Ashes Cricket General Discussion

I blame England's pathetic effort in the 3rd test for what has brought me back here, as Ashes has been sat on my shelf for some months now without even getting a look in. But as wickets tumbled in all too predictable fashion at Trent Bridge, the urge to do it better myself grew too strong. I blew off the dust from the long discarded box and slotted the disk back into my PS4.

Had a belter though :)

Turns out I was 3/4 of the way through the 2nd test against Pakistan at the Oval, with the visitors needing 350 to win in the 4th innings. They were 62-3 when I had turned it off and shunned Ashes from my life, so I needed to have a little bowl.

350 seemed miles away. I was home and dry. 62-3 become 63-4, easy! But by the time the 5th wicket fell, they had 161. 228 by the 7th wicket. 292 by the 8th. It was all going horribly wrong. Was Ashes going to get 1 airing before being snapped in half and discarded forever?!

At 334-8, I'd given it up. Even the 2nd new ball wasn't bringing breakthroughs. I was getting the full on dot dot dot dot dot boundary treatment from their wicket keeper and Mohammad Abbas. Then Stokes got the breakthrough! Sarfraz Ahmed slapped a bouncer to 3rd slip with the strange above the head cut shot! It was cheap, but I'll take it! 16 needed, 1 wicket left.....

Jimmy Anderson you little beauty!


Swings in. Seams away. Too good for a number 11. England win by 14 runs.

Why did I ever take this game out of my machine?! :D
 
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Yeah, don't get me wrong. 15 runs the other way and Ashes cricket would have been a massive, steaming pile and the post above would have been very different!! If I go back to when Australia knocked off about 500 in the 4th innings of one of my earlier matches, that post is something close to what I'm talking about haha

I wasn't sure how my old sliders would hold up with the new patches and the stuff that has been changed, but it seems reasonable for now. Blasted through the ODI and T20 stuff against Pakistan last night, just about to start the 5 test series with India.
 
Yeah, don't get me wrong. 15 runs the other way and Ashes cricket would have been a massive, steaming pile and the post above would have been very different!! If I go back to when Australia knocked off about 500 in the 4th innings of one of my earlier matches, that post is something close to what I'm talking about haha

I wasn't sure how my old sliders would hold up with the new patches and the stuff that has been changed, but it seems reasonable for now. Blasted through the ODI and T20 stuff against Pakistan last night, just about to start the 5 test series with India.
What sliders do you use?
 
Yeah, don't get me wrong. 15 runs the other way and Ashes cricket would have been a massive, steaming pile and the post above would have been very different!! If I go back to when Australia knocked off about 500 in the 4th innings of one of my earlier matches, that post is something close to what I'm talking about haha

I wasn't sure how my old sliders would hold up with the new patches and the stuff that has been changed, but it seems reasonable for now. Blasted through the ODI and T20 stuff against Pakistan last night, just about to start the 5 test series with India.

Someone (I think maybe @wasteyouryouth?) once posited the theory that the game sometimes deliberately fudges things to make matches closer. No idea if that's actually the case of course but the number of times I've seen massive 10th wicket partnerships makes me think there is at least something weird going on. I've even seen ZERO batting rated number 11s scoring 50s to win matches when the top/middle orders went down easily in day 4/5 conditions.
 
What sliders do you use?

I use my own. I gradually tinkered with them over time and they seem to be reasonable for me. Others might find them way to easy/hard. Happy to share.

I don't know if it's still needed, but I also alter the pitch sliders depending on what day of the test match it is as well. I'd love to think the game itself would change the pitch as a test match goes on, but I'm never really convinced so I do it myself. I also turn the spin up in Asia, turn the swing up in England etc.

Someone (I think maybe @wasteyouryouth?) once posited the theory that the game sometimes deliberately fudges things to make matches closer. No idea if that's actually the case of course but the number of times I've seen massive 10th wicket partnerships makes me think there is at least something weird going on. I've even seen ZERO batting rated number 11s scoring 50s to win matches when the top/middle orders went down easily in day 4/5 conditions.

I could easily believe this. I am happy to preach to anyone that I completely believe Mitchell Starc is the best batsman on the game. I consistently encounter higher partnerships for the 6th/7th/8th/9th/10th wicket then I do for 1-5. The only exception I've found is Steve Smith.
 
Someone (I think maybe @wasteyouryouth?) once posited the theory that the game sometimes deliberately fudges things to make matches closer. No idea if that's actually the case of course but the number of times I've seen massive 10th wicket partnerships makes me think there is at least something weird going on. I've even seen ZERO batting rated number 11s scoring 50s to win matches when the top/middle orders went down easily in day 4/5 conditions.
It was me. From my experience of the last game and this one before the patches started coming out. Too many matches felt too good to be true. With the game having a lot of issues, including a lot of simple ones, I just didn't think that the close finishes I was seeing, when the AI batted second, would be coming just from the match itself (the skills of players, the conditions etc). When bowling things would often happen out of the blue. I know they do in cricket, but it often felt like I was going through the motions and what I was doing was irrelevant to the outcome. As long I bowled a half-decent ball wickets would come, as though I was pushing 'Start' on a simulation rather than an actively effecting the outcome.

I'm talking one dayers. I'm pretty sure I streamed a couple of matches where I bowled both times and once bowled the team out for 45-50 and then defended it. Granted, I was also using the super-cutters I'd discovered. But before that, there were occasions where I'd defended totals of less than 100. I've not had the chance to play much at all recently. The last time I did - AI batting second was still and issue but at the other end of the scale - they'd annihilate you. Before or after the patches there always felt like something made the teams, conditions and your ability to execute deliveries irrelevent. I wouldn't say it was pre-determined but it always feels like there's part of the way the game is designed that overrides the things that should be informing the outcomes of matches. So you'd get those patterns emerge: AI slogs in the 25th over on the last game then goes back to normal, defening at the end of a powerplay, scoring overly aggressive when chasing but scoring in a balanced way when setting a target.

I know nothing about making a game so I don't know the limitations or complexities, I can only speak from experience from playing. Most have repeating tactics or patterns, like how an enemy moves or attacks, but it is different for each one. That's fine in Doom cause it's part of learning how to play and master the game. It's the same with PES, how teams are set up you can see them play the same way, keeping the ball, pressing the ball etc. There is at least some variation. That's why I've said team mentalities would be a good addition to Ashes, if patterns are needed, fine, but give them some variety.

@Rumple43
 
Decided to try the game again today for the first time in a few weeks. After changing sliders all over the place, I think I’ve finally got it back to being like the previous patch. I’ve only played 1 game so far so I can’t say for certain but it’s been a promising start. If they can fix the AI super human run chasing skills, that would really top this game off.
 
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Is there any news of an upcoming patch/update for PC?

No.

I was hoping Don Bradman’s birthday might have sparked something. I know his name doesn’t grace the game, but still.

I have an unfounded feeling that Ashes patches are done.
 
Decided to try the game again today for the first time in a few weeks. After changing sliders all over the place, I think I’ve finally got it back to being like the previous patch. I’ve only played 1 game so far so I can’t say for certain but it’s been a promising start. If they can fix the AI super human run chasing skills, that would really top this game off.
Great to hear that, sliders are really effective to make the game immersive. edges seem more natural now.
 

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