Mana Games

[anrox335]

Hi Manu,
This is regarding the automatic shot that the player hits when we don't press any button. So, I feel like if I am unable to reach or barely able to reach the ball, I'll just use the analogue stick without pressing any button or maybe using the slice button. The problem is the outstretched forehand or backhand triggers only when I press the button at some specific time before the ball passes away. What I feel the player should be doing is a weak outstretched sliced shot even if I don't press any button. I feel the same for the returning of serve. The player only does the extra reach animation when there is a button press at a specific time before the ball passes away. I feel the player should attempt a similar shot in this case if I just direct him correctly without pressing any button. This was not regarding the sliding shot, which seems to be perfect right now.

Here is an example where Medvedev does the weak outstretched shot at the first time and attempts to do while failing to reach at the second time
https://youtu.be/MG-RjlqyaJI?t=2892

I feel adding this would make the game more visually appealing and realistic, as well as increase the number and variation of forced errors. This will further reduce the number of winners and aces and will make getting a clean winner or ace more rewarding.

[manutoo]

Hello,

1st reaching shot of Medvedev = sliding slice ; 2nd = dynamically stretched slice while running ; so both are in the game now.

The reaching-stretching anim doesn't trigger because you press a button. It triggers if you won't reach the ball, while moving slowly or not moving, and you're not too far from the ball (ie: no stretching if the ball is 3 meters away).

[anrox335]

Ok, so it depends on the distance. I have sent some 6-7 instances where the player should have reached the ball by sending it as a bug report.

So, it seems like the sliding and dynamic slices should be happening more frequently, if not the outstretched shot. I personally feel that the dynamic slice should be happening more frequently, especially during returns and should have a little wider range and smoother animation.

On a side note, a friend of mine was watching me play this game on a mild dynamic camera and 30% zoom and thought it was a AAA title and was surprised when I told him it was made by a single person. So, kudos for this brilliant game.

[manutoo]

1) The dynamic stretching happens all the time : it raises by 40cm the reach when standing, and 55cm when on the run.

2) I got 7 Bug Reports from you. I checked only the 1st one. The situation isn't far from the Medvedev running stretching backhand of the video :

The player bends his back forward, stretches his shoulder, his arm is fully straight, and he hits the ball with the tip of his racket. It could be better if the racket was aligned with the arm to get a bit of extra reach and fully hit the ball, but all you see there is computer-generated from the base standing slice anim and it took me 2 years to reach a state where there's no blatant recurring issue in the system (there's still small issues, though), so I'm not super eager to tune it more, as any change for a specific situation can lead to several issues in other situations... (I'm relatively confident this system is unique in its genre, at the very least in tennis games )

3) I guess either your friend didn't see the game from too close, or he's not used to AAA games, but either way, it's nice to know..!

[anrox335]

Ok, I understand everything now. Thank You.

[manutoo]

A little clarification : I wrote this => "The reaching-stretching anim doesn't trigger because you press a button" ; it's slightly misleading because when you press a button, it raises the chance for the anim to trigger, because if you don't press any button & don't move, the game considers you may start to run soon and thus still have a chance to reach the ball in time.

[anrox335]

Ok, it makes sense.