Features you want to see in next iteration of Big Ant Cricket

[cooks1st100]

How many different options do you think there would be per bowler, given their abilities and "the plan"? I suspect very few: once you eliminate balls that don't suit, the decision tree would basically come down to probably no more than 3 balls per run-up, selectable with one button press. It would be AS quick as the current system.

Okay say you select "get batsman out LBW" the choices would be: seam up at the stumps, swinging in from outside off, swinging in from offstump, slower ball at the stumps, off-cutter from outside-off, off-cutter at offstump, outswing at leg stump and that's not even naming all options that would be required and before you even get into lengths and angle of delivery. All this for 1 delivery!!

The current system is basically exactly the same as what we had in previous games, just mapped to slightly different inputs - there is no "plan", it's all ball-to-ball like previous games were with no real visible evidence of a longer game-plan, the field isn't aware of what the bowler is trying to do... etc etc.

You set up a field and you bowl to it. Pretty simple and exactly what bowling is. Where DBC needs to improve in this area is with the AI playing the appropriate shot in regards to where the ball pitches.

 

[Deleted member 149013]

Sledging actually shows the intensity of the match. Playing with batsman's mind is what a bowling team does. Australian players does that a lot. And as long as it's authorized by ICC, it's good. Good bowling doesn't always gives you the expected outcome, sledging sometimes help you to get that. Sledging will actually reflect the on field pressure in the game. It may not work out that good in online matches. But it will look realistic in offline matches! just my opinion!

Would agree with this one it would give the game some more realism. Sledging can be a big part of cricket.

It could alter the batsman’s confidence he will rise above it or not. Plus it could be an option to turn on/off if you didn't want it activated.

 

[Biggs]

Sledging will actually reflect the on field pressure in the game. It may not work out that good in online matches. But it will look realistic in offline matches! just my opinion!

I actually kinda agree/disagree here. I don't want to see Sledging persay in the Arcade or Career modes, because it's just unnecessary and something that very few professional teams actually do these days, outside of Australia. You only have to look at the success of the NZ team to see how you can totally eliminate sledging from the team environment and play with positive intent using your skills, the results on the field back that up. I wouldn't want a game to shine light on a part the game that's negative. Any computer game needs to reflect the positive aspects of the sport well...

Cheerleaders, would be more appropriate.

...that being said, you can get the intent of player-pressure by having more dialogue from the players on the field, as play progresses. You'd need a couple of dialogue trees to reflect the match situation/s. Quick wickets, means more banter "Great bowling, one more... etc etc" ...be cool to hear the wicket keeper chirping away around the match situation and you all-but do away with commentary altogether if it's done right. It means more sound recording and sourcing, I imagine accents as well... that's something I'm sure the Big Ant guys are looking to imrprove upon the great work established.

In terms of online play, I'd actually like there to be an option to enable your PC mic (or headset) so you can have real-time banter with your opponent if they're similarly equipped. I have some great banter with @MattW in the Steam chatbox, but typing "Wooo" doesn't quite have the same impact as screaming it at him...
_________________

Regarding the bowling, I think it all starts from the field set to be honest and the AI being able to bowl to a plan. There's no issue with online because you can bowl to a plan easily enough against an opponent, figure out strengths/weaknesses accordingly.

At the moment the AI doesn't bowl to a plan at all. It reacts nicely now and changes the field but it's just reactionary rather than proactive. Rather than rethinking the bowling mechanics the elegant solution is to establish strengths/weaknesses in the player-creation area.

For example, Player X is an attacking opening batsman but has a weakness around short deliveries. The AI knows this so targets him with a shorter ball more often. Another batsman might have a weakness for spin bowling, and therefore the AI reacts accordingly.

...or perhaps the fast bowler isn't as effective with the older ball, so the AI batsman targets that player if you bring him on. Or perhaps the spin bowler has a weakness towards defensive-minded batsman... therefore the AI promotes a batsman up the order who's better equipped to that match situation.

You could set literally dozens of strength/weakness combos (Gets out LBW quite a bit, AI targets his pads, player Y in the field is a poor fielder) and so on.

I think it's something that's easily handled in the player-creation phase, should be editable and as complex or as simple as you want it to be. Create specific player types for Batsman, Bowlers and Specialist Fielders and work from there. Have a base set of strength/weaknesses for each specific player type so pick-and-up-play folks aren't alienated but the core nerds like us can really get stuck into the Academy and create some solid combinations of player-created teams with appropriate strengths and weaknesses.

 

[MattW]

In terms of online play, I'd actually like there to be an option to enable your PC mic (or headset) so you can have real-time banter with your opponent if they're similarly equipped.

That's a steam thing and possible.

 

[cooks1st100]

I actually kinda agree/disagree here. I don't want to see Sledging persay in the Arcade or Career modes, because it's just unnecessary and something that very few professional teams actually do these days, outside of Australia. You only have to look at the success of the NZ team to see how you can totally eliminate sledging from the team environment and play with positive intent using your skills, the results on the field back that up. I wouldn't want a game to shine light on a part the game that's negative. Any computer game needs to reflect the positive aspects of the sport well...

Cheerleaders, would be more appropriate.

...that being said, you can get the intent of player-pressure by having more dialogue from the players on the field, as play progresses. You'd need a couple of dialogue trees to reflect the match situation/s. Quick wickets, means more banter "Great bowling, one more... etc etc" ...be cool to hear the wicket keeper chirping away around the match situation and you all-but do away with commentary altogether if it's done right. It means more sound recording and sourcing, I imagine accents as well... that's something I'm sure the Big Ant guys are looking to imrprove upon the great work established.

In terms of online play, I'd actually like there to be an option to enable your PC mic (or headset) so you can have real-time banter with your opponent if they're similarly equipped. I have some great banter with @MattW in the Steam chatbox, but typing "Wooo" doesn't quite have the same impact as screaming it at him...
_________________

Regarding the bowling, I think it all starts from the field set to be honest and the AI being able to bowl to a plan. There's no issue with online because you can bowl to a plan easily enough against an opponent, figure out strengths/weaknesses accordingly.

At the moment the AI doesn't bowl to a plan at all. It reacts nicely now and changes the field but it's just reactionary rather than proactive. Rather than rethinking the bowling mechanics the elegant solution is to establish strengths/weaknesses in the player-creation area.

For example, Player X is an attacking opening batsman but has a weakness around short deliveries. The AI knows this so targets him with a shorter ball more often. Another batsman might have a weakness for spin bowling, and therefore the AI reacts accordingly.

...or perhaps the fast bowler isn't as effective with the older ball, so the AI batsman targets that player if you bring him on. Or perhaps the spin bowler has a weakness towards defensive-minded batsman... therefore the AI promotes a batsman up the order who's better equipped to that match situation.

You could set literally dozens of strength/weakness combos (Gets out LBW quite a bit, AI targets his pads, player Y in the field is a poor fielder) and so on.

I think it's something that's easily handled in the player-creation phase, should be editable and as complex or as simple as you want it to be. Create specific player types for Batsman, Bowlers and Specialist Fielders and work from there. Have a base set of strength/weaknesses for each specific player type so pick-and-up-play folks aren't alienated but the core nerds like us can really get stuck into the Academy and create some solid combinations of player-created teams with appropriate strengths and weaknesses.

This is an idea I posted several months ago:

I'd like to see a feature similar to that of Cricket Coach and be able to design bowling plans which then could be assigned to individual bowlers. The more skilled the bowler equals the better execution of the plan. This would improve the AI bowling a great deal and by being able to share the plans via the academy the possibilities would be endless.

A bowler could be assigned say up to 5 plans for each: Attacking, Normal, Defensive. This would mean if you were to face a team with 5 bowlers you could potentially be facing 75 different ways the AI would be trying to take your wicket and each team could be set up uniquely.

 

[Biggs]

We're thinking along the same lines. We're smart people.

 

[cooks1st100]

What I should also add is that if the bowling was set up this way all the AI would be required to do is move fielders individually to plug any high scoring areas and decide whether it should be attacking, balanced or defending. A bowling plan could be say anything from just one over, up to 10 overs. An option to randomize the delivery order of the plan would prevent you as a batsman being able to learn the plan.

[DOUBLEPOST=1439268977][/DOUBLEPOST]I also think their weather editor is rather good also:

 

[Chief]

Okay say you select "get batsman out LBW" you choices would be, seam up at the stumps, swinging in from outside off, swinging in from offstump, slower ball at the stumps, off-cutter from outside-off, off-cutter at offstump, outswing at leg stump and that's not even naming all options that would be required and before you even get into lengths and angle of delivery. All this for 1 delivery!!.

You wouldn't need that much info -the finer detail will be in the execution. But I do think you need to be able to "tell the field what to expect (line/length/pace)".


That weather editor is ace - I had a similar thing (with less detail: I only had 1 per country), but the key thing it covered that's missing here was light: what time is it likely to start getting dark.

 

[kamrul]

Cheerleaders, would be more appropriate.

No offense bro. If sledging is a negative side then how can cheerleaders be a positive thing. Girls dancing on the ground trying to bring glamour by being half naked !!

 

[cooks1st100]

That weather editor is ace - I had a similar thing (with less detail: I only had 1 per country), but the key thing it covered that's missing here was light: what time is it likely to start getting dark.

That's a good addition, it would be a nice touch if you were batting in dark conditions and asked if you wanted to go off, the same goes for bowling, a cut scene showing the umpires looking at their light meters, you would then have to decide whether to just bowl spin to keep playing on or risk going off if you persist with the seamers.

But I do think you need to be able to "tell the field what to expect (line/length/pace)".

The thing is though you don't do this in real cricket. As a bowler/captain you set a field and then the bowlers bowl to that field to the best of his abilities. Put 8 fielders on the offside therefore you bowl an outside-off line. Bowl too straight and you get punished. The fielders know what to expect from the positions they have been put in.

The human bowling is currently the one thing that I would say requires the least attention as far as improvements go. Add accuracy and consequences for over-bowling (loss of accuracy, minor injuries ), angle of delivery plus the ability to give the ball a bit of extra rip for the spinners and I will be more than happy. Oh and more turn and spin friendly tracks!

 

[Biggs]

If sledging is a negative side then how can cheerleaders be a positive thing.

Because, Bewbs.

....or I was being facetious.

Choose your own adventure...[DOUBLEPOST=1439278620][/DOUBLEPOST]

That's a steam thing and possible.

Citation required.

 

[DBC14 Rocks]

Hey there, that's interesting. Does DBC comes up in 'supported games' list in GeForce experience? I get all my other games like F1, NBA, batman etc in the list where I click optimize and set the games to highest resolution possible & it will beautifully render on monitor though display monitor is of lower resolution.

Would like to know how you did this for DBC? I ll be extremely happy if I can do it for this game.

Speaking of which, next iteration of this game should also try pushing for display beyond HD limits, 4K mode. Would be a treat to play this in 4k display mode without doubts. May be, it's too much of a ask in second iteration.

Hi Surendar, when I go into my nvidia graphic control panel, this is what I do. I firstly go into my 3d setting and select adjust image setting with preview. I select the option use the advanced 3d image setting. I then apply it and then go to mange 3d setting. You will see two 3d setting options, global setting on the left and program setting on the right. The difference between the both of them is that, I think that the global setting are compatible with every game you use but I am not sure if that's correct. The program setting are only for the game that you have selected in the list. Don Bradman Cricket 14 is not normally in the list at first but you should be able to add it in by clicking add and then all you need to do is to find the DBC14 icon/ shortcut in the list of programs. When you do find it simply click on add selected program which should be down near the bottom of the page. If your still having problems finding DBC14 click browse and search for DBC14 in their. This programs list is everything that you have installed on your pc you cant add something that hasn't been installed. I also go into configure surround, physX I then go to the physX setting processor. There will be 3 options, auto-select, Gpu and it will also say the type of graphic card you are using, select the graphic card. Finally my DSR is in my global setting not program setting. It might say how many times you want to times your normal monitor resolution like 1x, 1.50x, 2.00x, 3.00x and perhaps even 4x It's probably best to try on what you can play with because it lags the game quite bad. My native resolution is only 1680 x 1050. I also get DRS smoothness also. The higher you put it the smoother/ blurrier it will be, the lower the sharper/ more detail you will get. There are also other setting you can change if you want too but it just makes the game even more laggy, just kept that it mind. when you are finished messing around with the setting just apply. In global setting you don't have to worry about adding DBC14 when using DSR it should work automatically.
To know if the DSR has worked correctly, go into your graphics settings in DBC14 and see if there is a new resolution in DBC14.

 

[grkrama]

Citation required.

here's the thing a bit old post but more or less the same steps, though i haven't tired it with DBC so im not sure if at all it will affect online which is may be more sensitive than other online games when something else is also being transmitted on net.

Steam Community :: Guide :: Using Steam Voice Chat

 

[MattW]

I think that might be a case of the Biggs brand of

being facetious.

To put it another way, I chatted up Biggs while at work today.

 

[blockerdave]

Okay say you select "get batsman out LBW" the choices would be: seam up at the stumps, swinging in from outside off, swinging in from offstump, slower ball at the stumps, off-cutter from outside-off, off-cutter at offstump, outswing at leg stump and that's not even naming all options that would be required and before you even get into lengths and angle of delivery. All this for 1 delivery!!

that's not even including set up... look at Jimmy Anderson... so to get you out LBW he's gonna bowl 2+overs of outswingers, THEN a big inswinger or straight one.

the thing is, you can do all this (as a human player) right now - i can bowl a load of outswingers then an inswinger to set a guy up for LBW. Or I can bowl a load of back of a length before attacking the stumps with a fast yorker, or i can bowl short around the wicket to a legside field or whatever... @Chief is adding complexity where it's not needed. the AI batting system doesn't really reward this approach but then again that's probably preferable to an exploit where 3 outswingers plus 1 inswinger = AI out LBW 90% of the time. if they could find a middle ground, that'd be really something. so your plans (and sticking to them) will be rewarded but there's no obvious exploit.

what's needed is something similar to what Chief has suggested but switched around, so it's an AI plan. So in the academy, there would be setting in the batting skills for "AI bowling plan" (perhaps you set up to 3 per batsman) so you can set things like whether they want him driving for edges, bowl straight for LBW, inswingers for LBW, short pitched etc.

then each player has a captaincy planning and bowling planning skills that effect things like how they set an appropriate field for the plan, how they bowl to the plan... also whether they favour types of plan (short ball, swing etc.), and how likely they are to override the captain's plan - so based on their skills so one bowler might try and get you out driving outswingers, another bounce you out and a third isn't good bowling to a plan and is spraying it around. a "good" captain sets good fields for the plan and sticks to it, a bad one changes the field more, changes the plan etc.

this would add so much: you'd face different challenges when facing different teams, captains, bowlers etc. rather than every team feeling samey, and you'd have to bat differently with different players because they'd be facing different plans. in career, it'd add an extra dimension to bowling because you might be instructed to bowl to a particular plan and maybe get additional XP for executing the "planned" dismissal.

this would obviously require much more preset fields for each plan, including "good", "ok", and "bad" fields for each plan for the different captains to pick. if @BigAntStudios reads this, I'm happy to start playtesting the new version now and start coming up with plans and fields...