Ashes Cricket General Discussion

[sheharyar]

I am not sure if its a bug or not but I can hit spinner for six every ball on legend difficulty and hard batting, everything set to 90 while shot placement difficulty set to 72. I just dance down the track and hit the ball for six against spinner effortlessly.

 

[cricket_online]

I didn't say the AI fields were decent. I said I don't think they are as bad as they were at this stage of DBC 17. I think the individual fields are often flawed and clearly some have tactic settings that need to be changed. More fields would help, the AI being able to move single fielders, as would fields specific for right/left handed batsmen.

I love stats just as much as the next person and it's unfortunate that issues are present (I've not seen any), but I don't consider stats issues to be a major gameplay bug, maybe if we were talking about Excel, but, if anything, they are cosmetic bugs. Batsmen edging and carrying on is really annoying and I hope it gets fixed in the next patch. It's not ruined any match for me on the two or three occasions it has happened.

If you think stats bugs are cosmetic issues then let's agree to disagree. To me stats is the backbone of career mode and I don't incorrect stats as cosmetic bugs. To me it makes career mode broken coz if my career batsman's stats are recorded and displayed incorrectly, what exactly am I playing the mode for? If I've to use Excel sheet like @Rhone is doing, I would call the mode broken. I expect stats to be fixed in this iteration as you can't me to fall back on Excel sheet for tracking stats in a career mode over two successive iterations of the game.

The very fact we are at a stage giving Big Ant a pass about incorrect stats and calling them "cosmetic" and are ok with them not fixing it says how low expectations have fallen. For me two things need to change at bare minimum - stats need to be fixed and AI fields need to be enhanced. If that's done I can at least play career mode since DBC 14 days.

 

[sheharyar]

I guess spinners varied pace a lot better in DBC 2017 thus making it difficult to hit six on every ball.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

If you think stats bugs are cosmetic issues then let's agree to disagree. To me stats is the backbone of career mode and I don't incorrect stats as cosmetic bugs. To me it makes career mode broken coz if my career batsman's stats are recorded and displayed incorrectly, what exactly am I playing the mode for? If I've to use Excel sheet like @Rhone is doing, I would call the mode broken. I expect stats to be fixed in this iteration as you can't me to fall back on Excel sheet for tracking stats in a career mode over two successive iterations of the game.
The very fact we are at a stage giving Big Ant a pass about incorrect stats and calling them "cosmetic" and are ok with them not fixing it says how low expectations have fallen. For me two things need to change at bare minimum - stats need to be fixed and AI fields need to be enhanced. If that's done I can at least play career mode since DBC 14 days.

I don't know if they do, but unless stats directly impact the gameplay mechanics, e.g. if incorrectly calculated average, or runs not being totalled up lead to you not being selected, then I'm gonna stick to saying they are cosmetic and are just a record your progress, like a high score on Pacman.

 

[Dean johnes]

Yes I keep getting best test match bowling, when playing a t20.
This wasn't happening the other day.[DOUBLEPOST=1515197406][/DOUBLEPOST]

And your constant bollox about online play wasn't?

Online post vs edges and sliders ha ha
60 numbers 6000
Haha

 

[cricket_online]

I don't know if they do, but unless stats directly impact the gameplay mechanics, e.g. if incorrectly calculated average, or runs not being totalled up lead to you not being selected, then I'm gonna stick to saying they are cosmetic and are just a record your progress, like a high score on Pacman.

Stats are not cosmetic for the simple reason that you play career mode in a sports game for the stats. My motivation in career mode is to score 'X' no. of 100s or to average say 60 in Tests. If the basic stats such as Best Bowling (BBI) and no. of 100s & 50s (unbeaten milestones not being recorded) are incorrect, I wouldn't play career mode. If stats are "cosmetic" in a career mode why even bother with the stats in the first place?

The objective of career mode in a sports game is not simply to get to a certain level (say intl) but to accumulate stats along the way. I don't play career mode as Pacman where getting to Tests or becoming captain of a national side is the "be all end all". My motivation is to rack up numbers and compare them to the legends of the game. If the whole point of career mode is for it to be compared to a simple progression system a la levels in Pacman I'm afraid you don't really understand the essence of a career mode especially in a sports game.

 

[blockerdave]

Again I disagree that batting hasn't regressed. To me it has gone down the "arcade" road. I was never able to hammer the bowling and pile on cheap runs during DBC 14 days the way I can in Ashes Cricket. As for AI fields I again disagree that the fields are decent. It's not just the ring field but various AI fields which don't make sense. I've rarely seen fields without anyone deep behind square on the leg side (say Fine Leg) but AI puts such fields often.

And as for bugs are concerned, I don't mind cosmetic or small bugs at all. E.g., I don't care whether fielders catch the ball facing the other way or fielding animations etc. I'm talking major gameplay bugs, i.e. batsmen edging and continuing on, system crashes, stats issues that have carried on from DBC 17.

The ring field is actually a fall back. Due to the customisation options it's possible that someone might create a match type or power play where outfielders aren't allowed. Without that field the AI would fall over in such circumstances as there wouldn't be a field it could use.

It's an error in implementation that it's being used in other circumstances and that needs looking at.

regarding fields with nobody behind square on the leg-side, what formats and circumstance?

i believe most or all of the first class fields have a fielder behind square. often it uses a "square" (which despite the name is well behind square) rather than a fine leg / deep fine leg, which is something i've set because i find that position can cover more ground going finer or squarer which is helpful in attacking 6-3 fields.

the logic of AI field choices is certainly something that could have been better in all 3 games. unfortunately, it's also an area that BA haven't engaged on in beta. i have asked directly when they will use certain field types, and when they will switch attack type, but they haven't answered.

regarding batting, it's certainly more forgiving on slogging and that is disappointing. one of the strengths of 14 and 17 was forcing you to play nicely or knowing you'd run of luck. again though, this is something that i think was better before the post-release patches. (though i know @WealeyH was complaining about lack of edges in particular before that.)

 

[blockerdave]

has anyone actually defined what the stats issue in career is? because i've seen people say they are fine, and others say they are wrong but no actual explanation?

 

[sashu_91]

I am not sure if its a bug or not but I can hit spinner for six every ball on legend difficulty and hard batting, everything set to 90 while shot placement difficulty set to 72. I just dance down the track and hit the ball for six against spinner effortlessly.

Batting is a joke in this game..

 

[cricket_online]

has anyone actually defined what the stats issue in career is? because i've seen people say they are fine, and others say they are wrong but no actual explanation?

So far these are the stats related issues :-

1. Unbeaten milestones (100s & 50s) are not recorded. Thus if I get a high score of 238* (not out), the HS will not reflect the same. Similarly the unbeaten 100s & 50s are not reflected in the overall stats. So if I've scored 10 100s and 15 50s with 3 unbeaten 100s and 4 unbeaten 50s, the overall stats would show I've 7 100s & 11 50s.
2. Best Bowling stats are incorrect as per Bug reports.
3. User Statistics are totally borked. If I play a Test and save it, all the stats (e.g., runs scored) are not tracked. The User Stats only reflect the stats post resumption. As such User Statistics for Tests become faulty by default as you can't expect folks to play out Tests in one sitting.

@Rhone can add more as he has fallen back on using spreadsheet in career mode. Plus you can look through the Bugs Reporting thread and there are a few bug reports related to incorrect stats post the latest patch.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Stats are not cosmetic for the simple reason that you play career mode in a sports game for the stats. My motivation in career mode is to score 'X' no. of 100s or to average say 60 in Tests. If the basic stats such as Best Bowling (BBI) and no. of 100s & 50s (unbeaten milestones not being recorded) are incorrect, I wouldn't play career mode. If stats are "cosmetic" in a career mode why even bother with the stats in the first place?

The objective of career mode in a sports game is not simply to get to a certain level (say intl) but to accumulate stats along the way. I don't play career mode as Pacman where getting to Tests or becoming captain of a national side is the "be all end all". My motivation is to rack up numbers and compare them to the legends of the game. If the whole point of career mode is for it to be compared to a simple progression system a la levels in Pacman I'm afraid you don't really understand the essence of a career mode especially in a sports game.

And you really don't understand what game play is and isn't.

 

[cricket_online]

The ring field is actually a fall back. Due to the customisation options it's possible that someone might create a match type or power play where outfielders aren't allowed. Without that field the AI would fall over in such circumstances as there wouldn't be a field it could use.

It's an error in implementation that it's being used in other circumstances and that needs looking at.

regarding fields with nobody behind square on the leg-side, what formats and circumstance?

i believe most or all of the first class fields have a fielder behind square. often it uses a "square" (which despite the name is well behind square) rather than a fine leg / deep fine leg, which is something i've set because i find that position can cover more ground going finer or squarer which is helpful in attacking 6-3 fields.

the logic of AI field choices is certainly something that could have been better in all 3 games. unfortunately, it's also an area that BA haven't engaged on in beta. i have asked directly when they will use certain field types, and when they will switch attack type, but they haven't answered.

regarding batting, it's certainly more forgiving on slogging and that is disappointing. one of the strengths of 14 and 17 was forcing you to play nicely or knowing you'd run of luck. again though, this is something that i think was better before the post-release patches. (though i know @WealeyH was complaining about lack of edges in particular before that.)

I get the field without anyone deep behind square on the leg side in Tests as well as shorter formats. I will capture it next time I see it. It has a short fine leg (or short backward square leg?) and the first deep fielder on the leg side is 'Deep Forward Square Leg' IMO. Anything on the stumps or just outside off or on the leg side is flicked for easy boundaries.

My main issue with the fields is that it's not just the number of outfielders but also the placement. E.g., there's one field where all 4 outfielders are posted in the arc between Wide Long On (Wide On?) and Wide Off. Or you have redundant deep fielders. E.g., Deep Mid Off, Extra Cover and the outfielder at Deep Extra Cover. As a casual observer I can say that if I've to place 5 outfielders, I will most probably have Deep Fine Leg and Deep 3rd man and the other 3 can vary depending on the bowling tactic. If you want to bowl fuller, the three outfielders would be Long On, Long Off and Deep Cover (or Deep Cover Point) to go with the 3rd man & Fine Leg. If you intend to bowl shorter have Deep Mid On & Deep Mid off in the circle and have Deep Square Leg and Deep Mid Wkt (or Deep Fwd Mid Wkt) in their stead.

I recall @jaffar100 had made a thread about common fields for various scenarios & formats which could've been used as a starting point. The other issue with AI fields is that there's no logic whatsoever in their selection. They vary randomly. I can cream 4 consecutive boundaries through Point and AI won't put a Deep Point or Deep Cover Point. Same with leaving Fine Leg empty despite repeated boundaries in the area. Conversely sometimes AI puts a field which is challenging and you struggle to score. And then you play a shot straight to the fielder and the very next delivery the field is changed and the fielding position where the shot was stopped is no longer around!

Edit: I played a Test and came across 3-4 fields which were sort of similar. And that's what the fields looked like on the leg side...
1. Backward Square Leg, Deep Square Leg and Deep Mid On.
2. Short Fine Leg, Deep Square Leg, Deep Mid Wkt, Deep Mid On.
3. Short Fine Leg, Deep Forward Square Leg, Deep Mid On.
There might be other variants which i may have missed. Essentially you glance/flick a delivery on stumps or just outside off and it goes to the boundary. Backward Square Leg or Short Fine Leg are always beaten and at best they chase the ball to limit the batsman to a 3.

[DOUBLEPOST=1515269616][/DOUBLEPOST]

And you really don't understand what game play is and isn't.

I consider stats part of gameplay in career mode. If the stats are not correct you (at least I) wouldn't play the mode. It's the backbone on which career mode is built.

 

[Bleddyn]

I consider stats part of gameplay in career mode. If the stats are not correct you (at least I) wouldn't play the mode. It's the backbone on which career mode is built.

100% agree. Career mode is the main draw of the game for me, and stats are the backbone of a career mode.

 

[Hester]

Smith is isn’t he plus use sliders for seam movement

He's supposed to be but he's definitely not in mine.

 

[passwordistaco]

Tried without any academy downloads or any changes to settings. Match Difficulty Veteran and bowling at hard. Pitch Condition Grassy, hard, pristine and Overcast weather.
Below is the video of Starc's 6 for 22 but still ended in losing the match trying to defend 150 off 20 overs.

I haven't had any wickets like this. Although I mostly play career mode so my player isn't anywhere near Starc's level