Blasphemy, sacrelige and a question!

[Dutch]

I realise that this is potentially going to get me flamed but that's okay I am a grown lad and have a big brother! Anyway I have played every single game of cricket I can get my hands on. Before I start I need to say that I do not have vast amount of experience either playing or watching real cricket so that will go some way to explaining my case here.

I am not trying to start a "what is better' war just stating the fact that the better game in terms of "real cricket feel" is not necessarily the better game in terms of "depth and engrossing entertainment".

I would rather have the former in real life and the latter in a game! That is just my opinion, others will have their own.

After playing many games for many hours I have come to the conclusion that the better game for me in terms of game-play and depth is Cricket 07. (A patched version thereof).

I realise that that game has had a lot of bad press and probably rightly so but the fact that you can go on tours, keep track of many statistics, customize pretty much everything has meant that I have really enjoyed getting to know and play it.

I have played Ashes 09 a lot, Cricket Revolution a lot, and now Cricket 07 a lot. At this moment I am on a tour to South Africa with England. I have played a couple of warm-up games and in the middle of the First Test, which has been an engrossing affair.

I just can't do this in Ashes 09, both in terms of game-play and stadiums etcetera.

Many other games have brilliant features, as does this game, and also it's weaknesses.

That got me thinking about which elemnts would I take from all the games I have played to make a "Super-game". Others may wish to give their choices as well.

I would love:

Depth of game and custom-ability: Cricket 07

360 batting and intuitive bowling and online play (if they sort the server out!): Ashes 09

Shot choices: Cricket Revolution

Career and Stats: Cricket Coach 3.12

 

[CaptainOZ]

Man I sure miss stats tracking. It is such an essential aspect of cricket. It still bugs me to this day when AC09 flash up the career figures of the players - I really wish I could find a way to delete it. At the very least, we need to see their stats for the CURRENT GAME being played. Why was that too much to put in the original game?

 

[riz7khan12]

dutchad u are right cricket 07 was better if only its graphics were better.

 

[Ollie_H]

I have always thought the same as you dutchy, always thought that C07 (when patched) was the best game around.

 

[Highlander999]

Well I think C05 is better, but they are basically the same game. That's why I still use it in my story

 

[Simbazz]

Well I think C05 is better, but they are basically the same game. That's why I still use it in my story

You still have your story going? Good God man, how do you find time whilst at uni, I've practically not had 30 minutes online spare since I got there. Freshers - then uni work...there was no stopping! Another "Freshers," week coming up

 

[Highlander999]

I only restarted it in the Christmas break, I'll probs be just doing weekly updates once I get back to uni

 

[Simbazz]

I only restarted it in the Christmas break, I'll probs be just doing weekly updates once I get back to uni

I will bet my signature space that this doesn't happen

 

[Highlander999]

Hahaha, I'll take that bet I'm moving into a new flat lol, so am gonna be without internet for a while :laugh

 

[Simbazz]

Hahaha, I'll take that bet I'm moving into a new flat lol, so am gonna be without internet for a while :laugh

My signature space is safe then, boiiiiiiiii.

 

[cricket_online]

I realise that this is potentially going to get me flamed but that's okay I am a grown lad and have a big brother! Anyway I have played every single game of cricket I can get my hands on. Before I start I need to say that I do not have vast amount of experience either playing or watching real cricket so that will go some way to explaining my case here.

I am not trying to start a "what is better' war just stating the fact that the better game in terms of "real cricket feel" is not necessarily the better game in terms of "depth and engrossing entertainment".

I would rather have the former in real life and the latter in a game! That is just my opinion, others will have their own.

After playing many games for many hours I have come to the conclusion that the better game for me in terms of game-play and depth is Cricket 07. (A patched version thereof).

I realise that that game has had a lot of bad press and probably rightly so but the fact that you can go on tours, keep track of many statistics, customize pretty much everything has meant that I have really enjoyed getting to know and play it.

I have played Ashes 09 a lot, Cricket Revolution a lot, and now Cricket 07 a lot. At this moment I am on a tour to South Africa with England. I have played a couple of warm-up games and in the middle of the First Test, which has been an engrossing affair.

I just can't do this in Ashes 09, both in terms of game-play and stadiums etcetera.

Many other games have brilliant features, as does this game, and also it's weaknesses.

That got me thinking about which elemnts would I take from all the games I have played to make a "Super-game". Others may wish to give their choices as well.

I would love:

Depth of game and custom-ability: Cricket 07

360 batting and intuitive bowling and online play (if they sort the server out!): Ashes 09

Shot choices: Cricket Revolution

Career and Stats: Cricket Coach 3.12

Agree with you. In fact if EA incorporate 360 degree shot selection, it would easily be the best cricket game ever. Hope EA release another cricket game soon with 360 degree shot selection. For the time being I still think BLIC 99, or even the Brian Lara game on Sega Mega Drive that came out in mid 90s, was much better than most of the games that were released later.

In fact the only saving grace for AC09 is online gameplay. Without online gameplay the game is no different from BLIC 07.

 

[AbBh]

I'd like to know what attracts you to Cricket 07 apart from custom tournaments and stats tracking?

While Ashes 09 is poor in certain areas, the codebase is much better. Had Transmission continued with it, they could have produced a classic in a couple of years. Cricket 07 would need a rewrite from scratch to make a compelling game.

 

[CaptainOZ]

Hopefully SOMEONE will pick up the ball and develop the next Ashes game.

A quick Google search revealed this:

Codemasters has revealed it will be bringing sequels to three of its major releases from this year.

2010 will see follow-ups to DIRT 2, Ashes Cricket 2009 and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.

All three titles enjoyed major sales success and flourished at a time when other publishers decided to push their titles into the first and second quarters of 2010.

 

[Dutch]

I'd like to know what attracts you to Cricket 07 apart from custom tournaments and stats tracking?

While Ashes 09 is poor in certain areas, the codebase is much better. Had Transmission continued with it, they could have produced a classic in a couple of years. Cricket 07 would need a rewrite from scratch to make a compelling game.

The game may not be as good from a real cricketing point of view. Ashes 09 definitely feels more like cricket but it just doesn't feel "alive'. It seems muted somehow and very predictable. It certainly isn't a finished product and while the beta patch has helped it doesn't give me the entertainment value I crave. In EA cricket I am currently "touring" South Africa with England. The first test went to five days. I have never had that in Ashes 09 and I have to "pretend" the AI is bowling and fielding where it is to restrict my scoring. It got to the point that I restricted myself to only to scoring shots per over. Now that is not cricket! The ODI's are much better though but for a game that sold itself on being an Ashes experience it falls well short, well short. If people succeed in editing the AI fielding and bowling then it may be a different story but with the patches I am using for C07 at the mo it is my preferred game. Others may disagree, but hey, thats life.....

 

[AbBh]

The first test went to five days.

Never thought that was possible. Does the CPU vary line and length more often and bowl intelligently? IIRC they'd stick to certain lines and lengths like in AC09 but would vary it more often.