Multiplat AFL Evolution 2

[Archer_11]

Give it a shot now, no need to update the game or Evo Data.

The reserves should now be available for all teams in Match Centre, so saving the Match Centre teams to default will still give you access to all the players outside of Match Centre along with the up-to-date line-ups.

That sounds really promising, the issue makes sense if Team of the Week was loading the starting 22 only. I'm in finals so I won't try it just yet, very close to winning my first flag on HoF.

Since you're reading this thread (yay), what would be next level is an option to automatically download and apply all ToW updates over the course of the season. All line ups current, all injuries and reports current and whether you play one game a week or an entire season, it's just set and forget. That would be really cool and (I suspect?) one of the smaller patches to make. It would also help maximise the work you did bringing this feature in as it's a bit tricky to apply the data otherwise. You'd just need to make sure it's opt in for the sake of the custom team community.

Anyway, keep up the good work, you've definitely got the franchise heading in the right direction. I'm reading that UE4 is forward compatible with UE5 so signs positive I hope for a next gen Evo 3 one day.

 

[Sky]

The one thing I don’t like about this game is I don’t play anything longer than 5 min quarters meaning doing a season sucks with distorted stats when every other side scores 40-50 each week and I’m booting 120.

Shouldnt have to change the settings in between every game to 20 minutes just for some CPU simulations that are realistic statistically.

 

[maskmcgee]

International cup is completely broken, then again I guess nobody's ever played it. Can't simulate a single game. Thinks there's only 1 round not 4. Try to play it it crashes after 2 games.

 

[netslave]

Just simmed through every game of the International Cup, seemed to work fine for me.
Do you have the 2021 DLC installed?

 

[maskmcgee]

No, but I only did it because someone was streaming with 2021 DLC and it didn't work either.

 

[netslave]

International cup is completely broken, then again I guess nobody's ever played it. Can't simulate a single game. Thinks there's only 1 round not 4. Try to play it it crashes after 2 games.

edit - no, you're right, I just tested again, this mode seems broken

 

[maskmcgee]

So Buddy is on $380,000 a season?

 

[Archer_11]

Lads, just a quick one. I appreciate this may be old news to a lot of you.

When playing the AI on Legend, chances are any bumps you've given the AI on lower levels of difficulty to make the game more 'realistic' can render a match near unwinnable. For example, if you've increased how easy it is to bump or shrug tackles (like I did) then it doesn't matter if you both have the increase, you'll get bumped early and often and you'll be tearing your hair out by half time. Similarly if you've increased the goal kicking stat even just to something modest like 60, expect for the AI to never miss unless under extreme pressure.

Just now I reduced the tolerance for off the ball blocking to around 30 and it was a different game, I ended up winning easily, so still searching for the sweet spot.

I've also noticed that Team of the Week has stopped working when being loaded as the default team on PC. There's a post earlier where WW say they've fixed the ability to use reserve players, this now does occur but it's probably because the ToW doesn't load at all. If it's working for you since the fix would love to know.

 

[Xtreme]

Haven't done this in ages, but thought I'd see how high of a score I'd get playing 20 minute quarters..... I didn't end up taking it too seriously (gave the AI a 4 goal head start before I switched on and piled on 8 straight goals). Ended up having other things to do hence only playing the first quarter, one day I'll go the whole hog and see if I can get 100+ points per quarter .

 

[Archer_11]

Haven't done this in ages, but thought I'd see how high of a score I'd get playing 20 minute quarters..... I didn't end up taking it too seriously (gave the AI a 4 goal head start before I switched on and piled on 8 straight goals). Ended up having other things to do hence only playing the first quarter, one day I'll go the whole hog and see if I can get 100+ points per quarter .

I take it this is in legend.. Do you tweak the sliders at all?

Is there a part of the game the AI sucks at? To be honest I haven't found it yet, besides clearances which are laughably bad.

One thing I've noticed on legend, everything is a snap over the shoulder. Pretty frustrating when the AI is slotting goals from 60 out without even looking at the posts.

I've also noticed an increased instance of the ball ping pinging around, sometimes between sets of three or four hands in the pace of a second and sometimes what do you know, right in the mitts of the goal side wide receivers. On slo mo replay close up its pretty damming what's going on.

I digress. What is the main thing you do? Get possession and always hit a target? Or is it just 'always easy' which I fined a little baffling.

 

[Xtreme]

I take it this is in legend.. Do you tweak the sliders at all?

Is there a part of the game the AI sucks at? To be honest I haven't found it yet, besides clearances which are laughably bad.

One thing I've noticed on legend, everything is a snap over the shoulder. Pretty frustrating when the AI is slotting goals from 60 out without even looking at the posts.

I've also noticed an increased instance of the ball ping pinging around, sometimes between sets of three or four hands in the pace of a second and sometimes what do you know, right in the mitts of the goal side wide receivers. On slo mo replay close up its pretty damming what's going on.

I digress. What is the main thing you do? Get possession and always hit a target? Or is it just 'always easy' which I fined a little baffling.

Yes playing on legend, I've tweaked the sliders a bit so it's not as easy to mark - playing it on pc and quick reflexes are required. Most of the time it's just muscle memory vs hoping for the best (hence why the cpu scored so high in the screenshot). If it was Evolution 1 I'd keep them on 0 because the game plays a lot slower.

In both Evo/Evo 2 if the cpu gets a run on, they're hard for me to stop.... can rarely get a rebound from the center or half back line.... if I'm lucky I'll get it back in the back pocket. But a lot of the time they'll get a shot at goal and I either reset with the behind or from the center square once they've kicked the goal.

For me it's a mix of going coast to coast - able to chain mark after mark. Or I'll aim to run it down with a few cheeky handballs and short kicks. Both require the right players behind around at the right time.... sometimes I've had to handball it into free space (or bomb it and hope my nearest player gets to the ball first).

 

[Archer_11]

Yes playing on legend, I've tweaked the sliders a bit so it's not as easy to mark - playing it on pc and quick reflexes are required. Most of the time it's just muscle memory vs hoping for the best (hence why the cpu scored so high in the screenshot). If it was Evolution 1 I'd keep them on 0 because the game plays a lot slower.

In both Evo/Evo 2 if the cpu gets a run on, they're hard for me to stop.... can rarely get a rebound from the center or half back line.... if I'm lucky I'll get it back in the back pocket. But a lot of the time they'll get a shot at goal and I either reset with the behind or from the center square once they've kicked the goal.

For me it's a mix of going coast to coast - able to chain mark after mark. Or I'll aim to run it down with a few cheeky handballs and short kicks. Both require the right players behind around at the right time.... sometimes I've had to handball it into free space (or bomb it and hope my nearest player gets to the ball first).

Thanks. Sounds like you've got the knack.

I feel a bit like I've hit the ceiling, and the rough edges are showing a bit. Sometimes you can mark, other times you can't all while doing the exact same thing. Which could be the stats talking I guess but it doesn't 'feel' fair, something WW probably need to work on for the next one. For example if it's a long bomb to a good forward, they'll probably win the marking contest, but you don't see them do anything different, they'll just mark the ball. But if you saw them move quicker or jump higher, and there was something you could do about it, then that would be a lot more satisfying. I also think they need a 'run off your player' option where you consciously force an AI man spare and ask for support because you're gambling you'll win the contest and knock it to their advantage.

But without doubt the major gameplay stumble is around the ball, there is no finesse at all. When you're handballing in traffic your teammate is either stationary or running the wrong way, completely defeating the purpose of having support.

In any regard I'd hazard a guess you are much better at hitting a target than me, something I'm a long way off doing with any real consistency.

 

[Xtreme]

Thanks. Sounds like you've got the knack.

I feel a bit like I've hit the ceiling, and the rough edges are showing a bit. Sometimes you can mark, other times you can't all while doing the exact same thing. Which could be the stats talking I guess but it doesn't 'feel' fair, something WW probably need to work on for the next one. For example if it's a long bomb to a good forward, they'll probably win the marking contest, but you don't see them do anything different, they'll just mark the ball. But if you saw them move quicker or jump higher, and there was something you could do about it, then that would be a lot more satisfying. I also think they need a 'run off your player' option where you consciously force an AI man spare and ask for support because you're gambling you'll win the contest and knock it to their advantage.

But without doubt the major gameplay stumble is around the ball, there is no finesse at all. When you're handballing in traffic your teammate is either stationary or running the wrong way, completely defeating the purpose of having support.

In any regard I'd hazard a guess you are much better at hitting a target than me, something I'm a long way off doing with any real consistency.

Short targets I am ok with, but I basically emulate Hawthorn's real life ganeplan.... long bombs into the forward 50 lol.

When in doubt spoil, if I know I'm not going to mark it properly... I'll go for the spoil instead. If you can get the ball from the ground you can recover and push toward your goal.

I'm actually not THAT good at the game. Yes I can thrash the AI but against others online I can compete for a while but generally lose more than win.

Just practice more on the weaker difficulties and work up from there. In Evolution 1 I tried following their on screen directions (on the game loading screens) eg for marking and it wasn't working for me. I just kept playing and worked out the best timing (I can mark consistently BUT I also have moments where I should have marked it but the AI comes from nowhere).

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Reckon we'll get the 2022 update with players and fixture sooner than half way through the year this time?

 

[omgfridge]

Just started playing and slowly going up the difficulty levels as I start dominating. Clicked the 2021 update but its not working for whatever reason.

Game gets pretty frustrating when its just a matter of "pick up ball, tackle, ball spills, pick up, tackle, ball spills" on repeat.

 

[Xtreme]

Didn't actually start playing the game seriously until the final quarter. Even though I set it on 5 minute quarters, time was able to stand still.... Collingwood put up a fight, I got lucky and was able to break through.... then put them to the sword at the end.

 

[Islanda22]

Can someone post there sliders please

 

[Archer_11]

Can someone post there sliders please

I'll post mine soon.

It took me an eternity to realise but the most important sliders are kicking speed (speed bar fills up) and distance from opponent (can't remember the exact name).

The first because it is not realistic to need two seconds to kick a ball long (and making it fast increases inaccuracy, a lot closer to the real thing) and player separation allows a more organic game flow instead of the dull game of kick to kick you get with all settings on default.

Been a away a while, a few things to say about the game but always tricky when anyone who is interested already has it anyway.

 

[cats2rise]

$50 on the PS Store for Black Friday Sale.

Worth it?

 

[Archer_11]

$50 on the PS Store for Black Friday Sale.

Worth it?

Evo 2 is kind of like the cave in Empire Strikes back. If you go in expecting that we finally get an amazing AFL game, you''ll be brutally attacked by a troll with your own face.

If you enter thinking Evo 1 wasn't so bad, then you'll sit down with them, have a few games and realise it's easily WW's best effort yet.

But is that enough!? So many improvements, but the core gameplay is still not quite right. Such a personal call.

Maybe the best way to decide is how valuable that $50 is to you.

 

[Xtreme]

There are worse things you could do with that $50

Maybe see if a friend has the game and give it a crack first ?

 

[Xtreme]

Hadn't played this in a while, figured I'd give it a crack on 10 minute quarters.. Playing again after some time away is great.... having to relearn the timing/muscle memory makes it a challenge early on. I was lucky enough to mount a fightback in the second half. The final quarter was epic with so many momentum swings. When it looked like I was going to take control and (hopefully) run away with it, St Kilda came storming back and would get a mini lead themselves.

I got lucky with 2 minutes remaining and kept the slim lead I had.... extended it to 16 points with some quick bang bang bang goals.

 

[StoneyHawk]

Any sign of a 2022 update or new game as yet?

 

[Treehill23]

Big ant making the next one

 

[George]

Big ant making the next one

Thank god