Top Spin 4 - Player Balancing Updates

[SBR Ironik]

I don't say s&v is overpowered. It's just a nightmare to play against, when played well of course
I still beat the "wannabe" s&v.
It is totally différent from ti/md

I think it is really difficult to know how powerfull is the s&v after the patch 'cause i think the guys i played could have beatten me with any other setup. They were just better than me
In my opinion only the no ti/md top players can make a fair judgment on it.

[edlglide]

The biggest problem I see with S&V now is that it seems almost impossible to hit a volley out. Before the patch, if your volley skill wasn't really high you'd hit a lot of volleys out if they were too soon or too late. They'd generally go long or wide depending on where you were aiming.

But it seems like they basically reversed what they did with the groundstrokes -- I see almost no volleys going out now, even with too soon or too late timing.

[Boruzze]

The biggest problem I see with S&V now is that it seems almost impossible to hit a volley out. Before the patch, if your volley skill wasn't really high you'd hit a lot of volleys out if they were too soon or too late. They'd generally go long or wide depending on where you were aiming.

But it seems like they basically reversed what they did with the groundstrokes -- I see almost no volleys going out now, even with too soon or too late timing.

i dont think that this matters.
cuz if u have low volley skill now, it is to weak to really force ur opponent. he just plays a passing ball and u have no chance.

[edlglide]

They HAVE to fix the speed with the next balancing update. I just played a guy with 48 speed and 50 reflexes. I would drag him off the court, then hit a shot into the back corner on the other side -- and he would manage to not only sprint all the way across the court 5 feet behind the baseline and hit it back, but he would hit rocket shots straight down the line or cross court into the back corner.

I was expecting them to go out, because usually hitting shots like that on the run are difficult to pull off, but someone with that low on speed and reflexes shouldn't even be getting to those balls -- he might be able to get to them once or twice, but he should definitely not be able to sprint back and forth across the baseline and return everything like he's David Ferrer or Rafael Nadal.

[edlglide]

Actually the most annoying part of that match wasn't the baseline running -- it was when he was 5 feet behind the baseline and I'd hit a perfect drop shot, which he would somehow manage to not only run up and get a racket on it but hit a powerful shot back across the court.

Someone with 49 speed should not be able to sprint from behind the baseline all the way up to the net and hit good shots off a drop. They might be able to get up there and get a racket on it 75% of the time, but definitely not get there and have time to set up for a shot and hit a winner with regularity.

[dsavbeast012]

This game is honestly frustrating to play now. It's like 2K took the power out of the game by slowing down the game. Flat shots aren't strong enough, while slice is overpowered. Three words - slice passing shots. It's easier to succeed passing with a slice than it is to use a flat shot.

But yeah, it's frustrating to play 50+ shot rallies, basically the only way to end a point most times is to come to the net or to play a drop shot. There obviously needs to be more balancing done, things are just off now. UEs need to be even more prevalent. I honestly can barely stand to play this game now, it's become a pain in the ass.

[Andy Johnson 8]

I think the powerful players have obvious advantage. The only weakness of these players is the speed. But it seems that the speed is not so important up to now.

I suggest to increase the importance of the speed, make the powerful players slower. If they are not fast enough to get the good position, their power shots will be weakened.

[Gargamel73]

I think the powerful players have obvious advantage. The only weakness of these players is the speed. But it seems that the speed is not so important up to now.

I suggest to increase the importance of the speed, make the powerful players slower. If they are not fast enough to get the good position, their power shots will be weakened.

Maybe in a match between elite players, the powerful players have an advantage.

I would say I am a above average player ( I play with a friend an his X-Box as PS3 online doesn't work at all - Nick: Wheezer72).
Sinca last week we play with a 20 defense guy (90 FH, 90 BH, 85 SP, 55 POWER) an I have to say that we have never been more successful.
These long and high topspins are so nasty, that most of the powerhitters can´t put enough pressure on us. With POW 55 we don't make lot of quick and easy points but we win most of the long rallies.

Before that we played with a POW 90 guy, with FH ~80, BH~60 and a good serve. We did not win nearly as many matches as we win now.

What really sucks after the patch, as many others stated before, are the ridiculous power-slices, which are to easy to hit and much too powerful.
The distinction between Speed 45 and 85 are also not big enough. If I anticipate the ball correctly, I don`t see a lot of difference between 45 and 85.
It would suffice that a Speed 85 guy reacts quicker to changes of direction (quicker "first step" so to say). I really don't see this right now. A Rafa Nadal changes directions like a rabbit - that`s a part of his speed advantage to others. A Roger Federer is by no means slow, but it takes him a little more time to make quick changes of direction.

[Boruzze]

I have absolutely no clue why you guys are complaining bout long rallies.

I cant find them.

Longest rallie still is maybe..30 ? If I have a better opponent maybe one time per match.

Maybe some of you are just not good enough to force your opponent to make mistakes. Otherwise I cant imagine whats wrong here cuz I never have those long rallies. With neither of my players and Im playing 4 different styles...

[Gargamel73]

I have absolutely no clue why you guys are complaining bout long rallies.

I cant find them.

Longest rallie still is maybe..30 ? If I have a better opponent maybe one time per match.

Maybe some of you are just not good enough to force your opponent to make mistakes. Otherwise I cant imagine whats wrong here cuz I never have those long rallies. With neither of my players and Im playing 4 different styles...

I agree. When i write about "long rallies" I mean those with approx. 20 shots.
Those 40-50 shots rallies are very very rare.
At first I hated the patch. But after some time you start to really appreciate (most of) the changes.

[jayl0ve]

You ever think maybe you're the one who's not so great?


You think the #1 player here is lying about having 100+ shot rallies? Cuz I don't think him 'not being good enough' is the issue. Personally I have had an 89 shot rally, that's my longest.

It's very hard to make mistakes in this game if you have talent, even after the patch, so it's not really as easy as "forcing your opponent to make mistakes". Especially considering that as the rally goes on, your ability to end the rally goes down (stamina).

[OuiMr BersonBANNED]

I have absolutely no clue why you guys are complaining bout long rallies.

I cant find them.

Longest rallie still is maybe..30 ? If I have a better opponent maybe one time per match.

Maybe some of you are just not good enough to force your opponent to make mistakes. Otherwise I cant imagine whats wrong here cuz I never have those long rallies. With neither of my players and Im playing 4 different styles...

I know how to finish a point but when your opponent is very good , sometimes it looks like you are stuck in the rally.

[Boruzze]

You think the #1 player here is lying about having 100+ shot rallies? Cuz I don't think him 'not being good enough' is the issue. Personally I have had an 89 shot rally, that's my longest.

Where did I say that ? Nowhere.
Im just saying that I cant find those rallies. And this has to have a reason, right ?
And thats the fact that Im wondering about: Im definetly not such a great player so why do I not have those monster rallies ?
For the record: No, I win more points that I lose

It's very hard to make mistakes in this game if you have talent, even after the patch, so it's not really as easy as "forcing your opponent to make mistakes". Especially considering that as the rally goes on, your ability to end the rally goes down (stamina).

If your stamina goes down youre doing mistakes easier. Thats a fact. Just a precise ball, just a dropshot and someones going to make the fault.

[Immortal Strife]

You think the #1 player here is lying about having 100+ shot rallies? Cuz I don't think him 'not being good enough' is the issue. Personally I have had an 89 shot rally, that's my longest.

Where did I say that ? Nowhere.
Im just saying that I cant find those rallies. And this has to have a reason, right ?
And thats the fact that Im wondering about: Im definetly not such a great player so why do I not have those monster rallies ?
For the record: No, I win more points that I lose

It's very hard to make mistakes in this game if you have talent, even after the patch, so it's not really as easy as "forcing your opponent to make mistakes". Especially considering that as the rally goes on, your ability to end the rally goes down (stamina).

If your stamina goes down youre doing mistakes easier. Thats a fact. Just a precise ball, just a dropshot and someones going to make the fault.

I'm a good player but not great...I don't have long rallies because often my opponent leaves a ball short or I mess up on the timing and the point will end. When two great ITST player match up it's likely they hit perfect shots all the time, this may contribute to these epic long points that the top players are talking about.

[Seftinho]

Got this game today after having enjoyed the demo.

Can someone for the love of god please tell me how to avoid hitting the tramlines? The demo and before the update (I played a bit first before connecting to Live) I enjoyed, and I appreciate the update making errors now possible. But I can't stop making them (whilst my lower-level AI opposition rarely makes any, even with no stamina whatsoever...)

I'm going into every shot scared to hit it because every 3-4 shots I end up mis-hitting. On the run, mis-timed, etc I can understand. Most of these are unforced errors. And they hit the EXACT same spot every time. The slices float there, the topspin ones just hit them, but there's a spot on either tramline that I keep on hitting. They never go miles out or just creep in, they ALWAYS hit this spot.

Obviously it's just me because no-one else has this problem, so how on earth do I cut down on the unforced errors?

I'll be doing fine in the rally, be on half-stamina whilst my opponent is (apparently) dead, and then my "pro" will suddenly hit a wild shot into the tramlines under no pressure whatsoever. How does the AI find the lines (I'm only on "Hard" btw, not even the highest level) when on the run with no stamina whilst I can only hit it 1m either side, no matter where I direct it, or under how much pressure.

And what areas should I look to improve (and focus on when looking at coaches)? I've found serving and speed stats almost useless - serving makes a noticeable difference but it's nigh on impossible to get an ace or have your serve unreturned it seems, because the second part, the speed.

Quite enjoying the game so far, but I'm so incredible frustrated because my "pro" seems to have a mind of his own and I don't have a clue how to avoid making so many unforced errors, almost every point. I also have broken more times than I've held - a mixture of breaking more than realistically and being incapable of holding serve at all. Probably down to the stupidly easy returning and slow pace of the game (the volleys are pathetic - even with 30 volleys surely you should be capable of hitting the ball into the open space rather than pathetically tapping the ball down the middle... I can't smash it, volley or not, even with Perfect shots) as well as the super speed of the players means having serve is really no advantage (at this stage of the game anyway).

Thanks. If anyone still reads this thread.

Edit: In my current match, we've just had 3 breaks of serve. I work really hard to break the guy, normally getting about 3-4 ridiculously easy return winners along the way, normally going to deuce, and then go and get broken to love on my own serve with four forced/unforced errors. All in the tramlines. None in the net. None long. All in the tramlines. On the same spot.