MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

[bigd51]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

That's definitely not new. I have a habit of frantically tapping the button when I get a juicy pitch and I think I just pull or slip my finger off the button instead of holding it.

Same here. Happened very often for me in '20 where I'd get too excited about hitting a pitch and quickly double-tapping by accident instead of pressing the button fully. Definitely not a by-product of the new system in place.

In regards to check-swings in general, I love them now. After adjusting, I haven't had any troubles w/ them at all. I get punished when I tap the button on pitches I have no business attempting to swing at in the first place, but still able to check swing successfully the majority of the time, so it doesn't punish me that much.

Hitting, overall, took a bit to get adjusted to this year. But after changing around a few settings and switching to another batting camera (which I actually found to be better than the one I was using), hitting in '21 has been the most enjoyable for me than it has in a long time.

The changes nudged me out of my comfort zone, made me less reliable on being bailed out of poor decisions at the plate by the system, and made a better hitter in the process. Discipline's improved, timing's improved, and I'm reading pitches a lot faster than before.

[Jeffrey Smith]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

Same here. Happened very often for me in '20 where I'd get too excited about hitting a pitch and quickly double-tapping by accident instead of pressing the button fully. Definitely not a by-product of the new system in place.

In regards to check-swings in general, I love them now. After adjusting, I haven't had any troubles w/ them at all. I get punished when I tap the button on pitches I have no business attempting to swing at in the first place, but still able to check swing successfully the majority of the time, so it doesn't punish me that much.

Hitting, overall, took a bit to get adjusted to this year. But after changing around a few settings and switching to another batting camera (which I actually found to be better than the one I was using), hitting in '21 has been the most enjoyable for me than it has in a long time.

The changes nudged me out of my comfort zone, made me less reliable on being bailed out of poor decisions at the plate by the system, and made a better hitter in the process. Discipline's improved, timing's improved, and I'm reading pitches a lot faster than before.

What hitting camera did you change to?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[bigd51]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

What hitting camera did you change to?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

MLB The Show '15 or '16 camera. Whichever one that zooms in more to the pitching mound.

[cvantu]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

I use analog hitting with PCI, and the check swinging mechanic works ideally with it IMO.

[knucklecutter]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

Normally I play on HOF or legend with max pitch speeds using directional hitting and check swinging is borderline impossible. Yesterday I tested it out on veteran with default pitch speeds, which are insanely slow by the way, and check swinging was MUCH easier.

[cvantu]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

Normally I play on HOF or legend with max pitch speeds using directional hitting and check swinging is borderline impossible. Yesterday I tested it out on veteran with default pitch speeds, which are insanely slow by the way, and check swinging was MUCH easier.

Have you tried it with analog swinging? Also, check swinging is more successful with contact swings than normal swings (I'm sure you know that).

[InstaBuzz]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

My only issue is that when I watch the bat replay in the lower left box, it does not seem representative of what my guy actually did. Watching my batter check swing he DEFINITELY did not go half way around, but the swing replay shows my bat going 3/4 or more.

[cvantu]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

My only issue is that when I watch the bat replay in the lower left box, it does not seem representative of what my guy actually did. Watching my batter check swing he DEFINITELY did not go half way around, but the swing replay shows my bat going 3/4 or more.

Yeah, I agree. I just ignore it.

[canes21]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

My only issue is that when I watch the bat replay in the lower left box, it does not seem representative of what my guy actually did. Watching my batter check swing he DEFINITELY did not go half way around, but the swing replay shows my bat going 3/4 or more.

That box isn't a 1:1 recreation of what happened. It is generic and gives a brief recap of what happened, so when it is registered as a strike it will just show you going around each time and vice versa.

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[tessl]

Re: Check swings

I believe they made this change because online players complained that it was too easy and unrealistic to see players check swing regularly 3 or 4 times in a single at bat.

I feel like they overcompensated with the fix though

On multiple gameplay items over they years they have over compensated based on a few complaints. At the same time they have fixed a lot of previous issues.

Gotta take the good with the bad.

[sheredia]

a little unforgiving but seems like the cpu gets away with check swings more than i do........if they could just balance it a bit more.

[jcar0725]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

Small sample size because I just got 21 three days ago and yeah they're a little over blown but I don't feel like it's anything drastic. I play HOF with directional.

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[brunopuntzjones]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

I don't like the change. I think they fixed something that wasn't broken to appease online players whose preferences don't necessarily make for a fun game. Players who have great discipline ratings SHOULD be able to hold up more often if you're able to bail on your button press in time.

There's probably a happy medium they can achieve but right now it's a bit silly.

The other thing that bothers me is the in-game animations clearly don't match the press/call and it just seems to get reconciled when the replay is generated. That feels wrong to me.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

I don't like the change. I think they fixed something that wasn't broken to appease online players whose preferences don't necessarily make for a fun game. Players who have great discipline ratings SHOULD be able to hold up more often if you're able to bail on your button press in time.

There's probably a happy medium they can achieve but right now it's a bit silly.

The other thing that bothers me is the in-game animations clearly don't match the press/call and it just seems to get reconciled when the replay is generated. That feels wrong to me.

This is what a lot of the “online players” pointed to as the reason they hated check swings. Results did not match animations.

But let’s talk about real life baseball....it is an unwritten rule in terms of what constitutes a check swing. But the actual rule??

Straight from a former MiLB umpire I have had a zillion discussions with over the course of my travel and high school coaching experience while he umpired our games.

It is all about the subjective opinion of the umpire if the batter showed “intent” to swing. Sometimes the intent is so strong....but the guy was able to physically "hold” up you would still see it called a strike swinging. It really is a slippery slope and difficult to get right all the time. It is a truly subjective call.

So....with that being said I agree 1000% with you....the change has been brutal to offline ratings based players like myself. I played plenty to check it out and judge for myself.

It stinks.

And you know what people will disagree.....and that’s ok too. It is all subjective. And we can decide if that is reason enough not to play a video game.

But what is more for lack of a better term upsetting.....is the fact they caved to an online stick skill crowd to leak into the offline crowd who had zero issues with the discipline ratings playing a role. You still can’t press the swing button hard and check even with high discipline....but had a little more leeway on normal swings and with contact swings you had even more which way a cool aspect of he contact swing in 0-2 and 1-2 counts to be able to “hold” up better with a tap.

That was taken away. The rating turfed.

So that brings me to this point and why this whole Competitive/simulation/casual stuff is nonsense.

Why could the discipline ratings not still be tied to the check swings in simulation mode vs competitive mode? What is the point of having the seperate “settings” of play?

Lipstick. Just like Maddens attempt at it on their game.

But some will say this is so minor....a small thing. To me it is the start. And these things tend to snowball. Maybe I am wrong.....but history in the sports video game genre and all the recent trends say otherwise.

To each his own.....and some are totally fine with it. That’s cool and I am not trying to convince you of otherwise.

But I am not cool with it.

It is a shame. Really a shame. The direction of the game is going somewhere else. You can’t be everything to everybody. And we are finding out that The Show can’t either. They have always done a fantastic job of always keeping options (and they still have them all in the game) but once you start tinkering with how ratings affect or in this case not effect gameplay you are now going to start segregating off a small but passionate part of your game playing base.

They had a simulation ratings based foundation for a long time and for the first time I am seeing that really to fundamentally change in that regard for my play style (Directional hitting in particular). Other's have different play styles and that is great...that is what makes the game great. The options are there for hitting, pitching, fielding etc. All of that is great. And it will continue to be for a long time I am sure.

However online playing and stick skills has taken over and it is taken over this game as well in regards to adverse effects of ratings now being turfed (discipline being the first) for offline players and this is the start.

Is what it is.

Anyway I hope they can tune it better for those that are playing 21 long term because right now....it is far to harsh.

[tessl]

Re: MLB The Show 21 Check Swings - Love it or Hate it?

I have the game but still waiting for my ps5 to be delivered. I use manage mode exclusively. Will a good discipline attribute rating help with this issue or does it afflict every player?