With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

[bcruise]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

They deleted my bug report (not closed, deleted) about the Wrigley Field boundary issues in which balls teleport back into the field, CPU fielders try to make plays on obviously foul balls rows deep while running into the walls, and commentary on obvious foul balls that go, "And he couldn't come up with it."

So I'm guessing it's not going to be addressed since someone confirmed it still happens post-patch 2. I would be fine if they closed it and said, "Next year." but deleting it when they tells us to submit bug reports is a little annoying.

If I were you I'd repost it...I think they may have cleared the tracker for the new patch. There's only a handful of reports there now. You're not getting singled out or anything.

If you don't mind, use this video when you fill it out (if you don't have one of your own):

https://youtu.be/HSrLU801gBI

[Padgoi]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I never said you could train yourself to always miss by a smidge, which you're right would just equate to being able to always just nailing the line perfect. What I am saying is training to always miss a low pitch with overthrow and always miss a high pitch with underthrow to any degree, not just a smidge...This is easily possible.

Meaning if I aim low and away I can ALWAYS miss some degree low on the meter and ALWAYS make sure the ball never trails up. This is very possible and not realistic at all. On a low pitch if you overthrow the meter it should miss up some of the time. Again real pitching is not based on a meter! If you aim low you might miss and throw one up a little! Not every pitcher is going to aim low and either hit their spot or miss low EVERY time, that's nonsense.

Regardless, I went to practice mode with a very average/below average pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie, and threw low fastballs with meter and overthrew them all. EVERY single one of them missed low, as you would want them to...so I don't even see what problem you are having anyways.

That's a wonderful example. So if you do that and make sure no pitches tail up, you'll end up walking every single hitter, once again at least meaning it was your fault that you lost and not the game deciding it was time for you to lose. But then again, realistically speaking of course, who really would do that? Of course if you do decide to do that, the game can see you're doing that and sit on that pitch. Any way you slice it, the user should control where the pitch goes based on where on the meter you hit, not based on where the game randomly decides to place the pitch.

[dblanco12]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

Placebo it's not magically shrinking in game.

no way is it placebo if he's not the only one to bring this up. the strike zone this year is awful.

[thedudedominick]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

no way is it placebo if he's not the only one to bring this up. the strike zone this year is awful.

The strike zone may be awful, but have you watched any games broadcast on ESPN this year? I would say the game is pretty ralistic with the variation you see on calls.

[Mike Lowe]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

Hit by pitch (ai pitching) are way too low by default setting.

[berenjena]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm1-SYCI5Cg

Two of my biggest gameplay complains this year in one video.

An excessive amount of choppers right in front of homeplate (thing that rarely happens in real life) and the Catcher coming out of the box life flash to tag the runner out before he even has the time to run out of the box.

[Artman22]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I agree with the OP. I too have noticed the late strike zone shrinking and the annoying as hell late inning rallies by better teams. Late innings rallies happen in real baseball, but it's the way it happens in this game that's annoying. Everyone just starts dropping easy catches or throwing wild to bases on routine plays. Another thing that drives me nuts is how slow out fielders react after they scoop up or catch a ball. It's like they have no sense of urgency what so ever.

I also agree about the very high strike zones which are ever barely called in baseball anymore. If the batter is tall sometimes it even seems ridiculously high. I understand that SCEA is trying to emulate how real umps call variable strikes, but some of the calls are very very bad. Pitches that will always be called a strike and is a clear strike gets called a ball. The meter randomness is also something I hope they get rid of. In the league I'm in I can count how many times I've tried to throw a pitch very low ball and my pitchers throws it right down the middle for a bomb. Also, please change these commentators already. They are super boring and we've been hearing them for too long. Some new guys would breath new life to this game.

[Padgoi]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I agree with the OP. I too have noticed the late strike zone shrinking and the annoying as hell late inning rallies by better teams. Late innings rallies happen in real baseball, but it's the way it happens in this game that's annoying. Everyone just starts dropping easy catches or throwing wild to bases on routine plays. Another thing that drives me nuts is how slow out fielders react after they scoop up or catch a ball. It's like they have no sense of urgency what so ever.



I also agree about the very high strike zones which are ever barely called in baseball anymore. If the batter is tall sometimes it even seems ridiculously high. I understand that SCEA is trying to emulate how real umps call variable strikes, but some of the calls are very very bad. Pitches that will always be called a strike and is a clear strike gets called a ball. The meter randomness is also something I hope they get rid of. In the league I'm in I can count how many times I've tried to throw a pitch very low ball and my pitchers throws it right down the middle for a bomb. Also, please change these commentators already. They are super boring and we've been hearing them for too long. Some new guys would breath new life to this game.

I turned off the variable strike zone because of this and the "placebo" shrinking strike zone isn't an issue anymore. Unfortunately that isn't really the big issue. The much larger issue is meter randomness. It's impossible as humans to hit the meter on the line every time. But to make the pitch location random when missing it is downright laughable. It's pretty much the developers admitting that the only way they can have the computer team realistically generate offense is by taking control out of the user's hands. Why would someone want to play if user skill level is thrown out the window in order to create a competitive game?

I wonder if this randomness was also intentionally included on the full analog pitcher setting? Because if it is, then it's not full analog at all, it's analog plus randomness, once again taking control out of the user's hands in order to generate realistic and competitive results.

This was my issue last year. Clearly the game cannot realistically create offense for the computer, so the developers made a decision to create offense by limiting user control to force very hittable pitches. I can't realistically count how many times I've aimed at a location just to see the ball split the plate for a double.

As for the late inning comebacks, I've come to accept that there is very little we can do to combat this. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen regardless of your strategy.

[jackbquick]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I turned off the variable strike zone because of this and the "placebo" shrinking strike zone isn't an issue anymore. Unfortunately that isn't really the big issue. The much larger issue is meter randomness. It's impossible as humans to hit the meter on the line every time. But to make the pitch location random when missing it is downright laughable. It's pretty much the developers admitting that the only way they can have the computer team realistically generate offense is by taking control out of the user's hands. Why would someone want to play if user skill level is thrown out the window in order to create a competitive game?

I wonder if this randomness was also intentionally included on the full analog pitcher setting? Because if it is, then it's not full analog at all, it's analog plus randomness, once again taking control out of the user's hands in order to generate realistic and competitive results.

This was my issue last year. Clearly the game cannot realistically create offense for the computer, so the developers made a decision to create offense by limiting user control to force very hittable pitches. I can't realistically count how many times I've aimed at a location just to see the ball split the plate for a double.

As for the late inning comebacks, I've come to accept that there is very little we can do to combat this. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen regardless of your strategy.

Due to the lack of user control, other than the occasional DD game, I've stopped pitching altogether and instead just fast forward to the next half inning.

This game is becoming more and more like theater with the user only playing the role of an extra. My time is better spent watching real baseball than pitching in this game and I come out the other end in a much better mood.

What is greatly concerning to me is that user skill also seems to now play less of a role with zone hitting. I've had numerous occurrences of good timing and the PCI centered on the ball only to have it result in a lazy fly ball.

[MLB14]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

Due to the lack of user control, other than the occasional DD game, I've stopped pitching altogether and instead just fast forward to the next half inning.

This game is becoming more and more like theater with the user only playing the role of an extra. My time is better spent watching real baseball than pitching in this game and I come out the other end in a much better mood.

What is greatly concerning to me is that user skill also seems to now play less of a role with zone hitting. I've had numerous occurrences of good timing and the PCI centered on the ball only to have it result in a lazy fly ball.

I do agree with you, but if the devs didn't program this attribute driven randomness to the gameplay, the stats wouldn't be realistic. That is not an excuse. It's just what's actually happening when you play.

[msmith05]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

The only two things that really drive me crazy is the comebackers up the middle hitting the pitchers. I think it is down a bit this year but still too many 1-5-3 put outs. This has been an issue every year since the game came out I dont look for a change.

The other more glaring problem is the the throws that pull 2nd, 3rd, and home pulling them off the base. Its ridiculous...I can see a throw off line but not 90% of the time which I played 5 games in a row and charted the throws....this goes for CPU controlled teams too.

[jackbquick]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I do agree with you, but if the devs didn't program this attribute driven randomness to the gameplay, the stats wouldn't be realistic. That is not an excuse. It's just what's actually happening when you play.

I fail to understand why realistic stats can not be achieved by just making the game harder. Decrease PCI and timing window size, increase pitch speed, make the pitch meter speed fluctuate more, etc. Changes such of these could keep stats in a realistic range while yet providing a deterministic outcome based on user performance. Dynamic difficulty would then be a constant adjustment to those settings to keep stats in a realistic range.

I would rather have randomness in the fluctuation of the pitch meter movement and speed than randomness in the outcome. If I execute a task perfectly be it squaring up a ball with good timing or nailing the pitch meter I should be rewarded for it every time. Likewise if I fail to execute the result should be the same every time. So, if I miss the pitch meter by X amount the ball should land away from the targeted location by Y amount every time.

[MLB14]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I fail to understand why realistic stats can not be achieved by just making the game harder. Decrease PCI and timing window size, increase pitch speed, make the pitch meter speed fluctuate more, etc. Changes such of these could keep stats in a realistic range while yet providing a deterministic outcome based on user performance. Dynamic difficulty would then be a constant adjustment to those settings to keep stats in a realistic range.

I would rather have randomness in the fluctuation of the pitch meter movement and speed than randomness in the outcome. If I execute a task perfectly be it squaring up a ball with good timing or nailing the pitch meter I should be rewarded for it every time. Likewise if I fail to execute the result should be the same every time. So, if I miss the pitch meter by X amount the ball should land away from the targeted location by Y amount every time.

I didn't say it couldn't be achieved in other ways. I would turn the PCI into something like the barrel of the bat to start.

[Woodweaver]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

I turned off the variable strike zone because of this and the "placebo" shrinking strike zone isn't an issue anymore. Unfortunately that isn't really the big issue. The much larger issue is meter randomness. It's impossible as humans to hit the meter on the line every time. But to make the pitch location random when missing it is downright laughable. It's pretty much the developers admitting that the only way they can have the computer team realistically generate offense is by taking control out of the user's hands. Why would someone want to play if user skill level is thrown out the window in order to create a competitive game?

I wonder if this randomness was also intentionally included on the full analog pitcher setting? Because if it is, then it's not full analog at all, it's analog plus randomness, once again taking control out of the user's hands in order to generate realistic and competitive results.

This was my issue last year. Clearly the game cannot realistically create offense for the computer, so the developers made a decision to create offense by limiting user control to force very hittable pitches. I can't realistically count how many times I've aimed at a location just to see the ball split the plate for a double.

As for the late inning comebacks, I've come to accept that there is very little we can do to combat this. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen regardless of your strategy.

Normally, I would ignore a post like this one, but since you are making an attempt to describe the inner mechanisms of the game and our intents as developers...


I will simply state, you are 100% incorrect here.

[Padgoi]

Re: With all they've tweaked with gameplay, there's still so much more they didn't...

Normally, I would ignore a post like this one, but since you are making an attempt to describe the inner mechanisms of the game and our intents as developers...


I will simply state, you are 100% incorrect here.

Fair enough. But if that is the case (and for what it's worth, I do believe you), why program the pitch location to be completely random if you miss the meter target as Russell explained?