Multiplat AFL 23: Launch Thread (Xbox release date TBC)

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

STATE OF PLAY:

• The game is out for Steam and PlayStation. There have been issues with Xbox release and it is unclear when the game will be available.
• Big Ant are aware that there are playability issues & bugs at present.
• Content has been temporarily removed from the game to identify where the issues lie.
• This content will be re-introduced via patches in the coming days.
• Big Ant have released a summary of what is to be reintroduced, which can be seen below.

Spoiler: Features to be added

Spoiler: MOST RECENT PATCH NOTES

Issues & constructive criticism are best communicated to: support.bigant.com

Michaels Twitch video with QA from Ross(BigAntStudios) from 31:40

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

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I think it's a bit hard from the reviewers end as well though. They have to review the product that is available to consumers so what do they do? BigAnt are putting out daily patches so I can't even imagine what a fair review looks like. If I am writing a review now, do I have to rewrite it by tomorrow when a new patch arrives that fixes some of the issues mentioned? Maybe the solution is to wait, but then the people who are looking to purchase the game don't really have any reviews to go off so that doesn't seem fair.

Really, in a perfect world, reviewers are reviewing the game as it exists on day 1. I think anyone waiting a week or more to review the game are actually treating you quite fairly.

As someone who buys pretty much every BigAnt game it gets really frustrating to watch this cycle repeat. Cricket 22, AO Tennis and AFL 23 were all really poor on release and it impacted the overall reputation of those games massively. It's obviously easier said than done but at the end of all of this there has to be some lessons learned to ensure this doesn't happen again as the difference between some of these games at launch and after patches is just huge.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and make even this version of the game we have today the release version as I think it massively changes the narrative around the game.

well said

 

[berisha]

Ok, review is live. I've been going back and forth for the past few days after each patch just to make sure my criticisms were valid. I do think this game will be much better in a couple months after some significant patchwork and it's improved since launch, but as of right now $89+ is a tall ask.

AFL 23 Review

One patch at a time

www.well-played.com.au

 

[Demonic Ascent]

You do realise you have to hold the player to the ground, if you release the tackle button, your player will let them go (which is actually very realistic)

I'm certain that's what I was doing but will double check next time I play. Of course it's impossible to actually "realise" this because there is no practice/training environment that teaches you how to play.

Which version is being reviewed? A reasonable person might review the latest version rather than pick and choose across the week. It's more than an exaggeration to compare to the Cyberpunk release, we're one week out, not two years.

It's click bait.

A reasonable person would assume a product they buy off the shelf is a product the creator would happily have reviewed. You want to have your cake and eat it too, take people's money for an unfinished product but don't want those people to offer their opinions on the product.

 

[scraggers2016]

For Father's Day, Who's the Better Son? SOSOS or Daniher?

This isn’t about who’s currently the better player (Joe, definitely).

www.bigfooty.com

You will, and no doubt there will be a very good Tassie side made by someone in the Academy.

Edit: Apologies - I just saw you mentioned "Management Mode" - I need to confirm if that's the case.You will, and no doubt there will be a very good Tassie side made by someone in the Academy.

Edit: Apologies - I just saw you mentioned "Management Mode" - I need to confirm if that's the case.

Thanks for all the updates. the game is coming along nicely, just wondering if on management mode, will there be an opportunity to put a created player in a team in management mode? Thanks.

 

[BlackMamba]

Ok, review is live. I've been going back and forth for the past few days after each patch just to make sure my criticisms were valid. I do think this game will be much better in a couple months after some significant patchwork and it's improved since launch, but as of right now $89+ is a tall ask.

AFL 23 Review

One patch at a time

www.well-played.com.au

Would be tough doing a review with the game being patched each day… and this is a PS5 review… meaning we’re just hours away from having the 3 days worth of patched improvements in there.

 

[Xtreme]

IF the stuck like glue bug ever gets fixed the gameplay will improve massively.

I noticed during my game that the rucking (tapping) had altered ball placement ? Which meant the rovers were getting the ball in different spots (compared to the usual straight line). Which I liked but it'll seem like its pre programmed if the ball always lands in those areas.

That said some of those positions then allowed me to get the ball forward in different ways and actually have my set shots in different parts of the ground (I'm trying to get more Dom Sheed 2018 grand final style goals along the boundary line).

 

[berisha]

Would be tough doing a review with the game being patched each day… and this is a PS5 review… meaning we’re just hours away from having the 3 days worth of patched improvements in there.

Yeah it's been a weird one. At some point you have to simply call it a day and publish your thoughts. I've given it almost two weeks, which is a lot more than any other game would get.

 

[kingbob182]

Happy to get the win but this is the AI behaviour we've been talking about since day 1
View attachment Goal Line.mp4

 

[jimboob]

Which version is being reviewed? A reasonable person might review the latest version rather than pick and choose across the week. It's more than an exaggeration to compare to the Cyberpunk release, we're one week out, not two years.

It's click bait.

I read the review. Seems pretty fair, hard to find any fault in it. I mean hell, he even spelled Garry Lyon the right way

 

[tigerairau]

Played a game on the patch. Game is improved. Kicking when tackled is much nicer. Have to say the difficulty is too easy again, yesterdays patch fixed thje difficulty but todays has made it way too easy.
Nice to chain some of these together quickly

 

[kingbob182]

A little strange that I'm finally playing a game with a wind indicator on field. First time in about 6-7 games today. And it's blowing strong right to left at Marvel with the roof closed.

 

[chenny420]

when are free kicks other than HTB and deliberate coming to the game? thought this was supposed to have come in an earlier patch already.

 

[Michaels]

Online Is still not in a good spot.

Had the kick in glitch where All players are off the ground x 2

Had the soccer off the ground glitch x 1

Brad Hill was impossible to tackle.

That was all in 1 game.

Offline still feels mile better.

Still having most speccies result in auto play on then I get pinged holding the ball which is annoying, cause it's a great feeling when you take one, only to then lose the ball.

Ai marking is extraordinary. I find it so tough to spoil now but am playing on hardest.

 

[MundysMum]

Kinda getting tired of the "Well fifa and cyberpunk launched with bugs..." like yeah we know? This shouldn't be the industry standard however. Why do we just have to accept games going out as half done as normal now? I understand big ant is a smaller company, but they still need to be held to the same standards. You need to release a finished, stable product. I appreciate the amount of patches coming out I really do, however, I don't appreciate the hostility that grows when someone criticizes the game. They can do that! BUT then again, if someone praises certain aspects of the game that do work, why yell at them for it too? There is a lot of unwarranted petty shit going on here.

 

[Cocomarsh]

Which patch should they review?

AFL 23 has been patched every single day since release and it’s still not up to standard.

You are delusional if you think that Cyberpunk 2077 is not a fair comparison. Both games were glitchy buggy messes upon release.

What is the aim of the review?
Is it to give an accurate perspective of the experience a consumer would get if they purchased when the review is published, or just perpetuate a lazy personal agenda?

AFL 23 is far from a perfect game, but to review it with a lower score than AFL Live 2 iOS is just preposterous. And that thing was still on the Apple store being presented as a "current game" this year, so it is a very valid point of reference.
This just appears to be a backyard publication looking for a cheap win at someone else's expense.
And I tried to play Cyberpunk at launch - any comparison of AFL 23 (as it is right now) to that is completely unreasonable.

 

[imwinningagreatwall]

People run through me when i press tackle online- it should automatically bump or tackle a player if they run through me- especially if i click Triangle to Tackle. Why is online gameplay different/ worse

 

[kingbob182]

What is the aim of the review?
Is it to give an accurate perspective of the experience a consumer would get if they purchased when the review is published, or just perpetuate a lazy personal agenda?

AFL 23 is far from a perfect game, but to review it with a lower score than AFL Live 2 iOS is just preposterous. And that thing was still on the Apple store being presented as a "current game" this year, so it is a very valid point of reference.
This just appears to be a backyard publication looking for a cheap win at someone else's expense.
And I tried to play Cyberpunk at launch - any comparison of AFL 23 (as it is right now) to that is completely unreasonable.

I also played Cyberpunk on launch day and had a single glitch where a grenade didn't explode in the tutorial and I had to wait a few minutes before the game skipped ahead.
Other than that it was fine. Just a boring game that needed high end hardware.
This is riddled with bugs. Twice in my last match the ball hit the goal post, was called out on the full and I got stuck in the AI's third person camera until the play stopped again.
And for some reason, being tackled now seems to have either no effect on kicking or when kicking a torp seems to send it close to 100m now. And we're back to 100pt wins on Hardest.
Probably closer to 150 if I wasn't trying to kick a 70m torp for every goal.

 

[ItsJonesy777]

Why is online gameplay different/ worse

Could be a latency issue.

Online isn’t in a good spot right now and really needs to be the focus of some attention pretty soon otherwise Pro Teams will be an absolute failure.

 

[BlackMamba]

Bit fussy but I prefer the dribble kick animation when tackled, as opposed to being able to now bomb it long (and having it still be largely accurate, scored a few too many goals that way). Found the dribble kick more realistic than this.

I reckon a bit of both could be ideal… maybe depending on the timing of the tackle… like an earlier tackle produces a dribble kick… a later tackle gets a long kick.
And how askew it is from the intended target could also be affected… by timing, player kick attributes v tackle attributes, power modifier, etc.

 

[Oliver G]

I'm just accepting that I'm part of a Beta

That's great you see it that way but I guarantee you that more than 95% of people are not happy being part of a "beta" after paying full price for a game that was already delayed three weeks.

The sheer number of crashes reported alone justifies the intense criticism since launch, let alone gameplay issues and the total lack of communication on official channels. Saying "it will be good in a month" is something that should not be tolerated for anything where money has changed hands, it's totally acceptable for a free preview or beta but when people have actually paid money you expect a game to at least function in a way recognisable to what was advertised.

 

[Archer_11]

Steam patch is good. Very happy you can change the default team positions now and being able to kick (inaccurately) while being tackled is great. We have a yellow footy!

Punches seem to be nerfed again but I'm sure it will be optimised in due course. It doesn't sound like a big deal but if punching and marking is a similar risk then of course you're going to mark, strengthening the kick-to-kick dynamic.

Something else has been bugging me and I think I've finally worked out what it is. In most games a goal is scored every 10 - 20 seconds, the majority being from set shots. A set short from the whistle to centre bounce is around 15 seconds. This means the amount of time spent watching set shots is around the same as time spent in general play. I know we don't want to slow the game down or make passing harder so I'm not sure what the answer is. But now I've had this realisation it's difficult to shake the feeling that this is perhaps why the game can feel a little bit like you're stuck in a loop. No doubt it's on the whiteboard somewhere, look forward to seeing where this balance is taken over the next few weeks.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

The spinning animation is pretty cool - did it a few times in the two games I played




Bit fussy but I prefer the dribble kick animation when tackled, as opposed to being able to now bomb it long (and having it still be largely accurate, scored a few too many goals that way). Found the dribble kick more realistic than this.

Now, that looks like PS2 graphics, that's you putting it on very low graphic settings, right?

 

[Xtreme]

Now, that looks like PS2 graphics, that's you putting it on very low graphic settings, right?

The character model setting is on very low, shadows are off... but everything else is on the highest setting.

 

[illnino]

Something else has been bugging me and I think I've finally worked out what it is. In most games a goal is scored every 10 - 20 seconds, the majority being from set shots. A set short from the whistle to centre bounce is around 15 seconds. This means the amount of time spent watching set shots is around the same as time spent in general play. I know we don't want to slow the game down or make passing harder so I'm not sure what the answer is. But now I've had this realisation it's difficult to shake the feeling that this is perhaps why the game can feel a little bit like you're stuck in a loop. No doubt it's on the whiteboard somewhere, look forward to seeing where this balance is taken over the next few weweeks.

Easy fix. Make it so that most contested marking situations end up with the ball hitting the deck, regardless of if players press mark or spoil.

 

[illnino]

I'm certain that's what I was doing but will double check next time I play. Of course it's impossible to actually "realise" this because there is no practice/training environment that teaches you how to play.

Doesn't it mention it in the guide?