How much control does the player actually have over a new career batsman?
I ask, because I've just got myself out (for roughly the 4th time this morning) because my avatar played a shot other than the one I would have expected, given the apparent stick inputs I gave him.
When does the stick input trigger, in the range of movement? That is, if I move slightly one way and then fully in another, it appears that the first input is the one chosen. Is this WAD?
Can we please, please, please get some kind of in game feedback as to what the game registered in terms of LAS and RAS selection (and timing) on Pro level batting?
I got a pair in a FCC where as far as I was concerned I'd played the appropriate defensive shot. If I just got done by a good delivery, sweet. If I was late, or early, or playing down the wrong line and that's why I edged it I'd like to know, so I can learn to correct it.
*edit* It seems that early in some innings, when confidence is low, the resulting shot selection corresponds less to the actual input than later on. It may perhaps be that as confidence grows, the poor shot selection matters less.
But when I'm pushing slightly into the on side (LAS) and playing straight (RAS), and he's stepping deep into the on side and pushing out towards cover, it begins to feel like there are other factors at play in determining the shot - my question is what inputs go into determining footwork and shot selection at pro level. Are there things other than stick movement affecting this?
*edit2* I've decided to try an experiment. I'm quitting out and restarting a single game (I'm playing Career, as a number 3 batsman for Sussex). The first time I played this match, I really felt the output I was getting wasn't matching the input I was giving. I'm now into the third go at this match - the first two times, Sussex batted first and I found myself playing down the wrong line constantly, unable to get a good touch on the ball and removed through edges and being bowled where I'd stepped the wrong way, and played the wrong shot. Note that things occurred where I was trying to pull, but played a straight bat through to mid-on, and instances where I tried to cut and ended up pushing out to mid-off.
The third time through, Durham batted first. Sussex bundled them out before tea on the 1st day for 201 - which made me wonder if the pitch is giving plenty of assistance to the quicks. If a pitch is assisting the bowlers, what does that affect? As an example, if the pitch is doing a little more I'd expect to play and miss a little more often - does this then come through graphically as playing down the wrong line?
Bear in mind, it's not just my avatar that appears to be having issues. My guy down the other end is playing and missing a lot more than I'm used to them doing.
And could we get a way to check pitch condition/playability in game? I've turned the commentators off, because the humour value had disappeared for me (and the only pitch report is prior to the start of the match, I expect the pitch condition to change over time)
*edit4* So, having ground out a really hard fought 17 from 37 (and eventually getting run out because I struck one well straight into silly mid-off, got fooled by the ball movement and thought it was through and hit run - and mid-on got to the ball right by the stumps before I'd got more than halfway down!), I simulated through again.
It is 1:24 on day 3. Sussex eventually got 276 (top scorers were 66 from 99 and 61 from 72). Then Durham were bundled out for 186 (top scorers 52 from 97 and 41 from 66). We've just lost our first wicket.
That means in less than 8 full sessions, 31 wickets have been lost for a total of 692 runs. This only seems odd to me because the game usually has over 300 runs scored in a day (which is probably too high, although I haven't actually followed FCC in the UK for many years, and maybe things have changed)
So, it sounds like it's a minefield. Which is really, really cool if it's true and that's why I was struggling to bat - but some indication that this is the case would be good to reduce the amount of WTF I've been experiencing.
We need 83 to win, let's see how it plays out ...
*final edit* we lost 4 getting 113 runs. I was dismissed caught behind - once again playing a defensive shot where nothing appeared to be "wrong" with what I did.