AI Batting is too fragile

[cricket_online]

Opening this thread about AI Batting in DBC 14 as it has the potential to be a game-breaker in offline mode. I have played DBC 14 for nearly a week now and though it is a huge improvement on cricket games of the past (bar online gameplay), it suffers from one huge flaw, i.e., extremely fragile AI batting. I have played the game on PRO for most part and within a couple of days was able to bundle AI consistently for less than 200.

Since yesterday I ramped up difficulty level to Veteran and surprisingly, AI batting is still not much of an improvement and you still are able to get AI batsmen to get out relatively easily. I haven't tried playing on Legend difficulty yet but surely AI batsmen should be much more competent on PRO and Veteran mode against user/human opponent. If AI batting is not fixed/enhanced in a patch, the game will not be much fun to play in a format longer than T20.

One way to get around the problem is to simulate AI innings as AI puts up a decent score when you simulate, but that takes out the bowling part of things and ends up making DBC 14 as a batting simulator. Fortunately, the issue is not a big concern in career mode as it relies on simulation quite a lot and thus the career player as a bowler is not able to influence the matches all that much, but surely folks averaging less than 20 with the ball as a 16 year old and picking up 3-4 wkts consistently even as a batting all-rounder should point to the flawed AI batting in general.

I've nearly reached a stage where to get a competitive offline game I have to simulate the AI batting coz if I bowl against AI, they will be bundled out cheaply. AI batsmen play way too many shots in the air and even in a Test they don't put a premium on their wkts. I would request Big Ant to look into this issue at the earliest and if possible to patch it in the future as for folks like me who would like to play Tests against AI, the less than solid AI batting is turning into a game-breaker.

 

[blockerdave]

Its definitely a concern. Imbalance particularly shows up in career mode where a 16 year old rookie can pick up wickets by the handful.

 

[AdamFreeman]

I agree it needs looking at

 

[whiteninness]

I don't think it's 100% confirmed as a problem yet until you reach the hardest difficulty. Although, increasing the difficulty to make bowling harder may make batting too tough.

 

[cricket_online]

I don't think it's 100% confirmed as a problem yet until you reach the hardest difficulty. Although, increasing the difficulty to make bowling harder may make batting too tough.

I think it is. When AI can be bundled consistently for less than 200, it's a huge concern. I want to play Tests where AI declares at 650/4 or scores 580/7 etc. and I have to bat out of my skin to save the game. That will not happen in this game unless you simulate AI batting.

 

[isrararrafi]

Is it the case in veteran mode too?

 

[cricket_online]

Is it the case in veteran mode too?

Yup. I have tried it in all modes other than Legendary. Same stuff happens. Essentially AI bats like glorified sloggers most of the times and gifts you wkts. Despite me bowling bunch of wides & no-balls and dropping sitters, AI is not able to score much.

Since I got the game AI has yet to score 300 against me even once. Highest they scored was 280 odd in a Test in the 2nd game I played. Plus you can go through career mode thread of other folks and you will see how easy it is to pick wkts against AI, even though you are a batting all-rounder and your primary skill is batting.

 

[Alberts]

The issue is related to the edges issues. It seems to be down to the AI mentalities at this point. They are too eager to throw their bats around and as such tend to get clean bowled off... let's just say less than perfect balls. This tendency though seems to be covered on the edges front in a way where they either middle or miss the ball, leading to these large number of dismissals from being bowled or LBW, but very few edges.

The changes that I think need to be made are in the overall mentality of how they play at things outside off. Tone down their aggressive a bit, but get the play and misses a bit closer to the bat (as they tend to either really miss or middle the bat at this point, and I'm not sure if this was intentional or not).

Hopefully it can be sorted around patch 2.

 

[nightprowler10]

I haven't found this to be the case but I've only been playing a few hours, and more than a few people seem to have this problem.

It certainly seems like a problem that should be able to be fixed through a patch, but I would hope Big Ant collect a LOT of data from gamers before they make any changes.

 

[surendar]

Probably is it due to the fact that, punishing mode of AI in bad deliveries ending as suicide giving away too many wickets even for 16 YO? I just started another career as bowling AR with taking 5 wickets in debut but all were bad deliveries. Not sure whether anyone has bowled with ideal timings of releasing a ball in correct spot/line/length, still managed to get out AI cheaply?

 

[79cricket]

100% agree with cricket-online here. The AI in test matches is bad, they play like kids and needs work ASAP. I get them out for 100 on average with there best being 209. Hoping after the first patch and the runout problems sorted things will be better but not much.

PS Oneday and T20 is ok.

 

[cricket_online]

Probably is it due to the fact that, punishing mode of AI in bad deliveries ending as suicide giving away too many wickets even for 16 YO? I just started another career as bowling AR with taking 5 wickets in debut but all were bad deliveries. Not sure whether anyone has bowled with ideal timings of releasing a ball in correct spot/line/length, still managed to get out AI cheaply?

My bowling is far from perfect and I still get AI wkts without much trouble.

 

[surendar]

My bowling is far from perfect and I still get AI wkts without much trouble.

Thats what is making me to think that, if we are bowling with ideal timezone, we should have a competitive AI? Currently due to our bad bowling, AI commits suicide while trying to punish?

All my 7-8 wickets were from bad bowling where AI gave catches to the fielders on inner circle.

 

[cricket_online]

Thats what is making me to think that, if we are bowling with ideal timezone, we should have a competitive AI? Currently due to our bad bowling, AI commits suicide while trying to punish?

All my 7-8 wickets were from bad bowling where AI gave catches to the fielders on inner circle.

Now that would be a first in video games, i.e. the more you play the harder it gets

By the way batted a couple of matches on Legend difficulty and I have to say facing a genuine quick is tough and you can't get away a good spinner. Haven't bowled at AI on Legend difficulty level as having too much fun figuring out how to bat

 

[surendar]

Now that would be a first in video games, i.e. the more you play the harder it gets

By the way batted a couple of matches on Legend difficulty and I have to say facing a genuine quick is tough and you can't get away a good spinner. Haven't bowled at AI on Legend difficulty level as having too much fun figuring out how to bat

Yeah batting technique is really a GEM! Try pro-cam if you have mastered even the legend difficulty.