With 2K8 on the shelves, I’m sure the development team is already back at work on 2K9 or will be shortly.
They always say “the earlier the better” when it comes to these things. And while for most 2K8 was mostly a step in the right direction, most would also agree that it is lacking in certain areas.
So here we go:
1) New Commentary-Drop Joe and John. 2K obviously can’t get what they need out of these guys and the game suffers because of it. Personally, I’d be happy with Peter and Dan if it meant a much more diverse conversation.
2) Go the route of the 3<SUP>rd</SUP> party for the Sim Engine. If the current system isn’t broken, it’s being held together with duct tape. We need a system that properly handles AI lineups, rosters, rotations and transactions as well as calculates realistic statistics and can properly handle player progression.
3) Bring back zone hitting. Who care’s if it isn’t what the masses prefer. It doesn’t have to be the default system, but at least offer it to those that demand it.
4) Update the Stadiums.
5) Update the player portraits. I like the fact they zoomed in to remove the majority of the hat, but it’s still obvious that Zito is wearing an A’s hat. It seems like they could use some sort of editing tool to automatically change the color of a hat when a player moves teams. ESPN is able to do this when a transaction is announced. Also, use computer generate portraits for players without faces.
6) I would like to see the addition of a contact swing. It would result in a slightly larger window of contact, but would noticeable reduce power. This would be specifically for hit and runs, hitting behind runners, protecting with 2 strikes.
7) Update the pitchers repertoire with the proper pitches. Greg Maddux throws a 2 seam fastball and doesn’t throw a 4-seam fastball.
8) Get rid of the whole “meatball” idea. Let pitches miss where they should and when a pitch is totally botched, let the final location be random. And if it happens to be in the strike zone, force the user to recognize it and hit it. Don’t gift wrap it by letting him no ahead of time. In real baseball a mistake pitch is only a mistake if the hitter recognizes it.
9) A la NBA 2K8, give teams personalities and let the user tweak them. Some teams wait for the 3-Run Homer and other teams make things happen. If I’m playing a team with speed, I should be forced to focus on their runners. If I’m playing a patient team, I should be forced to work in the zone.
10) All Star Weekend.
11) A little thing here, but on pop ups in which the catcher tries to catch, have him turn around and face the back stop.
12) Make the GM goals more realistic. Here is an idea: Make it so a player has to be on the team for at least ½ of a season before telling the GM to release him.
13) Maybe this is in 2K8 and I’m just not realizing it, but directional sliding would be nice. It seems that in 2K7 and 2K8 this is random. I try to slide inside and I go outside.
14) Guys who hit a handful of HR’s a year should never walk when they hit one. This should be reserved for guys who hit a lot of HR’s. You will never see a guy like
15) Include, with the game, an instruction book that has actually been updated and ran by an editor and then re-edited and then proof-read for meaningful content.<O
</O
They always say “the earlier the better” when it comes to these things. And while for most 2K8 was mostly a step in the right direction, most would also agree that it is lacking in certain areas.
So here we go:
1) New Commentary-Drop Joe and John. 2K obviously can’t get what they need out of these guys and the game suffers because of it. Personally, I’d be happy with Peter and Dan if it meant a much more diverse conversation.
2) Go the route of the 3<SUP>rd</SUP> party for the Sim Engine. If the current system isn’t broken, it’s being held together with duct tape. We need a system that properly handles AI lineups, rosters, rotations and transactions as well as calculates realistic statistics and can properly handle player progression.
3) Bring back zone hitting. Who care’s if it isn’t what the masses prefer. It doesn’t have to be the default system, but at least offer it to those that demand it.
4) Update the Stadiums.
5) Update the player portraits. I like the fact they zoomed in to remove the majority of the hat, but it’s still obvious that Zito is wearing an A’s hat. It seems like they could use some sort of editing tool to automatically change the color of a hat when a player moves teams. ESPN is able to do this when a transaction is announced. Also, use computer generate portraits for players without faces.
6) I would like to see the addition of a contact swing. It would result in a slightly larger window of contact, but would noticeable reduce power. This would be specifically for hit and runs, hitting behind runners, protecting with 2 strikes.
7) Update the pitchers repertoire with the proper pitches. Greg Maddux throws a 2 seam fastball and doesn’t throw a 4-seam fastball.
8) Get rid of the whole “meatball” idea. Let pitches miss where they should and when a pitch is totally botched, let the final location be random. And if it happens to be in the strike zone, force the user to recognize it and hit it. Don’t gift wrap it by letting him no ahead of time. In real baseball a mistake pitch is only a mistake if the hitter recognizes it.
9) A la NBA 2K8, give teams personalities and let the user tweak them. Some teams wait for the 3-Run Homer and other teams make things happen. If I’m playing a team with speed, I should be forced to focus on their runners. If I’m playing a patient team, I should be forced to work in the zone.
10) All Star Weekend.
11) A little thing here, but on pop ups in which the catcher tries to catch, have him turn around and face the back stop.
12) Make the GM goals more realistic. Here is an idea: Make it so a player has to be on the team for at least ½ of a season before telling the GM to release him.
13) Maybe this is in 2K8 and I’m just not realizing it, but directional sliding would be nice. It seems that in 2K7 and 2K8 this is random. I try to slide inside and I go outside.
14) Guys who hit a handful of HR’s a year should never walk when they hit one. This should be reserved for guys who hit a lot of HR’s. You will never see a guy like
15) Include, with the game, an instruction book that has actually been updated and ran by an editor and then re-edited and then proof-read for meaningful content.<O
</O
Comment