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First impressions of PCM18
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| Kira900 |
Posted on 28-06-2018 20:58
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Free Agent
Posts: 132
Joined: 19-03-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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I started playing Pro cycling manager 2018 but i find it hard to find what is new to the game.
What is youre first impressions on Pro Cycling Manger 2018? |
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| devilswim818 |
Posted on 28-06-2018 21:28
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Stagiare
Posts: 181
Joined: 16-05-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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I'm just missing the DB editor  I was playing the last few hours but i don't see any significant changes....graphics same....interface same...career (until now) same.
But in my opinion it's still a good game though 
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| haasje33 |
Posted on 28-06-2018 21:45
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Sprinter
Posts: 1679
Joined: 08-08-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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Wrong section, moved from PCM 18: PCM.daily Projects to PCM 18: General. |
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| MartijnVDD |
Posted on 28-06-2018 22:25
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 801
Joined: 26-06-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Is anyone else unable to make a profile? Can't play the game because I can't get past the "Make Profile" screen... =/ |
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| Yellow Jersey |
Posted on 28-06-2018 22:44
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2809
Joined: 16-04-2013
PCM$: 900.00
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Just a little aside. I'm not being able to enter multiplayer mode, cause of "connection issues", I have entered just some hours ago and don't know why I can't now, anyone have an idea?
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| swsquires |
Posted on 28-06-2018 22:45
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Junior Rider
Posts: 45
Joined: 18-06-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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I'm disappointed with the objectives planning. It is ridiculous that of the 12 objectives my riders have been automatically assigned only 2 are races my team is actually registered for, and only two are races that are actually sponsor objectives. If I go in to select a different race as an objective for that rider it doesn't automatically show me which races we are participating in. I can't believe they still haven't done something about this.
Also, although the contract negotiations are an improvement, I go on there and it tells me that I have 34k of budget remaining (Continental team). I offer riders contracts and then it tells me I don't have money to sign them.
When I go onto my sponsor objectives it shows them in descending order of importance, so I switch to sort by date - then every time I go back I have to re-sort. That is really annoying. I want to know when my next objectives are.
Finally, a really simple disappointing one is how certain menus don't sort in ascending/descending order when you click on them. That is such a basic thing that has to work correctly.
As someone that didn't get last year's edition I can see a few improvements, but there are still so many sloppy issues that shouldn't be in a game that has been in production for over a decade.
Simon
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| Thatguyeveryonehates |
Posted on 28-06-2018 23:29
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Domestique
Posts: 447
Joined: 01-05-2014
PCM$: 200.00
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devilswim818 wrote:
I'm just missing the DB editor I was playing the last few hours but i don't see any significant changes....graphics same....interface same...career (until now) same.
But in my opinion it's still a good game though
fast editor works fine |
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| haasje33 |
Posted on 29-06-2018 00:24
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Sprinter
Posts: 1679
Joined: 08-08-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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MartijnVDD wrote:
Is anyone else unable to make a profile? Can't play the game because I can't get past the "Make Profile" screen... =/
Fill in a username and your email address (both are required), choose if you want to receive the newsletter (either select or leave unselected) and press Next.
Inactive due to personal reasons.
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| hillis91 |
Posted on 29-06-2018 00:34
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Team Leader
Posts: 5902
Joined: 30-11-2006
PCM$: 1500.00
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haasje33 wrote:
MartijnVDD wrote:
Is anyone else unable to make a profile? Can't play the game because I can't get past the "Make Profile" screen... =/
Fill in a username and your email address (both are required), choose if you want to receive the newsletter (either select or leave unselected) and press Next.
+ Give it some time. Mine used 10 seconds before it registered aswell.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-12-2024 01:50
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Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
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| IP: None |
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| Goldberger |
Posted on 29-06-2018 00:39
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Domestique
Posts: 504
Joined: 14-02-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Ok guys, my first impressions post is going to focus on the most important part of the game in my opinion, the race gameplay and AI behaviour.
I read the recent developer blog about AI imporovements based on feedback from the community and real racing, and wanted to test it out. It got me exited, because it is an area that I think the game has been severely lacking in the last editions (note that I have only played sporadically over the last few years, I used to be addicted to the game way back in the mid 2000s.
So the test I decided to go for was stage 19 in the Giro, the crucial Finestre stage. I wanted to check out the mountain gameplay, and AI behaviour (breakaway, teamwork, captain role and more): I decided to simulate the stages before the Finestre one, to get the fatigue in the riders. I took control over Astana with Lopez and Fuglesang, but i only raced as a bystander almost, making no attacks and just a few pulls in the finale.
So the standings in the top of the GC before the stage was:
1: Nibali
2: Chaves + 1.35
3: Landa + 2.49
4 Pozzovivo + 2.50
5: Porte + 4.39
11: Lopez + 9.24
12: Fuglesang + 10.13
So the race starts. a whole bunch of guys attacks immediately. 15 guys. Ciccione, Hart, Gaudu. Kelderman, Laotour, Jungels, Bouwman, Woods, Brambilla, Bennett, Morton, Marczynski, De la Cruz, Lagutin. I join with Luis Leon Sanchez. I notice that this is a realistic break. Most guys placed from 18th to 60th. Quite far back in the gc, but all good to decent climbers. Latour is best placed at 18th at 16`44. And team Lotto NL Jumbo have two guys. They establish a good gap quickly, also helped by a crash in the peleton.
BUT! The one thing i haven`t mentioned yet. Behind the break Tejay Van Garderen is chasing furiously on his own. Inch by inch he gets closer (it looks painful). Finally after a long and hard chase he catches the break. What`s his motivation for doing this? Salvaging his tour? He is placed 14th at 12`27, so maybe, but not likely. Helping Porte later who is 5th in the GC? Or simply going for the stage win? I dont know, but it sure was hella cool seeing the chase (hoping that he would pay for it later in the stage for realism).
So the break reaches the Finestre with 3.15 on the peleton. Then it begins. The brutal mountain. I notice the pace seems a bit slower than usual (that it takes longer time up the mountain), but that could just be my limited playing time of the last few editions. Anyway,Steady pace for the first part of the climb in the break. Behind in the peleton, Michelton Dcott is setting a furious pace with Haig/Kreuziger/Yates, Chaves clearly has good legs and wants to make the race hard, Interesting to note that Bahrain Merida seems to have trouble with the pace and Sioutsou, Pozzo and Izagirre is all towards the back of the thinning peleton.
As we start the gravel part of the Finestre, Morton, Marczynski, Lagutin and Ciccione are dropped from the break, 11 guys keft. In the peleton only 29 guys are left 90kms from the finish, thanks to Michelton Scott (good sign to get a good selection early). Curiously, Michelton Scott sits up a bit towards the summit, letting a few guys rejoin, But they have already done damage.
Up ahead Van Garderen and others are dropped. Van Garderen is clearly paying for his efforts earlier on the stage. Towards the summit Bennett and Kelderman are also dropped, perhaps a bit suprisingly. So we have five guys in the lead, Woods, De La Cruz,Gaudu, Jungels and Latour. Also worth to note that the peleton was within a minute of the breakaway when Michelton Scott rode tempo, but by the summit the lead has grown again to around 3 to 4 minutes.
The descent now follows and Kelderman and Bennett quickly rejoins, which I think is realistic, as the leaders sometimes slows down on the descent and guys from behind rejoin (not always though). What i do not like is that they now slow down so much that the spent Van Garderen and Brambilla also rejoin (I think they were too far back to rejoin).
When the second to last climb starts Van Garderen immediately drops again. Michelton Scott is now driving the peleton again, after a period of being led by Bahrain Merida. Yates, Haig, Kreuziger and Nieve (who rested on Finestre) are now upping the pace a bit and the gap is coming down again from five minutes. Bennett drops towards the top of the summit, but quickly rejoins. The breakaway are now 7 guys and are making their way towards the final climb
In the run in to the final climb BMC and Movistar joins the chase with one rider each. Cruz and Gaudu attacks on the flat in the break, gets nowhere, perhaps a desperate move?
The break reaches the final climb to the finish. De La Cruz and Gaudu attacks again. They get reeled in again.. In the peleton, Chaves, Landa and Aru attacks at the beginning of the climb. No suprise that Chaves attacks after all the work his team has done. But they get pulled back. Gaudu attacks again, but it doesnt stick. The break only has about a minute on Nibali and co.
Chaves is off the front again, but now a really cool thing happens as Pozzovivo absolutely buries himself to drag Nibali back up to him again, A beautiful effort. As it all comes together again, Landa, Aru and Fuglesang gets away (No attack, just slipping away). Nibali and Chaves watch eachother behind. Then Nibali makes his big attack. He drops them all as the rest of the favourites are scattered behind him, including a tired Chaves. Up front, Gaudu is paying for his attacks and gets dropped.
The breakaway just makes it to the finish in front, it looked very close for a second there. Its Jungels, Woods, Kelderman, Latour, and Bennett who is fighting for the stage. And it is Bob Jungels who gets it at the line from a very close sprint with Woods. Latour in third. Nibali has almost caught them at the finish.
Thoughts after the stege
Wow, I had fun! It is not perfect, but i thought some of the gameplay changes was very nice. Let me try to summarise:
+ A nice and realistic breakaway. 15 riders and good climbers. 2 riders from one team.
+ Van Garderens epic chase after the breakaway (which he payed for later in the stage)
+ Strong pace from Michelton Scott up the Finestre and a good early selection. Clear strategy to tire the peleton and set up Chaves for later in the stage)
+ Some dropped riders who are not to far behinds rejoins the lead in the downhill (Kelderman/Bennett group)
+ More teams joining the chase towards the finish
+ Gaudu attacking like a madman towards the finish, but paying for it towards the end (higher aggression from some riders?)
+ Pozzovivo burying himself for Nibali and catching up to Chaves (Great teamwork)
+ The breakaway makes it to the finish after an epic day out! (more breakaways should win towards the end of the Giro.
- The selection in terms of riders could have been even more on the Finestre (29 riders made it over in the peleton).
- The break slowed down to much on the downhill, letting riders from too far behind rejoin (Van Garderen/Brambilla)
- Would have liked I few more attacks in the finale.
All in all, I definantly think there have been some improvements to the mountain gameplay. Cool to see a realistic break and more teamwork in general. Nice to see that there have been some improvement in areas which the community have long asked for. Also keep in mind that these kind of stages are even more fun if you are in a career and have built history with your team. Looking forward to testing more terrains later, like the hilly classics and cobbled classics.
Catch ya`s later!
Rank Name Team Time
1 Bob Jungels Quick-Step Floors 5h50'42
2 Michael Woods Team EF Education First - Drapac P/B Cannondale s.t.
3 Pierre Latour Ag2r La Mondiale + 10
4 Wilco Kelderman Team Sunweb + 41
5 Vincenzo Nibali Bahrain - Merida + 1'10
6 George Bennett Team LottoNL - Jumbo + 1'34
7 David Gaudu Groupama - FDJ + 1'58
8 Esteban Cháves Michelton - Scott + 2'17
9 Mikel Landa Movistar Team + 2'29
10 Jakob Fuglsang Astana Pro Team s.t.
11 Fabio Aru UAE Team Emirates + 2'59
12 Davide Formolo BORA - hansgrohe + 3'10
13 Alexandre Geniez Ag2r La Mondiale + 3'38
14 Richie Porte BMC Racing Team + 3'48
15 Tom Dumoulin Team Sunweb s.t.
16 Wout Poels Team Sky s.t.
17 Miguel Angel Lopez Astana Pro Team s.t.
18 Domenico Pozzovivo Bahrain - Merida + 4'11
19 Rigoberto Uran Team EF Education First - Drapac P/B Cannondale + 4'37
20 Serge Pauwels Team Dimension Data + 5'05 |
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| Thatguyeveryonehates |
Posted on 29-06-2018 01:02
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Domestique
Posts: 447
Joined: 01-05-2014
PCM$: 200.00
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gonna have to reduce gaps between tt stats
40km tt in a 2.2 race with lots of climbing
last (54tt) was over 10 minutes behind the winner (76tt) |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 29-06-2018 01:18
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World Champion
Posts: 11406
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1120.00
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Thank you Goldberger, someone testing the AI impressions rather than seeing the same career interface and saying "nothing has changed". Always stay vigilant with PCM, but if the AI improvements have been made then it is a good step up in that department, even if it isn't massive strides  Sounds like a nice stage, Bennett and Chaves on the attack is to my liking 
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| cio93 |
Posted on 29-06-2018 01:50
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
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Need I say more?
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| valaorome |
Posted on 29-06-2018 08:08
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Under 23
Posts: 56
Joined: 31-07-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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Great job Goldberger!!!
Sal a entrenar cuando te apetezca, y si quieres mejorar hazlo cuando no te apetezca.
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| Conardo |
Posted on 29-06-2018 13:30
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Stagiare
Posts: 215
Joined: 20-07-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Got after leveling to 10 no points.
reproducing it ... i have stage racer / Climber
1. attempt leveling climber ... no points
2. attempt leveling stage racer got the points |
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| deek12345 |
Posted on 29-06-2018 13:43
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2761
Joined: 13-06-2009
PCM$: 360.00
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Thx goldberger,nice to see some improvements in the AI ,my biggest gripe with the pcm series . |
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| gargatouf |
Posted on 29-06-2018 15:07
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 320
Joined: 28-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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swsquires wrote:
I'm disappointed with the objectives planning. It is ridiculous that of the 12 objectives my riders have been automatically assigned only 2 are races my team is actually registered for, and only two are races that are actually sponsor objectives. If I go in to select a different race as an objective for that rider it doesn't automatically show me which races we are participating in. I can't believe they still haven't done something about this.
Also, although the contract negotiations are an improvement, I go on there and it tells me that I have 34k of budget remaining (Continental team). I offer riders contracts and then it tells me I don't have money to sign them.
When I go onto my sponsor objectives it shows them in descending order of importance, so I switch to sort by date - then every time I go back I have to re-sort. That is really annoying. I want to know when my next objectives are.
Finally, a really simple disappointing one is how certain menus don't sort in ascending/descending order when you click on them. That is such a basic thing that has to work correctly.
As someone that didn't get last year's edition I can see a few improvements, but there are still so many sloppy issues that shouldn't be in a game that has been in production for over a decade.
This has always been a problem, as you said, I don't understand why they can't align the objectives to the sponsor's objectives or race the team has been signed up for. Can I ask if they have sorted the objectives where you can select any objectives at any time (like in PCM15 where if you wanted you could select 6 objectives in March and April) or can you only select 1 objective for different periods of the season (I believe in the last few games, they divided the season in 3 different period)? |
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| TiemenD |
Posted on 29-06-2018 16:37
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Stagiare
Posts: 239
Joined: 06-01-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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I've played a TDF and a Ronde van Vlaanderen (Flanders classic)
And I must say this is easily the best PCM in years (for me).
I really love the improved AI, the game runs smoother than the previous edition, I hadn't had any annoying bugs so far.
It's been very long since I've been this positive about the new game. |
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| pepecs98 |
Posted on 29-06-2018 16:39
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Junior Rider
Posts: 25
Joined: 26-05-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Is there any real name database or will it relaese? |
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| thegame69dx |
Posted on 29-06-2018 16:43
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Under 23
Posts: 57
Joined: 22-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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look in steam workshop, there are a lot |
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