Your feedback on WSC Real 09

[Fluke[FIN]]

So, you suggest to change the game title? VIRTUAL SNOOKER 2009

And lower the difficulty to what? 80%?

My suggestion would be different:
- Since you can turn off all aims ... why not add an option to lower the AI settings?

Then you all win ...

I didn't mean to suggest changing the name of the game

The thing is, there just is no any reasonable solution for this. You missed my point in the paragraph You were partly quoting. The game is World Championship Snooker and the AI player skill is what you can expect from a game named like that, extremely good. This is forcing the player to use aiming aids, easy, normal or hard. When forcing the player to use aiming aids, the game is forcing the player to aim in a whole different way than the aiming is done when playing on a real table. Even when playing on the hardest difficulty level. Lets take an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXrjf5Yd9cg

When the player is aiming, where is his/her eyes focused on? Yes, on the object ball direction arrow. Actually on the far-end enging point of it, away from the object ball itself. I bet when you are only even watching the video, even Your eyes are focused into that same arrow. Which is located totally on the wrong side of the object balls and cueballs contact point where your eyes would be focused at on a real life play.

In short, the aiming system is not the same as it is when playing on a real table.

One question crossed my mind when watching the gameplay video above (again about the arrows ):

When you are aiming the object ball, the arrow appears. But what if you are not trying to pot the ball, you want to play a safety shot. A one with very thin cut. In real life play there is allways a change to miss the object ball in these situations, but how about in the game? I mean with the arrow, when the player is aiming and trying to tune the angle as thin as possible. Is the arrow dissapearing when the game "notices" the player is going to miss the object ball? If it dissapears the game is telling straight to the player that he/she is going to miss the object ball and have to take the shot with a little bit of less thin cut. And the same thing if you are partly snookered, lets say behind one color ball which is blocking 9/10 of the object ball. Can the player use that arrow-appearing/dissapearing to see if he/shes going to hit the wrong ball?

Again, yes the arrows can be disabled. But do you even have a change to win without the arrows? Again we are in the starting point.

[Tablefitter]

Does anyone know what the pc specifications are?

Yes my friend.

[jedicho]

I think an aiming system as used in the online snooker games 8 Ball Club and Grand Billiards would be ideal, with no aiming arrows just a mini view of what you are seeing from behind the white ball. You then judge how much of the object ball to hit from what you see in the mini-view. There is definitely alot more skill involved this way!

[SnookDude]

Again, yes the arrows can be disabled. But do you even have a change to win without the arrows? Again we are in the starting point.

The solution is easy ... add an option to change the difficulty setting !

That's it.

If you think the aim aids are too easy ... you have a way to turn it off.

If you think the computer is too hard to beat ... you have a way to lower its difficulty level.

That, my friend, will very much satisfy most of the players, if not all.

And I cant understand they don't do that.

Why? Oh yes, you are correct, it is a World Championship of Snooker .. We suppose to play against those pro players in a simulated way.

Then what? Do I have to practice and practice to be able to beat robot Ronny? Get over it, no I wont. I is not realistic anyway.

[hanterp]

I do not have the game yet, but watching the gameplay-movie ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXrjf5Yd9cg ) I see still some of the old things I hoped for improvement:
Just watch the break-off shot ( at about 1 minute in the movie ):
The player hits the ball 100 miles an hour and watch the reaction of the balls...
Only a few reds leave the pack of reds. That is not much reaction after such a speed of the white ball. Still it is possible in the case you hit the pack extremely thin. In that case the white should keep almost it's full speed and should run about three times around the table. But in that movie that is not the case: The white dramaticly decreases it's speed and end in the baulk side. So it looks like the cushions slow the white down far too much.
( EDIT: I just watched the break-off shot some more times and I am pretty sure the cushions are to blame: They slow down the balls way too much. )
Whatever it is: It was there in WSC 2007 and unfortunatly it's still there...

Another thing I don't like in the movie is the animation of the cue. Normally, if the cue strikes the ball, it moves forward and after contact with the ball it still moves on a bit.
Snookerplayers call that "going through the ball" or follow through. This follow through is non-existent in the cue-animation, which is really a pitty.

[spike]

I do not have the game yet, but watching the gameplay-movie ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXrjf5Yd9cg ) I see still some of the old things I hoped for improvement:
Just watch the break-off shot ( at about 1 minute in the movie ):
The player hits the ball 100 miles an hour and watch the reaction of the balls...
Only a few reds leave the pack of reds. That is not much reaction after such a speed of the white ball. Still it is possible in the case you hit the pack extremely thin. In that case the white should keep almost it's full speed and should run about three times around the table. But in that movie that is not the case: The white dramaticly decreases it's speed and end in the baulk side. So it looks like the cushions slow the white down far too much.
( EDIT: I just watched the break-off shot some more times and I am pretty sure the cushions are to blame: They slow down the balls way too much. )
Whatever it is: It was there in WSC 2007 and unfortunatly it's still there...

Another thing I don't like in the movie is the animation of the cue. Normally, if the cue strikes the ball, it moves forward and after contact with the ball it still moves on a bit.
Snookerplayers call that "going through the ball" or follow through. This follow through is non-existent in the cue-animation, which is really a pitty.

Yes there are too many inconsistencies in this version to say It's a worthy upgrade.
I hope these issues are taken on board for when the next version comes out, but i doubt it.

[zimrahil]

Well after playing all the WSC games since 2000 I have to say this one disappoints me the most
As others have said, it's just WSC 2007 with a (few) tweaks. I apologise in advance for being so negative but I love my snooker and I feel in some regards the series is going backwards, not forwards

This is based on 360 version

Negatives

Player animations
It looks as though most players have bad backs in WSC 2009, and over 50% of shots played has them almost standing up when striking the cue ball. However 2 editions ago in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joe-5nhk_WA (WSC 2005), take a look at how the player is always correctly positioned over the ball when playing a shot

This also applies to the cue position in relation to the player. In 2009, you will often see the player with the cue about a foot to the right of the players head when striking the cue ball???? Again in the youtube vid above, look at how the player always correctly has the cue positioned underneath the chin at all times.

Rests/Spiders
Have you noticed that players rarely use rests/spiders in WSC 2009?. This is down to the following

• All players being ambidextrous like O'Sullivan so can use both hands at all times
• The player stretching out cue arm up to a foot outside of head position to reach a shot (see comments above about this)
• Player using ridiculously long cues

All of this is totally unrealistic. Yet again look at the youtube vid above (WSC 2005) and you will see rests being used in correct scenarios; there is no attempt to avoid using the rest by applying methods outlined in list above

Bugs/glitches that were not present in previous iterations
These include:

• Sometimes camera stays on AI players even when cue ball has been struck, so no idea what has happened
• When breaking off, player is seen in 'sitting position' before addressing the table
• When you press 'Y' for top down view, quite often the aiming arrows move by themselves round the table, meaning you have to keep lining up again
• The licensed left handed players play as right handers - this has been the case for some players (such as Mark King) for the entire duration of the WSC series
• When saving a match that is in progress, when you reload the match it reverts back to 0-0, so heaven help you when saving the World Final match with the score at 12-12

Commentary
As has been mentioned, it's basically the same as WSC 2007

Player creation
Still basically the same as 2005 and from what I can tell (so far) you still have a very limited choice of hairstyles, so baldies like me cannot create someone who even closely resembles me

Aiming / positional aids
I personally do not like the fact you cannot have different skill settings for humans like in WSC 2005. You can turn off the aids in WSC 2009 but this makes potting impossible, or at best spend 5 mins lining up every shot meaning a frame will take a least an hour
Again back in 2005, the different aim settings suited everybody and I loved the advanced setting of short aiming and cue ball aids, and they are not present in the overhead view.
2009 is just too easy using aiming aids, and impossible without


Positives

Cushions
These have been speeded up (but only slightly)

Misses
Referee now more likely to call a miss in correct situations

Statistics
Far better range of stats available prior and post matches

Umm, and that's it.......


Overall
For me, if you have WSC 2007 [B]do not[B] waste you money on WSC 2009. 2009 have more bugs/glitches and is basically the same game
As you have probably gathered from my review, I am going back to WSC 2005, which has better player animations, proper application of rests, no obvious bugs that I can think off, and all around plays a more realistic game of snooker

I played 2009 Friday night, then an hour on Saturday morning and then I was bored rigid
Doubt I will be playing it again

So disappointed

[Tablefitter]

Aiming / positional aids
I personally do not like the fact you cannot have different skill settings for humans like in WSC 2005. You can turn off the aids in WSC 2009 but this makes potting impossible, or at best spend 5 mins lining up every shot meaning a frame will take a least an hour
Again back in 2005, the different aim settings suited everybody and I loved the advanced setting of short aiming and cue ball aids, and they are not present in the overhead view.
2009 is just too easy using aiming aids, and impossible without

YES !! I miss my aiming Short (expert) !!! Aiming aid off is
not playable !!!
I have the 2005 Game and i play on that fun Tables. Anyone knows whether it is even there in WSC Real 2009 ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxoMd...e=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Hid...e=channel_page

[snookerfan92]

When I click start, nothing comes up. Does anyone know if my graphics card is not updated enough for this game?

[fredkite]

When I click start, nothing comes up. Does anyone know if my graphics card is not updated enough for this game?

Think you will have to upgrade, something like this would be fine (assuming you have PCI-E of course) http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140617

[DavisFan76]

This isn't a 1 april joke?
What I like to know is if they changed the system to shoot the ball?
Still selecting power from that bar and applying side from that ball before you shoot?
Or is it now like Virtual Pool 3, where you really move the cue to shoot?

I really think the option should be there for mouse control to power the shot for those who want it

I think it plays great too.....but lack of online via the PC version as i've already highlighted via other threads is a major no no IMO. Will eventually end up getting boring playing on your own.

Seems Blade have messed up somewhere, I'm sure my mate said it was supposed to have online.

I've got a funny feeling that you may have to unlock more of the pool tournaments. I was playing around in the program files blade folder and I went to the SFX/Streams folder and played some of the sounds. I was playing comments like......welcome to the first round of the world pool league.....welcome to the first round of the US Open (some of what was in the last game) Might not be a disaster after all for us PC folk.

Mosconi Cup!!! Let's hope...

I CANNOT believe that they have kept the exact same commentary in from the last game! This is a disgrace and in all honesty a **** take. What have they actually been doing for the last 2 years?

The only improvements that I can see is a better front end with more player stats and so forth. The rest of the game is pretty much identical. (Do we actually need promotions unlocked such as aftershaves and perfumes! Who cares! The time making those additions would have been better spent elsewhere! INSANE!)

I literally could not believe what I was hearing when John Vergo started saying the exact same recordings as he did in the previous game. NOT IMPRESSED.

This is common in all sports titles unfortunately.

sorry also forgot to add,

the ability to walk around the table is a good addition, gives you a great chance to see the angles etc, definite plus mark for that

But can you actually take the shot from a first person viewpoint now??

Unfortunately the game requires Pixel Shader 3.0, and you only have 2.0 Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. A shame they didn't make the game a bit more scalable.


Got my PC version yesterday, last one I played was 2005 (PC/Xbox).

Plus points:

Graphics are very nice, I like the positional guide, the coaching, the commentary (although it grates at times, is still well done)

AI seems to be believable

Game runs very well on my laptop at all highest settings + (1440x900 x2 AA)

C2D P8400/9600m gt, Vista 64, 3gb ram

Bad points:

• No online play, got to admit this was a big wtf moment
  
• When I apply spin to the ball, like screwback the animation in a lot of cases still shows the cueball being hit at the top. The spin does work though.
  
• The picture in picture, a nice touch unfortunately on one occasion (in 3 hours of playing) it stayed in the corner, meaning some shots were near impossible to line up.
  
• Both easy fixes I'm sure.
  
• Controls, total lack of configuration options

That all depends on what Blade are like at releasing patches.

I placed an order yesterday at play.com and today the order status is already packing. I have good experience with Play and recommend you to place your order overthere. The game is in stock.

Yeps, Play.com are very good.

Edit: How would it run on my PC?

Mobo: GA-P35-S3
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2Ghz
GPU: ATI EAH4850 512mb DDR3
RAM: Kingston 2.Gb 240pin DDR2 PC667Mhz PC5300
Sound: Audigy 4

[WendyV]

WSC Real 09 will be released on April 3rd on Xbox 360, PS3, PC with a Wii version to follow. We think it's the best WSC we've ever made... but we want to hear your thoughts.

According to the comments i read so far, this isn't the case. I will take my conclusions when i have my copy, but if the bugs from the previous version aren't resolved, this will probably be the last time i have played WSC.

Otherwise, take it back to Codemasters !!!

[Wattie1234]

bought this for the PC thinking it was gojng to be the best in the series, how wrong I was !, couldnt even finish a frame !, game is shocking ! , not going to go into detail, already covered in earlier posts, for those folks on here looking for feedback before buying the game, dont, stick with WCS 04, or 05

[daveebee]

Well, Blade Interactive,if you been looking at this forum are you going to respond to your customers? You said in this thread opener that you think this is your best snooker game so far. Judging by the responses so far I'd say you are one of a very small minority. I am still waiting for my P.C. version of Real 09. It seems now pretty certain that there will be NO online play facility contrary to the description given by Play.com



All the official tournaments of the 2009 season
Play against snooker fans from around the world using online play
Knock-around pool and bar billiards
Direct coaching on areas of weakness allows the player to hone his or her play style
Includes the World 8-ball Pool Championship
Advanced control method giving the player more control along with a refined cue ball position predictor
Review player's stats and performance in incredible detail
Trickshot challenges
This has been on the Play.com for some time now,the information I assume must have come from you. If there is no online play ,would it be possible for someone from Blade to do the decent thing to explain to your customers why its not there. It would be appreciated if you could explain what you intend to do to rectify this ommision.I await with interest your response.

[rogwilco]

[*]When saving a match that is in progress, when you reload the match it reverts back to 0-0, so heaven help you when saving the World Final match with the score at 12-12

So say if you are 1 - 1 on the 3rd frame of a best of 3 and you are going to lose, what happens if you quit the game and reboot? On 07 you would start the 3rd frame again meaning that you'd have another stab at beating your opponent . Can this not be done any more?