Problem: 2 player game - generic names showing (PS4)

[blockerdave]

Top post @cricket_online. What this game gets right is generally wonderful; what it gets wrong is generally horrendous.

It's like they had two dev teams, one full of cricket nerds and the other who's only knowledge of cricket came written in a "weird things white people do" Chinese guidebook written in 1903

 

[Mr Snrub]

7. No split screen for offline multiplayer - Big Ant have mentioned that they want us to forget how earlier games used to work and I must say I love it, especially the way you bat from behind the wkt keeper. But unfortunately you can't do so for affline multiplayer coz there's no split screen for bowler and batsman. The game essentially forces you to play the game like "earlier" cricket games since broadcast camera angle is the only feasible option. For a game which wanted us to embrace the new way of playing cricket and the new batting controls, not to have a split screen where you can have the batting (behind the batsman) and bowling cameras adjacent to each other for offline multiplayer does seem to be a miss. Surely folks would have seen it while playtesting when I found the offline multiplayer experience so jarring on my first try.

I agree with all of your points, although this one - only to a degree.

Ross has said that there likely will be a split-screen in the next iteration for off-line multiplayer and what surprised me, is that he seemed to suggest that they'd remove broadcast view.

I understand the interest in spilt-screen as a method, many people can deal with it and in fact like it in other games. I personally think with two completely North and South end things like batting and bowling going on right beside each other, it's going to be fairly wildly distracting.
It may work for some people and great for them, but not for everyone.

This brings me to something I really don't like about some peoples views on Planet Cricket. There's an under-current of "things should be done this way!", which is really annoying. I have no problem with him, this discussion is all issue-based only, but this does seem to include Ross/Big Ant. I'll explain what I mean.

There's a large chunk of the audience that does like playing broadcast view, thats pretty inarguable. People are used to it, it works, it's like enjoying the game on telly. It does actually have plenty going for it.

Then there's people who want to split-screen it and get rid of broadcast, which I know is going to alienate a portion of the audience. I've played career for a long time on the recommended view of behind the batsman. It's good for single player, very good. It's like playing real cricket, which is terrific. On the other hand, sometimes I just like to play broadcast view. Conceptually, I can find it easier to get to grips with, even after dozens of hours of play of behind-bastman views.

The same thing is happening with the fielding radar. Some people would like one for an option. It'd speed up the game at times and make for a 1-2 second look around instead of this looking around the field every ball for 5 seconds (even then it's juddery, fielders get camoflaged by the crowd and the umpire looks like a player).

Although, we're denied it, even though those who don't want it, would NEVER have to use it. There are so many people saying "NO! NO! NO! DO NOT ALLOW A FIELDING RADAR! MAKE THE LAZY SO & SO'S LOOK!!!". Why? These people never have to use it.

This semi-dictatoral "this works for me, so you MUST have it too" philosophy is counter-productive and is alienating to those who want good options that work for them.

How would those who want the fields to stay the same for all bowling changes (until you change the field yourself) feel if the answer came back, "NO! Not realistic enough! NOPE! Not doing it!". Because it is realistic how it is right now. Captains spend a lot of time changing fields.

Sorry for this long, somewhat rantish post, but had to get it off my chest.

 

[cricket_online]

I agree with all of your points, although this one - only to a degree.

Ross has said that there likely will be a split-screen in the next iteration for off-line multiplayer and what surprised me, is that he seemed to suggest that they'd remove broadcast view.

I understand the interest in spilt-screen as a method, many people can deal with it and in fact like it in other games. I personally think with two completely North and South end things like batting and bowling going on right beside each other, it's going to be fairly wildly distracting.
It may work for some people and great for them, but not for everyone.

This brings me to something I really don't like about some peoples views on Planet Cricket. There's an under-current of "things should be done this way!", which is really annoying. I have no problem with him, this discussion is all issue-based only, but this does seem to include Ross/Big Ant. I'll explain what I mean.

There's a large chunk of the audience that does like playing broadcast view, thats pretty inarguable. People are used to it, it works, it's like enjoying the game on telly. It does actually have plenty going for it.

Then there's people who want to split-screen it and get rid of broadcast, which I know is going to alienate a portion of the audience. I've played career for a long time on the recommended view of behind the batsman. It's good for single player, very good. It's like playing real cricket, which is terrific. On the other hand, sometimes I just like to play broadcast view. Conceptually, I can find it easier to get to grips with, even after dozens of hours of play of behind-bastman views.

The same thing is happening with the fielding radar. Some people would like one for an option. It'd speed up the game at times and make for a 1-2 second look around instead of this looking around the field every ball for 5 seconds (even then it's juddery, fielders get camoflaged by the crowd and the umpire looks like a player).

Although, we're denied it, even though those who don't want it, would NEVER have to use it. There are so many people saying "NO! NO! NO! DO NOT ALLOW A FIELDING RADAR! MAKE THE LAZY SO & SO'S LOOK!!!". Why? These people never have to use it.

This semi-dictatoral "this works for me, so you MUST have it too" philosophy is counter-productive and is alienating to those who want good options that work for them.

How would those who want the fields to stay the same for all bowling changes (until you change the field yourself) feel if the answer came back, "NO! Not realistic enough! NOPE! Not doing it!". Because it is realistic how it is right now. Captains spend a lot of time changing fields.

Sorry for this long, somewhat rantish post, but had to get it off my chest.

I don't disagree with you at all. If folks want to play offline multiplayer using broadcast camera, they should've the option to do so. But IMO the USP of the game is the unique batting controls and camera angles and not be able to use the same in offline multiplayer seems a bit strange. I feel the same way about field radar as there should be an option for it. If someone doesn't like it, they can turn it off, and I would love to have an option to read line & length a bit earlier as part of the bowling donut. If some folks are fine the way they are they can choose to have a setting whereby the line & length can be viewed real-time the way it is.

Personally I would have as many options as viable coz it only helps make the game more accessible to potential customers. If possible I would love for cricket games to move in the direction of Madden and FIFA series where you have slider settings for each aspect of the game/gameplay, and you can adjust the slider settings to tailor the best possible experience for yourself.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I don't disagree with you at all. If folks want to play offline multiplayer using broadcast camera, they should've the option to do so. But IMO the USP of the game is the unique batting controls and camera angles and not be able to use the same in offline multiplayer seems a bit strange. I feel the same way about field radar as there should be an option for it. If someone doesn't like it, they can turn it off, and I would love to have an option to read line & length a bit earlier as part of the bowling donut. If some folks are fine the way they are they can choose to have a setting whereby the line & length can be viewed real-time the way it is.

Personally I would have as many options as viable coz it only helps make the game more accessible to potential customers. If possible I would love for cricket games to move in the direction of Madden and FIFA series where you have slider settings for each aspect of the game/gameplay, and you can adjust the slider settings to tailor the best possible experience for yourself.

I'm with you all the way on the unique batting controls and camera angles. I do like them a lot and play it that way more often than not when single player. Still, I have definitely heard once, some time ago that the broadcast camera may go in a future version. From all we've seen Ross is no dig-your-toes-in type of tyrant, so maybe this has changed.

As for a bowling donut appearing at the second of last input I guess that would help a tiny bit for some. I play with 5 others who're getting better at the game, but they aren't dedicated hard-core and don't have the time to be. Things like that might make them play the right line a little more.

I am also hoping that when a sequel arrives that it'll be more accesible from the get-go.

 

[cricket_online]

I'm with you all the way on the unique batting controls and camera angles. I do like them a lot and play it that way more often than not when single player. Still, I have definitely heard once, some time ago that the broadcast camera may go in a future version. From all we've seen Ross is no dig-your-toes-in type of tyrant, so maybe this has changed.

As for a bowling donut appearing at the second of last input I guess that would help a tiny bit for some. I play with 5 others who're getting better at the game, but they aren't dedicated hard-core and don't have the time to be. Things like that might make them play the right line a little more.

I am also hoping that when a sequel arrives that it'll be more accesible from the get-go.

I wouldn't take anything out and simply add more "options". Regards to the line & length info in bowling donut, at the very least the info should be shown early against AI which would help in the offline modes against AI (casual and career). At the moment I pre-meditate nearly every shot and having more time to at least figure out the length, if not line, will come in handy to select the front/back foot appropriately.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I wouldn't take anything out and simply add more "options". Regards to the line & length info in bowling donut, at the very least the info should be shown early against AI which would help in the offline modes against AI (casual and career). At the moment I pre-meditate nearly every shot and having more time to at least figure out the length, if not line, will come in handy to select the front/back foot appropriately.

Yes, right now after having played it a lot, I premeditate nearly every shot myself. I try and look at the field and bring my options down to two shots on either side of the wicket. So, there's four possibilities, then I get ready on the front foot, if that's what has been bowled in the last two overs and will try to pick up the line, then play my shot.

That's often enough to get it right, but it's not the methodology of watching carefully and reacting accordingly. It's like the ball is coming down fast as it should, yeah okay I get that it's that hard and harder to bat at international level. Although we don't all have international batting level reactions and things feel in video game terms like it's maybe 1/10th of a second too quick to react well.

I think people get that there's levels like Veteran and Legend for that, but on the lower levels it still seems that quick and you premeditiate just as much as any other level, just the margin of error is larger and easier to hit the ball for that reason.

Any method that gives just a little more true reaction time and less premeditation would be welcome for a lot of people I'm sure.