Mana Games

[noys390]

In TE4 cpu has become more overpowered at the net than it was in T13. I felt this while playing and found the same during cpu vs cpu simulation. According to me the following could be the possible reason.
1. After the recent improvement in animation, the low and high volleys are dealt very easily. The streching animation has given a reach advantage to the net player.
2. After the improvement in AI, the cpu is able to judge high lob much better than earlier releases. As Cpu positions itself better now, the smashes are accurate and strong most times. Cpu also chases down well placed lob far back to baseline.
3. This is the most important point, so I kept it at last. Cpu is able to hit good volleys of returns made with very high top spin imparted. This is the key point which shifts the balance between a defender and a net-rusher. In the current state, even on clay if the net-rusher takes the position at net, the defender is unlikely to beat him.

Nevertheless a great great game though.

[manutoo]

Hello,

1) I lowered the net jump in TE4 compared to TE3 to compensate for that extra reach ; although, a smaller jump means faster recovery, so net coverage is better after a jump in TE4 than in TE3

2) Good news..!

I'll likely tune the overall volley efficiency when I work on the gameplay.
At the very least, I'd like to make it not possible to volley when there's really no time to prepare the strike, so volley duels would look more realistic ; this would also allow to "kill" the volleyer with a passing right on him when standing near the service line.

So thanks for your feedback..!

[noys390]

Thanks Manutoo for your kind reply.

Regarding your last point, I am just putting a suggestion so that this gets fair and balanced for everyone. Giving less time to a volleyer to prepare, would enable an offensive baseliner to kill him easily but not a defender. Instead I would suggest to make the volley difficulty higher with the amount of top-spin imparted. In a slower high bounce court it would be easy to load more topspin that will make volleying difficult whereas, on a faster low bounce court the volleyers should get the upperhand.

Lastly I need to mention that streching & sliding animations are the best thing that has happened in TE4, making it more realistic than ever before.

[knich]

My biggest issue is I can't pass a volleyer along baseline in doubles. How do I do that? Enjoying the doubles otherwise.

Also..when CPU serves and volleys it is too easy to pass the volleyer on serve return. I can do it almost every time.

[manutoo]

noys390,
the "kill him" would likely happen only when the player stands near the service line, not the baseline, so it'd not change a lot of things balance-wise, as it's a rare situation.
I'll test the topspin raising the ball difficulty when volleying, it might be a good idea.

And I'm glad to know you enjoy the new anims..!

knich,
I don't understand what you mean by "along baseline"..? Did you mean "down the line" ? If so, there's very little space there so it's expectable to be hard to pass him down the line, except in the few situations (eg: he just jumped to volley near the center).

I forgot... Do you play at Master-10 difficulty ?

[knich]

Playing Master 5. Yes down the line. So if I am at baseline and CPU volleyer is at net on one side, it is impossible to pass the volleyer down the line. CPU does it all the time though.

[Bus]

On the other side, you have to keep some love for the net game, as it's always neglected in tennis games. You should be able to play the volley, I mean as a human player. I feel the net game became much more manageable since the improvments in animations, and that's great. Sometimes, yes, a net player takes control of the point and you are just dominated. Like in tennis. It can be frustrating but it's part of tennis. The game has to be balanced, but I think we have to be cautious as we always feel that the baseline game should dominate. That's the case now but only with powerfull players. Other than that, a John McEnroe should dominate you if you play him on career mode during the 80's.

[noys390]

^^Bus, you are absolutely right, everyone should have their share of the pie. Volleyers should dominate on fast low bounce courts but I don't want to see McEnroe dominating Borg on clay. As a human player, I should not be able to play a S&V game on clay so easily as it is now.