Ashes Cricket General Discussion

[Punk_Sk8r]

@zimrahil Well I have noticed a pattern which I think is only relative to me it seems. I started an ODI match again playing as PAK vs AUS. Bowling first and within 10 overs I've had about 7-8 nicks, 2 of them being caught behind...but in test matches nothing. I think I'll start an Ashes series as it seems thats what most people who are getting balanced gameplay in the test arena seem to be playing.

Also what do you have the bowling speed at?

 

[wasteyouryouth]

I'm on PS4 and can confirm my gameplay experience while batting is pretty much similar to yours. I barely get any edges and even if I get an odd edge they don't feel natural and organic. Sometime the ball passes the bat or the ball simply lobs up for close-in fielders to catch the "edge". If I reduce the reaction time by lowering 'Ball Marker Display Time' and/or by increasing the bowling speed ('Max Speed' modifier), I miss the ball altogether with 'LATE MISS' feedback for Timing. This leads to more dismissals by way of LBWs and bowleds since the reaction time is lowered, you still don't get edges - at least I don't.

But mind you I don't play with 'Pitch Marker' enabled. I'm sticking to 'Ball Marker' way of batting using 'Far Batsman' (behind the batsman) batting camera angle. Who knows batting with pitch markers and Broadcast camera angle leads to more edges as @WealeyH is playing with pitch marker on and with the broadcast camera. I tried playing with pitch marker but abandoned the option as it led me to look at the pitch for pitch marker and not at the ball and bowler's hand while the bowler was running in. Also, for pitch markers it's pretty difficult to bat using behind the batsman camera and you will need to switch your preferred camera to Broadcast.

Edit: I've played Tests, Odis and T20s and have had a similar batting experience. One other point to note - I've the North American version of the game. Who knows if different regions have different versions of the game with different gameplay experience.

Serious question: you say you look for the ball with Ball Marker, but do you even see the ball or just the big coloured circle? Because that's what I noticed playing this game. I'm not talking about not being able to see the ball generally, but when the ball is released, I just see the colour and play accordingly. It didn't feel like I was playing cricket, or even a simulation of cricket, because the mental skills being used weren't the same. I was reacting to colour not to line or length of the ball.

The batting aerial marker removes two of the most important skills of batting because it combines them both into one process and it becomes like some kind of reaction test. After two games of my brain being trained by that system, when I sat back and thought about it, that's how it felt. Much like the classic spin bowling controls, the system seemed good at first (DBC 14) but then begins to fall apart the longer you play and the more you deconstruct it, in my opinion.

I too use the pitch marker, only, and it's not perfect but I find it to be so much better. You have to judge length of the delivery so I feel like I'm at least using some of my knowledge from playing cricket in the past. I make mistakes, play and miss, play late, play early. In general, when the pitch marker is hidden I see it as adding a nice bit of mystery and difficulty. Common sense suggest it is straight/leg because it's obstructed by the batsman.

It's also opened up a lot more shots, not literally, but in that I adapt how I bat more than if that shot decision is made as soon as I see that big coloured circle.

@zimrahil
I play on Far Batsman.
Default Settings
Legend
Batting: Hard, Bowling: Hard
PC
With as many logos as I can fit into my machine.

 

[jonah]

@zimrahil
PS4 pro
Classic controls
Camera - broadcast
Pitch marker
Bowling speed min - 65
Bowling speed max - 75
Pro level
Batting - Hard
Bowling - Medium
Fielding - Medium (although fully auto so doesn't make a difference)
Batting feedback HUD disabled
Bowling fedback HUD enabled
A few teams/logos/stadiums downloaded but have mainly been playing Aus (ai) v Eng (me)

 

[zimrahil]

Also what do you have the bowling speed at?

5 above default but set it to 70 but no difference

Thanks to those who responded. I am only Xbox User in this small sample though cricket online has exactly same experience as me but is on PS4 so real head scratcher ..?

 

[cricket_online]

Serious question: you say you look for the ball with Ball Marker, but do you even see the ball or just the big coloured circle? Because that's what I noticed playing this game. I'm not talking about not being able to see the ball generally, but when the ball is released, I just see the colour and play accordingly. It didn't feel like I was playing cricket, or even a simulation of cricket, because the mental skills being used weren't the same. I was reacting to colour not to line or length of the ball.

The batting aerial marker removes two of the most important skills of batting because it combines them both into one process and it becomes like some kind of reaction test. After two games of my brain being trained by that system, when I sat back and thought about it, that's how it felt. Much like the classic spin bowling controls, the system seemed good at first (DBC 14) but then begins to fall apart the longer you play and the more you deconstruct it, in my opinion.

I too use the pitch marker, only, and it's not perfect but I find it to be so much better. You have to judge length of the delivery so I feel like I'm at least using some of my knowledge from playing cricket in the past. I make mistakes, play and miss, play late, play early. In general, when the pitch marker is hidden I see it as adding a nice bit of mystery and difficulty. Common sense suggest it is straight/leg because it's obstructed by the batsman.

It's also opened up a lot more shots, not literally, but in that I adapt how I bat more than if that shot decision is made as soon as I see that big coloured circle.

In a 2D video game you will always need the line & length information to be displayed to the user. I find the ball marker much better because I look at the bowler and bowler's hand and even though the info (line & length) is provided by the ball marker around the ball but I'm still looking at the ball.

When I tried playing with pitch marker I found myself not even looking at the bowler or the bowler's hand. And i wasn't even looking for the ball. All I was doing was trying to look for the pitch marker on the pitch. It was almost a variation of 'Finding Waldo' except in this case you are simply keeping your eye on the pitch to see where the pitch marker showed up and react accordingly. I found the ball marker option much closer to playing cricket than pitch marker, especially pitch marker was more difficult to find while batting with 'Far Batsman' camera angle. In fact for the fuller deliveries - yorkers/full tosses, I couldn't even see the pitch marker on time occasionally. Changing to Broadcast camera made things better but it was back to the old games and i didn't really enjoy the batting experience that much having gotten used to the behind the batsman (Far Batsman) camera angle since the DBC 14 days.

 

[Deleted member 46200]

I don’t know much so feel free to tell me to ‘shut it’. But wouldn’t the edges come more in t20 because you are rushing to score?
If you have the time to leave, or just not feel pressure to play a boundary shot. I would always imagine you would edge less.
Sorry, I’ll get my coat. xx

You have hit the nail on the head and your opinion is totally valued... You are after all a consumer! I feel the need to hit bigger and more risky shorts would bring more chances for outs so yes more edges and other chances but the frequency of hitting the middle of the bat would diminish with skill and the desperate need to score more runs.

You're not just a pretty face... !!!

 

[sashu_91]

In a 2D video game you will always need the line & length information to be displayed to the user. I find the ball marker much better because I look at the bowler and bowler's hand and even though the info (line & length) is provided by the ball marker around the ball but I'm still looking at the ball.

When I tried playing with pitch marker I found myself not even looking at the bowler or the bowler's hand. And i wasn't even looking for the ball. All I was doing was trying to look for the pitch marker on the pitch. It was almost a variation of 'Finding Waldo' except in this case you are simply keeping your eye on the pitch to see where the pitch marker showed up and react accordingly. I found the ball marker option much closer to playing cricket than pitch marker, especially pitch marker was more difficult to find while batting with 'Far Batsman' camera angle. In fact for the fuller deliveries - yorkers/full tosses, I couldn't even see the pitch marker on time occasionally. Changing to Broadcast camera made things better but it was back to the old games and i didn't really enjoy the batting experience that much having gotten used to the behind the batsman (Far Batsman) camera angle since the DBC 14 days.

Fixed close cam is better than all the cam angles, it's just resistance that people are not open change.. This camera angle opens up a whole new array of shots as you see the batsman infront.. Also pitch marker is again better than batsman aerial marker.. you just have to be ready to experience it first or keep comparing it with past games and continue cribbing...

 

[cricket_online]

Fixed close cam is better than all the cam angles, it's just resistance that people are not open change.. This camera angle opens up a whole new array of shots as you see the batsman infront.. Also pitch marker is again better than batsman aerial marker.. you just have to be ready to experience it first or keep comparing it with past games and continue cribbing...

Lack of comprehension on your part when I've specifically mentioned that I tried playing with the pitch marker and it didn't do it for me. As for "cribbing" I don't think you understand what the word means.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

In a 2D video game you will always need the line & length information to be displayed to the user. I find the ball marker much better because I look at the bowler and bowler's hand and even though the info (line & length) is provided by the ball marker around the ball but I'm still looking at the ball.

When I tried playing with pitch marker I found myself not even looking at the bowler or the bowler's hand. And i wasn't even looking for the ball. All I was doing was trying to look for the pitch marker on the pitch. It was almost a variation of 'Finding Waldo' except in this case you are simply keeping your eye on the pitch to see where the pitch marker showed up and react accordingly. I found the ball marker option much closer to playing cricket than pitch marker, especially pitch marker was more difficult to find while batting with 'Far Batsman' camera angle. In fact for the fuller deliveries - yorkers/full tosses, I couldn't even see the pitch marker on time occasionally. Changing to Broadcast camera made things better but it was back to the old games and i didn't really enjoy the batting experience that much having gotten used to the behind the batsman (Far Batsman) camera angle since the DBC 14 days.

You mention 2D, that's Stick Cricket. And in all seriousness that game does a better job of presenting the challenge of judging line and length than Ashes.

The aerial marker just feels too 'gamey' to me. It's like playing FIFA and getting a big green circle flash around the ball when it's time to shoot, red when it's time to tackle, blue when it's time to pass etc

I think you could give Ashes to someone who has no knowledge of cricket and tell them 'pull the left stick back when that circle is red' and 'move it forward when it's other colours' and they could master batting in an afternoon if they've got a good background of gaming. It isn't dependent on having a working cricket knowledge and the principles of moving front and back to certain length balls, just reacting to the colour.

I'm not singalling you out, but I really think a lot of people just want to feel like they're playing cricket. As long as it looks like it, you get things that happen in real life happening then they're satisfied. Regardless of whether the skills used are in any way associated with those you use in actual cricket. That's fine, I've no problem if that's all people want. I'd prefer to at least have aspects of my cricket skills be relevant to batting. As you can't stand and bat or rum in and bowl you're left with strategic or mental skills.

 

[Spoobir]

don't think you have really got my point tbh.....

Well if you are on a different version with an x-box like your theory then that will be fixed with a patch too...

It just seems to me like we've beaten this batting difficulty stuff to death and just need to wait and see what Big Ant can actually do about it.

 

[Staresblank]

Not sure if anyone can help me, but when I adjust and enable the batting modifiers my batsman late misses every shot and it goes to a weird camera angle. Am I missing something?

 

[cricket_online]

You mention 2D, that's Stick Cricket. And in all seriousness that game does a better job of presenting the challenge of judging line and length than Ashes.

The aerial marker just feels too 'gamey' to me. It's like playing FIFA and getting a big green circle flash around the ball when it's time to shoot, red when it's time to tackle, blue when it's time to pass etc

I think you could give Ashes to someone who has no knowledge of cricket and tell them 'pull the left stick back when that circle is red' and 'move it forward when it's other colours' and they could master batting in an afternoon if they've got a good background of gaming. It isn't dependent on having a working cricket knowledge and the principles of moving front and back to certain length balls, just reacting to the colour.

I'm not singalling you out, but I really think a lot of people just want to feel like they're playing cricket. As long as it looks like it, you get things that happen in real life happening then they're satisfied. Regardless of whether the skills used are in any way associated with those you use in actual cricket. That's fine, I've no problem if that's all people want. I'd prefer to at least have aspects of my cricket skills be relevant to batting. As you can't stand and bat or rum in and bowl you're left with strategic or mental skills.

When I say 2D I mean all the video games without depth perception, which includes stick cricket and Ashes cricket. Ashes cricket is a 2D game not 3D. As for the ball marker piece to me the option is like democracy - i.e. not the best option but better than the other ones around. Until we get a better solution for conveying the line & length info to the users, that's the option I would prefer.

If you are going down the path then I can say that at the end of the day all sports games are simple, i.e. in Tennis all you have to do is hit the ball, in soccer all the user has to do is kick/pass the ball etc. Similarly in cricket you can explain to a layman what the person needs to do by looking at various length markers. But the difference is to determine when to play what kind of shot and when not to play a shot depending on the pitch type/condition, match situation, field set at the moment, batsman's confidence level etc. This is what adds layer of complexity and depth to a sports game.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

When I say 2D I mean all the video games without depth perception, which includes stick cricket and Ashes cricket. Ashes cricket is a 2D game not 3D. As for the ball marker piece to me the option is like democracy - i.e. not the best option but better than the other ones around. Until we get a better solution for conveying the line & length info to the users, that's the option I would prefer.

If you are going down the path then I can say that at the end of the day all sports games are simple, i.e. in Tennis all you have to do is hit the ball, in soccer all the user has to do is kick/pass the ball etc. Similarly in cricket you can explain to a layman what the person needs to do by looking at various length markers. But the difference is to determine when to play what kind of shot and when not to play a shot depending on the pitch type/condition, match situation, field set at the moment, batsman's confidence level etc. This is what adds layer of complexity and depth to a sports game.

I don't think you understand the difference between 2D and 3D games.

At the end of the day the aerial marker is nothing more than a well disguised button prompt. And as far I'm concerned button prompts suck unless it involves ripping a demons head off on Doom. The pitch marker is too but it at least makes me think with my cricket brain because it isn't telling me exactly what to do with regards to footwork.

 

[stevesmithGOAT]

What do you need to get through club cricket to the state level in career mode? I'm a batsman, opener. Started out poorly, averaged in the single figures in the first season. Gradually improved and it's my 4th season in club cricket now. I scored 8 consecutive 50s in the 3 dayers, in a season of 10 innings, season average of 60.9 @ 160.68. I'm still no chance for every single domestic tournament. What can I do, really?

 

[cricket_online]

At the end of the day the aerial marker is nothing more than a well disguised button prompt. And as far I'm concerned button prompts suck unless it involves ripping a demons head off on Doom. The pitch marker is too but it at least makes me think with my cricket brain because it isn't telling me exactly what to do with regards to footwork.

How exactly is aerial marker a "button prompt" and pitch marker isn't? Pitch marker is showing you the exact spot where the ball will be pitched. How is it any different from length marker where at least you still need to gauge the line and don't know the exact spot the ball will land on the pitch? They tackle the same problem, i.e. how to provide information to users so they can play a shot appropriately. I find pitch marker worse coz you already know the exact spot the ball will land and there's no gauging of line.