MLB 10: The Show

[PurdueBrad]

Yeah, the guys with the blazing heat and the nasty knucklers (and there seem to be a few) SUCK.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I'm kind of surprised that they don't send out a few Beta copies to some of the more well known guys on the OS boards. I think for the cost of 3 Beta copies they could probably find almost all the major franchise bugs they needed. Instead of some random college kids, why not put it in the hands of the most diehard fans who will dig deep and probably do it for free?

This goes for all sports games. I mean fuck, why not let the best roster guys on the board do the rosters for you too?

Because doing that requires one of two things.

1) Setting up the prospective beta users with debug consoles so that they can play the beta. That can get expensive.

2) Setting up the beta copies instead in such a way that they'll play on retail machines. Do you trust that the people to whom you send that beta will maintain control over that disc at all times? That would be a piracy point failure source.

In the end, it's easier to use the kids at $15/hour.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Because doing that requires one of two things.

1) Setting up the prospective beta users with debug consoles so that they can play the beta. That can get expensive.

2) Setting up the beta copies instead in such a way that they'll play on retail machines. Do you trust that the people to whom you send that beta will maintain control over that disc at all times? That would be a piracy point failure source.

In the end, it's easier to use the kids at $15/hour.

If I was a college kid I would jump on the chance to make $15/hour to beta a game like this.

[Sun Tzu]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

If I was a college kid I would jump on the chance to make $15/hour to beta a game like this.

Keep in mind that $15/hr in the SF Bay Area isn't much. You can make that much or more working as a barista at Starbucks.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Keep in mind that $15/hr in the SF Bay Area isn't much. You can make that much or more working as a barista at Starbucks.

Probably true (taking your word for it as I hve no idea), but which job would you like more?

[Sun Tzu]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Probably true (taking your word for it as I hve no idea), but which job would you like more?

heheh, def the EA spot. It's typically full-time only though, and I remember trying to do full-time work and full-time class loads and failing at it miserably.

[RainMaker]

I have a feeling that testing is one of those jobs that sounds way more fun than it really is.

[Greyroofoo]

I imagine beta tester get test scripts and such. And the only thing worst than going through a test script is writing one.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

If I was a college kid I would jump on the chance to make $15/hour to beta a game like this.

1) As noted, $15/hour ain't that much in SF.

2) You don't get hired, typically, to beta one specific game. If it were that easy, there'd be loads of people lining up for Call of Duty, Madden, MLB XX: The Show...and nobody for "Random Game Nobody's Ever Heard Of But Will Be Pretty Crappy."

So they get hired to do beta/game testing, sure, but after that, you're talking about the luck of the draw. Did you get assigned to an actually good game, or a terrible game? Even if you got a good game, you aren't assigned to play it and report if anything weird happens. Your job is to try like hell to break it in all kinds of random ways. Actually playing the game doesn't factor in, usually. I know people who've done that gig before, and by the end were so hostile towards the game that they couldn't even play the finished product, even if that finished product was actually something quite good.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

1) As noted, $15/hour ain't that much in SF.

2) You don't get hired, typically, to beta one specific game. If it were that easy, there'd be loads of people lining up for Call of Duty, Madden, MLB XX: The Show...and nobody for "Random Game Nobody's Ever Heard Of But Will Be Pretty Crappy."

So they get hired to do beta/game testing, sure, but after that, you're talking about the luck of the draw. Did you get assigned to an actually good game, or a terrible game? Even if you got a good game, you aren't assigned to play it and report if anything weird happens. Your job is to try like hell to break it in all kinds of random ways. Actually playing the game doesn't factor in, usually. I know people who've done that gig before, and by the end were so hostile towards the game that they couldn't even play the finished product, even if that finished product was actually something quite good.

That's where the companies need to take heed. Hire at least a genre basis (an from the pool of peoplewho would be your target audience) and they'll get MUCH better feedback.

In my company we have a QA staff inour India offices and they test strictly by the script. This has led to an incredible amount of bugs that get missed.

The US staff also used to be end users (for the most part) and they find things because they test it how an end user would test it.

Unfortunately they often get yelled at for going outside of the script (even though they found things that would have never been found with the script).

[Sun Tzu]

Another thing, a lot of these testers find bugs and report them, but they just never get fixed. I remember one buddy I had who worked at EA in 08 or 07 that was one of the testers for Madden. He said when they shipped the game out it still had something like 450 known bugs, or something like that.

[Sun Tzu]

Well...my hot streak finally came to an end about 1/2 of the way through season #2. I'm in AAA on the absolutely god awful Pirates affiliate. Our team is 3rd to last or worse in practically every offensive category, and what even more painful is our bullpen is terrible. They have already blown twelve saves this year, and it's only half way through June. I'm 3-4 with an ERA of 3.15. I've sat by and watched our closer walk 3 consecutive batters and then give up a 3 run double numerous times. Ugh...I'm torn on whether I should ask for a trade to another team or just stick it out due to the high likelyhood I'll get called up. The Pirates lost 100 games last year, and aren't looking any better this year.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Well...my hot streak finally came to an end about 1/2 of the way through season #2. I'm in AAA on the absolutely god awful Pirates affiliate. Our team is 3rd to last or worse in practically every offensive category, and what even more painful is our bullpen is terrible. They have already blown twelve saves this year, and it's only half way through June. I'm 3-4 with an ERA of 3.15. I've sat by and watched our closer walk 3 consecutive batters and then give up a 3 run double numerous times. Ugh...I'm torn on whether I should ask for a trade to another team or just stick it out due to the high likelyhood I'll get called up. The Pirates lost 100 games last year, and aren't looking any better this year.

Isn't that rather redundant?

[Sun Tzu]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Isn't that rather redundant?

Are you implying that it's never necessary to mention how absolutely god awful the pirates organization is?

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Are you implying that it's never necessary to mention how absolutely god awful the pirates organization is?

could be.....

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

could be.....

You're an awful, awful, awful man.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by PurdueBrad

You're an awful, awful, awful man.

You've got the Penguins and Steelers, you have to give me this at least.

[Sun Tzu]

In my second year I finished the AAA season on an absolute tear. I won 7 straight games to finish the year 11-7, including a shutout in my final start. My ERA was 3.33, I had 18 QS out of 26 GS, a WHIP of 1.22, and struck out 101 batters in 162 innings. A few days after the season I got a September call-up! I started 5 games in September for the Pirates, and here was my stat line.

1 QS, 7.94 ERA, 1-2 record, 10 SO's, 22.2 IP, 2.25 WHIP

I got absolutely LIT UP. I fully expect to get a lot more seasoning in AAA next year...although the Pirates are pretty damn bad. We're on pace to lose 110 games. *edit* we wound up only losing 109 games...not 110

also...just in case anybody is wondering, I play on All-Star difficulty with default sliders.

[PurdueBrad]

I'm on All-Star difficulty as well. Work has gotten in my way some, so I'm still very early in my Triple A tenure but:

I'm hitting .278 with 5 homeruns and 19 RBIs in 19 games. Feeling kind of good, except that the Rays picked up a back-up for Longoria so now I'm the #3 third baseman in the system, although I'm number 9 in Triple A. Considering asking for a trade.

[cougarfreak]

Ok, is it possible to sign guys to an extension during a season? I can't find it.

[Big Fo]

I just started a RTTS career so I'm only a backup on the AA team for now. It's very disappointing to come into a game for my one chance to hit only for a baserunner to get picked off first to end the inning, pay attention you bastard.

[JetsIn06]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

Ok, is it possible to sign guys to an extension during a season? I can't find it.

Nope

[Sun Tzu]

Well...after 2 months of getting my brains beat in by big league hitters, I was optioned back down to AAA.

bitches

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

I just started a RTTS career so I'm only a backup on the AA team for now. It's very disappointing to come into a game for my one chance to hit only for a baserunner to get picked off first to end the inning, pay attention you bastard.

It's even more disappointing when the game freezes up at the starting lineups screen and you haven't bothered to save 1.5 months into your RTTS career. Ugh.

[EagleFan]

Had one of those "they need to fix that" moments in relation to in game goals. We're down by one run with 2 outs in the top of the 9th and I am up (1 for 3 with an RBI so far in the game). My in game goal is to drive the run in. First pitch taken for ball one (no big accomplishment as it was WAY outside). Waiting on the next pitch and the runner on first gets picked off to end the game and I get tagged with a failed goal.

Wouldn't have minded it as much if it was just sometime in the middle of the game but that took away any chance at last out heroics.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

It's even more disappointing when the game freezes up at the starting lineups screen and you haven't bothered to save 1.5 months into your RTTS career. Ugh.

You don't have auto-save on?

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

You don't have auto-save on?

I forgot about that, I just turned the PS3 off in frustration after the game froze. IIRC the default option is on so hopefully I'll be ok.

[SackAttack]

Two things after my first game.

1) When the ball gets past the catcher, there's entirely too much rebound, at least in RTTS. So far, the two wild pitches I've seen, the ball has wound up halfway down the third base line before I can get to it.

2) Are you fucking KIDDING me? The ball rebounds, the catcher has to go track it down with a runner coming in from third, and NOBODY (read: dumbass pitcher who threw a wild pitch with a runner on third) covers the plate for a throw, so I have to chase after the runner who's already less than ten feet from the plate anyway?

[Sun Tzu]

Sackattack

What position are you? The only wild pitches I've seen are the ones I've thrown and I have to say I haven't seen a single one like how you're describing.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Sackattack

What position are you? The only wild pitches I've seen are the ones I've thrown and I have to say I haven't seen a single one like how you're describing.

Well, I'm workin' on the review, so I've been trying out the new catcher stuff. Three wild pitches in four games so far, and they've all been really elastic on the rebound. Only once was a guy on third, though.

[Big Fo]

Alright, auto-save was indeed turned on so I didn't lose a few hours of play. Now I'm into mid-June and have been called up to the big leagues after hitting well (around .350/.390/.550) in AAA. I just went 3-5 in my big league debut, getting a hit in my first career at bat off Mark Buehrle. I'm hitting better in this version after sitting closer to the TV as DeToxRox suggested, plus switching the batter camera from the default setting to wide also helped.

One odd thing is that despite my guy being a lumbering first baseman with outfield as a secondary position and few points invested in the speed and fielding stats thus far, crazy old man Bobby Cox had me starting in center on my debut. Better center field than the bench though.

edit: playing in the big leagues is hard, after that great start I'm 1 for my last 18 and strike out half the time.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

plus switching the batter camera from the default setting to wide also helped.

I'm going to have to give that a try. I haven't been "good" at hitting in, well...any PS3 version of The Show.

[SackAttack]

Dear SCE San Diego: A fielder's choice is *not* the same thing as a single. You probably want to fix that in the simulated game. Penalizing someone's H/9 rating because they induced an inning-ending 4-6 grounder is, well...sloppy.

[Sun Tzu]

P.S - When a ball off the batters bat comes in contact with a baserunner, that baserunner should be considered out.

[PurdueBrad]

P.P.S.- When a runner is past the bag at first and THEN the shortstop's throw goes errant, it's a single plus however many bases for the error. I've lost three hits this way, stupid scorekeeper must hate me.

[Pumpy Tudors]

P.P.P.S. IF THIS WAS ANY GAME BESIDES THE SHOW, EVERYONE WOULD BE SAYING HOW MUCH IT SUXXXXX AND THEY GOT ROBBED OUT OF $60

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

P.P.P.S. IF THIS WAS ANY GAME BESIDES THE SHOW, EVERYONE WOULD BE SAYING HOW MUCH IT SUXXXXX AND THEY GOT ROBBED OUT OF $60

Actually, quite accurate. It's still such a fun game, I try to overlook a lot of the flaws (especially until the patch) That said, there are some stupid scoring decisions in the game. Always has been.

[Sun Tzu]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Actually, quite accurate. It's still such a fun game, I try to overlook a lot of the flaws (especially until the patch) That said, there are some stupid scoring decisions in the game. Always has been.

Yep, 100% accurate, at least as far as sports games go...and the reason being, The Show is just that much better then all of the other sports games out there.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Yeah, I can't really say anything informed about the game itself since I don't have a PS3, but I do think it's funny how much people allow these serious scoring errors to slide. I guess it must really be that much fun.

What I've learned from this is that I'm no longer going to feel guilty about liking games that other people trash. So I've eliminated one of my character flaws. This thread has done me some good.

[Sun Tzu]

I think it's time for a nice group hug.

[EagleFan]

The way I see it is that it depends on how frequent a situation occurs and does the error in scoring happen every time. How many times have we seen things happen in a real game that we would be up in arms about if it happened in a video game.

How badly would a forum/thread blow up if in a playoff game there was a runner caught in a rundown between home and third and as the runner went back to third he goes past the base while at the same time the runner from second went to third. If the fielder tagged both runners while they were not on the base and only one gets called out. Just how badly would the game get ripped apart?

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

P.P.P.S. IF THIS WAS ANY GAME BESIDES THE SHOW, EVERYONE WOULD BE SAYING HOW MUCH IT SUXXXXX AND THEY GOT ROBBED OUT OF $60

If this were an EA game, you are exactly right, people would be much less forgiving (hell, not forgiving at all, pitchforks and torches would be in hand). I guess the big difference right now is that they don't have the track record for f-ing up that EA has quickly cultivated but another showing like this, and honestly, they won't be much better than EA. And The Show group tends to be very in tune with the forums at Operation Sports and does seem to respond well.

That being said, I don't know if I get 11 unless there are some significant changes to RTTS. It feels much the same as last year's (some small tweaks but nothing I could've done without and some new errors which I would gladly pass up).

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by TroyF

I hate those types of pitchers. I remember one guy who just owned me last year and he did follow me up the ladder. His three pitches were: 1) A fastball that touched 97. 2) A change up that went around 83-85. 3) A knuckleball.

The SOB always seemed to get the knuckler over for strikes. I had to guess fastball and hit the first one even near the strike zone. I don't have the stats like '10 would for me, but I would guess in my career I hit under .100 against the guy.

GUH, faced a very similar guy in back-to-back series last night and it was awful. 96 MPH fastball, 74 MPH curve, 64 MPH Knuckler, and a 78 MPH palm ball. First game, though I would be smart and guess knuckler every time. Didn't matter, it dance around like a butterfly on acid in a tornado. Second time, decided to sit fastball and got heater in the dirt first pitch every at bat. Twice, out of desperation, I chased it, nothing. Got fed nothing but knucklers after that.

The other at bat, he started me knuckler that looked like it was going to hit me, it crossed dead center. I then was hoping to sit on a curve, guessed curve, and got another knuckler and JUST fouled it off. Third pitch I guessed curve, expected knuckler, and swung forty-two minutes too late on a fastball at my eyes.

[DeToxRox]

So was there an update out today? My buddy just told me there was but he's pretty stupid so I question this. I'm currently at the library studying so I can't check.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

P.P.P.S. IF THIS WAS ANY GAME BESIDES THE SHOW, EVERYONE WOULD BE SAYING HOW MUCH IT SUXXXXX AND THEY GOT ROBBED OUT OF $60

I dunno. Possible, I guess, but you don't have to look real hard over the baseball releases of the last ten years to realize that even with so many (STUPID STUPID) flaws it's still probably the best baseball game of the last two generations.

Inside Pitch was terrible. The Dreamcast World Series games were terrible, the franchise got better briefly on Xbox and then backslid some in the last 3-4 years. The last MVP was fantastic, and I think The Show is poorer for having been denied that competition, but I do think that The Show is superior in its current form to MVP on its last release.

But that doesn't mean there's not a whole lot of room for cleanup. I'm still running into an issue from MLB 09 when RTTSing as a pitcher - when I run to cover first on a 3-6-1 double play attempt, there is a metric assload of slowdown right before I reach the bag, and even if the throw beats the runner, the pitcher will not step on the base in time. That's something I'd hoped would be fixed this year.

[Sun Tzu]

Yeah...the 3-6-1 execution is just awful. I was hoping it would be a little tighter this year too...bah.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Yeah, I can't really say anything informed about the game itself since I don't have a PS3, but I do think it's funny how much people allow these serious scoring errors to slide. I guess it must really be that much fun.

What I've learned from this is that I'm no longer going to feel guilty about liking games that other people trash. So I've eliminated one of my character flaws. This thread has done me some good.

It's kind of like having a Championship team in your city. The following year you want them to be great again, but if they fuck up, you sort of give them a pass. Eventually after a a couple years, you go back to raging when things go wrong.

College Hoops 2K8 got this free pass (most was fixed in a patch) and I think FIFA is starting to wear out their luster from their Super Bowl year a little while back.

[PurdueBrad]

In the greatest punishment ever:

My RTTS player apparently keeps trying to steal (I don't run) so I finally got "benched for a few games." The next three games, here's what happened. I sim to next appearance and the pinch-hitter screen comes up, only we're in the field, so I'm a defensive sub. Look at the line score, it's the top of the 1'st, nobody out, nobody on, and the count is 0-0. So the manager is apparently sending some guy out there to third, calling time out after the warm-up pitches, and sending me in. Nice benching Skip.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by PurdueBrad

In the greatest punishment ever:

My RTTS player apparently keeps trying to steal (I don't run) so I finally got "benched for a few games." The next three games, here's what happened. I sim to next appearance and the pinch-hitter screen comes up, only we're in the field, so I'm a defensive sub. Look at the line score, it's the top of the 1'st, nobody out, nobody on, and the count is 0-0. So the manager is apparently sending some guy out there to third, calling time out after the warm-up pitches, and sending me in. Nice benching Skip.

I see Bobby Bowden found something to do with his free time.

[Sun Tzu]

gold