Review: First Impressions of DB14 on PC

[Westindies]

 

[grkrama]

these are the updates

We had two fixes go in.

One is for the issue brought up by @chaman82 which was the issue with 16+ character usernames being referenced and breaking elements of the game.

The other is a bug we found with regards to gloves not being detected when the ball was caught. That was fixed.

There was some minor stuff on our end to help us find issues a little easier too.

 

[Guybrush Threep]

The best cricket game, but you're disappointed.

Not disappointed in the game necessarily, but that the AI batting hasn't been tweaked. I know a simple tweak can change the whole balance of the game though and can put all sorts of things out of whack - very "Chaos Theory"... but still, that's what I was hoping for.

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I'm assuming you're not happy with patch #2 ?

I downloaded on Steam so I assume it is up to date...

 

[Orangzeb]

The jogging fielders on semi auto field setting is really annoying.
p.s I think they still need to tone down the fielders a bit.

 

[blockerdave]

hang on....I thought these fielding issues were fixed in Patch 2. Am I missing something? (besides Patch 2 to test it on the xbox). Also, have they fixed the superhuman pace bowlers? ie. the ability to hit a drive straight back past the bowler is a key weapon for batsmen but this silly ability of pace bowlers to field (and even catch) well hit drives had been identified and, I thought, fixed in this patch.

Please tell me I'm wrong....someone....anyone???

improved, not necessarily fixed.

for me, there definitely needs to be an ability to get more edges off the AI when bowling - i bowled 101 overs, 80+ of seam getting visible swing and got not a single edge. it was veteran (i originally though legend) but even so, i should have got something. it was basically still they middle it or play the wrong line entirely or leave perfectly (stepping out to leg and the ball misses off by an inch).

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Well I bit the bullet and got this on PC as well as having on the 360 and I must say that I have mixed feelings...

Love the quality of the graphics and presentation on PC - I don't know where people get the idea that it is "sub-par" graphically, I think it's great. The sound is also much better on PC.

However there is still a lack of edges when bowling to the AI batsman and they still don't play decent balls as they should, in any sort of believable way. The bowling speed has obviously been reduced as now when I bowl at 150+ km/h it feels like I'm dobbing it down the pitch... there is no excitement in that and takes a lot of fun out of fast bowling (I know this has been done to make batting easier but there have been numerous suggestions on how to fix both). Again, when bowling exceptionally fast the AI batsman don't play the ball any differently to a 120 km/h ball. And even though the bowling speed has been turned down when batting you still can't assess the ball during delivery and have the time to use the shot modifiers based on merit rather than some amount of premeditation.

Overall a little disappointing tbh. Still probably the best cricket game I've played, but could be so much more. Maybe for the sequel.

i think disappointment is a bit strong but i understand the sentiment. it's sometimes a bit frustrating to see how much they've got right and then see "little"* things - like AI field settings, generating edges - being wrong. but this is a beautiful game, lovely to play.

*i appreciate from a coding point of view these are AI and physics related, and not little at all!

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To be fair; it is possible to like a game but be disappointed with it. Like I like Civ 5 and think that its a good game: but I was disappointed because Civ 4 + expansions was a much deeper game and its really only with the latest dlc that its starting to get close to it. Although the vanilla game was good, the fact that stuff like religion and covert actions were literally not existent (until they later appeared in paid DLC, fancy that!) was very disappointing.

absolutely loved civ4 and agree with you about civ5.

 

[zombieian]

Thanks @blockerdave. That seems a very fair and unbiased assessment of the game at the moment, which is why I made my comment about patch 3 being the one which should make this very good game a great one.

 

[BigAntStudios]

@zombieian do you have the steam version?

 

[Chief]

absolutely loved civ4 and agree with you about civ5.

I had to play 40+ hours of Civ 5 (Brave New World) for the BAFTAs this year. Having not played any of the Civ's for a long long time I was a bit lost: I admired the scale of it and the presentation was brilliant, but I'd have liked more help to understand what I was supposed to be doing and why.
I didn't think the tutorials were strong enough to make me feel like I knew what I was doing.

But this is something I go on and on and on about.

 

[BittuGamz]

My Review...waited since October 2013...reached my expectations but disappointed with two things...please try to add and fix in the coming patches...
1. Camera angle: Not getting the feel when I hit six the camera angle just goes on the ground...please try to focus the ball and show full view...like the way its shown in replays.
2. Catching: Its completely based on luck...try and put something like moving the RAS on the right time.

Other than that loved everything...amazing graphics and gameplay...loving BARS, mods...Awesome...just give and additional camera or just modify the broadcast camera a bit.

Thank you Ross.

 

[zombieian]

@zombieian do you have the steam version?

I don't have the Steam version because I don't think my PC is capable of running the game. I know its a bit strange these days but I tend to trust other people's honest and unbiased reviews about the game as it stands and @blockerdave seems as trustworthy as any on this forum and doesn't have an axe to grind.
I'm assuming that as both yourself and Biggs asked me the same question you don't agree with my views?

Another point. It seems that many people on this forum make detrimental remarks about the game, (which I think is great), and nothing is ever said. I make comments supporting the game and I get lambasted. Why is that do you think?

 

[blockerdave]

I had to play 40+ hours of Civ 5 (Brave New World) for the BAFTAs this year. Having not played any of the Civ's for a long long time I was a bit lost: I admired the scale of it and the presentation was brilliant, but I'd have liked more help to understand what I was supposed to be doing and why.
I didn't think the tutorials were strong enough to make me feel like I knew what I was doing.

But this is something I go on and on and on about.

well i have to add a disclaimer that although i love it, i may be possibly the worst Civ player in history. i read these strategy guides and people posting how quickly they won, or built the oracle, or researched nuclear power and i am still taking 40 turns to build a monument.

 

[BigAntStudios]

I don't have the Steam version because I don't think my PC is capable of running the game. I know its a bit strange these days but I tend to trust other people's honest and unbiased reviews about the game as it stands and @blockerdave seems as trustworthy as any on this forum and doesn't have an axe to grind.
I'm assuming that as both yourself and Biggs asked me the same question you don't agree with my views?

Another point. It seems that many people on this forum make detrimental remarks about the game, (which I think is great), and nothing is ever said. I make comments supporting the game and I get lambasted. Why is that do you think?

No, that's an incorrect assumption. I ask for clarification alone as I was becoming confused as to whether you were talking from first hand experience or not - with such a strong opinion it's quite hard to tell.

It's not about being trustworthy, an opinion is an opinion. I take first person accounts far more seriously than hearsay, especially an opinion of an opinion is not very useful, particularly when I can read the source for myself.

Pontificating about patch#2 having not played it is more than a stretch too far, in my opinion.

I have not, to my recollection lambasted you or had furious disagreement.


FWIW I haven't noticed Biggs asking if you have the game, perhaps you confused him too, I have no idea.

 

[zombieian]

No, that's an incorrect assumption. I ask for clarification alone as I was becoming confused as to whether you were talking from first hand experience or not - with such a strong opinion it's quite hard to tell.

It's not about being trustworthy, an opinion is an opinion. I take first person accounts far more seriously than hearsay, especially an opinion of an opinion is not very useful, particularly when I can read the source for myself.

Pontificating about patch#2 having not played it is more than a stretch too far, in my opinion.

I have not, to my recollection lambasted you or had furious disagreement.


FWIW I haven't noticed Biggs asking if you have the game, perhaps you confused him too, I have no idea.

Biggs can't see past the red mist I'm afraid. He made the comments yesterday, which were probably deleted because the statement contained personal abuse.
If by 'strong views' you mean that I have my own views, yes, you are correct.
In any case, what have I said that is controversial?
I'm not going to become a PC yes man.

If you are considering buying a product do you not read trusted reviews before making a purchase? I was trusting @blockerdave's review about patch 2, it wasn't my opinion. You will have that when Patch 2 is eventually released by Microsoft.
I wasn't saying that you had lambasted me. I was asking you why do you think that is the case? I'm assuming that you have some sort of correspondence with Biggs.

 

[BigAntStudios]

Biggs can't see past the red mist I'm afraid. He made the comments yesterday, which were probably deleted because the statement contained personal abuse.
If by 'strong views' you mean that I have my own views, yes, you are correct.
In any case, what have I said that is controversial?
I'm not going to become a PC yes man.

If you are considering buying a product do you not read trusted reviews before making a purchase? I was trusting @blockerdave's review about patch 2, it wasn't my opinion. You will have that when Patch 2 is eventually released by Microsoft.
I wasn't saying that you had lambasted me. I was asking you why do you think that is the case? I'm assuming that you have some sort of correspondence with Biggs.

Incorrect assumption, again. I haven't corresponded privately with Biggs in weeks, last time being sending him and others here Steam Keys. The chances of me having a conversation about you or anyone else on here with Biggs is near Zero, it's just not that important to me.

You do have strong views that are entirely hearsay and not labelled clearly as such. That's not what I'd call controversial, that would be being too kind, what you are posting is just not reasonable - in my opinion - as you have no idea at all how patch#2 plays but would make comments about it and patch#3.

In any case, say what you like, you are merely stating an opinion of an opinion whether that be mine or BD's or Bigg's makes no odds.

One day I'll see you put up your hand and just admit you've made a mistake... one day.... but for today I think I'm over it, give me another conspiracy theory, you know you want to.

PS: "If by 'strong views' you mean that I have my own views, yes, you are correct." - So when you say you have your own views, you mean you actually have @BD's views

 

[blockerdave]

but the main thing is we're all agreed that my reviews are unbiased, informative, authoritative and damn near definitive and i should be given early access to all games on all platforms and if i don't own the platform they should comp me a version?

guys?... guys?...