Review: First Impressions of DB14 on PC

[BigAntStudios]

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?...

I actually do value your opinion and you were "that close" to getting a Steam Key but I also remember you saying you were flat out with work.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I haven't played on PC or any version of Patch 2, can I have my go at a conspiracy theory of my own?

That PC stands for Personal Computer and coincidentally Planet Cricket. I believe that Ross has a bias towards all things PC - Planet Cricket and Personal Computer. He has therefore decided to give this site further endorsement by letting PC users get Patch 2 first.

I also think the BA in Big Ant ties into all of this, think about it, BAPC means "Buy A PC" - to play DBC'14 with Patch 2 no doubt.

It's all out now, confess Ross.

 

[BigAntStudios]

It's just as good a conspiracy theory as the one I just heard before

 

[blockerdave]

I actually do value your opinion and you were "that close" to getting a Steam Key but I also remember you saying you were flat out with work.

dammit... as if i didn't hate my job enough already.

i was very flat out... probably went 2 or 3 weeks without playing DBC, and definitely not because of "waiting for the patch"...

i was also "that close" to not buying it on steam because i knew my laptop wouldn't handle it. decided to try it on the work lappy and it runs well, but getting very tired of lugging it to and from work every day so need to sweet-talk the mrs into letting me try and play it on her much better laptop!

 

[HBK619]

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.

We haven't changed anything with regards to bowler speeds other than how much of a range there is between a bowlers fastest and slowest (the fastest remained the same, the slowest was brought to a closer level). AI bowls slower to you on lower difficulties to allow more time to react. But otherwise, speed has not changed one bit.

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).

I think this one can be viewed two ways tbh. Today alone for myself while attempting to test bugs mentioned today, I had numerous edge chances. So much so it was annoying me because I wanted them to hit it in the air!

I believe if you bowl at a high enough quality, you will be getting those edge chances. If you're jumping to a higher difficulty level too quickly, you will be more unlikely to get those edge chances as you won't be bowling consistently enough at a high level.

2. Catching: Its completely based on luck...try and put something like moving the RAS on the right time.

Catching is in no way based on luck. It's based on two factors.

One is exactly like you ask, moving the RAS at the right time. The second factor is a movement range that becomes smaller based on difficulty level (the higher the difficulty the smaller the range you need to move the stick in correctly to take the catch).

 

[BigAntStudios]

@BD Need to add a function to have a hotkey for a spreadsheet page or something to pop-up

 

[zombieian]

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

Ok Ross, I made an incorrect assumption about Biggs. Apologies.
Please tell me then, what is the point of people like @blockerdave writing his views on the patch in that case? Isn't that the whole point of forums, to discuss? Everything is hearsay.
I don't particularly have strong views on this point. I just believe what I read.
If @blockerdave said that he couldn't fault patch 2, I would still believe what he wrote. Would you criticise my opinion as hearsay then?
What have I made a mistake over? Accepting someone's opinion?
It hasn't only been Blockerdave's view that I have read about patch 2. They all pretty much agree with each other.

 

[blockerdave]

I think this one can be viewed two ways tbh. Today alone for myself while attempting to test bugs mentioned today, I had numerous edge chances. So much so it was annoying me because I wanted them to hit it in the air!

I believe if you bowl at a high enough quality, you will be getting those edge chances. If you're jumping to a higher difficulty level too quickly, you will be more unlikely to get those edge chances as you won't be bowling consistently enough at a high level.
Catching is in no way based on luck. It's based on two factors.

Well it was one game, albeit 101 overs but i have to admit a)i am not good enough batting or bowling to be playing veteran* and b)they scored 584/6 in those overs so we can all agree i wasn't bowling at a high-enough quality.

that said, there were points in the innings where i really restricted their scoring (e.g. Mattis got into the 90s off about 70 balls, only reached his hundred off 115 balls) and as i say there was visible swing (when i remembered to keep hitting x) but i really felt that if they defended or drove it would be middled, then randomly they might play the wrong line. (Mattis got out to a Star 1 medium pacer I was bowling to eat up overs to get to the new ball, LBW and he was miles away from the ball, despite being on 190). i never felt even with the big swing i was gonna get an edge.

*i have jumped back down to pro, but batting at the moment. i am playing a full tour so will reassess at the end of that.

PS - did you fix the tour thing?

 

[T.J.Hooker]

said that he couldn't fault patch 2, I would still believe what he wrote. Would you criticise my opinion as hearsay then?
What have I made a mistake over? Accepting someone's opinion?
It hasn't only been Blockerdave's view that I have read about patch 2. They all pretty much agree with each other.

I think the point is that if you're a developer you have to put much more weight in first hand opinions, so people writing as if their opinion is first hand when it's not can be problematic.

 

[zombieian]

It's just as good a conspiracy theory as the one I just heard before

I didn't say there was a conspiracy.

 

[UnknownSoul]

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???

on 360 atm AI have 5/6 fielders leg side with atleast 3 behind square... That is fixed what im saying is now you get sometimes where you have mid on and long off. don't get me wrong the fields are much better than before but still need a little tweaking here or there. & regarding the superhuman fielders thats fixed!

 

[BigAntStudios]

I didn't say there was a conspiracy.

I'm assuming that you have some sort of correspondence with Biggs.

Saying that you had assumed that I'd conversed with Biggs about yourself is pretty much saying there is some sort of conspiracy.

Anyway, happy to move on, I would say that just because someone doesn't want to be seen as a "yes" man does not meant they need to be a "no" man either.

 

[zombieian]

I think the point is that if you're a developer you have to put much more weight in first hand opinions, so people writing as if their opinion is first hand when it's not can be problematic.

I believe that this is my post that Ross is having issues with.

"Judging by some of the issues reported with the PC version of the game, I think patch 2 will just be 'good looking'. Patch 3 should be the beautiful one."

What have I said in that statement to cause so much angst?

 

[BigAntStudios]

I think the point is that if you're a developer you have to put much more weight in first hand opinions, so people writing as if their opinion is first hand when it's not can be problematic.

Indeed.

Consider I read every post, it becomes a bit of a mash as to who has the game and who hasn't.

I thought that @zombieian had the game, I was confused.

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<snip> It hasn't only been Blockerdave's view that I have read about patch 2. They all pretty much agree with each other.

If that were true you'd have a point, it's not. There are many conflicting opinions on what is or is not in the patch and what is or is not fixed (or fixed enough).

Now, I think I've said as much as I can.

 

[T.J.Hooker]

Consider I read every post

oh god you poor bastard