MLB 2K11 Developer Diary: Dynamic Player Ratings with New Trailer

[franko3219]

After reading the blog, one of the things that I am excited about amongst others is that it sounds like you will actually need to use strategy when in the offseason when talking about your roster. It sounds like as players get older they will be on a lot of cold streaks which will force you to make a decision on their trade value and value to the team. It finally adds some roster strategy to the game, rather than just keeping your roster the same until your players retire.

[onlybygrace]

So, let me get this straight.

When you are playing in Franchise (Not MLB Today) will there be streaks still. Does the game have 'built in' knowledge that some players start off slow and heat up later or...?

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Quote: Originally Posted by onlybygrace

So, let me get this straight. When you are playing in Franchise (Not MLB Today) will there be streaks still. Does the game have 'built in' knowledge that some players start off slow and heat up later or...?

It's like this. Last year, sometimes you'd have a guy that usually hits like .330 end up hitting just .279. Basically this system would take into account that that batter is struggling and his ratings would be reduced.

My question is this. Does this really impact the game that much, or does it just look good? If I'm Prince Fielder and I'm a great power hitter but lately I haven't been driving the ball and my Power ratings dip into the 60's for example, how does that guy ever break out of that slump? I'm a little skeptical because it almost seems like the ratings don't really mean anything if a guy with 50 contact and 60 power can all of a sudden start killing the ball and have his power bump up into the 80's.

[Trevytrev11]

Sounds good. Looks like they have taken steps to prevent this from having random, huge swings and I like the fact that you have to fight through a slump to get hot...it just doesn't automatically turn off or on.

[NINJAK2]

I wonder if the DPR will affect fielding as well. For example Jeter has a bad couple of weeks fielding the ball suffering a rash of errors. Will that rating decrease as well?

[econoodle]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trevytrev11

Sounds good. Looks like they have taken steps to prevent this from having random, huge swings and I like the fact that you have to fight through a slump to get hot...it just doesn't automatically turn off or on.

the bolded times 10!

should make for a fun long summer stretch of games in franchise!

But, I do have concerns as mentioned by THAT GUY.

hopefully those questions can get answered before release day.

[JayhawkerStL]

Since my primary mode of play last year, and what I'm looking forward to this year is MLB Today, this is frickin' amazingly great news. It was the one real weakness in MLB Today. this was highlighted when trying to play out games down the stretch.

I'm still iffy on having this as part of a season mode. While Trevy is right, that it will be fun trying to break out of a slump, it might get annoying to easily maintain a hot streak all season with too many players. I'm not convinced this is going to work as well as we would like it to.

When they go into franchise play, I'm hope, hope, hoping that we will have a mode in MLB Today that allows the stats we produce in our games to replace the stats in the real games. So instead of referencing the real game from the night before, it will be referencing what I did.

If in real life my Cardinals are shut out, but in my version, I put up six runs on the starter, I'd like to see that opposing pitcher's stats affected, as well. But for every game I don't play, then use the real life stats.

Of course, that would just be a franchise mode within MLB Today. I'd also want to keep the ability to play games based entirely on real life stats (and now ratings!).

Another thing I noticed was the change in perspective in the screenshots based on if the game was played in SF or Milwaukee. I think that is really going to be a nice feature.

[econoodle]

Quote: Originally Posted by NINJAK2

I wonder if the DPR will affect fielding as well. For example Jeter has a bad couple of weeks fielding the ball suffering a rash of errors. Will that rating decrease as well?

good question Ninja!
I can only imagine Jeter getting 'Knoblauched' and costing the Yankees a wild card berth!
lol