Fielding an abomination

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  • Spanky
    MVP
    • Nov 2002
    • 2785

    #1

    Fielding an abomination

    So close, yet so far.

    In some ways, 2k came close to putting together a really good game here. In other ways, they failed miserably.

    I'm still playing it and having some fun, for the most part. But I'm also desperate for a good baseball game and would rather not buy a PS3 just for The Show, though I'm damn tempted when I see videos of that game.

    If 2k fixes a few issues for MLB 2k10, they could really have something good here.

    For starters, the fielding is embarrassingly bad. Whoever was in charge of it should be reassigned to bathroom cleanup duty. The fielders rarely break when contact is made, just standing there. You have to manually switch the fielder and move him in position. It's often too late to get to the ball. What stupid is a ground ball is hit, you switch to contol the SS, moving him left to right on a ball that goes up the middle. He can't get to it, so you switch to the CF. Well, the freaking problem is, since you've got the LS pointed to the right side when you make the switch, the CF is moving toward RF and the ball rolls to the wall before any of your OFs can retrieve it.

    That's just one example and many stupid moves by the fielders. OFs still drop the ball far more often than they should and the catching animation is just ridiculously awkward.

    If they fix the fielding, the game will improve drastically.

    But they can't stop there.

    -- I like the pitching mechanics, but it's far too easy to have good control using the stick. I rarely walk anyone and the CPU seldom walks me. The strike pcts. usually between 70 and 80 percent. It needs to be much lower. There should be more walks and less control for pitchers.

    -- Hitting HRs is too hard. Sort of. You'll go several games without a HR and then hit 3 or 4 in a game. Overall, the HR pct. is too low, and that's with the power slider maxed out. That needs adjustment.

    -- Stealing is too difficult.

    -- A small thing, but it's silly that you have to wait until the start of an inning to change the pitcher. You pinch-hit for the pitcher and the pinch-hitter starts out on the mound the next inning, with a popup screen asking you if you want to change. How stupid is that?

    -- I'm not a dynasty guy, so I can't comment on the likely myriad of issues in that department.
    It's on me. I shook his hand too hard. It was a hard ... kind of a slap-shake.

    "What? You can't challenge a scoring play?''
  • illjl_90
    Rookie
    • Jul 2009
    • 9

    #2
    Re: Fielding an abomination

    I agree with you, but their is one thing I don't like about MLB the show. I do not like the batting interface it is like a blast from the past. I think 2k needs a face lift though and I am in the same boat as you wishing they would put the show out for xbox.... sigh
    Go Illini!

    Comment

    • illjl_90
      Rookie
      • Jul 2009
      • 9

      #3
      Re: Fielding an abomination

      [QUOTE=Spanky;2039851370]So close, yet so far.

      In some ways, 2k came close to putting together a really good game here. In other ways, they failed miserably.

      I'm still playing it and having some fun, for the most part. But I'm also desperate for a good baseball game and would rather not buy a PS3 just for The Show, though I'm damn tempted when I see videos of that game.

      If 2k fixes a few issues for MLB 2k10, they could really have something good here.

      For starters, the fielding is embarrassingly bad. Whoever was in charge of it should be reassigned to bathroom cleanup duty. The fielders rarely break when contact is made, just standing there. You have to manually switch the fielder and move him in position. It's often too late to get to the ball. What stupid is a ground ball is hit, you switch to contol the SS, moving him left to right on a ball that goes up the middle. He can't get to it, so you switch to the CF. Well, the freaking problem is, since you've got the LS pointed to the right side when you make the switch, the CF is moving toward RF and the ball rolls to the wall before any of your OFs can retrieve it.

      That's just one example and many stupid moves by the fielders. OFs still drop the ball far more often than they should and the catching animation is just ridiculously awkward.

      If they fix the fielding, the game will improve drastically.

      But they can't stop there.

      -- I like the pitching mechanics, but it's far too easy to have good control using the stick. I rarely walk anyone and the CPU seldom walks me. The strike pcts. usually between 70 and 80 percent. It needs to be much lower. There should be more walks and less control for pitchers.

      -- Hitting HRs is too hard. Sort of. You'll go several games without a HR and then hit 3 or 4 in a game. Overall, the HR pct. is too low, and that's with the power slider maxed out. That needs adjustment.

      -- Stealing is too difficult.

      -- A small thing, but it's silly that you have to wait until the start of an inning to change the pitcher. You pinch-hit for the pitcher and the pinch-hitter starts out on the mound the next inning, with a popup screen asking you if you want to change. How stupid is that?

      -- I'm not a dynasty guy, so I can't comment on the likely myriad of issues in that department.[/QUOTE

      and your right stealing is unbelievably hard
      Go Illini!

      Comment

      • mkharsh33
        Hall Of Fame
        • Nov 2006
        • 12781

        #4
        Re: Fielding an abomination

        fielding does drive me nuts...late breaks, wrong player selected upon the immediate hit, guys dropping balls (although camped underneath), and bad throws even with their feet set (3B and SS mostly).

        if they tweak some things, and allow for complete roster editing they'll really have a good thing going. as much as i love the updates for mvp 05 (original xbox) i love these graphics and overall feel of the gameplay.

        but your thoughts on the issues in this game are spot on!
        STEELERS INDIANS CELTICS

        Comment

        • FlyersFan30
          Pro
          • Mar 2009
          • 619

          #5
          Re: Fielding an abomination

          I agree especially how to doesn't switch to the correct fielders. I once was playing online and a guy kept constantly bunting it and It wouldn't switch to the catcher and the guy would reach 1st easily.

          Comment

          • Guffers
            Glory to the Brave!
            • Jan 2006
            • 1015

            #6
            Re: Fielding an abomination

            I enjoy this game in quick bursts of 2-3 games but then the atrocious fielding will kick in and I shelve it for a month. The irritating thing is fielding felt completely fine in 2K8.

            "So close, yet so far."

            This is absolutely spot on as far as this game is concerned. So many things are great but the mistakes are far too serious for it to ever be considered a decent title. And I'm one of those guys who actually really liked 2K8 with slider tweaks. (I managed to blind myself to the frame rate I guess.)

            Comment

            • Trevytrev11
              MVP
              • Nov 2006
              • 3259

              #7
              Re: Fielding an abomination

              If they fixed the routine drops, the fielding would be 95% better. The other stuff happens rare enough to me to attribute it to things that happen in real life like players slipping, miscommnunicating, etc.

              The dropped routine pop ups by professional baseball players is what kills me. I should be able to put a catcher or any other position player in the OF and he should catch routine fly balls. His jumps should be bad, his routes should be bad, etc., but when he's camping under a routine flyball it should be caught.

              My other main gripe is when my cut off guys don't cut the ball when I tell them too. This costs me more extra bases than anything else in the game. I should be able to throw to the plate and have them cut the ball at any time, but instead they let the ball roll past them and dribble to the plate, while the runners round the bases. I mash the cut button and nothing happens. Annoying.

              Comment

              • Guffers
                Glory to the Brave!
                • Jan 2006
                • 1015

                #8
                Re: Fielding an abomination

                Very true. I gave this game one last try on default allstar last night. I figured this would be the most realistic difficulty level. But the CPU threw over 80% strikes all game and the fielding sideshow was in full swing. Also the CPU hitters are still far too aggressive in my eyes and NEVER work the count. Combine them swinging at every pitch thats even just in the zone with the lack of foul balls and you have games that finish with pitch counts well below 100. I thought this was supposed to be sorted post patch. Apparently not.

                MLB 2K9, I can see what your trying to achieve, but without you nailing the pitcher/batter duel I just can't get intimate with you. Its a shame but its over between us. Maybe we can get back together next year.

                Comment

                • mkharsh33
                  Hall Of Fame
                  • Nov 2006
                  • 12781

                  #9
                  Re: Fielding an abomination

                  don't give up on this game yet...

                  first, set the pitcher stamina to 40.

                  next, turn down the two cpu strike zone sliders (can't recall what they're called) to zero. makes a big difference.
                  STEELERS INDIANS CELTICS

                  Comment

                  • Spanky
                    MVP
                    • Nov 2002
                    • 2785

                    #10
                    Re: Fielding an abomination

                    Originally posted by mkharsh33
                    don't give up on this game yet...

                    first, set the pitcher stamina to 40.

                    next, turn down the two cpu strike zone sliders (can't recall what they're called) to zero. makes a big difference.
                    This brings up another major issue that I forgot to mention earlier. Why did they have to make the sliders to damn confusing? Some of them are easy to understand, but a lot of them I can't figure out what they're supposed to do. It really burns you that they have to make a simple thing so complicated. Just a stupid move.
                    It's on me. I shook his hand too hard. It was a hard ... kind of a slap-shake.

                    "What? You can't challenge a scoring play?''

                    Comment

                    • Guffers
                      Glory to the Brave!
                      • Jan 2006
                      • 1015

                      #11
                      Re: Fielding an abomination

                      Originally posted by mkharsh33
                      don't give up on this game yet...

                      first, set the pitcher stamina to 40.

                      next, turn down the two cpu strike zone sliders (can't recall what they're called) to zero. makes a big difference.
                      Ok I'll give it one last try. But I guess there is nothing that can be done about the AI batters that still swing at nearly everything...If I want to have a realistic pitch count do I need to throw deliberate balls constantly?

                      Comment

                      • mkharsh33
                        Hall Of Fame
                        • Nov 2006
                        • 12781

                        #12
                        Re: Fielding an abomination

                        yes...

                        and the thing i love about this game is that it PUNISHES you for your mistakes. you must think like a pitcher in this game (something this game does better than mvp 05, IMO). mix up location and change speeds. you have to learn the movement of the pitches.

                        i don't use the IE function because you don't have those colored boxes in real life...turn off the strike zone. also, make the pitching sliders more difficult.

                        also, i had one sequence the other night in which i fouled off 7 straight pitches...so those people who complain that this isn't in the game are probably hackers that swing first pitch each time.
                        STEELERS INDIANS CELTICS

                        Comment

                        • Guffers
                          Glory to the Brave!
                          • Jan 2006
                          • 1015

                          #13
                          Re: Fielding an abomination

                          I gave it another shot last night after turning down the AI pitch zone sliders. For the most part it felt like baseball. I played two games on Allstar, won one and lost the other. The first game I was a beast on the mound, 12 strikeouts and 2 hits through 8 innings. But I managed to give up 7 runs in a single inning to lose the game 7-2. This game sure does punish you for leaving a pitcher in too long!!

                          The second game I won 10-2. I hit SIX homeruns! Is this a regular thing? The first game I barely knocked the ball out of the infield and then in the second it was pure carnage!

                          I was also happy to not see any fielding foul ups, although my heart is still in my mouth on every fly ball.

                          So thanks for the advice mkharsh. I think I may be able to draw some get some fun out of this title after all. It will make a decent distraction from the Show every now and then.

                          Comment

                          • ComaFaction
                            Rookie
                            • Feb 2007
                            • 496

                            #14
                            Re: Fielding an abomination

                            Originally posted by Guffers
                            Ok I'll give it one last try. But I guess there is nothing that can be done about the AI batters that still swing at nearly everything...If I want to have a realistic pitch count do I need to throw deliberate balls constantly?
                            I wouldn't say you have to deliberately throw balls, but you're going to want to throw more pitches that start on the edge of the zone and break out of it. (sliders, cutters, 2-seamers, etc.) In my experience, for example, throwing a steady diet of 2-seamers that fall away from the hitter outside opens them up to the backdoor slider (they will freeze on it).

                            Comment

                            • AndyP
                              Rookie
                              • Dec 2002
                              • 485

                              #15
                              Re: Fielding an abomination

                              MLB 2k9 is a typical 2K sports game. They are innovative, they try to squeeze so much into the game and yet they fall short in some key areas. Some titles more or less than others, so their NBA franchise is better than most but the MLB effort less so. It's the kind of game that you want to love so much, yet end up being frustrated with.

                              I play both this and MLB 09 - I enjoy both and the presentation is what I love most about this game.

                              However, I agree that fielding is horrible.
                              AndyP > @_sportsjournal

                              Comment

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