Three Things MVP 05 Still Does Better

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

"I still miss Hank Scorpio Field"

EXCELLENT Simpsons reference there.

[mmorg]

This is wrong on all accounts. You say you played on a high level of baseball but consider MVP's hitting mechanics and batters eye feature superior to The Show? How do you figure?

I played Semi-Pro and College ball and I never remember the baseball flashing different colors based upon what type of pitch was coming. I also never remember adjusting my swing to hit a fly ball or ground ball. If I wanted a fly ball I looked for a pitch up in the zone, and by swinging at a pitch up in the zone you have a better chance hitting a fly ball because that is how baseball works. This is the way it is in The Show.

MVP was a mediocre baseball game at best though they did do some great things with control schemes.

[SoxFan01605]

I agree with some of this. The actual user control was better in MVP. I don't remember the baserunning system as particularly better than The Show, but I'd agree about the responsiveness to a degree. I think The Show feels more "weighted" in general and less reactive than MVP. I don't find that as a complete negative as some might (MVP had a bit of-GASP!-arcade feel to it), but I agree that The Show can be frustratingly unresponsive at times.


I'm in complete disagreement with these comments on the influence system, however:

"Complete Batting Failure

My biggest gripe with The Show's hitting system -- and something that makes absolutely no sense to me at all -- is that your fly ball, ground ball, pull and push influence is tied to the right stick. At what point did this decision make sense to SCE Studios San Diego?

This is just another aspect of hitting in The Show that takes control away from the user and creates a disconnect when at the dish. If I am a right-handed hitter and want to dig in to push an inside pitch to the right side of the infield, I should be able to do so. The way the hitting system is currently set up, you would have to guess that the pitch was going to be inside, and then before the pitch is thrown use your right stick to take the ball to the right side of the infield.

Sorry SCE, but that is just silly. I should be able to react to the pitch as it is being thrown to me, and if it is inside, be able to pull my hands closer to my body and push the ball to the right side of the infield."

The influence system in MVP was the primary mechanic of the hitting system. The influence in The Show is simply an aide for situational hitting, primarily. You don't have to hold the stick (eliminating the argument of akwardness) and it's designed to be a pre-pitch influence system (only to suplement the main mechanic). Simply put, of course it won't work if you aren't using it right.

This feat of reacting to the pitch that the writer finds so daunting can easily be accomplished with the L Stick zone hitting controls. I just don't see the logic in comparing a primary feature to a secondary one. This part of the argument for MVP's system is a big stretch IMO.

I guess I could buy the argument of MVP's simplicity being preferable, but that's about the only thing that made sense in this particular portion.

I think the owner mode is being looked through rose-colored glasses as well. You lost the "depth" of owner mode in 2005 if you didn't want to create a stadium. Plus to nitpick on The Show for it's silly things like transportation (which I agree is 100% silly) when in MVP, EVERY team started at the same financial base and the World Champion (at the time) Red Sox had the same fan base as the brand new Nationals. And The Show's finances are screwy?...lol.

The thing is, you could manipulate MVP as much or more than you can The show. If anything, the article points to a hole in most franchise/dynasty modes in console sports titles...finances are weak. Basically it all comes down to winning and there's no urgency to manage money properly.

I do agree about the interface being more clunky in The Show, but as for depth, I've gotta give the edge to The Show. Now, if you want to compare SCEA's franchise to any console game, check out ASB and get back to me.

For me, none of what was listed is so much better than The Show that it makes me miss MVP. I'm sure I'm in the minority on that, and that's fine. The only aspect of The Show's gameplay I get frustrated with as a user is fielding. There are aspects to what was listed that I can see as better in MVP, but not sure about the sum.

Overall, not a bad article. I don't agree 100% (obviously), but aside from my couple gripes, it was an interesting read.

EDIT: ...and sorry for responding to your article with one of my own...lol...LOOONG winded I am!

[BigWilly]

I loved MVP 05. LOVED it. But I stopped playing it after 2 seasons because I was dominating. Even with all the sliders totally jacked against me, I was winning too many games. I haven't played it now in 3-4 years, so I don't even remember the details of what was great about it and what wasn't. But I do remember that eventually it was too easy, and there was no further customization I could do to change it.

Now, having played The Show '08 and '09, what most stands out to me is that I can't possibly imagine ever mastering this game. Meaning I can play it until I'm truly sick and tired of it, rather than bored because of lack of competition.

I think they're both great games. But The Show, for me, has greater replay value because the stats are very accurate and I can't see myself getting to a point where the game is too easy given the inherent difficulty and the ample customization of difficulty level and sliders.

Whether characteristics of one or the other are better or worse? I don't really care. They both play a very realistic feeling game of baseball, and that's all I care about. You can nitpick any game...if there's a feature you don't like, fortunately, there's a good chance you can automate it or turn it off.

[moemoe24]

nm

[SDwinder]

Pitch physics are great in The Show, period. The pitching on The Show is far and away the best of any game yet.

Baserunning was outstanding on MVP 05 PC. Very intuitive. Sometimes I wonder if they have a gay lefty programming the controls on The Show. Too creative just to be creative and not enough common sense.

The Batter's eye is not realistic in MVP. They might as well tell you the pitch in big flashing letters. This is simply a game cheat and not part of the sport. It is fine for little kids, but for anyone that has played college and pro ball, you pick up the release point, trajectory, and spin of the ball when batting. The better hitters do this quicker than others. With MVP, you might as well have had the type of pitch flash across the screen during the windup. Same result and NOT realistic. It made hitting too easy on MVP. If the BPI physics are done well enough, you dont need these cheats.

Guess pitch/location is another cheat where you get an added bonus by maybe hitting the ball better. The human batter should be doing this in his own head anyways, and if he guesses right, he is rewarded the way he should be normally. This is where count leverage comes into play. When the batter is ahead in the count, he can sit on a pitch and/or look for a particular location. If he guesses correctly, he will be more apt to square up the ball that much better, just like in real life. Good hitters typically look fastball and adjust off-speed anyways, unless you are facing a Jaime Moyer. This is the way experienced hitters think. The guy that wrote this article lacks these basics from what he wrote.

[moemoe24]

Quote: Originally Posted by mmorg

This is wrong on all accounts. You say you played on a high level of baseball but consider MVP's hitting mechanics and batters eye feature superior to The Show? How do you figure? I played Semi-Pro and College ball and I never remember the baseball flashing different colors based upon what type of pitch was coming. I also never remember adjusting my swing to hit a fly ball or ground ball. If I wanted a fly ball I looked for a pitch up in the zone, and by swinging at a pitch up in the zone you have a better chance hitting a fly ball because that is how baseball works. This is the way it is in The Show. MVP was a mediocre baseball game at best though they did do some great things with control schemes.

Very good post. MVP was a great game, but the hype it received was for one simple reason.....it was the first true sim on a console...and I use the word sim lightly. The games before that were very arcading with ridiculous stats(RBI baseball, High Heat, World Series Baseball). Thats the only reason it got so much hype.

Add to the fact that the game went bye bye and it only fed the hype machine even more. The thing about remembering is, you only remember the good things...and forget the bad things.

The Show simulates real baseball, especially hitting and pitching, WAY more than MVP ever did.

[SDwinder]

For guys that have problems fielding with The Show, put it on Auto-Field and Manual Throw. It works great that way and actually will simulate the game better in the field. Fielders will move and field according to their parameters the way they are programmed to. But then, you can tell them where to throw the ball, and by doing a Pre-load on the throw, you will get a smooth animation on the throw. Trust me, it just works better and looks great.