Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

[RaychelSnr]

Baseball's pennant push is in full swing, and several teams are feverishly trying to claw their way to a division title. For those of us whose teams have already been eliminated from postseason consideration (my beloved Tigers included), the only baseball we really have to look forward to right now is next season's entry of Sony's stellar MLB: The Show franchise. While this year's title was an excellent addition to the series, there are definitely some nagging issues holding the game back from the elusive "GOAT" status.

With plenty of time still left in this year's development cycle, I figured I would put together a couple critical aspects of the game that should be altered for the upcoming season.

Read More - Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

[Dannyray64]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

I like the playoff mode idea. What the game really needs is a create a stadium and create a team mode.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

I have to applaud the passion here, but I'm hung up on one thing.

I've read discussion on this quite a bit, from SEVERAL experienced users, but I just don't get it. Could the hitting system use some tweaking? Yes, but not an overhaul.

Big leaguers hit well timed pitches into gloves all of the time. I emphatically disagree that just because the PCI is dead on the ball, and timing says "superb", that a basehit should be all but guarenteed.

I hit on legend, and my team batting average .280. If anything, next year's game may reflect a less offense oriented league, as mirrored by this year's real life pitch-fest. I look forward to this, myself.

Otherwise, great ideas my friend.

[asu666]

I love the save auto-load idea. I hope the quality control is better next year too. The proposed trade save bug killed MLB 10 for me because I didn't feel like starting over and my MLB 09 franchise was solid.

[reduced price]

In the spirit of the play-off mode. I think its a wonderful idea. In that vain, I have seen the WS celebration of The Show. They really missed the boat here in that, after playing 162 games and getting through to the promised land. The WS celebration is sadly lacking. They need to kick this up more than a few notches, IMO

[stlstudios189]

playoff mode would be awesome

[GoldenGlove]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

I have to applaud the passion here, but I'm hung up on one thing.

I've read discussion on this quite a bit, from SEVERAL experienced users, but I just don't get it. Could the hitting system use some tweaking? Yes, but not an overhaul.

Big leaguers hit well timed pitches into gloves all of the time. I emphatically disagree that just because the PCI is dead on the ball, and timing says "superb", that a basehit should be all but guarenteed.

I hit on legend, and my team batting average .280. If anything, next year's game may reflect a less offense oriented league, as mirrored by this year's real life pitch-fest. I look forward to this, myself.

Otherwise, great ideas my friend.

I'm hitting 250 as a team and I am last in the league in the HR department on Legend. Hitting is rough for me mainly because of the high strike zone. I think the zone is too big. With guess pitch off its very hard to cover the zone when the CPU rarely misses their spots and everything is on the black.

Just my 2 cents

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

I'm hitting 250 as a team and I am last in the league in the HR department on Legend. Hitting is rough for me mainly because of the high strike zone. I think the zone is too big. With guess pitch off its very hard to cover the zone when the CPU rarely misses their spots and everything is on the black.

Just my 2 cents

I agree that the strikezone covers far too much of the hitters chest. We're on the same page there.

.250, though low, is still within striking distance of realism. A good series or two week stretch, and you'll be back in business.

I'd like to be 2 or 3 hit every once in a while. I tend to always get my hit per inning. Though, I've played with teams other than the Yanks (the team I franchise with), and find overall batting average lower (along with low hit outings).

The hitting system, all in all, is very good. I just would like to see less of an emphasis on the Power attribute, in regards to hits.

[GoldenGlove]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

I agree that the strikezone covers far too much of the hitters chest. We're on the same page there.

.250, though low, is still within striking distance of realism. A good series or two week stretch, and you'll be back in business.

I'd like to be 2 or 3 hit every once in a while. I tend to always get my hit per inning. Though, I've played with teams other than the Yanks (the team I franchise with), and find overall batting average lower (along with low hit outings).

The hitting system, all in all, is very good. I just would like to see less of an emphasis on the Power attribute, in regards to hits.

Yes, I know 250 is a realistic number, but at times I feel helpless at bat.

I can only speak for Legend since that's the difficulty my season is on... their are too many weak foul pop outs for my liking. And it seems like whenever the CPU is in a jam a weak pop up is on the way. Its just deflating to get a rally going and see one of your best hitters foul out. If I get the bases loaded with nobody out I'm lucky if I score a run. 1 game I got shut out and I had 12 hits. Legend tests my faith...

[johnpreyes]

I'm not in love with your hitting system idea. Not every perfectly timed swing should be hammered, it also should depend on where the ball was in relation to the strike zone as well as the pitcher's attributes.

What the developers need to focus on are tweaking bugs and / or animation glitches (ie wall suction animation, 1st and 3rd baseman animation on balls hit down the line), improve the commentary, improving the AI's logic on setting lineups and (maybe) lowering the default fielder speed.

[vln13]

I agree about hitting mechanics on higher difficulties - there should be more control. However, I think a kind of semi-arcade mode should be added to hitting for people who play a lot of other sports titles but who may be less into the series. It takes a good deal of practice to reach the higher levels, and even an experienced hitter like me, if I play, say, Madden, for a week and then come back to The Show, it is a bit too difficult for me to reacquaint myself with hitting well. I think there should be more adjustments to fielding as well. Too often the right stick does something completely counter intuitive when I try to dive or jump for a ball. Also, on pitching, I wish there were a way to use the current two press system without having to deal with a distracting meter that takes your attention away from the game. Sorry to disappoint you, Christian, but The Show's World Series presentation is a little disappointing, and hasn't changed for three years. And if you want to try it out, just boot up a franchise with the Yankees and sim through the World Series, and they automatically go 135-27 and sweep all the opponents in the playoffs. I would like to see an upgrade in presentation and commentary. The trio are all very good, but they have been around too long, and need a change. The commentary engine is no where near as good as 2ks, and an MLB today feature would be much appreciated with live stats and commentary. Maybe they can also licence some real network graphics packages as well.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

AI's logic on lineups and what would that be? Year 15 of franchise what do they use, simply because they are not putting say a Werth batting 5th, but 7th that is not necessarily broken.

Dont agree with the hitting at all, simply because you get meatball perfect does not mean it should be a HR all the time and same way with an early pitch in a coldzone of the batters attributes means a weak hit. No need to change for the simple sake of changing. Playoff mode would be a good addition to the series however online, franchise and collision detection should be their main areas of focus.

[johnpreyes]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

So you're perfectly satisfied with AI's logic? I'm not saying I have the solution on how this could be improved but the devs could look into an improvement.

[dodgerblue]

I like the playoff mode, kind of surprised this hasn't been implemented already.

Agree to a point on the hitting, i would actually like to see an analog hitting swing stick a la 2k (prob get some flak for this)

The weakest link imo remains fielding. The reaction is too slow to make the quick bang bang plays. You end up watching a lot of the action. Perhaps fewer animations?

also, I love mlb today and the commentary in 2k10. The show could improve in these areas.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Four Keys to Success for MLB '11: The Show

So you're perfectly satisfied with AI's logic? I'm not saying I have the solution on how this could be improved but the devs could look into an improvement.

I'm fine with it, like I said year 15 what would you like for them to do with a league full of fictional players and if you have issues then simply play 30 team control