Really struggling to like this game.

[moelwyn]

So I bought this because I liked DBC 14 but some of the things in it annoyed me and I thought this would improve in them (fixed batting orders, no catches behind and very few wickets in general). And so........what the hell happened? How did a great game get updated to this?

I am going to hold off on a review until the patch as that seems fair in the reviews section but so far (all career mode as that is my interest) :

The graphics - I don't normally care that much but given how much of a step back these are it is just weird, not to mention disappointing. They have gone from quasi-realistic to simplistic cartoons and everyone still looks the same.

The batting - oh god, the batting. I understand the idea is that a rookie player doesn't start off as a superstar that can batter international attacks but this goes too far. Even aggressive shots are regularly short of the infield and non aggressive shots barely get off the square. I accept this might be because my timing is off but I pretty much always get an "ideal" on the meter which suggest that the meter needs to be fixed or just binned. And it just doesn't have any feel - difficult to explain but in 14 when you caught a delivery right it felt right, here there just never seems to be any feel for hitting the ball at all.

The bowling is much improved from what I have tried (all of the pace options, haven't branched into spin as yet). But here the arguments for having batsmen so poor are just not applicable. As a rookie 16 year old fast medium I am slamming the ball down at 85 mph and placing it on a dime every time and picking up quite a lot of wickets.

And the career mode structure - for a start T20 is a terrible mode to start the career in. As an all-rounder I only seem to bowl 1 or 2 overs (for all that I am the most economical and effective bowler in the team most games) and as a batsman I can't build an innings, I have to start blasting (which as noted is pretty impossible) or the team has lost from the off. And the goals that have to be obtained are too random, my various attempts have gone from reasonable (bowl 20 or 30 dot balls, hit 6 fours) to unachievable (score 500 runs, bowl 8 maiden overs - in T20, so that is about 3 years worth of playing).

It isn't terrible and I wish Steam had a more sophisticated system than either thumbs up or down but at the moment it is edging down and there is a lot of ground to make up.

[rangitoto]

I agree, it isn't terrible but to follow DB14 with this is a letdown, I prefer to play DB14 for a good cricket experience, Steam stats show that more players prefer DB14 as the numbers are always higher for DB14 over DB17.
If DB14 hadn't been made, we would have considered DB17 a great advance for cricket games, instead of a step backwards.

[verifiedVirus]

Wait for the biggest patch coming this april.

[moelwyn]

I've tried, god knows I've tried but I still don't like it. I have got to the point where I can understand what is going on a little and adjusting the "shot force" parameter helped a bit (although if you have to play around with settings to make a game playable this begs a question). But the problem remains that I hit a full attacking shot (which given that the start of career is T20 and ONLY T20 is the only shot you can play) which sometimes I can get over the infield but just as often a lob to a catcher on the circle. While still getting ideal, ideal, ideal. WHY? WHY if my shot is perfect is it lobbed to someone 20ft away? It just doesn't make sense and if I don't know why I keep failing then how can I improve?

And you know the problems would be so much less if it wasn't ****ing T20 now, always and forever as a club cricketer. That makes me sadder than anything else.

[moosc]

Yes the game is garbage compared to DBC14.
Some advice is Only try to hit the Yellow and Blue type deliveries as the green WILL always result in a lobbed catch.
Honestly I reckon a eight year old Girl could hit the ball harder than this player. and stamina... what is that all about? Seen cancer sufferers that have more stamina and fortitude than a suposedly healthy 18 year old.
As I said rubbish game. Big Ant should get rid of who ever advises them on this game.and cricket in gerneral, has suit written all over it.

[verifiedVirus]

Originally posted by moosc:

Yes the game is garbage compared to DBC14.
Some advice is Only try to hit the Yellow and Blue type deliveries as the green WILL always result in a lobbed catch.
Honestly I reckon a eight year old Girl could hit the ball harder than this player. and stamina... what is that all about? Seen cancer sufferers that have more stamina and fortitude than a suposedly healthy 18 year old.
As I said rubbish game. Big Ant should get rid of who ever advises them on this game.and cricket in gerneral, has suit written all over it.

+1 you are right

[moelwyn]

Having had time to consider after the "big patch" I have changed my feelings about the game somewhat. The graphics are still a step back but who cares, the batting is SO much improved. Timing is rewarded and the meters have been changed to give somewhat useful feedback with the addition of a new zone meaning ideal actually is ideal. You can once again hit the ball hard and there is the right level of visceral feedback in the noise/vision element when you clobber one but there is risk and a mistimed shot will generally (but not absolutely always) be punished.

Bowling remains improved over '14 although I am yet to have an edge carry to the slips so that seems to be an issue that won't go away.

Overall I have moved from borderline disliking to quite liking the game. I haven't been back to check but I think the T20 start remains the same which is a shame but if ground through for a season the game opens up a bit and becomes much more rewarding.