Snooker 19

Hi guys,
Well, the snooker game was launched on April 17 and received mixed reactions from all snooker players ranging fro very good to poor.
I like the game a lot because it brings in elements of the real game to a certain extend, but there is a lot of work to be done by the developers and I really that they will adhere and act on the feedback so far obtained and shared by the players themselves.

Potus summed it all up in his steam comments of the game and I quote:

"A list of needed improvements

First off €34.99 way too much devs! I don't mind tbh but still bit too much for what it is atm... I like the game very much however there is a big list of things that need to improve and be included in order to justify paying €35. Real Snooker Fans will pay this for sure but will be left with the feeling it misses quite some much needed features and could be much much better. We got all the players sweet! We got all the venues and tournaments, sweet! BUT!...

After reading through some of the discussions so far (And I hope the devs did as well) I made up a list with some of the most prominent features missing and needed as well as some of the points of critique. I really hope the devs will improve this game and not abandon the development of it, and listen to their community. Snooker Fans have been long waiting for a big snooker game and were/ are really excited about this title, atm the general consensus seems that there is some disappointment in the air...

Venues, eyecandy and immersion
-I love how every venue is in the game. However, I do get the feeling that at some venues the audience is too far from the table and the action. I also feel that the audience isn't that 'present' you know they are there but you don't really see them move or sit... it's quite dark in the audience as well. In the Crucible you should include this one guy that is at every freaking game in his Coventry shirt! (true snooker fans will know who I mean)

-It would also be nice if the cameras and the 'backbenches' would have people on them, they don't need to do anything besides just sit there and have an occasional cough... one really cool touch would be if the camera do ride around.

-Have split screens when its early tournament and hear the other players play on the table(s) next to you. In some tournaments they don't use split screens, so you would need animations on the other tables, also have the audience react to the play on other tables.

-what is true for the audience is also true for the referee, we hear the referee but we don't see the referee. would be one hell of an addition to see him walk around and respot the balls. Hell why not even include the option to make him clean the cue ball. see him struggle to replace the balls after a snooker esccape gone wong. Obviously with the attached option to skip or speed up the animation. Have him clean the table during the mid session etc... all eye candy missing big time in my opinion!

-Our cue is always chalked. It would be nice to have an option or animation that shows the player chalk their cue, not chalking your cue would result in possible misscueing. Also see the players take the rest or screw the extension on their cue etc...

-A couple cutscenes before, during and after the matches, for instance a Rob Walker announcing the players and see them make their entry through the tunnel, or stairs through the audience. A handshake with the referee, picture with trophy on table and handshake with opponent before match begins, trophee ceremony after a tournament win, etc etc...

-Cherry Picking would be have a couple scenes or animations where we see the players drink, clean their cue or face or hands with a towel. It's all these little things that improves the experience and immersion. I'm guessing I'm looking for a sort of 'FIFA' cutscenes and replays from time to time during your game, with obviously the option to skip them. However I do understand that not everyone would be for such a system as it can become annoying for some people maybe. I would opt for it to be a 'cutscene' on or off option in your gameplay options.

-Do the players really need to use a rest when playing the easiest of shots? Wouldn't hurt sometimes if they would stretch themselves a bit more to take on a shot... You don't need a rest to pot a straight on blue into the middle pockets…

-Commentators, Would be nice if we get the real deal of a Stephen Hendry with a Dennis Taylor in the commentator box or a John Virgo screaming “where's the cue ball going!” Other than that it seems fine, although I do disagree with them sometimes, I did not lose the cue ball there on that last shot you

Career, stats and oversight
-Granted most people might just focus on one career with a player of their choosing. It would be nice however if there was the possibility to have multiple career profiles and switch between a couple of your favorite players without sacrificing the progress you made on another profile.

-The Rising star option is a nice one, but again the same goes as the previous point, why not have the option to have a pro player profile and a rising star profile?

-There should be a option to make your own character/player to make his intro into the snooker scene, it would make sense to include this into the rising star career option. This character and customization of it should have all the traditional features. Face, ears, nose, eyes, hair, face, colour of hair, eyes and skin, facial hair, left or right handed or both, country etc etc... This is one if not the biggest feature missing in the game at the moment.

-Maybe include a XP system to your custom player. For instance have a couple categories where to distribute XP point to, for example; long potting, rest play, power, accuracy? and as you progress in your career you get to spend XP points you earn. Or something alike you get the idea…

-See what everyone is doing in the tournament. Right now you only see your own progress kinda, it would be nice to see an oversight of the tournament you are in as it progresses. For instance I qualified and played round 1 in the Riga tournament. What other players qualified and which didn't? Who else got defeated in round 1? No brackets, no option to review the tournaments in depth you played. Or to view how one of your other fav players did over the last tournaments. Would really be nice to have a tab to see a full oversights.

-A more in depth look at your stats career, match and frame wise. You got most of them nailed but it could be a bit more elaborate for the statistics freaks.

General
-Training/ practice mode please? Just a table where we can hit some balls and preferably actually place the balls in game situations to our liking. Include an option to play with or without rules and referee

-Haven't encountered it myself, but apparently there is some glitch with the free bal situation? Apparently when a free ball is awarded to our opponent you get to take it...

-Steam achievements broken?
Haven't made a total clearance myself but I like the idea that you have to make a total clearance before the rest of the achievements are unlocked. However I have noticed a comment or two where the achievements did not unlock…

-An option to reset your stats.

-Increase of cue elevation.

-Option to use your mouse in menus (backspace, enter, X, Y (back, advance, customize, start new career/edit code))

-Option to set new key bindings


Multiplayer
-A lobby or some sort of a menu where we can set the gameplay setting. There should be an option to choose the venue, gamemode, the amount of frames, frame time and shot time yes or no? guides? Career mode is one big part and strongpoint of the game but i'm sure the MP aspect should be the other big selling point no?

-Right now you are stuck to the same mandatory format of 1 frame of 20 mins and a shot timer of 20 secs... This has clearly not been thought through or just wilfully been neglected, which in my opinion is quite baffling…

-Regarding the shot timer, in order to prevent Peter Ebdon moves when just doing a quick random match, online I would say yeah indeed have a shot timer but 20 secs? Seems a bit short in my opinion, at least 40 to 60 secs should be fine. But when playing with friends you usually set up the match and no timer would be needed unless desired in my opinion.

-A chat mode in game would also be a nice addition. Yes we have steam, but still would be nice if we can just hit a key and start typing in game.

-A option to not only play a simple 1v1 but to actually organize a tournament with your friend, yes again there are ways to do this out of the game, but again would be nice to have it just included it into the game. remember what I said about venues with splitscreens and such? would be nice to hear and or see your friends on the other table next to you.

AI
-I had one instance where I managed to snooker the opponent with one red remaining (see screenshot). The score at the time was 17 - 70. He kept making mistakes and I kept forcing him to retake the shot each time. Eventually he gave up at 116 - 70.

-Most of the times they get it on the first or second try and even in the progress pot a ball sometimes. But in this one occasion it became real clear to me that the AI is scripted to some extent. I don't know how many shots exactly were taken, but he basically was working down a list of possibilities of about 6 or 7 shots and repeated it once he ran out of options, with occasionally mixing the list up a bit. Which makes me bring the whole 'the AI will adapt to your playstyle" into question again as he basically just repeated the same shots over and over. and btw some of those shots the AI took... I think I broke the AI tbh...

-I have seen a comment somewhere that the AI never concedes. This is not true the AI gave up on several occasions during some of the games I had. There is most likely again some script involved though on when they should give up. I remember one game where the AI gave up but in reality I am pretty sure the game would have continued due to the excellent opportunity the AI had to snooker me but he didn't....

-Some questionable choices from time to time by the AI, not taking a free ball, not letting me retake a shot while it would be more beneficial for the AI etc.. other than that its ok but again it feels a bit scripted here and there for sure.

-Wouldn't it make sense that all the players have their strong and weak points? one player is better at long potting than the other the other better safety play etc... right now they all feel the same, which in the sense of 'AI adapting to your playstyle' seems fine I guess but makes the scripted AI story also feasible again...


Probably a lot more to be added on the list, but I think it is a good summary so far. I hope the devs will have a read at it or at least go through all the discussions so far. And make improvements as this game has so much potential which is not being tapped at the moment!"