How about an outfielder "I Got it" Feature?

[Padgoi]

For so many years, I've been disappointed with the way The Show handles errors. In order to replicate real life, the game has to build errors into the game. The problem is, many of these errors aren't your fault. A lazy fly ball will be hit to your centerfielder who will promptly just drop the ball. Do outfielders in real life drop lazy fly balls? Sure . . . maybe once a season if that. The Show tries to replicate real outfield errors by giving us canned, animated errors. How many times is a hard line drive hit towards one of your outfielders, but the animation starts too late, resulting in a 2 or 3-base error? People say it's a problem with the animations and they're right, but the show hasn't fixed it because it's their way of replicating real life errors. Here's where my "suggestion" comes into play.

I want more control of errors. I am tired of the CPU generating errors so that my team makes errors at a realistic rate. I am tired of poor animations causing errors. I am tired of hard line drives being turned into errors because of slow animations. I am tired of hard ground balls being ole'd by Mark Teixeira. I am tired of ground balls in the outfield getting past my outfielders because an animation triggers that causes my outfielder to trip while trying to cut it off. I want MORE control.

My suggestion is to implement an "I Got It" feature. Yesterday I was watching the Yankee game and saw a fly ball land in between two outfielders for an error because they were both yelling I Got It and no one had it. Things like this don't ever happen in the show, but if an "I Got It' feature was implemented, they may and it may make outfield errors more realistic.

Here's an example - a fly ball is hit to left-center. The game immediately gives you the centerfielder. You are presented with options at this point. You either race over to catch it if you think you have a bead on it . . . however, if you don't press the "I Got It" button, you run the risk of the left fielder crashing into you and it falling for a hit. If you do press the "I Got It' button, the other outfielder stops running . . . however if it's too far away from you, it's falling for a hit (or an error depending on if the game feels it was a catchable ball).

Another example - fly ball hit to center. You don't have to press the "I Got It" button because it's right to your fielder. HOWEVER, there also must be a "You Got It" button telling the other fielders that you DON'T have it and they have to get it. You accidentally press that button on a fly ball to center. You can still run over to the location of the ball to catch it, HOWEVER, if you press the "You Got It' button, the chance of your fielder making an error increases exponentially because he didn't think he had it and tracked it too late causing it to fall or just be dropped.

I think these options make errors more realistic and also put more control of errors into the user's hands. If you accidentally press a button and your fielder drops the ball, it's your fault for pressing the button. If you don't press a button and two fielders collide, it's your fault for not pressing the button. And the feature could also take user ratings into account in that someone like Mike Trout will have a MUCH higher chance of still catching the ball even if he presses the "You Got It" button because his defense rating is high, however if Carlos Beltran is the outfielder and you press that button, you have a much higher risk of dropping that ball.

Again, just an idea I had last night. Any feedback is appreciated.

[kehlis]

Only problem is balls that fall between outfielders regardless of if catchable or not are ruled hits 9/10 times (such as the example you used from last nights game) so this doesn't really create the solution you are looking for.

[Nick165561]

I'm almost positive a game from the Xbox/PS2 days had that. It might have been one of the 2K games.

[ShowTyme15]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nick165561

I'm almost positive a game from the Xbox/PS2 days had that. It might have been one of the 2K games.

It was 2k7.

[Jr.]

I agree with the handling of errors. They seem to happen too often on routine plays, rather than occurring more often on tough plays. Backhands up the middle with an errant throw, rather than a sharp ground ball right at a player who overthrows despite having tons of time (which does happen, but not as frequently as represented in the game).

I think this is also why there are so many double plays. There are rarely poor throws that force the guy on 2B to secure the out rather than trying to turn a DP. There are few bobbles which turn into a force out at 2B rather than a full DP. There are too many instances of players going into the hole and firing a perfect strike after a pirhouette. That should be a play with a much higher fail rate than what the game represents. Most players would simply take the out at first, or the guy covering 2B would forgo a throw to first to secure the out at 2B.

I would love to see more error animations (since errors look to be pre-determined rather than occurring as the play occurs) and a way to code error rate depending on the player's body position, momentum, direction of throw, etc.

I would just like to see more fielding animations period. Everything is so stiff and robotic. It would open up defense so much more if there was more fluidity and variation in the animations.

[Don Jon]

Don't even get me started with the 3rd/1st baseman one knee, lift up glove slide. I've had at least 5 one-hitters where that play was the only "hit". That animation happens way too often for my liking, and I would like to see it at least toned down, or at least called an error more than not.