SUNDAY RIVALS

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SUNDAY RIVALS RELEASE NOTES

[ v.16.3 - 05.31.2021 ] / / / / PRESENTATION UPDATE

Presentation

Main stadium scoreboard shows animated text for the home team
Added additional small scoreboards that rotate through team stats
Added stadium music playing between downs and after home team scores
Added fanfare music to cutscenes
Added sound effects to UI shutters opening and closing
Offensive play previews now show the OVR rating of eligible players
Defensive play previews now show the OVR of the selected defender
Play preview camera can now freelook by moving the left stick

Gameplay

Added an inverted, ratings based speed boost to players who successfully overcome a block
Increased lower rated defenders' tackling success
Decreased pass accuracy and throw quality for lower rated QB's, especially while moving
Removed button mashing slowdown on kicking plays
Made blocking kicks possible again
Changed OVR weighting for TE's
Rebalanced kick meter accuracy to work with new sliders

Bugs

Fixed a critical bug where loading into a league would hang the game after finishing a game, returning to the main menu and advancing to playoffs without playing a game immediately afterwards. The game should load correctly going forward.
Fixed a critical bug where loading into a league would hang if you had previously loaded into a smaller league
Fixed a bug where quarter scores on the postgame screen were formatted incorrectly
Fixed a bug where a tipped, intercepted pass on a 2pt conversion would give the ball back to the offense
Potential fix for rare bug where players will lose the ability to use their controller after entering the pause or halftime menu and returning to game

[ v.16.2 - 05.22.2021 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Bugs

Fixed a bug where user difficulty sliders were reset between games
Fixed a bug where user difficulty overall ranking wouldn't update in all UI screens

[ v.16.1 - 05.20.2021 ] / / / / DIFFICULTY UPDATE

Difficulty

'Custom skill' has been renamed to 'difficulty' throughout the game
Broke out blocking slider into 'run blocking' and 'pass blocking'
Broke out attack slider into 'pass rush' and 'run defense'
Re-balanced all sliders to better utilize the entire 0-100 range
Added 0-100 numerical value to difficulty
Removed AI-specific sliders
Force-reset sliders and save files
Replaced 'normal' difficulty with 'user'
Added 'pro' difficulty
Renamed 'beginner' difficulty to 'easy'
Rebalanced 'easy' and 'expert' difficulties to be more challenging/less punishing

Season Mode

Added 'playoff picture' to the standings screen, showing tentative playoff matchups starting in week 4
Conference-based playoff seedings now factor in division placement over league ranking
Adjusted seeding for 16 team 'ranked' playoff brackets

Rosters

Improved the overall defense for multiple teams, particularly CHI, BAL, and SEA
Adjusted how OVR's are weighted for running backs (more speed, less skill)
Adjusted how OVR's are weighted for defensive backs (more awareness, less speed)
Decreased ENG rating for most DB's in the game

Bugs

Fixed a bug where the incorrect round number for ranked playoffs was shown

[ v.16.0 - 05.10.2021 ] / / / / SEASON MODE UPDATE

Game Modes

Added Season Mode

Customization

Added the ability to swap player positions from the edit team screen

Rosters

Updated many default rosters defensive players to be in the correct positions again
Updated default custom leagues to have all fields correctly filled out

Bugs

Fixed a bug where helmet 3 wasn't loading correctly in game

[ v.15.3 - 04.25.2021 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Gameplay

Added 'quarter length' to the game options popup for all modes

Playbook

Changed DL & LB position names to better reflect their actual field positions
Normalized where DL & LB's line up across all formations

Misc

File format updates for future releases

[ v.15.2 - 03.07.2021 ] / / / / PUNT BUG FIX

Bugs

Fixed an issue where the up man would play the snap before the punter, breaking punts

[ v.15.1 - 03.07.2021 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Gameplay

Removed severe blocking imbalance on kicking plays

Added a meter to visualize the amount of time it takes for a player's power moves to recharge
Added an animated banner to the playbook screen on 4th down and extra points
Added timeouts to the scoreboard portion of the playbook screen
Added potential field goal distance to the playbook screen special menu
Added a possession marker to the playbook screen
Playbook scoreboard correctly shows extra point details
Plays of less than 1 yard that result in touchdowns / first downs are rounded up to 1

Bugs

Potential fix for a rare issue where a receiver will be tackled by no one immediately after catching the ball
Potential fix for a rare issue where a running back will not catch a toss
Fixed a number of issues causing players to be facing the opposite direction they were running
Fixed an issue where non-kick returners would face the wrong direction once they caught the kickoff
Fixed an issue where stadium scoreboards wouldn't update after scoring when time has expired heading into halftime/final
Fixed an issue where QB's wouldn't not be able to toggle back to passing mode until their power meter fully recharged

[ v.15.0 - 02.26.2021 ] / / / / CATCHING UPDATE

Animation

Added several all new, contextual catching animations
Added new blended catch anticipation animations
Added new run and leaning animations
Updated existing dive animations

Gameplay

Globally decreased maximum running speed by 10%
Added new catching system that takes into account relative ball location, quality of throw, and receiver's height
Receiver and defenders will now jump for high passes
Receivers will now side leap for out of reach passes
Receivers will now look at incoming passes and catch ball on the appropriate side
Defenders now make a decision between trying to intercept a pass or deflect it
Missed interception attempts have a chance to turn into tipped balls
Removed the ability for defenders to intercept a pass while trying to deflect it
Missed deflection attempts now have a chance to distract the receiver from catching the ball
Improved clarity on failed attempts to catch tips and dropped passes
Improved QB pass leading to better take into account a receiver's speed, direction, and distance
AI QB's properly move around and out of their pocket to avoid pass rushers
AI QB's have better understanding of a collapsing pocket
AI QB's are able to throw bullet passes more frequently
Decreased throw quality and accuracy on low strength rated QB's who are hit while throwing
Decreased throw accuracy on low agility / skill rated QB's throwing while backpedaling
Lessened throw quality penalty on low agility rated QB's throwing while on the move
Added a short delay before a pass can be thrown immediately after snapping the ball
Added a short delay before a juke/protect can be performed immediately after catching the ball
Added a ratings-based delay for defender's reaction after passes are tipped/caught
Players who are in a catch animation can no longer tackle a player until the animation is complete
Removed rotation jitter immediately after throwing the ball
Decreased movement jitter when receivers reach their destination at high speeds
Adjusted OL pass blocking to better utilize the awareness rating
Improved OL blocking on XP/FG kicks

Playbook

Updated blocking assignments in most passing plays
Reworked routes in a number of plays
Removed 5th receiver from 'Turbo' pass play
Updated play art to reflect changes

HUD

On offense, the player control ring does not turn green until the ball can be snapped
Pass destination target is hidden on player controlled passes and dead balls

Camera

Game camera now tracks players all the way to the sideline
Game camera now zooms in for a short period of time after a player completes a pass
Game camera now dollys in before the start of a play to show entire width of field
Updated game camera to initially be further back after a change of possession
Adjusted camera position for kicking plays
Goal posts fully fade out when next to the camera

Bugs

Fixed a critical bug where incomplete passes in own endzone silently crashed the game and resulted in endless safeties
Fixed a critical bug where saving a customized player with a blank uniform number crashed the game and corrupted the roster file
Fixed a bug that listed safeties as 6 points on the summary page's per-quarter scoring breakdown
Fixed a bug that allowed the OL to lineup sideways before the snap

[ v.14.4 - 01.24.2021 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Gameplay

Increased defenders ability to sack the QB based on the QB's AWR rating
Touchbacks are taken at the 25 now

Bugs

Potential fix for the rare occurrence of a player quickly pushed 20+ yards while catching the ball
Fixed another issue that was keeping AI-called timeout messages from being displayed in the UI

[ v.14.3 - 01.21.2021 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Gameplay

Improved AI decision making on running plays, especially on interior runs
Improved edge blocking awareness and responsibility, particularly for TE's
Significantly decreased the possibility of missed tackles flying through the ball carrier
Improved visual feedback and response on missed tackles
Increased AI controlled defender's break speed on pass defense
Awareness (AWR) rating has significantly more impact a on defender's pass defense ability
Skill (SKL) rating has an increased impact on defender's ability to overcome blocking
Pass deflection ability is more evenly distributed between a defender's ratings, defensive play call selection, user skill level settings, and situational factors
Slightly decreased likelihood of tipped passes being caught
Increased receiver's willingness to dive horizontally for passes
Improved blocking on field goals/xp kicks to eliminate automatic kick blocking strategies
On kickoffs, standing still in the endzone brings up a timed touchback meter
Remapped kickoff power bar so max power kicks can go out of the endzone
AI kick returners will now take touchbacks based on their ratings
AI kick returners no longer solely run in a straight line

Experimental

Removed collision when receivers are running their routes with the hope to decrease the amount of players getting stuck on each other

Customization

Added hyphen support to team and player information fields

[ v.14.2 - 01.11.2021 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Gameplay

Adjusted timing, boosting, and rating balance to improve offensive line blocking on running plays
Fixed situations where AI QB's would purposely roll into a pursuing defender rather than away
Improved AI QB's ability to recognize their chance of being sacked and willingness to make 'danger' throws to avoid them
AI QB's now take a receivers skill into account when deciding if they're open or not
Increased AI QB's willingness to make throws to covered receivers when they're being chased
Improved AI QB's understanding of prioritizing deep receivers on deep pass playcalls
AI QB progression speed is more directly controlled by their ratings now
Increased the ratio of tipped passes to deflections, as well as receiver's ability to catch them
AI defense reacts to offensive playcalling earlier in game
AI offense will call running plays in more situations
Boosted defensive attack when AI correctly identifies run-dominant playcalling trends
Proportionally increased the impact of the interception skill slider with a decreased impact on player ratings, giving skill level the priority on the amount of interceptions in game
Increased minimum running speed for sub-40 SPD rated runners to avoid missed handoffs/pitches

Animation

Sideline players now react to plays in real time
Added more celebration animations

Added animated yard tracking and sound while runners carry the ball
Added animation to HeadHunter score changes

Customization

Added 4 letter support to team initials

Bugs

Fixed a critical issue where facial hair settings were not being saved correctly, causing a silent crash. Facial hair and hair color should now update and appear correct in menus and the game
Fixed an issue that was keeping AI-called timeout messages from being displayed in the UI

[ v.14.1 - 01.05.2021 ] / / / / CUSTOMIZATION PATCH

Customization

Added RGB sliders for uniform color editing
Added a save dialog when moving between team and players after team changes were made
Added the ability to use numbers and ampersand in information fields

Gameplay

Increased AI values for the beginner skill level to create a slightly better challenge

[ v.14.0 - 01.03.2021 ] / / / / CUSTOM TEAMS UPDATE

League Customization

Added 4 custom league slots along with the default league. Default league can not be edited
Added variable league sizes
Added league realignment options
Added support and non-functioning information options for future updates

Team Customization

Added team information and UI color options
Added uniform designer
Added stadium and field designer
Added support and non-functioning options for future updates (weather, playbooks, coaching)

Player Customization

Added big player model
Added variable player sizing
Added new helmets, facemasks, and visors
Added uniform color options for neck and bottom of cleats
Added skin, hair, facial hair, and eye color options
Added gloves, arms, and socks options

HeadHunter

Each league will now have its own HeadHunter and records, existing tourneys remain
Changed scheduling to support variable league size and prioritize OVR range amongst teams
Updated scoring to track 1 point per defensive tackle, decreased value of sacks by 1 point
Reworked helmet positioning after defeating a team

Settings

Reworked settings page to save on-demand rather than per switch
Resolution options now include refresh rate
Separated out controller speed into 2 options to allow for better high DPI mouse support in the UI

Frontend

Redesigned frontend backgrounds and screen layout
Added profile data and first time loading screen

Gameplay

Removed ability to hold down snap during QB cadence to immediately snap the ball
Delayed kicking meter display time until shutters are completely open
Player collision radius scales with their body size

Bug Fixes

Fixed a critical bug for first-time players that caused roster data to improperly load, blocking the game from starting
Fixed a bug where the UI shutters would not completely clear the screen during a kicking play
Fixed incidents where long player names extended offscreen during highlight segments
Potential fix for unresponsive input collection during kicking plays

[ v.13.0 - 11.09.2020 ] / / / / SKILL LEVEL UPDATE

Skill Levels

Added custom skill level to the game, giving access to all 22 settings (10 human, 12 AI)
Custom skill level sliders can be edited while in game
Further balanced beginner and expert skill levels
Last selected skill level is remembered between games

HeadHunter

Added the ability to select skill level at the start of a new tourney, which is locked until completion
Record book is now divided into 8 pages to support records set at each skill level
Previous records and in-progress tourneys have been reset to support the update

Gameplay

Added variance to receiver route speed based on ratings and skill level
Deep fly routes are extended an additional 10 yards
Increased knockback power for weaker tacklers
Decreased effectiveness of diving tackles
Decreased likelihood of weaker runners breaking multiple tackles
Defenders make more of an effort to step in front of receivers on deflection attempts

[ v.12.2 - 10.29.2020 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Controls

Holding LT/RT on defense brings up a defensive play preview and allows for toggling control of defenders without the AI snapping the ball
Standardized the selection order when toggling through players on defense

Difficulty

Added 3 experimental skill levels (beginner, normal, expert) to try out

Updated playbook field position display to better show hash mark, first down, and field position

Gameplay

Eliminated jittery rotations on collisions, allowing for more predictable bumping between players
Missed tackles, broken tackles, and jukes no longer phase through defenders, allowing for additional collisions and bumps to take place during a play. Low STR rated runners will get slowed or knocked back when holding down protect
Players no longer cease moving immediately after a tackle, allowing for additional hits and collisions to ball carrier
Increased likelihood of missed tackles based on runner and tackler's TKL ratings
Greatly improved blocking on field goals and extra points
Greatly increased ability and likelihood of QB to move around in pocket and avoid sacks
Slightly increased AI QB's wait to throw time
Slightly decreased slowing while turning, improving open field agility for higher AGL players
Decreased energy recharge time for power moves
Decreased downtime for failed blockers and boosted their blocking ability on subsequent block
Running backs no longer attempt to make illegal downfield blocks during passing plays
LB/CB zone defenders better adjust to receivers within their zone assignments
Safeties sag less off deep routes

Playbook

AI is now able to utilize the entire playbook, removing situational requirements for some plays
Defensive category 'run stop' has been renamed 'stack' and features new or significantly reworked plays using a more consistent 4-4 formation
Defensive playbook now displays each play's balance of attack vs. defend values
Defensive formations have been normalized to better mask what play has been called
Most defensive plays have been rebalanced to provide a better range of strategy and tactics
Short passing routes have been elongated to increase route time
Plays HB Tunnel, HB Phalanx, FB Knuckle, and QB Hero have been reworked
New play HB Elbow replaces FB Dozer and swaps position with HB Phalanx

[ v.12.1 - 10.17.2020 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Controls

Moving the left stick/directional keys no longer impedes the player from snapping the ball
Controller dpad can be used in menus and in game
On the playcalling screen, players can now easily close out the 'special' popup menu by pressing the back button (B/CIRCLE/6)

Analytics

Enabled Unity analytics to track gameplay trends and aggregate data

[ v.12.0 - 10.12.2020 ] / / / / VISUAL UPDATE

Presentation

Added full stadium crowd
Updated sideline art and player positions
Endzones show either the city or name of the home team (whichever is shorter)
Added a new player celebration sequence with custom cameras, animations, and player stats
All players on the field react to the celebrations
Updated ball art
Added in-stadium scoreboards
Improved lighting, material response, and post processing effects

HeadHunter

Whichever team has a higher OVR rank is the home team now

Gameplay

Player 1 can play as the away team in an exhibition game
Passes tipped by the defense are harder for receivers to catch
Decreased aiming error for AI kickers

Pass previews show player names
Added option to switch between xbox, ps4, and keyboard on screen buttons
Stats screens list player uniform numbers
Added an information feed to the title screen

Stats

Punt yardage is tracked correctly now
Punts resulting in TD's are tracked correctly now
Punts landing inside the 20 are tracked correctly now
Less conflicting stat reporting

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where scoring a touchdown on 4th down and then failing the 2pt conversion gave the scoring team the ball back on the ensuing kickoff
Fixed an issue where the wrong animation was being played during a block after an interception
Fixed an issue where any player who touched the ball during a kickoff/punt received credit for a kick return

[ v.11.0 - 09.16.2020 ] / / / / HEADHUNTER UPDATE

Game Mode

Added Headhunter game mode

UI refreshed for consistency and UX across the game
Added UI elements and screens to support Headhunter mode
Removed the ability to hold down a button and accidentally select something

Kicking

Changed the way kicks are aimed so that you players decide exactly where they want the ball to go
Changed the power meter ramp up speed to be non-linear and more difficult
Increased the difficulty in hitting long range field goals and more dependent on a kicker's SKL rating
Implemented new kicking UI meters
Out of bounds kickoffs are now taken at the 35+ yard line

AI will go for it on 4th down when they are losing by a reasonable amount
AI will try to pin players deeper inside the 20 on punts
AI will go for 2 on more occasions than before

Gameplay

Changed the way ratings affect QB throws to create more interception opportunities
Increased the frequency of passes being tipped rather than outright deflected
Increased the effect AGL has on throw inaccuracy and quality
Increased the chance to tackle low TKL rated runners by 50%
Decreased the frequency of overpowered defensive teams continuously sacking the QB
Decreased juke effectiveness by 10%
Made an attempt to improve the expected spot of the ball after tackling a non-diving player

Stats

Implemented Headhunter stat and record tracking
Sacks no longer count against QB rushing stats
Defensive TD's are correctly tracked
2PT conversions are correctly tracked now
30/40/50+ FG's are correctly tracked now
Field goal distance is correctly tracked now
Interception yards were incorrectly being given to QB
Kickoff tackles were incorrectly being reported as TFL

Ratings

Increased the ratings of many middle tier teams to provide better parity across the league
QB OVR no longer factors in SPD and AGL, as a result those ratings have been lowered on many players who were artificially boosted before
Kicker ratings across the game are more varied now

Saves

Added save files for headhunter and headhunter records
Moved settings save file location to a more predictable location. As a result, players will have to reconfigure their settings with this release

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where kickoffs after a safety kickoff no longer took place from the 35

[ v.10.2 - 08.18.2020 ] / / / / GAME UPDATE

Frontend

Added a 'rosters' page to the frontend, giving access to a full list of ratings and player information for all 32 teams

Gameplay

Increased chance of pass deflections, especially for lower rated defenders
Kicks that hit the uprights will now bounce off and miss as expected
Pre-snap defender selection is remembered between plays and auto-selected at the start of the next play
During kickoffs, the playclock remains stopped until the ball is returned
Punting and kicking better reflects a kicker's ratings now

AI makes appropriate play calls based on the score and quarter, passing more when they are losing and running more when winning
AI manages the clock effectively, calling timeouts appropriately in the last 90 seconds of a half
AI will choose to pass more with higher rated QB's
AI calls run stop defenses less often on 1st and 2nd down
AI punters take field position into account and try to avoid touchbacks

Presentation

On the playbook screen, an alert informs you now what the AI plans to do on 4th down
On the playbook screen, the player's selection is covered up immediately after calling a play
Parts of the ingame UI have been visually updated with a new font
P2 stat box is visible now when appropriate

Bug Fixes

BUG #6 - Fixed a critical issue that occurred when a player paused the game during slow motion possession changes. The game will now stay paused and return to slow motion when resumed
Fixed an issue that was displaying incorrect idle animations for quarterbacks and kickers
Fixed an issue that was causing P2's kicking aim to be inverted. The kick direction now matches the aim bar
Potential fix for players who experience a disproportionate amount of dropped catches, typically on lower end hardware

[ v.10.1 - 08.08.2020 ] / / / / GAMEPLAY PATCH

Gameplay

Added the ability to call timeouts immediately after the play, providing for better clock management opportunities

Bug Fixes

BUG #1 - Fixed a number of critical issues that occurred when a team caught a missed fg/xp kick. The ability to catch a missed kick has been turned off, which was the intended behavior
BUG #4 - Fixed an issue where timeouts were being charged incorrectly after possession changed
BUG #5 - Fixed a critical issue where exiting the 'stats' menu during the second quarter locked up the game's input, forcing a restart. This was a result of a deprecated navigation button appearing that has now been removed from the game
Fixed a critical issue where pressing the 'Y' button (8 on numpad) before the snap inhibited the snap from taking place afterwards. Investigating to see if this fix helps some of the other reported input lockup issues

[ v.10.0 - 08.06.2020 ] / / / / EARLY ACCESS RELEASE

Welcome to the start of Early Access! Sunday Rivals has come a long, long way over the last 8 months. The last few have been spent almost entirely on AI improvements to try and hammer down a solid gameplay base to build upon. There's a lot of rough edges still, but I think the game is starting to feel fun. Give it a run, let me know what you think!

Slowed all running speed down by 5%
Increased the number of playbook pages to 4 and the total number of plays per side to 20. This will hopefully lead to a better play experience with less obvious playcalling patterns from the AI
All QB ratings are hooked up to impact the quality of throws now. Backpedalling and cross-body throws affect trajectory and distance while throwing on the run affects accuracy
Additionally, QB's effectively checkdown to find secondary receivers, biasing for deeper routes and making throws under pressure
Improved target leading on crossing routes (without accounting for skill and situational inaccuracy)
Added a set of blended QB animations with different ball positions to play while they stand and move around the pocket
Changed throw speed and ball arc to be a bit more visually reasonable. This makes the ball stay on screen longer and generally move at pace that doesn't feel completely comical
AI runners do a better job finding open running space and understanding where pressure is coming from. This needs a lot of work still but it's heading in the right direction
AI ratings control power move usage now, so you'll see less WR's running over linebackers and TE's busting spin moves at top speed
Improved safety coverage on deep threats by sticking closer to open receivers and increased the frequency at which they make a play on the ball, leading to more deflections and interceptions
First pass on all 32 teams and ratings. Player OVR's are a weighted average based on position and then those are averaged to find team OVR's. Expect these numbers to change over time
Added QB shotgun stance
Run animations slow to a stop smoother than before
Team selection screen shows helmets, looks better
Fixed a bug where the kicker would face the wrong way after a kick
Fixed a bug where the QB would celebrate failing a 2pt conversion