EA SPORTS AFL 2015/ AFL 2K15 - Wishlist thread

XylophoneSolo

Draftee
May 24, 2011
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The whole concept of AFL game needs a reboot.

Give up on 18 v 18 and create an AFL 9's game.
It would be much easier to develop and would be a great introduction for non-AFL converts.

9s is fun, fast, footy, and wouldn't be too different from NHL's engine.

Can't imagine the budget would be as big, would settle for just an AFL league (no tiered divisions) if it means getting the gameplay right.
 

XylophoneSolo

Draftee
May 24, 2011
4
1
AFL Club
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mate, it's still an AFL game, just a different approach.

Get the mechanics right and go from there, 9's game is a great template for fluid & dynamic gameplay.

AFL game developers continually jump in the deep end and drown, that's why this discussion exists.
 
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Yet people want to actually play an AFL game that resembles the real thing. AFL game needs to have the flood, the Weagles web and all the tactical stuff that comes with it, the opposition coach needs to throw up a difficult scenario for you as coach or player to pass.

No one wants to play a simple this 9s bullshit you have suggested. Footy is footy, it's developing every year and people want a video game that replicates the real league.

If an AFL game went into this 9s business, then I'd much rather just follow and play NRL games.
 
Apr 10, 2007
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Get the mechanics right and go from there,

Yeah Big Ant were doing that with AFL Live and got no support from the AFL or game publishers for future releases. The old saying, "you need to spend money to make money" the fact that the AFL couldn't help Big Ant out is just plain sad.
 

Plastic_Hawk9

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2k Australia have made great games like the bioshock series and borderlands pre sequel. Why not ask them? They have the money to make these games and if they don't, they can either make a kickstarter or ask the AFL for some help. Maybe, don't judge me, but could big ant and 2k work together to make the game? That should be bound to draw some more attention and increase sales.

Would you rather have wicked witch and big ant make the game, or 2k australia and big ant?
 
2k Australia have made great games like the bioshock series and borderlands pre sequel. Why not ask them? They have the money to make these games and if they don't, they can either make a kickstarter or ask the AFL for some help. Maybe, don't judge me, but could big ant and 2k work together to make the game? That should be bound to draw some more attention and increase sales.

Would you rather have wicked witch and big ant make the game, or 2k australia and big ant?
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/04/2k-australia-in-canberra-closes-its-doors/
We can confirm we have taken steps to begin the studio closure process for 2K Australia in order to better manage ongoing development costs while improving the working proximity of our creative teams. We are very grateful for the team’s valuable contributions to numerous 2K projects, and are working with affected staff to explore reassignment opportunities where possible.
 
Yet people want to actually play an AFL game that resembles the real thing. AFL game needs to have the flood, the Weagles web and all the tactical stuff that comes with it, the opposition coach needs to throw up a difficult scenario for you as coach or player to pass..

Here in lies one of the major problems with making an AFL game.

An AFL game takes 2 hours of real time, but people want to play a video game in say 20 minutes, so 5 minute quarters.

People also want realistic scores, or at least something reasonably close, so say something between 9 and 12 goals on average is optimal. However, to achieve that within 20 minutes when it takes 120 minutes in real life is to inflate the scoring rate by a factor of 6.

So, how can you do that? You could make the players kick incredibly accurate but that would look very dodgy. Maybe make defenders useless so forwards dominate? Again, it looks dodgy.

There are two main ways to do it, which you can see when playing the BA game.

1) Reduce congestion. Less players around the ball means less stoppages, more free flowing football and more scoring. Look at the minimap on this screenshot below. Someone is taking a set shot and there is still a column of attackers and defenders in the opposite 50 metre arc. You would never seen this in a real AFL game today or really any time within the past 20 years.

This means that it's basically impossible to introduce the tactics you suggest without having 20 minute games decided by 2-4 goals each. I dare say this would frustrate the majority of players.

screenshot.afl-live.1200x675.2011-04-24.21.jpg


2) Inflate player abilities. Rarely when playing AFL Live would you see a shanked kick, or a dropped uncontested mark. Players have much more control than their real life counterparts, leading to the ball going from one end of the oval to the other a lot faster than real life.
 
Mar 13, 2015
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Oh definitely..

It's very complex to completely replicate a real life game. There are so many players on the field so it'd be like developing three sports games in one game and you also want the game to be fun for the average gamer...

Most AFL games have found a nice balance.
 
Oh definitely..

It's very complex to completely replicate a real life game. There are so many players on the field so it'd be like developing three sports games in one game and you also want the game to be fun for the average gamer...

Most AFL games have found a nice balance.

I'd say that only one has: the Big Ant game from 2011.

The earlier IR Gurus games were too static. I have said that you cannot implement complete freedom of player movement and flooding but the IR Gurus games were very simplistic in the strategies. Players would basically just stick to the grid, and only interact with the ball and other players if within say a 30 metre radius.
 

mike123

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I'd say that only one has: the Big Ant game from 2011.

The earlier IR Gurus games were too static. I have said that you cannot implement complete freedom of player movement and flooding but the IR Gurus games were very simplistic in the strategies. Players would basically just stick to the grid, and only interact with the ball and other players if within say a 30 metre radius.

2003 on the PS2 I always enjoyed. There were allot of things that needed to be improved but I always thought it had potential.
 
2003 on the PS2 I always enjoyed. There were allot of things that needed to be improved but I always thought it had potential.

Potential perhaps, I agree. It had been 4 years since the last game so we were all excited.

However IR Gurus had many attempts at AFL games and made minimal improvement. They even released AFL Live 2004 TWICE: once originally and again as a full-priced game "Premiership Edition".

BA, on the other hand, made one game with more potential and never got the chance to continue.
 

GTOA

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damm. even if big ant were to revamp afl live 1 with a career mode and a bit better gameplay would be fine for me

I am just doing season after season with custom fixtures on AFL Live 1, and changing the lists via Footy Factory each season. So, I am getting a few years' out of this.

A career mode would be nice, but if not a full game, why can't BigAnt do an AFL update DLC with current lists and grounds, and a career mode?
 
I am just doing season after season with custom fixtures on AFL Live 1, and changing the lists via Footy Factory each season. So, I am getting a few years' out of this.

A career mode would be nice, but if not a full game, why can't BigAnt do an AFL update DLC with current lists and grounds, and a career mode?

I can see two reasons:

1) It would not be profitable, at all. Very few people still play a game this old. I don't see a large audience for a ~15 dollar DLC for a game that is 4 years old, which would take a fair few resources to create (especially a career mode).
2) Licensing issues. Like it or not, Tru Blu holds the AFL license and gave it to WW for AFL Live 2 and 3.

Our best hope in the long run is for AFL Live 3 to be an utter flop and there is no choice but to give the next one to BigAnt. Alternatively, that may just kill the series full stop.
 

dlammardo

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I am just doing season after season with custom fixtures on AFL Live 1, and changing the lists via Footy Factory each season. So, I am getting a few years' out of this.

A career mode would be nice, but if not a full game, why can't BigAnt do an AFL update DLC with current lists and grounds, and a career mode?

I can see two reasons:

1) It would not be profitable, at all. Very few people still play a game this old. I don't see a large audience for a ~15 dollar DLC for a game that is 4 years old, which would take a fair few resources to create (especially a career mode).
2) Licensing issues. Like it or not, Tru Blu holds the AFL license and gave it to WW for AFL Live 2 and 3.

Our best hope in the long run is for AFL Live 3 to be an utter flop and there is no choice but to give the next one to BigAnt. Alternatively, that may just kill the series full stop.

I am part of a 300+ member FB group that played Live 1 heaps until probably mid to late july this year. We made an update for 2014 lists and this years list which kept people going. We just never got around AFL Live 2. The biggest problem we found with Live 1 was after 4 years it does get incredibly boring, only the hardcores still play.

Wish EA or 2K would make it. WW are making the next version with TB publishing and I can't say I have any expectations. We had a few people involved with it in our group and a few things involved with their process came out. I will not say exactly what was uncovered but made me even more skeptical about both companies and the way they go about their business.
 
Apr 10, 2007
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The whole concept of AFL game needs a reboot.

Give up on 18 v 18 and create an AFL 9's game.
It would be much easier to develop and would be a great introduction for non-AFL converts.

9s is fun, fast, footy, and wouldn't be too different from NHL's engine.

Can't imagine the budget would be as big, would settle for just an AFL league (no tiered divisions) if it means getting the gameplay right.
Like FIFA and FIFA street? Both of those are really good.
The Game would be called AFL16 (year changes) I personally would love to see an AFL game made by EA, for the following reasons
  • Ultimate teams, duh
  • All the state leagues, not just the VFL.
  • Maybe even Schools like St. Pats, EKC, Scotch off the top of my head
  • Correct Guernseys
  • Interested to see what celebrations are used
And then AFL9's Part 1 (New game made every few years, part number goes up) which would have it's details sorted out.
 
Apr 10, 2007
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Like FIFA and FIFA street? Both of those are really good.
The Game would be called AFL16 (year changes) I personally would love to see an AFL game made by EA, for the following reasons
  • Ultimate teams, duh
  • All the state leagues, not just the VFL.
  • Maybe even Schools like St. Pats, EKC, Scotch off the top of my head
  • Correct Guernseys
  • Interested to see what celebrations are used
And then AFL9's Part 1 (New game made every few years, part number goes up) which would have it's details sorted out.

Big Ant could do all this and they actually have knowledge of the game unlike EA sports..

They just need support from the AFL!
 
Big Ant could do all this and they actually have knowledge of the game unlike EA sports..

They just need support from the AFL!
UT though? If they could, what would it be called. Legendary Team?
 
Apr 10, 2010
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Yeah a lot of people have been arguing similar what's presented in the above article for years now. I really don't think the AFL respects just how effective gaming could be as a promotional tool, both home and abroad. The main thing would be to reinforce the brand with Aussies but I reckon a lot of people overseas who aren't likely to be swayed but tv coverage and advertising would check out a sporting game that was getting good reviews and word of mouth just for the novelty value. I've said it before but I grew up playing ice hockey, world/Olympic or basketball games because they were fun and often made good multiplayer games I wasn't watching them on TV but I certainly knew a little more about the games and had more interest because of it.

Let's take a pie in the sky number like 10 million, that's a huge chunk of change but I wouldn't think it would be an impossible number for the AFL, especially over a couple of years and how much resources and time could Big Ant buy with that added on top of the current deals to do a game properly (caveat: I have NO idea about gaming development costs :) ) . It still wouldn't be Fifa but there's every chance it could be good enough, would love to see a yearly update with maybe a new version every third year or so.

I also wonder how big a difference the new generation of consoles will make? 10 mill might have made a PS3 game but how much extra for PS4?

Anyway I'm just absolutely convinced that the AFL has wasted a massive opportunity this last decade by not recognising how big the gaming industry is and how effectively it could add to other promotional strategies. Maybe now if they ever finally do decide to join the game in a real way they're going to be so far behind it's going to cost them more in time and money.
 
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