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Mr. Laxative

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Right guys. I have copied what i think is relevant for the upcoming game in to a word document and i am composing it. I should have this up within a week. However there is still time to post your opinion. Plz tell me what u think should be in the next game, that could actually be used by EA.

BTW I am still looking for an e-mail address for andrew wilson. If anyone knows plz say.
 
I think he's with EA, as he does the promoting and stuff, which is EA's job, not HB's. Also I think I read an interview somewhere where he was introduced as AW from EA. I could be wrong though.
 
Right, here's the document i will be sending to Andrew Wilson. I can not load it up as a file so i will insert it in a series of posts.
Part One:

EA Supa Rugby

Game Modes
Supa Mode: This is a new inclusion in the Rugby Series Similar to the Madden Franchise Mode.
First you need to create a team that you use in a Club League (same format as World League) against pre-made clubs. There is no trading at this stage because all teams are filled with misfit players that don't actually exist.

After completing the Club League you will get an offer to run a new team in an expanded Super 12 or Zurich Premiership. The country this team is in (you can chose) will be the country u control in test matches. First you must select or build a stadium, design a uniform and draw some players over. Your S12/ZP team will also play matches against touring sides - international or not. Any matches at your stadium - international or not - you will control.

After going through the S12/ZP season you move to test matches. First select your nations squad. You can chose to have the top 30 players from your country - no matter which tournament - put forward by the computer and select most or all of your players from this list. However, you can select from a full list one position after another.
Play in the Tri Nations or Six Nations depending on which hemisphere and play friendly matches against PI and other touring teams.
If you control a Southern Hemisphere team you go on spring tour. If you control a Northern Hemisphere team you play the touring sides.
You play the teams you have selected to line up against, so you 'can' go for a Grand Slam tour. At the end of the tour you play the Barbarians.
Every four years your team will compete in the World Cup should your team be able to qualify.

When controlling your teams you must make sure all your players are happy and you have to deal with their contracts. You can create players that you can sign on immediately. Also you will need to make sure that your fans are happy. This will reflect on the size of your home crowd. You need to deal with the money your team has and make sure that you don’t go bust - sign on sponsors if you need to. View your team information like in Madden’s ‘Owner Box’ and a new inclusion is the ability to view your trophy cabinet.

This mode will last for up to thirty seasons.

Tournaments
World League: This year the World League remains, however under a slightly different format.
As in previous years, you select your team’s home from a list of all the existing club sides. A team of underachieving players replaces your team’s player base.
Your team is placed in the lowest division and must work their way up the ranks by coming in the top two of each division. There is also a Knockout Cup, which all teams compete for, in the same format as previous games.

In this World League you do not play the game for trade points, but for money. As in previous games you must work around your team’s maintenance costs. The ‘win to trade’ ratio will be the same as in previous games to make the League fair and possible to win.

Each division will have numbers as follows:
Div 1 = 13 teams
Div 2 = 13 teams
Div 3 = 12 teams
These numbers allow for the two new Super 14 teams.

Each team plays every other team in their division once with one bye. At the end of the season the top four teams in each division play a finals series as follows:
Semis:
1 v 4
2 v 3
Final:
Winner S1 v Winner S2

The two teams that make the final get promoted. The two bottom teams from each division get relegated.

World Cup: This year a few inclusions have been made to make all World Cups playable.
The format of the World Cup has changed over the years and different teams have competed. This year Zimbabwe and the Ivory Coast have been included in the game so that a complete World Cup can be played in all years of its existence. All the pools are accurate with correct teams in each tournament.

The following is a list of team numbers and pools in each world cup:
1987: 16 teams, 4 pools with 4 teams in each. No Bonus Points. Host nation â€" Australia and New Zealand
1991: 16 teams, 4 pools with 4 teams in each. No Bonus Points. Host nation â€" England
1995: 16 teams, 4 pools with 4 teams in each. No Bonus Points. Host nation â€" South Africa
1999: 20 teams, 5 pools with 4 teams in each. ‘Quarter- Final Qualification’ round. No Bonus Points.
Host Nation â€" Wales
2003: 20 teams, 4 pools with 5 teams in each. Bonus Points included.
2007: 20 teams, 4 pools with 5 teams in each. Bonus Points included.

In each World Cup the top two teams from each pool progress to the quarter-finals, except in the case of RWC 1999. This World Cup was simulated perfectly in Rugby 2001. The format for the finals series has already been simulated in Rugby 2001, 2004, 2005.

Super 14: This year the Super 12 has been extended to a Super 14 with the Western Force from Australia and the Central Cheetahs from South Africa joining the competition.
The format for the Super 14 is as follows:
Round Stage: Each team plays every other team in the competition once with one bye. A win earns the team four points and a Bonus Point is given if a team scores four or more tries or loses by no more than seven points.
Finals Series: The top four teams advance to the finals series. Matches are as follows:
Semi Finals:
1 v 4
2 v 3
Final:
Winner S1 v Winner S2 (Best placed team in the Round Stage is the host team)

Other:
All other tournaments have been simulated near perfectly and need little improvement.
In every tournament a home team’s crowd will vary depending on on-field performance. Crowd sizes will affect player and team morale.
Players who are seen to be doing something unwise during a game risk being sent to a judiciary and being suspended.
Before each game you can chose your teams kit. If you are playing a game away from home your kit must not conflict with your opposition’s kit.

Training
Basic Training:
This is a good mode that should be completed as you receive a trophy. After completing each aspect of Basic Training a new Game Situation that uses the skill you have learnt is unlocked

Scrimmage:
A mode that allows you to play against a defence or attacking team and touch up your in game skills.

Free Choice:
A training mode that allows you to chose different areas for touch up.
 
Part 2:

In Game Options and Gameplay
Camera Views:
This year you can customise your own camera views, however this may not be needed. All the camera views from previous games have been included and two new ones have been added.
Zoom: This camera angle zooms in close to and behind the ruck, the camera will stay in this position should you play it in close with the half back or forwards. When the backs have the ball the camera zooms out.
Swing: This camera acts the same as ‘Zoom’ when the ball is with the forwards or close to ruck. When the ball is with the backs the camera swings out to an angle similar to that seen in ‘Broadcast’.

Replays:
This year replays are much more fluent than the previous installments and the replay is shown in a format similar to that seen on the ‘Madden’ games. The ‘Instant Replay’ option in game menu remains in the same format, however this time it runs much more fluently. You will also be able to save your custom replays.

Game Length:
This year you can chose from a list of ten half-lengths.
Your options will be: 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 mins.

Stadia:
In this installment all stadiums are up to date. Even the most minor details have been taken into account including ‘Big Screens’ and signs for kiosks around the stadium. Stairs and barriers look far more realistic with official sponsors.

Difficulty:
This year two new difficulty levels have been added: Beginner and Test.
· ‘Beginner’ is for those completely foreign to the game of Rugby. The game is slower and has less feel, but actually acts as a tutorial.
· ‘Test’ is for those accomplished in the game of Rugby. Even those that have perfected most skills will have difficulty in this mode. If you are not up to scratch you will be beaten by Georgia.
Commentary:
This installment in the Rugby series has more than 110 lines for each major facet of the game used for good and bad play in each area. There is more excitement in the voices of the commentators and it does not sound so heavily ‘cut and pasted’ as the commentary in other Rugby ***les are.
This year the commentators include Greg Martin and Phil Kearns and side line up dates is expertly taken to by Murray Mexted.

War Cries:
In Rugby 2005 the All Blacks perform the Haka before the match. This year war cries for the Maoris, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and the Pacific Islanders Rep side have also been included. These teams have voiced the war cry that they perform. The All Blacks eligible to lead the Haka have given their voice to that position as well.

Refereeing:
Styles of refereeing differ between hemispheres and this has been simulated into the game perfectly. Northern refs are more conservative and are used to the tight play seen in the Northern Hemisphere. Southern refs are more used to the open, free-flowing play in the Southern Hemisphere.

Some of the top referees have given their likenesses and voices to the game. This year referees are animated for in game play â€" not just cut scenes.

Ball Physics:
This part of the game has been improved beyond belief. The ball will do many random things while on the ground, but all are realistic. A rolling ball may suddenly bounce up depending on the spin. The ball will bounce in a certain direction depending on the angle of it after a kick has been made to open field. This section is unexplainable and viewing it in game is the only way of presenting ball physics properly.

Defensive and Tight Play:
The following is a list of controls for tackling on PS2:
· Dive Tackle = x button
· Ball and All tackle = circle button
· Ankle Tap (for pressure situations and tripping players on the run) = triangle button
· Power Tackle (risk a dangerous tackle or missing target) = right analogue stick in direction of target
· Wrestle For The Ball = move both analogue sticks in a circular motion

The following is a list of controls for rucks on PS2:
· Add players = x button
· Remove players = square button
· Handle ball = right analogue stick
· Pressure / Win Ball = Left Analogue stick towards try line
· Pass ball = shoulder buttons
· Box kick = triangle button

This year mauls are controlled similar to a ruck, however you use the circle button (on PS2) to put pressure on the opposition and drive further. By quickly tapping this button you can get a superior drive on the opposition.

Passing:
This year passing has been enhanced so that you can make offloads and better pop passes. All passing is controlled with the shoulder buttons on PS2.
When trying to perform an offload you must hold the R1/L1 button when in a ‘Ball and All’ tackle to get the ball away. Even your best efforts may result in an intercept so you will need to perfect the timing.
Tapping R2/L2 as you approach a defender performs a pop pass. Sprinting is controlled with R2 however if your timing is perfect you will not be able to stop sprinting by the time you reach the defender â€" making the running much more realistic and fluent.

Line Outs:
This area is controlled in exactly the same manner used in Rugby 2005. This year however you can chose the number of players in the lineout and make quick throw-ins.
If a receiving player is in touch when he takes the ball he can immediately pass by tapping R1/L1 and take what is called a quick throw-in.
If this is turned down an option screen will come up with three numbers â€" 3, 5 or 7. These numbers refer to the amount of players in the lineout. It is then up to you to control which player you throw to (using the face buttons) and the timing of the jump.

Penalties:
This year, your team and the AI operated team will be penalised for more offences than just offsides and handling the ball on the ground.
New offences include:
· Deliberately passing the ball into touch
· Deliberately knocking the ball down
· Dangerous or Illegal Tackles
Substitutions:
This year you are able to make more than one substitution at a time to make the game as much like real Rugby as possible. As the game progresses it is known that players tire so this year the AI will make replacements when it sees it necessary.

During the game you may be hit by injuries and a need arises to change a players position mid-match. In Rugby 2005 this was not able to be done, so this year you will be able to change positions of players when you feel it necessary.

Creation
Create-a-Player:
In Supa Rugby you will be able to create a brand new player. The face creator still exists, however more concentration is made on the players build and accessories. You will be able to set the exact height and weight of your player. Your player can wear arm tape, wrist tape, gloves, thigh tape, head tape and headgear. You can adjust the colour of your accessories to suit the team your player is in. No commentary name will need to be selected this year. If you type in a name that is in the database the name will be used in commentary. If the name is not in the database the player will be referred to by his position â€" eg. ‘the winger is away’.
This year you will be able to adjust an existing player, however you will not be able to change their name or face.

Create-a-Team:
This creation zone is an in depth team creation similar to that in the Madden series. Commentary will be compatible with the team name should it already exist. If it does not it will then be referred to as ‘the home team’ or ‘the visiting team’.
 
Just sent e-mail. I will continue to send one twice a week until i get a reply.
 
And your emails will continue to get filtered by his anti-spam untill you stop. Don't expect a reply any time soon, and if you do get a reply it will be meaningless and light.
 
Don't be to sure about that, Andrew Wilson did say he will look at feedback and opinions and send replys in an interview.
 
Originally posted by Jacko@Apr 21 2005, 09:18 PM
Don't be to sure about that, Andrew Wilson did say he will look at feedback and opinions and send replys in an interview.
Oh yes, Andrew Wilsons word is invaluable.
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Surely we all need to mail EA, reckon they'll pay more attention to 5000 e mails than 5 e mails.

We all seem to be thinking along the same lines.

Good suggestions by the way, I can think of a few more ones re the gameplay though.
 
Jacko maybe something you can add to the e mail next time you send it, is for EA to include a feature allowing you to compare 2 players. This will make it easier when you can't decide who to put in a particular position and even for when selecting teams.
 
I can pretty much 100% guarantee he won't read most of, if any of that. If he even recieves it in th first place.
 
Yeah, could be wrong address. Also i'm not gonna change anything for my next one if you want an idea sent that isn't there could you plz do it yourself?
 
You can't know for sure whether honest toil will work or not....but you are at least trying jacko...and that is very honourable IMO.

Just make sure you head it as having "the wishes of 5,ooo rugby forum members and gamers contained within" or something similar....

make sure it will get attention....speak of rugby game boycott by all emebers and affiliates if changes are not introduced and requests included in the gameplay etc...including a possible letter to the fair trade commission for intentionally holding back improvements as a form of economic blackmail that runs into the millions..No action will be taken, again, IF changes are implemented - I think you get the idea.

Send it to more than just Andrew Wilson send it to HB studios, EA and anyone relevant. Send multiple times explaining that a promise to institute changes will result in the end of emailing!!!

You have done a good job Jacko and ANYONE with email addreses that are helpful or relevant should post them here....

come on!!
 
I see, Jacko, that you have sued a lot of my tips for changes word-for-word....if you have any success...don't forget Los Lover's contribution lol!!!


you know my tackle buttons suggestion, amongst others, was the freakin' shiznit!!
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Originally posted by Los Lover@Apr 22 2005, 04:37 PM
You can't know for sure whether honest toil will work or not....but you are at least trying jacko...and that is very honourable IMO.

Just make sure you head it as having "the wishes of 5,ooo rugby forum members and gamers contained within" or something similar....

make sure it will get attention....speak of rugby game boycott by all emebers and affiliates if changes are not introduced and requests included in the gameplay etc...including a possible letter to the fair trade commission for intentionally holding back improvements as a form of economic blackmail that runs into the millions..No action will be taken, again, IF changes are implemented - I think you get the idea.

Send it to more than just Andrew Wilson send it to HB studios, EA and anyone relevant. Send multiple times explaining that a promise to institute changes will result in the end of emailing!!!

You have done a good job Jacko and ANYONE with email addreses that are helpful or relevant should post them here....

come on!!
Los, however much I admire your enthusiasm, I don't think making threats will contribute anything to our cause.

EA has absolutely no legal, social or economic obligation to 'listen' to its customers and incorporate suggested changes into their computer games. It would be unwise of them not to do so, but there is nothing in the law which says they must - therefore trying to threaten them by approaching the Fair Trade Commission won't make the blindest bit of difference (which Fair Trade Commission do you mean? every country has one!)

For starters Fair Trade policies are about promoting ethical trade practices, focusing on business to business transactions, or the trade of goods across international borders. It has nothing to do with companies listening to their consumers - sadly! If you think about it EA arn't doing anything unethical or wrong by selling us a game which doesn't meet all our needs. We don't HAVE to buy it after all!

If you are a manufacturer being shafted by price rises in raw materials, predatory pricing, or unfair taxes, then you have some grounds to go to a Fair Trade Commission, because as a manufacturer you rely on these factors being 'fair' to survive - its a no choice situation, and effects your lively hood. The content of a computer game doesn't!

And a boycott? Don't make me laugh! Thats impossible, and if it did work all it would achieve is to starve EA of the funds needed to make future rugby games - so lets not be shooting ourselves in the foot!
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