MLB 14 The Show: Little Issues Hampering the Fun

[Aensland]

Back on the topic of opposite field home runs, that's one area the High Heat baseball games executed well. You could adjust player attributes to make them go from a completely pull hitter to mostly opposite field hits.

[jwilphl]

Some of the little things I've noticed:

1. Pitchers throw to first a lot. This is coming from someone who isn't particularly adept at stealing, either. I'm talking about RttS, of course, but if I'm on first (even 2nd sometimes), I've been checked excessively for someone with 2 career steals. I've had pitchers throw 10 in a row to first, most of the time with just a one-step lead (sometimes with no extra lead at all). I generally don't take two-step leads. I've wondered if this penalizes the pitcher at all, either by increasing their fatigue (reducing stamina) or reducing their confidence. If nothing else, it should certainly play on their psyche.

2. Checked swings have already been mentioned. I have decent plate disciple and vision, but balls with a check swing get called for strikes a lot, most of the time without a gratuitous check down to first. Of course I'm talking about balls out of the zone, as those in the zone would be strikes regardless. I also find it hard to check-swing in the first place. Even barely tapping the button, my batter flails his bat through the zone like a lumberjack chopping down a tree, but this could be caused by a number of factors I'm unaware of.

3. Weird graphical glitches that occur, including collision issues and players "sliding" around the field. I have a feeling these issues may never go away completely from sports games, but they remain a bit of a nuisance.

4. Crowd noise has also been mentioned. I'm in my home park and hit a home run, but the crowd doesn't seem all that enthused by it. Plus in RttS, there is a weird delay after you smack a homer between the actual hit and the stadium's realization that you have, in fact, hit a home run. It gets oddly quiet until you either hit X or round the bases.

[dalger21]

The last two years have greatly disappointed me. Such a shame.

[BA2929]

My biggest issue is the baserunning. It's so easy to control each individual runner in other franchises but it seems overly difficult in this game. It should be as simple as two button presses to move one guy and one click to move everyone.

Quote: Originally Posted by dalger21

The last two years have greatly disappointed me. Such a shame.

Go play MLB 2k for a few years then come back to this.

You won't think this way anymore.

You guys have been spoiled by greatness, I'm afraid.

[heater26_99]

Quote: Originally Posted by BA2929

My biggest issue is the baserunning. It's so easy to control each individual runner in other franchises but it seems overly difficult in this game. It should be as simple as two button presses to move one guy and one click to move everyone. Go play MLB 2k for a few years then come back to this. You won't think this way anymore. You guys have been spoiled by greatness, I'm afraid.

I agree, yes minor (to us) improvements but the game is still leaps and bounds above its predecessors.

Is it possible we will see a baserunning patch on easier runner control?

[BA2929]

Quote: Originally Posted by heater26_99

Is it possible we will see a baserunning patch on easier runner control?

I hope so. Fix that and I'll be quite happy. I can't even figure out how to steal with only one player when I have guys on 1st/3rd despite numerous people telling me how and reading the manual 10 times.

I have to think too much to run with guys right now, wasting precious time, and using the left analog stick to select players just doesn't seem intuitive to me. I honestly don't know why this switch to using the analog sticks to control EVERYTHING has been so popular lately. There are 12 other buttons to use if you count the 4 digital pad directions. Let me use those.

[ShaBoomer]

Quote: Originally Posted by BA2929

I hope so. Fix that and I'll be quite happy. I can't even figure out how to steal with only one player when I have guys on 1st/3rd despite numerous people telling me how and reading the manual 10 times. I have to think too much to run with guys right now, wasting precious time, and using the left analog stick to select players just doesn't seem intuitive to me. I honestly don't know why this switch to using the analog sticks to control EVERYTHING has been so popular lately. There are 12 other buttons to use if you count the 4 digital pad directions. Let me use those.

You can use the buttons, that's what Classic base running controls are.

I find the use L stick (no longer analog) is much easier. You flick towards the runner you want to control, and hit the base button you want him to go to. If you want to advance/retreat all runners, L1 or R1 respectively.

To steal individually, you hold the L stick in the direction of the base the runner is on, and press L2 to queue a steal. If you want him to go manually, you hold L2 until it vibrates and then release. The runner goes as soon as you let go of L2.

It can be a lot to wrap your head around for the first few games, but I find the default controls much more intuitive than the classic controls.

[@legendm0de]

I actually like the new stricter umps on the check swing, it makes me ease off of that analog swing even more unless I'm dead sure about swinging. I feel like it's a fair check swing system currently but I can definitely see it being an issue for button offense.

Related to statistics mention earlier, I wish injuries and DL stints were kept track of. So when signing a free agent, I will not know of any significant injuries (like if he's had shoulder surgery?). It's kind of significant.

I also disagree a little bit with stats needed for multiple years prior to the current season. Most mlb careers don't even last that long, career numbers suffice for me. But I do care about detailed tracking of "in-franchise" stat tracking.