Talk to me about marking.

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Now, I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but marking is my weakness in AFL Live. I know the button to mark the ball, I know I press it and probably hold it to mark. I often mark it without a problem.

But what gets me is there are often occasions when I'm well placed to mark, and I don't. I'm in front of a defender, all of a sudden he's marked it and now in front of me. Or the ball is going over my head, I see my opponent can jump in the air and pluck it, while my player takes no action whatsoever in similar attempts. I've played over 100 games online. I only have 1 speccy in my stats. I know I've taken more (maybe it was the AI that did it).

Is it timing? Surely, I'm good enough to time this (ranked in top 20 on PSN)? Is it button mashing? My cousin is a notorious button masher and I would guarantee you he marks just about everything. Do I spoil too much? I often give up on marking, as spoiling just appears to be more effective, because I know I'm not going to mark it.

What is the secret?

 

[illnino]

For a start, contested marking is flawed in that you are meant to be able to bump and jostle for position in a marking contest using the right stick. At the moment though, the right stick spoils in a marking contest.

After the patch, the controls for marking contests will be as follows; (PS3/360)

Right Stick = Jostle for position ie. Bump
L2/LT + Right Stick = Spoil
Triangle/'Y' = Mark

So until the patch is released (shouldn't be too much longer....surely?), the best advice I can give you is to spoil. If you really want to mark, I find hitting the mark button as early as possible does the trick. Just hit it once and do it as soon as you are in the best position.

 

[TheFreshBanana]

If your in front, you should be able to mark it. It's quite rare for me to see a player mark when they're behind the ball, may be due to lag for you?

 

[ilikepotatoes]

also have problems, only average 40 marks and often my player makes contact with another player and just blocks him, the ball goes on i or the ai pick its up gets tackled and its a ball up. a golden opportunity gone( oncelost a match because of it)

 

[dajesmac]

Not sure I like using the right stick to jostle, it'll be very hard trying to use it whilst pressing Y.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Not sure I like using the right stick to jostle, it'll be very hard trying to use it whilst pressing Y.

Which is probably a good thing, you don't want it too easy.

 

[Hopping Mad]

Not sure I like using the right stick to jostle, it'll be very hard trying to use it whilst pressing Y.

Just get one of these.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Which is probably a good thing, you don't want it too easy.

It will be difficult, but not in a good way. It will be frustrating.

Just try to imagine trying to hit the swap player button to get ready for the contest, then using the right stick to jostle, then Y to mark, all during a fast-paced match. Crazy. And that's not taking into account the situations where you'll have to use the left stick to get a player to where the ball is heading in the first place.

The left stick should be context senstive. In general play it's to run, in a marking contest it becomes jostle. Much simpler, and far, far more intuitive.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I figure it means you wont be able to focus on bumping and actually getting your hands on the ball at the same time. You need to get in position early, jostle well then take the grab.

 

[Liam Boy]

Just get one of these.

gold

 

[Byron_Clanger]

I just keep clicking the mark button, all about the timing

 

[Beloved]

My best advice would be to not bomb it long unless it's a last resort. There is always a target, especially online.

 

[bourbons]

But what gets me is there are often occasions when I'm well placed to mark, and I don't. I'm in front of a defender, all of a sudden he's marked it and now in front of me. Or the ball is going over my head, I see my opponent can jump in the air and pluck it, while my player takes no action whatsoever in similar attempts. I've played over 100 games online. I only have 1 speccy in my stats. I know I've taken more (maybe it was the AI that did it).

This. So frustrating. In the last game I played, was in good position and Jetta out-bodied Kruezer to take a mark

I just keep clicking the mark button, all about the timing

Err what? Do you just button mash or only hit it once ie. time it?

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Alright... this needs some sort of expert answer. How the F does someone's player get a rapid burst of speed to pluck a mark after they were BEHIND me, while my guy's arms just flail about? How does my man in space not run to mark the ball, but instead stops running as I watch the ball bounce and cost me any chance of momentum? How come I can't do I smooth jump in the air and chest mark a ball before it goes over my head?

Is it timing? Surely not. Is it button mashing? maybe? Is it lag? I'm suspecting this? How does someone have the confidence to mark with Zac Dawson in the goalsquare against my FF instead of punching? I have absolutely zero confidence in backline marking and yet these guys are online, marking whatever they feel like.... FFS.