Ashes Cricket General Discussion

[Gamer Pradosh]

if I remember correctly the whole discussion started when DBC 14 had been out for a while and there had been a patch sequence but it hadnt dealt with the bowling side of the game adequately. The idea was to enable the user to set there on parameters for the physics to set up the game they wanted. It has become a real web of intangibles now: you have three different modes of play, you have you easy to legendary setting, you have your easy hard hardest setting, you have the players skills, you have the players attributes, you have the downloaed teams, you have batting modifiers on or off, you have bowling modifiers on and off, you have physics adjusted or not.........no wonder it is very hard to find the sweet spot and no wonder that it creates all kinds of weird bugs...

Rightly said too many things to look into for even one minor change..Thats the reason I felt they could use sliders as settings for match, pitch conditions and every aspect of gameplay could be varied with it and lock them up...So if you wanna play your own way play Custom difficulty and other in game difficulties just lock them..We know one thing that modifiers shows the difference in gameplay then we/they can exploit that to get the best out of game...

 

[Deleted member 185125]

I guess it depends if you prefer batting or bowling. Apart from the singles not being taken bowling was much better. Half of those bugs are still there. I see the prod shot more and caught off pads against spin.

Agree with you. And like @Langeveldt says, a lot of them are still present to some degree, plus a lot more that were probably not noticed before the first patch came out - teleporting keepers, this cutter magic ball I've found etc.

Agree with you guys. But I really can't say the AI was playing better on patch one. I have only heard the beta guys saying it was better. I have been bowling 90 percent of the time since I got this game (have played on all the patches released), dont see much difference in the AI mentalities, apart from increase in prod shots.
Can anyone tell me how better is day one patch compared to what we have now?

 

[Deleted member 185125]

Well the thing about Don Bradman 14 was that when you missed the release point the ball would either but pushed long or dragged short depending on whether you were early or late, which was realistic and true to real life bowling. With that gone in DBC17 and now Ashes (despite balls no longer all landing on the exact same length in Ashes I'm still not convinced the slight variation isn't just random and has nothing to do with input) there is no other way to show you missed the release point than giving the ball "shit carry".

That said I'd recommend you try turning the pace speed up to ~80. Not only does it look better and result in less dodgy carry, it makes batting more fun as well. It doesn't seem to make my AI bat any worse either, you just need to get over the bowling speed gun being a little ridiculous.

I remember someone from beta ( pre-release ) stating that timing based length variation like in DBC14 is included in this. I guess it was removed before release.

 

[Dutch]

I remember someone from beta ( pre-release ) stating that timing based length variation like in DBC14 is included in this. I guess it was removed before release.

Release based length variation is there, but it is not on a meter as in dbc 14..... but if you bowl later or earlier it will give slight variations depending on which preset button you chose.

 

[Langeveldt]

Agree with you guys. But I really can't say the AI was playing better on patch one. I have only heard the beta guys saying it was better. I have been bowling 90 percent of the time since I got this game (have played on all the patches released), dont see much difference in the AI mentalities, apart from increase in prod shots.
Can anyone tell me how better is day one patch compared to what we have now?

I remember seeing Bancroft 3(27) and Warner 21 (21) and even having the same thing in game myself. Now it appears to be just coast along at 3.5 an over, and if you don't achieve it, slap it for four or six. Pretty poor for 2018 I think. Sometimes it seems to be in evidence, other times the opposite is the case. It's really frustrating.

 

[blockerdave]

indeed and further more to the ongoing discussion, we have to look at ourselves here: we begged, borrowed and stole for there to be in-game modifiers and editors.......they gave us that and made life very complicated for themselves in doing so. The amount of variables within the game, within the different hardware, is just immense, huge. We have all seen the different experiences people are having. This is not to say that there are some very serious core issues here that they need to look at but we are also a very fikkle bunch of people.

my view/recollection is people did ask for a separation of difficulty, separate batting/bowling/AI difficulty.

these, and the timing customisations have their place.

the physics customisations shouldn't be in the game.

 

[Deleted member 185125]

I remember seeing Bancroft 3(27) and Warner 21 (21) and even having the same thing in game myself. Now it appears to be just coast along at 3.5 an over, and if you don't achieve it, slap it for four or six. Pretty poor for 2018 I think. Sometimes it seems to be in evidence, other times the opposite is the case. It's really frustrating.

The last test I played Bancroft was on 2 or 3 off 20 odd and got Warner run out looking for quick single.
The game is far from being a 8 out of 10 as review suggests. And I disagree patch 1 was any better.

 

[Langeveldt]

my view/recollection is people did ask for a separation of difficulty, separate batting/bowling/AI difficulty.

these, and the timing customisations have their place.

the physics customisations shouldn't be in the game.

Unfortunately everyone is going to have a different way of playing the game. It really is the most difficult sport in the world to get right with so many variables.

But elementary stuff like pitch wear not being visible is just basic cricket 101 really, and evidence of some attributes having absolutely nothing to do with anything, unforgivable. If BA can't get it right they shouldn't purport to having the level of customisation in the game in the first place.

 

[Sweppy12]

Unfortunately everyone is going to have a different way of playing the game. It really is the most difficult sport in the world to get right with so many variables.

But elementary stuff like pitch wear not being visible is just basic cricket 101 really, and evidence of some attributes having absolutely nothing to do with anything, unforgivable. If BA can't get it right they shouldn't purport to having the level of customisation in the game in the first place.

adding on to that only being able to get shitty caught wickets on higher difficulty levels is gross. Even the best in the world get out lbw, bowled, caught behind etc.

 

[Langeveldt]

adding on to that only being able to get shitty caught wickets on higher difficulty levels is gross. Even the best in the world get out lbw, bowled, caught behind etc.

I've had a few bowled out, and many LBW. But that's mainly down to the weird prod animation. Edges I don't seem to have a problem with either.

That's the thing with this game. With only negative or cagey interaction from BA, the players are left to work out for themselves what might affect what. If someone would come on and say "lower judgment and you will get people bowled and LBW more", that would be great. But it's all guesswork.

 

[sashu_91]

I didn't misread anything, and I think the 'adult discussion' comment you responded with is a cop out. You need to ask BigAnt why the sliders don't work - bringing in us folk as possibly begging for the sliders is irrelevant and inappropriate. BigAnt have a lot to answer for, and yet somehow we must be to blame in some abstract way? Bollocks.

It's time to stop being so respectful towards them. They're charging $60-$80 for these games, you know.

All they do is make fun of people who are posting there experiences here, and we need more people to put up these questions to BA to get the answers. They will back them maybe they got the game for free, but we have paid for the full price and should speak our mind out... Well, it's our money at stake.

 

[Plotinus]

indeed and further more to the ongoing discussion, we have to look at ourselves here: we begged, borrowed and stole for there to be in-game modifiers and editors.......they gave us that and made life very complicated for themselves in doing so. The amount of variables within the game, within the different hardware, is just immense, huge. We have all seen the different experiences people are having. This is not to say that there are some very serious core issues here that they need to look at but we are also a very fikkle bunch of people.

I think this is an issue with product management and design. I remember all of the requests for this feature and that gizmo...a whole bunch of 'wouldn't it be nice if...' requests. This is all good for gauging the sort of things that players are looking for. However, as a product manager or designer you don't say yes to everything. Sure the idea of a stadium editor sounds like a great feature for a small percentage of users but what impact does this have on product stability, development resource focus, user experience, etc. and did the stadium editor result in any extra sales? That is just one example but you can see all of this accretion of poorly evaluated features across the game and yet fundamental issues go unaddressed and important components (DRS) get removed (yes, I know it is still 'in the game' but it is essentially turned off for AI...it's certainly significantly downgraded from DBC14).

What BA should be doing is focusing on the one thing that all users want...the core mechanics of a cricket game that looks and feels like cricket. Once this works and is delivering the right experience to the majority of customers, then they can look to add in new features (as long as the are properly evaluated as enhancing the game for the majority of players rather than adding to its complexity to serve an edge case). I would quite happily buy supported DLC (stadiums, player likenesses, umpires, kits, etc.) rather than having to muddle through the complexity of the current game and its myriad customisations...if, that is, the core game engine delivered a good cricket experience.

All that said, I do appreciate the work and effort that BA have put into cricket games and know that it is far easier to chip in with opinions from the sidelines than it is to create a great game. I've put a lot of hours into the trilogy and am still enjoying Ashes. I just know, as I suppose we all do, that Ashes seems so close to being great but is let down by failing to do the cricketing basics on too many occasions. I still contend that this is a product management and design issue and not one of coding or testing.

 

[cricket_online]

I still contend that this is a product management and design issue and not one of coding or testing.

I disagree whole heartedly with the statement. Not able to get stats right across two iterations of the game - DBC 17 and Ashes cricket - is everything to do with coding and testing. If correctly tracked and accurate stats is not due to shortcomings in coding and testing then I don't know what is.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

I think this is an issue with product management and design. I remember all of the requests for this feature and that gizmo...a whole bunch of 'wouldn't it be nice if...' requests. This is all good for gauging the sort of things that players are looking for. However, as a product manager or designer you don't say yes to everything. Sure the idea of a stadium editor sounds like a great feature for a small percentage of users but what impact does this have on product stability, development resource focus, user experience, etc. and did the stadium editor result in any extra sales? That is just one example but you can see all of this accretion of poorly evaluated features across the game and yet fundamental issues go unaddressed and important components (DRS) get removed (yes, I know it is still 'in the game' but it is essentially turned off for AI...it's certainly significantly downgraded from DBC14).

What BA should be doing is focusing on the one thing that all users want...the core mechanics of a cricket game that looks and feels like cricket. Once this works and is delivering the right experience to the majority of customers, then they can look to add in new features (as long as the are properly evaluated as enhancing the game for the majority of players rather than adding to its complexity to serve an edge case). I would quite happily buy supported DLC (stadiums, player likenesses, umpires, kits, etc.) rather than having to muddle through the complexity of the current game and its myriad customisations...if, that is, the core game engine delivered a good cricket experience.

All that said, I do appreciate the work and effort that BA have put into cricket games and know that it is far easier to chip in with opinions from the sidelines than it is to create a great game. I've put a lot of hours into the trilogy and am still enjoying Ashes. I just know, as I suppose we all do, that Ashes seems so close to being great but is let down by failing to do the cricketing basics on too many occasions. I still contend that this is a product management and design issue and not one of coding or testing.

It seems like judgement (not the skill) is what really leads to issues. Whether it's trying to please, or appease, all customers; deciding what to add, change or leave out; what to fix and not to fix; how testing should be tackled and what parts to listen to. Hindsight is a lovely thing of course.

They don't seem make it easy on themselves small developer. Maybe it's over ambition but sometimes, to steal a quote, you have to kill your darlings. Take out the stadium creator on the last game, take out the seam control or even some of the licensed content on this one - if the game was up to scratch no one would complain (of course some people would, it's the internet).

 

[Thieves]

Even with classic controls, everything at legendary, low skilled bastmen, and tweaks and what not, pitch marker at 11etc etc, batting is boring and easy, the way the runs come makes it boring and the lack of edges and easy lofting makes it easy that in between a run chase you say, ahh it's the same after all tweaks..

Please check what patch update you are currently running