Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

[Bobhead]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

Always the absolutes....this is not true, I see missed and popped up bunts. Can prove the popped up one as I just had it happen in a game for the CPU.

Do they happen enough? Probably not. Do they happen period? YES.

Obviously that's what he meant, no one is literally saying you have a 0% chance of a failed bunt

[nomo17k]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

In a CPU vs. CPU game, tied at 2-2, Brian McCann just squeezed in a go-ahead run.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dD1ATccBCWI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If he could lay down a bunt like this consistently, he'd have no trouble beating the extreme shift. :P

[Bobhead]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I think attempts will naturally come down if the success rate is tweaked, since the CPU is already programmed to factor in the success rate of something before deciding to attempt it (you see this when you change the base stealing success slider... the CPU dynamically adjusts its steal rate based on how easy it is to steal bases).

The real problem is the success rate.

I thought last year the failure rate for bunts was too high... but it seems they overcompensated... the success rate is now far too high.

[ralphieboy11]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I've always thought this was a problem with the series, but I've run a bunch of cpu vs. cpu and Manage only Mode games through the years. It does seem to be worse this year. In the past I've always lowered the bunting ability of players on every team. This helps with the bunting for base hits, but something will need to be done by SCEA regarding the squeeze plays. I can't find a solution for that.

[CaseIH]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

This is definitely true, I've caught the CPU out on a couple of squeeze attempts with an intentional ball outside the strike zone (not even a pitchout).

Same for hit and runs, it's much more aggressive on the bases in general this year. Maybe a little too aggressive, but I haven't seen it nearly as bad as others have.

I have noticed that teams are much more aggressive on the bases this year as well. In the past they weren't aggressive enough wit hit n runs, and to get the AI to make anough steal attempts I would jack the stealing aggressiveness all the way up. IM loving how aggressive they are this yr, and I haven't even had to adjust stealing aggressiveness, its still on default.


As far as bunts go, I have seen the AI try more bunts this year, but cant say I have noticed it being extreme though, but that could be I haven't played very many games either while waiting on OSFM and a patch to fix things with franchise mode, so I can start my franchise.

[Go Yankees]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I had a problem with bunting earlier, the problem being that i was in the second game of my franchise, im the yankees vs bluejays, timing hitting and allstar everything, it was tied 2 to 2 in the 12th inning, quick counts on, bluejays have runners on 1st and 3rd with no one out, the computer bunts with 2 strikes and fouls it back and then the announcer says he's out but he stays in the box and bunts again and again fouls it away and then one more time before he lays down a perfect bunt to go ahead, this is infuriating, i hope someone can fix this problem.

[dazzelle]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I saved a video from a game last night, will see if i can get it posted.

I was bunting with the pitcher, i fouled off the 1st 2, went for a bunt on the 3rd pitch it was out of the zone and in the dirt and in one frame the ball warped from the dirt to the hitters bat and went down the 3rd base line for a perfect bunt.

Made me think that bunts are just set to work automatically, i have never seen the ball warp like this in a mlb:ts game before.

Hope this works,never posted a video before.


<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cYQWisiv0A?feature=player_detailpage" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>

[nomo17k]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I think attempts will naturally come down if the success rate is tweaked, since the CPU is already programmed to factor in the success rate of something before deciding to attempt it (you see this when you change the base stealing success slider... the CPU dynamically adjusts its steal rate based on how easy it is to steal bases).

The real problem is the success rate.

I thought last year the failure rate for bunts was too high... but it seems they overcompensated... the success rate is now far too high.

Honestly, I think the decision on whether to bunt or not depends on situations but seems very mechanical, just doing dice roll and if it's time to bunt, he just bunts without much concerns on intricacies like you cited. And that's precisely the problem with most (managerial) decisions in The Show.

The attitude toward bunting has shifted a lot in recent years, and with extreme shift becoming the norm, baseball is changing. I think The Show should keep up with the trend, and capitalize on the intricacies of doing (or not doing) bunt in certain situations, etc.

It would be very interesting, for example, to dynamically adjust the 3rd baseman positioning on fly based on how hitter reacts to pitch, etc. I think there still are a lot of ways the gameplay could evolve in things like that.

[S2S]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

Was just playing RTTS & Matt Kemp came up with 2 outs & a runner on 1st & he laid down a bunt towards 3rd.

[My993C2]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

Hope this works,never posted a video before.

Is that a YouTube video? It's currently set as a private video. You need to make it a public video for us to see it.

[dazzelle]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

Is that a YouTube video? It's currently set as a private video. You need to make it a public video for us to see it.

Ok, sorry, new to this.I put it to public.

[nomo17k]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I saved a video from a game last night, will see if i can get it posted.

I was bunting with the pitcher, i fouled off the 1st 2, went for a bunt on the 3rd pitch it was out of the zone and in the dirt and in one frame the ball warped from the dirt to the hitters bat and went down the 3rd base line for a perfect bunt.

Made me think that bunts are just set to work automatically, i have never seen the ball warp like this in a mlb:ts game before.

Hope this works,never posted a video before.

Spoiler

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cYQWisiv0A?feature=player_detailpage" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>

I wouldn't think too much about how visuals play out in a case like this though. The game has a limited amount of available animations, so some plays just don't play out smoothly.

I don't know what you mean by "automatic," but bunting looks fairly limiting with what kind of results it generates, how often each happens, etc.

[dazzelle]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I don't know what you mean by "automatic," but bunting looks fairly limiting with what kind of results it generates, how often each happens, etc.

Not sure what i mean exactly but it feels like every bunt attempt is executed perfectly, like its almost always going to work out.

I don't record any of my gameplay but this looked so unnatural(hitting related) from anything i have seen in the show before i had to have a look at it in replay and saved it, i wasn't intending to do anything with it until i saw this thread even though my video is slightly OT.

[rjackson]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

This tends to happen more if you are pounding the strike zone all game. The CPU will try the squeeze more often if they think a stike is coming. If you feel it coming try and throw a ball outside of the zone.

This is definitely true, I've caught the CPU out on a couple of squeeze attempts with an intentional ball outside the strike zone (not even a pitchout).

Same for hit and runs, it's much more aggressive on the bases in general this year. Maybe a little too aggressive, but I haven't seen it nearly as bad as others have.

Great ideas. Sometimes I get too automatic when playing and need to remember the situations as the CPU does take advantage of me sometimes.

If I recall correctly, Brett Butler hit .498 in his career on drag bunts or bunts for hits. However, I definitely agree that players with poor bunting ratings don't have a difficult enough time laying down a good bunt. Been this way for a number of years. Looks like the MLB success rate is something like 62-66% over the past few years.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/le...-batting.shtml

[My993C2]

Re: Bunts are such a glaring problem compared to everything else

I wouldn't think too much about how visuals play out in a case like this though. The game has a limited amount of available animations, so some plays just don't play out smoothly.

Whenever I see some sort of close play in MLB 15 thinking "he's got to be safe" I go to the video replay screen and low and behold the umps were correct in most cases they make the right call, the base runner was actually out. But not all visuals in the game are correct. One of the Dodgers stole 3rd base on me in a game last night and upon video replay, the tag was made prior to the Dodger player's hands touching the bag. I was tempted to post the video, but in the end I guess the threshold in the game for when the base runner's hands actually touch the bag and when the game determines if the tag was made is not 100% in sync. But back on the bunting theme and the animations, I have another video stored on my PS4 that shows a sacrifice bunt attempt clearly landing foul from the batter's box towards the 1st base line before the ball comes back fair, and where the 1st baseman picks it up and tags the batter out. Since I was controlling the team trying to execute the sacrifice, what did I care I got the result I was looking for, even if the video clearly showed the ball landing foul before the tag. I guess even in this game the umps can make bad calls, though as I said most of the time on other plays they are correct.

I don't want them eliminated, it's nice to know they can happen, I just would like to see the suicide squeezes toned down and for all the people who claim they don't happen at all. Perhaps turn off "Quick Counts" and "Fastplay" from a few of your games. When you play a full presentation "Broadcast" game and the CPU needs a run late in the game and they have a base runner on 3rd. Expect the unexpected. Expect the suicide squeeze. I've seen enough of them in my own games (I've lost two games already because of them) and have also seen them plenty of times in CPU vs CPU games.