The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

[Armor and Sword]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

No, the problem is the people that will vehemently defend something from any outside criticism and attack the people who do it no matter how well-constructed and non-hostile the criticism may be. It's called fanboyism and it's never a good thing. I'm not saying you're one of them, but they do exist. I (and many others who have criticized this game) want to see it succeed, but without criticism there would be no improvement in the world. Are there people out there who complain just for the sake of complaining? Yes, but I would wager they're a pretty small minority.

Who is attacking you?


Sent from Palm Trees and Paradise using Operation Sports

[Vanilla_Gorilla]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

Do you have to use the PCI?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

What do you mean "have" to? I like to know where my player's vision is on pitches, how fast they are, and where they were in relation to the bat.

[countryboy]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

What do you mean "have" to? I like to know where my player's vision is on pitches, how fast they are, and where they were in relation to the bat.

Do you have to move the PCI over the ball to hit it? Cursor hitting

Ex: pitch up in zone move PCI up, pitch down move it down, etc


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[bcruise]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

Do you have to move the PCI over the ball to hit it? Cursor hitting

Ex: pitch up in zone move PCI up, pitch down move it down, etc


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I can answer that one....

Pure Analog is something of a "middle ground" between directional and zone. You have PCI control to the left and right when you swing, by tilting the analog up/left or up/right when following through. But Up/Down PCI movement in Pure Analog is treated like directional - in other words, it's up to the CPU and the hitter's ratings.

So you don't have full control of where you're swinging, and can foul or miss a pitch just because the ratings say you would. Just like directional, only with a little more user control.

[countryboy]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

I can answer that one....

Pure Analog is something of a "middle ground" between directional and zone. You have PCI control to the left and right when you swing, by tilting the analog up/left or up/right when following through. But Up/Down PCI movement in Pure Analog is treated like directional - in other words, it's up to the CPU and the hitter's ratings.

So you don't have full control of where you're swinging, and can foul or miss a pitch just because the ratings say you would. Just like directional, only with a little more user control.

Ok

Thanks bcruise.

I was going to try to offer up some help with timing and pop ups but I don’t use this type of hitting


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

Who is attacking you?


Sent from Palm Trees and Paradise using Operation Sports

I wasn't referring to myself in that post. There was a bit of a brief heated discussion between two others before I made that reply. I was more referring in general to the people who either never encounter a problem or just flat-out ignore it, and proceed to attack anyone who brings attention to it. This thread has been pretty mature about this discussion so far.

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

I thought you said this is not about online play. That this is present in offline hitting.

Offline IMO 18 is the very best representation of a console baseball game in terms of hitting and pitching a baseball.

The hitter/pitcher showdown on this years version has been nothing short of amazing.

Baseball IRL is all physics as KB explained.

This game comes as close to hitting a real baseball in terms of ball physics, trajectory, and player ratings coupled with user input and of course like any sports game ever made a RNG generator taking in the entire formula to give us the results.

And so far in my franchise the statistical outcomes have been incredibly realistic and more importantly fun.

Online? Forget it. It is a different game and hitting online once again stinks.

The game shines brightly offline for franchise players. Brighter than ever before. They poured a ton of resources this cycle into gameplay.

Big time.

It will be again the best console sports game of the year bar none.


Sent from Palm Trees and Paradise using Operation Sports

I never mentioned anything about online, I was talking about the fact that a skill gap does indeed still exist in MLB 18. But the increased amount of randomness that affects the outcomes of at-bats seems to have narrowed things a bit, at least in my experience. Don't get me wrong, when the the game is firing on all cylinders it's one of the most fun games I own. The problem is for every game I have where the game seems to be playing correctly there 3 or 4 where it feels broken. It's still a great sports game, miles ahead of the garbage EA is putting out there (R.I.P. Madden), but there's definite room for improvement.

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

Here's where The Show can be downright frustrating. I'm pitching, I've got a 5-0 lead and I'm absolutely cruising racking up the ground ball outs and then all of a sudden it's like the flip of a switch. I walk the leadoff batter, alright, no biggie I'll just get the next guy out, not so fast my friend. All of a sudden I can't throw a strike. I use the pitching meter, and I nail it perfectly in the green and it's a ball. Nothing is a strike and then when I finally do get a strike it either gets fouled off or put in play in the exact perfect spot for a hit. To make a long story short, I ended up giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in the inning before getting a pair of strikeouts with the bases loaded to keep the game tied at 5 after walking in the tying run with my second pitcher of the inning. I get it that it's not completely unrealistic for a pitcher to have a game just come apart on them. It happens. It's just frustrating when it happens on The Show because there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. No warning signs no nothing. I could see if I had been struggling to throw strikes and walking guys and getting lucky the previous innings, but that wasn't the case. Even when I put in my reliever (Arodys Vizcaino) and tried to throw a 4-seam fastball right down the middle and I hit the pitching meter in the green it ended up being a ball and a bases loaded walk.


I know SDS has denied for years about them having a comeback code in the game but sometimes you just wonder.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the game is scripted or that the AI is cheating in some way. It can be downright frustrating at times, like when your .300+ All-Star hitter is somehow popping up 90mph fastballs right down the middle of the plate (or like the situation you described), but I doubt SDS would purposely rig their game. The game does have its objective faults for sure though. Vizcaino doesn't have the best control, and I know that plays a factor even when your pitch release indicator is perfect. Trust me, I have Nate Jones on my teams and he can be a little wild at times too.

[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

I never mentioned anything about online, I was talking about the fact that a skill gap does indeed still exist in MLB 18. But the increased amount of randomness that affects the outcomes of at-bats seems to have narrowed things a bit, at least in my experience. Don't get me wrong, when the the game is firing on all cylinders it's one of the most fun games I own. The problem is for every game I have where the game seems to be playing correctly there 3 or 4 where it feels broken. It's still a great sports game, miles ahead of the garbage EA is putting out there (R.I.P. Madden), but there's definite room for improvement.

Maybe you already said, and either missed it or forgot it, (I'm probably the only one that doesn't already know this) but what settings are you playing on? I think you said you are on HOF difficulty if i remember correctly? What hitting interface are you using, and what Human hitting sliders / CPU pitching sliders do you generally use in 18?

I am assuming its not zone, since you referred to popping up middle middle pitches with Good timing. Otherwise the weak contact would be simply due to where to you placed the PCI. So i am assuming directional? Seeing what Human hitting sliders/CPU pitching sliders, you use/have tried, along with your hitting interface, may help spur some ideas, hopfully.

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

Maybe you already said, and either missed it or forgot it, (I'm probably the only one that doesn't already know this) but what settings are you playing on? I think you said you are on HOF difficulty if i remember correctly? What hitting interface are you using, and what Human hitting sliders / CPU pitching sliders do you generally use in 18?

I am assuming its not zone, since you referred to popping up middle middle pitches with Good timing. Otherwise the weak contact would be simply due to where to you placed the PCI. So i am assuming directional? Seeing what Human hitting sliders/CPU pitching sliders, you use/have tried, along with your hitting interface, may help spur some ideas, hopfully.

I play Hall of Fame difficulty with zone hitting, User contact and power sliders were set to one tick below middle. Timing was set to middle and solid hits was set to default.

As for the CPU settings contact and power is set to one tick below default with timing being three ticks below default (I had it set to middle but found the CPU was getting way too many lucky hits on poorly-timed swings). CPU solid hits is one tick above default to make up for their timing being lowered.

I say "was" when referring to my User sliders because I have since changed them to test out new settings, however I'm still tinkering with them and haven't played enough to make an accurate assessment with them yet. The sliders I listed above were the sliders I've been running with for the longest time.

[KBLover]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

I know. I was just more or less venting that all of a sudden I couldn't throw a strike anymore and started walking people. It gets frustrating at times when the CPU is able to foul off every single pitch and take all the balls until they find one that a pitch they can rip for a hit somewhere.

It can happen in your favor as well.

Earlier today, I was getting my rear handed to my by the opposing starter. But my #4 hitter had a 13-pitch AB and ended with him getting a walk. We still didn't score, but the starter ended up gassed after the inning. This is on Legend Directional.

We get 4 runs on the reliever and win 5-3.

And when the CPU is like that - he will NOT see a pitch in the zone rest of the PA unless bases are loaded. Either chases all day or walks. Sometimes you just tip your cap and lose the battle to win the war.

[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

I play Hall of Fame difficulty with zone hitting, User contact and power sliders were set to one tick below middle. Timing was set to middle and solid hits was set to default.

As for the CPU settings contact and power is set to one tick below default with timing being three ticks below default (I had it set to middle but found the CPU was getting way too many lucky hits on poorly-timed swings). CPU solid hits is one tick above default to make up for their timing being lowered.

I say "was" when referring to my User sliders because I have since changed them to test out new settings, however I'm still tinkering with them and haven't played enough to make an accurate assessment with them yet. The sliders I listed above were the sliders I've been running with for the longest time.

What are the CPU pitching sliders set at?

One of the things you said earlier was that you were popping up pitches down the middle, with Good timing/Weak contact with good hitters. I am a long time zone hitter, and i never see this happen, unless I pull my PCI below the ball. I never pop up pitches if i get the PCI over the ball, or even with the ball. I have gone into pop-up/fly ball slumps before, due to a bad habit ive developed, but i worked on it and i got out of it, because it was all my doing. Im just trying to get to the bottom of exactly what you are seeing.

So are you saying that you are squaring the PCI over the ball marker and it is still popping it up? Or does the feedback show the PCI below the ball marker?

I cant think of any scenario where a well placed PCI over the ball marker resulted in a pop up for me. Occasionally i get Good/Good and it ends up being a fly ball to the outfield, but that seems reasonable to me, depending on the batter, the pitch, my degree of good timing, and the pitchers ratings and quirks.

There are different degrees of Good Contact, from just barely Good contact, to Excellent contact, but it is always labeled as 'Good'. It is the same with Timing, as there is a range of "nearly 'Just Early' but Good" Timing, and "nearly 'Just Late' but Good" Timing. So the PCI will still move slightly downward, creating upward trajectory, on Good timing that is 'slightly late', when otherwise the PCI would be perfectly placed over the ball marker.

If you are seeing weak pop ups, even when feedback shows the PCI lined up with the ball marker (and contact turned up, creating a huge PCI) it seems like a Solid Hits slider issue to me, which really shouldn't be a problem either, since you are at default. But maybe bump it up anyway.

What does the pitch feedback look like? Are your players "Cold?" Do you use button hitting? Do you ever use power/contact swings when you see this?

If you've answered some of these already i apologize.

Also what are those CPU pitching sliders?

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

What are the CPU pitching sliders set at?

One of the things you said earlier was that you were popping up pitches down the middle, with Good timing/Weak contact with good hitters. I am a long time zone hitter, and i never see this happen, unless I pull my PCI below the ball. I never pop up pitches if i get the PCI over the ball, or even with the ball. I have gone into pop-up/fly ball slumps before, due to a bad habit ive developed, but i worked on it and i got out of it, because it was all my doing. Im just trying to get to the bottom of exactly what you are seeing.

So are you saying that you are squaring the PCI over the ball marker and it is still popping it up? Or does the feedback show the PCI below the ball marker?

I cant think of any scenario where a well placed PCI over the ball marker resulted in a pop up for me. Occasionally i get Good/Good and it ends up being a fly ball to the outfield, but that seems reasonable to me, depending on the batter, the pitch, my degree of good timing, and the pitchers ratings and quirks.

There are different degrees of Good Contact, from just barely Good contact, to Excellent contact, but it is always labeled as 'Good'. It is the same with Timing, as there is a range of "nearly 'Just Early' but Good" Timing, and "nearly 'Just Late' but Good" Timing. So the PCI will still move slightly downward, creating upward trajectory, on Good timing that is 'slightly late', when otherwise the PCI would be perfectly placed over the ball marker.

If you are seeing weak pop ups, even when feedback shows the PCI lined up with the ball marker (and contact turned up, creating a huge PCI) it seems like a Solid Hits slider issue to me, which really shouldn't be a problem either, since you are at default. But maybe bump it up anyway.

What does the pitch feedback look like? Are your players "Cold?" Do you use button hitting? Do you ever use power/contact swings when you see this?

If you've answered some of these already i apologize.

Also what are those CPU pitching sliders?

For the most part the PCI was directly center with the ball and it still tended to happen. The only player I had that was on a cold streak was Jose Abreu. Charlie Blackmon is an interesting one because he seemed to have no problem hitting things in difficult spots (high and inside or low and away, for instance), yet he would always pop up or get on top of pitches left right down the middle. I didn't modify the CPU's pitching sliders at all aside from their starters' stamina so I'm not sure why that would have messed anything up.

On a side note I have been getting some better results with the sliders I've tested out recently. The only things I have altered are User contact and solid hits. I jacked contact up to the maximum and bumped solid hits up one tick above normal. To compensate I reduced User foul frequency by three ticks and reduced timing to one below average. I also increased CPU pitcher control because I didn't want it to become so easy that it felt like cheating. I've been getting a lot less meatballs but the ones I have been getting (and hitting with good timing) have all been struck hard. I don't want to say the game is "fixed" since I've only used them for about 6 or 7 games, but the game definitely feels more responsive than before.

[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

For the most part the PCI was directly center with the ball and it still tended to happen. The only player I had that was on a cold streak was Jose Abreu. Charlie Blackmon is an interesting one because he seemed to have no problem hitting things in difficult spots (high and inside or low and away, for instance), yet he would always pop up or get on top of pitches left right down the middle. I didn't modify the CPU's pitching sliders at all aside from their starters' stamina so I'm not sure why that would have messed anything up.

On a side note I have been getting some better results with the sliders I've tested out recently. The only things I have altered are User contact and solid hits. I jacked contact up to the maximum and bumped solid hits up one tick above normal. To compensate I reduced User foul frequency by three ticks and reduced timing to one below average. I also increased CPU pitcher control because I didn't want it to become so easy that it felt like cheating. I've been getting a lot less meatballs but the ones I have been getting (and hitting with good timing) have all been struck hard. I don't want to say the game is "fixed" since I've only used them for about 6 or 7 games, but the game definitely feels more responsive than before.

If you see any more centered up PCI's getting popped up can you grab some screenshots of the pitch feedback in those instances? I like to learn all i can about how the game responds, and that is something i have never seen.

Im glad you're at least making progress toward better results. I'm convinced that there is a slider setting somewhere to cure your problems. I am also assuming you have double-checked that you are on the correct user profile, and that profile's setting didn't get switched to Legend hitting or something. Hey, anything's possible, just covering all the bases.

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: The Disturbing Trend I've Noticed About MLB: The Show

If you see any more centered up PCI's getting popped up can you grab some screenshots of the pitch feedback in those instances? I like to learn all i can about how the game responds, and that is something i have never seen.

Im glad you're at least making progress toward better results. I'm convinced that there is a slider setting somewhere to cure your problems. I am also assuming you have double-checked that you are on the correct user profile, and that profile's setting didn't get switched to Legend hitting or something. Hey, anything's possible, just covering all the bases.

I've honestly never tried screenshotting so I don't really know how it works but if I see it happening rather frequently again I'll try to catch some examples of it. My account is also the only one attached to this Playstation 4 so mine is always the one that is selected. I also checked to make sure I didn't change the difficulty and can confirm it is still set to Hall of Fame. I'm going to keep playing with these sliders for a few days to see how the perform. If the game gets too easy I'll just knock down contact and power, but so far I've been getting hits on the pitches I should be hitting and have yet to see an unrealistic spike in ERAs (which was something I was worried might happen).