MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

[JayhawkerStL]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I said it in the Madden threads, and it applies here, too. One of the biggest issues many sim gamers seem to have is that they don't want the modern game replicated, but rather how they viewed the game when they were kids. I'm not sure many are even watching games anymore, but are just playing video game versions of the sports.

[CujoMatty]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I try and stay pretty positive on these forums and I don’t think I ask for much and to be honest if it doesn’t get fixed I’m not boycotting anything but........

It is now the fourth year in a row that when you win a game at Rogers Centre in CANADA(sorry had to scream that last part) an American flag plays on the jumbo tron and any of the other electronic signs. Can we please see about changing that for year 5?

[countryboy]

MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

USA! USA! USA!





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[CoiaNY]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Just got it today, been playing for a bit. I've gotten the game every year since they've been pumping them out, and '17 lost my interest (for the first time ever in the series) because of how glitchy the presentation was and the fact that they did not bother to fix any of them. At all.

Sadly, this game has already been a pretty big disappointment. I'll just throw some things out there that I've noticed on the negative side. Some aren't that big a deal to most, but are things that bother me.

1. While I'm glad that some guys who didn't break the bigs last season, but did previous years, have their face scans back, it's incredible the number of new guys who have generic (and mostly poorly done) faces. I know that face scans are "optional" but I can't remember the game ever having this many second year players without scans in it. Feels like I'm just playing OSFM from last year still.

2. Some players with face scans have humongous heads that don't fit their body type. This was an issue with Tommy La Stella two years ago (which caused me to create him and dump the actual guy) and seems to be an issue with a number of guys this year. The one's I noticed were Hildenberger and May on the Twins, Hendricks on the Cubs, and some others. I don't see this being fixed, because La Stella wasn't and neither was the "orange- tint skin" Marlins from a couple years ago.

3. Audio is all over the place. Ian Happ hits a home-run in a test franchise and the announcers say it's his first career HR. He hit 24 last season. I sub in a guy to play RF after a double switch and the stadium announcer says "Now playing Left Field." I pinch hit for a guy with Zobrist, and the stadium announcer says "Pinch hitting for so-and-so, Number 6, Ben Zobrist." Zobrist wears #18. For all the talk about the presentation being worked on, the audio has really taken me out of games with the goofs. And I don't expect anything to ever be done about this, because they didn't touch the weird rubberband mouth pitchers or lagging bats on replays last year.

4. Barely touching Franchise other than the silly "Phases" thing. Did people really have trouble with the way it was before that it took all your focus on adding what I consider to be a waste of time addition? And to cut Online Franchise and Season mode without saying anything is hilarious. Did they just not think anyone would notice?

5. Some of the worst graphical objects on PS4 that I've ever seen continue to stay in the game without being touched on. I'm talking about those Nintendo 64-era vehicles beyond the wall in the Spring Training stadiums, the wooden brick handle bats in the dugouts, etc. And before someone says "You don't even see those things" how about when you hit a home-run and you get the joy of seeing those god-awful trucks twice (during the actual hit and replay). I'm sure the excuse is "We can only do so much on the PS4" and yet I can pop in GTA V or The Witcher and not see anything even close to that bad. If it's something that the game engine can't handle, maybe it's time for a new game engine?

6. Jerseys are weird looking, and when guys step up to the plate and bend over to pick up some dirt before an AB, their pants clip through the bottom of the jersey. This wasn't an issue last year.

7. This one is pretty minor, but two years ago they decided to change the pause menu info for pitchers and hitters during Franchise. They took out the ability to see guys stats up-date as the game when on (meaning you could see a Pitchers ERA and see it change when he gave up a run in game). Last year they added it back. This year, it's gone again. Nitpicky, sure, but annoying nonetheless.

8. The hitting feels really flat. You don't get a sense of contact in the bat off the ball.

9. I've noticed a strange stutter during fielding and between fielding cut-scenes. It's like the game freezes for a split second, but long enough to be noticeable and disrupting to see so much during a game.

It seems like the game is becoming more and more about just the online stuff, which I don't bother with at all. Offline modes get minor updates that don't really provide much of anything of value (like those repetitive and lifeless RTTS cutscenes that bragged about last year). I understand that people like online, but I personally don't get any joy in playing laggy online play against people's collectible card teams. But it's also the only other real way for them to keep getting money out of people in buying packs, so I'm sure this trend won't be changing any time soon.

I also see no benefit from "Speed up your games!" because I don't play baseball to rush through a game. I want to enjoy the process of playing, and if I'm short on time, then I'll just simulate to the 7th inning and take over.

There's a lot to dislike for me so far, but I don't see any of it being fixed, so I'm kind of just stuck with it for another year, I suppose. Sucks that there isn't really another option for me in terms of baseball and I have to keep buying this series if I want game with actual gameplay (OOTP isn't a replacement because of this.) I liken this series to the WWE, in that when WCW died, they had no competition. So they don't feel the need to "be better" and just coast on being "kind of good, with lots of bad."

It's nice to see others enjoying it though for what it is, wish I was able to.

Yep. This basically sums it up for me. Exactly my thoughts.

[dawgdan7280]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I said it in the Madden threads, and it applies here, too. One of the biggest issues many sim gamers seem to have is that they don't want the modern game replicated, but rather how they viewed the game when they were kids. I'm not sure many are even watching games anymore, but are just playing video game versions of the sports.

That is exactly right. I think every sports fan tends to long for the good ol' days after a certain age and they become less willing to embrace changes in the game. For me it was sometime in my 30s. I'm 45 now, and I miss the 80s-90s era of sports.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

A big positive for me has to be CPU fielding on default sliders. It's maybe the first time in the history of the series I don't feel like the CPU is universally godly on defense. Speed doesn't seem absurd, routes taken to the ball don't seem ridiculously perfect, no diving catches everywhere. It's been a huge surprise.

[callmetaternuts]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I haven't played since 14. I enjoy the game, but there is nothing that stands out for me. I'm sure there are a lot of under the hood changes but I feel like it hasn't missed a beat. What was awesome in 2014 seems just kind of "meh" now. I'm still having fun, but wasn't blown away like I thought I would be.

[kac]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

The more I play this game the better it gets the game is just polished from the detail in the stadiums the player model and reactions the gameplay seems almost perfectly tuned and I really like the no doubt hr camera. We are lucky to have a baseball game of this caliber the way sports gaming is now we could easily have nothing accept rbi. The only gameplay issue I have is I feel there are too many errors by good fielder's.

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[Stolm]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Wtf happened to zone hitting this year? Everything is either extreme grounder or extreme flyball. Rarely seeing anything hit hard at all.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Well my 5th game into my season and I saw the CPU go for a suicide squeeze in the Top of the 9th down 1 run.

Will Middlebrooks led off the inning with a double. Jacob Nottingham bunted him to 3rd. Then on a 1-1 pitch, Monte Harrison missed a suicide squeeze bunt attempt on a changeup outside in the dirt. Vogt then tagged out Middlebrooks as he came home.

I want the threat of the suicide squeeze to be there, but I truly hope its not overdone this year, where the CPU attempts far too often with a runner on third and less than 2 outs.

The only positive I will say on this was that I backed my guys out of bunt defense after Harrison swung and missed at the first pitch and then checked his swing on a ball outside the zone.

Guess we'll have to see how this goes.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Wtf happened to zone hitting this year? Everything is either extreme grounder or extreme flyball. Rarely seeing anything hit hard at all.

I'm hitting with Zone (Legend difficulty - default sliders) and I'm finding the hitting to be very balanced and very well done this year. I've seen choppers, dribblers, balls hit just over infielders head, line shots in the gap, down the line, homers, and warning track power.

Very pleased with the hitting and ball physics this year after being frustrated with them last year.

[Detroit Tigers]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I agree. One thing I'd like them to add (which kind of is there), is how the crowd lives and dies with every pitch in a big game/playoff game. Like on a big pitch that results in a strikeout, the crowd should roar.

Would just be nice if the crowd reacted at all. Spent a hour or so with everything turned off except the crowd and my god it’s awful. Half the time they’re so loud (for no discernible reason at all) that there’s no contrast or room to breathe between their general noise and their reaction; the other half they only react to plays, not outs: for instance, on your next routine infield play, notice how they cheer for the fielder fielding the ball, but then they won’t react at all to the actual out, it’s just a continuation of the same cheer. Sometimes it’s even worse, it’ll just be a continuation of the cheer that was already occurring before the pitch. Seriously it’s not good at all and I don’t understand what’s so complicated about getting it right. They clearly have enough different reactions and enough different trigger-points, just for whatever reason it’s not meshing at all.

https://youtu.be/zcHHJoqT0mo

Sidenote: I always play with headphones so maybe others can’t even hear it, but there’s this distant guy in my right ear that yells “Bring it!!” about twenty times an inning sometimes. It’s driving me freaking crazy.

[Koosa1027]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Custom Broadcast themes is a thing of beauty!!!!

Nothing like the end of inning/half inning and listening to the Fox Sports Baseball theme music playing.

I need to learn how to do this...never used sots before but have been really interested the past couple years

~Koosa1027~

[Qb]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

A big positive for me has to be CPU fielding on default sliders. It's maybe the first time in the history of the series I don't feel like the CPU is universally godly on defense. Speed doesn't seem absurd, routes taken to the ball don't seem ridiculously perfect, no diving catches everywhere. It's been a huge surprise.

For sure. Makes it easier to tip your cap and move on when they make a great play, rather than feeling ripped off.

[wanzalla13]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Ok..the different themes is so dope! Finally figured out how to use it as I'm a SOTS fan

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