With Rugby Challenge 3 coming out we are all excited about this. Its pretty cool that we are finally getting a game in the right direction, and something us rugby fans deserve.
But in saying this, there were many things from RC2, that we loved and loved to hate...
So what would we like to see improved on...discuss it here...This is not a wish list but more improvements to the already existing game play from RC2.
I would love to see...
1) A play around or slider with injuries, this was really annoying to see only on / off option, I never got enough injuries to 'manage' my team and allow other players time in the spotlight. Rugby 08 had a slider, be a nice improvement to the game. Perhaps like rugby league live 2, low, medium high option. Injuries add a great experience to the game. And would allow people to set it to what ever they liked and what they preferred. Then perhaps an option for them to see a specialist, you would pay more money, but then the weeks injured would be less. This was in rugby challenge 2006. (even that had a simple player progression and options to see a doctor or specialised to fix your injured players quicker).
Also, it be nice to see players perhaps have either a minor in major injury. A major one would mean they are out for how ever many weeks. (I liked in career mode it told you how long they were out for, like rugby 08). But a minor injury could mean that player could continue to play, but may get a major injury and it be worse. That would add a little bit more to the gameplay, especially if it was a do or die match and your top player had a minor injury with 20 minutes to go, do you sub them off or risk it to help you improve your chances to win the game, knowing they could be out for the quarter, semi or final, or the following season, injuries are key to a successful game.
2) When the ball bounced in the field of play and then bounced over the slide line, the opposition would always grab the ball before it hit the ground, meaning it would be your ball again...kinda funny but annoying in a game.
3) Even though the off load was brought down with the sliders, there would still be times the players would offload or pass somehow, perhaps improvement on this would be better.
4) Tackling someone in the try line area, once that player went over the line it was game over for the try.
5) Allowing some counter attacking with the fullback when kicked to him, once I got the ball I was always being rushed by 'offside' players who weren't called up by the ref, "Ref"!
6) Don't get me wrong, I loved the feel of the game when choosing different attacking and defensive options. But speaking of defensive options...when ever I had my line in wide, it wasn't wide, or 1 on 1 situations, I would (my wings) sometimes be left hanging to far away, as they went pass me, hoping my fullback was in the right direction and place to make the final tackle.
7) Either the kicking needs to change drastically or it be nice to see some different things happening. I remember playing on hardest difficultly and scoring tries under the posts, and just moving my kicker right under the post, as if i mucked up the kicking aspect (stopping the little white line on the tiny blue line) it would go over regardless. Perhaps a revisit into the rugby 08, with power and accuracy or something different. I felt like if you got the white line on the blue line you were pretty much sweet, unless u mucked up the wind which wasn't that hard.
8) Kicking distance, wow, 40-45 meters out you had no chance unless you had wind behind you. Short ball. The international players can land those kicks, 50 - 60 come on.
9) Career mode, buying players, with out a player progression this was a no show, why would I spend $40 - 50,000 on a rookie if they wern't going to improve, this was a really hard thing to deal with. In rugby 08, Woosah released a rugby editor, allowed you to change your stats (like RC and RC2) but then it would co-inside with the current career you were playing. Tana Umaga was speed 75 in that game, when I played career mode, after every season I put the top 3-5 players with most tries a point. Eventually I had Tana move from 75 to in the 90's. Plus I was now playing against other players who had also increased speed, power, strength, goal kicking etc. Was great. A lot of work but good times. Be nice to either see player progression, or, If I have a current career mode, once I change a stat I want to see that update in the career I am playing. At lease then we could have our own manual progression.
10) At the end of each season, I never knew how much $ i would receive at the end. E.g. Nice, I won the super 15 ***le and I only received $300,000 or another time $700,000, thats a big difference, it was hard to manage and not 'know' the full details of how much money you had. I liked the career mode (to a point, about 4 seasons then it repeated, see number 11) but it got confusing and frustrating when I had 25 people in my squad and had many players wanting new contracts but not enough money to fill them, if I knew how much money I was getting then this wouldn't of happened. Rugby 08 / 06 had money for each match clearly shown, simple but effective.
11) The career mode repeated, same matches in the same order, (not completely sure if that was right with super 15 and international) but it did on the grandest stage of them all. The world Cup. Each year it was on, it was the same 6 teams in a pool. Not 5, but 6. I don't mind 6, thats cool but I played wales in the first pool match each and every world cup over 3-4 RWC. Plus all the good teams (the top ten nations) had sometimes 4 in a pool. All good to have 3 in there (look at the 2015 world cup, pool of death) but make it change up. Just randomise it, it doesn't have to fit any old RWC format just make it up!
12) I know licensing was an issue, but not being able to transfer players who had stars besides their names, was really annoying.
13) The top "stars" didn't make an impact, impact players would be nice.
14) Red and Yellow cards! Sure a red card came up in my career mode, maybe 2-3 times in 10 seasons, and I had to do many 'high tackles' to get one, (mostly for the achievement or to see what would happen) and with the SAME player that had had the yellow card. Sure they got banned for a bit, but they came back.
Red cards need to be a bit more of a punishment than just a few weeks off.
Now yellow, man, I would be so good to see a email in the email section (ha, emails, thats number 15) talking about the player have a judiciary hearing, and seeing them either get banned, or get off from the hearing. Would be so much better, each yellow card should lead to something like this. Similar to number 1, the more players you have either injured, banned or have done something off field would make for such a better rotation of players and not always be your 22 players you rely on. The other 8 players (if a squad of 30) or 18 being a squad of 40 doing nothing! It adds a manager roll as well as being the coach.
15) Hopefully final thing, was on a roll, each section reminded me of something else. Lol. Emails, I got the same email from McCaw saying how proud he was of making the final or winning it. Lets see some other things happening. Sponsorship (make them up, don't have to be official) saying let us sponsor your team heres some cash money, some goals to reach each session, this season you are expected to make the top 6 of the super 15. Doctors saying, at training this player was injured, and will miss a game or two, or players emailing you to discuss contracts, not getting game time, training them to be in a different position. Etc
I know the game won't be perfect, Im stoked its coming out, hell I will buy it and will enjoy it as well. But I don't want it going stale, a effective career mode is what makes you return to a rugby game. This wasn't a rant, perhaps you agree with some of the things I talked about, perhaps not. Thats fine, discuss it below. What have I missed, what do you agree on or not. Be nice to see some of these things addressed is all.
Cheers. Lets hear em!
But in saying this, there were many things from RC2, that we loved and loved to hate...
So what would we like to see improved on...discuss it here...This is not a wish list but more improvements to the already existing game play from RC2.
I would love to see...
1) A play around or slider with injuries, this was really annoying to see only on / off option, I never got enough injuries to 'manage' my team and allow other players time in the spotlight. Rugby 08 had a slider, be a nice improvement to the game. Perhaps like rugby league live 2, low, medium high option. Injuries add a great experience to the game. And would allow people to set it to what ever they liked and what they preferred. Then perhaps an option for them to see a specialist, you would pay more money, but then the weeks injured would be less. This was in rugby challenge 2006. (even that had a simple player progression and options to see a doctor or specialised to fix your injured players quicker).
Also, it be nice to see players perhaps have either a minor in major injury. A major one would mean they are out for how ever many weeks. (I liked in career mode it told you how long they were out for, like rugby 08). But a minor injury could mean that player could continue to play, but may get a major injury and it be worse. That would add a little bit more to the gameplay, especially if it was a do or die match and your top player had a minor injury with 20 minutes to go, do you sub them off or risk it to help you improve your chances to win the game, knowing they could be out for the quarter, semi or final, or the following season, injuries are key to a successful game.
2) When the ball bounced in the field of play and then bounced over the slide line, the opposition would always grab the ball before it hit the ground, meaning it would be your ball again...kinda funny but annoying in a game.
3) Even though the off load was brought down with the sliders, there would still be times the players would offload or pass somehow, perhaps improvement on this would be better.
4) Tackling someone in the try line area, once that player went over the line it was game over for the try.
5) Allowing some counter attacking with the fullback when kicked to him, once I got the ball I was always being rushed by 'offside' players who weren't called up by the ref, "Ref"!
6) Don't get me wrong, I loved the feel of the game when choosing different attacking and defensive options. But speaking of defensive options...when ever I had my line in wide, it wasn't wide, or 1 on 1 situations, I would (my wings) sometimes be left hanging to far away, as they went pass me, hoping my fullback was in the right direction and place to make the final tackle.
7) Either the kicking needs to change drastically or it be nice to see some different things happening. I remember playing on hardest difficultly and scoring tries under the posts, and just moving my kicker right under the post, as if i mucked up the kicking aspect (stopping the little white line on the tiny blue line) it would go over regardless. Perhaps a revisit into the rugby 08, with power and accuracy or something different. I felt like if you got the white line on the blue line you were pretty much sweet, unless u mucked up the wind which wasn't that hard.
8) Kicking distance, wow, 40-45 meters out you had no chance unless you had wind behind you. Short ball. The international players can land those kicks, 50 - 60 come on.
9) Career mode, buying players, with out a player progression this was a no show, why would I spend $40 - 50,000 on a rookie if they wern't going to improve, this was a really hard thing to deal with. In rugby 08, Woosah released a rugby editor, allowed you to change your stats (like RC and RC2) but then it would co-inside with the current career you were playing. Tana Umaga was speed 75 in that game, when I played career mode, after every season I put the top 3-5 players with most tries a point. Eventually I had Tana move from 75 to in the 90's. Plus I was now playing against other players who had also increased speed, power, strength, goal kicking etc. Was great. A lot of work but good times. Be nice to either see player progression, or, If I have a current career mode, once I change a stat I want to see that update in the career I am playing. At lease then we could have our own manual progression.
10) At the end of each season, I never knew how much $ i would receive at the end. E.g. Nice, I won the super 15 ***le and I only received $300,000 or another time $700,000, thats a big difference, it was hard to manage and not 'know' the full details of how much money you had. I liked the career mode (to a point, about 4 seasons then it repeated, see number 11) but it got confusing and frustrating when I had 25 people in my squad and had many players wanting new contracts but not enough money to fill them, if I knew how much money I was getting then this wouldn't of happened. Rugby 08 / 06 had money for each match clearly shown, simple but effective.
11) The career mode repeated, same matches in the same order, (not completely sure if that was right with super 15 and international) but it did on the grandest stage of them all. The world Cup. Each year it was on, it was the same 6 teams in a pool. Not 5, but 6. I don't mind 6, thats cool but I played wales in the first pool match each and every world cup over 3-4 RWC. Plus all the good teams (the top ten nations) had sometimes 4 in a pool. All good to have 3 in there (look at the 2015 world cup, pool of death) but make it change up. Just randomise it, it doesn't have to fit any old RWC format just make it up!
12) I know licensing was an issue, but not being able to transfer players who had stars besides their names, was really annoying.
13) The top "stars" didn't make an impact, impact players would be nice.
14) Red and Yellow cards! Sure a red card came up in my career mode, maybe 2-3 times in 10 seasons, and I had to do many 'high tackles' to get one, (mostly for the achievement or to see what would happen) and with the SAME player that had had the yellow card. Sure they got banned for a bit, but they came back.
Red cards need to be a bit more of a punishment than just a few weeks off.
Now yellow, man, I would be so good to see a email in the email section (ha, emails, thats number 15) talking about the player have a judiciary hearing, and seeing them either get banned, or get off from the hearing. Would be so much better, each yellow card should lead to something like this. Similar to number 1, the more players you have either injured, banned or have done something off field would make for such a better rotation of players and not always be your 22 players you rely on. The other 8 players (if a squad of 30) or 18 being a squad of 40 doing nothing! It adds a manager roll as well as being the coach.
15) Hopefully final thing, was on a roll, each section reminded me of something else. Lol. Emails, I got the same email from McCaw saying how proud he was of making the final or winning it. Lets see some other things happening. Sponsorship (make them up, don't have to be official) saying let us sponsor your team heres some cash money, some goals to reach each session, this season you are expected to make the top 6 of the super 15. Doctors saying, at training this player was injured, and will miss a game or two, or players emailing you to discuss contracts, not getting game time, training them to be in a different position. Etc
I know the game won't be perfect, Im stoked its coming out, hell I will buy it and will enjoy it as well. But I don't want it going stale, a effective career mode is what makes you return to a rugby game. This wasn't a rant, perhaps you agree with some of the things I talked about, perhaps not. Thats fine, discuss it below. What have I missed, what do you agree on or not. Be nice to see some of these things addressed is all.
Cheers. Lets hear em!
