*Detailed* Questions and Answers

[mikeymerren]

1. In previous cricket games, we have seen that 'higher difficulty' means less timing window and that's it. There is no factor of 'strategy' involved in, which ascends along with the higher difficulty levels. Is it any different in DBC'14? That at easy difficulty, the AI still makes a couple of stupid mistakes that could cost them the game, but in higher difficulty they are astute in their decisions and have a perfect strategy for each player, and THIS IS WHAT making the game difficult. Is that the case?

2. How does a T20 match and a Test match differ in difficulty, if both are on the same difficulty level, say for example, difficulty level 5. I'm asking this question - and it's an important one - because if there is no difference in the difficulty of these two different formats, then either we end up with a scoring rate of 3 in a T20 match or with a run-rate of 8+ in a test match - which has been the case with every single cricket game we had so far. As the fielders are not usually spread out in a test match, we end up with an even higher run rate than in T20s.

It should be something like 'you can't play the same shots, at the same difficulty, and with the same ease, in T20s and Tests. They are different formats, and even in the same difficulty level, require different levels of attention'. Can you please shed some light on this important issue?

3. If we are playing as a captain in career mode, what options do we have to 'guide' a bowler or batsman. Can we suggest the two batsmen in the middle (by sending a message or anything like that) to keep wickets in hand and not to go for any risky shots, or vice versa? Can we ask a bowler to try bowling a particular line and length, as we are the captain and have formulated a strategy against a certain batsman?

Thanks

1. I'd be lying if I didn't say that yes, timing window is affected, but, at the end of the day, you get your timing very good in easy that's not going to be any different in hard, perfect timing if perfect timing you can't change that, we only adjust the timing window to catch you out if you aren't concentrating, a lot of other factors will affect how likely you are to find gaps in the field, will the ai pick the right field at the right time, on easy they may leave gaps for too long in the field, mixing up the bowling correctly to keep you on your toes.

2. evaluation of achievable scores and run rates are initially separate to difficulty - length of match is a key factor, this will then be used for the AI to determine how it plays. you certainly won't be having run rates that are super high in test and lower in t20.

3. Career Mode Captain questions will need to be in another Q&A. Sorry.

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Hi Mike apologies if these questions are repeating other people, I have just copy/pasted my post from yesterday.

Will there be a noticeable difference in the accuracy of bowlers e.g. Stuart Clark compared to Mitchell Johnson, added to that, how will tiredness affect it?

I hope that stamina has been thought out so that you could bowl, say Siddle happily for 12 overs without too much risk but not be able to do that with Ryan Harris before something gave way!

We finally will have a game where height is a factor, this is going to be fantastic for both bowling and batting with the added challenge this brings to the game. Is the difference noticeable in play?

Some bowlers swing the ball early while others late, not expecting this in this version but could it be implement in the next edition? (now that's faith!!)

I have noticed in DBCA there is no attribute for pace. Does this mean that all fast bowlers ( for example) will have the same top speed or will there be a method to individualise them?

Cheers for giving us the opportunity to ask these questions

1. accuracy will be dependent on the throw accuracy (prbably misleading attribute, but it's also used for bowling as well as fielding), fatigue build up will have a gradual affect across all the attributes.

2. yep, the height factor is big (no pun intended) it's most noticed with bowling, bouncers from the big guys, lower, skimming deliveries from the shorties.

3. We use real physics for ball movement we cover pretty much everything based on ball movement - not sure if you've got control on when you get the ball to move though, i'd have to check on how that all works.

4. delivery speed is affected by several attributes, run speed, arm speed are the key for speed, then throw accuracy for line/length.

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Hi Mikey, thanks for this, here are my questions.

1) In CA is a left handed finger spinners stock delivery a leg break or offbreak, there has been a bit of confusion over this on here.

2) Is the off break rating for a right handed wrist spinner essentially his googly rating and should we set this as zero if he can't bowl a googly.

3) Similarly is the leg beak rating for a right handed finger spinner a doosra.


4) I think it was mentioned by someone briefly, but without an accuracy rating for bowlers how will ai differentiate between a bowler like McGrath, line and length nearly every time, and a bowler like Mitchell Johnson, spraying it all over the place like a broken shower?

5) Should we only give slider and flipper ratings for wrist spinners as they are generally regarded as the only type of spinners who can bowl these.

Would love to have these cleared up, because as you have said you want our created teams to essentially be the default teams through downloading.

Guys, sorry, but I'm gonna make this the last one for tonight - I will answer the rest over the weekend though.

1/2/3/5 - i'm going to have to go through this fully with the game play programmer for spin, I think we probably should have made the skills wording change dependent on the type of spin bowler you have. that would make it more obvious.

4. Throw accuracy is the attribute we use.

 

[Gamer Pradosh]

a)Is there a timing meter in the game for batting and fielding [to catch and throw the ball to the keeper or even a direct hit]?

b)Does Fatigue range varies in T20 and in tests like a player bowls 2 to 3 overs in a T20 and fatigues fast compared to a bowler bowling 7 overs on the trot in a test match?

 

[whiteninness]

I've posted several times before on overcast = more swing actually being a proven myth. It has been in previous games though, or at least I've read in the manuals of the EA games that it is meant to have an effect. Has this made it into Bradman 14? (I won't berate you if it has haha).

 

[Chewbacca]

hi mikey

1) regarding 2 vs 2 online games. how does voice chat work, can everyone talk to everyone or can you just chat with your teammate? also, what happens if 1 of the 4 disconnect? any other details of this mode that you can reveal..

2) how easy/difficult is it to effect stumpings in manual fielding?

3) how has been the experience with online lag, game stability (ie disconnections etc)

thanks

 

[Col. Hans Landa]

Just a quick question. If my team has a specialist fast bowler who can reverse swing the ball effectively and the rest are not as good and I want him to bowl maximum amount of overs.
Is it possible to bowl him with a shorter run-up to save his fatigue?

 

[blockerdave]

Hi Mikey,

Is there a diff between conventional and reverse swing? E.g. Onions gets a lot of conventional swing, no reverse; Bresnan a bit of conventional, quite a bit of reverse.
Also McGrath and Ambrose barely swang the ball - how can we set their skills to still have them awesome?
Plus second superfreddies questions about the spinners...

 

[ronak2339396]

1Does the skills of fielder is taken into consideration with regards to thier placement in the feild.

2Is it possible to take catches in the boundry where you throw the ball in the air cross the boundry then cross back in and take the catch.

3Does the cloth of player get dirty when they dive.
4does the non striker gets runout when a straight drive is hit by batsman and the ball touches the hand of bowler and hits the stump.

 

[Pat]

b. This is a hard one - because you can spin the ball in either direction while running in, we already have to determine the animation the bowler is using. so it doesn't have those small changes to hand position. I hope this is things we can do on PS4/Xbox One.

So does that mean we cannot pick the doosras and flippers off the bowlers arms and it will purely be guess work?

e. No triggers will give you a standard cricket shot, hit sweetly and you'll get them away to the boundary. pulling down on the defensive trigger, will move back from that distance to allow you to effectively punch the ball to gaps or short of fielders for quick singles. Aggressive adds power, makes timing harder, and thus more likely to put the ball in the air, of course that could be something you are trying for.

I am slightly concerned by this. When we had a discussion earlier on batting controls, as far as I remember, there was no official confirmation if we can "purposely" hit the ball in the air. My question is: will it be possible to play a full-blooded shot along the ground or does adding more power (using triggers) means the ball goes in the air?

 

[79cricket]

Thanks Mike i enjoyed reading all this after a long night at work.
PS 1. Can the AI use the 100 or so fields that will be released with the game.
2. Also leaving and ducking the ball, can we control the body if we don't use the bat. Thanks.

 

[isrararrafi]

My question is: will it be possible to play a full-blooded shot along the ground or does adding more power (using triggers) means the ball goes in the air?

Second this question.

Interested to know more about how you guys implemented along the ground and lofted shot with one button.

 

[thevicky]

If you are playing a shortened game (ie a 10 over ODI or 3 day test match) that has been set up that way (ie not rain affected) will time based factors be accelerated.

By this I mean factors like fatigue, run rates, ball and pitch wear and confidence

1/2/3/5 - i'm going to have to go through this fully with the game play programmer for spin, I think we probably should have made the skills wording change dependent on the type of spin bowler you have. that would make it more obvious.

Might I respectfully suggest the following naming convention to avoid confusion:

Finger Spinner:
1. Stock Ball
2. Doosra/carom ball
3. Arm Ball
4. Top Spinner

Wrist Spinner:
1. Stock Ball
2. Googly
3. Flipper/Slider
4. Top Spinner

I think this would help avoid any confusion surrounding handedness and direction of spin which always seems to arise.

 

[CaptainOZ]

Hi Mikey, I hardly ever ask questions. But I would just like to know this:

During your testing of the game, can you conform for us if you ever saw the batsmen edge the ball to 1st slip, or 2nd slip, or 3rd slip or a thick edge to gully? Did it look realistic and did it make you feel satisfied - like you earned it?

 

[HBK619]

I am slightly concerned by this. When we had a discussion earlier on batting controls, as far as I remember, there was no official confirmation if we can "purposely" hit the ball in the air. My question is: will it be possible to play a full-blooded shot along the ground or does adding more power (using triggers) means the ball goes in the air?

From my experience, aggressive doesn't = lofted.

It's all about the timing, body positioning and ball direction/angle of delivery.

Certainly you won't be lofting every ball from using the aggressive modifiers though.

 

[isrararrafi]

From my experience, aggressive doesn't = lofted.

It's all about the timing, body positioning and ball direction/angle of delivery.

Certainly you won't be lofting every ball from using the aggressive modifiers though.

Hbk....i believe the question he and me wanted to ask was, is there a separate button for lofted shot or is it integrated inside the aggressive shot trigger?

As in, can we play an "along the ground" shot with maximum power and aggression?

AND can we we play a lofted shot with maximum power and aggression INTENTIONALLY rather than it being determined by the game like you mentioned?

 

[superfreddie]

If you are playing a shortened game (ie a 10 over ODI or 3 day test match) that has been set up that way (ie not rain affected) will time based factors be accelerated.

By this I mean factors like fatigue, run rates, ball and pitch wear and confidence



Might I respectfully suggest the following naming convention to avoid confusion:

Finger Spinner:
1. Stock Ball
2. Doosra/carom ball
3. Arm Ball
4. Top Spinner

Wrist Spinner:
1. Stock Ball
2. Googly
3. Flipper/Slider
4. Top Spinner

I think this would help avoid any confusion surrounding handedness and direction of spin which always seems to arise.

These delivery names would definately clear up any confusion, hope they can be updated in the next CA, also could I suggest throwing accuracy in the attributes be renamed, 'throwing/bowling accuracy', in the light of recent information given out by Mike.