CRICKET WORLD CUP 99 UNOFFICIAL FAQ VERSION 1.0917 17 September, 1999 Other FAQs are available at FAQWorld - http://www.rocknet.net.au/~nwest Best viewed at 800x600 in Notepad with Word Wrap on --- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1 What's New? 1.2 Why do a FAQ? 1.3 What have you done before? 1.4 Versions 1.5 Disclaimer/Copyright 1.6 Contributors 1.7 Contact Information 2. Game Information 2.1 What is Cricket World Cup 99? 2.2 Who developed CWC? 2.3 So what happened to Beam? 2.4 Is it the sequel to Cricket 97? 2.5 What are the minimum requirements? 2.6 But it says on the box that you need a gamepad for the 3D accelerated version! 2.7 Can I play over the Internet? 2.8 What modes are there? 3. How Do I Play? 3.1 How do I bat? 3.2 How do I bowl? 3.3 How do I field? 3.4 What is the best controller to use? 3.5 What features are in the game? 4. General Questions 4.1 I thought [insert southpaw here] was a left-hander! 4.2 Why does the weather or pitch conditions never change? 4.3 Why can I bowl no-balls and wides? 4.4 So which is better, Shane Warne Cricket, or CWC? 4.5 Where can I buy the game? How much does it cost? 4.6 Who is on the cover of the box? 4.7 Where did they hide the test match function? 4.8 Who are the commentators? 4.9 Who's going to win the World Cup? 4.10 Who won the World Cup? 4.11 Which cricket grounds can you play on? 4.12 The player models look just like Adam & Ben Hollioake! 4.13 What/Where are the live updated rosters? 4.14 Why couldn't they have the correct rosters? Gee, the game came out after play started. 4.15 How do I fix the problem with fonts mentioned in the readme? (Riva TNT only) 4.16 Why are there dots in the sky? 4.17 When is it coming out on the PlayStation? 4.18 How do I cheat? 4.19 Is there a practice facility? 4.20 What happens after you win the World Cup? 4.21 What are some of the "features" everyone is complaining about? 4.22 What bugs are in the game? 4.23 Where can I download the demo? 4.24 What are some good sites to go to? 4.25 What has happened to the EA Sports website (.au)? 5. Patches 5.1 What patches have been released? 5.2 What was the original plan for the patch schedule? 5.3 Does the patch improve gameplay? 6. The End 5.1 Coming Up Next --- 1. INTRODUCTION === 1.1 What's New? === * Updated - Patch Information * Brand New Grand Theft Auto 2 at FAQWorld * Fixed silly spelling mistakes * Final version of FAQ unless ground breaking news appears (Cricket 2000?) * Thanks notice at the end of FAQ * Minor additions to the Playstation and Pricing sections * Still waiting for Yahoo to list my old site * Fact - This was the longest period between FAQ updates === 1.2 Why do a CWC99 FAQ? === Well for starters, there are a lot of questions cricket fans have out there about CWC99. So I thought, why not make a FAQ answering as many questions as possible, hopefully destroying all false rumours. Plus, it makes my web counter go up! =) There is some information that is not provided in the manual, and can often be found in this FAQ. If you would like a question added to this FAQ, then email me at the usuall address. While it started out small, it has grown bigger since its first release. Hopefully, even though the World Cup is over, I will update this FAQ regularly until the next cricket game comes out. === 1.3 What have you done before? === This is my second FAQ. The other one I have done is for Need For Speed 3: Hot Pursuit. As I know of, it was the only one for the PC version. Although it isn't as detailed as this FAQ, it is more popular due to the larger player base. You can find it at http://www.rocknet.net.au/~nwest . 1.0730 Update - Need For Speed 4 FAQ available at above site. 1.0917 Update - Grand Theft Auto 2 FAQ available at above site. === 1.4 Versions === This is the sixth version of the CWC99 FAQ (1.0730). Previous versions are available via email. (1.0515/1.0524/1.0619/1.0630/1.0730) I have made up the version number using the following guidelines (1.0515 as an example) - 1 - The year it was written (1999 is 1, 2000 is 2, 2001 is 3 etc.) .05 - The month it was written in (eg. 05 is May) 15 - The date of the month it was written on. === 1.5 Disclaimer/Copyright === (This is off the box) - EA SPORTS CRICKET WORLD CUP (c) Copyright 1999 Electronic Arts. EA SPORTS and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts in the U.S. and/or other countries including Australia. All rights reserved. 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup England 1999 (c) 1997 ECBTM. TruSpin is a trademark of Electronic Arts. Windows is either a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Information in this FAQ is correct to the best of my knowledge. However, errors occur. If you find something wrong in here, or have something to add, please contact me at the address below. This FAQ is the property of Nathan West. You may freely distribute this FAQ as long as the content is not changed. Feel free to include this FAQ on your website, although your URL would be nice. (C)1999 === 1.6 Contributors === Nathan West (west_nathan@hotmail.com) - FAQ Author Grant - General Information Rob Alexander (manutd@connectfree.co.uk) - Box Covers Ahmad Hussain (ahmad_h@usa.net) - Bug List Fremen - Bug List Nazeel (saazeel@ihug.co.nz) - Bug List Girish Patangay (girish@coolmaps.com) - Bug List === 1.7 Contact Information === You can contact me at west_nathan@hotmail.com . I try to respond in a few days, but have been known to respond after a few weeks. If you do not get a reply after one week, try emailing me again. Please use the subject CWC99, as I am still getting email about my NFS3 FAQ. If possible, email me first before contacting any of the contributors. --- 2. GAME INFORMATION === 2.1 What is Cricket World Cup 99? === Cricket World Cup 99 (CWC99 or CWC) is the official game for the World Cup. No, not the soccer one, but the cricket edition. The countries Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kenya and Scotland all make their way to England (also playing) to hit balls around an oval with sticks. === 2.2 Who developed CWC? === CWC is a joint venture between EA Sports Australia, and Creative Assembly. Both were involved in the making of AFL 99, a game based on the sport called Australian Football League. I also believe that the two are currently creating an official Rugby Union game, which will be based on their World Cup. Creative Assembly are based in England, which would have made things a tad difficult because of the distance. They also have a website, but I do not have the address on me at the moment. === 2.3 So what happened to Beam? === Beam were the makers of Cricket 96 & 97 (along with the other hybrids). I don't have the official word why they were not given the rights. But my personal guess is that EA were not satisfied with their efforts in C97. Not to be confused with Bleem!, the Playstation emulator (not that it has yet). === 2.4 Is it the sequel to Cricket 97? === Thankfully, no. The only similarities between the two are - a) produced by EA Sports b) Ritchie Benaud =) === 2.5 What are the minimum requirements? === This is from the box - With Graphics Accelerator - P200, 32Mb RAM, 4Mb 3D Video Card, 8x CD ROM, Sound Card, DirectX 6 Without Graphics Accelerator - P166, 32 Mb RAM, 1Mb Video Card, 4x CD ROM, Sound Card, DirectX 6 Hard Drive Space - 140 Mb Both Direct3D and Glide are supported by CWC. I have not heard of any critical problems with the main accelerators (Riva TNT 1/2, Voodoo 1/2/3). Performance with other cards is unknown. The game was written using DirectX 6, although any newer versions will work. However, newer versions do cause some corruption in the menus, and minor graphics glitches in the game. These are not serious, and are hardly noticeable. If you have no reason to upgrade to DX6.1, then leave DX6 installed. Windows compatible gamepads (4 buttons) are also suppported. === 2.6 But it says on the box that you need a gamepad for the 3D accelerated version! === Yeah, but you don't. Just like some of the other printing errors on the box (don't ask), this information is wrong. I guess they were supposed to add the gamepad bit to the empty box below this section. Trust me, you can play with either the keyboard or the mouse. === 2.7 Can I play over the Internet? === In one word, no. It was promised before the game was released that you would be able to play modem to modem, network, and Internet play on the EA server. However, no multiplayer facilities have been built into the game. There is no patch to allow this, as it would be difficult to introduce if it was never in the game to start off with. === 2.8 What modes are there? === There are three modes (not including the practice function explained in 4.18). They are - * One Day International * World Cup Competition * World Cup Super Six Competition The One Day International mode allows you to choose any two sides for a one day game (5 overs or more). You could probably say it is a quick/friendly game function, because you choose your sides, the match conditions, and the stadium, and away you go. The match has no influence on the World Cup competition. The World Cup Competition mode is exactly what it says. Choose which sides you would like to control, and the World Cup begins. The matches are the same as the ones in the World Cup, including the location of the game. As I have not finished this mode yet, I can not say what happens at the end. The World Cup Super Six Competition joins the top six teams from both groups (A & B) as the battle for the Cup really begins. I have completed this mode, and a movie is played at the end depending on what team you used. See question 4.19 for more information. --- 3. HOW DO I PLAY? === 3.1 How do I bat? === *Note* - I play using the mouse, and all controls will therefore be referring to the mouse There are three ways to hit the ball - playing a normal stroke (Left-Click), a defensive stroke (Right-Click), or a power stroke (Both Buttons). Before the bowler starts, hold the right button down to position the cone (the blue arc) in the direction where you roughly want to hit the ball. Once the bowler is bowling his ball, position your batter, and wait for the cone to flash red. Once it flashes red, then hit the ball using one of the strokes listed above. If you time your clicking correctly, then the batter should hit the ball. The length of time that the cone flashes depends on the ability of your batsman. It can be difficult to judge when to swing the bat, and I like clicking when the ball hits the yellow circle. If you wish to run, click on the left button, and start double-clicking to sprint. Once you have completed the number of runs that you feel are necessary, stop clicking the button when the batter is about to return to his crease. To make sure they are in, click the right mouse button. This may be necessary if you have missed the ball, and our out of your crease (possible stumping chance). === 3.2 How do I bowl? === First of all, select which side of the crease you would like to bowl from (double click the right button to change position). Move the mouse to select where you would like the ball to bounce. Hold the right button, and move the mouse to select what type of ball you would like to bowl, and how much seam/spin is applied (see manual for more details). When you are ready to bowl, press the left mouse button when the little diamond in the bowling control panel is close to the center. Once the power meter is at the appropriate level, click the left mouse button again, and wait for the bowler to bowl the ball. If you wish to change the speed of the ball after you have delivered it, quickly double click either the left or right mouse button (left - increase, right - decrease). If you need more information, please consult the manual first before asking me any questions. === 3.3 How do I field? === All fielding is controlled by the computer, so you can sit back and watch your fielders scramble for the ball. Fielding was originally going to be controlled by the player, but was changed soon before the game went gold. The manual even contains some information on how you were supposed to field. === 3.4 What is the best controller to use? === At first, I started out using the mouse, as this was the controller recommended by most fellow players. The mouse is the best controller to use for bowling, as you can move the circle around more accurately, and it is easier to judge when to start your run-up. As an experiment, I tried using the keyboard for a change. I discovered that the keyboard was the better controller for batting, as I had had trouble batting with the mouse. It is much easier to line up the batsman, and press the two keys together to hit a power shot. It is often difficult to hit both the mouse buttons at the same time. I do not have a gamepad, so I am unable to comment on whether this controller is better than the rest. If anyone has a gamepad, and wants to share their views, then give me a yell at the usual address. If it were possible, I would use the mouse for bowling, and the keyboard for batting. But because you can't, then I would have to go for the keyboard. Bowling is just as easy on the keyboard as the mouse, and you get a better batting controller thrown in for free. === 3.5 What features are in the game? === Statistics, replays, camera selection, and fielding settings can be found in the game. As well, you can control whether the computer takes over, and generates the score for you. This feature will not be explained here (see the manual for further details). During play, you can access statistics using the menu brought up using the ESC (escape) key. Here you can find the four options listed above. This is a basic rundown of the these four options. For more information, read the manual. * Statistics - there are eight tables or charts than can be viewed after choosing this option. They are Batting & Bowling Scorecards, Partnership Scores, Partnership Graph, Batting & Bowling Charts, Run Graph, and Team Statistics. You can use these to view the shots used by the batsman, where the bowlers are pitching the ball, run rates, and other important details. Try experimenting with these statistics to find the ones you like * Replays - here you can view a replay of the previous few moments. To save memory, the computer only records about half a minute, so ensure that you view the replay soon after the incident occurs. The camera selection can be changed during the replay, although this often remains the camera selection in gameplay. Clicking, holding and moving the left mouse button changes the camera angle, and clicking, holding and moving the right mouse button zooms in on a target. The dial on the right can be adjusted so you can control the speed of the replay. Replays can be saved and viewed at a later date. * Camera Selection - the camera can be changed at any stage during the game. The views available are Director, Wide, Midwicket, Delivery, Reverse Delivery, Batsman, Fielder, Ball, Nursery End, Pavillion End (the names of the previous two change), Batsman Stump, and Bowler Stump. The functions keys (on the top of the keyboard) can also be used to change the view without interupting the game. * Fielding Settings - without going into too much detail, this option allows you to change the "aggressiveness" of the field, either by moving a slider or positioning the fielders manually. These changes are saveable so they can be recalled at a later date. --- 4. GENERAL QUESTIONS === 4.1 I thought [insert southpaw here] was a left-hander! === Well they are. However, EA released the game with no left-handers, either bowlers or batters. They were aware of the "bug" before its release, but time restraints probably caused it to be left out. EA will release a patch soon after its release to allow left-handers. But, as a right-hander, I couldn't care less! =) 1.0630 Update - Left handed players added, see question 5.1. === 4.2 Why do the weather or pitch conditions never change? === Before you begin the game, you are able to choose the weather conditions (either wet, dry or random). This causes the pitch to be soft, damp, hard, grassy etc. However, this does not seem to affect play conditions, and you certainly can't see the snow/rain coming down. Even if it did start raining, play would be stopped. Correct me if I am wrong. The weather/pitch conditions do not change *during* play, and this may be corrected with a patch, along with all the other annoying bugs. === 4.3 Why can I bowl no-balls and wides? === Yes, a common mistake. You have actually put the CWC CD in your drive instead of the Shane Warne Cricket CD. Now, instead of bowling perfect balls, you can actually bowl it towards the square-leg umpire! Also included in CWC - stumpings, and walking down the pitch to hit the ball. You are unable to bowl no-balls caused by overstepping the delivery crease. === 4.4 So which is better, Shane Warne Cricket, or CWC? === Well, I can't really answer that. I have only played the SWC demo, and the full version of CWC. From reading other players responses, it seems to be about 50/50. Personally, the ground textures in the SWC demo (on my RIVA TNT) kept on disappearing. That doesn't mean CWC is better though. Although the graphics and interface are great, it is near impossible for the computer to get a score over 50 runs. Pitch the ball in the right place, and you are just about guaranteed a wicket. Once the problem with the left-handed players is fixed, then the game will improve. At the moment though, it does get boring when you/the computer are 6-11 (or 11-6 if you're not from Oz). === 4.5 Where can I buy the game? How much does it cost? === CWC is currently available in good software stores all around the world. It was released in NZ on the 7th, before any other country. All explanations why this is can be kindly emailed to me. If you live in a country where they don't sell CWC (such as the US), you can order it at http://www.eastore.ea.com . A software retailer in Australia has advertised CWC99 for only $48.70 (gawd, what an ugly price). The game cost approximately $70 in New Zealand. Pricing seems to be more expensive in other countries than Australia. Even though the World Cup finished many months ago, the price has not fallen, and is not expected to do so for another few months. === 4.6 Who is on the cover of the box? === As I know of, there are four different players, depending on where you buy the game. The player on the front of the box does not affect the game. Here is the most up-to-date list. If you know any more, please contact me. New Zealand - Stephen Fleming Australia - Ricky Ponting England - Alec Stewart South Africa - Shaun Pollock === 4.7 Where did they hide the test match function? === They hid it in their original version. Remember, there are no test matches in the World Cup. It would be wrong to include such a feature when it is not possible in real life. Maybe when they release the next version they will have a test match function. === 4.8 Who are the commentators? === The commentators are Richie Benaud and David Gower. Benaud is the king of cricket commentators, and has featured in previous EA games. Gower has been described as a bit too boring in this game though, so don't get too excited when he starts talking. Personally, I think he sounds pretty good, and does not speak as much as Richie. Although the commentary is good, it seems to be a bit repetitive some times, and nearly a whole over can go before they decide to say something. === 4.9 Who's going to win the World Cup? === Why, Australia of course. Apart from being an Aussie, there is no bias what so ever. I will probably have to add another question when the series is over though. Update - maybe I should reconsider my choice if we can't beat New Zealand or Pakistan. Update #2 - well, at least we made the semi-finals. Update #3 - see next question. === 4.10 Who won the World Cup? === Yes, it is true, I am the world's greatest cricket tipster. AUSTRALIA WON THE WORLD CUP!! We are now the greatest one-day side, and possibly the greatest test side in the world. Although many doubted Australia could get into the super six, they were wrong, and we smashed Pakistan in the final. Here is the result - Pakistan - all out for 135 after 39 overs Australia - 4 for 135 after 20.1 overs I believe Australia won 7 games on the trot to win the World Cup. === 4.10 Which cricket grounds can you play on? === In total, there are 21 stadia. This was increased from the original 6 that was announced at the start. The first version of this FAQ stated that there were only going to be 12 grounds. EA have decided to include all of them. The grounds are - * Amsterdam * Bristol * Canterbury * Cardiff * Chelmsford * Chester-Le-Street * Derby * Dublin * Edgbaston * Edinburgh * Headingly * Hove * Leicester * Lords * Northampton * Old Trafford * Southampton * Taunton * The Oval * Trent Bridge * Worcester === 4.11 The player models look just like Adam & Ben Hollioake! === Well spotted! Adam and Ben were plasted with golf balls and made by EA to dance around for the motion capture sessions. As reported by the EA Sports website - "England team members Adam Hollioake, and his brother Ben Hollioake, were used in extensive motion capture sessions, with over 550 accurate moves recreated in this game. Dynamic batting, fielding, and bowling actions, as well as the many of the expressions of emotion that characterise the highly charged emotions of the final overs of a tense international one-day clash, help to immerse the user into the pressure cooker world of international cricket." Sounds rather exciting, doesn't it? === 4.12 What/Where are the live updated rosters? === The live updated rosters were planned by EA to allow players to download teams, injuries, current form, news and weather conditions to provide a realistic playing experience. Once downloaded, they would change the way games were played, either in single-player or multiplayer. This feature is not available in the game, although mentioned on the game box. Of course, the weather conditions would be useless, and there is no multiplayer facility. During the World Cup, no rosters were released on the EA website, and the only updates made to the rosters was in the current patch. === 4.13 Why couldn't they have the correct rosters? Gee, the game came out after play started. === OK, its time to defend EA. There are some issues in the player rosters and statistics that are totally incorrect and not up-to-date. A lot of people are complaining that the game came out *after* the World Cup started, which means that the rosters should be the same as the real ones. Now I get mad. (anger) On the 2nd of May, the game went gold. This means that the final version of the game was completed, was beta-tested, and a master copy of the game was produced. This was the same game that was sold to the general public. Before this date, the team were testing the game, and fixing any bugs that they came across (although it wasn't the best testing ever performed). Anyway, on about the 5th of May, the copy was sent to Singapore for mass duplication, and the CD was packaged with the manuals and box. The retail version first appeared on the 7th of May in New Zealand. By, the 15th of May, the game had found its way around Australia in most good stores, and was on its way to other countries. The game had been released around the world. Now correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the World Cup start on the 14th of May. As you can see by my facts above, this is after the game went gold. Therefore, EA Sports would not have known who was playing for certain in the World Cup, as it hadn't even started yet. The game had been completed more than two weeks before the tournament had begun. Therefore, EA Sports should not be attacked because their player rosters are wrong. They did not finish the game, write the manuals, design a box, and burn their own CDs on their personal Kodak CD-R the day before it was released in your software store. (/anger) === 4.14 How do I fix the problem with fonts mentioned in the readme? (Riva TNT only) === The readme states that there should be a fix or patch available at the website for the problem with disfigured fonts when using the Riva TNT chipset. At the time of writing, no such fix is available, and there is not even a mention of the bug on the website. Although not confirmed, it may be fixed in the patch. I have a Diamond Viper V550, which is a TNT card, and the text in the menus is often difficult to read when the size is small (particularly in the statistic tables). You can still read them, although it may be hard to distinguish between certain letters/numbers. 1.0730 Update - There is no fix in the second patch, but I have discovered how to fix the problem. The same bug affects Need For Speed: High Stakes, and it seems that the Electronic Arts department hasn't told the EA Sports department how to fix it. So here it is - * Note - You must be using the detonator drivers provided by nVidia. Go to - Start, Settings, Control Panel Double-Click on Display Click on the Settings tab, then Advanced Click on the Riva TNT tab, then Additional Properties Click on the Direct3D Settings tab, then Advanced Change the Texel Alignment slider to 7 (Upper Left Corner) I may write to EA Sports Australia and see if they can add this fix to their support page. === 4.15 Why are there dots in the sky? === During wide shots of the ground, you may be able to notice rows of black dots in the sky. Although not a huge graphical problem, they do look a bit unsightly. The dots are caused by DirectX 6.1. If you are currently using DirectX 6, then you will not be able to notice the problem. If you wish to remove the dots, then you have to downgrade from DX6.1 to DX6. This is often as easy as removing Internet Explorer from Windows 98. === 4.16 When is it coming out on the PlayStation? === It isn't. To start off with, EA had planned to release CWC on both the PC and Playstation, roughly about the same time. Once the game was restarted due to reasons unknown by me, all time was spent on developing the PC version. There was no time to create a Playstation version. However, I remember reading some time ago that EA were going to release a special version on the PSX, not related to the World Cup, some months after the release of CWC. This version will more than likely find its way to the PC. At the time of writing, there had been no announcement with relation to a newer Playstation version. === 4.17 How do I cheat? === I do not know any cheats for CWC, and there may not be any. I would like a "hit a six every ball" option though. In the file c:\\[your CWC99 directory]\\front_end\\text_strings\\hints.txt, it is mentioned that pressing the asterix key [*] would cause the game to have an unlimited number of overs. The file is dated 1/12/98, and if I remember correctly, this was before the game was overhauled and restarted. I have not managed to get this working, but if anyone has, don't hesitate to tell me. As well, there are also picture files saved as LBMs in the c:\\[your CWC99 directory]\\ front_end\\gfx\\loading screens\\ directory that are from AFL 99 (possibly the demo). If you manage to find any other cheats, don't forget to tell me. === 4.18 Is there a practice facility? === Yep. EA Sports have provided a set of virtual cricket nets which allow you to practise your bowling and batting. Some EA bashers have said that this is the best part of the game. You are able to choose any batter and bowler (from the same side) to use in the nets. I particularly like the effect where the bowl hits the back of the room and rolls back towards you at an increasing speed. It seems that the nets were built on unlevel ground. === 4.19 What happens after you win the World Cup? === *Spoiler* Don't read this if you don't want to know what happens at the end. After you win the World Cup, Ritchie gets as excited as possible (ie. not that much), and a movie is played depending on the country that you played as. Remember the Cup seen in the intro movie? Well you get a few more shots of that, with some colourful music, and the camera zooms in on the base of it where the previous winners have their name engraved on it. Your team's name is engraved on the trophy for 1999. You can view this movie again using the Movies option in the main menu. === 4.20 What are some of the "features" everyone is complaining/celebrating about? === The features hated by many - * Dumb AI * Installation problems * Disappearing balls in the outfield when hitting fours (fixed in second patch) * Unrealistic scoring * Computer getting run out because they have stood just out of their crease after hitting the ball, and not bothered to get behind line (I wouldn't call it stumping though, because often they have plenty of time to get back.) This was "fixed" in the patch, but it seems to occur as often as before. * LBW decisions suck. I was once hit in the chest by a full toss which is usually given as a no ball. Instead, I was given out LBW, and the ball would have missed the stumps by about a metre. * Something I have noticed - the computer hits a good shot, and doesn't bother running because it looks like it will go for four runs. However, it pulls up just before the rope, so the computer misses out on three/four runs. * Aluminium bat sound effect (although I think it sounds alright) The features loved by many - * Commentary * Opening video * Menu music * Bowling/Batting techniques * Ability to seam/spin the ball realistically * Great graphics * The clapping in by the crowd as the bowler, umm, bowls Feel free to add to this list, but please don't send any "CWC Sucks Poo" messages. === 4.21 What bugs are in the game? === The previous question is only a guideline to what features are "broken" in the game. Here are the bugs (although many are features we would like to see) that have been found by players - Note - those marked with a # have been fixed in version 1.1.0. * score a run, but not recorded on the scoreboard * commentators say the wrong thing (eg. medium pacer comes on, but Ritchie says its a spinner) # the fielders catch the ball backwards * the ball magically appears in the catchers hand * the same number is on the back of several players * LBW decisions are often ridiculous (eg. ten meters down the pitch, and you get given out) # the ball does not bounce higher than the waist * the crowd does not get excited about England playing, a six being hit, the last overs etc. * the commentators do not mention hat-tricks or the score reaching 100, 200 etc. * there are no third-umpires, or ducks that walk across the screen * the computer is pretty easy to dismiss * the computer is never run out (except stumpings) * the stumpings that do occur look like runouts, as the wicketkeeper never keeps the ball in his hands and hits the stumps. He always throws the ball instead. The same applies for throws from the outfield # overthrows are common, and can occur twice with the same ball * players on the boundary often take a shot at the stumps, and sometimes succeed in hitting them * fielders disappearing, then reappearing the next ball * the umpire stands in the way of the bowler * the ball disappears in the outfield * the fielders teleport to the ball * the closest fielder to the ball is not always the one that fields it * the ball floats horizontally due to the invisible dome * mistime a six, and it will usually go to the two fielders either side of the bowler # bowl around the wicket and the batter occasionally remains in the same position * uniform switching when viewing a saved replay * found a bug you hate - send it in! === 4.22 Where can I download the demo? === No demo has been released at the time of writing. A demo has been planned, and will be available sometime after the release of the full version. Keep an eye on the download section at www.easports.com.au . 1.0730 Update - The demo can be downloaded from www.easports.com.au, and is about 30Mb in size. This is the aim of the demo as seen on the website - "You are playing concluding stages of a game between England and India. India is batting and need 33 runs off 4 overs in order to beat the English total of 102. England need to get the last 5 Indian batsmen out in 4 overs. Either way, both sides have their work cut out for them!" === 4.23 What are some good sites to go to? === Cricket isn't the most popular game in the world. So there aren't that many sites around. Here a few to choose from - * Caught-Behind (http://cricket.ga-sports.com) The best site to get up-to-date news on CWC and SWC. Has a forum (or message board) which allows you to ask questions to fellow players. With the release of CWC, this site will grow, and already has several downloads. * Cricket Games .com (http://www.cricketgames.com) Features every single cricket game known to man. Contains less information about CWC due to the number of other games included at the site. If you don't like CWC and want to find another game, then this is the place to go. Updated regularly. * EA Sports Australia (http://www.easports.com.au) The home page of EA Sports Australia (obviously). Not updated as often as hoped, but has improved since the game went gold. Find the official word on patches and other information here. As well, you can find information on other in-house games such as AFL99 and the upcoming Rugby game, and games produced overseas by Electronic Arts, Bullfrog and Origin. * EA Sports Europe - CWC99 (http://www.ea-europe.com/cricket99) The European official site for CWC99. Brand new, but will probably include the same information as the Aussie site. However, always look here after the Aussie site for further news. * EA Sports Africa - Cricket '99 (http://www.ea.co.za/newrelease/cricket99/) The African official site for CWC99. Opens with some rather unusual music/sound effects. A mixture of bar music and tenpin bowling is close to describing what it is. Anyway, this is the official African site for CWC99. It has a different look than the other two official sites, and has information that can not be found on the other two. Seems to be updated less than the others though, as there is no mention of a patch. * EA Sports Clubhouse (http://www.easports.com/clubhouse.cfm) A recent edition to the EA Sports website, it allows you to discuss EA games on a web based discussion board. Included are all the Australian games, as well as the other American/Canadian games (Fifa, NHL, Madden etc.). Moderators control the site, so you have the opportunity to ask an EA employee any question you want (within reason). Registration is required, although you only have to provide a user name and password. * Cricket Zone - (http://cricketzone.cjb.net/) By Nishant Kumar. Not updated as often as the other sites, but still has some good information. Has found what Java/JavaScript can be used for, and created/copied some little programs/games/annoyances for your enjoyment. Should become a good site with more updates and information. * FAQWorld - (http://www.rocknet.net.au/~nwest) Yes, I know. I can mention my website as many times as I want. It is my FAQ after all... Only recently opened, FAQWorld was created to join the two CWC99 and NFS3 FAQ sites together. Over time, I will write reviews for other FAQs, and upload these to my website. The Best of the Best. =) * Sites where you can download my FAQ - http://www.gamesdomain.com http://www.gamefaqs.com http://cricket.ga-sports.com http://www.rocknet.net.au/~nwest + plus various other FAQ hosting sites === 4.24 What has happened to the EA Sports website (.au)? === The website was down during the middle of June for about a week. IE5 would time out, and complain about not being able to connect to the server. Since about the 16th of June, the site has been back up again, and has been working since. They have updated the graphics once again, and this occurred just before the site went down. Information on other games can be found using the drop down menu, and selecting EA Australia. Here you can find contact details and recent releases. 1.0730 Update - Once again, they have updated the graphics on the site, and is much cleaner and brighter. The layout is similar to its American cousin. There have been no problems with the web site or server. --- 5. PATCHES === 5.1 What patches have been released? === A patch was released on the 22nd of June to update the game to version 1.1.0. This patch fixes many gameplay bugs and adds a few more features to the game. The number of fixes was quite large, and these are the main ones (the rest can be viewed at www.easports.com.au) - * left handed batsman and bowlers * wicket keeper no longer disappears for the first ball * the keeper pretends to catch the ball from the field even though it is in his hand * fielders don't catch backwards * fielders make mistakes (drop the ball, misfield) * less overthrows * shape of NatWest Media Centre at Lords fixed (very important, and good name BTW) * bouncers added * computer player gets stumped less often * throws are flatter, especially between close fielders * sunblock, wide-brim hats, and sunglasses added to players (cooool!) The patch can be downloaded at the official website, and is a total of 13.18Mb. The only server that currently has the patch is the EA one, so bad luck to all those who live outside Australia. Living in Australia, and connected at 48000bps, I was able to download the patch in 59 minutes. The download time will vary depending on your location and connection speed. ~~ The second patch was released on around the 22nd of July. However, although the file has been updated on the EA server several times, the self-extracting zip is corrupted. After clicking on the executable and selecting "Setup", the zip self-extracts, and produces an error message as it tries to unzip the main setup file. So far, this has not been rectified, although hopefully EA Sports will soon fix the problem. Update 1.0917 - The second patch was released "officially" soon after its announcement on the official site, and does not suffer from file corruption. The patch is less than 2 Mb in size, and a separate file is available that installs both the first and second patchs. The following list is the bugs that are fixed in this patch. They were provided by the EA Sports website - * All player stats updated to reflect their performance during the World Cup * AI batsmen should now 'read' bouncers better, and cosequently hit them more often/varied ways * The occasional 'too many wides by the AI team' bug fixed * Bouncers not working properly from one end of the field fixed * Ball scaling as it goes into the distance so it remains more visible on 4's and 6's * Fixed bug that made it easy to bowl batsman out from one end with certain types of deliveries * Batsmen walk instead of running when changing sides for bowler * Batsmen running between the wickets improved * Slight slowdown that occurred in LBW situations has been fixed === 5.2 What was the original plan for the patch schedule? === EA were originally going to release three separate patches during and after the World Cup. The patches were only going to fix the incorrect rosters, and left-handed players bug (along with other unmentioned bugs). On the 27/5/99, this appeared on the EA Sports site - * JUNE '99 Update 1 - error corrections for player stats* and bug fixes including left-handed batsmen and bowlers. (* will still only feature the provisional squads of 20 players as used in the original release of the game as the final 15's were announced too late for inclusion.) * JUNE '99 Update 2 - we are currently hoping to coincide with the Super 6's, if we can get it done in time - it will update all squads to the ones actually used in the CWC along with the relevant; stats,batting orders,player profiles and photos, plus additional commentary of the new player's names from Richie. * JULY '99 Update 3 - to coincide with the finals if we can get it done in time, will feature all player stats updated to reflect their performances during the competition. This schedule was scrapped, and rolled into one patch (which has been released). EA are supposedly releasing a patch which changes the batting interface, although this has not been confirmed on their website. === 5.3 Does the patch improve gameplay? === Well, yes and no. With both right and left handed players, the game has gotten more varied, with different batting and bowling styles to take into account. Most bugs mentioned in the readme have been fixed, although some seem to have worsened. For example, I have played several games where the bowler continually bowls a wide ball, usually along the side of the pitch. If left alone, you get a wide. If you take a shot at it, the computer thinks that the bowl was OK, and doesn't think it is a wide. It sounds rather funny when Ritchie says the the ball had perfect length when it was pitched towards third slip. The game has crashed twice, and play seems to lock up on rare occasions. You can still access the menus, but you are unable to continue play. This patch has certainly improved play, and I am liking this game more over time. --- 6. THE END === 6.1 Coming Up Next === This is the last version of my Cricket World Cup 99 FAQ. Unless a very important piece of information surfaces, there will be no more updates to this file. However, when EA Sports announce their next cricket game, be sure to find information either here, or in a new FAQ. Thanks to all those who have contributed to and/or downloaded the FAQ, and provided helpful hints during the development of the FAQ. Thanks especially to Caught-Behind and Cricketgames.com for announcing when the FAQ was updated, and to EA Sports for producing a good, although buggy, cricket game. If you have any questions about the game or anything in general, feel free to contact me at west_nathan@hotmail.com .