Finally got around to playing online

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

In online games, the (timing-related) information you see on the swing feedback area I think is just messed up and doesn't reflect what really goes on in the game. In turn, I just go by what results in gameplay (if you pulled it was early, pushed then it was late, etc.) and don't trust what feedback says. Because of all the sync issues between both sides, what you see on your side of the game isn't always exactly the same as what the other side is seeing. You will find these issues more magnified when you play against opponents with less-than-desirable internet connection. (Some guys who play out of DR, etc., have such poor Internet connections that I sometimes cannot literally figure out what is going on on the field when I'm doing base running; no offense to them though...)

I actually found Power swing to be too useful (at the difficulty level of DD) to the extent that I use it rarely myself, because I don't necessarily enjoy seeing all these HRs deciding the game all the time. If I have a very well trained DD player with his PCI covering a huge chunk of strike zone, then I can simply be patient, wait for a pitch slightly higher than the center, and center swing with Power swing all the time and I'll basically slug away the opponent. Not very fun.

Check swing is definitely an issue. I don't know if it's intentional on the devs' part to reduce the excessive strikeouts that we tend to see from "average" online gamers, but IMO it's too easy to check. On one hand it is good in a sense that most gamers can generate some offense without striking out too much, but on the other hand it has become very hard to effectively use pitches out of the strike zone against decent online hitters; you have no choice but to pitch to contact, and that doesn't usually work in a mode like DD where many well-trained players have very high Contact & Power ratings.

I think it is the other way around. I think the hitting feedback is working, but the pitch speed you see is messed up or they just "opened" the timing even more. It says I am early or too early all game and I hit tons of line drives and homeruns foul. I believe the feedback. I just have to convince myself to swing when the ball is nearly past me. I really believe that the pitch speed might actually be what is on the pitching team's screen. It is like fielding too. You can't trust what you see while batting, but we know that the defensive team is the only in "real time" and seeing what exactly is going on. Maybe I am crazy or maybe I am looking for excuses, but until someone proves me wrong I'll go with that theory.

I like the effort to sync the game in order for there to be no lag; however I still 3-5 glitched out pitches a game and that was on par or less with the occasional lag pitches. The fielding isn't so bad, but it'd be nice to see it in real time on both sides too.

The check swinging is annoying more than anything. It seems like every check swing it is called a ball and they never go around. I swear some people I played are center swinging with contact and you leave 1 mistake....bam homerun.

I've literally had to get super creative in order to hope my opponent doesn't swing at a pitch on the black then I have to get lucky the umpire calls it a strike. I've also seen pitches thrown down the middle called a ball and pitches a foot outside called a strike. Is that intentional??

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

Please look at these images. I just did this really quickly. The first image is in DD online and it says I am "too early" I hit it way foul. The next is in RTTS and I was just late where I flew out to Right Center. Granted one is on Legend and other is AS....and the actual speed of those pitches might be different (I believe the DD pitcher threw "harder") but I'll let you be the judge. The balls are in about the same depth and I am even starting my swing in the 2nd image, yet one I am just late and the other I am too early.

So I do agree with OP. MLB 13 and 12 were virtually the same online and offline. The only difference was that the pitch speed slider was knocked down a notch. What you saw on screen and when you actually seen the ball enter your zone and knowing when to swing was the same online/offline. This year you need to swing when the ball is nearly at the plate. See ball/hit ball....People online probably just got used to this inaccuracy of the timing and adjusted. There is also no lag, which is nice too, but it doesn't matter when you literally have to swing when the ball is on the plate. I hope people can comprehend this!

Also....Online Franchise or something may be different. I just know DD and online rated seems weird. I basically have to re-train my brain to not see ball/hit ball, but to know the exact pitcher's speed of each pitch then recognize the pitch then know when I should swing compared to what actually makes sense.

[JohnMcClaneTW]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

Exactly. I, too, am finding that you have to swing when the ball is at the plate or even what feels like in the catcher's mitt. Definitely a huge issue with the timing for me.


On another note, the other day I ran into my first issue with a player who would Check Swing EVERYTHING. It's incredibly cheesy and quite frankly is bull**** the way he could check swing every close pitch I threw. I actually played him twice:

http://www.theshownation.com/boxscores/13702024

This first game I won, but he disconnected once I hit a double with Tulo. (The Cuddyer strikeout at the end was me just letting the game run.)

http://www.theshownation.com/boxscores/13702962

The second game, he was up 3-0 until my game bluescreened after a pitch in the dirt. :\


It's incredibly frustrating to pitch against this guy because of how cheesy the constant Check Swinging is. Eventually I found my way around it but in the second game, I missed the spot I wanted a couple times which (of course) led to home runs. Funny how everyone I play in this game will homer off pitches down the middle but I line out, fly out or ground out hard. This check swing issue HAS to be addressed next year. It's ridiculously cheap and the check swings in this year's game (online, at least) are NEVER appealed and nearly always end up being a ball. Contact swing is way broken this year.

One other thing, that guy never got the loss for the game he disconnected in. So his "streak" of 51 games currently is complete garbage as well. If you look a bit more into his game history, he's actually lost a few more times since then, but clearly disconnected with no penalty to his record. Not that record or rank matters much (you can tell the good players from the bad regardless of record when you play them), but it's pretty stupid to see the dude lose but have it not get recorded.

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

I've already played quite a few who check swing. I do it based off reaction but these guys either center swing or sit low the entire game. It is much easier to check swing when you sit in one zone. Plus I feel like they are contact swinging too. Ill throw high fastballs and they'll foul them off all day. You have to throw front door sliders/curves along with high breaking balls dropping in for high strikes to get people looking or else they'll never strike out. I've lost to some mediocre players who rely on this tactic when I beat them easily last year. They obviously have it down to an art. Not that I care about my record this year but you can tell this year's game takes much less skill online.

I am also having problems pitching. I will get perfect or good releases for the pitch to only go right down the middle yet my opponents quick pitch and are able to paint the corner. When I do hit a corner its rarely called a strike too.

[JohnMcClaneTW]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

I agree that sometimes the pitching misses by far too much on a good or perfect release. Sometimes alarmingly so.

I don't mind that I throw mistakes from time to time, but I think that the pitches miss their spots far too consistently this year.

I also think that star pitchers are given too much leeway in terms of stats and where they can put their pitches. I'm tired of seeing a David Price for instance, barely striking out during the game, and not having much to show for it in terms of hits. All this against a guy who basically throws down the middle all game.

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

Are you going with the low and away pitches? That is my biggest problem. I will power swing and my PCI will be right on the ball but I am always early. The inside/middle pitches I hit fine. People try to throw up and in on me too and that is easy to hit too. I am just struggling going opposite field like I used to.

[JohnMcClaneTW]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

It's definitely really difficult to go with some low and away pitches. I find myself having to swing MUCH later than I think I have to and even then I will still end up early on it sometimes.

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Finally got around to playing online

HOF and Legend online rated plays pretty decent. I just think the visual synchronization is off. I'd rather them go back to how they had it.