Questions for ASB Man

[drood]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

I'm going to have a small off topic rant now:

What's with people complaining that games they play don't have realistic stats? It is nearly impossible for a game to truly be a game and have realistic stats at the end consistently. Why? Because each of us plays ever so slightly differently - some of us are better hitters etc. and that's going to be reflected in the resulting stats. There are only three ways that I know of to have user played games come out with real stats:

1. Amazing luck where the CPU style balances against the users ability and results in sweet perfection. Our skill levels are two variable for this to happen for most people but it does for some - unfortunately we progress in our skill and don't stay at this point forever.

2. Rubber-band logic. The user already hit their share of home runs? Don't let them do it again. Not had enough yet? Give them another one. All of a sudden your skill is meaningless. This is a load of **** IM(not so)HO.

3. Play the stats: Effectively the controller becomes a placebo in your hand - as long as you do something reasonably intelligent, you get the statistical result.

Now obviously, those last two choices are what some people want - they want to see realistic box scores above all else - who cares if it's only 10% them and 90% statistics - they really want a baseball SIM, not a baseball GAME. Well, that's what franchise modes are for - want realistic box scores? Play the SIM, want to have an effect on the turf, play the GAME. Quit trying to make the GAME a SIM. It ruins it for those of us who actaully want to PLAY. All I ask is that the developers try to balanace the abilities of the various ball players so that we can feel the differnce between the Vlads and the bads, and that they put some effort into making sure that choice number 1 up there happens as often as possible. Give us multiple difficulty levels, and give us sliders to tweak it a bit so that we can try and find our own sweet spot, but please, don't listen to the statmeisters and take the game out of the game.

I will now shut up.

[Mr_October]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

That's exactly my point. I could easily hit .300 with a guy in baseball who would normally hit .220-.270. I know this isn't a big deal to alot of people. But the game isn't any fun once you master the batting system and can easily hit with anyone. No master how you would change the setting it would still be easy once you mastered it. I mean what's the point in bringing in a guy like Gary Sheffield if I can easily hit the same with another person and pay them alot less? It's drives down the value of the big name stars who are big stars in real life.

[Mr_October]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

That's exactly my point. I could easily hit .300 with a guy in baseball who would normally hit .220-.270. I know this isn't a big deal to alot of people. But the game isn't any fun once you master the batting system and can easily hit with anyone. No master how you would change the setting it would still be easy once you mastered it. I mean what's the point in bringing in a guy like Gary Sheffield if I can easily hit the same with another person and pay them alot less? It's drives down the value of the big name stars who are big stars in real life.

[Mr_October]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

That's exactly my point. I could easily hit .300 with a guy in baseball who would normally hit .220-.270. I know this isn't a big deal to alot of people. But the game isn't any fun once you master the batting system and can easily hit with anyone. No master how you would change the setting it would still be easy once you mastered it. I mean what's the point in bringing in a guy like Gary Sheffield if I can easily hit the same with another person and pay them alot less? It's drives down the value of the big name stars who are big stars in real life.

[Knight165]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

That's why I like ASB so much. True manage only mode.


M.K.

[Knight165]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

That's why I like ASB so much. True manage only mode.


M.K.

[Knight165]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

That's why I like ASB so much. True manage only mode.


M.K.

[Comp625]

Player Stances

Player Stances

As seen in this screenshot here: http://www.nlgaming.com/games/2084/nlg-image45.jpg

Will player stances be addressed this year? If you look at the Outfielder that is just watching the other player get the ball, he's in a 3rd baseman-ready stance. Real-life players obviously don't do that when the ball is in play. Will that be corrected?

[Comp625]

Player Stances

Player Stances

As seen in this screenshot here: http://www.nlgaming.com/games/2084/nlg-image45.jpg

Will player stances be addressed this year? If you look at the Outfielder that is just watching the other player get the ball, he's in a 3rd baseman-ready stance. Real-life players obviously don't do that when the ball is in play. Will that be corrected?

[Comp625]

Player Stances

Player Stances

As seen in this screenshot here: http://www.nlgaming.com/games/2084/nlg-image45.jpg

Will player stances be addressed this year? If you look at the Outfielder that is just watching the other player get the ball, he's in a 3rd baseman-ready stance. Real-life players obviously don't do that when the ball is in play. Will that be corrected?

[asb_man]

Re: Questions for ASB Man


Will the AI be smarter (when pitching)?
-Yes, they mix up their pitch selection a lot more

As someone else said, will managers be there? Can you hire/fire them like in Madden?
-No managers.

We all know that on TV, the camera is angled from the right of the pitcher. Is this how its gonna be, or can we change it, or what?
-The camera moves from left to right based on if it's a L/L, R/R, L/R, or R/L matchup. We have a few different pitching views to choose from. BTW- the 'BroadcastCam' is our default pitching view. We call it that because our artists looked a lot of tapes of games to have that view look near identical to what to see on television (fans, isles, bunting, ads, lighting, etc...)

will there be player collisions in the outfield between two players and the player against the outfield wall?
-nope, we tried to get guys to collide but it was near impossible to get them to lineup properly, too many variables. You crash into the wall if you mis-time your jump.

will there be a specific button to collide with the catcher?
No, but if the catcher gets into the 'brace' position, run into him and there will be a few different collision animations that can be triggered.

will we have an option to toggle on/off the catcher throwback or the "life-saver" pich location thingy?
-You can turn off the pitch icon "lifesaver" for batting or pitching...catcher throwback was cut to save time. It added about 5 minutes time to a game (they add up over the course of a game)

in last years game it seemed to rain 2 out of 3 games, is it different this year
-Yes, you can set change your stadium/weather/time of day even in franchise even. If you are gonna play the full 162 game season, you can mix it up to your liking.

How is batting handled in your game? Is it stat driven? Attribute driven? Stat plus user actions?
-All the above. We also take into account the last few years fo a guy's career, not just last years' stats.

Will we be able to turn off the comentary and still here the batter walk up and PA announcer?
-Yes

Is there a way to implement a trivia question at the start of the game that if answered correctly, would give your team an added boost for that game, and if answered incorrectly, would give the other team an added boost.
-really good suggestion, just too late!

anyway for you guys to implement the stadium fly ins at the start of the game like Triple Play 98?
-we have the stadium tour camera at the intro of the game this year, I'll try to get a movie out soon.

please don't tell us to expect it to rain every other game just like last year?
-you control whatever weather you want.

I was able to hit the corners with precision all the way through the 6th or 7th inning. Has this been fixed?
-It's looser. The top pichers still have the great control, though.

Will the rain conditions vary from a light drizzle to a down pour from time to time, with the possiblity of stopping?
-Nope, if it's raining at the beginning of the game it continues throughout the game.

Will different players randomely wear long sleeves, or will all of them only wear long sleeves in the cold weather?
-Long sleeves are only worn in snow, cold, and sometimes rain.

Wait....how can you have Double Headers unless a game got postponed due to something like...a rain out?
-there are scheduled double-headers

Will you also be able to edit a players eligible positions?
-You can play someone in a different position for a period of time and they will eventually change over.

Is the Canadian anthem in the game during home games in Toronto and Montreal??
-Yes. Japanese national anthem in Japan as well

Last year in the amatuer draft, there were too many good outfielders, not enough good middle infielders and pithcers, has this been fixed?
-Yes

What new features are in the franchise mode? Are there option years and other detailed stuff?
-a lot of the enhancements in franchise make the mode more user-friendly, like the ability to 'AUTO' your roster (if you are missing a catcher, the CPU can do it for you), 'ARBITRATE ALL', to have the CPU handle all of your arbitration hearings, more info in the 'Proposed Trades' pop-up box in the calendar screen ("The Mets are offering Kaz Matsui (SS, B+) for Benito Santiago (C, C-)", This really comes in handy ten years down the road when you don't know who most the players are...

In your opinion do you think expanded rosters for sept. and spring training will make the game?
-No, unfortunately

Has player progression been upgraded?
-Yes, play your spring training games

You're a god ASB_MAN.
-Nope, just a baseball fan with a fun job

does mound visits actually calm your pitcher down, and make him pitch better or does this just buy some time until he gets the hook?
-Both

my one major gripe with last years game was the crowd responseiveness......
-much improved

Has the animations of the players been re-done or at least sped up?
-There's been new animations added and a lot of tweaking to old moves, but this reviewer didn't understand 'future throws'.

Another tipoff on the quality of an ASB 2004 baseball review... those who originally referred to "referees" instead of "umpires" [such as, but not limited to, teamxbox.com's] are probably not worthy of quoting and basing questions off of here.
-I have a lot of friends from England, but the Brits usually have the most bizzarre ASB reviews...one referred to homeplate as 'base4'

Did you guys change the homerun artwork instead of having a homerun cut-away?
-Yes, you have many options to see whatever you want the camera to be during a HR

I believe ASB_art said that he "believes" they (Joe Mauer, Kaz Matsui). will be included in the roster update, but I was wondering if this is for certain or if it is still up in the air.
-They will be in the first roster download AFTER they have played a MLB game.

On the screens from teamxbox.com, it shows each minor league level has 10 players. Will you be able to goto the full 25?
-you have 10 A, 10 AA, and 10 AAA players. you can't play the minor league games and I am very jealous MVP does this. I am very curious to see if it tracks their stats. I do know that we have the same 'real' minor league players they do and you can play with them in ASB during spring training to see how they develop if you desire to do so.

if you had to create Kaz Matsui...would they call him "Matsui" when he comes to bat or makes a catch, or would they just call him "the Short Stop"?
-If it's a name we have a recording for, he'll say it. Kaz will be 'Matsui'

I asked about an ESPN style ticker giving scores and stats from other games ala ESPNFootball. You guys answered that it is in this years version, but I have not seen any shots of this in any of the screens out so far. Would it be possible to include a couple in the next batch of screens released?
-It's in there and I will try to get a screenshot out soon showing it...it's a lot easier to read this time.

i was just wondering what improvements have been made to better expansion mode since the last 2 years were pretty much the same.
-Better choice of players in the draft, team-specific chants/HR calls and sounds (think of the tiger roar after a homerun with Detroit)

do we get to name the stadium?
-Nope We'd have no audio for it, plus billboards/scorboard graphics. You can choose most stadiums for you team now (except of ones currently used by MLB teams)

or create the uniforms?
-Nope. The 'away' jersey has the team colors/name on it now though

It was my understanding that all the uniform models are the same. The colors would be the only thing that would be changed. I don't want to knock your efforts, but if every other game does it, why doesn't baseball? At least make me feel better about the future.
-We have 5 artists, Madden has 50 most likely. If we sold a million copies annually we could get more people on board. Sorry, I wish we could!!

ASBMan...please..post a screen with that sports ticker in it...I'm getting itchy for baseball!
-Not sure I understand the ticker fetish, but we'll post one soon!

I was wondering if the behind-the-fielder view will actually be playable without using the red outline around the ball.
-Yes

if you control only the shortstop, you see watch the pitcher windup and pitch from fielder view of the shortstop?
-we have a few different fielding views, but none let you watch only from 1 position player's perspective.

can you setup a webcam so we can watch the developers all day?
-now I am paraniod.

"you have to admit that that the uniforms look like crap.
-No..but they are improved this year to look better."
(fatpitcher)-Ha! Gotta love loaded questions.
-yep

Just wondering if you guys have any idea on the release date for sure?
-I would guess as early as March1st and as late as the 31st. It's not our call. 100% most definitely before the season starts.

Does anyone else think of the "ASSMAN" episode of Seinfeld every time you see "ASB Man"? You do have the correct license plates ASB Man...?
-LOL!! I'm the Assman, Jerry!

How many seasons are they going to be this year?
-20. If that's not enough, you're simming too much! The gameplay is much improved so you'll want to play the games.

After putting a player on waivers...and having another team claim him...you are supposed to be able to pull that player back...forcing him to stay on your 25 man roster for the remainder of the regular season. In ASB, there is no way to pull the player back. Once a team claims him...he is gone. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the rule....and it's really not a big deal...but if you guys could look into fixing it for ASB2005...it would be much appreciated!
-You can pull him back in ASB05

You mentioned there are more injuries, but do they happen while you play?
-Yes

Will ASB finally be released for the PC??!!!!!
-Not that I am aware of. Sorry!

Will relievers warm-up more quickly this year?
-I think it's about the same. In franchise mode, if your guy pitched the night before it takes him longer.

will there be "game over" flashing on the Dodger's scoreboard when you bring Eric Gagne in ?
-I wanted to get to this but we ran out of time. Bernie doesn't go down the slide either, he just dances on the dugout. I want to get ALL of the specific/unique events like this in the game early next time.

Are there no alternate jerseys for some teams?
-we can't for teams that don't have alternate jerseys in the MLB style guide. Most teams have 6 jerseys to chose from...any team in particular you want to know about?

Is it possible to make the manager come out of the dugout to make a pitching change?
-pitching coach only.

Can you show the pitch count when you press the pitching history instead of percentages?
-nope. But the pitchcount is shown more often now as a drop-down menu from the top scorebar.

Will it be easier to strike batters out?
-depends on who's pitching/batting.

Will 'Oh Canada' play when you play with the Jays or Spos instead of 'The Star Spangled Banner'?
-yes

Are the automatic throws home gone? A lot of times it happened that I'd field a ball, and the guy would just throw home, even if there's no one on base.
-I think you are holding in the pitch button for too long...

Will there be a an option to allow for automatic fielding but give the user complete control over the throws??
-nope, sorry.

Are there mid-game saves in this year's game? And can you still have more than one user on the same team (at least for exhibitions)?
-Yes and yes

asm_man, I can see that that one cutscene in front of the ball looks very good until it lands, because it does a really weird flip thingy and then you see all of the flat dudes and stuff. Is that gonna be fixed, or is it gonna look like that? Also, with that one, what are you prepared to do when/if it hits the water at SBC/PNC/GA Park?
-That camera has been removed. It was too early of a build to be seen by the public. I know you all wanted to see first glimpses of the FielderCam, but it does cause people to dwell on things that weren't meant to be seen. Game development takes time!
-SBC keeps track of splash hits

I see ebgames.com has ASB 2005 for $39.99. Will that be the price of the game when it is released or is that a mistake on the website? So far that's the only place I've seen it for $39.99.
-As far as I know, it's gonna come out at $39.99. Not my dept. though.

you're not going to let us hit from the pitcher cam? Why not? Give us the option!
-You can

Will people be able to cheat online? Is there a time limit to make a pitch? Time limit for pausing
-Hopefully not, yes, and yes. You have 5 minutes total time to pause throughout a game. If the guy you are playing is paused, you have that time for free to make changes/look at the pause options.

Can you assign a classic player to a created franchise or put a clasic team in a pennant race with say the rest of the current league?
-nope. There's a few classic teams to choose from right away and others you have to unlock. Each tier of the TWIB Challenge unlocks a different team. One of them is 'Team USA' which is all former olympians.

Is realism the priority?
-Fun, then realism.

is there any way you guys could post the finalized rosters for ASB?
-we can as soon as the game is approved. I wish Pudge would sign with someboday already!!

How is the online play going to work for both the PS2 and Xbox?
-xbox is through xbox live, ps2 is through gamespy.

I loved the Generated Pitch count last year, the only problem was that the pitches didn't count towards the pitchers total pitch count, only the ones that you controlled did. Any change in that this year?
-I believe it's the same.

Can we use our expansion teams for online play?
-No, you can only use the downloaded roster for online play.

Will there be any leagues setup for me and my buddies to compete in?
-We will have to set them up here or at acclaim.com

What about franchise play online?
-Nope.

Will the different homerun celebrations be assignable to created players? Like let's say I were to create Bonds, would I be able to give him his proper homerun celebration?
-Not assignable, but certain guys will auotmatically get them. There will be someone on the Giants you can edit who has the type of celebration you are referring to, I believe.

I am just wondering if Acclaim is doing anything about the hitting problem in the game? As it was way too easy for me getting hits even playing on the hardest difficulty levels.
-Try 'LEGEND', the 5th of 5 difficulty levels this year.
Talk soon.
-Assman

[asb_man]

Re: Questions for ASB Man


Will the AI be smarter (when pitching)?
-Yes, they mix up their pitch selection a lot more

As someone else said, will managers be there? Can you hire/fire them like in Madden?
-No managers.

We all know that on TV, the camera is angled from the right of the pitcher. Is this how its gonna be, or can we change it, or what?
-The camera moves from left to right based on if it's a L/L, R/R, L/R, or R/L matchup. We have a few different pitching views to choose from. BTW- the 'BroadcastCam' is our default pitching view. We call it that because our artists looked a lot of tapes of games to have that view look near identical to what to see on television (fans, isles, bunting, ads, lighting, etc...)

will there be player collisions in the outfield between two players and the player against the outfield wall?
-nope, we tried to get guys to collide but it was near impossible to get them to lineup properly, too many variables. You crash into the wall if you mis-time your jump.

will there be a specific button to collide with the catcher?
No, but if the catcher gets into the 'brace' position, run into him and there will be a few different collision animations that can be triggered.

will we have an option to toggle on/off the catcher throwback or the "life-saver" pich location thingy?
-You can turn off the pitch icon "lifesaver" for batting or pitching...catcher throwback was cut to save time. It added about 5 minutes time to a game (they add up over the course of a game)

in last years game it seemed to rain 2 out of 3 games, is it different this year
-Yes, you can set change your stadium/weather/time of day even in franchise even. If you are gonna play the full 162 game season, you can mix it up to your liking.

How is batting handled in your game? Is it stat driven? Attribute driven? Stat plus user actions?
-All the above. We also take into account the last few years fo a guy's career, not just last years' stats.

Will we be able to turn off the comentary and still here the batter walk up and PA announcer?
-Yes

Is there a way to implement a trivia question at the start of the game that if answered correctly, would give your team an added boost for that game, and if answered incorrectly, would give the other team an added boost.
-really good suggestion, just too late!

anyway for you guys to implement the stadium fly ins at the start of the game like Triple Play 98?
-we have the stadium tour camera at the intro of the game this year, I'll try to get a movie out soon.

please don't tell us to expect it to rain every other game just like last year?
-you control whatever weather you want.

I was able to hit the corners with precision all the way through the 6th or 7th inning. Has this been fixed?
-It's looser. The top pichers still have the great control, though.

Will the rain conditions vary from a light drizzle to a down pour from time to time, with the possiblity of stopping?
-Nope, if it's raining at the beginning of the game it continues throughout the game.

Will different players randomely wear long sleeves, or will all of them only wear long sleeves in the cold weather?
-Long sleeves are only worn in snow, cold, and sometimes rain.

Wait....how can you have Double Headers unless a game got postponed due to something like...a rain out?
-there are scheduled double-headers

Will you also be able to edit a players eligible positions?
-You can play someone in a different position for a period of time and they will eventually change over.

Is the Canadian anthem in the game during home games in Toronto and Montreal??
-Yes. Japanese national anthem in Japan as well

Last year in the amatuer draft, there were too many good outfielders, not enough good middle infielders and pithcers, has this been fixed?
-Yes

What new features are in the franchise mode? Are there option years and other detailed stuff?
-a lot of the enhancements in franchise make the mode more user-friendly, like the ability to 'AUTO' your roster (if you are missing a catcher, the CPU can do it for you), 'ARBITRATE ALL', to have the CPU handle all of your arbitration hearings, more info in the 'Proposed Trades' pop-up box in the calendar screen ("The Mets are offering Kaz Matsui (SS, B+) for Benito Santiago (C, C-)", This really comes in handy ten years down the road when you don't know who most the players are...

In your opinion do you think expanded rosters for sept. and spring training will make the game?
-No, unfortunately

Has player progression been upgraded?
-Yes, play your spring training games

You're a god ASB_MAN.
-Nope, just a baseball fan with a fun job

does mound visits actually calm your pitcher down, and make him pitch better or does this just buy some time until he gets the hook?
-Both

my one major gripe with last years game was the crowd responseiveness......
-much improved

Has the animations of the players been re-done or at least sped up?
-There's been new animations added and a lot of tweaking to old moves, but this reviewer didn't understand 'future throws'.

Another tipoff on the quality of an ASB 2004 baseball review... those who originally referred to "referees" instead of "umpires" [such as, but not limited to, teamxbox.com's] are probably not worthy of quoting and basing questions off of here.
-I have a lot of friends from England, but the Brits usually have the most bizzarre ASB reviews...one referred to homeplate as 'base4'

Did you guys change the homerun artwork instead of having a homerun cut-away?
-Yes, you have many options to see whatever you want the camera to be during a HR

I believe ASB_art said that he "believes" they (Joe Mauer, Kaz Matsui). will be included in the roster update, but I was wondering if this is for certain or if it is still up in the air.
-They will be in the first roster download AFTER they have played a MLB game.

On the screens from teamxbox.com, it shows each minor league level has 10 players. Will you be able to goto the full 25?
-you have 10 A, 10 AA, and 10 AAA players. you can't play the minor league games and I am very jealous MVP does this. I am very curious to see if it tracks their stats. I do know that we have the same 'real' minor league players they do and you can play with them in ASB during spring training to see how they develop if you desire to do so.

if you had to create Kaz Matsui...would they call him "Matsui" when he comes to bat or makes a catch, or would they just call him "the Short Stop"?
-If it's a name we have a recording for, he'll say it. Kaz will be 'Matsui'

I asked about an ESPN style ticker giving scores and stats from other games ala ESPNFootball. You guys answered that it is in this years version, but I have not seen any shots of this in any of the screens out so far. Would it be possible to include a couple in the next batch of screens released?
-It's in there and I will try to get a screenshot out soon showing it...it's a lot easier to read this time.

i was just wondering what improvements have been made to better expansion mode since the last 2 years were pretty much the same.
-Better choice of players in the draft, team-specific chants/HR calls and sounds (think of the tiger roar after a homerun with Detroit)

do we get to name the stadium?
-Nope We'd have no audio for it, plus billboards/scorboard graphics. You can choose most stadiums for you team now (except of ones currently used by MLB teams)

or create the uniforms?
-Nope. The 'away' jersey has the team colors/name on it now though

It was my understanding that all the uniform models are the same. The colors would be the only thing that would be changed. I don't want to knock your efforts, but if every other game does it, why doesn't baseball? At least make me feel better about the future.
-We have 5 artists, Madden has 50 most likely. If we sold a million copies annually we could get more people on board. Sorry, I wish we could!!

ASBMan...please..post a screen with that sports ticker in it...I'm getting itchy for baseball!
-Not sure I understand the ticker fetish, but we'll post one soon!

I was wondering if the behind-the-fielder view will actually be playable without using the red outline around the ball.
-Yes

if you control only the shortstop, you see watch the pitcher windup and pitch from fielder view of the shortstop?
-we have a few different fielding views, but none let you watch only from 1 position player's perspective.

can you setup a webcam so we can watch the developers all day?
-now I am paraniod.

"you have to admit that that the uniforms look like crap.
-No..but they are improved this year to look better."
(fatpitcher)-Ha! Gotta love loaded questions.
-yep

Just wondering if you guys have any idea on the release date for sure?
-I would guess as early as March1st and as late as the 31st. It's not our call. 100% most definitely before the season starts.

Does anyone else think of the "ASSMAN" episode of Seinfeld every time you see "ASB Man"? You do have the correct license plates ASB Man...?
-LOL!! I'm the Assman, Jerry!

How many seasons are they going to be this year?
-20. If that's not enough, you're simming too much! The gameplay is much improved so you'll want to play the games.

After putting a player on waivers...and having another team claim him...you are supposed to be able to pull that player back...forcing him to stay on your 25 man roster for the remainder of the regular season. In ASB, there is no way to pull the player back. Once a team claims him...he is gone. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the rule....and it's really not a big deal...but if you guys could look into fixing it for ASB2005...it would be much appreciated!
-You can pull him back in ASB05

You mentioned there are more injuries, but do they happen while you play?
-Yes

Will ASB finally be released for the PC??!!!!!
-Not that I am aware of. Sorry!

Will relievers warm-up more quickly this year?
-I think it's about the same. In franchise mode, if your guy pitched the night before it takes him longer.

will there be "game over" flashing on the Dodger's scoreboard when you bring Eric Gagne in ?
-I wanted to get to this but we ran out of time. Bernie doesn't go down the slide either, he just dances on the dugout. I want to get ALL of the specific/unique events like this in the game early next time.

Are there no alternate jerseys for some teams?
-we can't for teams that don't have alternate jerseys in the MLB style guide. Most teams have 6 jerseys to chose from...any team in particular you want to know about?

Is it possible to make the manager come out of the dugout to make a pitching change?
-pitching coach only.

Can you show the pitch count when you press the pitching history instead of percentages?
-nope. But the pitchcount is shown more often now as a drop-down menu from the top scorebar.

Will it be easier to strike batters out?
-depends on who's pitching/batting.

Will 'Oh Canada' play when you play with the Jays or Spos instead of 'The Star Spangled Banner'?
-yes

Are the automatic throws home gone? A lot of times it happened that I'd field a ball, and the guy would just throw home, even if there's no one on base.
-I think you are holding in the pitch button for too long...

Will there be a an option to allow for automatic fielding but give the user complete control over the throws??
-nope, sorry.

Are there mid-game saves in this year's game? And can you still have more than one user on the same team (at least for exhibitions)?
-Yes and yes

asm_man, I can see that that one cutscene in front of the ball looks very good until it lands, because it does a really weird flip thingy and then you see all of the flat dudes and stuff. Is that gonna be fixed, or is it gonna look like that? Also, with that one, what are you prepared to do when/if it hits the water at SBC/PNC/GA Park?
-That camera has been removed. It was too early of a build to be seen by the public. I know you all wanted to see first glimpses of the FielderCam, but it does cause people to dwell on things that weren't meant to be seen. Game development takes time!
-SBC keeps track of splash hits

I see ebgames.com has ASB 2005 for $39.99. Will that be the price of the game when it is released or is that a mistake on the website? So far that's the only place I've seen it for $39.99.
-As far as I know, it's gonna come out at $39.99. Not my dept. though.

you're not going to let us hit from the pitcher cam? Why not? Give us the option!
-You can

Will people be able to cheat online? Is there a time limit to make a pitch? Time limit for pausing
-Hopefully not, yes, and yes. You have 5 minutes total time to pause throughout a game. If the guy you are playing is paused, you have that time for free to make changes/look at the pause options.

Can you assign a classic player to a created franchise or put a clasic team in a pennant race with say the rest of the current league?
-nope. There's a few classic teams to choose from right away and others you have to unlock. Each tier of the TWIB Challenge unlocks a different team. One of them is 'Team USA' which is all former olympians.

Is realism the priority?
-Fun, then realism.

is there any way you guys could post the finalized rosters for ASB?
-we can as soon as the game is approved. I wish Pudge would sign with someboday already!!

How is the online play going to work for both the PS2 and Xbox?
-xbox is through xbox live, ps2 is through gamespy.

I loved the Generated Pitch count last year, the only problem was that the pitches didn't count towards the pitchers total pitch count, only the ones that you controlled did. Any change in that this year?
-I believe it's the same.

Can we use our expansion teams for online play?
-No, you can only use the downloaded roster for online play.

Will there be any leagues setup for me and my buddies to compete in?
-We will have to set them up here or at acclaim.com

What about franchise play online?
-Nope.

Will the different homerun celebrations be assignable to created players? Like let's say I were to create Bonds, would I be able to give him his proper homerun celebration?
-Not assignable, but certain guys will auotmatically get them. There will be someone on the Giants you can edit who has the type of celebration you are referring to, I believe.

I am just wondering if Acclaim is doing anything about the hitting problem in the game? As it was way too easy for me getting hits even playing on the hardest difficulty levels.
-Try 'LEGEND', the 5th of 5 difficulty levels this year.
Talk soon.
-Assman

[asb_man]

Re: Questions for ASB Man


Will the AI be smarter (when pitching)?
-Yes, they mix up their pitch selection a lot more

As someone else said, will managers be there? Can you hire/fire them like in Madden?
-No managers.

We all know that on TV, the camera is angled from the right of the pitcher. Is this how its gonna be, or can we change it, or what?
-The camera moves from left to right based on if it's a L/L, R/R, L/R, or R/L matchup. We have a few different pitching views to choose from. BTW- the 'BroadcastCam' is our default pitching view. We call it that because our artists looked a lot of tapes of games to have that view look near identical to what to see on television (fans, isles, bunting, ads, lighting, etc...)

will there be player collisions in the outfield between two players and the player against the outfield wall?
-nope, we tried to get guys to collide but it was near impossible to get them to lineup properly, too many variables. You crash into the wall if you mis-time your jump.

will there be a specific button to collide with the catcher?
No, but if the catcher gets into the 'brace' position, run into him and there will be a few different collision animations that can be triggered.

will we have an option to toggle on/off the catcher throwback or the "life-saver" pich location thingy?
-You can turn off the pitch icon "lifesaver" for batting or pitching...catcher throwback was cut to save time. It added about 5 minutes time to a game (they add up over the course of a game)

in last years game it seemed to rain 2 out of 3 games, is it different this year
-Yes, you can set change your stadium/weather/time of day even in franchise even. If you are gonna play the full 162 game season, you can mix it up to your liking.

How is batting handled in your game? Is it stat driven? Attribute driven? Stat plus user actions?
-All the above. We also take into account the last few years fo a guy's career, not just last years' stats.

Will we be able to turn off the comentary and still here the batter walk up and PA announcer?
-Yes

Is there a way to implement a trivia question at the start of the game that if answered correctly, would give your team an added boost for that game, and if answered incorrectly, would give the other team an added boost.
-really good suggestion, just too late!

anyway for you guys to implement the stadium fly ins at the start of the game like Triple Play 98?
-we have the stadium tour camera at the intro of the game this year, I'll try to get a movie out soon.

please don't tell us to expect it to rain every other game just like last year?
-you control whatever weather you want.

I was able to hit the corners with precision all the way through the 6th or 7th inning. Has this been fixed?
-It's looser. The top pichers still have the great control, though.

Will the rain conditions vary from a light drizzle to a down pour from time to time, with the possiblity of stopping?
-Nope, if it's raining at the beginning of the game it continues throughout the game.

Will different players randomely wear long sleeves, or will all of them only wear long sleeves in the cold weather?
-Long sleeves are only worn in snow, cold, and sometimes rain.

Wait....how can you have Double Headers unless a game got postponed due to something like...a rain out?
-there are scheduled double-headers

Will you also be able to edit a players eligible positions?
-You can play someone in a different position for a period of time and they will eventually change over.

Is the Canadian anthem in the game during home games in Toronto and Montreal??
-Yes. Japanese national anthem in Japan as well

Last year in the amatuer draft, there were too many good outfielders, not enough good middle infielders and pithcers, has this been fixed?
-Yes

What new features are in the franchise mode? Are there option years and other detailed stuff?
-a lot of the enhancements in franchise make the mode more user-friendly, like the ability to 'AUTO' your roster (if you are missing a catcher, the CPU can do it for you), 'ARBITRATE ALL', to have the CPU handle all of your arbitration hearings, more info in the 'Proposed Trades' pop-up box in the calendar screen ("The Mets are offering Kaz Matsui (SS, B+) for Benito Santiago (C, C-)", This really comes in handy ten years down the road when you don't know who most the players are...

In your opinion do you think expanded rosters for sept. and spring training will make the game?
-No, unfortunately

Has player progression been upgraded?
-Yes, play your spring training games

You're a god ASB_MAN.
-Nope, just a baseball fan with a fun job

does mound visits actually calm your pitcher down, and make him pitch better or does this just buy some time until he gets the hook?
-Both

my one major gripe with last years game was the crowd responseiveness......
-much improved

Has the animations of the players been re-done or at least sped up?
-There's been new animations added and a lot of tweaking to old moves, but this reviewer didn't understand 'future throws'.

Another tipoff on the quality of an ASB 2004 baseball review... those who originally referred to "referees" instead of "umpires" [such as, but not limited to, teamxbox.com's] are probably not worthy of quoting and basing questions off of here.
-I have a lot of friends from England, but the Brits usually have the most bizzarre ASB reviews...one referred to homeplate as 'base4'

Did you guys change the homerun artwork instead of having a homerun cut-away?
-Yes, you have many options to see whatever you want the camera to be during a HR

I believe ASB_art said that he "believes" they (Joe Mauer, Kaz Matsui). will be included in the roster update, but I was wondering if this is for certain or if it is still up in the air.
-They will be in the first roster download AFTER they have played a MLB game.

On the screens from teamxbox.com, it shows each minor league level has 10 players. Will you be able to goto the full 25?
-you have 10 A, 10 AA, and 10 AAA players. you can't play the minor league games and I am very jealous MVP does this. I am very curious to see if it tracks their stats. I do know that we have the same 'real' minor league players they do and you can play with them in ASB during spring training to see how they develop if you desire to do so.

if you had to create Kaz Matsui...would they call him "Matsui" when he comes to bat or makes a catch, or would they just call him "the Short Stop"?
-If it's a name we have a recording for, he'll say it. Kaz will be 'Matsui'

I asked about an ESPN style ticker giving scores and stats from other games ala ESPNFootball. You guys answered that it is in this years version, but I have not seen any shots of this in any of the screens out so far. Would it be possible to include a couple in the next batch of screens released?
-It's in there and I will try to get a screenshot out soon showing it...it's a lot easier to read this time.

i was just wondering what improvements have been made to better expansion mode since the last 2 years were pretty much the same.
-Better choice of players in the draft, team-specific chants/HR calls and sounds (think of the tiger roar after a homerun with Detroit)

do we get to name the stadium?
-Nope We'd have no audio for it, plus billboards/scorboard graphics. You can choose most stadiums for you team now (except of ones currently used by MLB teams)

or create the uniforms?
-Nope. The 'away' jersey has the team colors/name on it now though

It was my understanding that all the uniform models are the same. The colors would be the only thing that would be changed. I don't want to knock your efforts, but if every other game does it, why doesn't baseball? At least make me feel better about the future.
-We have 5 artists, Madden has 50 most likely. If we sold a million copies annually we could get more people on board. Sorry, I wish we could!!

ASBMan...please..post a screen with that sports ticker in it...I'm getting itchy for baseball!
-Not sure I understand the ticker fetish, but we'll post one soon!

I was wondering if the behind-the-fielder view will actually be playable without using the red outline around the ball.
-Yes

if you control only the shortstop, you see watch the pitcher windup and pitch from fielder view of the shortstop?
-we have a few different fielding views, but none let you watch only from 1 position player's perspective.

can you setup a webcam so we can watch the developers all day?
-now I am paraniod.

"you have to admit that that the uniforms look like crap.
-No..but they are improved this year to look better."
(fatpitcher)-Ha! Gotta love loaded questions.
-yep

Just wondering if you guys have any idea on the release date for sure?
-I would guess as early as March1st and as late as the 31st. It's not our call. 100% most definitely before the season starts.

Does anyone else think of the "ASSMAN" episode of Seinfeld every time you see "ASB Man"? You do have the correct license plates ASB Man...?
-LOL!! I'm the Assman, Jerry!

How many seasons are they going to be this year?
-20. If that's not enough, you're simming too much! The gameplay is much improved so you'll want to play the games.

After putting a player on waivers...and having another team claim him...you are supposed to be able to pull that player back...forcing him to stay on your 25 man roster for the remainder of the regular season. In ASB, there is no way to pull the player back. Once a team claims him...he is gone. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the rule....and it's really not a big deal...but if you guys could look into fixing it for ASB2005...it would be much appreciated!
-You can pull him back in ASB05

You mentioned there are more injuries, but do they happen while you play?
-Yes

Will ASB finally be released for the PC??!!!!!
-Not that I am aware of. Sorry!

Will relievers warm-up more quickly this year?
-I think it's about the same. In franchise mode, if your guy pitched the night before it takes him longer.

will there be "game over" flashing on the Dodger's scoreboard when you bring Eric Gagne in ?
-I wanted to get to this but we ran out of time. Bernie doesn't go down the slide either, he just dances on the dugout. I want to get ALL of the specific/unique events like this in the game early next time.

Are there no alternate jerseys for some teams?
-we can't for teams that don't have alternate jerseys in the MLB style guide. Most teams have 6 jerseys to chose from...any team in particular you want to know about?

Is it possible to make the manager come out of the dugout to make a pitching change?
-pitching coach only.

Can you show the pitch count when you press the pitching history instead of percentages?
-nope. But the pitchcount is shown more often now as a drop-down menu from the top scorebar.

Will it be easier to strike batters out?
-depends on who's pitching/batting.

Will 'Oh Canada' play when you play with the Jays or Spos instead of 'The Star Spangled Banner'?
-yes

Are the automatic throws home gone? A lot of times it happened that I'd field a ball, and the guy would just throw home, even if there's no one on base.
-I think you are holding in the pitch button for too long...

Will there be a an option to allow for automatic fielding but give the user complete control over the throws??
-nope, sorry.

Are there mid-game saves in this year's game? And can you still have more than one user on the same team (at least for exhibitions)?
-Yes and yes

asm_man, I can see that that one cutscene in front of the ball looks very good until it lands, because it does a really weird flip thingy and then you see all of the flat dudes and stuff. Is that gonna be fixed, or is it gonna look like that? Also, with that one, what are you prepared to do when/if it hits the water at SBC/PNC/GA Park?
-That camera has been removed. It was too early of a build to be seen by the public. I know you all wanted to see first glimpses of the FielderCam, but it does cause people to dwell on things that weren't meant to be seen. Game development takes time!
-SBC keeps track of splash hits

I see ebgames.com has ASB 2005 for $39.99. Will that be the price of the game when it is released or is that a mistake on the website? So far that's the only place I've seen it for $39.99.
-As far as I know, it's gonna come out at $39.99. Not my dept. though.

you're not going to let us hit from the pitcher cam? Why not? Give us the option!
-You can

Will people be able to cheat online? Is there a time limit to make a pitch? Time limit for pausing
-Hopefully not, yes, and yes. You have 5 minutes total time to pause throughout a game. If the guy you are playing is paused, you have that time for free to make changes/look at the pause options.

Can you assign a classic player to a created franchise or put a clasic team in a pennant race with say the rest of the current league?
-nope. There's a few classic teams to choose from right away and others you have to unlock. Each tier of the TWIB Challenge unlocks a different team. One of them is 'Team USA' which is all former olympians.

Is realism the priority?
-Fun, then realism.

is there any way you guys could post the finalized rosters for ASB?
-we can as soon as the game is approved. I wish Pudge would sign with someboday already!!

How is the online play going to work for both the PS2 and Xbox?
-xbox is through xbox live, ps2 is through gamespy.

I loved the Generated Pitch count last year, the only problem was that the pitches didn't count towards the pitchers total pitch count, only the ones that you controlled did. Any change in that this year?
-I believe it's the same.

Can we use our expansion teams for online play?
-No, you can only use the downloaded roster for online play.

Will there be any leagues setup for me and my buddies to compete in?
-We will have to set them up here or at acclaim.com

What about franchise play online?
-Nope.

Will the different homerun celebrations be assignable to created players? Like let's say I were to create Bonds, would I be able to give him his proper homerun celebration?
-Not assignable, but certain guys will auotmatically get them. There will be someone on the Giants you can edit who has the type of celebration you are referring to, I believe.

I am just wondering if Acclaim is doing anything about the hitting problem in the game? As it was way too easy for me getting hits even playing on the hardest difficulty levels.
-Try 'LEGEND', the 5th of 5 difficulty levels this year.
Talk soon.
-Assman

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

[Neo] Whoa [/Neo]


Now time to read it all.

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Re: Questions for ASB Man

[Neo] Whoa [/Neo]


Now time to read it all.