fIeLdInG hAs BeEn ImPrOvEd

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by RockPowderDownLoL

it looked like you sped up a bit

To me watching the route it looked as though the fielder was running to where the ball was going, slowed up for a step or three as if trying to re-track/find the ball again, and hurry to the spot and was disjointed when there.

I don’t know the user input, but again I chalk this up to a player losing the ball.




Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[stealyerface]

I'll jump into this contentious mess...

Even before the patches and updates, when I was playing the "loading game" between the RedSox and the Dodgers, it felt to me that there was something different about the outfielders, and the way they positioned themselves within the animation for the catch.

It seemed like when you got the guys close enough to where the animation would kick in, you got a nice, smooth transition from input to branch animation.

However, if you took too long to get to the spot, or moved there in a herky jerky manner, the animation never seemed to catch hold, and you would end up with a miss, or an overplay, or an animation where the outfielder overran the ball and made an error.

I play manual fielding, with Dynamic Camera, and have my sliders for fielder speed at 3 clicks.

This allows me to have to take perfect routes to the ball, and I can do so without having to worry about my fielder's animation being over-committed because the default speed for outielders is way too fast.

I had a Statcast with a great running catch by JBJ and he ran an efficiency of 99.4% on his way to a gliding catch out in Oakland. What I seem to have noticed this year is that when you take off towards a ball, the game seems to calculate your route effectivness, and assuming you get to the ball-landing marker within a tolerance of whatever it might be, your outfielder makes the play as he should. If you run willy-nilly towards the marker, or stop too soon, over overrun the spot, the game uses that input, plus player rating, and will then calculate the formula of the catch.

What you guys might be seeing is either an approach that might be too fast, or an angle that is incorrect, and the "Penalty" animation then extrapolates the outcome. It took me five games and a slider correction, and most of the plays now are as they should be.

The one really cool thing that happened to me, but was certainly not a great outcome, was a game I played in Arizona, and as such, with no DH. JD was playing left field, and there was a ball hit that he totally reacted late to, and took a first step forward, which allowed the ball to easily sail over his head. Benentendi would have made the play for sure, but with JD's bat needed in the line up, this was the decision I made, and it cost me.

There is something "different" about this year's approach to the ball-landing spot. Someone mentioned feathering the stick, which I feel is an appropriate comment. You can't jam the stick full-on (which would be akin to running full speed) towards the ball marker. This year, it seems, you need to take an efficient, controlled approach to the spot, and the game rewards you with a catch-algorithm that takes that approach, the speed, and your player rating into the mix.

It's different, but for me, it is a good different.
~syf

[Ace1234NY]

In that second video, it just looks like the catch animation never fired. That happened from time to time in 18 too. Maybe the first one was bad positioning and that's why you see the awkward catch animation that leads to a drop. But the second video, the ball just hits the fielder and he doesnt even raise his glove. There's no reason why even a bad fielder wouldn't at least attempt to catch the ball. It's not extremely common, but there were times in 18 where the animation to catch just failed to fire. It could happen on ground balls or fly balls. If you get the player to the right spot as the ball is coming, the game takes control of your player and locks him into a catch animation. In that video, clearly there is no animation and the user is still controlling the fielder all the way with the stick. This seems like a bug. Thankfully, not a common one. But it should be fixed regardless as it would not be fair to have this cost someone in a big spot. I guess you could rationalize it as a misplay. But A) there are already animations for that and B) it punishes a player who did nothing wrong. So imo not good gameplay. I wouldn't search for reasons to blame the user for it.

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ace1234NY

Maybe the first one was bad positioning and that's why you see the awkward catch animation that leads to a drop.

I get that, but the point is that I ran over the ring and it never triggered a slowdown of any sort, or a "prep to catch" animation. Even before that, as I attempted to slow up before the landing spot (as we normally catch behind the target), it didn't prompt there either.

I've been begging for this since 2006... we need a "positioning modifier" with a shoulder button or trigger that we can hold down so we can do the small movements ourselves. Relying on the game to do it is risky business.

[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

I was just going to keep my mouth shut like i usually have for the past 8 months or so on here, but from someone who has played thousands of games in the Show, using manual fielding - and am very good at manual fielding, approching fly balls, reading balls, etc, - i knew EXACTLY what the OP was referring to regarding outfielder blatantly missing balls or not going into catch animations. I didn't even have to see the videos to know what he was referring to.

Others have also tried to talk about this issue last year, and previous years. I have lost games over the past few years because of this issue. It is 100% a problem with outfielders in the game an has been exactly the same problem year in and year out.

I love this game and i think the Show is the best baseball game ever created. I cant even describe how much fun i had with 18. But if there was one problem i wanted fixed with 18 and 19 (and previous versions) it was this issue. It is honestly ridiculous that it hasn't been resolved.

Yes, it can be user error at times, if you don't approach the ball just right. But many many times it is an issue of the animation just not kicking in when standing in the perfect spot. And it most often it seems to happen on balls that are "fliners" (between a fly ball and a liner). I have also come to the conclusion it has nothing to do with fielding sliders or attributes.

Over the years I have chalked it up to user error, losing it in the sun, the lights, the "high sky", the clouds, white shirts in the crowd, landing lights on approaching flights, Hale-Bop comet, and much more. Its not realistic.

When i heard about improved fielding before release, the first thing i did was text a buddy of mine and we discussed whether or not it meant that this issue would be fixed, and we both held out hope. (We had the same text conversation before 18 came out)

So we can try to focus on whether the OP approached the subject with a right attitude, should or shouldn't have used a mix of uppercase and lowercase, or whether he should or shouldn't disprespect the devs all we want. Im staying out of the policing part of it. But the bottom line is, i promise, it is a legacy issue. And i for one wish the devs would either fix it for once, or just say "look, it would take a complete overhaul to fix this. We've tried." I would be happy with either response because i actually know they are aware of it.

[Ace1234NY]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

I get that, but the point is that I ran over the ring and it never triggered a slowdown of any sort, or a "prep to catch" animation. Even before that, as I attempted to slow up before the landing spot (as we normally catch behind the target), it didn't prompt there either. I've been begging for this since 2006... we need a "positioning modifier" with a shoulder button or trigger that we can hold down so we can do the small movements ourselves. Relying on the game to do it is risky business.

I agree that the game is too unforgiving with the catch animations sometimes. Yes errors happen, but catching a routine fly is not hard for pros irl, it should not be hard in the show. Maybe adjust it based on the difficulty level. And you're right. If they're going to demand that you make a perfect approach to the catch, having a strafe button like madden does would be a terrific idea.

[Hellquist]

Honeymoon over!!!!!

Fielders still crow hop and I have never seen this in an MLB game in real life.

Routines plays are usually fumbled and you get errors at the wrong time.

Still have fielders doing stupid ish like running in a circle or running in front of a ball, etc.

Still no urgency with throwing and you get those stupid animations.

Fielders still take way too long to throw the ball. If you have someone with a cannon, it's nearly impossible to get a putout or an assist.

Fielding has improved, but doesn't mean it has improved for the better. It still has issues, but the issues with this game far outweigh the fielding. Once you start playing more games you will start seeing more annoyances. I am getting a lot of errors that shouldn't even be errors in real life. These are supposed to be gold glovers or even silver glovers.

[coreyerb]

To echo and hopefully illustrate what Nolan Ryan said, here is a common occurrence for me:



Smooth route to the spot where the ball is going to land, then once I'm in the invisible "catch animation" radius, the game takes over and adjusts my fielder just enough so the ball goes over his glove (look at the mowed lines on the field and how he slightly turns toward the end - that wasn't my input, it was the animation taking control).

77 fielding CF playing CF, 83 reaction, 85 speed. I have 6 outfielder errors in 18 games, and it's stuff like that. Been this way for multiple editions.