Well, the thing is in real life you can score from defensive shots, and that's intrinsic to their real life usefulness.
If you really time a block off a quick bowler you can get 4 for it.
You can get a 4 by edging it or directing it towards a vacant third man position. Highly unlikely to get a 4 from a push.
You can score from defensive shots in the game now though. Look for the gap, play into it, run. I've gotten a fair few runs doing that. Isn't still better to just knock it about (again, it needs a little bit of work), but it's not like it's impossible.
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i've not really noticed the issue with defensive shots. they're one of my "go to" shots, in terms of moving the field round because you play a few and they will move in close fielders and give you space elsewhere. it's worth sticking with and getting down. i tend to have a finger on the back buttons ready...
edges you're right. the system is way off. 99.999% of edges go to the keeper, there is no variety at all. and it is almost impossible to get a proper AI edge. post patch 2 on PC and xbox I have bowled probably upwards of 300 overs and got something like 3 edges and none of those have really looked like a "real world" edge from a defensive push or flashing drive.
i would put AI field-setting, edges in general, and spin/seam as three systems in the game that need a drastic overhaul. it's a wonderful game, but these things are fundamental and are quite a weakness. it's actually testament to the quality elsewhere in the game that even with three pretty major things essentially broken i still bloody love this game. the game is more than the sum of its parts.
I'd add close catching as something that needs the most work of the lot. Just because something is designated "a chance" doesn't mean that it should be stopped and completely blocked by the players hand. You can have a chance where it keeps going.
The thing is there are edges, and the physics is there for them, it just seems to be the AI that is the issue. Too much middle or miss.
I would also agree though that there aren't enough going to the slips, it's all too fine, not enough deflecting a way, but that may also come down to there just not being enough. I posted a screenshot in another thread of an edge to third slip, but that was a game I set up for edges (picked the pitch conditions, Australia v Russia, T10 match, aggressive fields), managed to get something like 7 edges from that actually.
The AI really should be giving away a lot more edges than they do, and not giving their wicket up as easily elsewhere, but of course, it's a very delicate balancing act.
Hopefully @
BigAntStudios and co take this all on board and continue investigating it and looking for such balance changes for patch 3.
