No Season Mode?

[LowerWolf]

Re: No Season Mode?

I've always only played Season mode. At times, I've felt like Season mode's biggest advocate here. Seems like every year somebody creates a Franchise vs. Season thread, and I tout the benefits of Season, including the fact you could play more than just one season.

So it's pretty disappointing the mode is gone.

I liked it for its simplicity. I liked managing just my 40-man roster. I don't care about budgets, training or scouting. I really just want to play. I realize I can set all that stuff to auto in Franchise mode. But it's not the same.

Dealing with just a 40-man roster limits your trade options. I liked that challenge. I liked not having to keep tabs on AA/AAA players. Like all my sports games, I wanted the focus to be on the field.

I'd have purchased MLB 18 regardless. I'll play Franchise mode. I'll almost certainly have fun with it. But this may be the last MLB game I buy.

One of the things I always respected about SDS was I felt like they made a game for us. They gave us multiple options on how to play the game. They touted that they didn't remove features.

It now feels like they made a game for them and they really hope we like playing their way. It's the Madden approach. That's disappointing to me. And it's doubly disappointing they didn't bother to communicate the removal of Season mode. I realize us Season guys are in the minority. But it's a slap in the face to not even tell us. Pretty insulting since I've been playing this series since MLB 98 on the PS1.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: No Season Mode?

Pardon the ignorance, but how true is this? If I set everything to auto and just play the games like I would in season mode, I don't want the auto GM messing with my roster or lineups or anything. Is there a way to truly make franchise mode season mode, aside from the 162 game requirement?

Set anything you want to control to MANUAL. Set everything else to AUTO. It's actually quite modular. You can just control your lineups if you want. You can have the AI do everything else. There are quite a few ON/OFF toggles and you can set them exactly how you want them.

[thescoop]

Re: No Season Mode?

Very good constructive questions.

Thank you. I wanted to be respectful and also let him know I realize he might not be authorized to answer. But if he can't hopefully he'll at least be able to get someone who is to issue a statement.

I still really like the SDS team. Those guys have usually been upfront with us. They were on the removal of Online Franchise this year so I think honest respectful questions are owned. If we expect answers, we can't just be all on attack mode.

[Blzer]

Re: No Season Mode?

For those that just want to play the games and not manage anything else, you can still enjoy the game.

In Franchise, you can set everything to auto and just play the games. If you have other reasons like season length, then their may not not be a fit.

But if it's just being simple and playing games, you can get a similar experience in Franchise.

I also feel there is a certain niceness of "finality" to capping off Season mode. That's why games that have no real end are less valuable to some. If you feel like there is still more you can do and the game doesn't acknowledge it or provide closure, you'll either feel empty putting it down or tirelessly continue toward that endless void. When people complete their season, they know they finished it off and can start a new one.

I'm personally the other way, in that if that season finishes I want to continue progressing (which is where Super Mega Baseball and even Rocket League were not my favorites when the seasons just ended), but I know how others feel about that.

Their gripes are well-founded, though. They can't carry it over, they have to over-manage in some respects, they can't shorten the duration of their games or number of games, and there is no real finality. On top of that, other people seem like they would be somewhat content with the lack of the mode if it was announced and warranted beforehand. Then they would simply not purchase the game, and hope that next year maybe it would find its way back in. People are upset they were supposedly duped (maybe they were, maybe they weren't... I have no idea) and that we are seeing a trend toward certain online features, streamlining methods, and worst of all rewards systems that may or may not be achieved by paying for them.

I normally just play franchise and ignore the other stuff, but I see what Phases are and that three-inning games are a touted feature worth releasing a trailer over (maybe on the back of the box as well?), not to mention those wacky home run celebrations (which I admit I will try out)... and I see where we may be headed. I gotta still say that I blame Manfred for that one. He's the one who is planting the seed in this ADHD world that if we can't have action and entertainment on-demand then we are not keeping up with the modern-day man.

[EnigmaNemesis]

Re: No Season Mode?

Thank you. I wanted to be respectful and also let him know I realize he might not be authorized to answer. But if he can't hopefully he'll at least be able to get someone who is to issue a statement.

I still really like the SDS team. Those guys have usually been upfront with us. They were on the removal of Online Franchise this year so I think honest respectful questions are owned. If we expect answers, we can't just be all on attack mode.

Completely agreed!

[NAFBUC]

Re: No Season Mode?

I'm an offline franchise player and don't play season mode, but just want to express solidarity with my fellow offline players because it's clear from the last few years we are not a priority however still an assumed yearly purchase. I think it's messed up that all the time and effort you put in being disrespected when they could've come out months ago when they knew and gave you a warning...not how it should work.

I played Season mode for the great classic team rosters that OS members contributed to the SDS roster download section (long, tedious hours of research and input).

Yes, there will be work arounds in Franchise mode, but Season mode was great for classic rosters.

[My993C2]

Re: No Season Mode?

If one of the constraints is on memory, maybe that is why the mode is gone.

This is a poor excuse that should not ever be used. I am a seasoned software developer and any experienced developer builds their systems from the bottom up with inheritance in mind. You build low level components and add on to them and there is little to no impact on memory usage. From a users perspective Season Mode was the baby brother of Franchise Mode. But from an application architecture point of view Season Mode would be the ancestor of Franchise, not the descendant and there is no excuse to say Season Mode would occupy more space because Franchise extends what was in Season Mode. It's clear they use inheritance all over their product from the low level game play all the way up to the various modes.

I have tons of faith that the SDS developers and QA staff are dedicated talented people. They have built a great game. But this has nothing to do with disk space and everything to do with the brass of SDS not giving a damn about the people who pay their wages. I may still buy their game in future years, but I am done with their pre-orders. SDS burned that bridge last night with their dishonesty.

BTW what was up with the developer tournament all in slow mo? I couldn't watch it. That's not baseball. There is no slow mo when the pitch is thrown at the batter and no slow mo when the fielders field the ball.

What is SDS planning on removing next year?

[Blzer]

Re: No Season Mode?

^ You're right. I know about inheritance as well. Just trying to think of whatever excuse it is they would have. "Not giving a damn" sounds more like stubbornness rather than any realm of logic.

[LowerWolf]

Re: No Season Mode?

I think the reason for it being removed is pretty simple. If their data shows less than 10 percent (or whatever number it is) are playing Season mode, then why continue to spend resources on it? And, despite this thread, I imagine a relatively few actually play Season mode.

I can understand why it was removed. I don't like not being told. And I don't like the shift in going away from making a game for everyone, even those in the minority. But I understand it.

[TheRealC7R]

Re: No Season Mode?

There was evidence of this behavior in the past, just on a smaller scale. When 15 was released, I found that they had removed the ability to access the detailed batting/pitching analysis screens using the touchpad, as well as the seamless transitions between pitches, foul balls, etc. The justification then was that both were largely unused by the vast majority of players. I hope that is not the case this time.

[cbrown119]

Re: No Season Mode?

Pretty disappointed on the way SDS never mentioned the removal of season mode until it was too late. Definitely a money grab, because I would have never pre-ordered, or possibly purchased, if I would have known prior.

The removal of the mode is really not the issue, in my eyes. It was the way it was done - completely by surprise. It was purely a business decision, because they knew people would be upset and sales would suffer. It's business. I understand that is the whole point. Produce a product, sell it and make money.

I think it would have been different if SDS would have been up-front and honest about this, given the community time to respond and, perhaps, get used to it and move on.

I've been purchasing The Show every year since 2010....It was always an automatic purchase, because it is/was a fantastic game. Well, I have 18 (I pre-ordered), it downloaded automatically the other day. I just lost my enthusiasm for starting it up and trying it. Not entirely because of the missing mode, because I feel like I was conned in some weird way. I'm sure it is an excellent game, as usual. But, I no longer want to support and give my money to a company that has hides important details about their product - details that SDS knew would cause an uproar just to obtain maximum profit. The funny thing is, you can only do this once. Maybe I'm being naive. It's just a game and it's just $60.00. Well it was MY $60.00. I could have easily stayed with 17 and been happy.

I'm sure I will try 18 later tonight and move on. But next year.....SDS lost a loyal customer. I might buy 19, AFTER release date and reading the reviews, as I normally do with all of my other purchases. And if I feel that 19 has made substantial core improvements, then I will purchase.

That's business.

[BionicJoker]

Re: No Season Mode?

Don’t worry. It’ll be back 2 years from now as a “new” feature. Just like how EA would do it...

[My993C2]

Re: No Season Mode?

I think the reason for it being removed is pretty simple. If their data shows less than 10 percent (or whatever number it is) are playing Season mode, then why continue to spend resources on it? And, despite this thread, I imagine a relatively few actually play Season mode.

I can understand why it was removed. I don't like not being told. And I don't like the shift in going away from making a game for everyone, even those in the minority. But I understand it.

You are right, as one of the effected Season mode gamers I am obviously ticked off today. But I am not ticked off because Season mode was removed. I am ticked off because SDS purposely hide this change from us. If they were honest and told us up front that they were turfing the mode, I may have still pre-ordered the game. The difference being that I would have been prepared for it and perhaps I would have stopped playing my MLB 17 Season mode file.

BTW ... I had a blast last night playing as a new RTTS short stop in a prospects exhibition game where I was lucky enough to have been inserted into the home team's 3rd batting slot so while I missed the entire top of the 1st inning, from that point on in the game I was able to play the entire game in the field for every defensive pitch and while my team was on offense I either watched my teammates bat, was at the plate myself and luckily 2 out of my 4 plate appearances I got on base. I played a game of simulated computer baseball last night like I have never played before and it was awesome. However what I don't understand is why can't I start the game like this? Why did I have to wait for my 1st plate appearance? Apparently SDS removed this capability back in MLB 16. What is it with SDS removing stuff? It's fine if they want to cater to people who think that a baseball game should take no more than 9 minutes to play and that you can cruise through an entire career in a month. But some of us like playing the game the same way it's played in the real world where each pitch is thrown and possibly swung at and possibly hit. After all there is no clock in baseball. So why are we being force fed this hyper fast way to play the game. At least give us the choice to emulate the real game.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: No Season Mode?

Pretty disappointed on the way SDS never mentioned the removal of season mode until it was too late. Definitely a money grab, because I would have never pre-ordered, or possibly purchased, if I would have known prior.

The removal of the mode is really not the issue, in my eyes. It was the way it was done - completely by surprise. It was purely a business decision, because they knew people would be upset and sales would suffer. It's business. I understand that is the whole point. Produce a product, sell it and make money.

I think it would have been different if SDS would have been up-front and honest about this, given the community time to respond and, perhaps, get used to it and move on.

I've been purchasing The Show every year since 2010....It was always an automatic purchase, because it is/was a fantastic game. Well, I have 18 (I pre-ordered), it downloaded automatically the other day. I just lost my enthusiasm for starting it up and trying it. Not entirely because of the missing mode, because I feel like I was conned in some weird way. I'm sure it is an excellent game, as usual. But, I no longer want to support and give my money to a company that has hides important details about their product - details that SDS knew would cause an uproar just to obtain maximum profit. The funny thing is, you can only do this once. Maybe I'm being naive. It's just a game and it's just $60.00. Well it was MY $60.00. I could have easily stayed with 17 and been happy.

I'm sure I will try 18 later tonight and move on. But next year.....SDS lost a loyal customer. I might buy 19, AFTER release date and reading the reviews, as I normally do with all of my other purchases. And if I feel that 19 has made substantial core improvements, then I will purchase.

That's business.

I guess you just have to decide how much you think your reputation is worth as a developer studio. And compare that to the dollar value of potential lost revenue for doing things the other way. That's a cynical way to look at it, but perhaps not an incorrect way in this instance.

For their sake, I almost hope this was an oversight and they can patch it in.

SDS has, in my eyes anyhow, had a pretty good reputation up to this point. I can be disappointed about lack of features and design decisions they've made, but it's hard to point out anything egregiously and intentionally bad until this, imo. Sure, they've struggled with online and servers, but that's more of a flaw/mistake and not a conscious piece of business strategy. It's not the same category as this.

[Formula1Racing]

Re: No Season Mode?

Can this be patched in? I'm sure SDS will added back in if possible. Prior versions had it so the code is probably still inside there hidden and with a quick patch boom!, it's there!....I hope anyway.

Yea, I used seasons mode for classic teams with short season games so this mode was great for that.