My Snooker thoughts in VP4

[japp_02]

In VP4, Snooker in Easy Career Mode in one big frustration. Not because pockets are too tight, oh no, but because the physics of the pockets are not fine-tuned to reflect real snooker. You have a ball angle towards the full open side pocket? Any pro will concentrate on positioning the cue ball correctly well knowing that in such a situation the pocketing of the ball is very forgiving and he can even tactically take advantage of playing left-pocket area or right-pocket area to slightly correct the cue ball trajectory to his advantage.
Not so in VP4. A very slight touch of the inside jaw of the pocket will count as a 'collision' and trigger the angle rebounds explained by the physical laws, which is totally wrong, I think they use the wrong formulas, at very low friction in relation to the mass the deviation of the ball should be highly diminished, yet having some imponderability but not at such macroscopic level shown in VP4. The result is: Hit the ball fast and it will rebounce out of the pocket, hit it at medium speed and the 'collision trigger routine' will falsely make the ball vibrate and missing the pocket, whereas in real life you wouldn't see anything with the nacked eye, the ball simply going in.
This is especially true for different ball speeds in good wide open pockets which VP4 seems not to handle exactly.

So instead of playing my important game in Snooker which is controlling the cue ball, I have to struggle in potting the ball in totally normal situations and take these inconsistencies into account, which leads to very low breaks, a totally disordinated table (also due to weaker AI) and an uninteresting - and unrealistic - game.

There are training aids for the beginner, ghost ball and leading lines, and while the lines are a pure cheat (not when preparing trick shots), the ghost ball is a nice concept but will not help very much in the game. The comic situation is: higly angled balls are easier to pot because you get to see the ghost ball much better :=) whereas if a ball is very near the pocket but far away you can easily miss the pot; both is ridiculous in real snooker where highly angled balls are much more difficult (you don't see the pocket most of the time), and close-to-pocket more easy, at least for trained pros.

All that said, I realize how difficult Snooker is and how young a boy/girl you must be to start training seriously and yet not make it in the ranked top 100 of this fascinating game, but VP4 is not about that, yet it proposes to simulate as well as possible but it completly overkills the GAME. A simulation is good. Playing a game is better.

If developers are reading this, please sit down on a computer and play Snooker in VP4 to check these points. Somewhere the game needs some serious refinements IMHO. But maybe I'm totally wrong and my frustration comes from incredibly bad luck streaks? I'll be eager to hear some other opinions.

BTW, the Pool section of the game is uncomparable to other titles in this genre of games, VP4 beats them all and is very well done.

Cheers,

[EddieDeez]

you should try shooterspool. By far the best when it comes to physics, especially near the pockets in snooker. I thought vp4 was the holygrail of pool games, but a lot of them are switching over to shooterspool. Go and try the beta and see for yourself.

[japp_02]

Hi Eddie, thanks for your tip, I will look in. I realize that Snooker must be incredibly difficult to program and make a game that comes close to reality. Also the reality is that this game is sheer difficult, a reason why you must start to train as a kid in order to come out playing a decent game later. There are some snooker games I'm aware of, but they are all deceiving for that reason, the problem is not that most rules are missing, but it's quite about physics and AI.
VP4 comes very close to reality, but the pocket simulation has some big issues when the ball is played at faster pace (a necessity to lead the cue ball where you want). I think it's called the 'throw' effect which VP4 misses when cue ball hits the object ball and near a pocket.

[Ed]

Shooterspool beta is not open to the public?

[rambler78]

I've been enjoying Shooters Pool for several months now. Snooker part of the game is far superior. They will be releasing SP soon (couple of months)

[Ed]

Thanks. May I ask how one gets access to the beta? Last time I checked it was closed.

[EddieDeez]

its not closed. just go to their facebook page. They have their signup there. i got an invitation by email within 2 days of signing up. Also make sure when you do get the game, to update it immediatly, or youll be stuck playing the alpha. :) . But once thats all set, youll be playing the best billiards simulator out there.

[Ed]

Thanks. I have it now and have updated it. Offline works fine for me (after some modifications) but online does not work for me - I am unable to join or create a room. So far the dev has been unable to solve my issue.

[EddieDeez]

Originally posted by Ed:

Thanks. I have it now and have updated it. Offline works fine for me (after some modifications) but online does not work for me - I am unable to join or create a room. So far the dev has been unable to solve my issue.

The server is up and running now. The Dev got on it quick. And just remember, the game is being completely done by two brothers (Marco and Jorge Sanz). Put your name in here so I know who you are in SP.

[Ed]

Thanks, I'm Ed75

[Diaos]

I agree, the pockets in snooker seems to be too bouncy, I don't remember snooker being so hard in VP3 as in VP4, hope they do something soon.
Besides, I hope they could include power snooker game in VP4.

[Inforit]

Looks like it will be online paid subscription. Not doing that.

[pooljunky]

VP4 Snooker pockets have been updated, they are less bouncy and they play significantly easier than before.

[Mogwai]

I got to admit, Snooker's a bit of a dud in VP4. Even with the aim we have a hard time unlike the pool, that's to say!

[Bob]

Can't agree with the knockers - don't criticise the tables if your game isn't up to playing them, this is the best snooker game so far.