I have of course played the game and I have few suggestions to offer on the table that I feel would improve the experience.
General Gameplay -
1) Batting needs more info -
The over all experience of the joystick was great, and it does feel like actually playing a shot when batting. However when facing fast bowlers, there is little time to react, and everything has to be per-decided.
The ball just arrives too fast, and there is not really an option to first see the ball and decide whether one wants to play on the offside or leg side, or attack or defend. In other words one is mostly per-deciding what to do with most deliveries rather than actually playing on the merit of the ball. If there could be a way of providing more info about the delivery before it arrives, whether its short pitched, or over-pitched or going down leg or outside off, etc. that would greatly improve the batting experience. I am not saying put an actual blob in the middle of the pitch where the ball will land like most games did earlier, but more info about the ball would be great.
If nothing else just slow down the frame rate or whatever, so it allows more time to react and adjust our shot. Right now when facing fast bowlers, it just doesn't give us the time to play on the merit of the delivery, and most of us are just swinging through the offside every ball.
One thing that could be done is to give us a range of the line and the length of where the ball is going to be at. Then one can decide whether to leave or defend or attack. Of course it being a range is better than a blob in the middle of the pitch telling us exactly where the ball will land. For example the range could be from off stump to say 6th stump, and if one leave and the ball is on off then one gets bowled. If one defends believing it to be on off, and its just outside off, it could take an edge. Thus even though we will have more info, it will still be more of a challenge, than just swinging the right analog stick through the off-side.
2) Improve Bowling
Its very clear that the focus of the game was batting and thus bowling is a much less enjoyable experience.
Spin bowling especially has to be simpler as I dont want to kill the left analog stick rotating it to build up the spin.
3) Fielding postions
The AI has to improve and the fielding positions during the matches has to be set better. I have played many games where the team sets both Mid off and Long off. That doesnt happen ever in matches, and this "doubling" of positions should go.
CAREER MODE
I think most of the people will agree that the Career Mode is the highlight of the package here. However I feel there are quite a lot of areas for improvement.
1) Make Career Mode more dynamic
Right now the career mode feels very bland after a while. The place in the side is cemented regardless of how well one performs. One could have 10 scores of under 10 on the trot and no one says a word. There should be more dynamism involved. There should be something like a coach interaction menu, who tells you how you perform, and you could even be dropped for poor performances.
That is not to say that its so tough that one spends for of the season out of the squad, but a balance must be found and one just cannot have a carte blanche to perform as one feels like and never be dropped. I think it would be great.
2) Have a training mode
Right now the only way to improve skills is in the middle, however if there is a training mode (especially for fielding and catching), where one can also improve ones skills.
3) In - Play instructions
It would be great if during the matches the coach (or captain) would give us some instructions or set a game plan for us to follow, whether batting or bowling. It could be something like, if bowling the coach could tell us to try and not concede runs as the priority or if batting one could be asked to play defensive or not lost a wicket in that phase of play, etc. or later be asked to attack.
If one is asked to attack and one gets out then the coach should not be too harsh in its interactions, but if when asked to play defensive one gets out to an attacking lofted shot then the coach should be mental when one goes back into the dressing area.
4) Option of being a part-time bowler
I think most the players enjoy batting more, but one also likes to bowl from time to time. However the idea of bowling and bowling 10 to 12 overs an innings is too much. Right now one can bowl a bit as "Batting Allrounder", but even then the bowling involved is a bit much. There should be an option to play as "Part Time Bowler", as one cna then bowl 4-5 overs an innings.
Similarly the game should not be so rigid when deciding where to bat depending on when one is a batting allrounder. The option of opening should also be open.
5) Some flexibility with batting order
One always bats in the same batting positions, but sometimes, sometimes, there should be some change in the batting order, and one could be moved around or adjusted in another position, especially when being called up for Int'l side. If one bats at #3 and is called up to say India, then in the ODIs' VIrat Kohli is dropped, which is nonsense.
There should be more flexibility, and perhaps some coach interactions as well, where the coach could ask you if you want to open, or if you are struggling whether you would like to bat lower down the order, etc. ALso there could be targets set in training, whereby if you are a middle order batsmen you could train to be an opener and so on.
6) Add more leagues
Self explanatory.
Do you guys agree? Any other suggestions.
General Gameplay -
1) Batting needs more info -
The over all experience of the joystick was great, and it does feel like actually playing a shot when batting. However when facing fast bowlers, there is little time to react, and everything has to be per-decided.
The ball just arrives too fast, and there is not really an option to first see the ball and decide whether one wants to play on the offside or leg side, or attack or defend. In other words one is mostly per-deciding what to do with most deliveries rather than actually playing on the merit of the ball. If there could be a way of providing more info about the delivery before it arrives, whether its short pitched, or over-pitched or going down leg or outside off, etc. that would greatly improve the batting experience. I am not saying put an actual blob in the middle of the pitch where the ball will land like most games did earlier, but more info about the ball would be great.
If nothing else just slow down the frame rate or whatever, so it allows more time to react and adjust our shot. Right now when facing fast bowlers, it just doesn't give us the time to play on the merit of the delivery, and most of us are just swinging through the offside every ball.
One thing that could be done is to give us a range of the line and the length of where the ball is going to be at. Then one can decide whether to leave or defend or attack. Of course it being a range is better than a blob in the middle of the pitch telling us exactly where the ball will land. For example the range could be from off stump to say 6th stump, and if one leave and the ball is on off then one gets bowled. If one defends believing it to be on off, and its just outside off, it could take an edge. Thus even though we will have more info, it will still be more of a challenge, than just swinging the right analog stick through the off-side.
2) Improve Bowling
Its very clear that the focus of the game was batting and thus bowling is a much less enjoyable experience.
Spin bowling especially has to be simpler as I dont want to kill the left analog stick rotating it to build up the spin.
3) Fielding postions
The AI has to improve and the fielding positions during the matches has to be set better. I have played many games where the team sets both Mid off and Long off. That doesnt happen ever in matches, and this "doubling" of positions should go.
CAREER MODE
I think most of the people will agree that the Career Mode is the highlight of the package here. However I feel there are quite a lot of areas for improvement.
1) Make Career Mode more dynamic
Right now the career mode feels very bland after a while. The place in the side is cemented regardless of how well one performs. One could have 10 scores of under 10 on the trot and no one says a word. There should be more dynamism involved. There should be something like a coach interaction menu, who tells you how you perform, and you could even be dropped for poor performances.
That is not to say that its so tough that one spends for of the season out of the squad, but a balance must be found and one just cannot have a carte blanche to perform as one feels like and never be dropped. I think it would be great.
2) Have a training mode
Right now the only way to improve skills is in the middle, however if there is a training mode (especially for fielding and catching), where one can also improve ones skills.
3) In - Play instructions
It would be great if during the matches the coach (or captain) would give us some instructions or set a game plan for us to follow, whether batting or bowling. It could be something like, if bowling the coach could tell us to try and not concede runs as the priority or if batting one could be asked to play defensive or not lost a wicket in that phase of play, etc. or later be asked to attack.
If one is asked to attack and one gets out then the coach should not be too harsh in its interactions, but if when asked to play defensive one gets out to an attacking lofted shot then the coach should be mental when one goes back into the dressing area.
4) Option of being a part-time bowler
I think most the players enjoy batting more, but one also likes to bowl from time to time. However the idea of bowling and bowling 10 to 12 overs an innings is too much. Right now one can bowl a bit as "Batting Allrounder", but even then the bowling involved is a bit much. There should be an option to play as "Part Time Bowler", as one cna then bowl 4-5 overs an innings.
Similarly the game should not be so rigid when deciding where to bat depending on when one is a batting allrounder. The option of opening should also be open.
5) Some flexibility with batting order
One always bats in the same batting positions, but sometimes, sometimes, there should be some change in the batting order, and one could be moved around or adjusted in another position, especially when being called up for Int'l side. If one bats at #3 and is called up to say India, then in the ODIs' VIrat Kohli is dropped, which is nonsense.
There should be more flexibility, and perhaps some coach interactions as well, where the coach could ask you if you want to open, or if you are struggling whether you would like to bat lower down the order, etc. ALso there could be targets set in training, whereby if you are a middle order batsmen you could train to be an opener and so on.
6) Add more leagues
Self explanatory.
Do you guys agree? Any other suggestions.
