MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

[Bullit]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

One thing I would like though.

I know I am in the minority here with this. But I would like the 1st person mode in RTTS carried over to Franchise mode as an option. That way we could feel more immersed that we were playing a game of baseball instead of watching it on tv, if that makes sense.

The commentary, this year especially for some reason, is just really getting to me. Even my wife, who loves baseball and watches me play like she is watching real baseball on TV, commented the other day "Oh my God do these guys ever just shut up! The play ended like 3 pitches ago and they just ramble on and on"

[burjeffton]

Good points, here. I'd like to see greater progress made on RTTS - Specifically, the injection of fun and depth. The spreadsheet analogy is a good one. Would love to see the game embrace more of an NBA2K "My Player" type of customization.

I'd like to see a video editor that can utilize the preset cameras in the park. It would make it easier to cut together highlight reels and share gameplay in a polished, stylized way.

Commentary is the game's weakest link, at this point. It's a couple years overdue and it really holds back the immersion. Coupled with new camera angles and presentation, and the game would feel fresh in a new way.

[hf199]

One of the most exciting things about baseball is the pitcher and batter faceoff. This is where most of the action lies. I would love to see more umpire personalities (real ones) and uniform differences; blazers (spring/fall) pullovers, stances behind the catcher, etc. The catchers need more personalities also behind the plate, like the crouches (Perez) and umpires in left and right field for playoffs. Old time stadiums with old time teams and players. Better slow motion replays and enhanced during playoffs. FOX, FS1 and TBS presentations. Ejections which rarely happens even when it's turned on. Doubleheaders!

[Padgoi]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

I dearly miss the newspaper. It made me feel relevant.

When you're a Mets fan before the year 2015, that relevance is hard to come by.

The new radio thing is a nice idea but it still needs a ton of work. It just sounds like a robot at this point. I'd prefer fewer facts and more analysis/commentary. Maybe even pull an ESPN and only talk about teams relevant to me. If I'm the Mets, who the hell cares what the last place White Sox are doing? Instead, talk about what the Nationals are doing, could do, and were doing, that threatens my position in the east. Talk about wildcard leading teams, etc...

But I digress.

Other things The Show needs not mentioned in the review:
- better ball physics
- better AI (particularly situation specific AI, baserunning, bunting, bullpen management, etc...)
- better fielding

Disappointed that the review leaves out some of these most critical things that currently aren't working.

And in fairness, I'm equally disappointed about the great things that were also left out, such as the streamlining of the scouting system, the greatly improved trade logic AI, and the new menu systems for the main menu and franchise mode.

THANK YOU!
I'm tired of these reviews that leave out GLARING issues. The game is good, but FAR from great and, in my opinion, not even close to the best of the series. In fact, this was the first iteration that I failed to get through 100 games, let alone a full season. Some of us play solely on manual fielding and the fielding animations and downright ludicrous errors made the game virtually unplayable in my eyes.

[N51_rob]

No mention of the absolutely asinine change to post-season pitcher stamina? That was the single biggest reason I stopped playing the game. Grinding to make the play-offs only to have your starters go shorter and shorter the longer the play-offs went. I joked on twitter, that Matt Harvey's steller game 5 would've never happened in the show because after about 50 pitches he woudl've been dead on a user controlled team.

The fact that this wasn't a bug but a design decision is arguably one of the worst SCEA has made in a very long time.

[dalger21]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

No mention of the absolutely asinine change to post-season pitcher stamina? That was the single biggest reason I stopped playing the game. Grinding to make the play-offs only to have your starters go shorter and shorter the longer the play-offs went. I joked on twitter, that Matt Harvey's steller game 5 would've never happened in the show because after about 50 pitches he woudl've been dead on a user controlled team.

The fact that this wasn't a bug but a design decision is arguably one of the worst SCEA has made in a very long time.

Wait. This really happens in the playoffs? That's...crazy. Seems like that should be something that happens in spring training, not the playoffs.

[dubcity]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

The game needs more teams. Classic teams, national teams, foreign leagues, etc.

[Bobhead]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

No mention of the absolutely asinine change to post-season pitcher stamina? That was the single biggest reason I stopped playing the game. Grinding to make the play-offs only to have your starters go shorter and shorter the longer the play-offs went. I joked on twitter, that Matt Harvey's steller game 5 would've never happened in the show because after about 50 pitches he woudl've been dead on a user controlled team.

The fact that this wasn't a bug but a design decision is arguably one of the worst SCEA has made in a very long time.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

I wouldn't say it's the worst decision SCEA has made, but it was agreeably a very poor and irrational one.

[2ndBase]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

I felt 15 brought the fun factor that 14 lacked. Can't put my finger on it. Agreed on the playoff stamina issue. Killed some potential big game pitcher moments.

Needed for 16:

1. New player models
2. Sounds of the Show. The in between out music needs to be done through SOTS, it's too repetitive otherwise.

[ajw514]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

Would love to see to presentation improve but I would love to see better player models as they seem kind of limited now. Also animations could be cleaned up especially with the batters and many inconsistent animations at the plate when they are checking their swings. It looks very unnatural and jarring at times and it is a shame that Pro Yakyuu Spirits does a better job at nailing this.

I agree. We are now in the next generation era. They should take a page from Uncharted 4. The humans are almost life like in that game. Please no more robot eyes. This is next gen at its worst. Also, fix some of the emblems on the helmets. Either they are to small or way to big. 4 years ago the interlocking NY on the Yankee helmet was perfect. Then suddenly it grew from steroids. What happened?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[bhazlewood]

I haven't played the game for as many years as some (most?) of you. Mostly, I play RTTS, so there's a few things there:

1) Would like an opportunity for endorsements and interactions with other players (a la NBA2K)
2) Getting signs from the coaches (bunt / hit & run / etc) - a fundamental part of baseball.
3) Nit pick, I know, but the animation when there's a pickoff play at 2B - the runner ALWAYS takes his hand off the bag before touching it with his foot, which an alert infielder would tag for an out.
4) Agree with others, commentary gets old fast. "One thing he can't do, is walk him and load the bases..."
5) One step lead off from 1B = Picked off every time. Seriously? Maybe I'm just not fast enough on the stick LOL

[KBLover]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

2. Scouting - Obviously it had a bug (well documented) and that needs to be seriously looked at to enhance the draft and make scouting a rewarding part of the game.

IMO, scouting needs to be vastly reworked or just dropped.

The fact that "discovery" is just creating new players on the fly instead of actually discovering unknown talent or going to different regions to try to find talent is a turn off for me.

I couldn't tell any difference to the pitching/hitting abilities of scouts. What did these actually do? Doesn't seem to impact the accuracy of the report.

Also, when I learned that "discovered" players are available to all teams...why? How does the rest of the league know about a talent I found unless they scouted him, too? Even then, why are we all finding the same guy at the same time (i.e. when I do)?

Scouts should also impact while players are on your team, especially for younger more unknown quantities. I mean, we all know what Mike Trout can do - but what about this hot young kid that's fast and seems to have pop in the bat? Is he really that good? Are they over(or under)shooting on him?

I actually disagree with the article talking about XP progression. Oh god no. Please do not do that. Instead focus on a smart intuitive stat's based algorithm system based on:

1. Potential
2. Performance
3. Age
4. Injury

So much this. Though I'd like to add coaches in there somewhere as well. Another aspect of the game where I'm not sure how much it matters. Does 3 points of speed or contact or whatever even make a difference? Now if it was a +3/-3 modifier to development, then I'd probably care much more.

[DJ]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

THANK YOU!
I'm tired of these reviews that leave out GLARING issues. The game is good, but FAR from great and, in my opinion, not even close to the best of the series. In fact, this was the first iteration that I failed to get through 100 games, let alone a full season. Some of us play solely on manual fielding and the fielding animations and downright ludicrous errors made the game virtually unplayable in my eyes.

Yeah, I easily have played fewer games of 15 than any other MLB The Show game released in the last 5 years. I thought the hitting was unbalanced this year and frustrating (very similar to 13). Seems like they tinker every year with hitting timing and I enjoy it every other year.

Manual fielding produced so many unnessecary headaches. Getting locked into animations that cause you to miss the ball forced me to go back to Auto fielding.

[KBLover]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

Yeah, I easily have played fewer games of 15 than any other MLB The Show game released in the last 5 years. I thought the hitting was unbalanced this year and frustrating (very similar to 13). Seems like they tinker every year with hitting timing and I enjoy it every other year.

Manual fielding produced so many unnessecary headaches. Getting locked into animations that cause you to miss the ball forced me to go back to Auto fielding.

Oh you just had to bring up MLB13's timing window. Don't know how I got through that game lol.

MLB14 felt perfect for me.

For MLB15 - hitting from the pitcher view changed the game for me. I feel like it's much "truer" timing - though I really wish there was a view that gave better depth perception without sacrificing judging strike zone location. Still, though, I have to up pitch speed so breaking pitches act like baseballs and not wiffle balls.

What's funny is auto fielding is locked into animations, too. I use it with manual throwing and see it frequently where the throw won't even attempt to happen until after certain parts of the animation. Can't break/branch it into the action with the appropriate risk that should come with trying to make a high-difficulty throw/play. There's also times where I can't move the fielder after he's fielded the ball to try to stop him/trigger him to try to break down and make a throw.

There's issues with fielding I haven't seen before. Last night had a game where my pitcher just stood there with the ball and would not throw home - at all - until the runner had long since crossed the plate. THEN he flipped it to the catcher probably as the game went into "the play is over" mode. That kind of thing needs to go. It's not realistic, and the "balance" would be the man on third not running on a comebacker to the pitcher in a non-force/non-squeeze situation. Seems like there's the play the game thinks you should make and doing differently brings up these sorts of things.

[Picci]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: A Look Back At What Worked and What Didn't

I want Sounds for the Show DLC packages to help boost team sound and video tendencies at the ballpark.

I want to go to Yankee Stadium and hear their annoying melodies. To Braves country and listen to their tomahawk war chants on the organ, or other stadium-specific favorites like president races.

I'll pay for these team packs if it be. I want to bring these cathedrals to life! For 2016!