Snooker 19

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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]

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]

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]

Completely agree. I’ve missed so many straight blacks because I didn’t hit the sweet spot especially if playing power shots with side.

What's your understanding of the power system and its nuances, Matty?

I've manged to establish that from baulk cushion to black cushion, without hitting any balls, is roughly 18%. This means from baulk cushion, down the table and back to baulk cushion should be roughly 36% (18% X 2). But when playing thin safety clips off a red, I've not been able to work out an optimum percentage for returning safely to baulk. You'd imagine, with a thin clip on a red, off the black cushion and back to baulk would be about 43% (the extra 6% allowing for the clip off the red). If playing off the red, then off two cushions and back to baulk would be about 48%, but so often when I play these shots my cue ball falls way too short and ends up somewhere round the middle of the table. So then the next time I try setting it in the high-50s and it's way too hard.

[Matty66]

So many people are calling the game out for this, but as has been confirmed by my questions here, the pros DO play in the qualifiers so the game has it right. The only weird aspect is that we seem to meet ONLY the top 16 in qualifiers. By simple law of averages that's wrong. The fact that we can draw top 16 in qualifiers is not wrong.



If your cue ball is travelling further than the power you set it at, that's because you're stopping it above dead centre of the sweet spot (the blue area). If you stop it below dead centre, then it will come up short. If you stop it bang on the centre line of the sweet spot, the cue ball will go precisely where the line indicated. And in fact the shot system goes even deeper than that. Missing dead centre of the sweet spot also means you won't necessarily be pushing the cue through straight, and may even miss the pot, despite having lined the guide lines up with the centre of the pocket.

Personally I think the power bar/accuracy meter is one of the game's best features. It's the first game that has actually simulated a need for a good cue action. In this game you can actually hit the ball badly (just as in golf games) and that's a first for snooker. I don't want a pot to be guaranteed just because I've positioned the guide lines on the centre of the pocket.

Completely agree. I’ve missed so many straight blacks because I didn’t hit the sweet spot especially if playing power shots with side.

[Billy]

[...] pros playing in qualifying events wtf?

So many people are calling the game out for this, but as has been confirmed by my questions here, the pros DO play in the qualifiers so the game has it right. The only weird aspect is that we seem to meet ONLY the top 16 in qualifiers. By simple law of averages that's wrong. The fact that we can draw top 16 in qualifiers is not wrong.

I'm enjoying it though don't get me wrong it's great to play but needs work, I'm sick of my white ball speeding further than I hit an messes up my shot position then sometimes makes me lose games or miss out on getting 147s all because the speed percentage is different than what the white ball runs on the cloth.

If your cue ball is travelling further than the power you set it at, that's because you're stopping it above dead centre of the sweet spot (the blue area). If you stop it below dead centre, then it will come up short. If you stop it bang on the centre line of the sweet spot, the cue ball will go precisely where the line indicated. And in fact the shot system goes even deeper than that. Missing dead centre of the sweet spot also means you won't necessarily be pushing the cue through straight, and may even miss the pot, despite having lined the guide lines up with the centre of the pocket.

Personally I think the power bar/accuracy meter is one of the game's best features. It's the first game that has actually simulated a need for a good cue action. In this game you can actually hit the ball badly (just as in golf games) and that's a first for snooker. I don't want a pot to be guaranteed just because I've positioned the guide lines on the centre of the pocket.

[oneshot]

Having bought tons of snooker games over the years iv always enjoyed snooker on PS1 that game was a belter back then! PS2 comes around and I don't remember what version I had but was okish didn't enjoy it much then world championship pool comes around now that I loved playing. PS3 WSC Real 09 perfect game also but didn't like the arenas apart from that it was all good a practice room, option to play pool 8 or 9 ball tournament even snooker tournaments.

Snooker 19 all about an offical licenced snooker game, but no BBC or eurosport title in game, funds would be the issue with that!! graphical looks - great could be slightly better! Player animations still the same from past games no change, no walking around table, no chalk action, plus no ref no 're spotting balls, annoying white slider after every pot! No replays, no create a character for the tour, pros playing in qualifying events wtf? No grey area on white ball positioning aid,

I'm enjoying it though don't get me wrong it's great to play but needs work, I'm sick of my white ball speeding further than I hit an messes up my shot position then sometimes makes me lose games or miss out on getting 147s all because the speed percentage is different than what the white ball runs on the cloth. We need that white ball positioning aid like Wsc real had. Plus customize options for players don't do anything. An I don't think any of you noticed it! but having to push x to advance to go back o I'm needing to press it hard on my controller for it to work if I tap say x lightly it won't respond unless I give it a real press on the controller.

[gavpowell]

The AI in 2005 was good at break building (safely play not as good though) so why they couldn’t use parts of that code as a base for snooker 19 is a mystery to me ?

That code will be the exclusive property of Codemasters, Sega or whoever else was involved.

[zimrahil]

But you make it sound like creating a computer game with top-notch graphics and animations is the easiest thing in the world. It's clearly not, otherwise any fool could do it.

Many of the devs at Lab42 worked on the WSC games so they have had 20 years to produce a good snooker game. They also mo capped 3 players for their 2005 game and look how good the animations were for that game
The AI in 2005 was good at break building (safely play not as good though) so why they couldn’t use parts of that code as a base for snooker 19 is a mystery to me ?