Patch wars

[tessl]

I play the game exclusively on manage mode with default sliders. It's the purest way to play the game - zero user input. My take on the show 18 is patch adjustments have made significant changes to the game on the field.

Beginning with 1.05 the patch upgraded defense with "fielders catch more balls just outside of the ball marker".

By the time 1.10 arrived the game had shrunk offense and bore little resemblance to the game upon release which played pretty close to realistic. 1.11 they upgraded defense and to offset the defensive upgrade they upgraded offense - probably too much but better than 1.10. 1.12 has now gone to extreme defense. I just finished a 3 game series in which I scored 3 runs total on 15 hits - an average of 1 run and 5 hits per game. Most offense of the series was a 1-0 win in game 3 in which I had 6 hits vs the cpu 2 hits. Defenders are superstars and hitters are inept. It took until late June but this patch has finally convinced me to quit playing the game - at least until and unless they once again patch the gameplay.

My question is why are these changes happening? I suspect there are more than one developer working on gameplay patches with various teams focusing on the various modes and getting various feedback. For example it I'm a pitcher in rtts I want superstar fielders and inept hitters. I'm probably loving the game currently if that's how I play the game. In franchise - manage mode - it's a different experience.

If they aren't going to provide a list of patches for users to choose from like the NHL game does then the devs need to sit down with a supervisor in the room and achieve a happy median for gameplay which makes the game playable for users in all modes.

[jeffy777]

Re: Patch wars

Defenders are superstars and hitters are inept

I know you are on default sliders. but dropping fielder speed down really does wonders for this game.

[Ace2734]

Re: Patch wars

I know you are on default sliders. but dropping fielder speed down really does wonders for this game.

One way or another you have to have some sliders changed. I know some people feel like it’s cheating but the game HAS changed over the past few months. I still love playing it, but am tinkering with sliders about every 7 to 10 games.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

Re: Patch wars

I play the game exclusively on manage mode with default sliders. It's the purest way to play the game - zero user input. My take on the show 18 is patch adjustments have made significant changes to the game on the field.

Beginning with 1.05 the patch upgraded defense with "fielders catch more balls just outside of the ball marker".

By the time 1.10 arrived the game had shrunk offense and bore little resemblance to the game upon release which played pretty close to realistic. 1.11 they upgraded defense and to offset the defensive upgrade they upgraded offense - probably too much but better than 1.10. 1.12 has now gone to extreme defense. I just finished a 3 game series in which I scored 3 runs total on 15 hits - an average of 1 run and 5 hits per game. Most offense of the series was a 1-0 win in game 3 in which I had 6 hits vs the cpu 2 hits. Defenders are superstars and hitters are inept. It took until late June but this patch has finally convinced me to quit playing the game - at least until and unless they once again patch the gameplay.

My question is why are these changes happening? I suspect there are more than one developer working on gameplay patches with various teams focusing on the various modes and getting various feedback. For example it I'm a pitcher in rtts I want superstar fielders and inept hitters. I'm probably loving the game currently if that's how I play the game. In franchise - manage mode - it's a different experience.

If they aren't going to provide a list of patches for users to choose from like the NHL game does then the devs need to sit down with a supervisor in the room and achieve a happy median for gameplay which makes the game playable for users in all modes.

If you thought 1.11 was good enough to play, i think wanting to quit after one 3-game series into patch 1.12 is a bit of a kneejerk reaction. Per-game stats have literally zero meaning after just 3 games (or even 10 or 15 games). I have played with the same patch since 1.07 and i have plenty of 3 game stretches (or more) with very little offense, and dominant cpu pitching and defense, and then i have stretches where my whole team is hitting for a long stretch.

These things can, and should, happen throughout your season. Heck, after patch 1.11 dropped i couldn't hit for like a week, and i didn't even download the patch! It was frustrating but it was simply how baseball goes. I would say give it more time, and i dont even mean a week or two weeks. Ive had my team go cold for several weeks as time, only to have a hot month somewhere else.

Most people who play this game have stretches of very little offense. Naturally, for a portion of those people, cold stretches will coincide with a patch. When that happens, its natural for that portion of the community to be tempted to blame the patch, because hey, it can't be coincidence right? Let it play out a while, and your team may turn it around.

[countryboy]

Re: Patch wars

Considering that Patch 1.12 only fixed Battle Royale hang ups and various crashes, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that patch 1.12 didn't cause your offense to become stagnant for 3 games.

As NolanRyansSnowmonkey pointed out, teams go through stretches at various times of the season where they either struggle to hit, struggle to pitch, or both at the same time. It happens all the time in baseball. Nobody is going to play at top level for 162 games.

Personally I would keep playing instead of quitting and giving up on the game.

[saucerset]

Re: Patch wars

I just ended a 5 game losing streak where I only scored 1 run per game. Those games were all on the road, but when I came home to play OAK I finally pulled one out 3-0. Like Countryboy said, teams have streaks and sometimes they are frustrating, but they don't last. 3 games isn't even your whole pitching rotation. You gotta play it out and see what happens.

[KnightTemplar]

Re: Patch wars

5 game losing streak, line drive outs, lack of clutch hitting, couple of warning signs w/pitchers I ignored, and finally a 4-2 win yesterday with 9 hits. Lovin’ every minute of it.

[doubledeuceR6]

Re: Patch wars

Can't say more than what's already been said and maybe this isn't a great example with a college team but look at what just happened to Arkansas in the CWS. One of the best offenses in the NCAA averaging almost 7 runs a game this season and they scored 7 total in 3 games against Oregon St. And 5 or 6 of those runs came on walks and errors plus they got shutout on 2 hits last night.

Lots of highs and lows in a season, I wouldn't quit after 3 games.

[tessl]

Re: Patch wars

How about this idea? Bug patches automatically download but gameplay patches are optional. Make a list. Give it a name - pick a patch - let people choose which gameplay they want. I liked 1.04. Not a fan of 1.12. let me pick patch 1.04.

I think the NHL game calls them "tuners". Like tuning a guitar except they tune gameplay. Pick out the tuner you want.

Pick a patch. Just a thought.

[countryboy]

Re: Patch wars

My understanding is that tuners and patches are two different things. But not entirely sure.

Reason I mention that is because unless SDS decides to do tuners, I don't think there is the ability to have people pick and choose which patch they want to use, outside of disconnecting from the internet so they don't download the latest patch.


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