Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

[PVarck31]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

Not sure what to think here. It seems like the same problem of the cpu swinging at everything is there. I really hope I am wrong, or there is a good reason for it.

[kcxiv]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

We don't really know without watching him play. There could very well be flaws in the game, considering last year's AI. Although, Chase said it seemed improved to him and that he pitched an unintentional walk, so it does seem like this guy might not be a very wise pitcher, but I don't want to disrespect him.

he also said he couldnt pitch on the all star level. He couldnt hit corners. I am sure the accurateness (if thats a word lol) of hitting your gestures is harder making it harder to pitch as well. We have all seen times where pitchers just lose all control.

Like you and everyone else has been said, we need to see for ourselves.

[jeffy777]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

he also said he couldnt pitch on the all star level. He couldnt hit corners. I am sure the accurateness (if thats a word lol) of hitting your gestures is harder making it harder to pitch as well. We have all seen times where pitchers just lose all control.

I'm guessing the reason he was getting lit up on All Star is because his pitch ratings are so terrible, but it's hard to say without actually seeing him play.

All I can say is that if the AI hitting is as overly aggressive as last year, I'm definitely not buying this game. I really hope they fixed it this year, but I'm certainly skeptical at this point.

[Juiceman]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

Two points of concern have come up during this game. I noticed that base runners are not recognizing easily readable line drive singles. They wait until the ball lands before moving to the next base, even if it will land 20 feet in front of a fielder.

As fluid as the fielders are, they don't always make the best decisions to turn double plays. As I mentioned in a previous game, one fielder threw home instead of going for the inning ending double play. Just this game, I had a fielder run to second opposed to tossing it to the shortstop already on the bag. The base runner was safe at first. Dunce plays like these shouldn't happen, but at this point in my playing, I can't rule out if it is just double A vs. MLB skill level balancing, or if it's an AI problem for the entire game.

Rut-roh...

[Gusto1]

Will this game have manager mode where you manage on field play?

[jeffy777]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

This sounds better:

"With the new difficulty in place, my game started off with one run surrendered in the first. I also gave up my first walk. Batters are appearing to be selective in their swings. Very nice."

[duke776]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

Rut-roh...

I agree. This guy said he would talk more about 2k10 in general after he finishes up his first season in my player, so hopefully he can tell us if it's just an issue with minor leagues. This could be a big problem, but I'll wait to see if he talks anymore about it in the future.

[BigBlue]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

I'm curious as to what everyone's 'gameplay videos' scenario would be. I mean, what type of gameplay videos would give you the idea that this game is the realistic baseball game we are all craving.

Here are mine. There have to be TWO different videos.
The first video would have the user playing against the CPU. The user would need to have a National League team's number 4 or 5 starter going against a pretty formidable national league team. I'm looking to see how accurate / inaccurate the user's pitcher is. I'm looking to see the CPU AI hitters taking pitches and working counts. I'm also looking for situations like hit and run, bunting runners over (not in the early innings, obviously), and most importantly, how much of a struggle it can be for the user pitcher to get through the game realistically.

The second video would have the user playing against the CPU (again). Only this time, the user has an ace on the mound (Johann Santana) going against another ace (Lincecum?). This game should be a real low scoring afair with both pitchers going deep into the game with relatively high pitch counts (about 105 pitches in 7- 8 innings). Again, I'm looking for situations (steals, hit and run, bunts).

I want to see balls 'just' get past infielders, not the 4-5 gold-glove-type diving plays per game that 2K is known for. I want meat and potatoes, rock-solid baseball and not the climb-over-the-wall robbing-the-homer arcadey baseball that we've seen too much of over the past few years.

I want Bill Abner to provide us with an honest preview/review of this game the way he used to with old pc-baseball games like High Heat.

Is that too much to ask? :-)

BigBlue

[TimLawNYC]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

First, let me say that I've been an avid reader of Game Informer for many years, and Reiner is definitely not a "n00b" or a "casual gamer". He has been writing video game reviews, often sports game reviews, for a very long time, so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing.

But he just posted the following, which makes me very nervous (especially when combined with all of the other AI issues he's already identified in just 3 days of having the "final code' of this game):

We're knotted up at two...bottom of the ninth...a runner on second...one out...and they are sending up a pitcher with a contact and power rating of 25 against right-handed pitchers... MANAGER FIRED. STADIUM BURNED TO THE GROUND BY FANS.

I mean, that's just ridiculous. And he's already talked about times when he's pitching when any rational manager would have pulled him, but the game let him go all 9 innings.

This is why these "My player" game modes all eventually suck; the manager AI is stupid. I can't handle these modes in football games because of the idiotic play calling (it's 3rd and 12... how about ANOTHER draw up the middle?), and it seems like the same thing is happening here in baseball.

[PVarck31]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

First, let me say that I've been an avid reader of Game Informer for many years, and Reiner is definitely not a "n00b" or a "casual gamer". He has been writing video game reviews, often sports game reviews, for a very long time, so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing.

But he just posted the following, which makes me very nervous (especially when combined with all of the other AI issues he's already identified in just 3 days of having the "final code' of this game):



I mean, that's just ridiculous. And he's already talked about times when he's pitching when any rational manager would have pulled him, but the game let him go all 9 innings.

This is why these "My player" game modes all eventually suck; the manager AI is stupid. I can't handle these modes in football games because of the idiotic play calling (it's 3rd and 12... how about ANOTHER draw up the middle?), and it seems like the same thing is happening here in baseball.

Just read this. WHAT!! That is insane. I really hope this stuff doesn't happen in traditional game modes.

[Juiceman]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

I agree. This guy said he would talk more about 2k10 in general after he finishes up his first season in my player, so hopefully he can tell us if it's just an issue with minor leagues. This could be a big problem, but I'll wait to see if he talks anymore about it in the future.

But even in the minor leagues it's pretty much professional baseball and those things he's noticing do not represent a simulation of even minor league ball. I am going to stay neutral for now. I just really hope that's some kind of anomaly...but doesn't sound like it. We'll see I guess.

[duke776]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

But even in the minor leagues it's pretty much professional baseball and those things he's noticing do not represent a simulation of even minor league ball. I am going to stay neutral for now. I just really hope that's some kind of anomaly...but doesn't sound like it. We'll see I guess.

I agree with you there, I don't think it should even be like that for the minors. My only reason to (hopelessly)believe that it would be different in the majors is that their ratings might have some effect on that. I really doubt it though, and it wouldn't suprise me that 2k baseball has messed up AI(what else is new). But I'm going to wait and see how often things like this happen before I decide.

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

Looks like 2k once again has screwed-up with their Ratings System. You would think if most of your Game AI is some how tied into RATINGS, you would fine tune your Ratings System so that your Game AI would seem more realistic in all areas.

[DaveDQ]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

If he is playing on a lower difficulty, I completely understand why the AI is acting this way. AI has always been a matter of giving you the opportunity to win on the lower level and toughening it up on you in the higher levels.

It's what makes the A in AI artificial.

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

If he is playing on a lower difficulty, I completely understand why the AI is acting this way. AI has always been a matter of giving you the opportunity to win on the lower level and toughening it up on you in the higher levels.

It's what makes the A in AI artificial.

I hope your right Dave.