Re: PS BLOG: Everything New in MLB The Show 18’s Franchise Mode
Well folks we got a blog (thank god as some people were on the ledge around here lol). Underwhelming indeed. I love franchise modes in sports games. We all do.
In regards to Steelers quote. I have played this game since 2009 so I am about to embark on my 10th anniversary playing The Show. And i am with you even after 10 years of playing this great game. I don't find too much wrong with the actual mode. It has the same issues that plague every single franchise mode in every sports game (yes even the vaunted OOTPB and NBA 2K franchise's). Shoddy CPU AI.
CPU AI is the clear glaring issues in every single franchise mode for all sports games. Here we are in 2018 and still we will see stupid trades, lineup decisions, brain dead play calling, brain dead roster management...etc...etc....etc.
But out of all the major sports games I can easily say The Show is the easiest to manage the CPU exploits via 30 team control.
In terms of NBA 2K's My league mode.....The Show just needs to simply look at the depth of options the player has in creating his perfect virtual sports universe. Expansion, create a arena, realignment, and even more slider control for off the diamond CPU AI. We did get a trade slider. And it works as intended.
I am not going to sit here and tell you this is a great thing. It's not. However I will tell you a few things. take it or leave it as you want. But I choose to enjoy my sports games and call me old school or a glass half full guy or whatever you want. But I have a freaking blast every year with The Show, 2K and Madden because I use what they give me and create my storylines via total league control ability.
It's not cumbersome for me, because I get a great payoff with the time I put into it.
I create my own "Hotstove". I create blockbuster trades, controversial lineup choices, and even some injury stories as well. How? Using my imagination, typing write-ups and streaming franchise games and having a blast with my audience.
The Show gives me a franchise mode deep enough to have a great time playing multiple files (current day and classic rosters as well as fantasy draft files) and keeping it fresh for me.
It absolutely can use some improvement and long time features that have been on want lists for years. Expansion mode to me would be a game changer. Allowing us to have an expansion draft and create our uniforms and park would be pretty amazing and a massive enhancement.
That is the dream.
But here are things that to me (and I hope some of that is shown during the stream today) that can easily enhance the franchise experience:
Dynamic storylines in presentation - they have touted this as an addition this year to franchise mode. I want to see and hear it in action. talk about contracts, talk about trades, talk about winning and losing streaks, pennant races. Presentation within franchise mode to me is probably the most important feature to immerse everyone and make it feel alive.
Highlight Show - Somehow, some way get in a weekly league wide recap with highlights. I know we have the radio show and I do like that while I am doing tasks. But this can go a long way to immersing us.
Better scouting/prospect generation/dynamic storylines and the Amateur Draft - Huge. And important How about Mock draft boards (ala NBA 2K), branching storylines for top prospects and also deep sleepers? Presentation again goes a long way in immersion. But also we need a better draft presentation. Make it more of an event.
CPU AI lineup/pitching logic - Hopefully this was worked on. But if not, it can use a tuneup. And I don't see why it can't be focused on for us hardcore franchise players so we don't have to step in as much (we always will you know this right?).
So to me I am in the camp of, we have a solid solid foundation for franchise mode and it just needs a little more focus and TLC.
As far as "Phases" color me excited to see a revamped interface and a more intuitive franchise interface as this looks like a nice and substantial upgrade to the franchise menu/interface. It is a big add in terms of functionality.
All the ways you can play franchise might not be important to the guy that simply plays one file and every inning and every pitch. But I can almost assure you to a player like me who plays 5000 franchises (lol well not that many but those that follow me on twitch know I have 4-5 running concurrently year round) quick manage allows me to fully enjoy all the amazing roster files our community doles out year in year out. I am thankful for the quick manage feature which gives me enough control to have lineup integrity and to also jump in for key moments.
So I am going to of course watch the stream today. I have a glimmer of hope some things will be revealed like under the hood improvements to AI. But I am fine playing another year of The Show and continuing to do what I always have done since I started playing sports games as early as Atari 2600/NES and keeping my notebooks of stats and storylines. I will create my baseball universe, create my storylines, lineup decisions, free agency frenzy, hot stove trade deadline stories and continue to write about them and share them with the community...and continue to enjoy the best console baseball game ever made.
They have made a ton of game play improvements.
I have no real serious complaints of franchise mode. It works for the most part like every other franchise mode (Madden, 2K, NHL) and it still needs human intervention like all those games as well. OOTPB also has highly questionable AI. They do not get a pass either. And that game is a different animal.
I mean if you are a manage/GM mode maven but don't need fancy graphics OOTPB is a no brainer. And by mid summer I will own it as I enjoy it (but always wait for all the bugs to be worked out and get a much better price on it).
But I like to play baseball. I love the hitting and the pitching dual. The core soul of baseball.
The Show is the Jedi Master of this. Bar none.
Here is to another fantastic year of MLB The Show baseball. I know the game will be the best yet on the diamond. Bar none.
Well folks we got a blog (thank god as some people were on the ledge around here lol). Underwhelming indeed. I love franchise modes in sports games. We all do.
In regards to Steelers quote. I have played this game since 2009 so I am about to embark on my 10th anniversary playing The Show. And i am with you even after 10 years of playing this great game. I don't find too much wrong with the actual mode. It has the same issues that plague every single franchise mode in every sports game (yes even the vaunted OOTPB and NBA 2K franchise's). Shoddy CPU AI.
CPU AI is the clear glaring issues in every single franchise mode for all sports games. Here we are in 2018 and still we will see stupid trades, lineup decisions, brain dead play calling, brain dead roster management...etc...etc....etc.
But out of all the major sports games I can easily say The Show is the easiest to manage the CPU exploits via 30 team control.
In terms of NBA 2K's My league mode.....The Show just needs to simply look at the depth of options the player has in creating his perfect virtual sports universe. Expansion, create a arena, realignment, and even more slider control for off the diamond CPU AI. We did get a trade slider. And it works as intended.
I am not going to sit here and tell you this is a great thing. It's not. However I will tell you a few things. take it or leave it as you want. But I choose to enjoy my sports games and call me old school or a glass half full guy or whatever you want. But I have a freaking blast every year with The Show, 2K and Madden because I use what they give me and create my storylines via total league control ability.
It's not cumbersome for me, because I get a great payoff with the time I put into it.
I create my own "Hotstove". I create blockbuster trades, controversial lineup choices, and even some injury stories as well. How? Using my imagination, typing write-ups and streaming franchise games and having a blast with my audience.
The Show gives me a franchise mode deep enough to have a great time playing multiple files (current day and classic rosters as well as fantasy draft files) and keeping it fresh for me.
It absolutely can use some improvement and long time features that have been on want lists for years. Expansion mode to me would be a game changer. Allowing us to have an expansion draft and create our uniforms and park would be pretty amazing and a massive enhancement.
That is the dream.
But here are things that to me (and I hope some of that is shown during the stream today) that can easily enhance the franchise experience:
Dynamic storylines in presentation - they have touted this as an addition this year to franchise mode. I want to see and hear it in action. talk about contracts, talk about trades, talk about winning and losing streaks, pennant races. Presentation within franchise mode to me is probably the most important feature to immerse everyone and make it feel alive.
Highlight Show - Somehow, some way get in a weekly league wide recap with highlights. I know we have the radio show and I do like that while I am doing tasks. But this can go a long way to immersing us.
Better scouting/prospect generation/dynamic storylines and the Amateur Draft - Huge. And important How about Mock draft boards (ala NBA 2K), branching storylines for top prospects and also deep sleepers? Presentation again goes a long way in immersion. But also we need a better draft presentation. Make it more of an event.
CPU AI lineup/pitching logic - Hopefully this was worked on. But if not, it can use a tuneup. And I don't see why it can't be focused on for us hardcore franchise players so we don't have to step in as much (we always will you know this right?).
So to me I am in the camp of, we have a solid solid foundation for franchise mode and it just needs a little more focus and TLC.
As far as "Phases" color me excited to see a revamped interface and a more intuitive franchise interface as this looks like a nice and substantial upgrade to the franchise menu/interface. It is a big add in terms of functionality.
All the ways you can play franchise might not be important to the guy that simply plays one file and every inning and every pitch. But I can almost assure you to a player like me who plays 5000 franchises (lol well not that many but those that follow me on twitch know I have 4-5 running concurrently year round) quick manage allows me to fully enjoy all the amazing roster files our community doles out year in year out. I am thankful for the quick manage feature which gives me enough control to have lineup integrity and to also jump in for key moments.
So I am going to of course watch the stream today. I have a glimmer of hope some things will be revealed like under the hood improvements to AI. But I am fine playing another year of The Show and continuing to do what I always have done since I started playing sports games as early as Atari 2600/NES and keeping my notebooks of stats and storylines. I will create my baseball universe, create my storylines, lineup decisions, free agency frenzy, hot stove trade deadline stories and continue to write about them and share them with the community...and continue to enjoy the best console baseball game ever made.
They have made a ton of game play improvements.
I have no real serious complaints of franchise mode. It works for the most part like every other franchise mode (Madden, 2K, NHL) and it still needs human intervention like all those games as well. OOTPB also has highly questionable AI. They do not get a pass either. And that game is a different animal.
I mean if you are a manage/GM mode maven but don't need fancy graphics OOTPB is a no brainer. And by mid summer I will own it as I enjoy it (but always wait for all the bugs to be worked out and get a much better price on it).
But I like to play baseball. I love the hitting and the pitching dual. The core soul of baseball.
The Show is the Jedi Master of this. Bar none.
Here is to another fantastic year of MLB The Show baseball. I know the game will be the best yet on the diamond. Bar none.
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