Anybody else still on the edge about buying?

[TheWarmWind]

Well, watching Armors stream pushed me over the edge. I got to say, I'm still mad about this years effort, but Armor was right. The gameplay this year is really phenomenal.

It may not seem like much to the ******, but for us hardcore guys all the little tweaks add up to something big. It really is very smooth and natural feeling on the field.

Here are my overall impressions:

The Good

Every aspect of gameplay feels smoother and better then ever, but especially when it comes to fielding. The animations are top notch this year, and a lot of subtle detail and love has gone into them. Transitions between animations is noticeable still, but far less so then previous years.

Running on a PS4 Pro on faster is a dream. I'm a massive framerate snob (currently typing on a 240hrz monitor) and the only dropped frames I've noticed are right at scene transitions, and even then only for the slightest of moments. Even on those sideview crowd shots with the grass fully rendered, the Pro breezes merrily along without a hiccup.

Presentation feels slick and new, while maintaining enough familiar elements to not be offputting to veterans. I can't talk about the commentary because I turned it off ASAP, I now play with an "on the field" audio experience. However, the crowd is a major improvement this year. In 17 they never felt like much more then a constant din. This year they really do capture the energy of a live game. I just won a close game against the Brewers, and you could pinpoint the moment when the energy just left the crowd. They never recovered, and people started leaving. Amazing.

Most of the improvements are iterative. The biggest one that has struck out to me so far is how real created players look. I have creations from 14 that look like real people now, and the newer creations look even better.

Stadiums look amazing. I honestly thought there wasn't much room for improvement from last year. Boy was I wrong. So far I've played in Minute Maid, Miller Park, and Rogers Center and man they look good. New weather effects really add to the experience. I had a light fog during my last game at Miller, and it really added to the feel.

The Bad

It may help some newbies, but the new UI is kind of a throwaway for me. Experts will be more bothered by the streamlined front page as they constantly have to shove it aside to get the things they want.

Putting relevant information front and center in the pause screen was a good move. All of the things that I most commonly use in the pause screen are right there for me to look at. Except they took away batter handedness from the batter lineups. Why? I can't memorize the handedness of each batter in the league, and the bullpen only shows the next three batters. I'm sorry, but in order to plan out my bullpen strat effectively, I need to know the handedness of more then three batters.

So the blue jays alternate cap is in DD as a micro-transaction item, but not in franchise. You're just determined to piss me off, aren't you SDS? I mean this is a joke right?

Obligatory mention of the modes that were taken out (season, online franchise).

My Recommendation

I think if you're a year long power user like me, this year's version is well worth it. The differences on the field are really what make this year special, and you're going to find a lot less aggravation playing as the game is definitely a step forward towards an organic, realistic experience in gameplay.

However, if you're more ******, and were looking for a specific feature, this is a year to skip, especially for franchise players. There really is nothing new here, it's just reorganized. HOWEVER, if you've always been curious about franchise but were to afraid to take the plunge, this is the version for you. It really does a good job of explaining how to run your franchise. It's just kind of in the way once you learn all the systems. The reminders are still nice though.

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWarmWind

However, if you're more ******, and were looking for a specific feature, this is a year to skip, especially for franchise players. There really is nothing new here, it's just reorganized. HOWEVER, if you've always been curious about franchise but were to afraid to take the plunge, this is the version for you. It really does a good job of explaining how to run your franchise. It's just kind of in the way once you learn all the systems. The reminders are still nice though.

Thank you for the whole writeup. The last part made me chuckle, though. The idea that there are gamers who have played a good bit of The Show, but haven't played franchise, makes me feel very old. For a long, long time, the only things you could do in a baseball video game were play an exibition game or do a franchise/season. Times change.

[Blzer]

I'll be stating this in a couple of places, but I'll state it here as well:

If you are on the fence because "gameplay is the same," you might want to reconsider. I'm not going to try and sell you on the presentation changes and such, eventually even the new bits will get stale over time and mostly it just feels like the same game in that regard. Even the jersey thing is a bit overhyped, though it looks nice.

This game is just much more fluid and responsive than its previous counterpart. I feel like there is more control over fielders and the AI acts more human than it ever did before. Mistakes are made on sides and they feel less canned and more natural, as if it's just the ebb and flow of baseball.

That's just on a gameplay talk. I don't know yet if strategically it is better or worse or anything like that. Just between the lines with the controller in my hand, I feel like I am back in control again. I didn't play too much of '17 because I was left feeling frustrated wondering why I couldn't do certain things, including steal. Not anymore.

Hell, with all of the things in the new tagging system there are also some great slides that can circumvent them. So far there has only been one play where I thought my catcher could have been faster getting the guy out, but he still got him out all the same. The CPU is challenging me still on balls in the dirt thinking that it's last year's game, and I'm saying: "Sorry son, welcome to The Show '18" and gunning them down.

Now, there are still rocket bunts. I want to make that one clear.

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

I'll be stating this in a couple of places, but I'll state it here as well: If you are on the fence because "gameplay is the same," you might want to reconsider. I'm not going to try and sell you on the presentation changes and such, eventually even the new bits will get stale over time and mostly it just feels like the same game in that regard. Even the jersey thing is a bit overhyped, though it looks nice. This game is just much more fluid and responsive than its previous counterpart. I feel like there is more control over fielders and the AI acts more human than it ever did before. Mistakes are made on sides and they feel less canned and more natural, as if it's just the ebb and flow of baseball. That's just on a gameplay talk. I don't know yet if strategically it is better or worse or anything like that. Just between the lines with the controller in my hand, I feel like I am back in control again. I didn't play too much of '17 because I was left feeling frustrated wondering why I couldn't do certain things, including steal. Not anymore. Hell, with all of the things in the new tagging system there are also some great slides that can circumvent them. So far there has only been one play where I thought my catcher could have been faster getting the guy out, but he still got him out all the same. The CPU is challenging me still on balls in the dirt thinking that it's last year's game, and I'm saying: "Sorry son, welcome to The Show '18" and gunning them down. Now, there are still rocket bunts. I want to make that one clear.

For someone who never played a single inning of 17, but is very familiar with The Show prior to that, would you say that the gameplay changes are as big when facing the CPU?

[TheWarmWind]

Quote: Originally Posted by Unlucky 13

For someone who never played a single inning of 17, but is very familiar with The Show prior to that, would you say that the gameplay changes are as big when facing the CPU?

The CPU plays way, way smarter IMO. It feels a lot more real, for lack of a better term. I don't know what version you're upgrading from, but if it's from 15 or earlier, you are going to notice a drastic difference on the field.

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Unlucky 13

For someone who never played a single inning of 17, but is very familiar with The Show prior to that, would you say that the gameplay changes are as big when facing the CPU?

I only play against the CPU, so... yes?

[Unlucky 13]

Thanks guys. I played 16 for two years. Every game for 2+ seasons, plus simming seasons in between. If 18 is a major step up from the game play that I'm used to, then thats good news.

[BleacherCreature]

Quote: Originally Posted by Armor and Sword

The moment I saw the brand new catcher animations and tagging system....oh hell yeah. I love 17....like it is my favorite version yet....still playing it. But the crap *** catcher animations and archaic tagging system now sticks out so much more knowing it has been drastically improved. 18 is a no brainer. The gameplay will be astounding. Because 17 for me....was pretty amazing sans some ugly warts that have now been tuned and advanced. So stoked.

Also stoked for your sliders again this year. And not just the sliders themselves but all the discussion that goes along with them.


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