The poor animation system really holds this game back from being great!

[Padgoi]

Many of you who know me know I'm never hesitant to post my displeasure with this game. I was a staunch proponent of comeback AI, but after completing half of a season (playing every inning of every game) with the Yankees, I can honestly say that I finally agree with the developers in that there is no comeback AI at all. What there is however is a very poor animation system that is holding this game back from being great. I know many of you already play on auto-fielding because the manual fielding can be laughable at times, but I wanted to compile a few short videos just showing how unrealistic these animations can really be so that maybe the developers can see some of them and work on fixing them for the next iteration being as these poor animations have not plagued the series for a few years. Let me begin:

Video 1:


Runner on third, one out. ARod hits a ground ball to short. Runner on third breaks for home. Shortstop throws home, but the throw is way offline, resulting in no tag by the catcher. The catcher then throws to first to try to get the runner . . . but wait . . . the umpire calls the runner out at home AFTER the catcher has already thrown to first despite there being no tag applied.

Video 2:


I'm 36 years old. I can remember exactly TWO instances in my entire life of a routine fly ball hitting an outfielder in the head, resulting in a dropped fly ball. So why have I already seen this exact animation multiple times in this game?

Video 3:


Fly ball down the left-field line. Gardner runs over to try to make the catch. Waiting for animation to kick in to try to make the catch . . . but it doesn't. As in, he doesn't even move his glove. As in he's running towards absolutely nothing because the animation of a fielder raising his glove to make a catch didn't even trigger. Some might say I was too far away. I say the animation just failed to kick in resulting in a 2-base error (yes, this was ruled an error).

Video 4:


Top of the ninth, up 5-2. Runner on second, no outs. Ground ball hit back to Betances for a very routine ground out. Betances goes to pick up the ball . . . and it rolls through his legs. The everyday occurrence . . . a little dinker ground ball rolling between the pitcher's legs when all he has to do is bend over and pick it up.

Video 5:


The famous "I was off the exact location of a routine fly ball by 1 feet, so my fielder is going to wait until the very last second before making a last ditch effort to trip over himself and make a basket catch" animation. This one is the reason why many of you now use auto-fielding. Perhaps the most unrealistic (and common) animation seen in this year's game.

Video 6:


Fly ball hit to deep left. Outfielder has a bead on it. Turns around. Puts his glove up. And the ball completely misses it. Doesn't even draw leather even though the outfielder had a clear vision of the ball. Honestly, this wasn't even a difficult play . . . nevertheless, it resulted in a 3-base error.

[calbrs04]

One more that I would complain about is the 3-6-3/1 double play. It is not realistic at all as the 1st baseman will usually make it back to the base on time. But instead the SS seems to pause and then float the ball to the pitcher usually resulting in a safe call at first.

[countryboy]

In an attempt to help others out who may have had these things occur, let me try to help.

Video 1 - Nothing really to offer up other than its a weird glitch in the game where the umpire's call was late. The ump is saying that as the catcher went to catch an offline throw, he was able to tag the runner, I guess.

Video 2 - The fielder missed the ball and it hit him in the head. I find that funny to be honest, but in any event, I don't believe its something that really needs to be pointed out. I have honestly not seen the ball hit my fielder in the head when he misses a catch. Its hit his shoulder and chest, but never the head. I actually LOL'd at that video.

Video 3 - the reason the animation didn't trigger was because of the poor route that was taken to the ball. It has nothing to do with poor animation or anything of the sort, it was a bad angle taken to the ball.

Video 4 -Before we call this a poor animation, how about we take a look at Betances' fielding rating. To me, he just misses the play. Nothing to do with animation, he just flat out missed the ball. Almost looks as if he got into a hurry to make a play.

Video 5 - Mis-judged fly ball. Sure maybe they could add other animations for when the ball is mis-judged or lost in the lights, but that is why that animation triggers. I don't think its poor, but I do think its played a bit too much.

Video 6 - Again a mis-judged/played fly ball. He appears to be backpedaling to get into position to make the catch and misplays the ball. I'm guessing he has a lower fielding rating, which caused him to flat miss the ball.


While I will agree that some animations are played a little too often, I don't think the system is poor by any means nor do I think it holds the game back in any regard.

But that is just my opinion.

[BigDaddyRev]

This kind of crap happens way too often and its worse in DD . I would like to point out one other thing but its in RTTS on first base and runner has speed I counted 77 times during the game where the pitcher threw to first to attempt a pickoff. 77 times, 32 times while Hosmer waits to be walked but strikes out. Now that's ridiculous

[Don Jon]

How can you have a "poor animation" thread without the 3rd/1st baseman one-knee slide, lift up glove animation?!

As said above most of the videos just looked like routine plays that the fielder missed. I don't mind those. Without them there'd be no errors in this game.

[Padgoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Don Jon

How can you have a "poor animation" thread without the 3rd/1st baseman one-knee slide, lift up glove animation?! As said above most of the videos just looked like routine plays that the fielder missed. I don't mind those. Without them there'd be no errors in this game.

Please post a video if you think it's a problem.
And please don't knock the videos I posted. These are issues that need to be fixed in next year's game.

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Don Jon

How can you have a "poor animation" thread without the 3rd/1st baseman one-knee slide, lift up glove animation?! As said above most of the videos just looked like routine plays that the fielder missed. I don't mind those. Without them there'd be no errors in this game.

That is another animation that is played far too often.

That and the ducking the line drive.

I don't mind them but not as often as they are played

[Padgoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

That is another animation that is played far too often. That and the ducking the line drive. I don't mind them but not as often as they are played

Let's try posting videos so the developers can actually see these problems. Thanks!