MLB The Show 16: Road to the Show Revamped, But Is it For the Better?

[Stolm]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWarmWind

I would also like to point out that you're playing baseball with a controller. A controller that has very real limits in terms of how far you can move the joystick or how hard you can press the button. Adding in a "Focused" mode in order to bring on a sort of heightened state is not beyond the realm of reasonable when it comes to simulation. Players are not robots with hard limits. I'm not endorsing showtime, I'm just pointing out that saying "it isn't simulation WE WANT SIMULATION" is kind of a poor argument.

I don't agree with this at all.

Take the controller argument out of this because nothing can be done about what the game is actually manipulated with.

First of all the "heightened state" is something intangible, and no attempt to even mimic it should be made. Especially in a sports game that is striving to replicate a real sport in a realistic manner.

Which players even reach this heightened state?

*When do they have it?

*Do you give players with better stats more of this heightened state?

*Is everyones heightened state the same?

*What about religious players that attribute this state to that?

*Do you get more heightened state if you equip some religious jewelry on your player?

The whole thing is stupid.

Any kind of heightened state where you are reacting faster to a situation should come from the gamer and gamer alone. Individual player stats should help or hinder but, not everyone should be able to make these plays consistently.

I really don't get how things like this are supposed to be rewarding either. I don't always make every diving play, but when I nail it, it feels great because of the challenge of reflex and timing.

Same goes for hitting, guessing pitches, and placement (without using Guess Pitch). When you expect a fastball up and in and you crush it, it's rewarding. Now you really don't need to react at all, put on the slow-mo and take your time.

Th game is kinda playing for you, taking effort out. Which makes the game less rewarding in the end.

And now we see similar issue with these new "Perks" being added.

*Well, I don't even need to pay attention now, because this perk will make the pitcher throw all fastballs. Apparently I am psychic now and can telepathically control a pitcher into throwing whatever I want.

Manipulating outcomes with magic is not Simulation.

Instead of these lazy arcade gimmicks, they should be working to improve the core experience.


* Instead of completely removing the Stride mechanic, fix it, improve on it

* Improve the view when fielding, improve the movement on controlled players, come up with a better interesting way to field.

* I'm not a big Pitcher player, but 2K had a far more interesting and fun way to pitch than The Show

* Improve on the hitting cameras. Some very minor tweaks to the camera, can improve your hitting tremendously. Players do not look up at a pitcher from their knees. No wonder you need to add this slow-mo mechanic, that view is awful for reacting to the fastball. A higher offset view more realistically replicates a hitters eyeline, and allows you to see pitches more clearly.

Sure I can edit the camera myself, but I can't play Online with it.

Why not?

Because it's a tremendous advantage, that's why. Why not give everyone a more optimal and realistic view, it's a lot easier than adding completely new features, that compromise what the sport is.

Layer upon layer of these new features on top of the core gameplay, that not only hasn't changed, but has actually been reduced.

[HypoLuxa13]

Quote: Originally Posted by Stolm

Instead of these lazy arcade gimmicks, they should be working to improve the core experience.

Let's see what Sony San Diego has to show us over the next 6-8 weeks before taking the "instead" approach. Just because they have added some arcade style features doesn't mean they ingnored the core experience. They don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Also, I don't remember what thread it was in, but Ramone did mention last week that OS users represent less than 1% of their market. So many of us on here, like you, really want the more challenging, sim-like experience. But for every one of us, they could have 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, or who knows how many users who want a more casual, pick up and play, arcade style experience. If they risk alienating 1% of their sales base in order to attract say 5% more users into purchasing, then more power to them.

But I have faith that the core experience will, as usual, see more improvements and updates than it will see things taken out or dumbed down. The stride removal from the analog swing mechanic is the only time I remember them removing a game play mechanic option in the history of the series. Heck, maybe it was done because EA patented something back in MVP baseball and they HAD to remove it or pony up big bucks to use it?

[TheWarmWind]

Like I said Stolm, I'm not endorsing showtime. I'm a franchiser and it's already been confirmed that it's not in franchise, so it's kind of a non-issue to me. I'm just saying that claiming it's not simulation is a poor argument, since what simulation even entails is incredibly subjective.

And I'm sorry, but the players reactions alone cannot create a true simulation experience. I'm a 7 year the Show vet, and there is no way my play alone could create a simulation experience. I'm ok with the devs trying to take an intangible part of the game and make it controllable by the player as opposed to randomly generated (I'm talking about amazing defensive plays specifically here).

I may not agree with the implementation, but at least I can applaud the effort and admit that I can't think of a better way to do it. Plus it may be possible to turn it off.

[kadzier]

I'm not against showtime because it's optional, but I think it's going a bit to far to argue it's actually a "sim" mechanic. Sure, some players can get "locked in" at certain moments, but the effect of essentially stopping time and making a guaranteed play at will ludicrously over-represents that ability. I'm sure there are other, subtler ways to mirror that effect but I definitely am of the mind that the gamer themselves getting locked in during "clutch" situations (maybe with slight attribute help) represents that more fairly