For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

[Bobhead]

What if we had a button we could press to send our fielder to the bag of our choice?

One problem I encounter from time to time is getting the fielder to acknowledge the incoming runner, and prepare to touch the bag, or apply a tag accordingly.

The easiest way to explain this is on a double play. If I field the ball a few meters away from the base, I'd like to input a command to run to second, then queue up a throw to first, just like we already do with regular double plays (where you can initiate the throw to first as soon as the ball is in the air). Currently, I have to manually run towards the base, which results in an awkward-looking path. It "works" in terms of process, but when you look at it, live or on replay, it can sometimes look weird. You're usually guessing what angle to run at so that you can touch the bag, and end up taking a weird curvy path if you guessed wrong or have to adjust your angle.

Another common scenario is at home plate. Most recently, I had a wild pitch that rebounded off the wall and rolled right back to home. The runner on third had already committed towards home and I had an easy out. But because there is no "approach/stay on the bag" button, my only option was to run in circles until the runner was near, and run right into the runner to "trigger" a tag. It gets the job done, but it looks incredibly awkward.

Or what if the bases are loaded and the third baseman is lucky enough to find a ball hit his way? I'm usually running in weird directions hoping to stumble upon the bag so that I can launch a throw towards first base.

These problems never occur on throws, only when the baseman fielded the ball his self.

I feel like a controls-change would resolve this problem completely. I imagine an alternate universe where after fielding the ball, I just hold L2, and press Square, to direct my fielder to run in a straight line, directly towards third base. I could hold L2 and press Triangle, for 2nd, or L2+Circle, for 1st.

Basically, my idea is to map L2 (or any shoulder button) to replace the throw buttons with "run" buttons...

What do you guys think? Would you be interested in having this kind of button/control option available? Or is this a silly idea?

[countryboy]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

What if we had a button we could press to send our fielder to the bag of our choice?

One problem I encounter from time to time is getting the fielder to acknowledge the incoming runner, and prepare to touch the bag, or apply a tag accordingly.

The easiest way to explain this is on a double play. If I field the ball a few meters away from the base, I'd like to input a command to run to second, then queue up a throw to first, just like we already do with regular double plays (where you can initiate the throw to first as soon as the ball is in the air). Currently, I have to manually run towards the base, which results in an awkward-looking path. It "works" in terms of process, but when you look at it, live or on replay, it can sometimes look weird. You're usually guessing what angle to run at so that you can touch the bag, and end up taking a weird curvy path if you guessed wrong or have to adjust your angle.

Another common scenario is at home plate. Most recently, I had a wild pitch that rebounded off the wall and rolled right back to home. The runner on third had already committed towards home and I had an easy out. But because there is no "approach/stay on the bag" button, my only option was to run in circles until the runner was near, and run right into the runner to "trigger" a tag. It gets the job done, but it looks incredibly awkward.

Or what if the bases are loaded and the third baseman is lucky enough to find a ball hit his way? I'm usually running in weird directions hoping to stumble upon the bag so that I can launch a throw towards first base.

These problems never occur on throws, only when the baseman fielded the ball his self.

I feel like a controls-change would resolve this problem completely. I imagine an alternate universe where after fielding the ball, I just hold L2, and press Square, to direct my fielder to run in a straight line, directly towards third base. I could hold L2 and press Triangle, for 2nd, or L2+Circle, for 1st.

Basically, my idea is to map L2 (or any shoulder button) to replace the throw buttons with "run" buttons...

What do you guys think? Would you be interested in having this kind of button/control option available? Or is this a silly idea?

I actually like this idea. I know when a ball is hit to the first basemen, if you press "O" then the 1B will either run to the base or toss to the pitcher. There have been times when he is waiting to toss to the pitcher but no one is covering, or he waits too long to run to the base and has to slide to the bag to get the out. While 99% of time, I get the out, I don't like it being out of my control.

Same thing goes for double plays. I would rather be able to tell my fielder to just run and touch the base instead of pressing triangle and hoping they make the right decision. In the game I just played, Descalso (playing SS) fielded a ball hit back up the middle. I pressed triangle thinking he would continue movement and just step on the base for the out at 2B and the throw to first. However, he stopped his momentum and tossed to Ellis who then was too slow on the relay throw to 1B. I'm not sure I would've gotten the DP had Descalso touched 2B, due to Buxton being the hitter, but there was no way I was going to get him by tossing the ball.

Like you said, most of the time, it works out, but for me its that moment of "no control" that makes you unsure of what is going to happen that makes for awkward plays.

Great idea in my opinion.

[thaSLAB]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

If you are close enough to your base, you can run to the bag by holding the base button?

htcONE [M8] | Tapatalk Pro

[countryboy]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

If you are close enough to your base, you can run to the bag by holding the base button?

htcONE [M8] | Tapatalk Pro

Yes you can. I've done it at 1B and 2B. Don't remember doing it for 3rd or home in all my time playing the game.

[Bobhead]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

If you are close enough to your base, you can run to the bag by holding the base button?

htcONE [M8] | Tapatalk Pro

yeah, but it doesn't always work (and of course, I never know whether or not it will work on a given play until I try it and see, which leads to its own set of problems). I'm talking more an unequivocal type of thing.

[thaSLAB]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

yeah, but it doesn't always work (and of course, I never know whether or not it will work on a given play until I try it and see, which leads to its own set of problems). I'm talking more an unequivocal type of thing.

Ahhhh, I see what your saying. Yeah there is a certain proximity you have to be within... I think what you are saying is take away that proximity zone (and created uncertainty), and let you run to any base, from wherever (e.g. run to 1B with your SS if you wanted). I agree that would be a definite gameplay upgrade, as long as they could still get it to play nicely with throw cancellation.

[Bobhead]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

Ahhhh, I see what your saying. Yeah there is a certain proximity you have to be within... I think what you are saying is take away that proximity zone (and created uncertainty), and let you run to any base, from wherever (e.g. run to 1B with your SS if you wanted). I agree that would be a definite gameplay upgrade, as long as they could still get it to play nicely with throw cancellation.

Yeah it would definitely have to be cancellable. I'd hate to accidentally make my Center Fielder run towards home plate with no chance for recourse... lol.

I guess just throw it in with the throws, where a "run command" cancels out a throw command, and vice versa.

[KBLover]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

I like this idea - maybe something like R2+base button = Run to base.

Or maybe use the directional pad (I assume the L stick is used for movement, I don't know since I use auto fielding). Pushing on the pad makes the fielder run to base and if you throw, the fielder will still throw it. If you want to stop running to the base, pushing the same d-pad button will stop it. So that will keep the cancelling/bluffing as part of it, like on a run down or something.

That should keep it from interfering with anything.

D-pad = to-base movement (press same button to cancel move, press different to run to a different base)

Buttons = throw to base as usual with the usual cancelling system.

L-stick = allows free movement

[Woodweaver]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

These features are already in the game in some form, but only in force situations. If the fielder you are controlling is the coverer of the bag to which you are attempting to throw, the AI will take over and "drive" you to the bag. Alternatively if you are moving toward the bag, the AI will do the same once the fielder gets within 15ft of the bag. You can queue a throw to the next base when you get within a few of the bag which will result in a fluid "step on base and throw" animation. If you queue a throw earlier, it will break out of the "take it yourself" run and throw to your new target.


Finally, there is one other case in which the TIY code will take over.... During force plays in which your fielder is not the coverer if you queue a throw to the bag, we analyze a bunch of situational data (i.e. what catch animation the fielder is in, momentum, etc.) or sometimes simply check if it is faster for your fielder to run to the bag rather than throwing to the coverer.

[Bobhead]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

These features are already in the game in some form, but only in force situations. If the fielder you are controlling is the coverer of the bag to which you are attempting to throw, the AI will take over and "drive" you to the bag. Alternatively if you are moving toward the bag, the AI will do the same once the fielder gets within 15ft of the bag. You can queue a throw to the next base when you get within a few of the bag which will result in a fluid "step on base and throw" animation. If you queue a throw earlier, it will break out of the "take it yourself" run and throw to your new target.


Finally, there is one other case in which the TIY code will take over.... During force plays in which your fielder is not the coverer if you queue a throw to the bag, we analyze a bunch of situational data (i.e. what catch animation the fielder is in, momentum, etc.) or sometimes simply check if it is faster for your fielder to run to the bag rather than throwing to the coverer.

Thank you... I've seen the feature you described many times, but I never really understood what triggered it... It's extremely useful, especially on double plays, ad it will be even more useful now that i understand how (and when) it works.

Any chance this can be expanded to an "always available" feature as I described? Or at least have these parameters expanded upon?

My concern is that there are other situations that warrant running to the bag yourself. The biggest one, by far, is reliability... until you guys finally create "trip and fall" animations (kidding, please don't do that, lol), it's a lot safer to take the ball yourself... I mean it's no error, guaranteed. So, for example, even if throwing the ball would be a split second faster, I'd still prefer to carry the ball myself. This is especially the case when there is a pitcher involved in the play (like at 1st base), or when I've had a rough inning.

Another situation is when you need to make a tag. The ball might technically arrive quicker via throw, but when I consider the time it takes to catch the ball and turn around and prepare for a tag, I may be inclined to make the tag myself, at a given base, on a given play.

The easiest example of this is what happened to me this morning... the pitcher covered the plate after a wild pitch, and I, the catcher, fielded the wild pitch right near the plate (it rebounded directly back to me). I wanted to just run the few feet to the plate and make the tag myself, but ended up accidentally throwing the ball to the pitcher. The throw was high, the pitcher had to do that high reach, and, in my opinion, the run ended up scoring easily.

There's no guarantee I would have gotten the out if I ran it over myself, but I certainly would have had a better chance.

[MLB Bob]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

Thank you... I've seen the feature you described many times, but I never really understood what triggered it... It's extremely useful, especially on double plays, ad it will be even more useful now that i understand how (and when) it works.

Any chance this can be expanded to an "always available" feature as I described? Or at least have these parameters expanded upon?

My concern is that there are other situations that warrant running to the bag yourself. The biggest one, by far, is reliability... until you guys finally create "trip and fall" animations (kidding, please don't do that, lol), it's a lot safer to take the ball yourself... I mean it's no error, guaranteed. So, for example, even if throwing the ball would be a split second faster, I'd still prefer to carry the ball myself. This is especially the case when there is a pitcher involved in the play (like at 1st base), or when I've had a rough inning.

Another situation is when you need to make a tag. The ball might technically arrive quicker via throw, but when I consider the time it takes to catch the ball and turn around and prepare for a tag, I may be inclined to make the tag myself, at a given base, on a given play.

The easiest example of this is what happened to me this morning... the pitcher covered the plate after a wild pitch, and I, the catcher, fielded the ball right near the plate (it rebounded directly back to me). I wanted to just run a few feet ahead and make the tag myself, but ended up accidentally throwing the ball to the pitcher. The throw was high, the pitcher had to do that high reach, and, in my opinion, the run ended up scoring easily.

There's no guarantee I would have gotten the out if I ran it over myself, but I certainly would have had a better chance.

Im not trying to be a smart guy but cant you just use your control pad and not hit the throw button? I guess I can see the down side to that too as the camera may make it hard to go in a straight line that a "straight to bag" button press executes. I like the idea of holding a trigger button to accomplish this and release to cancel.

[Bobhead]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

Im not trying to be a smart guy but cant you just use your control pad and not hit the throw button? I guess I can see the down side to that too as the camera may make it hard to go in a straight line that a "straight to bag" button press executes. I like the idea of holding a trigger button to accomplish this and release to cancel.

Well
a) I was hoping the fielder would automatically run to the bag like he's done in the past (I didn't know it only happened on force plays, and there's no tutorial or explanation for this stuff), and
b) I didn't even know the pitcher was there (the camera wasn't on the plate). so I thought it was a harmless try (since normally if you press the button to throw to yourself, nothing happens, ie press circle as the first baseman when you're already at 1st).

[MLB Bob]

Re: For fielders: A "run to a base" button?

Well
a) I was hoping the fielder would automatically run to the bag like he's done in the past (I didn't know it only happened on force plays, and there's no tutorial or explanation for this stuff), and
b) I didn't even know the pitcher was there (the camera wasn't on the plate). so I thought it was a harmless try (since normally if you press the button to throw to yourself, nothing happens, ie press circle as the first baseman when you're already at 1st).

I play 3rd as RTTS and used the button all the time to run directly to 3rd and throw to first when runners were on. Ive also used it a fair bit in franchise to take the ball myself to 1st instead of tossing to the pitcher. I got burned like you may have trying to use the controller so I understand. I use to just use the stick and push to the base until I was close and let the game take over. Guess I fell into figuring this out early.

As I said it would be good to have it as something we can chose like the trigger idea. R2 and the button does bline to base and letting go makes quick throw