Okay, I played my first full game, Mets (me) against the damn Yankess..on default All-Star.
I think I saw evrything "good" and everything "bad" about the game in one sitting.
I started out getting really perplexed by the CPU hitting. Pitching to them for the 1st 2 innings was an excercise in frustration, as I did not feel like I could set up the hitter.
If it wasnt a breaking ball, they made sharp contact on it, dang near every time, or swung through it. It was a matter of whether or not they hit the ball to a fielder.
I would go off speed away, breaking ball away, then try to saw the batters hands off with a cutter or fastball, and WHACK!! They would hit a shot somewhere. I never felt like I could fool these hitters.
I then started to think a little and pay close attention to the batter scouting reports: Their hot zones, their batting averages against different pitches, and where they have a chance to chase outside the zone.
I began pitching to theses tendencies more, and saw more sane results. I worked over Xavier Nady 2 at bats in a row, getting him looking once on a change, I had 2 strikes on Arod, and saw that he has a 45% chance of chasing high, out of the strike zone, so I fired a fastball uop there and got him swinging.
Nady's 3rd at bat, I tried to sneak a fastball low and inside on Nady, in one of his cold zones, but he ripped it. Good, I thought. You just cant pound away at a hitter's cold zone all game.
They still are very aggressive, but at least I reduced the amount of mortar shots being launched all over the place.
I managed to put a 3 spot up on Sabathia in the 1st inning, off of a 3 run homer by David Wright. I was looking for something middle-in to pull, I got it, and lifted it into the second level seats of the bland looking citifield
.
Next 2 innings, I get that ridiculous yankee out, and then all heck breaks lose.
1st 2 batters get on. I strike the next guy out, pop the next one up. 2 outs, next batter hits a routine liner to Dan Murphy who straight up boots it.
NExt at bat, Arod hits a semi hard flyball to center. I give chase with Beltran, and I think I have the running catch to end the inning.
Wrong.
Beltran goes into this "stab at the ball in mid sprint" animation.
The ball goes through him and to the wall for an inside the park grand slam.
6 runs given up in total through 4, 1 of them earned.
Lovely.
top of the 5th, I get to Sabathia again to draw within 6-5, and the CPU takes him out of the game??!!? Why?
The yanks put in this garbage left hander, and it is batting practice from there on out. A blast him all over the park, and do the same to Marte, and win the game 17-6.
Hitting: I like a lot
Pitching: Once I started to concentrate more, I liked
Baserunning: fine
fielding: wierd. Some balls that look like they should be routine end up either dropping in, or turning into a carnival act.
Graphics: Average, as far as the player models go. The Ballparks abd crowds look great..and the lighting is fantastic. If sacraficing some graphical luster for a smoother framerate is what it take..so be it I guess.
PResentation: I love. I actually want to see the cut scenes play out, and the dialouge as well.
It's a good, but strange game. It reminds me a lot of APF in that regard. You see things that are great, then all of a sudden you see something happen that makes you go "Whaaat?"
I'll be having fun with this sucker though, no doubt.