Future EA SPORTS Rugby WISHLIST

[jgough]

I've got a pretty good contact at EA SPORTS that I will pass on a wish list to. And it's not just what I want, so please feel free to contribute, because not just one person is going to play this game. Outline YOUR wishlist for me to compile.

This is what I would do in MY rugby game though. (Prepare yourself, I got a feeling this may be loooong)...


* Licenses (IRB & all Rugby licences - this is not that hard or impossible, Madden does it in NFL and that would be a lot harder as there is a lot more competition for that, see ESPN NFL. Rugby is a growing sport and in the information age that we live in, exposure and media coverage in the form of Electronic Entertainment would be pricessless to them, just a few meetings and signitures, but it really is a must for the game. It needs an offical feel.)

* Teams. Or perhaps I should say Squads. The defult latest squad. 40 International teams. 20 of which in the latest World Cup and another 20 hopefuls, from Korea to China. But I'll touch more on the teams later.

* Presentation. Looks sharp, from the start up screen and menu right through to the gameplay and a box score after the game in the match agenda.

I'll start at my wish list start menu so you can get a feel...

MENU:

QUICK PLAY
-International Teams (40 international teams, NZ - China)
-Provincial Teams (Super 12 teams [or perhaps it should be Super 14 for a wish list] - this is for the Southern Hemishphere [tri-nations] superpowers & the European league [Bath, Lenister etc etc etc for the Northern Hemisphere [6-nations].
-Special Teams *UNLOCK* (This is a defult squads for the Barr-Barrs, Brishtish & Irish Lions etc etc etc, see below)
-Historic Teams *UNLOCK* (This is the defult squads for the teams that feature in the Historic Match option, might as well make use of these, also, see below.)

INTERNATIONAL SEASON (You pick a country and play as them from season to season, eg, if you pick NZ, you start off with a few home matches, 'Phillips Series', then shuffle the squad and goto the 'Tri-Nations', shuffle squad. then the end of season matches. The following year the Super 12/14 is simulated and you pick your squad for the next year, you can have the CPU do an auto pick or you can cap who you think is worthy from seeing an indepth look at how the Super 12/14 went, be it week thru week as it is simulated or an indept scouting look at the end. (Lets assume this next year is a WC year), then you play the 'Phillips Series', then the 'Tri-Nations', then the World Cup, then the end of season. And you can do it again and again and again just like a real world rugby year, with the teams you play obviosuly changeing, just like real life. There is no hireing or fireing of coaches, you just play as the team you want to be for many years to come). Also, CPU makes new young players to enter the Super 12/14 while older ones retire. So you can pick a younggun and grow him into the next superstar.

COACHING CAREER (You create a coach, be it yourself or a fantasy guy, you pick first name and last name, country they are from (so if you get an offer to coach another country you can't coach your home one until you have gone 2 years NOT coaching the other country). You then pick Easy Medium or Hard for how many base coaching points you start with, then you fill them up, eg. Motervation, Chemisty, Work Ethic, Attack, Defence etc etc. (These will obvisouly improve when your team does well). Then you select Easy Medium or Hard for how you want job offers to come. You then select what team you want to coach, lets assume to Pick the Crusaders on Hard mode (you cannot start coaching any country in the top 15 first off, no matter even if you have it on easy). They say no but offer you, Brazil, Bath or USA. Say you pick Brazil (and you base these choices on how long your contract is, say Brazil is a 2 year contract), then you play a few friendlys each year after selecting a squad, you build the players abilities if you are good, take them the following year to the WC Qualifying rounds, if you perform they ask you to renew your contract. But all this time you are also being offered contracts to coach in a better place. Then say you get a job to to coach the Highlanders if their coach retires and you have been quite successful, then after that you can apply for the All Blacks, if you have been successful you get it... If you lose a few matches you get fired, then perhaps take up a job coaching Japan or something. I think that would work very well. Perhaps you can play 30 years, then after that you are forced to retire and at the end a big stats page comes up showing where you coached year by year, wins, loses, heaps of stuff. Then you can try it all again

NATIONAL COMPETITION
-World Cup
-Tri Nations
-Six Nations

PROVINCIAL COMPETITION
-Super 14
-European Cup

FANTASY COMPETITION
-Fantasy League
-World League (Just like in Rugby 2004, but better)

SPECIAL TEAM TOUR
-Barbarians *UNLOCK*
-British Lions *UNLOCK*
-North vs South *UNLOCK*
-Tri Nations vs Six Nations *UNLOCK*
-World XV *UNLOCK*
-Province vs Country *UNLOCK*
-Pacific Islanders *UNLOCK*

HISTORIC MATCHS
-Historic Super 14 & Super 12 Matches
-Historic European Cup Matches
-Historic Test Matches
-Historic World Cup Matches
-Historic Special Team Tour Matches

SETTINGS (in the guff in here, including rosters for editing and create a play or team)

LOAD/SAVE


Well thats the menu and game options. Also player abilities should be more in depth. You should be able to pick captains and/or co-captains/vice-captains. If you are playing as a team in the Pacific you should choose or leads their Haka.
As far as player stats go here is a breakdown...


Player Stats:
Name: Carlos Spencer
Age: 28
Position: Fly Half (#10)
Height: 180cm (6'0")
Weight: 86kgs (190 ponds)
Handed: Right
Footed: Right
Nation: New Zealand
Provincional Team: Auckland
Test Caps: xx
Provincial Caps: xxx

Overall: XX
Goal Kicking Overall:XX

Speed: 89
Strength: 69
Awearness: 74
Agility: 90
Acceleration: 91
Handling: 94
Catching: 90
Jumping: 89
Tackling: 90
Passing Speed: 91
Passing Accuracy: 92
Kicking Power: 92
Kicking Accuracy: 82
Tacticle Kicking: 94
Goal Kicking: 88
Composure: 71
Creativity: 96
Leadership: 84
Injury Resistance: 88
Toughness: 85
Aggression: 87
Disaplin: 82
Scrummaging: 21
Hooking: 19
Lineout Thorwing: 40
Lineout Catching/Jumping: 58
Lineout Lifting: 15
Rucking: 60

It's just an example, so don't get too iffy about the states, incorrect or whatever..

You should also be able to play players in different positions. And grown them into it. When you move them tho their awearness should go down. Eg..

Postion Awearness Changes:
Prop to, hooker: -10, lock: -45, backrow: -40, any back: -85
Hooker to, prop: -10, lock: -45, backrow: -35, any back: -85
Lock to, prop: -50, hooker: -60, backrow: -10, any back: -70

You see the drift. And say you move a wing to inside centre, say (for only example) you lose 10 awearness points in that change, if they play well in that position, their stats go up, and in the end you can make them better in perhaps that position than they were orignially.

Also in season or coaching mode, in build up to your games, their could be a training camp, where you can do running drills, scrumming drills, lineout drills, tackling drills and kicking drills, if you score well you can add 3 points to that player in that field (Madden does it well).



Aww, I really can't be bothered going on - or spell checking for that matter! That was a good way to waste close to an hour tho...

Anyway, suggestions, thoughts?



Cheers,

Jamie Gough

 

[getofmeland]

Well I would add in The Zurich Premiership, all teams, League 1 and 2 teams from England, I would also love to see more flexible lineouts, where you can move the players around fake jumps, etc... Quick Lineouts, and as the game is known as Rugby 2005, maybe include some Rugby League into the game as well, so that u cover all aspects of the game. The next thing would have to be Stadium's, a bigger choice, especially would like to see the Millenium Stadium, with the option to close the roof, on wet days, this would affect the gameplay as well. Also maybe the Zurich Premiership teams Grounds, would be good fun, and a Create your own Stadium is always fun. ummmm trying to think now, I can think of loads, that have been mentioned on this forum already.

Charlie Gough

 

[jgough]

Yeah Charlie. That stuff of course. All good mate!

Perhaps you could choose to close the roof in a quick play, but as far as a career mode goes, the CPU should decide.

And speaking of stadiums, yup heaps, all the zurich sides, Super 12/14 sides, all countrys, maybe even a few more. Create a stadium, cool too.



Jamie Gough

 

[captainamerica]

I'm liking it all, and it sounds as though it'd be gearing for a big simulation style game (which is cool), I think it's worth trying a bunch of leagues similar to what Fifa has.

Canadian Super League
American Super League
Argentinian League
Currie Cup (should have put that before the others really)
NPC
ZP
Celtic

etc, etc, etc. FiFa has 2,483,000 clubs in their games, surely Rugby could follow suit.

Thanks,

CaptainAmerica Gough

 

[getofmeland]

would love to see some classic teams that you could unlock, and also say earn points to buy players and make up your modern team with players that you liked, bit like PES 4. Especially would like to see England 2003 team

Charlie Gough

 

[sizzler]

i want hard running players that burst onto the ball. especially utilising the fullback waaaaayyyyyyyy more than he is used in other games. also the use of the blindside winger joining the backline. Perhaps they could use some kind of control system like is used in Madden to change what the linebackers do etc. to achieve this

 

[ak47]

I like ur ideas Jgough!

This should have been sent to ur EA source after the 2004 debacle.

Maybe u did, and maybe thats why 2005 is so bloody good.

Either way the foundations ARE SET for this to be an annual release, and upgraded in every form annually............but only sales figures will determine this.

I like everything u said............although my life would be a hibinated one, if a rugby game had all that.....ahh the sacrifices!!

 

[getofmeland]

if this game ever came on the market, i think I would be locked away in my room for several years, and end up looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway

 

[EVOL]

i like your ideas jgough, what i would like to see would be for instance the super 12 season where at the the end if some players play well they can be selected to be in their respective national sides. cant really think of anything at the moment just hanging out to play 2005

 

[ak47]

Originally posted by getofmeland@Feb 15 2005, 01:09 PM
if this game ever came on the market, i think I would be locked away in my room for several years, and end up looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway

yes yes and yes

i'd even have a Wilson ball, named after 'Andrew Wilson'

 

[-JJ-]

Here's something I'd like to add...
Year Mode (can't think of anything to call it).
Basically you'd pick two teams, one provincial, one international. If you were in NZ or South Africa you could pick three, one NPC/Currie Cup, one Super 12, one international.
e.g. I would pick Bay of Plenty, Chiefs and All Blacks.

Starting in 2004 for example, you would start with the Chiefs. Select 24 players from Bay of Plenty and Waikato. The AI would simulate this for the other teams.
Then you would pick 4 more players who are left over.
Pre seasons games would be optional.
All of the coaching stuff that jgough said would apply.
Play through season.

Then select the All Blacks from all of the eligible NZ players.
Play through AB tests.

Then the NPC would come around. Fake rookies could be drafted if you wanted too.

The the AB's end of season again. Repeat year after year.


Meah. That idea's not as great as it used to be.

I hope there is a good coaching career option in the not too distant future for rugby games, like jgough's idea, where you start at the bottom, coach 3rd tier countries before making it to the top, coaching your own national team. So career might take a path of coaching Bay of Plenty, then the Chiefs, then Wales, then the Chiefs again, then the All Blacks, come 3rd in the World Cup, and get no offers from jobs within NZ and be forced overseas to coach [insert crappiest Scottish club in the game here] before trying to make it into your own country, and then the top again

.

 

[kinkon89]

o and heaps better fluent commentry!

make it like fifa but please o please put mclarren in there!

 

[jgough]

In regard to my EA contact who is involved with these games: I didn't talk too much to him about the above sort of stuff. The reason being because I thought they needed to sort the basics out FIRST before they got onto any really good stuff.

I also thought if I bombarded him, and EA, with all this other stuff, it would just be a tad overwhelming and they would end up taking nothing on board at all.


* I spoke to him about improved and crisp menus etc (I think that the layout is important, and although you can't judge a good book by it's cover - it sure as hell helps!).

* I spoke to him about including a Haka (NZ, Fiji, Samoa & Tonga. When we talked, the PI team handn't played, but should our talks have been POST that, then of course, a haka too for PI team.)

* I spoke to him about changing Create a Player from insted of having "Body Type" actually choose a height (in CM and with feet in brackets, with an option to make it vice-versa) and weight (in Kgs and have pounds in brackets, with an option too, to change those round as well). IMO I said that the body type was just stupid, I said that I would rather see you add the height and weight values yourself, then perhaps look at a body type for those values AFTER the height and weight had been set.

* I spoke to him about more stats for the players. (I.e. having kicking power and kicking accuracy, and handling and catching and leadership and composure and all that sort of stuff)

* I spoke to him about scrum moves and making them effective, like having a number eight break etc, and making them EFFECTIVE. Not just zig zagging to the wing. But forceing you to play RUGBY - and exposing weakness' of different teams, like taking some teams on up front etc etc etc.

* I spoke to him about using the fullback more, like on bursts, and coming into the line more, instead of just being the final line of defence and catching deep balls.

* I spoke to him about a more Madden style kicking, where you aim the arrow then use a '3 push' system, push to start the metre, push to stop it at the top of the power, then push to stop it in the middle of the accuracy.

* I spoke to him about having it MORE playable, so YOU are to blame if a try is scored not the AI.

* I spoke to him about having the CPU change the lineup around a bit during tournaments to make it realistic, and have different teams play differently, and have them play differently in different games (I.e. make the CPU use a game plan against you, and other teams for that matter). Also I said that they should makes subs during the game.


Now, I havn't played it yet, so I don't know how well this guy values me, but I think that I some up what we want, and I think that is where half of EA's problems come from, they don't really care about what people like me or YOU say, and what we want. They listen to stupid programmers that don't have a clue about the game and they talk to fans that don't understand what is 'DO-ABLE' and they just want everything and it ends up being a mess. It's imperative that they also put all the cool stuff into a seamless, final, great product.


Out.


Jamie Gough

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

I want............

-European domestic licenses. Zurich Premiership, Celtic League etc.

-Official kits and players for all teams.

-More flexible create-a-player. Think Pro Evolution Soccer series.

-Classic matches. Like Jonah Lomu Rugby, only more of them.

-Career mode, where players actually get older and retire, and eventually randomly created new youngsters emerge.

-Better ball physics. Look what the people at Konami have managed to achieve with Pro Evo.

 

[jonwebb]

Originally posted by jgough@Feb 15 2005, 07:31 PM
* I spoke to him about scrum moves and making them effective, like having a number eight break etc, and making them EFFECTIVE. Not just zig zagging to the wing. But forceing you to play RUGBY - and exposing weakness' of different teams, like taking some teams on up front etc etc etc.

* I spoke to him about using the fullback more, like on bursts, and coming into the line more, instead of just being the final line of defence and catching deep balls.

* I spoke to him about a more Madden style kicking, where you aim the arrow then use a '3 push' system, push to start the metre, push to stop it at the top of the power, then push to stop it in the middle of the accuracy.

I played Rugby 2005 and you can do both these things.

No. 8 - Now from the scums all you have to do is press square to go left and circle to go right. The good thing about this is if you go on a short blindside the winger will follow you.
Fullback - On the fly setplays, the fullback will run from the deep but you only have a small window to select as the defence rushes pretty quick.

 

[maddog79]

Any idea what the PS3 will look like? im intruiged

 

[jonwebb]

Originally posted by maddog79@Feb 15 2005, 09:44 PM
Any idea what the PS3 will look like? im intruiged

No idea at the moment but there some concept pictures at the below site.

http://home.btconnect.com/hgi/ps3/

 

[maddog79]

Some of those guys who made them up have WAAAAAAAAY to much time on their hands!

 

[jgough]

Hehe, as far as today goes... Me being one of them!

Jamie Gough

 

[C A Iversen]

Originally posted by jonwebb+Feb 15 2005, 09:58 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jonwebb @ Feb 15 2005, 09:58 PM)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-maddog79

@Feb 15 2005, 09:44 PM
Any idea what the PS3 will look like? im intruiged

No idea at the moment but there some concept pictures at the below site.

http://home.btconnect.com/hgi/ps3/ [/b]

Hey, Jon Webb, do you know what the NZ release date for the PSP is?