I want this thread to only be about gameplay-specific issues that need to be addressed for this game to really take a leap in the realism department. Everyone says this is the most realistic representation of baseball to date in the video game world and they're right, but that really doesn't mean much if the competition isn't realistic at all. I play on Legend difficulty so my views may be a bit distorted as very few of you play on that difficulty, but here are the things that I really feel need to be addressed gameplay-wise for next year. Let me preface this by saying these are my opinions only:
- Pop-ups: there are ENTIRELY too many pop-ups in this game. Every pitch in which contact is low on the ball results in an infield pop-up and this simply isn't realistic. There are almost no foul balls straight back or into the press box, which happen all the time in real baseball. The ball off the bat physics need to be addressed because, even though hit variety is better, it's still FAR from even close to realistic.
- Ground balls down the line: Another ball off the bat issue. It's 2016 and we've been dealing with this issue for YEARS. Ground balls down the line are a double almost 100% of the time, and sometimes they result in triples. There is NO reason for a grounder down the line to be a single and there's no reason I should have to adjust default sliders so they are extra-base hits.
- Strike Zone: high strikes at the letters simply aren't called very often anymore. Yes, they're called sometimes, but it's rare. The current strike zone that is actually called is closer to the bottom of the letters (and usually lower) on the uniform to the top of the kneecap. In the show, strikes are CONSTANTLY called higher than the letters.
- Umpire Consistency: I understand umps make mistakes and I understand no umpire is 100% consistent, but most umpires are somewhat consistent and in the show, the umpires are deathly inconsistent. I can literally throw the exact same pitch in the exact same location twice in a row and have different calls and while this does happen in real life, it's not NEARLY as prevalent as it is in the game.
- Predestined Games: No, I do not believe (anymore) in the concept of comeback AI or rubber-band AI, however there are certain games that feel like the CPU is pretty much saying, "you have no chance of winning this game" and this simply needs to be toned down. As an example, I was playing a game a few days ago in which the CPU scores 5 runs on the following: walk, bunt single, routine double play booted for error, 5 consecutive singles, another routine dp booted. And no, no one was playing out of position or even at a second position. Yes, errors happen. They just need to be a touch more realistic. Every single error that happens doesn't happen with runners in scoring position or lead to a rally. In the show, it almost always does.
- Dribblers in front of the plate: Again a ball off the bat issue. How many dribblers are there hit in front of the plate in a normal game on average if you had to estimate? Maybe . . . 0.5 per game? So why do I average 3-4 per game? And yes, this is with sliders tweaked up the wazoo. This has to do with foul balls and the completely unrealistic ball physics of batted balls.
- Passed Balls: When was the last time you saw a catcher take a fastball right down the middle off his facemask for a passed ball? Yes, catchers get crossed up. But they don't miss broadway fastballs that hit them in the face for passed balls. This happens at least once every other game.
- Bunt singles: I had not one, not two, not three, but FOUR bunt singles in my last game alone. How often does a bunt single happen in real life? Bunts are still way over-powered.
Please feel free to add to this list. Thanks.
- Pop-ups: there are ENTIRELY too many pop-ups in this game. Every pitch in which contact is low on the ball results in an infield pop-up and this simply isn't realistic. There are almost no foul balls straight back or into the press box, which happen all the time in real baseball. The ball off the bat physics need to be addressed because, even though hit variety is better, it's still FAR from even close to realistic.
- Ground balls down the line: Another ball off the bat issue. It's 2016 and we've been dealing with this issue for YEARS. Ground balls down the line are a double almost 100% of the time, and sometimes they result in triples. There is NO reason for a grounder down the line to be a single and there's no reason I should have to adjust default sliders so they are extra-base hits.
- Strike Zone: high strikes at the letters simply aren't called very often anymore. Yes, they're called sometimes, but it's rare. The current strike zone that is actually called is closer to the bottom of the letters (and usually lower) on the uniform to the top of the kneecap. In the show, strikes are CONSTANTLY called higher than the letters.
- Umpire Consistency: I understand umps make mistakes and I understand no umpire is 100% consistent, but most umpires are somewhat consistent and in the show, the umpires are deathly inconsistent. I can literally throw the exact same pitch in the exact same location twice in a row and have different calls and while this does happen in real life, it's not NEARLY as prevalent as it is in the game.
- Predestined Games: No, I do not believe (anymore) in the concept of comeback AI or rubber-band AI, however there are certain games that feel like the CPU is pretty much saying, "you have no chance of winning this game" and this simply needs to be toned down. As an example, I was playing a game a few days ago in which the CPU scores 5 runs on the following: walk, bunt single, routine double play booted for error, 5 consecutive singles, another routine dp booted. And no, no one was playing out of position or even at a second position. Yes, errors happen. They just need to be a touch more realistic. Every single error that happens doesn't happen with runners in scoring position or lead to a rally. In the show, it almost always does.
- Dribblers in front of the plate: Again a ball off the bat issue. How many dribblers are there hit in front of the plate in a normal game on average if you had to estimate? Maybe . . . 0.5 per game? So why do I average 3-4 per game? And yes, this is with sliders tweaked up the wazoo. This has to do with foul balls and the completely unrealistic ball physics of batted balls.
- Passed Balls: When was the last time you saw a catcher take a fastball right down the middle off his facemask for a passed ball? Yes, catchers get crossed up. But they don't miss broadway fastballs that hit them in the face for passed balls. This happens at least once every other game.
- Bunt singles: I had not one, not two, not three, but FOUR bunt singles in my last game alone. How often does a bunt single happen in real life? Bunts are still way over-powered.
Please feel free to add to this list. Thanks.
Comment