Snooker 19

[Csmith]

With respect to the cue ball travelling too far, I can't speak for anyone on here but I've watched a few videos and I've noticed people are trying to stun into position too much. It's like in proper snooker, if you are taveling across the position line you don't have much room for error. If you use the rails properly to travel into the position line and leave yourself options, cue ball control becomes easier. This has been an area that I appreciate and also where I think the physics are quite good. I can use the same positional routes I do in real life because the balls and rails react as I expect them to. In previous games it was harder to do this because the balls and rails were unresponsive.

[Billy]

With respect to the cue ball travelling too far, I can't speak for anyone on here but I've watched a few videos and I've noticed people are trying to stun into position too much. It's like in proper snooker, if you are taveling across the position line you don't have much room for error. If you use the rails properly to travel into the position line and leave yourself options, cue ball control becomes easier. This has been an area that I appreciate and also where I think the physics are quite good. I can use the same positional routes I do in real life because the balls and rails react as I expect them to. In previous games it was harder to do this because the balls and rails were unresponsive.

Yes. This seems to be the first console snooker game that captures the pace accurately. Or at least far more accurately than previous games. It's not perfect and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. The best way I can describe what's slightly off, is to say it's like the balls are travelling too slowly for the distance they cover.

Also something doesn't feel quite right about the CB/OB weight balance. I feel that sometimes I have to hit the shot too hard, in order to get the OB where I want it, resulting in the CB travelling too far. Whereas is reality I could get both the OB and CB where I want them.

[Csmith]

Yes. This seems to be the first console snooker game that captures the pace accurately. Or at least far more accurately than previous games. It's not perfect and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. The best way I can describe what's slightly off, is to say it's like the balls are travelling too slowly for the distance they cover.

Also something doesn't feel quite right about the CB/OB weight balance. I feel that sometimes I have to hit the shot too hard, in order to get the OB where I want it, resulting in the CB travelling too far. Whereas is reality I could get both the OB and CB where I want them.

This is a good analysis and explains what looks so odd at times with cue ball movement. It feels like the cue ball is heavier than the object balls and that explains why opening the pack is so much easier than in prior games.

I'm having a lot of fun with the game. This is the first snooker game I've played with aiming lines where I play shots to nothing. I think the main thing I would like to see (beyond patching some of the rules) is just getting the break building and long potting fixed for the AI. At least, patching the long potting where it makes impossible balls on the rail or rolls in a red leaving a long thin green and then potting that green. I'm playing with the master aiming lines and maybe someone else is able to win tournaments on hard mode, but I can't imagine doing it myself. Against the higher ranked players, I need to make frame-winning breaks every visit.

[Billy]

I think the main thing I would like to see (beyond patching some of the rules) is just getting the break building and long potting fixed for the AI. At least, patching the long potting where it makes impossible balls on the rail or rolls in a red leaving a long thin green and then potting that green.

I must admit I'm growing very tired of watching them roll every pot in dead-weight. When playing Mark Williams it will kind of make sense, but even he occasionally punches in a pot.

[Matty66]

Just wondering if the makers of snooker 19 could use a percentage system for AI when going for pots. Because at the moment it’s pretty much guaranteed if they see a pot they get it even on easy they get the majority of them. Whether this is possible I don’t know. The AI break building does definitely need improving.

[oneshot]

I don't think it's an issue it's the way to acknowledge how we take the shots or how much spin and power % it needs to line up the next shot! It is frustrating to even read some shots we take, but many are already doing 147s on the ranked tournaments an on career but i can't even get a win on ranked tournaments let alone 147s.
I doubt they'll let us see the other players readings tbh but have you tried doing cpu v cpu on quick match would that work. Plus not everyone is the same so don't think it would help.

[gavpowell]

Well, I've played the PC version now, and frankly I'm not impressed - I've seen he gentlest of safety shots played off a cushion, gently collide with a baulk colour...which then travels several inches instead of gently rolling off. These aren't my shots, they're the AI.

The multiplayer is a joke - 1 frame max, no control over whether there's a shot clock, it's auto-on, no lobby, invite codes don't work. Mate and I tried putting the same invite code in, the server refused to find us, we tried differentcodes and no difference. Then we both went back to default and it found us, but we have no idea how or why, so you don't really choose your opponent.

And until they stop putting screenwipes after every shot, I'm not playing it again - I prefer WSC2005.

[Billy]

Just wondering if the makers of snooker 19 could use a percentage system for AI when going for pots. Because at the moment it’s pretty much guaranteed if they see a pot they get it even on easy they get the majority of them. Whether this is possible I don’t know. The AI break building does definitely need improving.

There’s room for improvement, if you’ll pardon my colossal understatement.

However, and I accept this may be because I’ve not reached a high enough ranking, the AI players, even the top 16, do miss a reasonable persentage of their pots when playing me, and these do appear to be influenced by difficulty. The most frustrating aspect for me is the fact that 95% of their pots are rolled in, dead-weight and often full length of the table. I find this tiresome and immersion breaking.

I play on medium, if that’s of any relevance.

[oneshot]

And until they stop putting screenwipes after every shot, I'm not playing it again

Exactly iv been white screened for like 2mins if not longer on online matches because of screenwipes or sliders! The more I play it the more annoying it's getting for me!!! If they toned it down for say colours only wouldn't mind so much but every pot c'mon like.

[tony9ball68]

Oh dear, comments are not looking too good, I may however buy it when the switch version is released as it can be played handheld and hopefully they will improve it before that version is out

[Billy]

Oh dear, comments are not looking too good [...]

There's a decent snooker game in there... it's just very well hidden in its present state.

[oneshot]

The game is decent it just has small area that needs work, plus there was a interview with some YouTube lad and the designer of snooker 19 an he said they willing to address the issues also he said online will have big changes plus no countdown or shot clock between friends gaming together an how many frames we can play will be a choice. Thing is with past games he mentioned that old snooker games didn't have patches back then but now they can do all those things. So makes it little easier for them to hear our feed back an address on what fans of snooker want to see or fix.

Sounds promising, check YouTube can't remember the guys channel but try snooker 19 an there will be on there from where I found the interview.

[Matty66]

The game is decent it just has small area that needs work, plus there was a interview with some YouTube lad and the designer of snooker 19 an he said they willing to address the issues also he said online will have big changes plus no countdown or shot clock between friends gaming together an how many frames we can play will be a choice. Thing is with past games he mentioned that old snooker games didn't have patches back then but now they can do all those things. So makes it little easier for them to hear our feed back an address on what fans of snooker want to see or fix.

Sounds promising, check YouTube can't remember the guys channel but try snooker 19 an there will be on there from where I found the interview.

This is the video. https://youtu.be/JFpulo-0OPc

[Billy]

The guy says he stands by his decision not to include a character creator, but in the same breath acknowledges how many people were disappointed to find it wasn't there, and that "it's something I'd like to add in at some point."

I can't see it happening for this instalment because it would require so much more than a patch, which is sad because the game will never be what I hoped it would be until I have the option to play as 'me'.

[RogiBear]

So I bought the game on Friday and have played it over the weekend.

General game play is ok, but there are some fundamental issues, one of which is it does't know all the rules of snooker. An example came in the very first frame i played. I managed to get to a point where I was ahead by more than the points on the tally on the table (3 snookers) and yet when i missed playing out of a snooker they had the option to put me back. This ended up going to a re-spot where, they fouled on the black and yet we were free to continue to play on until it was legally potted.

Online play with a 30 sec shot clock is a bit of a joke, you can't look around the table and play your shot in that time frame, maybe if there was a birdseye camera view it would help.

In general, it not as difficult as some people have said to make frame winning contributions, i made a century clearance in my 3rd frame of playing, but in order to do so i played shots that i wouldn't have played in reality. ie you break building has to change to suit the game, long straight shots are far easier than short half ball cuts. even ones a foot from the pocket are difficult.

I'd give it 6/10 if i'm being generous