If we don’t want to use the triggers to prepare the moves on backhand and forehand, is it possible to add an option to disable it?
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Just want to make a quick introduction. I have asked our Tennis designer to join in the conversation to discuss his vision for the game and where he wants to see it go!
He will be here when he can to address and update everyone on some things that are being looked into or even just discuss our thought process about certain aspects of the title.
I’ll also be setting up individual topics we would love more specific feedback on over the coming days so we can keep tweaking and working towards a better release!
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Firstly, I appreciate you playing the game and taking the time to provide us with valuable feedback.
I am glad we’re both on the same boat as to finding a simulated tennis game, which is exactly what Tiebreak is designed to be to use this game to teach tennis to our audience. Furthermore, we’re still tweaking the physics values to make gameplay feel realistic but also functional from a game perspective. Tweaking of the values will address moments when the ball clips the net and passes over the other side of the court, these should be special moments and should not happen frequently. Also in regards to this, users will have a choice to apologise or not when this happens (using the positive/negative reactions- keypad up/down) which will be expanded upon even more with the career update.
100% I agree with you that AI may feel the weakest point i.e. never misses shots in the harder difficulty. We are currently honing our AI- eventually, they will have tactics.
Can I ask you in depth about this scoreboard having no color? Does it just become grayscale?
In regards to players moving forward as a rally goes, this was intended by myself. The movement allows the player to move forward to attack the ball, which is something we do in real tennis. However, based on user critiques, like yourself, we will make some changes to this as soon as possible.
We will add animations for players to shift body weight when moving around the court, a smoother transition of stationery and action animation, and fail animations. We are adamant about improving on this and are already underway in this process, adding and cleaning up the transitions.
Thank you again Ivanpersie, I appreciate your comment and will do the best we can to fulfill a game of simulated tennis for you, and even hope to educate and inspire you to go there and have a hit on the court. Would love to hear from you soon.
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Thank you for taking the time to do that. I appreciate you showing us an example of the video from Richardo Decosta. Quick question, is that you playing in that video? I’m just curious what did the user intend to do in this specific scenario?
The movement system in Tiebreak is completely different from AO1/AO2 and Topspin, thus there is no movement assistance and the user has free movement; The free movement system requires more animations and we are working very hard to cover all directional animations to give users the best experience and full control as a tennis player.
In regards to the timestamp at 8.18- it seems like the user did not move the player into the net early and steady enough to finish off the volley but instead caught the ball as it was passing by in the mid-KillZone area. Therefore, I believe a user should not be rewarded with an easy and simple volley. Nevertheless, I do agree the animation of this shot needs to be improved for an awkward position to counter a passing shot, and I will consider your recommendations.
I thank you for providing your tennis knowledge- we will work and improve on our movement animations- eliminating slides with split steps, and bending the knee to volley.
I think if you want a supportive community, we need to have some explanations or at least something to believe in this title. I’ve personally purchased all 4 (*now 5) of the last titles made by BA and Nacon. I was playing AO2 the last month or so and was actually enjoying the game compared to only playing it a few minutes when it first released.
To play this game said to be an improvement on the past game is for my upcoming video review to discuss. I will be fair but realistic.
I’m going to play tennis tomorrow. I planned to be lazy and enjoy this game, but I cannot get past the 40 minutes and if I was going to play a tennis game why not play AO2 or just schedule court time.
I’ve hooked up my XBOX360 to play a various host of 10+ year old titles and I’m just surprised the level of skill required to really be good and they just felt, atmosphere wise, that I was actually playing in front of a crowded stadium.
Asthetics like logos, and sponsors and commentating all bring that hey, you wish you could be good to play at this level -…butt here’s a game that’ll allow to live your dreams of winning all 4 Major Slams and becoming #1 in the world.
Most people don’t care about playing online. That in my opinion should be the last focus.
The dream of being a #1 ranked player sponsored by the top brands, Having a nice kit to wear (racquet bag customization is everything too/ya’ll need to stop sleeping on these small things.) is what people want.
If you add online, Idk, add it in tiers for the rating of your player so people can’t play 99’s for instance if they’re just starting out.
Career mode, Doubles, are all modes that are important. Training that doesn’t seem repetitive.
If i had a track record in my line of work for bad communication , I’d be homeless.
I’ll wait til February to play the next update and hope you get this game going.
My first impressions of gameplay
I don’t have the game yet but have been playing through remote play with a friend and have a few things to contribute.
I’ve been playing tennis for 20 years IRL and definitely the game that has given me the closest feeling to “playing tennis” is Tennis Elbow 3 (4 is being tried but still needs some work). I’ve played Virtua tennis (full arcade) and Top spin (for me arcade with excellent details) and for me they don’t generate anything like playing a tennis match, you can do anything and it works, what I mean is that to play TE3 well you need to understand how to position yourself and what ball to play according to the situation.
The game really feels good to play it (it changed my whole perspective from the first mediocre and bad vibe gameplays that some youtubers have made).
Here I leave some notes about the gameplay in my first hours of play:
In terms of mobility I like the freedom of movement as it doesn’t feel heavy or clumsy, but it still needs to improve.
There are times that the player after hitting automatically goes forward, this is annoying.
L2 and R2 I find this new option useful, it works but I noticed that in some cases the player accelerates too much.
The serve mechanic is fine, not so the zoom, but I think the button to change the type of serve is unnecessary having more free buttons and I want to add that it is wrong for the opponent to see the change of effect with which you are going to serve (at least in PvP you can see it) just in tennis that is something that is tried to hide.
Many shots on the net, but exaggeratedly many, even with the serve.
Note that the slices, which is usually a defensive and deep shot, are very low and usually stay in the net even with little power.
The block, volleys and smash are fine.
I like that there is no aiming point (they make no sense to me), but it needs to adjust the depth according to the power of the shot, I feel it irregular.
The ball seems to float and also from time to time it goes very fast from side to side (pingpong feeling).
Nowadays players slip on all surfaces, even more on clay, I would like that to happen when you need to get to a more demanding ball.
I really hope from the developers that they take seriously the feedback from the community and see patches in a row as the game has the potential to offer a good game.
the game has the potential to offer a good gameplay differentiating it from other games and previous games.
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I would realy like to see one handed backhand animation (Federer, Thiem style YT federer backhand slow motion).It’s most beautiful shot in tennis and nobody seems to develope it like it should be in previus games except Top spin. But I don’t think any one handed player are in early acces ?Also would like to see attacking backand slice shot where player after hitting it goes to the net.
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I have some more thoughts after 10 hours of gameplay:
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The teleporting issue is back for both players - but the higher you climb up the level (I play on hard) the AI teleports like crazy and gets to every single shot. I can be volleying at max power from side to side and he gets to everything. Also my player teleports a lot.
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Net play: There are almost no animations for regular volleys, mostly the volleys are full-fledged shots (instead of a volley, the player hits a full forehand/backhand/slice). This makes net play awkward. Also, once you get lobbed on but manage to return to the baseline, your player will often not respond even if you position yourself nicely, and there is no output. The player kind of freezes and does not do anything.
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I have started experiencing crashes (I have a mosnter PC so no issue there).
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On the baseline, the harder the shot you make (no matter what kind of shot) the more likely it is your player will lunge into the court (as if he is on his way to the net to attack). This should really be taken away, as you often build a point and find yourself having to round to the net because your player is already mid-court.
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Serve: I constantly hit 240 kmh+ serves and good angles, but did not get an ace yet (on hard). Also, as I have seen people mention a lot, the serving sequence - that is the serve you make and the return, both of which dictate the point - gets really repetitive.
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Ball physics: In need of serious tuning. The slice serve is way over the top, too slow and too curved. The other ones feel clunky. On groundstrokes, it of often feels like the ball is out of control, especially as you increase power.
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Slice: Improved (especially from TWT) but still not clear how it can be used as part of the point for offense or defense. The slice is a big part of tennis but you need built in situations to use it which the game does not have. Currently, the slice is just a redundant shot in this version of the game.
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General animations: Still need heavy tuning. One of many examples is many two handed backhand players suddenly using one handed backhand at times, mostly on strong shots.
Thank you for the communication! I am planning to play again after an update or two are out, and then I will come back with more thoughts 
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Here’s how I feel after 10 hours :
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the biggest problem in the game’s gameplay is that the character advances towards the net on his own after each shot. It’s impossible to stay 2m behind your line, and all fouls are due to the player’s advance, as he finds himself inside the court. You need to fix this as a matter of priority, because it really impacts the game’s enjoyment.
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I find the serve system very complicated, not intuitive, why not just serve with the B,A,X keys for the 3 types of serve?
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too many complications for the keys when it’s possible to simplify.
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I really like the power of the shots and feeling, i like the different camera options and the way the courts are modeled.
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if the problem of the player advancing towards the net is fixed, it would make the gameplay really good, with real exchanges from the back of the court.
PLEASE, FIX IT As A Priority For The Next Update.
Thanks
Thanks for all the continued feedback!! We love to hear it and please keep it coming with each update.
We have been working extensively to improve the majority of the opinions mentioned above. To address a few:
- Movement animations have been improved, and we’ll keep working on these with updates to players and animations.
- The player moving forward from executing a groundstroke has been addressed and should play more as expected.
- Ball physics for different types of shots has been improved.
- Netplay has had a lot of updates and improvements.
When the next patch releases we’d still appreciate more feedback on those.
I understand that people still feel that serving with B,A,X is more intuitive as they were previously implemented in other games. However, with Tiebreak, the intended design was to make it simpler to cycle through serves for a few reasons:
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Firstly, it gives an opponent a chance to observe the different types of serve the Server will do (by looking at their racquet grip- which is what tennis players tend to do)
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Secondly, it allows the server to change to a different type of serve without being locked in (as B,A,X would)
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Thirdly, there are fewer buttons to memorise. The idea ran with is we wanted the user to focus more on strategising the type of serve they will perform than memorising 3-4 buttons.
There are many more improvements we are currently implementing to fulfill the tennis fans’ needs. Again, I appreciate the feedback and hope you will enjoy the next update 
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Just wanted to mention one more bug i’m witnessing:
Many times when I go deep with a top spin shot, the AI freezes and does not respond.
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And another one: at times when AIis defending (i’m running him from side to side) eventually he starts running in circles (he always gets to the ball eventually but definitely a buggy sequence)
Hello Patrick,
Sorry to tell that but your answer is not good for the players concerned the serve.
And is the problem with all our feedback and all your games. If many people ask you that is better to use Button X,A or B to serve instead triggers, why not make that. Or at least add an option to change the way to serve.
Same with the triggers before shoot. If it’s not the better way to play, why not change and make another?
This is what I think about the triggers
CURRENTLY:
Movement with the stick → in quick step
Moving with the triggers → the player runs and prepares the strike
Press the strike button → the player charges his strike
Release the hit button → the player hits the ball
CHANGES TO MAKE:
Stick movement → the player runs
Press the button → the player prepares AND loads his shot
Release the hit button → the player hits the ball
The problem is that we all want a good game, you and us, but if you don’t understand the players, the players will not play your game.
Please listen us and change some things or add 2 options to play.
Seriously, Top Spin will arrive, you can not make like you want, you need to make better.
And thank you to read us on this forum.
I understand what you are looking for but it is wrong to say that it is something that players do, most serve with continental grip and the effect is achieved as the ball is thrown and the direction of the arm, if the grip is modified is minimal so that the opponent does not know how to serve. The idea is to be able to surprise with the serve, I have been playing tennis for 20 years and I know what I am talking about.
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Here’s my feedback on the recent update (7 february) french to english translation:
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overall, I’m very pleased with the additions, I’m enjoying the game a lot more
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the addition of the automatic sprint option is a great idea
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the addition of the option to hide the power bar, serve bar and all the HUD customization is an excellent thing
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you can play from the back of the court more often.
Here are a few negative points I’d like to mention:
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the iA often uses underam serv, Zverev uses 10 in one match, so never in his life does he use that, reserve that for Kyrgios ^^
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90% of the iA’s errors are when they go to the net, it’s very rare for them to make an error from the baseline (high difficulty).
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I’d like to be able to adjust the camera myself (height, zoom, dezoom…ect) because I can’t find a camera that looks like the TV broadcast where you can see a bit of the public and the court while playing properly.
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adding the hawk’s eye
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its difficult to do “Ace” serve on high difficulty when i try, ia always on ball. I served 244 km/h. Need to adjust that.
Thanks for your good work, im very happy to see your’e listening feedback players
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That Zverev underarm serve is very peculiar. I’ve never noticed that AI doing it even once. I’ll look into that one straight away!
Hello the team. The game is much more fluid with the new patch (7 February). Thanks for that!
During my first game after this patch, I have like 99% of aces during the game. I think it was in easy mode.
Maybe is it too easy even for an easy mode ? I’m on the steamdeck.
Hello, I tested the latest update yesterday, it’s better but still a lot of things that prevent you from enjoying the game:
Good improvements:
- Service speed sensations
- Movements assistance
Things to improve:
- No faults on the serving sides
- Opponent who returns all services
- On flat shots, too many fouls in the net
- Still too much fillet in general
- Not enough impact on powerful strikes, the opponent catches them all
- No signature moves
- Players must stop preparing shots when at the net
- Movement assistance is a good addition but this should not result in sliding forward but in adjustments through small steps
- On short balls, this should result in a decisive strike. With either a winning shot or an attempt by the opponent to pass
How do you have a seemingly created player in your game?
The game has better pace after the update, and is starting to feel better.
Feedback:
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Players are still lunging into the court after shots often, I have not seen a difference in that aspect.
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Net play is still awkward, and does not reflect actual tennis netplay. The first and biggest problem is the animations of full shots (forehand, backhand, slice). Most of the volleys I play are executed as these shots (which are called drive-volleys in tennis) - even when I am super close to the net. It’s awkward, unrealistic, and either creates an unrealistcally offnensive sequence, or an unforced error (usually to the net unless you overpower the shot and then it’s out).
Drive volleys are rare, and often happen when the attacking player is mid-court after receiving a high ball, and wants to impose himself and finish the point.
You definitely should re-work that system and have netplay composed almost exclusively from regular volleys. I hate to say it, but yes - you can refer to Top Spin 4 to see the right ratio… -
Reactionary animations - so while the pace and flow are better now, there has to be a better transition between the end of the movement to the animation (I know a lot of it is player-level based - but I am talking about AI too). This is really THE KEY to this being a good, realistcally flowing game.
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Underarm serve - It’s rarely used. Ai is using it way, way, way too much and it’s super obvious and easy to attack.
I will come back with more feedback probably after the next update, as it is still a very, very raw and unrefined game. I am looking forward for the final product though! I hope eventually you will be able to give Top Spin a run for it’s money. In all honesty (of someone who spent way too many hours on this unfinished product and shared lots of data!) you are still a universe away from even matching top spin 4 level of gameplay. That’s just the truth at this point. I hope you can take this the right way and improve!