Ashes Cricket General Discussion

[Spoobir]

Well, make of it what you will:

Was a bit concerned when QDK and Amla fell in quick succession (One to a backfoot chip off a bouncer and the other a bottom edge cut caught behind). Then I was pretty sure it would be an 8 wicket win until 2 miss-hits to the infield in one over with only single figures required (I kept the field up all innings to stop easy singles). Then AB just spanks 2 fours to win. Can't conclude much after one match but 100 odd for 3 or 4 seems pretty standard for the chasing team so far. And at least the AI managed to reach the target.

And yes @wasteyouryouth turning pace revs down is something I would recommend even just purely from a visual standpoint, especially with pace turned up. Not sure if it affects any deliveries other than cutter though?

 

[Langeveldt]

I get the odd cheap wicket, but that's cricket, and I also get a lot of wickets where I beat the bat, get a nick and feel like I've really earned it. My problem is I hardly see mentalities from the AI, especially when I change any sliders from default. It is weird how it feels like we are playing totally different games.

 

[Hester]

Thing is we might not play the game the same way, but I'd disagree with @Spoobir when he says we had a different experience. When you look at the results, high scoring or low scoring they were all close finishes. So maybe the only real difference between his game and mine is that I've found a way to get wickets easily. Then the game responds by trying to make it a contest by giving away wickets, or not in his case, and you get a close finish.

The problem is 75% of the wickets look cheap and unrealistic so it just looks phony. I know I'm not alone in experiencing the AI just giving it away with a stupid dismissal at random times, or as someone said the other day (can't remember who) that even if you drop a chance, another will come along very soon.

In fact, the only time I can remember losing a match heavily is when I've batted second. Everything else seems to be a close finish - even when trying to defend 44. To me at least, that suggests the AI has no gauge for what I'm gonna do and if I bat second and, as is usual lose wickets because of errors on my part; bad shots, poor timing, trying a slog. Then it looks like a heavy defeat and a mismatch. Unlike batting, where the AI teams could easily give wickets away, it has no way to force me to get out - it's not like the AI ever bowls anything remotely challenging that leaves me thinking 'I could've done nothing to prevent that wicket.' But if you bowl second (having batted or bowled first like we did) it has something to target - a run chase or a collapse.

This isn't a unique experience for me on Ashes either, it was similar on DBC 17 and I can remember similar things happening way back on 14. I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion with some but when a game is released with so many bugs and issues (the same happened to me before any patches on DBC 17), but I'm still seeing close finishes and tight contests, I start to wonder what's more likely: the game is good enough to still produce realistic results and close finishes despite all the other issues it has, or there's some element sitting there, working regardless of other problems, that creates 'good' matches?

Like I said when I posted those three theories with that scorecard, I really hope it's 1 or 2 cause they can be fixed. If it's three, it must be a fundamental part of how the game works and makes me question whether there is any 'game' in it at all or if it's just a sophistocated simulator and all we are getting is the output in response to whatever we do presented in the most exciting (if not convincing) fashion possible. I do hope I'm wrong, but the more I play the more this pattern persists regardless of difficulty, teams, skills levels, conditions.

I'm with you on the sophisticated simulator theory. To me, it's particularly evident when the AI bats and does that ridiculous move outside leg stump to shoot a short ball out of the bat for 4, like a ball from a cannon. It's like the game has already calculated it'll hit a 4 with this ball and just needs to find the best animation.

 

[Spofforth]

Hi everyone, I picked this game up yesterday after mulling it over for a while, I've not played on a console for a long time, PS2 probably the last one. My son has a PS4 so have plumped for this to see how it goes.

I love my cricket (Yorkshire and England) but am an arm chair fan really due to time restrictions.

Anyway... I've been flicking through this forum today and have picked up some good hints and tips, couple of things I've not seen yet though are:

How to download/use real life date, I'd love to play as Yorkshire in a County Championship competition for example, is there somewhere that explains how to do that easily? I am sure it is here somewhere, I've just not spotted it yet.

Also, and again this is going to be user error... the mini games that are mentioned, where do I find them, only played about three hours yesterday and can't say I saw them!

Go nice lol, I'm not what you'd call a gamer!

 

[Pinch hitter]

Batting is too easy in Ashes Cricket...
When I batting, it never felt that I am playing with low rated batsman... both 60 & 90 rated players feels same... the only difference is there shot speed... I remember in DBC 14, when you play ground shot early, ball goes in air and create a chance for fielders... but in this game, how early or late you play, ball stay on ground all the time (even in hard batting difficulty)... because of this, early and late defensive shot not gets edges, which is too unrealistic... also I feel, BA needs to fix/reduce Ariel shots timing...

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Well, make of it what you will:

Was a bit concerned when QDK and Amla fell in quick succession (One to a backfoot chip off a bouncer and the other a bottom edge cut caught behind). Then I was pretty sure it would be an 8 wicket win until 2 miss-hits to the infield in one over with only single figures required (I kept the field up all innings to stop easy singles). Then AB just spanks 2 fours to win. Can't conclude much after one match but 100 odd for 3 or 4 seems pretty standard for the chasing team so far. And at least the AI managed to reach the target.

And yes @wasteyouryouth turning pace revs down is something I would recommend even just purely from a visual standpoint, especially with pace turned up. Not sure if it affects any deliveries other than cutter though?

Maybe you've proved me wrong. I dunno. Perhaps I'm an unlucky one for whom the unique experience just happens to be getting progressively less entertaining and less convincing the more I think about what I'm actually seeing. Maybe how I play the game just isn't compatible. I've never actively sought to find and exploit flaws i just try variations of what is available to me when bowling, I adapt my fields to the game not try to reflect real life. Yet no matter what I do, more often than not the matches will end in the same way.

I'm with you on the sophisticated simulator theory. To me, it's particularly evident when the AI bats and does that ridiculous move outside leg stump to shoot a short ball out of the bat for 4, like a ball from a cannon. It's like the game has already calculated it'll hit a 4 with this ball and just needs to find the best animation.

I really noticed in those last two matches how frequently the AI goes for a big shot at the end of the over. It got to the point where I'd just stick cover back on the boundary, they'd still go for a big shot but it'd often end up being a frazzled hack through point or going in between my two slips. I don't think I took a wicket on any of them but that's because they were busy losing wickets at other times. I started the first innings, and I think I got hit through mid wicket, so I put a man there, within 2 overs three batsman had pulled straight to him. It felt like a thank you for making it easier for wickets to fall.

Maybe I'm too cynical or just want something more than the illusion that I'm playing a game, which is really how it feels to me lately, but I spent most of that 44v42 laughing my head off at how painfully predictable and awful it was. There were some nice wickets in the second innings, but did I earn them or did I just bowl the right line and length to allow the AI to get out in a manner that didn't involve looping one up to the infield or guiding one straight to the slips?

 

[Chris Swift]

Hi everyone, I picked this game up yesterday after mulling it over for a while, I've not played on a console for a long time, PS2 probably the last one. My son has a PS4 so have plumped for this to see how it goes.

I love my cricket (Yorkshire and England) but am an arm chair fan really due to time restrictions.

Anyway... I've been flicking through this forum today and have picked up some good hints and tips, couple of things I've not seen yet though are:

How to download/use real life date, I'd love to play as Yorkshire in a County Championship competition for example, is there somewhere that explains how to do that easily? I am sure it is here somewhere, I've just not spotted it yet.

Also, and again this is going to be user error... the mini games that are mentioned, where do I find them, only played about three hours yesterday and can't say I saw them!

Go nice lol, I'm not what you'd call a gamer!

Found this video, hope it helps

 

[Llewelynf]

Found this video, hope it helps

Pretty good vid and a nice mention too.

 

[RedskinsUK]

Just a query but my lad had tried to upload a team he's created but keeps getting error message saying about foriegn decals etc.. when he does. Anyone know what the issue could be?

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Pretty good vid and a nice mention too.

Maybe I should tell them that there's no need to search for what other people have done because you seem to have reshared most of what I've done anyway.

 

[Llewelynf]

Maybe I should tell them that there's no need to search for what other people have done because you seem to have reshared most of what I've done anyway.

I think i only reshared the ones that had some of my international players in iirc. Not sure what it was. I know. I did my own trinbago. Most of your players are probably more up to date than mine though.

 

[Spoobir]

Maybe you've proved me wrong. I dunno. Perhaps I'm an unlucky one for whom the unique experience just happens to be getting progressively less entertaining and less convincing the more I think about what I'm actually seeing. Maybe how I play the game just isn't compatible. I've never actively sought to find and exploit flaws i just try variations of what is available to me when bowling, I adapt my fields to the game not try to reflect real life. Yet no matter what I do, more often than not the matches will end in the same way.


I really noticed in those last two matches how frequently the AI goes for a big shot at the end of the over. It got to the point where I'd just stick cover back on the boundary, they'd still go for a big shot but it'd often end up being a frazzled hack through point or going in between my two slips. I don't think I took a wicket on any of them but that's because they were busy losing wickets at other times. I started the first innings, and I think I got hit through mid wicket, so I put a man there, within 2 overs three batsman had pulled straight to him. It felt like a thank you for making it easier for wickets to fall.

Maybe I'm too cynical or just want something more than the illusion that I'm playing a game, which is really how it feels to me lately, but I spent most of that 44v42 laughing my head off at how painfully predictable and awful it was. There were some nice wickets in the second innings, but did I earn them or did I just bowl the right line and length to allow the AI to get out in a manner that didn't involve looping one up to the infield or guiding one straight to the slips?

I'm with you on the stuff like the AI hitting out and scoring weird looking boundaries near the end of the over, especially if there have been 5 dots. At the moment sort of stuff feels very 'gamey' and not like natural cricket at all. Although there probably should be a mechanic of the AI trying to hit out after they have been under some pressure from good bowling, it just doesn't feel right at the moment.

I guess I do try and play more "realistic" tactics and fields, but only simple stuff in so much as if I'm going to be bowling outside off I'll put more men out on that side, or if I'm going for yorker/bouncer tactic at the end of an innings I'll pack the leg-sde boundaries. This means if I do miss my line the AI can get easy runs but still not enough to make the huge difference in scores we're getting. I've also only bowled the AI out once in 4 games and they still made about 270 that match. It really confuses me how you're about to so consistently blow through them, even on flat decks, as though I can sometimes get flurries of wickets through bad shots they are usually pretty good at rebuilding with a partnership or two. I might try a game on an absolute minefield of a pitch and see what happens.

 

[blockerdave]

Hi everyone, I picked this game up yesterday after mulling it over for a while, I've not played on a console for a long time, PS2 probably the last one. My son has a PS4 so have plumped for this to see how it goes.

I love my cricket (Yorkshire and England) but am an arm chair fan really due to time restrictions.

Anyway... I've been flicking through this forum today and have picked up some good hints and tips, couple of things I've not seen yet though are:

How to download/use real life date, I'd love to play as Yorkshire in a County Championship competition for example, is there somewhere that explains how to do that easily? I am sure it is here somewhere, I've just not spotted it yet.

Also, and again this is going to be user error... the mini games that are mentioned, where do I find them, only played about three hours yesterday and can't say I saw them!

Go nice lol, I'm not what you'd call a gamer!

Welcome. i'm very interested in how a yorkshire & england fan chose the name spofforth?

the video @Chris Lickley posted is a great way to understand how to get the real-life data. we've some very talented creators on the forum. be sure to check out the academy sub-forum for details of lots and lots of real-life teams

 

[blockerdave]

Thing is we might not play the game the same way, but I'd disagree with @Spoobir when he says we had a different experience. When you look at the results, high scoring or low scoring they were all close finishes. So maybe the only real difference between his game and mine is that I've found a way to get wickets easily. Then the game responds by trying to make it a contest by giving away wickets, or not in his case, and you get a close finish.

The problem is 75% of the wickets look cheap and unrealistic so it just looks phony. I know I'm not alone in experiencing the AI just giving it away with a stupid dismissal at random times, or as someone said the other day (can't remember who) that even if you drop a chance, another will come along very soon.

In fact, the only time I can remember losing a match heavily is when I've batted second. Everything else seems to be a close finish - even when trying to defend 44. To me at least, that suggests the AI has no gauge for what I'm gonna do and if I bat second and, as is usual lose wickets because of errors on my part; bad shots, poor timing, trying a slog. Then it looks like a heavy defeat and a mismatch. Unlike batting, where the AI teams could easily give wickets away, it has no way to force me to get out - it's not like the AI ever bowls anything remotely challenging that leaves me thinking 'I could've done nothing to prevent that wicket.' But if you bowl second (having batted or bowled first like we did) it has something to target - a run chase or a collapse.

This isn't a unique experience for me on Ashes either, it was similar on DBC 17 and I can remember similar things happening way back on 14. I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion with some but when a game is released with so many bugs and issues (the same happened to me before any patches on DBC 17), but I'm still seeing close finishes and tight contests, I start to wonder what's more likely: the game is good enough to still produce realistic results and close finishes despite all the other issues it has, or there's some element sitting there, working regardless of other problems, that creates 'good' matches?

Like I said when I posted those three theories with that scorecard, I really hope it's 1 or 2 cause they can be fixed. If it's three, it must be a fundamental part of how the game works and makes me question whether there is any 'game' in it at all or if it's just a sophistocated simulator and all we are getting is the output in response to whatever we do presented in the most exciting (if not convincing) fashion possible. I do hope I'm wrong, but the more I play the more this pattern persists regardless of difficulty, teams, skills levels, conditions.

This balancer thing is definitely there and was in all 3 games. the only progress is at least in dbc17 and ashes if you blow away the top order, they will be out cheaply rather than 9/10/11 all getting 50s to drag them to a "competitive" score.

For some reason BA feel anything not going our way won't be fun. this is honestly the reason they removed the AI reviewing - it won't be fun if you need a wicket and get it overturned. crazy.

 

[Master Khan]

I just bowled a maidan in a super over and didn't even got the trophy