Ashes Cricket General Discussion

IMO online should be played at a standard locked down difficulty with base set of attributes so you don't get exploits like bowlers bowling 170 kph or a medium pacer bowling at 60 kph. But I don't agree about the controls at all. In order to attract more players to the game - both online & offline - they should be able to select any control option they want to.

If you choose to play with hardcore controls then you can't blame your opponent for picking an easier control scheme. Your argument is akin to what i hear some people make on FIFA - those who play with manual passing controls. They want EA to make FIFA online based on manual controls as "assisted" controls is too easy. That's not how it works. the game should be accessible to all and only having a hardcore control for online goes against the principle. I'm all for locking difficulty level or locking down on base player attributes as they lead to exploits but I wouldn't force a control scheme on everyone. This is the approach followed in Madden, FIFA and other successful sports games for online gameplay and it works..
But in FIFA Online Seasons you can still search for manual-only games where both players are locked into using use the same, more difficult manual controls.

In default quick-match then yeah, you can expect everyone to use the easiest/default settings, but in custom games then the host should be able to lock down what each player is allowed to use and this should be displayed clearly to people looking to join.

This is a problem with introducing more control schemes... You fracture the player base and split the online matchmaking pool. FIFA can get away with that because there's such a huge number of players, but if you want a game in Ashes with the two-stick manual controls, no pitch marker etc... You will probably have to pre-arrange it with people on the forums or something.
 
How about an Ai batting out 5 sessions to draw the test match after facing a heavy defeat? How about an Ai that scores multiple hundreds across a series? An AI that has you tearing your hair out wondering which fielder to put where, which line to bowl, how to get a wicket? Imagine that, that would be cool.

That would indeed be great but you are setting yourself for a letdown by having such high expectations. I don't expect a realistic AI anytime soon especially given the fact we couldn't even manage to get batting averages right just a few months back. IMO Big Ant would do well to focus on a competent AI in shorter formats (T20s & Odis) as it's comparatively easier to design an AI for timebound (limited overs with a set quota for bowlers) single innings formats as there aren't too many permutations & combinations possible and not too many decision points. In longer formats (2 innings, multiple days - Tests, 4 day, 3 day etc.) there are simply way too many variables, factors and scenarios to consider.
 
Al

Lol all I'm saying is we have a cricket game, it looks more than half decent, so I don't understand all these small complaints. People worked hard behind the scenes to give us what we see. We should appreciate more than criticise. If you ask me I think that's a better attitude than the people who love to complain on this forum.
So no one should complain about anything because it could be worse? It is possible to appreciate a game whilst wanting it to be better.
 
But in FIFA Online Seasons you can still search for manual-only games where both players are locked into using use the same, more difficult manual controls.

In default quick-match then yeah, you can expect everyone to use the easiest/default settings, but in custom games then the host should be able to lock down what each player is allowed to use and this should be displayed clearly to people looking to join.

This is a problem with introducing more control schemes... You fracture the player base and split the online matchmaking pool. FIFA can get away with that because there's such a huge number of players, but if you want a game in Ashes with the two-stick manual controls, no pitch marker etc... You will probably have to pre-arrange it with people on the forums or something.

I wouldn't add control scheme as a match-making criteria, especially for a niche game like cricket. I would follow the Madden model - difficulty for standard competitive online gameplay modes set to 'All Pro' with standard teams which you can't tinker with. On those lines I would prefer to have online gameplay in Ashes cricket set to say 'Pro' or 'Veteran' difficulty level and the players' attributes set to some base default ones. E.g., a medium pacer can't have Strength to 0 or 'slower ball' attribute maxed out. This way folks can play with user created teams but have standard base attributes applied. As for control scheme, you can still have an option to use whichever one you choose and you can set your own friendly matches where you have an understanding with the other party regarding which control scheme to use but I wouldn't make it a criteria for creating an online match.
 
I wouldn't add control scheme as a match-making criteria, especially for a niche game like cricket. I would follow the Madden model - difficulty for standard competitive online gameplay modes set to 'All Pro' with standard teams which you can't tinker with. On those lines I would prefer to have online gameplay in Ashes cricket set to say 'Pro' or 'Veteran' difficulty level and the players' attributes set to some base default ones. E.g., a medium pacer can't have Strength to 0 or 'slower ball' attribute maxed out. This way folks can play with user created teams but have standard base attributes applied. As for control scheme, you can still have an option to use whichever one you choose and you can set your own friendly matches where you have an understanding with the other party regarding which control scheme to use but I wouldn't make it a criteria for creating an online match.
I don't understand the problem with locking down controls in a custom online match. If someone searches for a game, sees that in the settings it is locked to a certain scheme and still joins, they can't complain about it...

This would allow people who don't enjoy the simple controls and don't want to play against people using them, to be able to put a room up knowing that anyone joining will be on a level playing field with them without needing to pre-arrange.

A tennis game I play online (TE 2013) has such options and it works very well.

53Vw2Ff.jpg


This screen shows user reputation (thumbs on left), game controls/difficulty (glove/eye icons), stamina on/off (water icon), player attribute limits (free/realistic), court type, player ELO (if you mouse-over) etc. all in one simple screen, and you can choose which game to join based on your own preferences.

There is no need to have a system like you describe where you let everyone use anything in all matches. It works for this PC tennis game, a cricket game would likely have a similar player base.
 
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As per bowling AI need to be change as per their confidence and stamina meter the more confidence good accuracy and variety in bowling and vica versa need to make more difficult to be perfect bowl with low confidence[DOUBLEPOST=1509375233][/DOUBLEPOST]As per bowling AI need to be change as per their confidence and stamina meter the more confidence good accuracy and variety in bowling and vica versa need to make more difficult to be perfect bowl with low confidence
 
Doesn't look like the fielding hasn't changed much. Overthrows and fielder responses looks exactly like dbc17 itself. But love everything else I see. Hopefully the stats issue is fixed and the gameplay modifiers are still present.
Overall a definite step up from DBC17.

Bro,how do you know that gameplay modifiers are their and stats issue is fixed??Have you played in pax Australia.[DOUBLEPOST=1509382599][/DOUBLEPOST]
Doesn't look like the fielding hasn't changed much. Overthrows and fielder responses looks exactly like dbc17 itself. But love everything else I see. Hopefully the stats issue is fixed and the gameplay modifiers are still present.
Overall a definite step up from DBC17.

Bro,how do you know that gameplay modifiers are their and stats issue is fixed??Have you played in pax Australia.
 
Quick thoughts on the video:

  • All animations look nice, just looks like a more polished version of the last two previous titles.
  • I like the new HUD scorecard, etc
  • New camera angles are really nice
  • Super pleased to hear whilst the controls are basic the original DBC controls are an option as I prefer the evolution.
  • Assuming (again) we can remove the bowling marker garbage.
  • Not a fan of the field HUD and the bowling HUD looks absolutely god awful. Why can't that information be provided as a smaller floating element next to the bowler?
  • As always it'll live and die on AI stuff. Couldn't really get a feel for that.
 
You need to make bowling difficult and varied, have some risk/reward in trying a yorker that you might give a full toss or a half-volley etc.

I've always (quietly) liked the idea of a "dice-roll" style mechanic to bowling whereby you actually don't "select" a delivery type at all. You select a length prior to delivery and the rest is up to a dice-roll based on attributes and game situation. For example, it would be "easier" to bowl yorkers in the final few overs of a "close" match, the AI batsman would then have a higher chance of "reading" your deliveries and come down the track to you. Based on the attributes of the bowler you select, the dice-roll determines how effective your attempts are... I don't have nuanced language to describe it any better but you get the idea.
 

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