This game CHEATS...

[slyfox]

Re: This game CHEATS...

The only nonsense is people willing themselves to believe the developers put in pre-determined outcomes.

I see no more lengthy at bats than real life, i often pitch to contact when i have a high pitch count and it works out sometimes, not others, as it should do.

People need to forget the conspiracy theories about coding, really.

Anyway, im staggered this hasnt been closed yet so wanted to get my thoughts in before it inevitably is.

I would imagine this thread hasn't been closed yet because it's Memorial Day weekend and the mods haven't been around too much. These types of threads don't usually last long enough for 6 replies, let alone 6 pages.

[kehlis]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I would imagine this thread hasn't been closed yet because it's Memorial Day weekend and the mods haven't been around too much. These types of threads don't usually last long enough for 6 replies, let alone 6 pages.

I've been around all day and have kept an eye on this thread.

It's still open because its been discussed maturely, as long as it stays that way it will remain open.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I don't know if it cheats so much as that there is a sort of rubber band effect that tends to culminate into one half inning of play where everything goes terribly wrong. Although, I will agree it FEELS like its cheating.

Most of my frustration occurs when I'm pitching. I don't know how many times I'll be cruzing along getting stikeouts, flyouts, and groundouts while allowing an occasional hit. Then all the sudden in say the 6th inning, the CPU starts finding every single gap in my defense, and then when my defenders are finally in a position to field the ball or get an out, an error occurs whether my second baseman air mails one over the head of my first baseman or my third baseman boots a routine groundball. It not uncommon to inexplicably have 2 errors in one half inning. My defense just totally implodes, and I end up popping a blood vessel in my head.

The other issue I have with pitching is that the CPU doesn't swing at enough pitches out of the zone. It seems the only times I can get the CPU to swing at a pitch out of the zone is if it is a pressure situation, and they have a chance to score a couple runs with one swing of the bat. The other time is when I throw a slider down out of the zone or down and away in the zone. And even in these instances it is very hard. I feel that I do a very good job of mixing my pitches up, while at the same time establishing that I can locate my pitches and throw pitches that get outs. Very rarely does my pitcher have more than one pitch in which he isn't confident.

It is so frustrating for me to paint the edges the whole game and on borderline balls, the CPU just watches it. Again, I don't know how many times I will quickly get ahead 0-2 or 1-2. But as soon as I throw a borderline pitch out of the zone when I have 2 strikes on them, in a situation where the batter has to protect the plate, mind you, the CPU turns into RoboCop and can somehow analyze velocity, trajectory, rotation, wind speed, and gravitational pull from the moon to compute the ball will be 1/16th of an inch out of the zone and will elect not to swing.

I just wanted to point out that the above bold text is a nugget of genius.


On the topic of the thread, I can see why people would get upset at the game, because at times, it definitely does seem like nothing you do is the right thing to do. Innings where every pitch gets shelled, borderline pitches get called the other way, clear pitches get called the other way (this kills me, as the variable strike zones don't seem to vary, the umpires just seem to hate me). But at the end of it all, the game plays realistically. Sometimes I'll score 2 runs, and the CPU will come back and score 3 runs. It upsets me, and then I remember how often Yankee pitchers do this exact thing in real life. Just last weekend I believe, one of our starters had thrown 6 shutout innings, we finally went up 1-0, and then he gave up 2 runs.

It's not that the game is against you. Sometimes things seem random, and that's because baseball as a whole is a very random sport. Relievers will blow leads, starters will blow leads, superstars will strikeout with the bases loaded, perfect timing will result in a popup, that's just the way it is. And for every time it happens against me, I've done it against the CPU as well. It's part how focused you are (because this game above any other one, IMO, necessitates complete focus) and part luck. Maybe I throw a great slider low and away, and Nelson Cruz guesses it and laces it down the line the other way for a double. Maybe I hang a curveball over the middle of the plate, he times it wrong or hits it off the end of the bat, and he fouls it off. That's just baseball.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: This game CHEATS...

On cue, Yankees score 3 in the top of the first, Phil Hughes gives up 4 in the bottom. It's baseball.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: This game CHEATS...

On cue, Yankees score 3 in the top of the first, Phil Hughes gives up 4 in the bottom. It's baseball.

wait no its not, the developers magically programmed this game to match or score more runs than you in any given inning.

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ramblings.html

[Chetballard]

Re: This game CHEATS...

Does the game cheat when it allows us to comeback and win a game? Several times I have been down 5-0 etc in the 1st and come back and won. I think some people only look and remember the close games they lost when the Cpu comes back. Comebacks worth both ways.

I dont notice any more comebacks in this years show vs others. It could be that this year I have one of the best hitting teams I have had, but this comeback logic isnt as bad as others think it is.

[Brando70]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I'm playing on default AS and have a very different experience as the OP. Do I get mad at this game? All the time. But just about all of the bad things that happen to me are my fault, especially because I swing more than a dysfunctional married couple at a 70s key party.

I see the CPU screw up all the time. They get jobbed on balls and strikes. Biff easy plays. Hit screaming shots right to my players. Get thrown out stealing, even with fast players. There is literally nothing I see the CPU do that I don't see my own players do.

Even dreaded pitcher confidence is fair. When I get my pitcher's meters up, they clearly become more difficult to hit. The only reason why confidence benefits the AI more than myself is because I strike out more than the AI, which fills confidence more than any other outcome.

If you feel yourself getting this upset by the game, take it from someone who just broke a PS3 controller after having a disagreement with the AI ump about balls and strikes: it's in your head and not worth getting that upset about.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I'm playing on default AS and have a very different experience as the OP. Do I get mad at this game? All the time. But just about all of the bad things that happen to me are my fault, especially because I swing more than a dysfunctional married couple at a 70s key party.

I see the CPU screw up all the time. They get jobbed on balls and strikes. Biff easy plays. Hit screaming shots right to my players. Get thrown out stealing, even with fast players. There is literally nothing I see the CPU do that I don't see my own players do.

Even dreaded pitcher confidence is fair. When I get my pitcher's meters up, they clearly become more difficult to hit. The only reason why confidence benefits the AI more than myself is because I strike out more than the AI, which fills confidence more than any other outcome.

If you feel yourself getting this upset by the game, take it from someone who just broke a PS3 controller after having a disagreement with the AI ump about balls and strikes: it's in your head and not worth getting that upset about.

This is easily the most calm admission of an intentional controller breaking I've ever read.

[ckarlic]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I'm playing on default AS and have a very different experience as the OP. Do I get mad at this game? All the time. But just about all of the bad things that happen to me are my fault, especially because I swing more than a dysfunctional married couple at a 70s key party.

I see the CPU screw up all the time. They get jobbed on balls and strikes. Biff easy plays. Hit screaming shots right to my players. Get thrown out stealing, even with fast players. There is literally nothing I see the CPU do that I don't see my own players do.

Even dreaded pitcher confidence is fair. When I get my pitcher's meters up, they clearly become more difficult to hit. The only reason why confidence benefits the AI more than myself is because I strike out more than the AI, which fills confidence more than any other outcome.

If you feel yourself getting this upset by the game, take it from someone who just broke a PS3 controller after having a disagreement with the AI ump about balls and strikes: it's in your head and not worth getting that upset about.

I agree 100% with you. I feel the same way..When I loose, its because I was being to aggressive...Ive seen bad breaks happen to the CPU as well. Playing on AS default as well.

PS--this had be cracking up: "Do I get mad at this game? All the time. But just about all of the bad things that happen to me are my fault, especially because I swing more than a dysfunctional married couple at a 70s key party. "

[Brando70]

Re: This game CHEATS...

This is easily the most calm admission of an intentional controller breaking I've ever read.

The surprising thing is that it's the original one that came with the PS3 I bought in 2008 and that it took four years and four editions of The Show for it to happen!

I felt pretty dumb about it, honestly, but it also provided a Pulp-Fiction-level moment of clarity in terms of playing this game.

[slthree]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I see the CPU screw up all the time. They get jobbed on balls and strikes. Biff easy plays. Hit screaming shots right to my players. Get thrown out stealing, even with fast players. There is literally nothing I see the CPU do that I don't see my own players do.

Even dreaded pitcher confidence is fair. When I get my pitcher's meters up, they clearly become more difficult to hit. The only reason why confidence benefits the AI more than myself is because I strike out more than the AI, which fills confidence more than any other outcome.

Great point and something I forgot to mention. This post is why I'm glad the thread was left open.

The negative things that happen to us do in fact happen to the cpu as well. I wish I would have mentioned this a long time ago in the impressions thread but I feel SCEA should be applauded for how thecpu sometimes makes bone headed plays. Its fantastic.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I'm a bit late to the party, but I believe that the "Foul Frequency" slider affects whether a ball will end up borderline foul or fair when put in play, rather than how many times a player fouls it off. At least that's based on my experience so far (especially hitting). When I had the foul frequency slider turned up in hopes of working the count more, I had more pop-ups right at the foul line or in play. When I turned it down, most of the foul balls were out of play and there will fewer hits down the line.

[Bobhead]

Re: This game CHEATS...

It doesn't work that way. The slider doesn't interfere with where balls land after the fact, it shifts the entire spectrum of potential batted balls, everywhere. Imagine a giant clock covering the field, with home plate being the center of the clock, and center field being the "12 o'clock" position.

Keep in mind this is hypothetically speaking...
With the slider at 0, if you are batting with a left-handed batter, and you swing a split second late, you may hit a ball to between the "11" and "12 o'clock" position, ie: the center fielder, on his right hand side (but still caught). Increase the slider to 4, and hit that exact same pitch, with the exact same late timing, and that same batted ball may now go to the "10 o'clock" position, down the foul line.

Increase the slider to 10, and that swing is now considered more than just slightly late, and that same imaginary batted ball is shifted to the "9 o'clock" position, way out in the stands in foul territory.

All of the imaginary batted balls are shifted similarly. Early swings go from "3 o'clock" with the slider at 10, to "1:30" with the slider at 5" to just after the "12 o'clock" position. An even earlier swing will stays at "3 o'clock" until you bring the slider down to 4. A swing closer to perfect timing will be at "2 o'clock," when the slider is at 10 (instead of "3 o'clock")

It does the same thing with regards to location (and how far the ball is from the PCI). With the slider at 10, pretty much any ball out of the PCI will be fouled off. At 5, you have, to make a number up for the sake of example, approximately half an inch of area around the PCI where you can hit the ball and not hit it foul. At 0, balls outside of the PCI will be put into fair territory with regularity.

~~~~~~
Your observations stem from the fact that as you increase the slider you are turning more fair balls into foul balls, but more fair balls are not magically appearing on this spectrum, so the foul pop-ups now make up a bigger majority on the hit chart.

In other words, since it's easier to hit a foul ball, each of the various types of foul balls are also more common individually, so while you do get more fouls in the stands, you also do get more foul pop ups.

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: This game CHEATS...

Ha, wow, an open thread about this.

Most things I might have said have been mentioned already, but I would reinforce the idea that this is really about focus, micro-management, and paying close attention to the subtleties of what you're seeing.

For instance, did you know you can actually read batters? Like, it actually matters if a guy is early or late on a pitch and you should be taking note of this. "He was late on that slider; no way he catch up to the heater here" sorta thing. If you're just up there trying to be "random" because you're not really into the game or because you don't think the AI is that sophisticated, you're asking for trouble.

[tonadom]

Re: This game CHEATS...

I keep things short and to the point.

When I was playing on HOF difficulty, I noticed some things that seemed to swing in the AIs favor.

One was fielding. In reality, I've never seen A Rod field a lazy grounder, then casually throw to 2nd to turn two and the ball ends up in right field, but I've seen that a couple times in The Show. He throws frozen ropes to first all the time in reality.

Raul Ibanez swung and his bat went through the ball. This is BS. It's definitely a real thing that happens and not cause replays are compressed or any other reason like that. People can chirp that all they want, I'm not buying it. The ball went through the bat. Why do you think I replayed it in the first place ? Cause I felt it went through the bat and it did. It should've been a foul ball, but it was strike 3 instead. I didn't like that cause it was top of the 9th and I was down by one, so..

I think the people saying to play on Veteran are right. It will even out the playing field.. like real baseball usually is.