PS2 Things since I got it yesterday

[jersey devil]

First let me say the game is pretty good overall.
If madden and fifa are 10/10 then this is about 7/10.

Things I like:
Passing is pretty smooth and you can queue up a pass which is nice.
Really passing is just excellent much better than before.
Players look sharp and field and stadium and stuff like that are good.
Running is a lot smoother and feels like really good and right stick adds alot.

Open play kicking isn't bad. As I read about here. Kind of like the whole mechanic
actually.

FG kicking great.

Lineouts I like simplicity of them but I'm sure 2006 will improve this.
*****For those who don't know: short -maul, medium-off top, long-run

Scrums are ok nothing fancy. #8 can pick though huge plus.

I like the whole R analog stick deal both for sidestep, etc... and the chance to use foul type play (hands in, etc).

Things I dislike:
Tackling is just weird.
Maybe it just that right now it's counter intuitive for me since I play alot of madden.
L2 drives me nuts as far as switching players that will take time.
Not using "square" to dive tackle is also hard.
But in general it's hard to tackle effectively.
Also as "X" is bind in ruck and dive it's hard to judge when tackle has happened so I think I'm putting guys in ruck and they dive all over.

Offsides is strange. I felt like they only call it if your guy "one highlighted" is offside when a ruck, etc ends.
So like i'd have a guy offside then switch to guy onside then switch back and make tackle. Not on purpose really but just happened that way.


Things so-so:
As far as plays they run like last year touch anything stops them.
I like them but I wish you had more freedom in them.
Not sure when you need to call these. Sometimes scrum half never turns green. and I think that is becasue no play is on.

Rucks are hard to tell who is winning but personally I think I need to focus on ruck meter more. So much else right now to do that I forget that.

Video/Camera angles:
Guys seem small on everything but broadcast.
Maybe it's just me but I feel like they are far away.

Broadcast however it is hard to tell where defense is because they are basically right at the end of the screen.

I've kind of settled on classic 2 seems best for me.
I'd really like to play on side but just hard to see especially on kicks I just lose the ball in the crowd. And yes I have perfect 20-20 sight and play sports games all the time.

You can also reset entire game for wide screen if you wish. Didn't have time to try that.

Right stick is a bit difficult:
It it's 90degrees for sidestep
180 for stiff arm
0 for charge

however this is from the direction your running. So say if I'm on classic 2 and I'm running up and right (diagonally) then sidestep would be down and right on R-analog stick. It's nice just hard to think about that way.

I really like the game and I'm due to play my fiancee tonight (a rugby chick, we met through it) so I'll see how 2 players go.

Games:
Ireland(me) 7 - Usa 3 - Hercus hit like a 45 meter drop goal wish he'd do that in real life. Hickey score my first try. He actually got crushed as he hit try line then i thought he was held up but somehow he got it down.
By the way BO'D is like awesome in this. He just ripped off run after run.

Aus(me) 7 - Tonga 6 - Tonga 6 came on 2 penalties for hands in go figure. I'm sure if they keep the stat. somewhere it was George Smith.

If ya got questions ask. I'll answer them best I can.

 

[chuquea]

I have ps2 game too. How did you get the #8 to keep the ball? I keep passing it out every time.

 

[Cymru Am Byth]

HEY HOW GOOD IS WALES MATE ? SHANE WILLIAMS , HENSON , CHARVIS AND BOD IS AWSOME COOL

 

[jersey devil]

"square" left
"circle" right

 

[jersey devil]

No idea on Wales.

Actually wanted to play against them but selected tonga by accident instead.

Yeah BOD can go and is hard to bring down quick.
Hickey was getting tossed around though like a rag doll.
Got try but turned over ball like 3 times.

 

[DAVIES]

I am playing mostly with Wales and they are solid.

Henson is a beast and Peele is great picking it up and running.

S. Jones gets turned a lot.

Charvis is a beast as well.



My response to some of the dislikes listed above:


<Tackling is just weird. Maybe it just that right now it's counter intuitive for me since I play alot of madden.>
I've got it down now, and it's great. It was tough at the start, though.


<L2 drives me nuts as far as switching players that will take time.>
Agreed.

<Not using "square" to dive tackle is also hard.>
As with tackling, you'll adjust.

<But in general it's hard to tackle effectively.>
Again, you'll adjust.

<Also as "X" is bind in ruck and dive it's hard to judge when tackle has happened so I think I'm putting guys in ruck and they dive all over.>
The bar appears on the screen when a ruck is underway.

<Offsides is strange. I felt like they only call it if your guy "one highlighted" is offside when a ruck, etc ends. So like i'd have a guy offside then switch to guy onside then switch back and make tackle. Not on purpose really but just happened that way.>
Hadn't noticed, but I'll give it a go.


<As far as plays they run like last year touch anything stops them.
I like them but I wish you had more freedom in them. Not sure when you need to call these. Sometimes scrum half never turns green. and I think that is becasue no play is on.>
Plays work best on defense if you can guess what the opposition will be doing.
On offense I like Dummy Switch to pick up and run. Also Pocket is really nice for punts and drop goals.

<Rucks are hard to tell who is winning but personally I think I need to focus on ruck meter more. So much else right now to do that I forget that.>
If you use Classic 2 camera angle, it should be obvious who has possession, as they are always at the bottom of the screen.

<Video/Camera angles:
Guys seem small on everything but broadcast.
Maybe it's just me but I feel like they are far away.>
An unfortunate side effect of 30 players on the field. The only nsolution is a bigger TV, I think.

 

[jersey devil]

Yeah hopefully tackling will get better.
And I hope it results in more turnovers.

With rucks it's more or less am I going to win.
Yeah once lost yeah in classic 2 screen flips so yeah i get that

Offsides just seem grey area I though unless I was controlling guy offside.

 

[DAVIES]

I haven't quite figured out how to turn the ball over consistently.

What I do know is this:

- You're more likely to turn a runner in space if you DON'T dive tackle him.

- You can cause a player to knck on if you drill him with a dive tackle right after he catches a pass or kick



These methods are still sketchy, though. . .

 

[Bluebirds]

You got the game on PS2, DAVIES? If so, where from?

 

[DAVIES]

I'm in Toronto.

They have it at Gamerama, Yonge & Eglinton.

I think they have it at EB Games at Yonge & Eg, too.

 

[Bluebirds]

Oh ok, - just thought you may have been in Wales.

No problems.

 

[ricfalcons]

my biggest gripe is the l2 button too.it is hard to switch players while you use the left stick,wish you could use d-pad to control players but... that isnt going to happen huh?

 

[captainamerica]

I've got no problems with the L2 button for switching players.

In fact, I don't have any problems whatsoever with any of the buttons and I was raised on the Maddens, and more recently, the NCAA College Football.

Only thing I'm trying to get used to using is the Right Analogue stick. I've only ever used that occasionally but this game will boost that experience.

What we got to realize is that this is a brand new game. It's nothing like 2**4 -- thank god -- so we don't have a whole lot to go on. The controls are entirely different from WCR (which wasn't even released in the States) so there really is no severe frame of reference for the amount EA are trying to achieve, and what we are used to.