Don Bradman Cricket 17 General Discussion

[LittleBigPlanet]

This is the danger. And I'm not sure it's solvable. The more you try and appeal to the core audience, the less you appeal to the mainstream and vice versa. It's a very delicate balance.
This is why I keep talking about a core "simulatory" PC version, constantly updated, and then pop out a mainstream console version every 2 years in order to pay for it. You make it clear to the core fans which version is for them (which you can do easily, because they're all here, or other forums!) - Everyone wins.
Your PC core (I reckon probably about 5000) cannot even start to pay for the development alone. I'd estimate that at the very bottom end you need at least 100k console sales every other year to break even. And that means something much more fun, simple and arcadey.

So do you mean a whole new game for console users, and the pc users keep dbc?

Wouldn't it mean that each game would have to have different mechanics, animations, ai, menu structures, etc etc?

Also if it were to be like this, then wouldn't it mean that they would have to come up with another large investment of time and money?

One more hypothetical , are you saying the focus for console users should/could/would be more on 20/20 cricket? Franchise workings, squad building, contract negotiations, etc etc? With an aim to make batting a more "kohli and maxwell marinated" experience, and bowling more of a "find a way not to get helicoptered over a deep point, snap the base of leg stump next delivery" sort of thing?

 

[Mr Snrub]

A question on fielding?

Am i right in saying that when you field using semi control setting i don't need to do anything to catch the ball apart from when its slow mo? In DBC14 you would need to push the R stick in the direction the ball was coming at you. In DBC17 i am sure it automatically catches and drops it without any user input. Please correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks.

Interesting question. On semi-assisted I've just been doing what we did in DBC'14 where we push it in the direction the ball is coming from and have a couple of times messed it up but still caught the ball, which makes me curious a bit to hear from others too.

 

[Bluebagger]

This is the danger. And I'm not sure it's solvable. The more you try and appeal to the core audience, the less you appeal to the mainstream and vice versa. It's a very delicate balance.
This is why I keep talking about a core "simulatory" PC version, constantly updated, and then pop out a mainstream console version every 2 years in order to pay for it. You make it clear to the core fans which version is for them (which you can do easily, because they're all here, or other forums!) - Everyone wins.
Your PC core (I reckon probably about 5000) cannot even start to pay for the development alone. I'd estimate that at the very bottom end you need at least 100k console sales every other year to break even. And that means something much more fun, simple and arcadey.

If people just spent the same money on a console and built a PC instead (potato masher proves it can be done at similar price and far superior performance, no excuses) then it would be all fine but instead we all lose because the game isn't made specifically for the superior platform with greatest potential and the most popular platform is limited. If there was an unrestricted PC only version of the game it would be so much better than the restricted console only version of the game it would be borderline unfair.

But the reality is we won't ever get another big ant game on PC (which I'm not too disappointed in post-DBC 17 as I would have been pre-DBC 17) let alone get 2 versions of the same game so the only hope is that another developer steps up and creates the perfect PC cricket game for us which is extremely unlikely so until then we're stuck with the console version on all platforms.

 

[inertSpark]

If people just spent the same money on a console and built a PC instead (potato masher proves it can be done at similar price and far superior performance, no excuses) then it would be all fine but instead we all lose because the game isn't made specifically for the superior platform with greatest potential

Hmmm. Ok, so Ross has now stated less than two hours ago that the game is developed on PC first. Respectfully, how does that make you feel?

Let's not let the facts get in the way of a story... what's not up for debate is your lack of knowledge on game development.

We develop the game on PC, as does EVERY studio for EVERY console game, it is then ported to the consoles, not the other way around

 

[Alberts]

If people just spent the same money on a console and built a PC instead (potato masher proves it can be done at similar price and far superior performance, no excuses) then it would be all fine but instead we all lose because the game isn't made specifically for the superior platform with greatest potential and the most popular platform is limited. If there was an unrestricted PC only version of the game it would be so much better than the restricted console only version of the game it would be borderline unfair.

But the reality is we won't ever get another big ant game on PC (which I'm not too disappointed in post-DBC 17 as I would have been pre-DBC 17) let alone get 2 versions of the same game so the only hope is that another developer steps up and creates the perfect PC cricket game for us which is extremely unlikely so until then we're stuck with the console version on all platforms.

The game is made on PC, for PC, like most games. The problem is that the PC market isn't a great one for sports games in general, suffers from massive piracy issues, and requires a lot more optimisation for different configurations. You can cite that people can make things like the potato masher, but the problem is that most people can't be bothered, the point of a console is that they're cheap, simple and they work. The reason that most people don't subscribe to the idea of the PC master race isn't just about cost, it's about the time investment and learning the know how required; for a lot of people it just isn't worth it, particularly when many major releases are delayed or simply never happen on PC.

If you think another developer is touching cricket games you're dreaming at this point. Big Ant have delivered on two solid cricketing titles, something that can't really be said to have happened in a very long time. If it wasn't for the modding community, Cricket 07 would have been remembered as another cookie cutter half effort sports game that was little more than mediocre, and to be blunt, it's been a long time since a developer really poured the effort and soul into a top level cricket game. With the piracy issues, I seriously doubt we'll see any other developer touch a cricket game on the PC platform for a long time, but equally I doubt we won't see another DBC release on PC. I'll still be staggered, but I'm sure BigAnt will see the benefits in continuing with the same style of release in that regard.

 

[hammadahmed88]

In my career, when my player walks out I see flawed statistics. They're stuck at my avg at 8 when my dude is averaging 47. Is this a bug that other people have experienced?

 

[Bluebagger]

The game is made on PC, for PC, like most games. The problem is that the PC market isn't a great one for sports games in general, suffers from massive piracy issues, and requires a lot more optimisation for different configurations. You can cite that people can make things like the potato masher, but the problem is that most people can't be bothered, the point of a console is that they're cheap, simple and they work. The reason that most people don't subscribe to the idea of the PC master race isn't just about cost, it's about the time investment and learning the know how required; for a lot of people it just isn't worth it, particularly when many major releases are delayed or simply never happen on PC.

If you think another developer is touching cricket games you're dreaming at this point. Big Ant have delivered on two solid cricketing titles, something that can't really be said to have happened in a very long time. If it wasn't for the modding community, Cricket 07 would have been remembered as another cookie cutter half effort sports game that was little more than mediocre, and to be blunt, it's been a long time since a developer really poured the effort and soul into a top level cricket game. With the piracy issues, I seriously doubt we'll see any other developer touch a cricket game on the PC platform for a long time, but equally I doubt we won't see another DBC release on PC. I'll still be staggered, but I'm sure BigAnt will see the benefits in continuing with the same style of release in that regard.

Let's get one thing straight. It's not made for PC at all, there is nothing 'made for PC' when it is control-centric and what part of "highly unlikely" regarding another developer taking on a cricket game did you find hard to understand?

 

[Alberts]

Let's get one thing straight. It's not made for PC at all, there is nothing 'made for PC' when it is control-centric and what part of "highly unlikely" regarding another developer taking on a cricket game did you find hard to understand?

The game was made on PC, the question from there is which platforms actually get ports. The game is a PC game (as most games are these days, you rarely get games natively developed for consoles) that has received PS4 and Xbone ports (as most games are these days).

You seem mad, I'm not entirely sure why you seem this way.

 

[Stokes82]

loving the game but one thing I have noticed after playing for a few weeks, I haven't had one single run out referred to the 3rd umpire when a number of times it has looked really close, is this not in the game?

 

[Chief]

So do you mean a whole new game for console users, and the pc users keep dbc?

Wouldn't it mean that each game would have to have different mechanics, animations, ai, menu structures, etc etc?

Also if it were to be like this, then wouldn't it mean that they would have to come up with another large investment of time and money?

One more hypothetical , are you saying the focus for console users should/could/would be more on 20/20 cricket? Franchise workings, squad building, contract negotiations, etc etc? With an aim to make batting a more "kohli and maxwell marinated" experience, and bowling more of a "find a way not to get helicoptered over a deep point, snap the base of leg stump next delivery" sort of thing?

Not an entirely different game - you just re-badge it for console and alter the mechanics to be simpler.

I don't think the focus needs to be on T20 - previous console games have succeeded before T20 even existed as a format. Although I do think that the auction/franchise career would be a smart move.

 

[Chief]

I like the idea , but to force me thats a "Core Audience" player on Console , to now go and play the Game on PC makes no sense.

I have built up a good 30 + Strong contingent of Core Online Players playing tournaments on the PS4 , I cannot even start to think what we would do if it was only on PC.

What you proposed to Dave above with two different brands so to speak on all platforms , probably makes more sense.

There's no reason why the console version couldn't have options to make it like the PC experience - I'm saying that the default settings should be flipped to favour the more mainstream player. Hide the more complicated things away in options.

I still think that the key reasons for why this one did so badly lie with the publisher, but I think the game experience could be made more casual.

 

[grkrama]

Not an entirely different game - you just re-badge it for console and alter the mechanics to be simpler.

If you are suggesting separate titles for that on different platform, i guess ingame options will do just fine instead.

Its better to have people confused on options rather than which version to buy. There will always be people who will fall between whatever limits BA set and they cant keep doing separate versions for each category.

The options present are brilliant and more than enough to customise the game to the experience you want.

A good hand holding system with tutorials and proper explanation for options will be enough to cater people. sure a couple of well defined presets and having the game choose the difficulty for you will help in the handholding part. Apart from that there is not much need for separate titles for something like this.

 

[Chief]

There will always be people who will fall between whatever limits BA set and they cant keep doing separate versions for each category.

Why?

 

[grkrama]

Why?

simply because what is arcade and simulation with regards to cricket as a video game will vary with almost every user.

 

[Chief]

simply because what is arcade and simulation with regards to cricket as a video game will vary with almost every user.

Agreed, but I don't think it's as nuanced as all that - Batting is a simple "timing-based one-button aim then hit mechanic" for casuals, and "pick your type of shot" for hardcore. Bowling is harder, but pitch marker is a thing that people all understand (yes yes i know) and then line/length for the hardcore.