Re: The Next step for Road To The Show
Great points, Stolm. I'm 100% agree. Especially immersion, which should be a big part of a player career mode.
*I originally posted this in the 17 Wishlist thread, but it's more of a RTTS post than anything else.*
Couple thoughts after finishing my second complete season in RTTS.
(Played every game, and every Fielding and Batting opportunity. Played on All-Star)
1. Progression is still way too fast. Was drafted as a B potential Shortstop, played about 6 months in the minors before being called up and have never been back.
Went from a Speedy Contact guy to 99 Rated All-Star in under 2 years of professional play.
Neither my Potential or Perception has changed since then, which is weird. Still perceived as "Young Talent" and Performance is "as expected" even though I won a Silver Slugger award and the AL Batting Title. Led the league in Triples and Stolen Bases (62).
2. Presentation. I know I'm beating a dead horse at this point, but after 2 full years playing every game, its even more apparent that the game is in dire need of some variety, with regards to commentary and presentation.
Hearing the same stats and canned lines coming to the plate and during every at-bat. Having to watch the pitcher slide replay every single time I am on-base. Same lines every at-bat about how I don't hit for as much power from the left side, or how I am hitting over .300 from the left. It's all so robotic, and just sounds like guys saying lines other than commentating an actual baseball game or having a conversation. I hear almost zero passion in any of the line readings. Big plays in playoff games, sound exactly like any other routine play during the regular season.
Speaking of robotic, the players are not much better. Stances, though unique, are very choppy, animations look cut and pasted together, feet slider more than any other year. Constant cuts in presentation are jarring, causing warping in and out of the batters box, and on the bases. Player models are all too chunky and box-like.
Players still show barely any emotion. I know there was supposed to be a new emotion system this year, but I rarely see it, even in big situations. And even when I do it only amounts to the same animation of my player pointing at the dugout.
3. Immersion, I feel, is at an all time-low this year. With all the cuts to game presentation, the skipping of the game up until your first play of the game, and the cuts to the Batters box animations, it feels like an arcade experience where I am being rushed to my next play as quickly as possible.
The Showtime system missed the mark massively. They had a chance to add a system that made your player unique while still retaining a sense of authenticity and realism, but it was implemented in the most arcade-like way possible, with guaranteed outcomes and perks that are just glorified cheats.
I don't feel like there is any kind of immersion whatsoever of being part of a team. I played for the Mariners for almost two full seasons, and I doubt I could name more than 4 or 5 of my teammates. And even the ones I could, I could tell you very little about their performance during the year or if they did anything of note. Plenty of times they would just disappear, and I wouldn't even notice that they had been moved to the DL with an injury. They all feel like lifeless robots who I hope don't screw up the double-play I start, or strand me at second base.
I feel like this is a big area ripe for exploration and improvement, but there doesn't seem to be any interest by the devs to do so.
Even simple things like email or texts from teammates, would be an improvement, and would require very little development time. Obviously that could be expanded on with responses and even integrated with the new morale system that's been implemeted in Franchise.
There doesn't have to be a huge, deep RPG system, but any kind of immersion helps.
Well, those are my thoughts mainly on RTTS following my second season of play. I most likely will pack it in for the year, and start season 3 next year. Hopefully with a much improved RTTS experience.
Couple thoughts after finishing my second complete season in RTTS.
(Played every game, and every Fielding and Batting opportunity. Played on All-Star)
1. Progression is still way too fast. Was drafted as a B potential Shortstop, played about 6 months in the minors before being called up and have never been back.
Went from a Speedy Contact guy to 99 Rated All-Star in under 2 years of professional play.
Neither my Potential or Perception has changed since then, which is weird. Still perceived as "Young Talent" and Performance is "as expected" even though I won a Silver Slugger award and the AL Batting Title. Led the league in Triples and Stolen Bases (62).
2. Presentation. I know I'm beating a dead horse at this point, but after 2 full years playing every game, its even more apparent that the game is in dire need of some variety, with regards to commentary and presentation.
Hearing the same stats and canned lines coming to the plate and during every at-bat. Having to watch the pitcher slide replay every single time I am on-base. Same lines every at-bat about how I don't hit for as much power from the left side, or how I am hitting over .300 from the left. It's all so robotic, and just sounds like guys saying lines other than commentating an actual baseball game or having a conversation. I hear almost zero passion in any of the line readings. Big plays in playoff games, sound exactly like any other routine play during the regular season.
Speaking of robotic, the players are not much better. Stances, though unique, are very choppy, animations look cut and pasted together, feet slider more than any other year. Constant cuts in presentation are jarring, causing warping in and out of the batters box, and on the bases. Player models are all too chunky and box-like.
Players still show barely any emotion. I know there was supposed to be a new emotion system this year, but I rarely see it, even in big situations. And even when I do it only amounts to the same animation of my player pointing at the dugout.
3. Immersion, I feel, is at an all time-low this year. With all the cuts to game presentation, the skipping of the game up until your first play of the game, and the cuts to the Batters box animations, it feels like an arcade experience where I am being rushed to my next play as quickly as possible.
The Showtime system missed the mark massively. They had a chance to add a system that made your player unique while still retaining a sense of authenticity and realism, but it was implemented in the most arcade-like way possible, with guaranteed outcomes and perks that are just glorified cheats.
I don't feel like there is any kind of immersion whatsoever of being part of a team. I played for the Mariners for almost two full seasons, and I doubt I could name more than 4 or 5 of my teammates. And even the ones I could, I could tell you very little about their performance during the year or if they did anything of note. Plenty of times they would just disappear, and I wouldn't even notice that they had been moved to the DL with an injury. They all feel like lifeless robots who I hope don't screw up the double-play I start, or strand me at second base.
I feel like this is a big area ripe for exploration and improvement, but there doesn't seem to be any interest by the devs to do so.
Even simple things like email or texts from teammates, would be an improvement, and would require very little development time. Obviously that could be expanded on with responses and even integrated with the new morale system that's been implemeted in Franchise.
There doesn't have to be a huge, deep RPG system, but any kind of immersion helps.
Well, those are my thoughts mainly on RTTS following my second season of play. I most likely will pack it in for the year, and start season 3 next year. Hopefully with a much improved RTTS experience.
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