggestion or an honest to goodness workable idea? I certainly have heard a lot of "I'd like to play Be A Pro Rugby", but I haven't heard a great deal (maybe a brief post or two) on how this would really play out and be exciting fun.

I think Be a pro in rugby has potential actually. Definitely not in this game or even the next, but eventually. I dont see anything wrong with the concept, if done well it could add 100s of hours worth of playing time to the game.

I'm a flanker myself, so i've always hankered after the Be a pro system to emulate my role on the field. Im sure there are many other players (predominantly forwards) that would like the idea of isolating their position to simulate what they would do and how the would play if they were in the All Blacks.
As for why anyone would want to be a prop in the video game due to their role, the same question could be asked for the real deal, some people just like that kind of thing.

-One important button needed for be a pro to work would be the "Call for pass" button. This would take pressure off the AI and would satisfy a persons need to receive a pass at the right time. It could just be the pass buttons if you dont have possession. This way you could be a center and run what ever type of line you want off the 2nd 5, hold R1 button and release it to call for a short ball off his right shoulder, hold down L1 and release if you want him to pop it left so you can cut him. Hold R1 down and then hit L1 if you see a flanker lining you up and you want to run a dummy-cut. *The lenth of the pass would depend on how far away you are from the player

This would still only be a call for a pass however and the AI player can decide not to give it to you, maybe depending on your experience or ratings people would listen to you more. If you are a skinny fullback on debut, Dan Carter might choose not to throw a skip pass to you when you call for it. If you are Brian O'Driscoll and you tell Sexton to toss the pass blind, Johnny would probably just do what the nice man says. Just like rugby though, if you are in the right spot, you wont need to ask for the ball for a good player to throw it to you.


I see there being definite incentives to play all of the positions, with tweaks to the controls and gameplay (such as the previous example) depending on the position;

Fullback- This would be one of the most fun positions to play on attack in my opinion. You would be able to roam the field spotting gaps in the defensive line and decide when to slice into the line and on what angle, i would also enjoy trying to position myself in the right place on the field. Defensively it would be less about making big hits and more about trying to position yourself so that you are able to handle any threat to your line.

Wing- There was that guy saying that standing out on the wing would be boring, but whos telling you you have to stand there, its be a pro mate you do what you want. Ever seen Doug Howlett play? if play isnt coming to him, he goes to it. You would get alot of opportunities on the wing to try and beat a man with evasive moves one-on-one, if play isnt coming your way you could run some lines off the inside backs.

Midfield- Deciding when to pass, deciding what angles to run at, getting your fair share of opportunities to throw some sidesteps and fends in. Defensively you would get to line up some big hits in the midfield, this would be a popular choice

1st 5- Running the entire show. You are the only one who can call the formations, the ball stays in the ruck untill you call for a pass from the halfback. deciding between running/passing and kicking with every play. This would be another popular choice

Halfback- In be a pro you would get a chance to legitimately and realistically snipe with the halfback, you would need to include a "pick and go button" especially for the halfback so he can decide when its a good opportunity to pass and when you need some momentum, halfback would decide between throwing the ball to the backs or a forward runner from the ruck aswell

Loose Forwards- This would be another very popular decision. On attack, you have a roving commission, you go where you decide to go, you can run lines off the backs to try and plow through the line, you could follow up in support to to try and gather offloads and link with other players. Defence is where the real fun is, you dont have any man to match up with as in the backs, you go where you want. Basically, you just line up big hits all day. Who wouldnt find that fun?
This is the opportunity to put some detail in the breakdown aswell, as a flanker you would be able to sprint into a ruck and blow out the opposition, you could also set buttons to specific ballwinning moves during rucktime

Locks- They would be able to roam the field lining up hits and aggressively blowing out aswell. You could get detailed at lineout time, i envisage your lineout lining up with your controlled player standing next to the half back, you then call two aspects of the lineout; 1) where the throw is going in the line, and 2) the timer of the throw (between 2-15 seconds)
-Once you press x, the throw timer would start counting down, so for example if you called 10 seconds to 6, then a clock would show on the screen (or not on harder difficulties, you would just count in your head) after 10 seconds the hooker would throw to 6.
-During the time between pressing x and the ball being thrown, you as a lock can enter the lineout anywhere and try and misdirect the opposing jumpers. You could run into the 2 spot, press L1 to fake a jump, then run out and to the 4 spot and fake etc, you could hold R2 to retain your lifters and move, so that if you are at the end of the lineout your could hold R2 and shuffle you and your lifters all the way to the 15metre line.
-Press X button to jump up once the ball is going to be thrown to 6 and use the right stick to aim your hands at the ball and secure possession. Alternatively you could press Triangle, Square or Circle to lift the corresponding other options in the lineout

Front Row- You could just trudge around being a big muscly guy laying out runners and carrying the ball up trying to bunt players off. It would be fun to charge into rucks and try and cripple the opposition scavengers. Maybe to make this position a little bit more interesting you could add a ruck button and a cheeky uppercut button. Its true to real life and if i could play as a guy that could roam the field throwing shady punches at the bottom of rucks i bloody well would.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

I think Be a pro in rugby has potential actually. Definitely not in this game or even the next, but eventually. I dont see anything wrong with the concept, if done well it could add 100s of hours worth of playing time to the game.

I'm a flanker myself, so i've always hankered after the Be a pro system to emulate my role on the field. Im sure there are many other players (predominantly forwards) that would like the idea of isolating their position to simulate what they would do and how the would play if they were in the All Blacks.
As for why anyone would want to be a prop in the video game due to their role, the same question could be asked for the real deal, some people just like that kind of thing.

-One important button needed for be a pro to work would be the "Call for pass" button. This would take pressure off the AI and would satisfy a persons need to receive a pass at the right time. It could just be the pass buttons if you dont have possession. This way you could be a center and run what ever type of line you want off the 2nd 5, hold R1 button and release it to call for a short ball off his right shoulder, hold down L1 and release if you want him to pop it left so you can cut him. Hold R1 down and then hit L1 if you see a flanker lining you up and you want to run a dummy-cut. *The lenth of the pass would depend on how far away you are from the player

This would still only be a call for a pass however and the AI player can decide not to give it to you, maybe depending on your experience or ratings people would listen to you more. If you are a skinny fullback on debut, Dan Carter might choose not to throw a skip pass to you when you call for it. If you are Brian O'Driscoll and you tell Sexton to toss the pass blind, Johnny would probably just do what the nice man says. Just like rugby though, if you are in the right spot, you wont need to ask for the ball for a good player to throw it to you.


I see there being definite incentives to play all of the positions, with tweaks to the controls and gameplay (such as the previous example) depending on the position;

Fullback- This would be one of the most fun positions to play on attack in my opinion. You would be able to roam the field spotting gaps in the defensive line and decide when to slice into the line and on what angle, i would also enjoy trying to position myself in the right place on the field. Defensively it would be less about making big hits and more about trying to position yourself so that you are able to handle any threat to your line.

Wing- There was that guy saying that standing out on the wing would be boring, but whos telling you you have to stand there, its be a pro mate you do what you want. Ever seen Doug Howlett play? if play isnt coming to him, he goes to it. You would get alot of opportunities on the wing to try and beat a man with evasive moves one-on-one, if play isnt coming your way you could run some lines off the inside backs.

Midfield- Deciding when to pass, deciding what angles to run at, getting your fair share of opportunities to throw some sidesteps and fends in. Defensively you would get to line up some big hits in the midfield, this would be a popular choice

1st 5- Running the entire show. You are the only one who can call the formations, the ball stays in the ruck untill you call for a pass from the halfback. deciding between running/passing and kicking with every play. This would be another popular choice

Halfback- In be a pro you would get a chance to legitimately and realistically snipe with the halfback, you would need to include a "pick and go button" especially for the halfback so he can decide when its a good opportunity to pass and when you need some momentum, halfback would decide between throwing the ball to the backs or a forward runner from the ruck aswell

Loose Forwards- This would be another very popular decision. On attack, you have a roving commission, you go where you decide to go, you can run lines off the backs to try and plow through the line, you could follow up in support to to try and gather offloads and link with other players. Defence is where the real fun is, you dont have any man to match up with as in the backs, you go where you want. Basically, you just line up big hits all day. Who wouldnt find that fun?
This is the opportunity to put some detail in the breakdown aswell, as a flanker you would be able to sprint into a ruck and blow out the opposition, you could also set buttons to specific ballwinning moves during rucktime

Locks- They would be able to roam the field lining up hits and aggressively blowing out aswell. You could get detailed at lineout time, i envisage your lineout lining up with your controlled player standing next to the half back, you then call two aspects of the lineout; 1) where the throw is going in the line, and 2) the timer of the throw (between 2-15 seconds)
-Once you press x, the throw timer would start counting down, so for example if you called 10 seconds to 6, then a clock would show on the screen (or not on harder difficulties, you would just count in your head) after 10 seconds the hooker would throw to 6.
-During the time between pressing x and the ball being thrown, you as a lock can enter the lineout anywhere and try and misdirect the opposing jumpers. You could run into the 2 spot, press L1 to fake a jump, then run out and to the 4 spot and fake etc, you could hold R2 to retain your lifters and move, so that if you are at the end of the lineout your could hold R2 and shuffle you and your lifters all the way to the 15metre line.
-Press X button to jump up once the ball is going to be thrown to 6 and use the right stick to aim your hands at the ball and secure possession. Alternatively you could press Triangle, Square or Circle to lift the corresponding other options in the lineout

Front Row- You could just trudge around being a big muscly guy laying out runners and carrying the ball up trying to bunt players off. It would be fun to charge into rucks and try and cripple the opposition scavengers. Maybe to make this position a little bit more interesting you could add a ruck button and a cheeky uppercut button. Its true to real life and if i could play as a guy that could roam the field throwing shady punches at the bottom of rucks i bloody well would.

I certainly have to hand it to you with this one. You do make it sound a lot more interesting than I'd personally think it'd shape up, but honestly I have to agree that I can't see it being in the next two games. I'd believe it's possible to program (because anything is if you really think it through), but it'd just be a massive use of resources to program and effectively play-test with the variety of play that rugby offers as opposed to soccer.

Still best post in this thread, you at least try to support your argument and do so fairly well in this case.

 

[lynam1104]

i had si malar idea to rangers but im to lazy to post them

 

[ranger]

I certainly have to hand it to you with this one. You do make it sound a lot more interesting than I'd personally think it'd shape up, but honestly I have to agree that I can't see it being in the next two games. I'd believe it's possible to program (because anything is if you really think it through), but it'd just be a massive use of resources to program and effectively play-test with the variety of play that rugby offers as opposed to soccer.

Still best post in this thread, you at least try to support your argument and do so fairly well in this case.

Yeah i definitely agree with what your saying, it would take a giant effort to be done properly so its not a great idea for now or the foreseeable future. Its more of an ace up HBs sleeve that they could slowly piece together over the years. Once they run out of meaningful additions and improvements to the core staple gameplay and sales and reviews start to get stagnant (Read; Madden franchise) they can throw the Be a pro mode out then.

So yeah long story short i was never an advocate of Be a pro for 2012, i just thought that if it was done properly (in an ideal world) it could be quite a playable game mode