Patch 3 Requests/Wishlist

[blockerdave]

frustrating isnt it? i mean, how difficult is it to write that line of code? You just hard code it so that there are strict rules: at least one maiden per bowler. Batsman always score something close to their average. De Villiers always scores a ton. South Africa always win. England don't.
Cricket games need more hard-coding and scripting, and less of this attempt to produce randomness that makes the game more interesting. Less gameplay, more realism please.

think you've misunderstood his point - it's not that you can't get maidens, it's that the scoreboard doesn't display maidens.

 

[Chief]

I detect a hint of sarcasm there Chief, so here's another idea for Big Ant, invest in Pitchvision, realistic fields and how to bowl to them as opposed to unrealistic fields and how not to bowl to them! I think it would really help them out as it is a fantastic resource.

For me the key is being able to relay your plan to the game: I've banged on about this often before. If I bowl two quicks and then a slow, how does the game know I meant to do it, and didn't just mess up my delivery? I always come back this: it's about telling the game what you intend to do, and then trying to carry it out well.
And, as we ALL know, I think the best way to do this is to remove the manual fielding, which amounts to nothing apart from a QTE on behalf of the player and very rarely makes you feel like you did something skillful (usually only frustration that you do something bad!). Instead you should be 100% focussed on being the bowler/captain: moving your field to complement what you are trying to do with the ball and then watching it play out.

The crucial step missing in all cricket games thus far is not the setting of the field, but making the game know the REASON why you are setting that field.

 

[MattW]

What I suspect is the largest issue for the AI is that they haven't just set 5 or so match types and locked that down and customised AI for each type of match. I'm sure that need to be adaptable with the same AI playing 5 over and 5 day matches makes trying to make tactics like real world cricket a tough ask.

It would certainly be possible to do it better than what happens now, but there's a trade off from that really good format flexibility.

 

[richowebbo]

And mid on.

Indeed.

Does anyone have any figures on how many wickets are taken at Mid on/off in real life?

I'm not playing this game until patch 3 comes out, because I don't like the game at the moment. So my only wish is that Patch 3 comes out soon and makes the game playable against AI so I can actually play a test match realistically.

 

[cooks1st100]

For me the key is being able to relay your plan to the game: I've banged on about this often before. If I bowl two quicks and then a slow, how does the game know I meant to do it, and didn't just mess up.

The crucial step missing in all cricket games thus far is not the setting of the field, but making the game know the REASON why you are setting that field.

I think you are over-complicating the issue a tad here. A field is generally initially set based on two principles, line and length so that's how it should be looked at. If an offside field for example is set, the AI should be coded to bowl an offside/ outside off line which currently doesn't happen. The AI bowling appears to bowl in the same way no matter which field is set.

I also have a slight suspicion that despite the number of set fields we have to choose from the AI only uses a couple but constantly switches between them. I say this because if you bowl as both teams one team will have your saved presets, while the other team will show the AI fields of which there are only 8 I think for all types of bowler.

 

[cooks1st100]

Indeed.

Does anyone have any figures on how many wickets are taken at Mid on/off in real life?

I'm not playing this game until patch 3 comes out, because I don't like the game at the moment. So my only wish is that Patch 3 comes out soon and makes the game playable against AI so I can actually play a test match realistically.

I may be able to help if you are interested Richo, was going to PM you a couple of weeks ago but haven't seen you here for a while.

 

[blockerdave]

@Chief is missing the issue massively - it's irrelevant about what you as a human player are bowling, you know what "plan" if any you have and can set your field accordingly. we're talking about the AI field setting which is sub par in DBC and quasi-broken.

regardless of "plans", or where the human player is hitting, there are simple basics like:

• you don't take out slips to put in a silly mid-on/off as a response to a couple of forward defensive shots to a seamer, ever, and most especially in the second over of a test
• if the batsman is playing cover drives and leg glances, moving the same fielder between point and square leg so there is always a gap in one of his favourite places and leaving a third man in place is a very poor strategy.
• four slips in a t20 is only to be used if you've got the opposition 9 down and they're still 30 runs short with 3 balls to go and your bowler is on a hat-trick. then, and only then

 

[Chief]

@Chief is missing the issue massively - it's irrelevant about what you as a human player are bowling, you know what "plan" if any you have and can set your field accordingly

Fair enough on the wider point of human vs AI, but I think the larger issue is that I don't fully believe the AI are properly batting to a plan, which is what you counter with your bowling. It usually depends whether you are after wickets or to stop runs: You anticipate what the batsman is likely to want to do and devise a plan to exploit that. I don't get that feeling with the game currently.

If they could get this working properly, then the AI could use the same logic when bowling, anticipating what you are likely to want to do and countering it: going more defensive or onto the attack accordingly. If that's in there, it's not working well enough for me to buy it.

 

[blockerdave]

Fair enough on the wider point of human vs AI, but I think the larger issue is that I don't fully believe the AI are properly batting to a plan, which is what you counter with your bowling. It usually depends whether you are after wickets or to stop runs: You anticipate what the batsman is likely to want to do and devise a plan to exploit that. I don't get that feeling with the game currently.

If they could get this working properly, then the AI could use the same logic when bowling, anticipating what you are likely to want to do and countering it: going more defensive or onto the attack accordingly. If that's in there, it's not working well enough for me to buy it.

I think regarding the AI batting, particularly disappointing is the AI's lack of match situation awareness - we've all seen them blocking out the last over of a t20, or making crazy attacking shots at inopportune moments. i'm playing a match where i have the AI 181/8 and would say at least half of the wickets were gifted to me by playing totally inappropriate shots.

 

[richowebbo]

I may be able to help if you are interested Richo, was going to PM you a couple of weeks ago but haven't seen you here for a while.

Sure you can help me! Not sure with what, but I'm always open to assistance of any kind!

 

[blockerdave]

This video encapsulates why bowling to the AI is such an unsatisfactory, occasionally dispiriting affair:

That was a brilliant ball, good length, little bit of shape and passes the width of Gnat's pube from off stump – and the batsman leaves it by stepping outside leg! And he starts stepping away before the ball has even pitched!!! That is a leave animation that shouldn’t be in the game, and most especially should NEVER be used for a ball like that.

The AI batsman has to play at that ball 99.94% of the time… that ball has to generate occasional plays and misses (close ones, not ones where the batsman plays a leg stump line to it), and occasional edges… when I bowl that ball I want to see an uncertain defensive prod and a play and miss and I’m thinking “how has that missed everything?”… or I get the edge etc. Something to keep me in the game and not just waiting until he holes out to mid-off.

If the batsman is going to leave those, it should be a very rare occurrence and it needs to be a proper “shoulder arms” animation, and importantly if he’s leaving that ball he needs to (very rarely) misjudge and leave straighter ones too for bowleds and LBWs.

Just this change would absolutely transform the whole bowling experience. I hope @BigAntStudios @HBK619 @mikeymerren @fiction will watch this video and take note. Don't know whether this is being looked at for patch 3 or how far away from that we are, but I hope this can be addressed in that patch.

 

[Ajh1977]

Only wish Ali Cook knew his off stump that well!! On a positive note the pitch texture looked great!

 

[Gamer Pradosh]

This video encapsulates why bowling to the AI is such an unsatisfactory, occasionally dispiriting affair:

That was a brilliant ball, good length, little bit of shape and passes the width of Gnat's pube from off stump – and the batsman leaves it by stepping outside leg! And he starts stepping away before the ball has even pitched!!! That is a leave animation that shouldn’t be in the game, and most especially should NEVER be used for a ball like that.

The AI batsman has to play at that ball 99.94% of the time… that ball has to generate occasional plays and misses (close ones, not ones where the batsman plays a leg stump line to it), and occasional edges… when I bowl that ball I want to see an uncertain defensive prod and a play and miss and I’m thinking “how has that missed everything?”… or I get the edge etc. Something to keep me in the game and not just waiting until he holes out to mid-off.

If the batsman is going to leave those, it should be a very rare occurrence and it needs to be a proper “shoulder arms” animation, and importantly if he’s leaving that ball he needs to (very rarely) misjudge and leave straighter ones too for bowleds and LBWs.

Just this change would absolutely transform the whole bowling experience. I hope @BigAntStudios @HBK619 @mikeymerren @fiction will watch this video and take note. Don't know whether this is being looked at for patch 3 or how far away from that we are, but I hope this can be addressed in that patch.

Agreed that the leave animation used for the kind of delivery is just ridiculous, that's actually for bouncers...It always feels like the AI knows what's coming , just that human like AI needs to made...That uncertainty in AI would make the game even more better than the way it is now...Those full length deliveries on off stump played to third man is another unrealistic shot...
I would like the third man area shot in the game to have more finish than a statue after a shot, a full swing of bat would make it complete something like how Gilly plays it ,this is something for the next iteration...

Things I expected in the game but are missing mainly are:
-As said before bat-pad [more with the flow like in real life]
-Fielder sliding the ball in and another fielder picking it up and throwing as the game already has the tap the ball back-in feature in the game..
-Edges going for 4 both inside and outside edges...Rarely happens, should happen a little bit more than now..And things like ball on the pad should go for a 4 more often because of the pace , now its fully based on timing and foot movement...
-Also a way to play and leave at the last second...Maybe a defensive shot trigger once pressed goes to defensive shot mode where you can either play or leaves the ball, meaning that the batsman will play the defensive shot as soon as the ball is delivered but the trigger can be pressed again for leave animation to take place....

 

[grkrama]

-
-Also a way to play and leave at the last second...Maybe a defensive shot trigger once pressed goes to defensive shot mode where you can either play or leaves the ball, meaning that the batsman will play the defensive shot as soon as the ball is delivered but the trigger can be pressed again for leave animation to take place....

since the scoop shots are basically unplayable as well as sweeps very very very rarely go for a boundary.. i think that button is being wasted, if unorthodox can be reconfigured to 'A" button or one of the buttons as its a totally premeditated one if at all to be played, and the much much more essential LEAVE can be configured to LB, it would make a great addition and game.

 

[cooks1st100]

since the scoop shots are basically unplayable as well as sweeps very very very rarely go for a boundary.. i think that button is being wasted, if unorthodox can be reconfigured to 'A" button or one of the buttons as its a totally premeditated one if at all to be played, and the much much more essential LEAVE can be configured to LB, it would make a great addition and game.

As I have stated a fair few times it would be far more logical to use the RB/R1 with no other input as this is already used for defensive shots and I don't know about others but I always bat with my finger hovering over it.