Give it to me straight

[inertSpark]

I worked on a few Snooker games at Codies before the license went over to Sega (I think?). I loved them. Totally physics based, no game ever the same. Done right, brilliant fun.

One of those games where the video game sometimes makes more sense than playing the real thing: I'm terrible in real life, but the games gave me a way to feel skillful and smart. Really clever HUD design so that you can work out what you want to do and attempt to do it.

Lots of lessons in those for every sports game.

Were you employed by Blade Interactive? World Championship Snooker on the PS1 was amazing - kind of like the DBC of snooker games. No-one made a snooker game as polished or more importantly, realistic as this one before. Brilliant game!

 

[ellgieff]

I love cricket.

OK then - what is it about this particular Cricket game that makes it unfun for you?

Again, serious question. If we don't know where you find fun, we can't suggest where to look for it.

(look at me, being all constructive and shit)

 

[zimrahil]

2005 was first Sega one I think but it was just an improvement on 2004. Player animations peaked for me in that game, and have gone downhill in all the WSC Real versions , as well as most other aspects of the game

 

[Deleted member 9102]

The animations were always pretty dire in the WSC/WCS games, I haven't played them in years but I thought I remembered the ones in the 2005 version being especially bad with the players not putting their head anywhere near the cue! I also seem to remember WSC 2005's physics going downhill with the ball slowing down far too quickly... Although that version was the only one with Paul Hunter in it so I played it loads just for that.

No-one made a snooker game as polished or more importantly, realistic as this one before.

Celeris Virtual Snooker was in 1996 I loved that game you mention on PS1 but the Celeris games have always been the more realistic.

Vid here of 1996 Virtual Snooker

 

[Chief]

Were you employed by Blade Interactive? World Championship Snooker on the PS1 was amazing - kind of like the DBC of snooker games. No-one made a snooker game as polished or more importantly, realistic as this one before. Brilliant game!

We published Blade Interactive's games up till 2004/2005 and then they moved to Sega.

 

[richowebbo]

OK then - what is it about this particular Cricket game that makes it unfun for you?

Again, serious question. If we don't know where you find fun, we can't suggest where to look for it.

(look at me, being all constructive and shit)

Many people have asked him this, but yet to get an answer.

 

[zimrahil]

The animations were always pretty dire in the WSC/WCS games, I haven't played them in years but I thought I remembered the ones in the 2005 version being especially bad with the players not putting their head anywhere near the cue! I also seem to remember WSC 2005's physics going downhill with the ball slowing down far too quickly... Although that version was the only one with Paul Hunter in it so I played it loads just for that.



Celeris Virtual Snooker was in 1996 I loved that game you mention on PS1 but the Celeris games have always been the more realistic.

]

2007 first version for players not putting their head anywhere near the cue, 2005 was perfect!

The ball did slow down too much but for overall experience 2005 was best snooker game for me. Physics were acceptable, player animations spot on, the aiming aid on hardest level was great (for me) and career mode was immersive with full length matches possible ( playing best of 35 frame maches at World final was great with plenty of saves in between)

 

[barmyarmy]

Just to keep the off-topicness going Big Head Games Snooker is very good on the iphone/ipad. I've fallen just short of a maximum there a couple of times.

 

[zimrahil]

Just to keep the off-topicness going Big Head Games Snooker is very good on the iphone/ipad. I've fallen just short of a maximum there a couple of times.

Thanks, will check it out

 

[Deleted member 9102]

Just to keep the off-topicness going Big Head Games Snooker is very good on the iphone/ipad. I've fallen just short of a maximum there a couple of times.

Just to keep the off-topicness going Big Head Games Snooker is very good on the iphone/ipad. I've fallen just short of a maximum there a couple of times.

That's the one called 'International Snooker" right? That one got released on Steam as basically a slightly prettified phone port! Looks like it would be fun on the go but it's shameful to release phone ports on PC!

Not sure if you can get it on iPhone/iPad, but I really like a game called 'Total Snooker' on Android, played the free version a lot. It's top-down but the graphics/physics/sound are excellent, fun little time waster .

@zimrahil - You may well be right, it has been ages since I played the 2005 version and I could be getting the animations mixed up with the 2003 or 2004 versions. I never played any more in the series until WSC Real 09 which was alright but I went off it quickly for some reason and they don't seem to release them often any more... Last one was 11 I think? I love Virtual Pool for gameplay but I would be really interested in a classic WCS style game that had all the players, tournaments, locations with really nice graphics/animations and some John Virgo commentating .

 

[Chief]

... and some John Virgo commentating .

AND TRICK SHOTS.

 

[richowebbo]

Just to keep the off-topicness going Big Head Games Snooker is very good on the iphone/ipad. I've fallen just short of a maximum there a couple of times.

I have this on my phone, and quite enjoyed it, so downloaded the Steam version for PC and it really isn't very good for a game that cost £10

 

[Biggs]

You're all snooker nerds. I don't know any of you anymore.

 

[blockerdave]

To spin this original non-snooker question around, does anyone (not using HUD assistance) enjoy bowling? I find the controls good but the experience boring... The AI treatment of the ball (slog, block, miss) to bear very little relation to the quality of the delivery or the innings/match situation... I can rarely bowl to a plan (other than short pitched bowling) that I see has an effect on the batsman and it's all immensely unsatisfying.

Any tips?

(Ps - if you use HUD, just STFU because I am not switching it on and your advice doesn't apply because it's too easy with it on and you're not looking at the bowler or batsman your looking at a dial on the side of the screen)

 

[ellgieff]

To spin this original non-snooker question around, does anyone (not using HUD assistance) enjoy bowling? I find the controls good but the experience boring... The AI treatment of the ball (slog, block, miss) to bear very little relation to the quality of the delivery or the innings/match situation... I can rarely bowl to a plan (other than short pitched bowling) that I see has an effect on the batsman and it's all immensely unsatisfying.

Any tips?

(Ps - if you use HUD, just STFU because I am not switching it on and your advice doesn't apply because it's too easy with it on and you're not looking at the bowler or batsman your looking at a dial on the side of the screen)

Interestingly, there's at least one well-known poster who likes to give batting advice (along the lines of "you just need to get better at the game") who it turns out plays Amateur difficulty. So it's clear that difficulty or otherwise doesn't invalidate opinion, yeah?

Whether you're watching the bowler, or the hud, the reality here is that it's all about timing based on visual cues (it's just that the visual cues are meters, rather than animation of a bowling action that never, ever changes). And, that being said and FWIW, I find the bowling a bit dull. It's all a bit easy, even with my 17 year-old, and "slog, block, miss" by the AI tends to cover it.

I have occasionally felt like I've worked someone out (when an AI batsman seems to struggle to play the correct shot to a particular ball), but the more I bowl the more I think this is simply confirmation bias, and me looking for reasons why my boys best 50 over figures are 10 for 22 ...