MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

[HoodedSoldier]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I have yet to have a runner reach first base on a dropped third strike. And I haven't seen the pitching coach come out twice in the same inning. I've seen the pitching coach come out and then the manager to remove the pitcher, but never the pitching coach twice and the pitcher stay in.

And yes, the rule is that he must be removed if visited twice.

I reached first on a passed ball 3rd strike last night. The funny thing is the game had the cpu catcher running the other way first almost like he was looking for the ball and then finally found it. It was brief but it was cool that he didnt' run directly to the ball.

[Stumpy Santo]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

Batting cage. And watch the ball it comes fast so you really have to be ready. Also, guess pitch helps a lot. If you always guess a fastball and you don't get it. You know it wont be a fastball. So you can get ready for some off speed pitch.

I've often wondered about this dynamic in guess pitch. If I guess fastball and I'm incorrect, shouldn't I have a poor swing (my penalty for guessing wrong), even though I know an offspeed pitch is coming? I rarely use guess pitch, and if I'm wrong, I usually refrain from swinging at that pitch.

[Tigey75]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I was hoping that somebody who has the game can answer actual hardcore baseball related questions that I feel make or break games:

1) How does player development work? As in, do minor leaguers improve from year to year/get worse/stay the same...

2) Do they use actual MLB roster rules, such as players refusing minor league demotions/waivers/60-day disabled list......

3) How is the management mode done? Is managing a game in sim mode worthless or do you have any control over what goes on....

4) Are there bidding wars for free agents or does the computer just give up if you offer more $$??

5) Do fielding skills actually matter? such as with errors/bad throws/slow reaction time.....

Thanks to anyone who can answer these. I'm a veteran OOTP player so this game has a lot to live up to before it gets my 60 beans......

[Pared]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

In his first paragraph he put his Tribe and at The Jake...so I'm going to ASSume that he was the Indians at home vs the Yanks.

Just like a Tribes fan! J/K.... I knew I missed something in his post.

[Thadeus]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I have come to the conclusion that this game is unrealistically hard. Just for an experiment I played a game on rookie. Braves against Brewers. In the first inning J.J Hardy hits a changeup about 400ft to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. On Rookie? That's b.s. The cpu will hit anything near the strike zone 99% of the time. I don't mind a challenge, but that's inexusable. I think the developers try too hard to make it ultra challenging. Also, 98% of my hits are singles, or weak pop ups. Other people have complained about this as well. Btw, I have fooled with the sliders, to no avail obviously.

[Pared]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I have come to the conclusion that this game is unrealistically hard. Just for an experiment I played a game on rookie. Braves against Brewers. In the first inning J.J Hardy hits a changeup about 400ft to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. On Rookie? That's b.s. The cpu will hit anything near the strike zone 99% of the time. I don't mind a challenge, but that's inexusable. I think the developers try too hard to make it ultra challenging. Also, 98% of my hits are singles, or weak pop ups. Other people have complained about this as well. Btw, I have fooled with the sliders, to no avail obviously.

I honestly think you need more time with the game. Play a few games and experiment... But just because it is on rookie doesn't mean the CPU should just bend over and let you destroy them...

That's also a small sample to judge from. Are you saying the CPU should never be able to be competitive on rookie or more concerned with the changeup going over the wall?

[slthree]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I honestly think you need more time with the game. Play a few games and experiment... But just because it is on rookie doesn't mean the CPU should just bend over and let you destroy them...

That's also a small sample to judge from. Are you saying the CPU should never be able to be competitive on rookie or more concerned with the changeup going over the wall?

I agree with Pared. Give it more time and don't be too thrown by the HR. The CPU hitters are no joke regardless of level. They have their own little "guess pitch" thing going on as well. Like he said, the level won't make them roll over and not get good swings in. JJ was sitting on that change up. He had to be rewarded. Now, had you put that change up at the shoe tops you may have seen a different result.

You have got to be dialed in on the mound, regardless of level.

I play on All Star and I have to hold my breath every pitch. I think the CPU offense is appropriately scarey while not being impossible to shut down with the better pitchers.

[wsu_gb23]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

Again after about 10 (retail) games and many demo games I have yet to see this. Yeah I've had a few hit in front of the catcher and get blocked but not to the extreme. It's not a SCEA issue but a pitching issue. To have that many go to the back stop the underlying issue is the pitch being thrown not a gameplay flaw.

I have only had this problem with me batting (I swing way too much) I reached first 2 or 3 times in one game...I just don't think the ball should get past the catcher that often....

As far as the pitching coach, yeah he came out to the mound twice after the pitcher gave up 2 hits...I was thinking, this is weird to take him out after 4 innings, but the coach just went back to the dugout...I had the urge to look for my red challenge flag on that one...

[CMH]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

People complaining that it's too hard.

I'd be concerned but I'm already confident in SCEA that they won't listen to that nonsense. If anything, it's looking like they need to make a God difficulty level.

[Pared]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I agree with Pared. Give it more time and don't be too thrown by the HR. The CPU hitters are no joke regardless of level. They have their own little "guess pitch" thing going on as well. Like he said, the level won't make them roll over and not get good swings in. JJ was sitting on that change up. He had to be rewarded. Now, had you put that change up at the shoe tops you may have seen a different result.

You have got to be dialed in on the mound, regardless of level.

I play on All Star and I have to hold my breath every pitch. I think the CPU offense is appropriately scarey while not being impossible to shut down with the better pitchers.

All good points.

I would just want to add that I'm sure the CPU can pick up on pitching trends regardless of the level as well. Where you throwing only fastballs and changeups? Not going out of the zone? Throwing the changeup to the same spot? There's much more information that would be necessary to determine if what happened was bad programming or good programming.

[Computalover]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I absolutely love this game! it is hard.. and thats not a bad thing.. if you could play it like 08.. it would be a 64 dollar update. I noticed that you have to be more patient with this game while hitting. I have been swinging entirely too early.. circa 08.. wait for it.. wait for it.. lol!!

pitching also needs getting use too. I used the orioles jeremy guthrie againsts the yanks.. had a no hitter into the 6th.. he began to tire.. yanks started to take him yard. I adjusted my pitches accordingly.. less fast balls, and he recovered. Used him again.. against the rays.. and he got rocked out loud.. left in the 2nd.

I love this game man!! its a challenge.. and its getting more realistic each year! I am going to wait to do the franchise when the season rosters come out. but for now.. woo hoo!!

[wsu_gb23]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

People complaining that it's too hard.

I'd be concerned but I'm already confident in SCEA that they won't listen to that nonsense. If anything, it's looking like they need to make a God difficulty level.

This game is NOT too difficult...I just played a game; White Sox (ME) vs. Diamondbacks. Brandon Webb had a perfect game going in the 7th inning when he threw me a pitch down the middle and I crushed it to left with Alexi Ramirez...it was nice to break up the perfect game and shutout in one swing...I was then leading 1-0 and went on to win 2-0...I had 3 hits, d-backs had 7...

I play on legend difficulty with pitch-speed slider -4 ( I think) one bar showing on left. I do not use guess-pitch.

Great game!

[Joey]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I know someone replied already but here's another pic I saved. This was the first batter I faced (McLouth) in my first game. He went yard off the fair pole.

Why don't the fans go after home run balls?

[dubplate]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I've played two partial and one full game with no wins, but I am loving this game. I'm playing on HOF with a few adjustments and am finding it to be difficult, but not impossible.

I've given up a lot of homeruns, but it's my fault. I rely on the catcher telling me what to throw all of the time which leads to a lot of fastballs being thrown in succession. I need to learn to shake the catcher off.

"I know you're the captain, Varitek, but I am not throwing four straight fastballs to Pena. Bad, Tek, bad."

[countryboy]

Re: MLB 09: The Show - Impressions

I won my first game on Legend finally!!

Springfield Cardinals vs Corpus Christi and I won with a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 9th. It was hit by Adam Rock....