Can we talk about gameplay?

[Hellquist]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

While the defensive fielding Gameplay for MLB The Show 19 look improved. I feel like a lot was said very similar for MLB The Show 18. I actually want to watch 18's gameplay stream and compare what Chris Gill is saying for 19. Offhand some of it seemed repetitive in some of the key points that were being pointed out.

A Huge Missing Fundamental
But for me MLB The Show has yet to address a huge core component of gameplay in a Baseball game. And that is Base running. Even what is being shown in MLB The Show 19. From the CPU side there is just no awareness for it.

The most expressive thing I have seen in 5 years of playing this series on the Base running side. Was the runner slipping and trying to get back to the bag. But we all know this one animation will be the same for all runners on base. That's 5 year's guys think about that for a second. I don't think it was a question about could or how it would be done. I just think it was overlooked at this point!

As an example name one MLB The Show iteration where you have actually seeing a CPU get caught in a run down! Or be alert on the base paths in a aggressive situation outside of a pass ball to the backstop! It just does not exist and it should as Base running is a core component. It's never mentioned or highlighted in Twitch Streams.

We are just now getting some decent fielding logic but these things should have been done iterations ago!

As someone who mainly plays Player Lock Short Stop there is so much left to be desired when playing that position. Biggest visual improvement was the fielding cone. But outside of that the defensive experience outside of full team control is very anemic!

If anyone wants to test how bad it is. Player Lock a Short Stop wait to a shift hitter comes to the plate prompting the CPU to do a defensive shift.

If you do not complete the shift the defense adjust without you. If you do complete it. You have to repeat it for each pitch reset or (defensive ready position) Poor programming decision! This has not being changed or fixed since MLB The Show 14! It's broken because you can literally be sitting in front or on top of the 3rd Basemen at any time. Quick Tip To avoid the reset set Player Lock fielding tries to Some

By now I hoped for organic fielding especially while playing the cut off man position through Player Lock. The CPU lacks the ability to know where you are on the field. And that just does not cut it at this point in the series!


I expect the same repeat for MLB The Show 19 this is why even though improved I can't give gameplay a complete pass because too many basic Base Ball ideas for gameplay are still missing. If you have played the series for a while then you know exactly. If you are new to MLB The Show 19. Well that's a different story!

I agree 1000000000000000% with this. SDS has done everything else right except baserunning. It's not as realistic or make much sense.

As for this thread, I am still one person who does not look at gameplay until I get it in my hands. I rarely look at trailers, but I want the game to be fresh in my mind and have to figure out what's new. It's just something I have always done. Still makes me feel like a kid instead of seeing a video saying this is how hitting has improved. I want to feel that myself. Gameplay in '18 to me was damn good, but with a few annoyances. I played a few games the other day and it's still fun.

Next week cannot get here fast enough. Dedicating next weekend to this game. I am doing nothing else besides sleep, eat and use the bathroom lol.

[Impetuous65]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

While the defensive fielding Gameplay for MLB The Show 19 look improved. I feel like a lot was said very similar for MLB The Show 18. I actually want to watch 18's gameplay stream and compare what Chris Gill is saying for 19. Offhand some of it seemed repetitive in some of the key points that were being pointed out.

A Huge Missing Fundamental
But for me MLB The Show has yet to address a huge core component of gameplay in a Baseball game. And that is Base running. Even what is being shown in MLB The Show 19. From the CPU side there is just no awareness for it.

The most expressive thing I have seen in 5 years of playing this series on the Base running side. Was the runner slipping and trying to get back to the bag. But we all know this one animation will be the same for all runners on base. That's 5 year's guys think about that for a second. I don't think it was a question about could or how it would be done. I just think it was overlooked at this point!

As an example name one MLB The Show iteration where you have actually seeing a CPU get caught in a run down! Or be alert on the base paths in a aggressive situation outside of a pass ball to the backstop! It just does not exist and it should as Base running is a core component. It's never mentioned or highlighted in Twitch Streams.

We are just now getting some decent fielding logic but these things should have been done iterations ago!

As someone who mainly plays Player Lock Short Stop there is so much left to be desired when playing that position. Biggest visual improvement was the fielding cone. But outside of that the defensive experience outside of full team control is very anemic!

If anyone wants to test how bad it is. Player Lock a Short Stop wait to a shift hitter comes to the plate prompting the CPU to do a defensive shift.

If you do not complete the shift the defense adjust without you. If you do complete it. You have to repeat it for each pitch reset or (defensive ready position) Poor programming decision! This has not being changed or fixed since MLB The Show 14! It's broken because you can literally be sitting in front or on top of the 3rd Basemen at any time. Quick Tip To avoid the reset set Player Lock fielding tries to Some

By now I hoped for organic fielding especially while playing the cut off man position through Player Lock. The CPU lacks the ability to know where you are on the field. And that just does not cut it at this point in the series!


I expect the same repeat for MLB The Show 19 this is why even though improved I can't give gameplay a complete pass because too many basic Base Ball ideas for gameplay are still missing. If you have played the series for a while then you know exactly. If you are new to MLB The Show 19. Well that's a different story!

Base Running? The narrowly focused base running has all been geared towards online head to head play. Iff you have been paying attention and it looks like you have, you will see for the past 2 years, its all about what would a cheeser do and How do we thwart his or her opportunity to do something a normal baseball player wouldn't do. Just watch the streams, it's not about fundamentals, it's about "oh you trying to get home? not so fast my friend" because this year we have an animation for that cheese. They do not balance for off line normal strategy, and these are baseball guys at the helm.

[Mercury112491]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

Base Running? The narrowly focused base running has all been geared towards online head to head play. Iff you have been paying attention and it looks like you have, you will see for the past 2 years, its all about what would a cheeser do and How do we thwart his or her opportunity to do something a normal baseball player wouldn't do. Just watch the streams, it's not about fundamentals, it's about "oh you trying to get home? not so fast my friend" because this year we have an animation for that cheese. They do not balance for off line normal strategy, and these are baseball guys at the helm.

By adding in animations to make them behave more realistically.

[Impetuous65]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

By adding in animations to make them behave more realistically.

Again the base running attention by the devs is for online head to head play to overcome cheese. We don't know how they are going to behave or what exploit they will find.

[Cubfan]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

Despite the disappointment in lack of meaningful franchise upgrades I'm still excited for the gameplay and presentation improvements.

[phantomblackgoat]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

I'm tentatively excited for the revamped hitting system making contact hitters actually feel like contact hitters. The meta for hitting in MLB 18 was randomness, at times I felt like tossing the disc out the window because skill felt less important. In fact, I'd go as far as to say skill no longer mattered at all. You could work the count and still go 0 for 1000 on hangers right down the middle with good timing simply because the game wills it. Meanwhile the AI can swing at garbage pitches in the dirt and string 8 hits in row because this game totally rewards strategy (not). I say tentatively excited because SDS has said they're revamping hitting over the past few years and have yet to make any improvements. If they do manage to fix that I'll overlook the lack of new features to franchise mode, I just want to see feedback actually make sense again.

[Dannywhatever]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

One of my biggest disappointments in 18 was the inability to lay down a sacrifice bunt. I'm looking forward to playing as a National League franchise team where both me and the CPU can put down sac bunts again without them rocketing to a fielder for an easy double play.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

One of my biggest disappointments in 18 was the inability to lay down a sacrifice bunt. I'm looking forward to playing as a National League franchise team where both me and the CPU can put down sac bunts again without them rocketing to a fielder for an easy double play.

I have no problems laying down sac bunts Many streams I’ve had, people see me lay down plenty of sacrifice bunts. The CPU on the other hand does have problems. I made a house rule where if they laid down a bunt that was too strong I would give up the out at second and just take the out at first. Hopefully that is fixed on 19.

And supposedly bunting in general should be much better on 19.


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[PVarck31]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

I have no problems laying down sac bunts Many streams I’ve had, people see me lay down plenty of sacrifice bunts. The CPU on the other hand does have problems. I made a house rule where if they laid down a bunt that was too strong I would give up the out at second and just take the out at first. Hopefully that is fixed on 19.

And supposedly bunting in general should be much better on 19.


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The only reason I didn't have trouble laying down sac bunts was be cause the AI was too stupid to throw to second for an easy double play because of the rocket bunts.

[countryboy]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

I’m excited about the gameplay this year. The changes to defense and hitting have me anxiously waiting to get into the game and see how they play out and how different it is from ‘18.

I’m also one of the few excited about the changes to pitching and effectiveness of the fastball being increased and offspeed pitches being decreased.

And of course bunting being re-balanced.


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[dubplate]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

I really hope they turn down the 6th inning CPU boost.

Far too many times in ‘17 and ‘18 the CPU would tee off on my pitcher in the 6th no matter how well my they were doing previously and how much stamina I still had during a well pitched game. It is eye rollingly obnoxious.

[Vmascarello]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

I really hope they turn down the 6th inning CPU boost.

Far too many times in ‘17 and ‘18 the CPU would tee off on my pitcher in the 6th no matter how well my they were doing previously and how much stamina I still had during a well pitched game. It is eye rollingly obnoxious.

This is not a thing. Why would the devs program a 6th inning boost? It doesn’t make any sense. Not trying to be confrontational, but this just isn’t in the game.

[dubplate]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

This is not a thing. Why would the devs program a 6th inning boost? It doesn’t make any sense. Not trying to be confrontational, but this just isn’t in the game.

I've seen it happen a majority of my playing time the past two years. My starting pitcher almost always has a rough 6th inning. Some times it is legitimately due to being fatigued, but it happens too often to top of the rotation guys who aren't gassed and have been cruising up to that point.

I always assumed it's to replicate the 'third time through the line-up' factor for batters or something.

I'm also not saying it completely ruins the game and I don't always lose games due to it either. It's just annoying because I often have to bring someone in from the pen an inning or two earlier than I should.

[MetsFan16]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

A lot of goodies this year for gameplay improvements.

Defense actually mattering is still to be determined and we won’t know until we get our hands on it. It should add another level to strategy in all modes.

If I recall correctly I’m believe there are new Foul Ball catch into the stands animations which will be refreshing and actually make foul balls worth running for.

I’m very curious to see the new pitch speeds. I hit on HOF/Legend depending on if I’m in a groove or not and the speed is not an issue.

Is the speed increase online only or also offline?


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[Vmascarello]

Re: Can we talk about gameplay?

I've seen it happen a majority of my playing time the past two years. My starting pitcher almost always has a rough 6th inning. Some times it is legitimately due to being fatigued, but it happens too often to top of the rotation guys who aren't gassed and have been cruising up to that point.

I always assumed it's to replicate the 'third time through the line-up' factor for batters or something.

I'm also not saying it completely ruins the game and I don't always lose games due to it either. It's just annoying because I often have to bring someone in from the pen an inning or two earlier than I should.

You bring up an interesting point with the 3rd time through thing. I just don’t think they would go through the aggravation of programming that in. It seems a little outside the box for a programmer to put that logic in the game. I would be stunned if that was actually true.