MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

[Hammerhunker]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I tell you guys, that throw low speed fastballs (88-90mph) are tougher for me to hit it seems than a guy with an upper 90's fastball.

Facing Manny Banuelos of the Braves and his fastball tops out at around 91mph. He has a good slider and curveball and I'm finding myself getting beat by his fastball because I'm having to respect the off-speed stuff so much.

Just another gem to this game.

I appreciate the specifics you shared because it shed light on what I am experiencing. The first time ever, I am "seeing" the spin of the breaking pitch, but it's so quick that there is no way in heck to turn it into an advantage. So, that pitcher that tops out in the low 90's makes it so difficult to gauge that spin. I tend to flail a lot against those guys.

Quick question, I am playing with straight default thus far this year. Do you have pitch speed at 5?

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I appreciate the specifics you shared because it shed light on what I am experiencing. The first time ever, I am "seeing" the spin of the breaking pitch, but it's so quick that there is no way in heck to turn it into an advantage. So, that pitcher that tops out in the low 90's makes it so difficult gauge that spin. I tend to flail a lot against those guys.



Quick question, I am playing with straight default thus far this year. Do you have pitch speed at 5?

Yes

Everything at default


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[Kearnzo]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Anyone else have issues with closers? I've got a Red Sox franchise going and Kimbrel has blown 4 saves in a row for me (using A&S sliders and settings). It's not really contested either, he's giving up incredibly hard contact every time and striking almost nobody out.

I had this issue with my fantasy drafted franchise as well with Chapman. Couldn't fool anyone to save his life and constantly gave up runs. Kind of at a loss at this point or basically to the point where I'm just going to sim the 9th if I'm a situation where I can get the save.

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[Armor and Sword]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Anyone else have issues with closers? I've got a Red Sox franchise going and Kimbrel has blown 4 saves in a row for me (using A&S sliders and settings). It's not really contested either, he's giving up incredibly hard contact every time and striking almost nobody out.

I had this issue with my fantasy drafted franchise as well with Chapman. Couldn't fool anyone to save his life and constantly gave up runs. Kind of at a loss at this point or basically to the point where I'm just going to sim the 9th if I'm a situation where I can get the save.

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I am not having that issue. Have I had blown saves? Yeah.

Seems to me you are having a typical rut. Baseball is a highly unpredictable and fun game.

Keep at it. You should actually embrace slumps and rough times and adjust. Use a different closer till they get themselves out of the funk they are in.

Ratings and classic pitching is a freaking simulation lovers joy.


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[RogerDodger]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

The more games I play, the more I love '18. Using Spring Training to get my sliders and dynamic difficulty set but loving the ebb and flow, even when if I hit a losing streak.

[jbuc14]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I have never majorly adjusted sliders before, but I may have to do it this year. My Cardinals team in its second year of franchise is 13-1, and hitting seems a lot easier. In ‘17, my team thrived on its pitching and was near the bottom in batting. I might actually make the pitching harder this year and stick with the easier batting.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Clyde Washington is a cheat and a bum.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

This is something this game does so well.

Played a game against the Diamondbacks where I lost 8-6 (Clyde Washington is a cheat!!!!). 10 of the 14 runs scored in the game came via the long ball.

Next game I beat the Brewers 14-9. None of the 23 runs came from the long ball. That's right, 23 combined runs were scored without the ball ever leaving the park.....errr except for foul balls.

The Show, like the sport of baseball, is a beautiful game.

[thaSLAB]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Clyde Washington is a cheat and a bum.

Good ol' "Cross-eyed" Clyde... [emoji23]

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[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Good ol' "Cross-eyed" Clyde... [emoji23]

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Clyde should be banned from future releases of the Show.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Sorry for double post, but I'm not sure where else to post this without starting a new thread.

One thing I hope they look into for '19 is updating the name database. Some of us like to use carryover saves and unless the name database has been updated with their name, then CAP's of real players get carried over who are now "in the game" but you can't get the game to say their name because it isn't in the database.

Example: Aledmys Diaz on my team is Alexis Diaz...

Also for guys like me who take real players from college/high school/international and add them to the game as my franchise progresses in years, it would be nice to be able to assign players real names, without having to find the best option.

Obviously its not a huge ordeal but for guys like me, it would be a very welcomed addition if the name database was updated with more names of players in today's game and even looking ahead to draft or international player names, and adding those as well.

[BlacknBlue]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Really digging a lot of the game play on the field for '18. It is pretty decent and feels like they fine tuned hitting to really make it how it should have been for a while now.

Love that addressed the uniform colors for most teams that had issues with them for years. It really makes the game look fantastic. I cannot say enough about what a difference this made! Getting to this point was kind of sad, in dealing with the stubborn developers, but it was well worth it now that it is done. Let's hope they realize the difference it has made.

But with all of that being said, I have got to state that most of the "upgrades" to this game are completely useless to me, or even make the game worse, in my opinion.

The new RTTS, AWFUL! I hate it! So much so that I don't even play that mode at all anymore. I've played every at bat and moment for my player's career via carryover saves for the last 3 editions, because you can knock a game out pretty quickly and when you don't have a lot of time to play this is my go-to mode.

I no longer even touch the mode. They've completely ruined any interest I have in it by putting in these cookie cutter characters. There is no reason to work or grind anymore. My player is 23 and will not improve, but rather regress. Why did they think this was a good idea?

Franchise; I'm already pretty bored with it. I waited to start my new franchise for this year until the sounds of the show were mostly ready. But the new front end is just awful, to me. I play all of my games and didn't need things to be more streamlined. I don't care about phases. All it did was move pertinent information from the main page on my franchise screen and bury it somewhere cumbersome.

And then there is literally next to nothing else new in the mode. I find myself pausing mid game to go do other things or play other games with friends online because there just isn't enough new to keep me coming back like I have done in the past. Which is a shame, since the game plays pretty well this year and I would have loved to get into an online franchise with a few buds across the country.

I will never get into ultimate team modes. I despise them. I am not a fan of playing fantasy sports, either. My goal with sports video games is to create my own universe that I am in control of certain aspects, but also nearly mimics real life results. In a perfect world I would play along with the real regular season, with all results being based off of real life results, except for my own team. I would play with my own team via the video game, but match their roster moves with the real life team. It would just be on me to play the games each day and manage the game.

But with how they continue to create this game all of that is becoming harder and harder to even come close to doing. And I truly blame the diamond dynasty stuff that takes precedence for this, and most sports titles.

I'm glad that I bought the game, but if I am being completely honest, it is like each year they give me less and less reasons to do so.

Just surprised that nobody else has really come in here, post release, and pointed out some of these things that were concerning when they were announced pre release. Does nobody else dislike the new RTTS now or the worthless phases feature that literally made things worse for me?

[KnightTemplar]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

Love this game. My pitcher was doing great thru 5, was up 1-0. Started the 6th and after the first out, walks the next batter after being up 1-2 in the count. Energy bar is now in the yellow. I have two up in the bullpen. Cervelli is up. Hell, I can get Cervelli out. 2-0 pitch is deposited over the left field wall. I’m down 2-1. I shoulda known better, but it felt so right.

Coupled with the great flow and greatly improved presentation, gameplay is numero uno.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I something similar happen last night against the Brewers. Up 4-3 in the 7th and I had Dean Kiekhefer on the mound pitching when he allowed a lead off double to Scooter Gennett. Fast forward to Will Middlebrooks in the lineup, with 2 outs I decide to let Kiekhefer face him instead of getting Jordan Walden out the pen for the righty/righty matchup. I get Middlebrooks down 0-2 in the count with 2 pitches on the outer part of the plate. I decide to throw a 3rd pitch out there, trying to put it in the left handed batter's box so that I could use Kiekhefers slider in on the his hands the next pitch. But Middlebrooks throws his bat at the ball and flips it into center field driving in the tying run.

While it was frustrating it didn't feel cheap because I had thrown the same pitch 3 times in a row in the same location, and instead of fooling Middlebrooks or getting it far enough off the plate, I got burned.

We would go on to lose in 10 innings on a walkoff 2 run homer.

[sportyguyfl31]

Re: MLB The Show 18 First Impressions

I'm finding fly balls a little tough to track at times..other than that, I'm having a great time