Right now I think the biggest thing that will affect gameplay, which against the AI is a little bit too easy is making the timing of powering up and releasing a shot actually matter, along with positioning of a player.
Currently as long as you power up early enough and release it before it goes red I would say 10/10 times the shot will go over the net and close to fully powered.
this gameplay mechanic makes it so easy to have a properly timed and powerful shot, it makes rallies feel like a game of ping pong, there really isnāt any strategy in shot placement and positioning (of the player).
If timing became a bigger factor, we might actually get some variation in rallies, for example, sometimes a player may want to lower the rally speed by hitting a slower/offspeed ball in order to throw off the timing of the opponent. which you canāt do in the game as you just get punished with the cpu/opponent hitting a flat fully powered shot (cause it is so easy).
It is like in baās cricket games you can get used to a fast bowler once you get used to the timing. But if they throw in a offspeed - that messes you up and you might go too early with your shot or overcompensate and go too late. Right now tiebreak lacks in that area.
With timing and powering up of a shot so easy right now in addition to being able to place a ball exactly where you want it without much risk. I feel like most of the rallies involves moving the ball left and right, rinse and repeat until I get the cou/opponent far wide enough to hit a winner.
There is no build up in the rallies unless I CHOOSE to hit the ball back to the player, and this is me choosing and not because it is required in the situation.
Hopefully big ant really takes this into consideration in making shots a bit harder. If they make it so that the player has to consider playing a safe shot to remain in the rally, that in turn creates Risk vs reward, that will make the game play better and allows the player to learn and adapt during the game.
Additionally, I reckon a different type of controls which uses the right joystick would be great. (Will also need the tiebreak movement triggers as part of it)
Using the joystick to Pull back to start power and push forward (direction you want the shot to go) would be great. This should be like a simulation control where the aiming if basically manual, and balls long and wide will happen more often if you try to make a shot when the situation you are in does not warrant it.
By having a simulation (no assistance fully manual aim) would make players choose when you hit low percentage shots like the winners down the line.
Having a fully manual power up and shot direction control using the joystick would make the players really choose when to be safe and when to attack. And having a player choose when to power up and release would make fully,powered shots Less of a thing unless a player is timing it perfectly or has built up the rally to a point where they have their player perfectly positioned and the ball where they want it.
but you have to find a way to make timing and movement matter more. Iāll add a gameplay video from AJ4 Games here. These are CPU vs CPU videos but it shows that there are now a lot of rallies with up to 84 shots possible. That comes from more factors. 1. is for sure that cpu doesnāt go for the obvious winner when possible. 2. The mechanics when it comes to Animation lock. 3. Some smaller mechanic things like half-volley top spin shots are too powerful and easy to aim. 4. Itās too easy to get into the offensive position again if you are in a defensive position.
