Multiplat AFL 23 - Part 2 (23/04/24 PATCH: Sliders are here)

[Kidneykid95]

Seems like patch notes are out already .. not sure how to feel about it.. thoughts??

ITS GONE LIVE ALSO! Just got it on PS5 = 1.7GB

 

[GoldbergsGold]

The increase in dropping the ball calls appears to be game balancing, trying to make it less of a bomb-it-long-always game, and to promote smarter congested play with the ‘arms-up and ride the tackle’ action.

It's very forced, repetitive and unnatural the way its implemented, the players are not even off balanced when they're pinned dropping the ball. There's so many other ways they could have stopped the "bomb it long" exploit, obviously numbers around the contested contests and more advanced contested mechanics.

 

[BlackMamba]

It's very forced, repetitive and unnatural the way it’s implemented, the players are not even off balanced when they're pinned dropping the ball. There's so many other ways they could have stopped the "bomb it long" exploit, obviously numbers around the contested contests and more advanced contested mechanics.

The tackle that makes them drop the ball is what puts them off balance. I think that’s fairly realistic…

I agree they could put more players to contested contests, but I think any more than they get now would make it more chaotic, and more of a stoppage/tackle fest. This way there can still be stoppages, but if you keep a cool head you can properly think and work your way out of it.

At least, that’s how I feel now I’ve understood it and started playing that way. Others (including streamers) may still be stuck on the old way of playing the game.

 

[Xtreme]

At least, that’s how I feel now I’ve understood it and started playing that way. Others (including streamers) may still be stuck on the old way of playing the game.

I've adapted semi quickly, but then again I didn't always kick, mark, kick, mark my way to goal every single center bounce.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

The tackle that makes them drop the ball is what puts them off balance. I think that’s fairly realistic…

I don't really see that in real football, the players usually are off their feet or really off balanced when they drop the ball from an opposition tackle that comes from behind. Sometimes players can even get a kick away off balanced from a behind tackle. There's no variation of that in the game, it's just balanced players dropping the ball every time the opposition tackles from behind.

I agree they could put more players to contested contests, but I think any more than they get now would make it more chaotic, and more of a stoppage/tackle fest.

That's why contested plays would need to be more advanced. League Live 4 had mechanics that could have been used in this like goose stepping from a missed tackle.

 

[YeoShuey]

Is the game worth the price? My guess is no and they will probably release something new next year.

 

[BlackMamba]

I don't really see that in real football, the players usually are off their feet or really off balanced when they drop the ball from an opposition tackle that comes from behind. Sometimes players can even get a kick away off balanced from a behind tackle. There's no variation of that in the game, it's just balanced players dropping the ball every time the opposition tackles from behind.

There actually is a bit of that in the game. If you're tackled while kicking (and get the kick away) you can see some differences in the result of the kick.
At the moment, it's more just the distance that changes... whereas I personally would like more variation of direction, distance and quality of the kick to vary when tackles. (i.e the scrubber kick that we got for a few patches in the early days).

 

[Nacho4EVA]

Long time no see AFL 23, Game is more enjoyable to play. I’m however begging any devs reading to please add a select sides option to management mode so my mate and I can play co-op, would make the game 10x better

 

[FearTheBeard13]

Hold it up just prior to being tackled.

You can practice when you’re in huge open space… but it only lasts a second or so… meaning, you can’t just run along all the time with your arms up waiting for someone to tackle you…. You need to somewhat pre-empt the incoming tackle.

Thank you! Gonna say it until I’m blue in the face but we really do need the aforementioned Training mode. Even if it was like Evo’s with a single player on an oval it’s better than nothing.

 

[Magpiesfooty98]

 

[Xtreme]

Thank you! Gonna say it until I’m blue in the face but we really do need the aforementioned Training mode. Even if it was like Evo’s with a single player on an oval it’s better than nothing.

Would love to practice set shots without the pressure of missing when in a proper game!!

 

[Treehill23]

Would love to practice set shots without the pressure of missing when in a proper game!!

Funnily enough, when reinstalling the game, I was able to play that set shot demo that was at the Grand Final a couple of years ago.
So it’s there to be played, but can only access it when the game is installing
Not sure why they wouldn’t incorporate this into the full game

 

[BlackMamba]

Funnily enough, when reinstalling the game, I was able to play that set shot demo that was at the Grand Final a couple of years ago.
So it’s there to be played, but can only access it when the game is installing
Not sure why they wouldn’t incorporate this into the full game

Yep... it's a bit different from what's in the game now though.

 

[SugarShane]

Thank you! Gonna say it until I’m blue in the face but we really do need the aforementioned Training mode. Even if it was like Evo’s with a single player on an oval it’s better than nothing.

Absolutely. The only way to practise anything is to do it in a match. I spent ages trying to test out the new snap button mechanic but took most of the match to actually get one out without being tackled or forgetting which buttons to use (and then botched the kick anyway).

The dream would be an NFL/WWE style tutorial where it actually gives you feedback on what you did right or wrong, when trying a fend or an evasion there's no feedback at all to whether you're too early or too late which leads you to suffer through trial and error a game at a time.

 

[Archer_11]

Up to about 20 games with the patch and still really enjoying it. It's amazing the amount of people still claiming hot garbage around the traps, clearly this is going to be a process for a lot of people. Although the 'Evo 2 was ten times better' crowd are shrinking, so there's that.

Proper contested footy has been kicked down the road which has led to incorrect disposal being the most common reward for a successful tackle. If you can accept the reality that contested footy is not in the game I think there are far worse gameplay dynamics, especially since a clearance kick or handball seem to be the in game counter for when you are caught. That can have a happy ending or you can turn it over, which is close enough to the real thing imo. The advanced disposal options in general really open up the game and make ball movement a lot more enjoyable. Chip kicking feels a little op and I imagine there are some very successful and boring players online using it as their primary disposal method. It's not a cheat code thankfully, but it's highly effective.

Things I like -

• marking with the flight of the ball
• teammates can generally be relied on to tackle or not stop dead when receiving the ball
• don't have to worry about making players lead or fluffing simple passes in defence, but you can still stuff up a play if you're not careful.

Also a few things that I think deserve recognition -

• the best treatment of the tap-kick-mark-goal dynamic so far. You can do it, but it's not guaranteed and your forwards are not 10m in the clear. When it doesn't work it feels 'in game' and not like there's a piece of bolt on code ensuring it's non viable like some other games have done in the past.
• tacklefests are entirely avoidable
• speccies from the side / marks running with the flight - we've not had this before
• a few small touches where it looks like the dev team have thought about a scenario and programmed the AI for it. For example. last night I had been chaining handballs in defence and a fast turnover saw the oppo full forward in possession 20m in the clear. He ran towards goal, took a couple of bounces and kicked a full strength punt on the goal line.

To be clear on that last point - he didn't stop, prop and short pass to an inferior option (Evo). He didn't turn on a dime and kick from 30m out like he was about to be tackled (every game prior). He ran to the goal line and booted it into the stands. Sensational.

With that out of the way, the game still has a ton of work to do. If pre-patch you would say it was 80% unplayable sludge, I'd say now we're at around 20%. You still have locked frames, contests where the player does nothing, ineffective tackles where you have plenty of time and for whatever reason your hands are butter. The out on the full bug, there is still teleporting, the AI doesn't understand when it's kicking for goal after the siren and you lose any manual changes from the previous game. All things that need attention and I can't see a future where I prefer playing management mode for all the criticism it is receiving. Missing game modes, sliders, it's a very long list. But overall I'm happy that this is where we have got to after the disastrous launch year.

Tactics! Some things that are working for me -

• tackled from behind -> clearance kick
• fwd entry -> chip kick
• goal kicking -> use the red zone and adjust for the curve a little more
• goals on the run -> must be in the clear, don't need to worry about facing the goal
• kick to a free man - let the AI take possession
• 2 v 1 longball - punch! So glad this is now a useful option.

If you read this far, well done.

 

[Quivorir]

For those who want a training mode can't you just put the AI to easy and turn all the sliders down so you essentially have all the time in the world to test things?

 

[Xtreme]

Up to about 20 games with the patch and still really enjoying it. It's amazing the amount of people still claiming hot garbage around the traps, clearly this is going to be a process for a lot of people. Although the 'Evo 2 was ten times better' crowd are shrinking, so there's that.

Proper contested footy has been kicked down the road which has led to incorrect disposal being the most common reward for a successful tackle. If you can accept the reality that contested footy is not in the game I think there are far worse gameplay dynamics, especially since a clearance kick or handball seem to be the in game counter for when you are caught. That can have a happy ending or you can turn it over, which is close enough to the real thing imo. The advanced disposal options in general really open up the game and make ball movement a lot more enjoyable. Chip kicking feels a little op and I imagine there are some very successful and boring players online using it as their primary disposal method. It's not a cheat code thankfully, but it's highly effective.

Things I like -

• marking with the flight of the ball
• teammates can generally be relied on to tackle or not stop dead when receiving the ball
• don't have to worry about making players lead or fluffing simple passes in defence, but you can still stuff up a play if you're not careful.

Also a few things that I think deserve recognition -

• the best treatment of the tap-kick-mark-goal dynamic so far. You can do it, but it's not guaranteed and your forwards are not 10m in the clear. When it doesn't work it feels 'in game' and not like there's a piece of bolt on coding ensuring it's non viable like some other games have done in the past.
• tacklefests are entirely avoidable
• speccies from the side / marks running with the flight - we've not had this before
• a few small touches where it looks like the dev team have thought about a scenario and programmed the AI for it. For example. last night I had been chaining handballs in defence and a fast turnover saw the oppo full forward in possession 20m in the clear. He ran towards goal, took a couple of bounces and kicked a full strength punt on the goal line.

To be clear on that last point - he didn't stop, prop and short pass to an inferior option (Evo). He didn't turn on a dime and kick from 30m out like he was about to be tackled (every game prior). He ran to the goal line and booted it into the stands. Sensational.

With that out of the way, the game still has a ton of work to do. If pre-patch you would say it was 80% unplayable sludge, I'd say now we're at around 20%. You still have locked frames, contests where the player does nothing, ineffective tackles where you have plenty of time and for whatever reason your hands are butter. The out on the full bug, there is still teleporting, the AI doesn't understand when it's kicking for goal after the siren and you lose any manual changes from the previous game. All things that need attention and I can't see a future where I prefer playing management mode for all the criticism it is receiving. Missing game modes, sliders, it's a very long list. But overall I'm happy that this is where we have got to after the disastrous launch year.

Tactics! Some things that are working for me -

• tackled from behind -> clearance kick
• fwd entry -> chip kick
• goal kicking -> use the red zone and adjust for the curve a little more
• goals on the run -> must be in the clear, don't need to worry about facing the goal
• kick to a free man - let the AI take possession
• 2 v 1 longball - punch! So glad this is now a useful option.

If you read this far, well done.

* If I sense I'm going to run into trouble (a certain tackle/holding the ball moment). I handball into space, run on to it, collecting my own hand pass and then sprint away faster, before passing to a teammate. Works most of the time.


I've noticed that it's harder to mark in the forward 50. Where previously every mark stuck like glue. I can still win mark contests 99% of the time elsewhere.

However to counter the butterfingers of the forward pocket/full forward, instead of charging in and bombing it before the 50m arc... I keep it simple and either kick to the half forward line then either go the set shot, or have the half forward line short pass it to the full forward/forward pocket. They've marked every short pass without fail.

For those who want a training mode can't you just put the AI to easy and turn all the sliders down so you essentially have all the time in the world to test things?

There are no sliders!!

*shakes fist angrily

 

[BlackMamba]

For those who want a training mode can't you just put the AI to easy and turn all the sliders down so you essentially have all the time in the world to test things?

Can also try AFLW games, where there’s 16 per side on the field instead of 18, to provide more space.

 

[BlackMamba]

To be clear on that last point - he didn't stop, prop and short pass to an inferior option (Evo). He didn't turn on a dime and kick from 30m out like he was about to be tackled (every game prior). He ran to the goal line and booted it into the stands. Sensational.

Haha… that’s great!

Chip kicking feels a little op and I imagine there are some very successful and boring players online using it as their primary disposal method.

fwd entry -> chip kick

Interesting… I personally only find success with chip kick around the wings. For a forward entry it gives too much of a chance for the opposition to get to a contest and spoil.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Up to about 20 games with the patch and still really enjoying it. It's amazing the amount of people still claiming hot garbage around the traps, clearly this is going to be a process for a lot of people. Although the 'Evo 2 was ten times better' crowd are shrinking, so there's that.

This happened, last year, too, people praising the game until the updates stopped. 23 really should have surpassed all predecessors gameplay wise from the get go, instead of being very unfinished. It's surreal to see a game being developed in real time after you buy it.

 

[Archer_11]

This happened, last year, too, people praising the game until the updates stopped. 23 really should have surpassed all predecessors gameplay wise from the get go, instead of being very unfinished. It's surreal to see a game being developed in real time after you buy it.

I think it's good to have naysayers and BA need to listen to all forms of criticism.

For me personally the bar is incredibly low. I'm an old gamer, the only one I missed out on playing was the NES one. Of the 15 or so games that have been released less than half were worth playing for longer than a couple of weeks and the rest were pretty much DOA. I still recall than sinking feeling where you've waited 2+ years for a game and within the first hour you realise the AI doesn't know what it's doing, then another two - three year wait for another roll of the dice. That's my context.

True, BA didn't walk the talk which stung because fan engagement on Live 1 was outstanding and the game at the time was incredible for what it was. I'm glad I missed a lot of the toxic nose dive (I think it was something like 50 pages every few hours at one point) and it was the right thing for BA to step away. I don't care about point scoring or sending a message, I just care about the quality of the game and achieving a nirvana state which is a good baseline with a new game or DLC each year.

So the patch is good, rejoice. Maybe just maybe Ross is still dead serious about evolving the series and being in it for the long haul. I'd like to say 'if the next game is good hopefully we all move on' but truth be told I'm completely over it. For every bad code drop the cost to BA vastly outweighs whatever frustration or disappointment we are all feeling. And if BA are producing the goods I couldn't care less if Ross called me every day to hurl abuse specifically customised just for me. A small price to pay to finally have a bona fide AFL game franchise.

 

[KingNothing]

Reinstalled for the first time since I deleted it about 11 months ago to see what the new update has done.

Jumped in an offline game vs Medium AI. About 20 seconds in I took a mark on the wing, and handballed to the man running past. There was no one in front of me and the man on the mark was a good 5m away at least. That man on the mark then teleported 5m to tackle me: holding the ball.

The AI then kicked long and marked on the 50. I tried to switch off the man on the mark but I couldn't. He also wasn't manning the mark, he he was just running around in circles repeatedly. He did this until the AI kicked the ball away, I was then able to change my player also.

Good to see it's a still a steaming pile of s**t

 

[Nicho50]

I know I should stay away from it and have been enjoying WWE2K which is taking up my time but with the season starting I have that itch to want to see if its any better. So many mixed reports still.

Aside from the game play have they fixed any of the issues with management mode? Can you create players and put them in a draft class like NBA2K? So you don't continually have fake players coming in?

 

[BlackMamba]

I know I should stay away from it and have been enjoying WWE2K which is taking up my time but with the season starting I have that itch to want to see if its any better. So many mixed reports still.

Aside from the game play have they fixed any of the issues with management mode? Can you create players and put them in a draft class like NBA2K? So you don't continually have fake players coming in?

This patch only mentioned gameplay changes, and maybe one or two menu things, but not really Management Mode.

There are some mixed reports. The positive appear to be mostly how the game plays and its enjoyment. The negatives appear to be about more rare plays/outcomes… some I haven’t seen before

 

[Nicho50]

This patch only mentioned gameplay changes, and maybe one or two menu things, but not really Management Mode.

There are some mixed reports. The positive appear to be mostly how the game plays and its enjoyment. The negatives appear to be about more rare plays/outcomes… some I haven’t seen before

I am way behind on where this game is so even still to this day the management mode or season modes don't work properly? To me that is the most important aspect. I can put up with game play that is you know not the most polished if the management mode or depth to it is there but got zero interest in playing a bunch of one off games.

 

[BlackMamba]

I am way behind on where this game is so even still to this day the management mode or season modes don't work properly? To me that is the most important aspect. I can put up with game play that is you know not the most polished if the management mode or depth to it is there but got zero interest in playing a bunch of one off games.

I can understand that, but feel others would've wanted it the other way... and welcome the gameplay prioritization.

I do see that others have mentioned reporting bugs about Management Mode, so we're hoping they're fixed in the next patch or two... but I didn't see any mention of the feature you mentioned in their roadmap post, so we're not really sure what'll happen with Management Mode from here.