TS4 Exhibition Matches (Xbox)

[djarvik]

Pretty much. I though the serve was rather easy to handle, allowing me to concentrate more on the next shot....and when that next shot came, it was simply not sharp enough most times. So I was kinda able to try and pass. After figuring out that you cover cross pass most times, I started to pass you a lot down the line.

I also returned at your feet most times. Not sure if Rafter had the "Low Volley Specialist" skill, but this one is crucial if you dont place your serve well. You almost guaranteed the next ball to be low.

That is why I think SV is once again a very tough style to play online. Tiny lag screws up just enough of these important points, that usually SV players are counting on to win matches.

I think with the right kinda "pusher" setup, you would out run me every time. Sadly, I can't find my game in TS4. I am not cut for an all out attacker, I am not reacting fast enough to be a pusher....right now, all-around is the weakest out of styles. Maybe even weaker then SV. I have only seen Anil play good with all-arounder, no one else.

[jayl0ve]

Well the main thing that was really giving me a lot of trouble with you was the low volleys, so once I get better at those and start eliminating them...

Rafter does have the 'low volley specialist' I just don't think I was able to take advantage of it most of the time because I was mistiming sooo many volleys. Against Coolhand and Sherlock I was hitting super crisp volleys, 'good' or 'perfect' most of the time, but with you I was badly mistiming volleys. You were returning smarter than them though, so that has something to do with it....also I'm still just a noob and just plain panicked a few times. I think the only real way to combat the low returns is to hit drop volleys every time you get one. Since I coudln't really time the Control volleys I was pre-pressing 'A' a lot of the time and having to do an 'A' half-volley, which as I'm sure you're aware are really lame unless you time it Perfectly.

[Hawkeye Miihawk]

Pretty much. I though the serve was rather easy to handle, allowing me to concentrate more on the next shot....and when that next shot came, it was simply not sharp enough most times. So I was kinda able to try and pass. After figuring out that you cover cross pass most times, I started to pass you a lot down the line.

I also returned at your feet most times. Not sure if Rafter had the "Low Volley Specialist" skill, but this one is crucial if you dont place your serve well. You almost guaranteed the next ball to be low.

That is why I think SV is once again a very tough style to play online. Tiny lag screws up just enough of these important points, that usually SV players are counting on to win matches.

I think with the right kinda "pusher" setup, you would out run me every time. Sadly, I can't find my game in TS4. I am not cut for an all out attacker, I am not reacting fast enough to be a pusher....right now, all-around is the weakest out of styles. Maybe even weaker then SV. I have only seen Anil play good with all-arounder, no one else.

That's 1 problem I have with s&v. Any stutter step issues or slight lag usually means you're going to lose. There's almost no point in even trying.

I also play with an all rounder. The last time we played, when you used your monfils, the first character I used is my all rounder (6/7/7). I enjoy using him the most out of all my characters. Funny cause all this time I thought counter puncher was for me. Not having anything you can rely on, while having no weaknesses, appears good on paper, but when you get into matches you'd wish you had strengths. Lol, that's why I play mine like federer. I abuse inside out as much as possible because I need that extra power and precision boost to hit through people. It's the only way I can keep up with the other baseliners.
It was really hard for me to hit through your monfils with him. You were too damn fast.
Lol, the re-occuring theme for all all-rounders is "Not strong enough to attack, not fast enough to defend". I would say that they are the hardest to play. Weakest? In the current system, yes. You have to play well with them to keep up. That's why I enjoy using mine so much. The challenge is really fun.

Baghdad used to use an all rounder, I don't know if he does anymore. Apart from him, the only other all rounder I've run into was anil, and about 3 in WT. Lol, we're a dieing breed.

[jayl0ve]

Without lag though I think serve and volley is actually quite strong in this game. If the other guy doesn't figure out a way to hit returns at your feet, you can really storm through service games in a matter of 30 seconds or so I think the lack of true risk shots in this game makes serve and volley much more viable. You can still hit powerful returns of course, but gone are the 800 mph missile returns of TS2 and TS3.

Of course I've only had the game for about a week and have played a handful of 2K Open matches and a few matches against ITST members. I'm just saying, don't completely write it off, cuz I think in the right hands, and with the right skills and stats, it can be incredibly strong.

[Hawkeye Miihawk]

Without lag though I think serve and volley is actually quite strong in this game. If the other guy doesn't figure out a way to hit returns at your feet, you can really storm through service games in a matter of 30 seconds or so I think the lack of true risk shots in this game makes serve and volley much more viable. You can still hit powerful returns of course, but gone are the 800 mph missile returns of TS2 and TS3.

Of course I've only had the game for about a week and have played a handful of 2K Open matches and a few matches against ITST members. I'm just saying, don't completely write it off, cuz I think in the right hands, and with the right skills and stats, it can be incredibly strong.

If people are returning at your feet all the time, then all you have to do is come in a little bit and take it as an approach shot . Makes it a whole lot easier. When they realize it's not working, then they'll have to start mixing things up.

[Rob ITST]

I've also found that it is possible to hit very firm volleys off of returns that would normally be at your feet. Since most of these returns do not have much pace on them, you can make a last second sprint forward and take the ball above the net.

The downside is that you are very close to the net, and have no chance to chase down a lob. The upside is that you shouldn't have to hit another shot.

[jayl0ve]

Or back up and just hit a groundstroke.

Or stop serve and volleying on every single point so they can't just always return at your feet. If you stay back when they're thinking they're aiming a shot right at your feet, they've basically just hit a really crappy return for you to put away.

[jayl0ve]

This game sucks ass online.

I just won some match on 2K open but it was soo insanely frustrating...nothing to do with the other guy's playing or anything I'm just talking about lag. The timing for EVERYTHING completely changes and changes at random depending on who you're playing. I hate it. Sometimes my guy (Davydenko) would just NOT RESPOND to my control input even a few times with completely green Stamina! He'd just stand there watching some slow ball go right by him!! Insanely annoying! The rest of the time I was just hitting badly mistimed shots that I KNOW FOR CERTAIN would be 'good' or 'perfect' offline/with no lag. The only reason I won is because I hate losing and somehow managed to pull it out of my ass in 2 tiebreakers.

Thinking back to TS2 though I suppose it's better now, slightly....TS2 heavy lag looked like a movie being played with a ton of missing frames and in slow motion. TS4 still looks relatively normal with a lot of lag but the game seems to 'speed up' at certain times to catch up with the lag, so it will look fine and then all the sudden the other guy is speeding around like a rabbit on crack, basically teleporting to balls you thought he had no chance of getting. Teleporting was there in TS2 but at least you could expect it on every ball.

[jayl0ve]

Had a good match with Sherlock a little while ago, his Borg vs my Rafter, I lost 6-3 6-4

Pretty high quality match, although something was off about my volleying, I was really quite lucky to win as many games as I did because I was just not on top of things at the net...

That and my guy got so freaking tired after a while that he would barely move on some points, and it even seemed like my rushing the net after a serve was considerably slower.

I saved 4 or 5 match points at 4-5 in the 2nd, on Sherlock's serve, then promptly lost 4 points in a row to lose the service game at love and lose the match

I guess a positive thing I can take away from it is that I was able to even hang in the baseline rallies with Rafter. Actually I think a lot of the time I got so into the baseline rallies and trying to 'prove some point' or something, that I forgot I'm supposed to be at net

[Chederer]

i played my first full match last night at about 2 in the morning against joe...i wont mention the score...because he is just as good at this game as TS3...he used aggasi and i was djokovic----DOUBLE BAGEL DUDE!!! i wanted to ask though in the options in the game where you can turn the first bounce assist option on or off--do you guys have this option on or off? because i turned it off

[VillaJ100]

I've got it off now. I gradually turned the helpers off, the last one to go was the shot timing helper. However if something is off i'll pop it back on to make sure im timing the ball ok.

[Chederer]

okay....well, maybe i should leave these on because i am really terrible at the moment.....one thing that TS4 improved on dramatically is the lag issue TS3 had....i will experience lag here and there, but for the most part very smooth---WELL DONE 2K

[Rob ITST]

Might as well keep the bounce assist off - it can't be used in WT or 2K Open.

[Chederer]

well ive played a few more times and basically the same result each time...i feel so freakin helpless out there with my only true risk in the game being a "precision" shot to knock my opponent out of position then have some open court...but, then i think im in TS3 and i hold the right trigger to slam it down the line, but then i quickly remember this is TS4....and also the serving is terrible....the faster someone serves the easier it is for me to return for winners---this game has some serious flaws---POINT BLANK YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HIT RETURN WINNERS CONSISTENLY...thats all thats going to happen in the coming months is everytime you hit a slice serve out wide you will get a return down the line twice as fast---and whats up with this hesitation when you try and change directions...my dude constantly goes the wrong way when i want to go the other way--AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS GAME FEELS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO TOP SPIN 2? it feels eerily similar

[RainingAmoeba79]

LOL, i just got live and topspin 4, so how do you ask ppl t be ur friend? So far im gonna ask hollah itz mike and oui mr. benson, but anyone who wants to play with a non ti/md all rounder give me ur gamertag....