MLB 12 The Show Hands-On Preview and Interview with Ramone Russell (PS3, PS Vita)

[ILurk]

I've noticed some difference between A Rod and Eric Chavez at third. I've noticed much difference at short stop when I replace Jeter with Nunez. Jeter throws the ball with much more accuracy.

As far as actual fielding goes - covering territory and such - I put Swisher at first sometimes and I noticed he stretches a lot to catch throws cause he's shorter than Texiera, so that's one thing I saw that was different. He's also more prone to bobble a throw in the dirt.

[SoxFan01605]

Quote: Originally Posted by nomo17k

If you look carefully, I think you will notice the differences... Try playing a few minor league games and how immature they look in the field, how narrow their ranges are... Then some replacement level players play at the major league level... They definitely play differently.

Yes, they do, I agree. The differences at the MLB level, however, are barely noticeable, even when putting a guy completely unfamiliar with the position in. The only noticeable difference is in ground covered (speed/range), but if you take guys with similar range and speed from different positions and swap them, you honestly won't have too many big issues, regardless of other ratings.

While I don't expect guys to look like circus clowns out there (these are professionals, after all), defense should have a bigger impact on the game than it has up to this point in The Show. It's not so much that defensive ratings don't matter at all or are completely terrible or anything. It's just that, in a game that does so much right in terms of aligning itself with reality, it stands out as not as realistically represented as the other aspects to this point. When looking at signing guys in-game, I barely consider a guy's defense because its impact is so low...that should not be the case.

[blueduke]

Aside from the fielding (which some of us have a friendly disagreement with) I also mentioned roster management. I'm a season guy. Don't do the franchise thing and I know there's plenty of guys here who love it and I think that's great. I'd like to make a custom roster and be able to start a regular season with the rosters and lineups intact as opposed to being scrambled. Would love if they could find a way to make this happen minus the workarounds we have to use now to have all lineups just the way we want them. I spend loads of time playing the game as it is now and really enjoy it but those changes I mentioned would make the experience more enjoyable to me.

[nomo17k]

Quote: Originally Posted by SoxFan01605

Yes, they do, I agree. The differences at the MLB level, however, are barely noticeable, even when putting a guy completely unfamiliar with the position in. The only noticeable difference is in ground covered (speed/range), but if you take guys with similar range and speed from different positions and swap them, you honestly won't have too many big issues, regardless of other ratings. While I don't expect guys to look like circus clowns out there (these are professionals, after all), defense should have a bigger impact on the game than it has up to this point in The Show. It's not so much that defensive ratings don't matter at all or are completely terrible or anything. It's just that, in a game that does so much right in terms of aligning itself with reality, it stands out as not as realistically represented as the other aspects to this point. When looking at signing guys in-game, I barely consider a guy's defense because its impact is so low...that should not be the case.

To some extent I agree with what you're saying. (I just swept the Nats in my Mets franchise and their defense was really visibly awful and all those key errors gave me those wins, so I was smiling how defense actually matters in the game... but I digress....)

Fielding is kinda subtle thing, though, and it's kinda hard to visualize or quantify how good/bad players are, right... Fielding percentages are often in like 97 - 98% so you don't see obvious errors THAT often, and if you start talking about range factors, etc., it's really not very intuitive. (talking about Jeter being terrible stats-wise but how his flashy plays win him all these Gold Gloves...) My point is just by looking at plays that leave impression in your memory can fool you easily.

I agree with you in a sense that there's still a room to grow in the variety of (mis)plays in the field, and I think that's part of the reason why we might feel that there isn't a lot of obvious differences among MLB fielders... Now, with new ball physics/hit variety and depending on the kinds of new plays that the new game adds to handle them, the difference might become clearer.

At least when I was watching a lot of CPU vs CPU games in MLB11, I was all smiles because of the increased variety of misplays compared to MLB10. Hope the trend continues!

Also I should add... If you play as a pitcher in RTTS, you will appreciate how the guys behind you improve VASTLY as you go up the ladder. At AA, they literally drag you down, but at the MLB level, they help you quite often. So I can definitely say the difference is there. But at the MLB level, a majority of guys should play like major leaguers...

[Bobhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by SoxFan01605

Yes, they do, I agree. The differences at the MLB level, however, are barely noticeable, even when putting a guy completely unfamiliar with the position in. The only noticeable difference is in ground covered (speed/range), but if you take guys with similar range and speed from different positions and swap them, you honestly won't have too many big issues, regardless of other ratings. While I don't expect guys to look like circus clowns out there (these are professionals, after all), defense should have a bigger impact on the game than it has up to this point in The Show. It's not so much that defensive ratings don't matter at all or are completely terrible or anything. It's just that, in a game that does so much right in terms of aligning itself with reality, it stands out as not as realistically represented as the other aspects to this point. When looking at signing guys in-game, I barely consider a guy's defense because its impact is so low...that should not be the case.

I can agree with this. During my recent Tampa Bay franchise I had no problem with Johnny Damon out in left field pretty much the entire season. He made a few more errors than your average fielder but, it wasn't a significant loss at all. This is even after I edited Damon's stats so that he sucked at fielding just as much as he does in real life.

There are of course other examples, I just wanted to share that story.

[Black59Razr]

Quote: Originally Posted by nomo17k

If you look carefully, I think you will notice the differences... Try playing a few minor league games and how immature they look in the field, how narrow their ranges are... Then some replacement level players play at the major league level... They definitely play differently.

Stop looking at speed and range, everybody; those are only half the story. The easier catches are when the OF can run full speed and "range" for a deep flyball in the gap. Speed and range are more physical attributes, rather than mental attributes.

TheShow represents physical attributes just fine. Its the mental attributes that need work. You need to look at line drives right at the OF, caroms off the wall, positioning for plays at the plate, etc. These "mental" attributes are all whitewashed; everyone pretty much plays the same, every time.

With new ball physics in 12, I am hoping OFs will stop knowing exactly where the ball will land, 99% of the time.

I want to see Yadier Molina, for example, make 97 out of 100 routine flyball catches while was playing centerfield. Jon Jay, on the other hand, would make 100 out of 100.

More importantly, I want to see Yadier Molina take a few slow steps back on a line drive to centerfield hit right at him 100 out of 100 times. 30 out of 100 times, he misplayed it, as it fell in front of him for a single. 30 out of 100 times, he misplayed it, as it sailed over his head for a triple. And 20 out of 100 times, he misplayed it, as it sliced away from him. He should only make 20 out of 100 plays.

This is what the game lacks. The hardest play for an outfielder, a line drive right at him, is way too easy. Yes, I have seen the canned animation where the OF takes a step back, then lets the ball drop for a single. And I have also seen the animation where they take a step forward, and the ball flys over their heads. I played 2 and a half seasons and have seen thes animations about once per season. These animations need to be used way way more for weaker OFs.

[nomo17k]

Quote: Originally Posted by Black59Razr

TheShow represents physical attributes just fine. Its the mental attributes that need work. You need to look at line drives right at the OF, caroms off the wall, positioning for plays at the plate, etc. These "mental" attributes are all whitewashed; everyone pretty much plays the same, every time.

This I agree. I started seeing this much more in MLB11, but to make the contrast between good and bad fielders much more prominent, I think the best route now is to create a stronger contrast in decision making abilities (and not the increase in mishaps like dropped fly balls, etc...). This probably just gets better and better as more animations are added...

(Again, I digress, but this is partly why I think the "fielding position familiarity" attribute rating as a modifier for the "base" fielding ratings come in handy. But that's a future wishlist item...)

However, so long as HUM is in control of a fielder, there's some limit as to how much the game can do to "force" the fielder to make poor decision... Should the hesitation only occur on the first step the fielder takes and not the rest? There's something to think about...

[blueduke]

Have a question regarding the Vita version of this game......I've been told Vita will have no internal memory and memory cards are required but for some games the game makers may supply the memory needed to make saves. Have I been misinformed? If not will The Show come with the memory needed to makes saves? Thanks in advance