It could only be a dream

[zimrahil]

Just have to share the dream I had last night (well the bits I can remember)

Dreamt I was at HB Studios office and talking to Jeremy Wellard (for some reason my boss was with me, even though he has no interest in cricket games )

Basically the impending release of BLIC had panicked them into releasing a patch for Cricket 2004 and Jeremy was proudly showing the list of fixes on his pc.

He showed me a spreadsheet of all the bugs in the game (it was huge) and against many of the bugs the word "FIXED" was shown in the end column.

The only ones I can remember now that were fixed were the line up bug, run out bug, and bowlers can now swing the ball. (plus one other)

Jeremy was very excited about the patch saying it would turn the fortunes of EA Cricket.

Finally, the other 'bug' fix I remember was stated as being "batsman hitting the bat on the ground and hitting the ball for 6"?

I asked Jeremy about this and he stated that when facing a yorker if you time your stroke correctly and bring your bat down to hit the ground the same time as you hit the ball, the ball will go for a 6

He seemed very excited about this feature - perhaps it will be in 2005/6 version

 

[barmyarmy]

I think you need to get out more...

 

[T20]

LOL Zim.. :happy
nice twist having your boss there ROFL! I suspect you were thinking a lot about C2004/BLIC at work that day instead of working and all the time pretending to your boss that you were?

ah and remember the spreadsheet we sent?

 

[Ste]

Has anyone still got the spreadsheet?

 

[zimrahil]

Has anyone still got the spreadsheet?

All I can find was an initial word document dated 11/1/04 printed below

List of Game play Issues to be fixed in priority order




1) Human controlled teams reverting to default XI line up after game is saved and reloaded
This applies to one-day matches as well as first class/test matches. Whether playing a friendly, international or tour etc, an issue arises as soon as you pick a team that has players that do not belong to the programs default team line up.
If a match is played all the way through with no saving and reloading of game then there is no issue. However if the game is saved, the following issue arises upon reloading:
a) In one-day matches, as soon as the 2nd innings commences your (human) team resorts back to the program default XI line up. So any players you bring in from the squad outside the default XI are replaced with the default players once more.
b) In test matches, as soon as the first 2nd innings commences the same issue as mentioned in a) above occurs. Any players you used from outside the default XI are again replaced with the default XI players you removed in the first place

1b) Cannot chose default field settings with non default XI players
Following on from 1) above, as soon as a game is saved and reloaded the following happens with non default XI players you have chosen from your squad to play in the match
a) Whenever you select a non-default XI player to bowl, you can only use the normal 1 default field. The program allows you to choose any field you desire from the usual list, but only the normal 1 field is used when actually playing the game. This is most bizarre when in the restricted overs of an ODI, as more than 2 fielders are in the outfield. Also, it removes any tactical element from the game as you are stuck with that field for the remainder of the match

Point 1 means that the whole point of picking a squad for a tour, test series etc is defeated, as the game will only allow you to play with the default XI it chooses, and not what you choose.


2) CPU running between the wickets (all skill levels)
The CPU?s batting judgment of when to take a run (especially when ball is hit in the direction of mid on/off is poor, even on the HARD level. Too many suicidal runs taken (even in tests) which result in easy run outs. The readme that comes with the game says that patience is the key when it comes to taking wickets in tests. At present no patience is required as every few overs an easy run out opportunity arises, resulting in even the best teams posting low scores with 5+ run outs evident on many occasions in an innings. (very unrealistic).


3) Statistics
-An innings, which ends while using ?auto play? or played fully by a human, will have an incorrect scorecard when all 10 batsmen are out. All 11 batsmen will be recorded as out, with often one batsmen listed as bowled or LBW without a bowler?s name shown
-Records from tour matches (i.e. touring international side vs. local side) are incorrectly listed under Test (they are actually first class games). They also seem to record the opposition wrong ? e.g. a record I got for Australia vs. West Indies A was recorded as Australia vs. Australia



4) Wicket Keeping
Far too many byes in Test matches. Inability of keeper to take simple catches or stop the ball from going for sn unrealistic number of extras.


5) Auto play issues
Many reported instances of auto play crashing the game back to desktop ? no matter which option is used (end of innings, to next wicket etc). Also if for example, you auto play a 50 over ODI, often a bowler will have bowled more than his 10 allotted overs in an innings.


6) Fielder on the pitch (tests only)
After taking a wicket in a test match, for the next ball only, as the bowler runs up to the wicket, a fielder stands on the pitch half way down the wicket. He can field/catch the ball as normal


7) Stamina bar does not reduce (tests and ODI?s)
No matter how many overs a bowler bowls, his stamina bar never reduces. There have been recorded instances of bowlers bowling 17 overs in a row in tests and their stamina bar is still at maximum. The whole idea of implementing a stamina bar to increase the strategy element in picking different types of bowlers depending on pitch conditions etc is defeated. You can pick two fast bowlers for a green pitch
in tests, and bowl them both all day long (i.e. 45 overs each) without any downturn in their performance

This eventually became a detailed spreadsheet that was sent to EA/HB with surprisingly no response

 

[plugged]

great dream hope it will be true

 

[barmyarmy]

I have it. Doesn't quote very well so I've attached it

 

[Will p]

hahahaha Zim have you ever heard of a Shrink, check it out, you must be mad if you;re dreaming EA had made cricket 2004 good!

 

[zimrahil]

hahahaha Zim have you ever heard of a Shrink, check it out, you must be mad if you;re dreaming EA had made cricket 2004 good!

The appointment has already been made...............

 

[rickyp]

ye zim, u need some help

 

[The_gas]

Blimey my dreams normally result in a change of underwear

 

[T20]

The appointment has already been made...............

or you know what to do next time you see jw

 

[barmyarmy]

or you know what to do next time you see jw

That's the appointment with the anger management therapist.