Mana Games

[Bata]

I'm just wondering why the computer, when counter-puncher style, serves and volleys and attacks the net so much? Serve and volleying is the exact opposite of counter punching. The counter puncher style for the computer is way too aggressive. Counter punchers play from the baseline. Players like Murray, Davydenko, Nalbandian, actual counter punchers, serve and volley once or twice a match. Not once or twice a game.

So, does anyone else find this unrealistic? For those of us who don't play online, I think this game would benefit greatly from having an actual counter puncher style for the computer.

[manutoo]

Hello,

the CPU counter serves & volleys often only on fast surfaces. On medium & slow surfaces, he won't do that much, except if he's particularly successful with it (ie: you can't win the point often enough when he S&V).

[Bata]

Thank you for your fast reply.

Counter punchers don't serve and volley though, except very rarely, whether the surface is fast or not. Hence being called a counter puncher. I just played a set against a counter puncher and in the second service game he served and volleyed three times. This was on hardcourt. At that point I am not playing against a counter puncher who occasionally serves and volleys, I'm playing against a serve and volleyer that occasionally counter punches.

[manutoo]

1- if you're playing with a Mod, the surface might be incorrect set and let the CPU thinks he's playing on a fast surface ; else, it was a big coincidence which should not happen often (except if you almost always lose against S&V)

2- I'm not sure what meaning you give to "Counter puncher" ; TE style is "Counter", not "Counter puncher" ; "Counter" is the direct translation of the french term "Contreur" and I never found the equivalent in English ; it basically means that the player counters the attacks of his opponent to use them as its own profit, and works more on his opponent's weak spots than some personal strong points (like a big forehand for the Power Baseliners).
Usually, in tennis, "Counter puncher" means "Defender" => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_strategy : "A defensive baseliner, or counter-puncher or retriever, tries to return every ball and relies on the opponent making mistakes". I didn't watch Davydenko play since a long time, but I think he's close of a Counter, while Murray is clearly more a Defender.
"Counter" is even more specific in TE as he's the only player that needs to build his acceleration speeds over his opponent ball speed ; when I created it, I had mainly in mind Hewitt and Arnaud Clément.

[Bata]

Rather than debating what a "counter" is in the tennis world I would just ask how many times have you seen Lleyton Hewitt serve and volley?

[spinoliver]

I agree with Bata that Counter style makes players volley often. I like that because I think it's nice for 80's players like Mecir who used a lot the power of the opponent and go to net once or twice a game. But as far as current players are concerned (Hewitt and Clement), it's not realistic. Otherwise, don't change anything Manutoo, you know how I dislike the current volleyless game...

[manutoo]

Bata,
on hard court, the counter should serve & volley around 1 time per game in average, or a bit above that.
Hewitt probably doesn't do that much (especially since 10 years), but it's same for all other styles in TE : they volley more than in real life. The reason is that it brings more gameplay variation (TE is fun & realist, not realist & fun... )