Beta Impressions Thread

[wildcatchild]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

Do any of the batters swing through the pitch with one hand on the bat, one hand off, a la Griffey Jr. or Giambi?

[Stepback]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

Thanks for answering our questions. Here are mine.

1. Has the gameplay dropped off since last year or does it still deliver fairly realistic stats?

2. What is the collision detection on homeruns and foul balls like?

3. Is it more possible for the human pitcher to walk CPU batters this season?

4. Are the CPU runners more aggressive on the basepaths?

5. Has the stealing bug (human controlled players safe 90% of the time) been fixed?

6. Is the slider for CPU pitcher control more sensitive thuis year? In other words, how difficult is it to draw a realistic number of walks?

7. Is this year's game better than last year's in terms of realistic gameplay?

8. Do the skies change or are they always sunny like last year?

9. Can you now begin games at dusk that progress into darkness?

10. How is the new zone hitting?

Thanks again.....

[Stepback]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

Thanks for answering our questions. Here are mine.

1. Has the gameplay dropped off since last year or does it still deliver fairly realistic stats?

2. What is the collision detection on homeruns and foul balls like?

3. Is it more possible for the human pitcher to walk CPU batters this season?

4. Are the CPU runners more aggressive on the basepaths?

5. Has the stealing bug (human controlled players safe 90% of the time) been fixed?

6. Is the slider for CPU pitcher control more sensitive thuis year? In other words, how difficult is it to draw a realistic number of walks?

7. Is this year's game better than last year's in terms of realistic gameplay?

8. Do the skies change or are they always sunny like last year?

9. Can you now begin games at dusk that progress into darkness?

10. How is the new zone hitting?

Thanks again.....

[Stepback]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

Thanks for answering our questions. Here are mine.

1. Has the gameplay dropped off since last year or does it still deliver fairly realistic stats?

2. What is the collision detection on homeruns and foul balls like?

3. Is it more possible for the human pitcher to walk CPU batters this season?

4. Are the CPU runners more aggressive on the basepaths?

5. Has the stealing bug (human controlled players safe 90% of the time) been fixed?

6. Is the slider for CPU pitcher control more sensitive thuis year? In other words, how difficult is it to draw a realistic number of walks?

7. Is this year's game better than last year's in terms of realistic gameplay?

8. Do the skies change or are they always sunny like last year?

9. Can you now begin games at dusk that progress into darkness?

10. How is the new zone hitting?

Thanks again.....

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

OK - I'm about to dig in and get these questions answered. I hope to catch up tonight.

Thanks for submitting them, and I'll re-open the thread as soon as I'm caught up!

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

OK - I'm about to dig in and get these questions answered. I hope to catch up tonight.

Thanks for submitting them, and I'll re-open the thread as soon as I'm caught up!

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

OK - I'm about to dig in and get these questions answered. I hope to catch up tonight.

Thanks for submitting them, and I'll re-open the thread as soon as I'm caught up!

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
In last year's version, hits to the outfield were rarely hit over the outfielder's head. Instead gap hits usually was the way to get doubles/triples and the ball would bounce around the field like a pinball. Any differences this year? How is the ball physics?

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I haven't seen many balls over outfielders' heads at this point. However, it seems like nearly every hit ball will get to the warning track if it's not stopped.
For a small sample, I pitched to 20 straight Marlins with fastballs down the middle. Of course, they crushed a few, but of the 8 ground balls hit, all but one of them hit the outfield wall in Yankee Stadium, and the other stopped just short of the warning track. The balls bounce high and long in the outfield, and it seems unrealistic to me. It also means that there's a lot of extra base hits, unless you take perfect angles, and have OF's with very good arms.
Honesty, I don't remember it being this extreme last year...

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
In last year's version, hits to the outfield were rarely hit over the outfielder's head. Instead gap hits usually was the way to get doubles/triples and the ball would bounce around the field like a pinball. Any differences this year? How is the ball physics?

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I haven't seen many balls over outfielders' heads at this point. However, it seems like nearly every hit ball will get to the warning track if it's not stopped.
For a small sample, I pitched to 20 straight Marlins with fastballs down the middle. Of course, they crushed a few, but of the 8 ground balls hit, all but one of them hit the outfield wall in Yankee Stadium, and the other stopped just short of the warning track. The balls bounce high and long in the outfield, and it seems unrealistic to me. It also means that there's a lot of extra base hits, unless you take perfect angles, and have OF's with very good arms.
Honesty, I don't remember it being this extreme last year...

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
In last year's version, hits to the outfield were rarely hit over the outfielder's head. Instead gap hits usually was the way to get doubles/triples and the ball would bounce around the field like a pinball. Any differences this year? How is the ball physics?

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I haven't seen many balls over outfielders' heads at this point. However, it seems like nearly every hit ball will get to the warning track if it's not stopped.
For a small sample, I pitched to 20 straight Marlins with fastballs down the middle. Of course, they crushed a few, but of the 8 ground balls hit, all but one of them hit the outfield wall in Yankee Stadium, and the other stopped just short of the warning track. The balls bounce high and long in the outfield, and it seems unrealistic to me. It also means that there's a lot of extra base hits, unless you take perfect angles, and have OF's with very good arms.
Honesty, I don't remember it being this extreme last year...

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Shawn,

So you're saying the "True Aim" batting feels more like timing hitting?

If that's the case, that kind of sucks.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

No, the aim definitely plays a factor - it's just that it seems to work based on making contact only, and not how it affects the flight of the ball. If get an outside pitch, and make contact with it by swinging outside, I would expect that the ball would go to opposite field more often than not. However, contact of the part seems to be at least somewhat independent of this. You must aim to ge good contact - but where it goes doesn't seem to be based on where you made the contact - does what I'm saying make sense?

Let me try this: If you played last year's game, and you made contact on the right side of the cursor, the ball would tail right. Here, you must aim correctly to make contact for the most part - and if you do, it's like hitting in the center of the cursor... and the ball goes where it goes based on the timing of the swing - either late, early, or just right.

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Shawn,

So you're saying the "True Aim" batting feels more like timing hitting?

If that's the case, that kind of sucks.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

No, the aim definitely plays a factor - it's just that it seems to work based on making contact only, and not how it affects the flight of the ball. If get an outside pitch, and make contact with it by swinging outside, I would expect that the ball would go to opposite field more often than not. However, contact of the part seems to be at least somewhat independent of this. You must aim to ge good contact - but where it goes doesn't seem to be based on where you made the contact - does what I'm saying make sense?

Let me try this: If you played last year's game, and you made contact on the right side of the cursor, the ball would tail right. Here, you must aim correctly to make contact for the most part - and if you do, it's like hitting in the center of the cursor... and the ball goes where it goes based on the timing of the swing - either late, early, or just right.

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Shawn,

So you're saying the "True Aim" batting feels more like timing hitting?

If that's the case, that kind of sucks.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

No, the aim definitely plays a factor - it's just that it seems to work based on making contact only, and not how it affects the flight of the ball. If get an outside pitch, and make contact with it by swinging outside, I would expect that the ball would go to opposite field more often than not. However, contact of the part seems to be at least somewhat independent of this. You must aim to ge good contact - but where it goes doesn't seem to be based on where you made the contact - does what I'm saying make sense?

Let me try this: If you played last year's game, and you made contact on the right side of the cursor, the ball would tail right. Here, you must aim correctly to make contact for the most part - and if you do, it's like hitting in the center of the cursor... and the ball goes where it goes based on the timing of the swing - either late, early, or just right.

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
shawn, do the infielder still make the shallow outfield catches with their heads wagging?

as far as hitting, it was described as being a 3D type zone hitting, have you seen that?
is it default? or do you have to choose it?

do the pitchers tire reasonably? do the CPU pitchers provide a good challenge?

you say everything looks and feels the same. since this game didn't need huge overhauls, is it a game that will show the improvement the more you play it? for axample, will the changes be nuances in CPU management and AI regarding stealing, pitching out and defensive adjustments?

i am looking for a game that makes you manage and think.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

1. I'm not sure what you mean with the "heads wagging"... sorry.

2. "3D zone hitting"? I don't think so. Think "High Heat" - nine zones; swing at the one the ball's in when it gets to the plate.

3. Yes and yes, in my opinion. Pitchers may tire a little slowly, but they normally do in videogames. Nothing out of whack here.

4. More improvement as you play? I don't know. The games have had a pretty similar feel to me, but it's fine. I think if you enjoyed last year's title, you'll likely enjoy this year's - but I haven't seen any ground-breaking AI or anything at this point. It's the same, rather solid baseball AI that Sega's used for years. That's OK, too - baseball strategy itself hasn't changed much for decades...

5. This won't make you manage and think more than any other game I've seen this year, but certainly no less, either. Console baseball games are designed to be PLAYED - and as such, the big sim fans (of which I'm one) are always disappointed when they expect them from console titles - and we shouldn't be. Any game that's tuned to be played with a game pad is naturally prone to dramatic statistical and managerial deviation. "ESPN MLB" is no different.

[sdrotar]

Re: Beta Impressions Thread

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
shawn, do the infielder still make the shallow outfield catches with their heads wagging?

as far as hitting, it was described as being a 3D type zone hitting, have you seen that?
is it default? or do you have to choose it?

do the pitchers tire reasonably? do the CPU pitchers provide a good challenge?

you say everything looks and feels the same. since this game didn't need huge overhauls, is it a game that will show the improvement the more you play it? for axample, will the changes be nuances in CPU management and AI regarding stealing, pitching out and defensive adjustments?

i am looking for a game that makes you manage and think.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

1. I'm not sure what you mean with the "heads wagging"... sorry.

2. "3D zone hitting"? I don't think so. Think "High Heat" - nine zones; swing at the one the ball's in when it gets to the plate.

3. Yes and yes, in my opinion. Pitchers may tire a little slowly, but they normally do in videogames. Nothing out of whack here.

4. More improvement as you play? I don't know. The games have had a pretty similar feel to me, but it's fine. I think if you enjoyed last year's title, you'll likely enjoy this year's - but I haven't seen any ground-breaking AI or anything at this point. It's the same, rather solid baseball AI that Sega's used for years. That's OK, too - baseball strategy itself hasn't changed much for decades...

5. This won't make you manage and think more than any other game I've seen this year, but certainly no less, either. Console baseball games are designed to be PLAYED - and as such, the big sim fans (of which I'm one) are always disappointed when they expect them from console titles - and we shouldn't be. Any game that's tuned to be played with a game pad is naturally prone to dramatic statistical and managerial deviation. "ESPN MLB" is no different.