Don Bradman Cricket 14 - first impressions thread

[grkrama]

Exactly - we need to devote a career and full-time job into the actual game to get half decent at batting.

The average gamer gets frustrated and loses interest after playing for a while and not getting anywhere...

Let me guess, you rolled the opposition taking all 10 wickets

isnt that why you have so many difficulty layers, so that if you are not willing to invest in the game you have the option to have your glory at lower difficulties. no wonder games like DBC and dark souls are rare.....
I would say you get back as much as you are willing to invest in higher difficulties, its the rule with all good games.

 

[Alberts]

isnt that why you have so many difficulty layers, so that if you are not willing to invest in the game you have the option to have your glory at lower difficulties. no wonder games like DBC and dark souls are rare.....

The issue is that bowling and batting are different skills sets. I've gotten to the point where I can pick apart the AI for about 30-50 on amateur and 90-150 on pro while bowling, but get demolished for around 50 or less batting on pro. By forcing them to be the same difficultly they've made actually playing matches almost pointless unless someone is equally good at batting and bowling.

 

[Hunbbel]

About the defensive shot conundrum:

Biggs, I can see your point. And Ross, you are fairly correct, too, in saying that making defensive shots easier will make it super-tempting, and therefore, frustrating.

But on the other hand, defensive shots, in real life, *are* easier to play. Assume defensive shots as a "way out" when you don't have anywhere to play. For instance, if you are playing a 50-over game and you suddenly get a peach of a delivery, it'll take far less to just smother it then to play a perfectly driven shot towards extra cover. The aggressive shot - in real life - requires a far more complex system than to just present a dead-faced bat.

But being neutral, I kind of like the defensive trigger because of the nudges we can get from it. I think, it'll be impossible to accommodate everyone, and it is perfect. However, a good idea is to offer customized control systems in the next patch maybe. So, if someone wants to change the way he plays the defensive shot, he should be able to play that. If someone doesn't want to (say, he is of a more attacking nature) he will make his attacking shots much easier to play.

And about the point that it will make way too easier to draw the game, I think the counter points can be that:

i. If someone wants to play for a draw, he is already made up his mind, which means, "premeditated shots" and "premeditated defensive shots".

ii. If someone keeps playing defensive shots because he doesn't want to lose his wicket, so be it. Because he isn't getting the rewards which he could have by playing aggressive shots. Ultimately, he and his team may lose (Misbah is a good example) :P ... In career mode, it can negatively impact his strike rate and his chances of being selected in better teams.

Conclusion: I think either multiple control presets (like FIFA) or more customizations options (more preferred) should be the way to move forward.

 

[BigAntStudios]

It's a game and balance is important. I would rather drive results than draws where possible.

It is also a game that has been compressed, one ball in a 5 over match is the equivalent of blocking 10 in a real match yet you still have 10 wickets. Some comparisons with the real world don't work.

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It's also way, way premature to talk of difficulty.

In a couple of weeks we will be in a far better position.

 

[micgrech]

Has anyone come across any byes or leg byes?

I was playing a match online but was disqualified for bowling to many wides and no balls! Bit harsh!

 

[SibiNaayagam]

Ross,
I think its best to give provide separate sliders for batting and bowling to satisfy the casual gamers. i.e. only for the lower difficulty levels. So that everyone gets what they want.
Its definitely visible that if a player is a natural batsman finds that part of the game easy and likewise for bowling. But casual gamers would want an allround experience during their short time. Thus enabling separate sliders to suit their game will be the best choice at lower difficulties.

Now about the defense.
I think every batting control has been based on real life effort. While playing a play if you let yourself be a little calm and free flowing, you would be playing shots of a ball but with less power. For defending you will need to restrict your bat movement and hence an additional trigger. And for playing a power shot its another trigger and finally the hardest of all is giving all that you can and still keeping it down, hence the double trigger.
I think its a genius control plan.
IMO a good opener requires a solid defense and many failed because they didnt have one, its easy to find stroke makers but hard to find a WALL a.k.a. Dravid or Misbah or any such anchors.

Its clearly visible that everyone thinks defence is a safe shot; an illusion created by past games.

 

[Lord Sajjad]

I agree with Hunbbel. We cant play test with shots on every ball, just because playing a shot is less riskier than playing a defensive shot. It wont be a test then. Sorry if I sound rude or anything but defensive shots are meant to save the wicket or play through the day.

 

[Hunbbel]

Has anyone come across any byes or leg byes?

I was playing a match online but was disqualified for bowling to many wides and no balls! Bit harsh!

I haven't run any leg byes or byes yet. Actually, I haven't even seen the keeper missing a leg-side wide. But a few other PC members have said that they have seen the keeper missing an over-the-head wide-ball. So the keeper does miss that, but it'll almost always be a boundary ...

 

[Mitchs Johnson]

It's a game and balance is important. I would rather drive results than draws where possible.

It is also a game that has been compressed, one ball in a 5 over match is the equivalent of blocking 10 in a real match yet you still have 10 wickets. Some comparisons with the real world don't work.

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It's also way, way premature to talk of difficulty.

In a couple of weeks we will be in a far better position.

What do you by this Ross? In career mode, none of the games are compressed. They are representations of the actual form.

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Ross,
I think its best to give provide separate sliders for batting and bowling to satisfy the casual gamers. i.e. only for the lower difficulty levels. So that everyone gets what they want.
Its definitely visible that if a player is a natural batsman finds that part of the game easy and likewise for bowling. But casual gamers would want an allround experience during their short time. Thus enabling separate sliders to suit their game will be the best choice at lower difficulties.

Now about the defense.
I think every batting control has been based on real life effort. While playing a play if you let yourself be a little calm and free flowing, you would be playing shots of a ball but with less power. For defending you will need to restrict your bat movement and hence an additional trigger. And for playing a power shot its another trigger and finally the hardest of all is giving all that you can and still keeping it down, hence the double trigger.
I think its a genius control plan.
IMO a good opener requires a solid defense and many failed because they didnt have one, its easy to find stroke makers but hard to find a WALL a.k.a. Dravid or Misbah or any such anchors.

Its clearly visible that everyone thinks defence is a safe shot; an illusion created by past games.

Not an illusion - defence is the way to go to protect your wicket in real life. Simple.

 

[SibiNaayagam]

To above posters, there is a reason Test match is called so. It is the highest level of difficulty. You gotta defend, have patience.

But I understand your point, you are saying that if a particular scoring shot is easier to play than defend then why would you not play that.
I think its only fair to play your own game. Test match is not meant to be defensive, defending is simply to get your eye in. Cricket is all about runs however you get but just don't get out.
You should be forced by the AI to play defensive not yourself.

 

[Mad Snake]

I'm sure this would have been asked before, so there will be lots of people that can answer me. I'm an all rounder who can't make a run batting at 5 but taking lots of wickets, will I get dropped down the order? or when I get picked to play International cricket will they also bat me at 5 if I'm in as a bowler?

 

[Hunbbel]

By the way, I have three questions about the gameplay. Any help would be great!

1. How do you sledge? (I remember someone saying that it's in the game, but I can't seem to find the option. Moreover, we can also do that in the career mode bowling/batting/fielding/keeping?)

2. When you're bowling in the casual game, you can hit the "next bowler" button in the d-pad, and it shows you the confidence and fatigue options, etc, right? But how do you do that in the career mode? Is it the same function? Furthermore, how do you do that when you are batting?

3. If I set a customized fielding setup during a game, how can I save it to use it in the later overs too? Moreover, can it also be saved to use in the later games, tours or career mode? I couldn't find the option.

Thanks.

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To above posters, there is a reason Test match is called so. It is the highest level of difficulty. You gotta defend, have patience.

But I understand your point, you are saying that if a particular scoring shot is easier to play than defend then why would you not play that.
I think its only fair to play your own game. Test match is not meant to be defensive, defending is simply to get your eye in. Cricket is all about runs however you get but just don't get out.
You should be forced by the AI to play defensive not yourself.

Actually, let's put it another way.

The reaction time to play a defensive shot (without premeditating it) seems a bit too short to some users (including me). I mean, it is obvious that the reaction time cannot be delayed for a particular shot, but it basically has the same window as it is when you play a normal shot, a ground aggressive shot, or a lofted aggressive shot.

If you realize, after the bowler has delivered the ball, that it is a difficult ball to put away and you shouldn't play it - or if you don't have enough time - you basically have to spend the exact same time to block that ball that you would have required to play an aggressive or normal shot. (because both the defensive shots and the aggressive shots require the same functions, i.e. a trigger + LS + RS)

 

[BigAntStudios]

It's also way, way premature to talk of difficulty.

In a couple of weeks we will be in a far better position.

In response to no one in particular - Please read above. Give it time. Move on.

 

[SibiNaayagam]

Actually, let's put it another way.

The reaction time to play a defensive shot (without premeditating it) seems a bit too short to some users (including me). I mean, it is obvious that the reaction time cannot be delayed for a particular shot, but it basically has the same window as it is when you play a normal shot, a ground aggressive shot, or a lofted aggressive shot.

If you realize, after the bowler has delivered the ball, that it is a difficult ball to put away and you shouldn't play it - or if you don't have enough time - you basically have to spend the exact same time to block that ball that you would have required to play an aggressive or normal shot. (because both the defensive shots and the aggressive shots require the same functions, i.e. a trigger + LS + RS)

Now you are talking details. I think that should be looked upon. Defending MUST NOT take more time if not less. Actually a defence would take almost the same time to execute for fast bowlers and very less for spinners. Hence the reaction window is larger for slower balls.

Ross, any comments?

 

[Storer11]

Wow - just witnessed my team mate get caught by the bowler after it rebounded off silly mid offs hands. Awesome!