Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

[The Living Legend]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

Hmm that article defintly has peaked my interest. The only thing i worry about its Animation, animation is sooooo key in Baseball and pretty much every sporting game, and it was a huge factor in 2k8 for me. I was hoping to see something about that but didnt i mean there was so many hiccups in the transitions and slowdown for no reason, i hope they ironed all that out.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

I think there is a lot to like here. I'm not surprised, it means Visual Concepts is doing its job and hyping the title.

I won't worry about the removal of the step timing for hitting just yet. If tweaks to the hitting engine allow improved hit variety and place a bigger emphasis on where a ball is pitched too, I'll be okay. I personally like step-timing, but I can't deny there is a big-time learning curve.

Pitching is hold back to fill the meter to preferred effectiveness, gesture and release (not timed release). I like the explanation for what happens with an imperfect gesture... pitches have less movement.

I love the changes to the base running controls. But, the question about directional sliding is a great one. How do we influence our slide?

I'm excited to see the RTA in action. Bat boys? You've got to be kidding me!

I can't wait until gameplay videos hit at the end of the week.

[ericjwm]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

Now the only concern is if the PS3 version will hold up at all.

That'd be a first if they could pull that off. But considering this is a new development team, I'm hopeful.

Can't wait to see some gameplay footage to witness all these new animations bringing it to life. That screenshot of Ichiro has me wondering if they possibly got in his & other players unique swings.

[boomhauertjs]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

I have a concern with the RTA. Will it make the gametime go extra long showing all of these scenes? I don't want to spend over an hour playing a game because I have to watch the batboy carry the bat back to the dugout. Hopefully, there will be a "fast" game option.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

My biggest concern with the game is hit variety. Hopefully it's not just the same 3 or 4 type of hits all the time. I've been playing MLB 09 demo and they got it down over there. I'm hoping against hope that 2K has mixed it up as well.

Really! Forget direction (left to right) and just think of trajectory off the bat, there are so many different ways the ball comes off the bat that video games (haven't played Sony's game in years) are missing.

With the bat's surface being round, the ball can come off the bat at any one of the 180 degree's of the bat, but most are never seen.

It's as if 95% of everything in the infield is hit at routine speed. Rarely do you have to charge a ball or move more than a step or two in either direction. There are no high choppers where a fielder must rush to beat a speedy runner and I don't recall many hot shots where I didn't have plenty of time to react. Balls hit down the lines never were hit hard enough to roll to the corner and rarely resulted in doubles.

I've busted out 2K8 for the last few nights and in three games I have not seen one ball hit back to a pitcher. And I don't recall ever seeing one where I phyically had to move my pitcher to get the ball. Ususally it's just a hot shot back up the middle that the computer either decides he gets or doesn't get.

The same goes for the outfielders. Most flyballs were either home runs or routine fly balls. There weren't a lot of double to gaps or line drives hit over outfielders heads. Most balls hit in the air could be tracked down. And it was rare that a flyball even came close to falling inbetween the IF and OF, which is a common occurance.

You would think that that with 180 degree's (or close to it) of surface area available on the bat, 90 degree's of fair territory (and I assume close to 180% or more or less of total hitting territory) plus about a 40 MPH range of velocities you would rarely see the same hit twice due to the randomness of the physics.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

Trevy... there is a lack of balls to the gap in 2K8.

I like the game, I think most people realize that by now. But hit variety is one of its biggest weaknesses. I'm more excited about improved hit variety than the removal of meatballs.

[slickzeus]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

I thought they had ichiro in the game last year? You would thinl they would have his swing considering he's a big name player.

[baa7]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

You would think that that with 180 degree's (or close to it) of surface area available on the bat, 90 degree's of fair territory (and I assume close to 180% or more or less of total hitting territory) plus about a 40 MPH range of velocities you would rarely see the same hit twice due to the randomness of the physics.

I failed my high school math final but ended up passing because I was one of the only students in the class who didn't fire paper spitballs at the teacher. So, 180 and 90 degrees and 40 MPH what??

j/k Except for that high school math story, that's 100% true.

[totalownership]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

Really! Forget direction (left to right) and just think of trajectory off the bat, there are so many different ways the ball comes off the bat that video games (haven't played Sony's game in years) are missing.

With the bat's surface being round, the ball can come off the bat at any one of the 180 degree's of the bat, but most are never seen.

It's as if 95% of everything in the infield is hit at routine speed. Rarely do you have to charge a ball or move more than a step or two in either direction. There are no high choppers where a fielder must rush to beat a speedy runner and I don't recall many hot shots where I didn't have plenty of time to react. Balls hit down the lines never were hit hard enough to roll to the corner and rarely resulted in doubles.

I've busted out 2K8 for the last few nights and in three games I have not seen one ball hit back to a pitcher. And I don't recall ever seeing one where I phyically had to move my pitcher to get the ball. Ususally it's just a hot shot back up the middle that the computer either decides he gets or doesn't get.

The same goes for the outfielders. Most flyballs were either home runs or routine fly balls. There weren't a lot of double to gaps or line drives hit over outfielders heads. Most balls hit in the air could be tracked down. And it was rare that a flyball even came close to falling inbetween the IF and OF, which is a common occurance.

You would think that that with 180 degree's (or close to it) of surface area available on the bat, 90 degree's of fair territory (and I assume close to 180% or more or less of total hitting territory) plus about a 40 MPH range of velocities you would rarely see the same hit twice due to the randomness of the physics.

You got it. Take that into consideration with the spin of the ball and the surface texture and you get way more possibilities than 2K has ever dreamed of. I'm seeing alot with the Show man. Only thing I don't see much of, now that I'm thinking of it, is balls breaking in the air. You know where it may start out hit left of the short stop but breaks far right of him when it drops. I don't think I've seen that in any game though. At least not as drastic as in real life.

[DickDalewood]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

Well in the end, at least real time is finally explained to those who didn't get it. I hope they stop saying "living world" and all of that jazz, thinking that like grass is supposed to grow and birds are supposed to ****.

So far, it seems that my only issue with the game is the lighting in general. It doesn't seem to be progressive, and there's just something about the day games where the sun's position in the sky doesn't feel right. I know, nitpicking at its finest, right? Well anyone that watches their favorite team on TV might feel like they aren't at their stadium with the way that it's presented, as it's somewhat right overhead yet a bit behind the batter, but at the same time it still feels earlier than later (most stadiums are positioned for the sun to fall behind the third base line, meaning even if the sun ever hit this position it at least wouldn't be so "early" out).

But if that's the only issue, then I have high hopes for this game returning back to basic form, which is great! Now the only concern is if the PS3 version will hold up at all.

Day/night progression has been in every year Blzer, what are you seeing that makes you think it's not this year?

[BigH2k6]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

Gameplay sounds good so far. I will miss the option to cue your runner with the buttons though. I guess it'll take time to get used to the right stick running.

[sask3m]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

maybe they are implementing zone hitting with the R stick and thats why they took out the step. I think its would be virtually impossible to pull back on the R stick at the correct time while then trying to aim the L stick at the ball all the while then trying to time the push of the R stick, i'm getting dizzy just thinking about it.

[Crash Davis]

not too shabby, but we could really use a gameplay vid,

[sask3m]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

lots of options for hitting

[Trevytrev11]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Developer Diary: Gameplay

You got it. Take that into consideration with the spin of the ball and the surface texture and you get way more possibilities than 2K has ever dreamed of. I'm seeing alot with the Show man. Only thing I don't see much of, now that I'm thinking of it, is balls breaking in the air. You know where it may start out hit left of the short stop but breaks far right of him when it drops. I don't think I've seen that in any game though. At least not as drastic as in real life.

Even if you throw out rotation, you would think that 180 different possible angles of trajectory x 90 angles of fair balls x 40MPH variation of pitch speed would result in about 650K different fair balls hit types.

As far as balls breaking in the air, I assume your reffering to balls hooking or slicing similar to golf. MVP had this and if I recall it was done pretty well. If you were a lefty and hit a ball to left center, often times it would slice toward the left fould line a bit and if you'd pull one down the line, it would sometimes hook foul.
(It was never done backwards where you pull a ball and have it hook towards the opposite field).