The Pro that is Baghdad is coming...

[Baghdad Baghdatis]

Hello all,

Well the long and short of it is that I miss playing tennis games. Not played or found anything decent since topspin 3, the 4th edition lost interest for me and quick. Especially I miss playing tournaments in this community.

My understanding is that Tennis Elbow is the best out there. What restricted me before was I only had an apple iMac that would not support such a game? Anyway now I have a windows hard drive built in I believe I can support and play my first ever game on a PC (only ever played games on a console historically).

To save me routing through all the old forum posts on TE2013 I would appreciate members (C4ill, Djarvik,Floris, MoralSpain spring to mind) guiding me in the right direction:

* How can I purchase such a game? Is it online or can it be purchased in-store? I.e. Are PC games downloadable? Sounds silly but I am a PC rookie.

* Can a control pad be used to play the games and if so are there any recommendable / robust ones out there?

* How does TE2013 differ say from TS3? What are the pros and cons? Basically someone sell me TE2013

* Please could someone copy and paste useful links for the tour (guidelines, fair play etc)? Also members who would be happy to receive a few PMs once I buy the game?

I am only looking to play for fun whilst hopefully still being competitive.

Hope you are all well

Laith (Baghdad)

[VMoe86]

Hey!

My understanding is that Tennis Elbow is the best out there. What restricted me before was I only had an apple iMac that would not support such a game? Anyway now I have a windows hard drive built in I believe I can support and play my first ever game on a PC (only ever played games on a console historically).

There is a version of TE2013, which runs on Mac OS X, but has no Network Play. Only TE 2013 on Windows has Network Play (i.e. you can play online).

There are two possibilities to have Windows on a iMac: First, use bootcamp to set up a partition or another harddrive with Windows on it, second, use Parallels to emulate Windows within Mac OS X. Best way is the first one, which you seem to have gone.

* How can I purchase such a game? Is it online or can it be purchased in-store? I.e. Are PC games downloadable? Sounds silly but I am a PC rookie.

There you go:

http://www.managames.com/tennis/order_en.html

* Can a control pad be used to play the games and if so are there any recommendable / robust ones out there?

A pad can be used, but -- personally -- I recommend to use a keyboard. Still, number one and number two in ITST TE Ranking use a pad, so I may be wrong. There are ways to use the Xbox360 pad or PS3 pad on PC, especially Xbox360 pad is easy to use on PC.

* How does TE2013 differ say from TS3? What are the pros and cons? Basically someone sell me TE2013

I think Al (djarvik) would be best to point out the differences between these two games. Basically, TE focuses on movement and footwork. Of course shot selection, tennis tactics etc. are important as well, but in the end the better mover is going to win. The biggest difference maybe is that there is no risk as in TS3: You cannot just decide to "go for a winner". The risks you can take is taking shots earlier, which is then more likely to put a ball out, or you go more for the lines. Against a great mover you definitely feel the pressure of having to take these risks and the feeling to pull it off is great!

* Please could someone copy and paste useful links for the tour (guidelines, fair play etc)? Also members who would be happy to receive a few PMs once I buy the game?

There you go:

http://www.intertopspintour.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1047&t=16709

http://www.intertopspintour.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1047&t=16808

http://www.intertopspintour.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1047&t=16862

http://www.managames.com/tennis/doc/Tennis_Elbow-Tennis_Game.html

I am only looking to play for fun whilst hopefully still being competitive.

For TE, we have a healthy Futures and Challengers Tour. The fun comes from playing someone of similar level in the start. Also you can show up in TE Chat, where you can ask for friendly matches or help, sometimes just chat about tennis:

http://webchat.quakenet.org/?channels=TE2011&uio=d4%20target=%22_blank%22

Hope this was helpful!

[C4iLL]

Hey Bag' ! Nice to see you around

The game has an important learning curve and once you've mastered it, you have the feeling to somehow be on the court and play real tennis match. The ITST roster counts 60 players with real anims, grunts and stats (including all the top 40 I think) and all the real courts of the season.
Playing with Federer vs Nadal, you will have to solve the same tactical problems Fed has to face when he plays Nadal. Similar for Gasquet Wawrinka etc...

The game is a great combination of tactics, mental and technicalskills. Each ITST players has a its own style generally. Some guys are monkey risk (me) other are real pushers playing 3m from line, some between-in... The surface has a big impact and some players are really better on one or another because each surface requires different skills.

Actually there is a real risk management in the game, but different from TS3 as VMoe said. The main word that describes the game is freedom : you are free to hit the ball wherever you want and to moove how you want. If you anticipate well, you can constantly play forehand inside out for instance

[Elias]

A pad can be used, but -- personally -- I recommend to use a keyboard. Still, number one and number two in ITST TE Ranking use a pad, so I may be wrong. There are ways to use the Xbox360 pad or PS3 pad on PC, especially Xbox360 pad is easy to use on PC.

I also used to recommand the keyboard, but that's also because of my own preference for it, cause i'm an historical pc gamer, and never could do well with a pad with any game. I think there is overall more keyboard players, but still there is very strong/performing players using a pad. A common trait wich is important is that all of them doing well are using analog sticks pads and not digital d-pads, so that is the main advise i'd like to outline. In the top 12 i think Richie , Vramvrim, Pigrosofo, Inseedious, are using a joypad. Richie uses the "X360 pad for windows" i think, i have it as well, it's a pretty sturdy and good analog pad. I guess PS3 pads with a PC adapter can be an option as well. Anyway, if you are a console gamer and used to the joypads since a long time, the pad may be a good choice.

[inseedious]

PS3 controllers already have USB cable. I play with PS3 controller and use dpad, but I'm thinking about switching to xbox controller for PC, since I'd like to switch to analog and PS3's analog isn't so comfortable (too big to me).
I used to think that kb was better than pad, but once I saw richie and vramvrim's levels improvement, I started thinking that there's no real difference, or maybe it is so small that skill can overhelm it.