Mana Games

[manutoo]

Hello,

Tennis Elbow 2009 v1.0c is released (Build 36-2009.08.27) :
https://www.managames.com/download.php?TE2009_fe1c.exe [Permanent direct download link to the latest version]
http://toogame.free.fr/Files/TennisElbow2009.exe [Mirror site for people having corrupted download from managames.com - but not up to date all the time]

New Features :
- New Strike Styles : 1 Service, 2 Forehands (you're welcome to guess from what real player(s) they are inspired of in this topic : topic15-2209.php )
- Animation : Legs are correctly animated when doing a strike on the run..!!
- Animation : New Anims for the Return of Serve Waiting
- 1 New Racket
- 4 New Gestures : Jump & Cheering Fist when winning a point, Hit Forehead & Silly! when losing a point
- Sound : 2 new Crowd Behaviors => Disappointed & React on a Ball that touches the Net
- World Tour : can set any player to CPU or Human control before each match, so a friend of yours could take the control of your double partner or your opponent
- Modding : Cam Settings can now be loaded from the Court.ini, allowing easier share of new courts with a custom camera angle ; see "Data\HowToMod.html" for more details

Changes :
- Gameplay : Jump Bonus at Net raised for Puncher, Varied & Counter Styles, so it's more interesting to pick them
- Gameplay : Low Volleys done with B1 are a bit deeper & a very little bit faster when prepared early with high volley skills
- Gameplay : Short Strike speed lowered when Power is around 0%
- Animation : if started a strike that shows the slice animation (ie: slice or dropshot) and then change to another type of strike, the animation will morph to the normal strike style ; and vice versa from normal to slice animation
- Animation : Sampras Serve (1/3) tuned a bit
- AI : CPU player now rushes the net a bit better & volley globally a bit better (*)
- Online : CPU serves a bit faster

Bug Fixes:
- Doubles : Serve Left/Right sensitivity is now the same than in Singles
- Doubles : CPU tries now to catch the ball when receiving a sliced serve on the line
- Online : a little bunches of fixes that should hopefully lead to less Desync in Online Doubles, but also maybe in Online Singles & in Match Replay ; thanks to let me know if you notice any improvement or not
- Point Replay : Animation Blending Fixed
- AI : the CPU player wasn't using his jump ability at the net, this is now fixed (*)
- Double Match Record : demo filename is now correctly renamed at the end of the match

Notes :
- Changelog of previous versions is here : topic15-2210.php
- as usually, if you notice any glitch or bug, thanks to report them !
- don't forget to exit TE2009 before to install the latest version
- Mac Users : the Mac OSX version will come within a few days
- (*) The CPU Volleyers are back..!! With these 2 points the CPU now volleys a lot more efficiently, and although CPU Volleyer is still likely the easiest style to beat, it shouldn't be too easy anymore...
- Because of the new animation style when doing a strike on the run, it is now possible to touch some ball that you couldn't touch before ; this kind of strike will always lead to a fault, either a poor ball on the side or in the net, so globally it doesn't change the gameplay, it just changes some Winners into Errors in the Match Stats

Important Note :
Post in this topic only if it's related to the latest new version, ie only for these 2 cases :
- about a point listed in the New Features / Changes / Bug Fixes
- about a bug that you are sure didn't happen in the previous version but happens in the new one (else, post in the "Bug Report" forum)
Do not write about anything else, else I may delete your post without any prior warning (or at very least, I won't answer it) ; if you're not sure your topic is related or not to the latest version, just create a new topic in the forum, it'll be fine...

Also on a side note, don't send me PM ( = Private Message) except for Private thing. Everything that can be read by everybody should be pointed out / asked in the forum, so my comments & answers could also be read by everybody, and hopefully, I won't have to write them again when someone else will have the same comments / questions...

[manutoo]

Build 37, August 27th:

Changes :
- Gameplay : slightly raised the anti ball difficulty, and the counter bonus when playing a strike with 2 Hands

Bug Fixes :
- AI : CPU serves correctly again

[manutoo]

Build 38, September 1st:

Changes :
- Animation : running animation changed on backhand, to try to lower the torso twisting
- Stats : forced errors on the run are now counted as winners for the opponent
- Stats : missed passing-shots before the volleyer touched the ball now count as a successful net approach


Bug Fixes :
- Service : leg animation is now correct during the landing

[manutoo]

Build 38, SubBuild 2009.9.3, September 3rd:

Bug Fixes :
- Animation : correct leg animation when running to the left with a right-handed player on the bottom of the screen, and to the right with the left-handed player on the top of the screen (already fixed since 36 hours)
- Stats : balls that catch the side of the racket aren't counted as ace anymore

Notes :
- This SubBuild should be compatible with the previous Build for the online games

[btaylor]

Hi Manu

Haven't downloaded the latest sub-build yet, but thanks for adjusting it in advance...

[S.Williamz]

The strike animations are nice, but it's sucks how they complicate the game so much, they make a huge difference in online games what strike animations you use, and it's so boring trying figure out what works best. I hope there won't be much more, or they are limited online, or something.
Also what happened to the topspin cut while running? People keep hitting huge spin at me even while running all the time.
And I think something needs to be done about normal strike positioning, I think it's ridiculous what kind of shots you can hit while positioning as badly as possible, basically running into ball. All kinds of ridiculous angles and short shots like this, the actual short strike should be used for this, not bad positioning. Also you can just run around the court like a headless chicken when you don't have to care at all about positioning. I hope you can look into it.

[CC]

I agree with S.Williamz about the positioning (and probably about the other things, but I am not as observant as he is to notice them). I do like the effect when the ball is barely hit (where the strike sends the ball sideways or whatever). Yet, I think that positioning errors aren't having the negative affect on shots as they should be (and I am not sure that it is right to have a safe strike hit from a position very near to the ball / ground impact result in a very short ball that almost always clears the net (when the player was really too close to the ball)).

I may start another topic for this other issue (was going to post pictures), but I will mention it here. The female character seems far too muscular. If you are in development mode and "zoom-in" on the female character, the musculature of the arms seems more masculine than that of the male character. I think she she be just a little "softer." This isn't specific to this update, so maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it here.

Thanks!

[btaylor]

Hi Manu
Just uploaded the new sub-build...
Beautiful, beautiful work on the running groundstrokes!!!!
These animes now move just like REAL people!!
Now I won't be distracted by the crazylegs footwork that was happening before
Was it as hard as you thought it would be?
I KNEW you could do it!!

Now.. One more thing that that we discussed some time ago when you first started the 3d animations...(I guess I'm never satisfied )
Could you maybe turn the player's heads slightly towards the court as they are running for the ball...Maybe in a future update?

p.s. I'm trying to get you and Solarisaint to use these animes in your youtube videos, to really show off your products to their best advantage and just how far they've improved from the first versions!!

[jenks10s]

ok, I want to download the new update, but I deleted Kim Clijsters as a player so I could play as her.
How do I download the update without losing my game file?

[manutoo]

S.Williamz,
strike animations have almost no influence on the game, I checked that they are under 1.5cm of difference for the Sweet Spot.
Except that, there's no change, everything is like it was before... Bad positioning is even more handicapping since v1.0b coz it lowers the ball speed in addition to make it shorter.

CC,
game is already hard enough for newcomers like it is right now, so it'll stay like that...

btaylor,
It wasn't too hard, but it's still not perfect, but glad to know it's already good enough for u...

>> turn the player's heads
Yup, i'll try to think about it. It's actually done at 50% now, coz of the new stuff I did for the legs...

jenks10s,
topic15-2510.php

[CC]

OK. The more I play it, there more it seems like you added some difficulty when positioning is bad. I only ask, though, what then is the purpose of Arcade mode if not to make the game easier for new players? So...new players should play simulation mode, and it should be such that they can make errors but still win points? Either way, I think that I was wrong before as it does seem to penalize one more now for positioning errors than before. Thanks.

[CC]

I take back my take back. How can you explain how I shot from this position should be good?


That picture is just after contact with the ball. The shot of course results in a shot that clears the net easily and is playable.

I guess I have no chance of winning this argument, but this is still my opinion that positioning doesn't count for what it should. When TE2009 was first released, it was emphasized how in simulation mode proper positioning was very important.

[jenks10s]

On the jumping gesture, could you make it where the player at least raises one arm with it, cause right now it looks really awkward.

[CC]

I'm watching the recording of a match that I played yesterday, and my opponent basically played the majority of the match hitting the ball with "her" wrist or the butt of the racket handle. Some of match was challenging, as "she" was so close to the ball that "she" was into the court a bit for winners. It seems ridiculous that one could play in simulation mode with the butt of the racket handle and not hit many errors.

What I am seeing a lot in this match is my oppenent's line-of-center being directly in front of the ball's path. One doesn't normally play this way in tennis and win. If the ball is coming at you, you normally position yourself a little to the side of the incoming ball such that it wouldn't hit you in the belly button or lower (but in that line) were you to not strike the ball. Also, in real tennis, balls that strike the ground at your feet, in between your feet, or actually strike your feet usually are not very easy to return. In TE2009, in simulation mode even, these types of non-errant returns are easy and almost a given. Don't take me wrong. I enjoy the game immensely. However, I don't find it realistic. It once was more so, but now it isn't. If I wanted to play like this, I would play in Arcade mode (as some even experienced players do -- although I can't imagine why (who needs it)).

[manutoo]

CC, gameplay has always been like this, and it's just now u notice it is..?
Arcade mode isn't for new players, it's for players for think simulation mode is way too hard & no fun.
And as I already told many times already, misplacement with the normal strike doesn't produce error but gives a shorter & slower ball, so if the opponent knows how to play, it should give him a good advantage in the point...