Battrick

Game Characteristics

Battrick is browser-based game, of the PBBG type. This means that it is played over the Internet, using only a standard web browser, and that it is persistent, i.e. progress is maintained from one playing session to the next. Progress in the game is obtained through management of one's team over the course of many seasons.

The game is coded in C#, ASP, VB and XHTML. As part of a rewrite to PHP, the game developers have stated their intention to release an API (XML and JSON) to compliment the site, making the data available to third party applications.

Gameplay

Battrick players are fictitious and exist only in the game. Players have designated skill levels for disciplines including Batting, Bowling, Fielding and Stamina. While Stamina ranges from "Worthless" to "Superb", all other stats can go much higher, reaching up to "Elite". Skill levels can be increased through regular training, at the cost of lowering a player's current Fitness Level.

Matches are played in real-time, with ball-by-ball match commentary generated. The game follows a structured timetable, each season lasting sixteen real-life weeks, with matches played at times appropriate to each individual country. The user is responsible for setting match orders, as well as setting up a training plan and buying/selling in-game players.

Each team starts with a virtual budget of £200,000. Money is earned through gate receipts at home fixtures, and can be used in a variety of ways to help the team progress, such as hiring staff, signing players, or increasing the capacity of the ground.

Countries

There are eighteen playable countries in Battrick which can be split into eight foundation countries, which are considered the traditional cricketing countries, and ten expansion countries brought in for season 17 (May 2010). Foundation countries participate in the One-Day, Twenty20 and First Class competitions, whereas the expansion countries are only participating in the One-Day and Twenty20 competitions. The foundation countries are the ones which are ICC Full Members and have test playing status, with the exception to Bangladesh.

They are as following:

The expansion countries are:

Competitions

There are currently four competitions – in three formats – played by club sides in Battrick. They are:

One Day League System

The Battrick league system has eight-team divisions organised in a pyramid structure. Each team plays all other teams both home and away, for a total of 14 games in a season. Four points are awarded for a win, two for a tie and none for a loss. Where teams are level on points they are separated by a modified version of the Net Run Rate (NRR) system.

The pyramid structure means that each level has four times as many divisions as the level above. Each country has between four and six league levels. To be promoted to a division in the level above, a team must first win their division by finishing top of the group. Their league record is then compared to the other division winners at that level; if they are in the top half they are promoted automatically, while the teams in the bottom half of the list must win a one-off play off match against a team in the level above. The 7th & 8th placed teams in a league are automatically relegated, while the 5th & 6th placed teams must win a play off match against a team attempting to promote from the level below in order to remain in the current league.

National Cup Competition

The Battrick Cup is a knock-out cup competition which involves all of the country's managed teams. The draw is organised randomly, with some teams receiving a bye in the first round. Prior to Season 9, the cup was a seeded competition, with the lowest ranked teams failing to receive a cup berth.

First Class League System

The First Class league system has six-team divisions organised in a pyramid structure. Each game is played over 2 innings and 3 110-over days. Each team plays all other teams both home and away, for a total of 10 games in a season. Similar to the County Championship and other real-life First Class leagues, additional points are awarded based on first-innings performance, not only for the result of the match. Each league level has twice as many divisions as the previous level; hence at the end of the season, the top team in each division is promoted, and the bottom two are relegated.

BT20 League System

The BT20 league system has twelve-team divisions organised in a pyramid structure. Unlike the other competitions, there is only a single global league system, hence many matches are played between teams belonging to different countries. Each team only plays each other team once over the course of a season, for a total of 11 games in a season. Four points are awarded for a win, two for a tie and none for a loss. Where teams are level on points they are separated by a modified version of the Net Run Rate (NRR) system. At the end of the season, the top team in each league is promoted, while the four lowest teams are relegated. Unlike the national One-Day league system, there are no play off matches.

BT World Cups

Within the Battrick game world, international matches take place. Each and every nation is represented by two teams, Under 19 (U-19) and full National Team (NT). The first U-19 WC took place in Season 3 and the first NT WC took place in Season 5.

Battrick Hall of Fame

On Battrick, players who have done amazing things, usually at the international level, are put in a Hall of Fame, for users to view whenever they like. They are all honored with a commentary in the game mentioning them.

Zakauddin Akhlagullah

Shailes Bhutia

Dan Cahill

Abdul Chanderpaul

Vallabh Chanderpaul

Phil Convery

Seamus Cudworth

/ Neely Cutts - the only player in the hall of fame from Battrick Beta.

Dan Doyle

Joe Harriot

Dirk Hickey

Adam Janes

Darrell Julian

Fred Lucas

Steven Malcolm

Anthony Mulligan

Dylan Noble

Agha Raisani

Hassan Rehmatullah

Josh Rutherford

Lasith Samarawickreme

Sulieman Seargeant

Greg Summers