MLB 2K11 Wishlist

[MaddenBalla]

The next step for MLB 2K, a wishlist thread for next year's title. MLB 2K10 did so much this year, a large hop in the right direction to making a fun baseball game and there is so much more to add to make it even funner.

I am going to keep this wishlist thread very organized, anything new pertaining to the wishlist will be copy and pasted onto this post and you will recieve credit. So if you made a wish on page 24, it will appear on page 1. Feel free to post anything you think should be added, I want the devs to be able to view this thread without scrambling through 30 pages.

MLB 2K11 Wishlist
Uniform Editor: Before a game, whether it be online or during a Franchise we should be able to mix and match uniforms (similar to All-Pro Football 2K8 and Madden 10). You can also design and change the colors, say the Royals usually wear blue - you can make them wear purple. This goes for hats too, during 4th of July players wear Red, White, and Blue hats and the Padres wore Camos to honor our Troops. This would open the game up more.

Custom Menu Music: add our own tracks and songs to the game, I know there is a feature for custom ballpark music which is dope and it would also be cool if we can also have it for the menus.

'Play Now' Minor League Call-ups: When you're at the Line-up screen and about to play an exhibition game, online or offline you should be able to call-up players who are good, sitting in your Minor Leagues. Carlos Beltran for the Mets and SS Mike Aviles for the Kansas City Royals, very good players who are in the Minor Leagues at the moment. We should always see the best of the best.

'My Player' Online: Experience baseball in the digital world. Play as or create a player to use online and play the game as a team with other people. I can be playing Short Stop while another guy is playing Second Base. Choose between First Person or Third Person view. MLB 2K can have clan battles now to see who has the best team online.

'My Player' Online Franchise: This is a Franchise mode for online, over 1,000 people can play in it. You start off being in A, AA, AAA, or even MLB - should be totally random. This is like a secondary game more than likely, and 2K can do something along the lines of Madden 10 to utilize the iPhone, Droid, and Computer to keep in touch with whats going on so you do not need a PS3 or Xbox to see the status of the league you're in. Start off in the Minor Leagues with your player or even Major leagues, and you can negotiate your own contract, player apparel, equipment. Even become a Free Agent. This would be very indepth, to having a Commissioner to run the league and several owners to manage the team to make the call-ups and decisions. The Owner Mode for this game should be exactly like MLB Front Office Manager, except all the players (if not most) are real people. You should be able to be an Owner and a Player, it can become boring just sitting there watching the games.

Create-A-Stadium: Name says it all. Create your own custom ball park in any city of your desire.

Team Relocator: If I want to move the Yankees to New Jersey, I should be able too!



Manager Arguing: There are times that after a play I feel I was actually safe than out and I want to argue with the ump with my manager. To make it matter most, depending on how well your argument goes you can get booster points and add them to any batter/pitcher. Say I argue with Trey Hillman to a call the Umpire made, I will randomly get stat boosters for my batter, example: +5 Hit Power, +2 Contact and I can add it to Billy Butler or any batter for one inning. I think if we get robbed by an out (even though we were safe), we should get something in return. If you argue with the umpire and you were actually called out, you get no stat booster.

OS Members wishlist (Names in bold)
Kumala-
redo the graphics, so there are no more jaggies. this games looks like a xbox or ps2 version.

zone hitting like high heat.

correct throwing speeds from infielders and outfielders.

ability to change cameras and save them in options menu. kind of pathetic that you have to change them every time you restart your game.

new fielding cam. hate it when the cam looks down on the outfielder on high fly balls.

redo the animations.

Playball-
Please add weather and many classic stadiums done accurately.

AmazingMets-
Rule 5 Draft, Accurate Salaries, Arbitration that you actually have to offer and is not automatic..

Also, a trading block would be good. I like the player finder and trade finder. But, it would be cool to have a trading block so that you can offer players up for trade and check back a week later to see the offers and also to see other players the CPU has up for trade.

And you should be able to put your players on Waivers!

nld230-
Realistic number of errors, injuries.

Don't remove anything that is working, please, like the player editing, or the contact and defensive swings.

A pitcher control slider.

If only one wish, please pick this one, lol. Putting this slider at zero would make it nearly impossible to throw strikes, and putting it at 100 would be 2k8 like pinpoint accuracy. The lack of user issued walks is the only thing about the gameplay that really screws up the stats. You allow the standard 9 hits per game, but rarely see the 3 walks per game.

Co-op play.

Two players can play franchise. You assign each position to a user profile. Example, I assign 2nd base to one profile and SS to another. The first profile bats and fields with the 2nd baseman, and the second bats and fields with the shortstop. A very early version of baseball this decade had it (I think 2001 or so, because Mark McGwire was in it.)

Scooter3-
Goodies like Classic Parks / retro uniforms and legends.
I don't believe 2K has ever offered legends that we could play with in our season or franchise.

Offer all these goodies for free and don't make us jump threw any hoops to get them.

The face tool has improved but needs to continue to improve, the other baseball game has a face tool!

I would love a season mode that would be like a franchise mode without all the clutter'

Like to be able to create all the great players from the past and continue the season from year to year collecting stats along the way.
A season that wouldn't be bogged down with adjusting my hot-dog prices etc.

I would love the option to play my season in 1957 with all the franchises in their 57' locations and eight teams in each league...

Both National Anthems...


More names added to your name database.


That's about it.


scooter...

PS. Great job VC you are on the right track...

rdonnel1-
-More signature stances and windups

-Fielding is definitely heading in the right direction but some animations can use work

-Free Agency needs to be fixed in franchise. Too many of the premier players get re-signed relatively easily

-Bring back the ability to edit pants and the uniforms bagginess. This was awesome in 2k8.

-Overall there can be more excitement in the game. For example in a one run game in the 9th make the crowd get loud and on their feet. Better celebrations and playoff atmosphere

2k10 is definitely a very fun game and hopefully it will just get better as the years go on


jbishop1702-
-A more progressive My Player mode that actually promotes you to Triple-A and then to MLB instead of the usual "big jump 'cuz you're so good." And a player mode that acts a bit more like real life (benching or lineup movement if in a slump, GM-controlled trade if you're not fitting in with the organization, rewards for playing the game the right way or if you contribute to the team, and penalties for not using the fundamentals--almost to act as a teaching tool to young players).

-Third-person fielding view as a camera option for franchise/play now games. (Again, ASB 2005 implemented this and it brought a fresh approach to game play).

-Ability to send/receive cash considerations in a trade.

-Trade logic that makes more sense (high priced players in the final year of their contract going to a contender for prospects... there's too much MLB player swapping like it's a Fantasy Baseball trade).

-Batting practice option in franchise play.

-The drills are great! Where are they in Spring Training tho? Seems to be a perfect place for them so we can try out the younger crop of talent and see how they do in the situations laid out for them.

-What happened to all of the Minor League and Classic Stadiums in 2K8? The ability to change the venue, even in Franchise games was a nice treat. (I can remember changing the A's "home opener" from Oakland to the old Expos Dome to give it the feel of the "Tokyo Japan Dome" in 2008.


JonahFalcon-
Simplify running. Just point at a base and go. MLB has always overcomplicated baserunning.

KingFelix-
First of all, I just want to say that 2K has impressed me this year. Great job Visual Concepts, now keep building upon a solid foundation!

My short list:

Fix the SP in My Player. It's fun, but my 19-year-old phenom should not be averaging 8 innings per start. I pitched one game and they left him in until the 12th inning, after throwing 152 pitches and giving up six runs. He was gassed but was just left in.

Photoshop/Update the player portraits. This needs to be done bad.

Work on correct minor league rosters... We know you can't put real names in, but put the actual player in there with the same initials (like in previous versions).

Work on the uniforms... Not horrible, but not good.

Overall, I'm impressed. Not a perfect game, but a game that I am having fun with, and that's the first time I can say that in the past two years.


Jeffy777:
They definitely need to bring back the Manager Mode from 2K8.

duke776:
Fix the draft, don't reincarnate players who are still playing. I don't want to see Derek Jeter the 2nd on the pirates when I play them, or Joe Mauer Jr. on the twins along with the real Joe Mauer.

Fix the dive backs on pickoffs when the baserunner will hitch or in his diveback that causes you to be out when you shouldn't be.

Fix the problem where baserunners will slow down a ton when they go into their slides on steals.

2k, please either take the animation where the outfielder will field a ground ball casually or only let the animation play out when there are no runners on base. In two of my last three games I have had this animation cost me a run when I had the bases loaded, it's extremely frustrating. I was lucky enough to win last game when it happened, but not the first time.

I actually counted how long it took for the animation to play out, the baserunner to run from 3rd to home, and the throw to get to home.

Animation= 2 seconds
Run 3rd to home= 3 seconds
Throw to home= 3 seconds

So that means there would've probably been a play at the plate. A normal animation may take a second or less, so it would've been close. Other than this I'm really enjoying the game, but this takes a lot of fun out of it.

Fix the tags at home plate, they are terrible. My catcher will receive the ball in time and then when the baserunner slides in the catcher will take a step in a random direction to apply the tag and he'll be nowhere close to the plate. Pretty frustrating to give up runs that way.

reyes the roof:
Give us the option to throw a few warm up pitches when you bring in a reliever. Way too often I bring in a new pitcher, and since the timing is different for his pitches, I end up throwing a first pitch fastball right down broadway that ends up being a HR

PhilliesFan6:
Unlimited Player Name Edits.

Also, I always thought it would be nice if when you create a player you should have an option to change the number of the years pro. Sometimes not all players being created are rookies.

Rule 5 draft would be nice.

Trevytrev11:

My ideas on player progression and potential from another thread:

In my dream scenario each player has a generic potential "range" of say 30 points. I think even the worst scouts in the world have at least a marginal ability to know talent when they see it, they just may not as accurate as some.

In that range, there is an exact number that we never know. Can we really tell a difference between an 84 and an 85? I don't think so. But I think we could tell a difference between a 75 and an 85.

As a GM, you hire scouts. Higher quality scouts have a better eye for talent and can narrow that range from 30 to say 10 points.
A Rated Scout: 10 point range
B Rated Scouts: 15 Point range
...
F Rated Scouts: 30 Point range

(I went with 10 as a top rating because I think anything less than that almost makes things to obvious...a 90-95 isn't going to allow for many busts, but an 80-90 could allow for some disappointment if you think you're getting Tim Lincecum and get Gil Meche)

So going into the draft or looking at trades the quality of your scouts is going to determine how much you really know about this player and having better scouts is going to mean that you have the ability to make smart choices more often than not.

Now once you get that talent, it is up to your coaches to develop that player as best as possible to help him achieve his max potential.

(One note: I think once a player has a year or two of MLB service, their range automatically drops to 10 (or even 5) for even the worst scout. At that point, the law of averages take over and most people will share a very similar opinion of what skills a player has.)..the point being that trading for or singing a proven major leaguer carries a lot fewer unknowns than drafting a kid out of college or high school. You know just about what you can expect from signing Jason Bay...you third round 2nd baseman is another story.

Hiring better coaches is going to allow you to develop players much closer to their rating and hiring crap coaches is going to hold players back and a player with a 95 potential could end up being a 75 or an 80 rated player in his prime if he's not handled properly (see a Ben Grieve or a JD Drew or Eric Chavez).

Now maybe I'm taking this one step too far, but maybe every player also has a hidden "Nature vs. Nurture" rating which determines how much of the players ability is going to be impacted by coaching or just his natural ability. A player who is scaled more towards nurture can still reach near max potential with the worst coaches (I'm thinking like a Vlad type player who is just raw, but awesome). A player who is scaled more towards nurture has the tools, but has to rely heavily on coaches to develop towards their potential.

Maybe this rating isn't totally hidden, but I don't think it can be exact. I don't think you can knowingly get a bunch of "raw" players, put them together with crappy coaching and have them be successful based on their natural ability.

I kind of picture this system as a slider:

On the left is nature (this would be player who could succeed based on raw talent alone). On the right is nurture (this is a player who has no ability what so ever and will rely on coaching and teaching to develop)..honestly this player, IMO doesn't exist because they never get drafted. So I think you have to adjust the scale so on the far right is a 50/50 mix of nature vs. nurture meaning that every player has to have a decent amount of natural ability and now the players on the right will mostly only succeed from solid coaching and instruction.
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Another similar, but slightly different idea:

They almost need to create 25-50 "career" paths (maybe 50-100 or 400-500...not sure what is enough to not make a players path too obvious). You're player is destined to follow this path and you never know what it is...he could carry a potential of 95, hit it at age 27 and carry it for only 2 years before he fizzles down (maybe a Hank Blalock). Or he could carry that same 95 potential, hit it at 23 and carry if for 12 years (kind of what Pujols looks like he might do).

In this scenario, it'd be nice to know that not every 95 rated player is going to be a sure fire hall of famer...and some 80+ rated players who can carry that rating for 15+ years can be.

Though, like I stated above, I'd like to see things such as a players role/team/coaches, etc. maybe have some impact on this path and therefore maybe it's not absolute. Putting a power hitting prospect on a team with a power hitting coach may turn him into a .280 45 HR guy and putting him on a team with a different hitting coach may make him a .300 35 HR guy or something.

Have there ever been balks in a baseball video game?

I never played much at all of the High Heat or All Star Baseball franchises and not sure if they were included. For some reason, I recall it in the Front Page Baseball games on the pc, but I may be wrong.

1-I'd like to, as a lefty, be able to read the runner and be able to switch to a pick during my windup (this is where balks would come in as if you decide to pick to late and cross over the "45 line" you could be called for a balk) instead of being forced to commit to the pitch.

2-I'd also like to have the option to have 2-3 different moves. Most lefties have an A and a B (and maybe even a C and a D) move. Sometimes they're just trying to keep a guy honest, sometimes their trying to set him up and sometimes they may cheat a bit to further make the runner think their going to the plate. Pettite usually doesn't use his best move unless he thinks a guy is leaning or going to go. Often he'll set him up by showing him his weaker move.

2B-It'd also be nice for lefty's to have a snap throw to first, where they quickly step off with the left and fire to first.

3-Righties also may have different moves. Sometimes they'll go long to first just to gauge the runner and then if they think they have a chance, they'll use their quickest/best move. Like a lefty, a righty with a good move can cheat a bit by moving that front leg just a tad before spinning over to pick

4-Like lefties at first, with both righties and lefties going to second, I'd like to be able to decide if I want to use an inside move or a spin move.

5-I think all pitchers should have the ability to pitch from a slide step if they do so in real life. Not all pitchers use this, but many do and it would be another initiative to use to combat a speedy runner.

6-They also need to get rid of the AI auto throw on the 4th step from first. A pitcher is not going to throw over 10 times in a row if a runner has a big lead, but he is no where close to getting him out. He'll try something else (a pitch out, etc.). Guys who are fast and know how to steal should be able to stretch out leads compared to the other guys.

*I'm not really worried about them including balks when a pitcher drops the ball while in the stretch or catches his cleat on the rubber and has to stop mid-delivery. I want there to be a risk/reward for trying to fool a runner.

I think there are several ways these could be done, but I think it's just another step towards a more realistic experience.

I think it'd be kind of cool if as a lefty, you could control at what point in your delivery you wanted to cut it off and go to first.

So at any time during your delivery, you could pull a trigger/press a button and your pitcher would then throw over to first.

The key then becomes understanding where the line is of what becomes too late and leads to a balk and mastering it.

I don't think the triggers are used and could kind of be incorporated into the whole total control pitching thing they have going on.

The L button could be used as a default pick to first. The way I see it, 90% of your picks are going to be to 1st.

Ideas for picks at first:

Pre-pitch: Any time before you begin to execute the pitch (before or after you choose your pitch), you can hit the L Button to perform a snap throw from a lefty (or a regular pick from a righty). Maybe a quick tap is a quick throw and a long hold is a longer, drawn out move.

During the pitch:

For Lefties - At any time during the actual pitch motion, you can press the L button to go stop your motion to the plate and turn it to first. Timing would be imperative to what you are trying to accomplish. Too early and you make it obvious to the runner, too late and you balk and every where in the middle is going to be closer and closer to your best move. At some point when it's obvious no pitcher would throw to first, I think you cut off the ability to pick (basically as the land foot comes down and the arm comes forward).

For Righty's - I don't think you make this an option. I could argue that some righty's will intentionally lift their front leg a split second
before they pick, but I think MLB umps are much more keen to this than college and high school umps and I don't think they get away with it very often.

Slide Step: Pull and hold the L trigger while you go through your gesture to execute a pitch using a slide step. Because it's a quicker motion to the plate and most pitchers lose a little bit on the pitch, the meter would be a bit faster to make executing a higher quality pitch a bit harder.

Actually that probably works better because then you could use the same mechanic for inside moves at second and picks at third with righties with the different face buttons.

Blzer:
As Interplay does it, you start your pitch, and to pick over to first you press Circle (O for Xbox guys I guess). Depending on how far into your pitch you do this, you will either successfully pick over or you will balk.

This game also had fake throws that could actually affect the CPU's baserunning decisions in a rundown or after cutting off the ball, etc. It was way ahead of its time.

tha2one:
Fix all the ballparks and it's surroundings and specially the crowds SMH it's horrible it's like playing on the ps2 all over again paper crowds? What the heck lol

I could say the nicest ball park without the crowds during practice is tropicana field.

baseballguy12:
I was down by 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th.
I took of for 2nd base with a man on 3rd, and the catcher ate the ball, no throwdown! I got credit for a SB, but that is defensive indifference. I think this needs to be added

reo:
If I'm playing My Player as a catcher, I want to be able to control balls and strikes.

Also, my catcher shouldn't be playing everyday. And when he goes to catch a fly ball, he should remove his helmet.

duckfever8:
Double Switches need to be added
Better Celebrations
Announcers Acknowlegde a Perfect Game/No Hitter
Rule 5 Draft
More Free Agents in Offseason

spike83:
This is AT THE BOTTOM of the priority list, but if there is money and time during the next developement cycle, than create a "be an umpire" mini-game.

It puts you behind the plate so you can call actual balls and strike during a game. As the same time, some sort of counter could compare how many of the calls you got correct. You should also be able to eject people.

bsbll4:
1) Please add the ability to access player cards in the lineup screen and a roster view so you can see the other team's bench/bullpen during play. Knowing who is availble makes a huge difference when selecting pitching and pinch-hitter match ups. Also, being able to see player cards during the lineup screen will give us a better indicator of the player's ratings vs. R/L as opposed to just the player average. Some players' ratings are better than their average reflects (especially if they are a power hitter with a so-so average), and since that determines the success the user will have with that particular player, it really blows my mind this isn't available NOW since all that information is readily available on the disc, but not accessible during a game--which defeats the purpose of having that information in the first place.

2) Also, this may already be in place and I just haven't found it yet, but allow the user to pull up the stamina/composure/pitch count screen when we want to, not just when the presentation pops up the graphic.

3) When saving a game mid-game (an AWESOME feature btw for those of us with jobs, families, and general limited time frame to play) please also include the stamina/pitch counts in the save. If you have worked Tim Lincecum to 120 pitches by the 7th, and you're depending on getting to the bullpen to give you a chance to score runs, coming back to the game after work to find out you're still in the 7th, but Lincecum is starting fresh can be VERY frustrating and ruins the immersion.

4) Allow the throws to be cut off when throwing from the outfield without always having to throw to the cutoff man directly. It is crucial to defending the base running of the other team. Example: Runner on second and the batter hits one to the outfield. As the runner rounds third and throw comes in, the batter is now rounding first base. At that point, everyone has to make a decision. The runner rounding third will not make it if the throw goes directly home, but will make it if there is time wasted with a relay. At the same time, the runner rounding first will get nabbed trying to take second if the throw is cut off, but will advance easily if the throw is allowed to go through. While the ball is in the air the cut off man makes the decision to let the ball go through or to cut it off (aided in real life by the catcher, but in the game by seeing the progess of the runner in the indicator in the upper left). Those moments are what make baseball a thinking man's game and need to be able to be reflected. This was in MVP 2005...5 years ago, no reason for it not be in now.

5) Put in fake throws. Crucial to stopping First and Third less than 2 out situations as the catcher can fake the throw on a steal to get the man on third off the bag, or to catch the baserunner on second or third cheating on a ground ball to the left side.

6) Fix the "fourth" lead off pick off problem. There's not much sense being able to move four steps from the bag if the CPU is going to throw over EVERY time. Might as well just take it out and save everyone the frustration of trying it eight times in a row. By the way, are there CPU pitch outs? They probably don't have to bother since they seem to throw me out everytime anyway. Also, to go along with stealing, the CPU needs to stop stepping off THE MOMENT you leave early, not even a time delay for the fielders to tell him to step off, which means you always have to go on movement rather than timing the pitcher like a good baserunner can do.

7) Customizable defenses. It would be nice to be able to place defenders where I want (within reason) instead of being limited to the stock options. For example, maybe I want to play with the third baseman in for the bunt, but the right side of my infield back for the dead pull lefthanded power hitter with a bit of speed. Or maybe I want to have my left fielder and center fielder cheat in because they have weak arms but the same dead pull power hitter is played deep by my right fielder because I don't want him to hit it over my head and I have the arm to compensate for the play at the plate.

These are all things that can be done with just a few simple fixes to the code but it deepens the gameplay significantly and rewards the player for playing smart--or more importantly, ALLOWS the player to play smart.

8) Allow us to edit the CPU lineups and pitchers in the "Play Ball" mode. I don't want to have to keep restarting the game until I get the matchup I want to play and I shouldn't have to hook up a second controller to make this happen. It doesn't have to be in be in franchise, but in a mode where you can edit the weather, the stadium, team, uniform, length of game, game time, and NOT be able to edit the opposing pitcher or lineup is silly and creates a game the CPU wants you to play, not what the user wants.

9) One physics change: Get ball physics that allow for high choppers and slow rollers in the grass. This is especially important for speed guys where any ball hit on the ground is dangerous. It just deepens the gameplay experience and makes you dread those speed guys even more and makes them more valuable even if they don't have great contact ratings.

10) Player ejections/warnings for pitchers who bean the batters in retaliation or in excess. You also need to be able to be injured by a bean ball--it heightens the tension of the game and makes you hate your opponent for letting that pitch stray too far inside if there is some risk involved. My reaction should be: "Those buttholes," not, "thanks for the free runner, idiot." Also, if you have a warning, you're less likely to pitch inside to avoid that mistake and getting your closer ejected--a worry in real life and something that happens regularly and effects the outcome of games.

11) Injuries need to be heightened in general. I shouldn't look at the Injury Report in September and see it EMPTY league wide. It also weighs into FA decisions as you will be less likely to want Mike Hampton or Carlos Beltran-esque players. You know, the ones that are definitely good players, but get injured so often you can't bring yourself to pay that salary. Again, it deepens the immersion of the "universe" you're playing in.

12) The MLB.com feature is cool, but it would be awesome if you could have a recap show every day or week like NFL 2K5 with highlights, transaction news, injury updates, standings updates and trends, etc. It's more fun to be immersed into a presentation than to click on a screen and read through multiple pages of minor league call-ups to find a major trade that sent Ryan Howard to Boston. Come on guys, you've done it before, make it happen again! I want to see my bottom of the ninth game winning diving catch win top play of the day/week!

My Player Additions:

1) Allow middle infield to turn double plays. Right now we are just the ones starting it, or we have to go unassisted on the turn to turn two.

2) Have manager move you down the lineup if you aren't hitting well. I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems like I took the fast track to the #3 hole even though my power and contact ratings were terrible. I think if you're playing poorly, you should be held accountable. I realize this is done for the sake of fun, but adding a touch of realism wouldn't hurt.

3) Allow us to see the final out of major games (like playoff games or the WS). It sucks being eliminated from the playoffs or advancing on a dramatic homerun but only seeing it on the sim screen.

4) Have the option of some sort of prospect showcase game/skills challenge before the draft, then get drafted based on your performance.

5) Injuries. If I'm recklessly diving everywhere or I get nailed turning a double play or collide with my LF, I should get injured from time to time. I don't want to break Cal Ripkens consecutive game streak every time.

6) When scoring a run, I shouldn't just turn and leave the following guy out to dry. I should wait at the plate to tell him to get down for the slide or raise my arms to tell him to come in standing up. Also, when I score the winning run I shouldn't just jog to the dugout and walk down the steps. There should at least be an appropriate animation for that.

7) Stronger crowd reactions. If I've been playing like a bum for the last month, I want to hear the smattering of boos--it adds the realistic pressure. On the flip side, if I've been carrying the team or won MVP last year, I would like to hear an ovation when my player's name is called.

General Improvements:

1) Crowds: Both visual and sound. Same as the above, there should be louder crowd interactions in major events. When in My Player, I was one out away from winning the Wild Card, and the fans in Pittsburgh were giving half-hearted claps. No roar when we won. It would make those clutch moments that much better.

As for the visual, I don't necessarily have a problem with paper crowds in some areas (3rd deck in CF), just don't have it be in an area I can hit the ball. If I hit a ball and the camera follows into the stands and I see 2D people, it removes the immersion.

Also, could we get some sort of towel animation for the postseason? There is nothing like coming back from commercial break in the postseason and seeing the sea of swirling white towels to get the heart racing.

2) Bunting. No not the type with a bat, the red-white-and-blue banner type you see around stadiums on Opening Day or the Postseason. It adds that extra bit of immersion into the atmosphere of that game being different than the other 162 you just played.

3) Player celebrations. I know the walk-off HR celebration was added, but it would be nice to have the players storm the field on a walk off single.

I had a gripe about scoring the winning run animation. I just scored in My Player as the winning run and did get a celebratory scene, but just for him. No players hopping the railing or anything else. Still not great, but better than nothing. Not sure why it didn't show up the first time it happened.

Bigblue:
Baserunning animations need to be fixed. It just doesn't look natural. Watch how a runner goes from 1st to 3rd or scores from 2nd Base. They look like they should be rounding the bag and taking an arc angle towards the next base. However, it looks like as soon as they reach that next base, they run into an imaginary straight line and stay in that path towards either 3rd or Home. Just doesn't look right. I've never seen 2K previous versions do this. Or maybe I just didn't notice it.

Also, CPU Baserunning logic needs to be looked at. I had an instance where Albert Pujols was heading from 1st to 3rd on a 2-out single to right. Shouldve been a hard, all-out sprint to 3rd. Instead, he slows down at 2nd, touches the bag, and then takes off for 3rd. Needless to say, he was gunned down. It would've been much closer to him being safe had he ran hard all the way through.

Finally (for this post anyway), the way names appear on the jerseys is awful. I'm sure this will be a top priority for 2K next year. But it just burns the eyes to see Ian Snell's jersey as SN EL L. Or Milton Bradley's jersey as BR AD LE Y. UGLY!

FLUID ANIMATIONS NEEDS TO BE 2K BASEBALL'S GOAL NEXT YEAR

It is time for 2K to smooth out the animations.
* Eliminate the stop and start running animations.
* Slow down pickoff attempts to a more natural speed.
* Get rid of the hitching in some of the baserunning animations. Baserunners should also round the bases and maintain that arc angle, never always running right on top of the chalk from base to base.
* Slow down that rocket throw from the outfield or from deep in the hole from a shortstop position.
* Enough with the user-controlled rushed throws that look so unnatural, it's virtually impossible for a shortstop to throw to first while facing centerfield.
* Slow down the bat speed going through the zone on a power swing
* Improve the batter's swing animation so that there is no delay between his stride and the movement of his hips while bringing the bat through the zone. And make sure his eyes are on the ball all the way through contact (NEVER LOOKING AWAY)
* It's time for 2K to be the first of the baseball titles that includes a catcher removing and tossing his mask while blocking the plate, or to field a bunt or a popup behind the plate. That would be innovative.
* The players in the dugout clapping their hands should be looking towards the field and not to the heavens. Players in the dugout dont always stare at the jumbotron either.
* If my player hits a homerun, let him shake hands with the coaches in the coaching boxes.

I'm sure there are many other animations that need to be ironed out a bit. In my opinion, 2K Baseball right now is where THE SHOW was a few years ago. Tighten up some of the AI logic, but really GET TO WORK ON ANIMATION FLUIDITY and this game will hit a home run next year. I guarantee it.


slayer29:
Im from dominican republic and still living here so sorry for my english it's not too good here it goes:

Im a baseball player all my live since RBI till MLB 2k10, but what's the point? i'll give you the key in order mlb 2k11 be the best baseball game ever:

*fielding the ball:

when you're a baseball player it doesn't matter (2A,3A) or even any baseball player, when you are fielding or tracking a ball you need to make a signal that let 'em know you have already the ball under control by making a sign with your hands (i got it!!) so there should be a buttom that allows you to do that otherwise just hit the closer fielder and that's it the ball falls down. it's not so dificult to do that just a couple of codes and it will make the game more realistic!!! on tha aspect (fielding)

*another thing:

when you have the ball under control and it still on the air the player should just relax i mean put the hands down getting some style(have you ever seen jim edmons or andrew jones?) they just make it naturally with style when they just got it here at (Dominican Republic) we say: perreando the batter dont know if you undestand so.... sorry.

*Base runner:

this is a cool aspect i'd like to talk about im based on my expirience by playing baseball game. have you ever played all star baseball? in this game you had the opportunity to have the total control while running i mean you diceded when and how to slide the base (remember?) hell yeah!!! if you press the buttom too close of the base you just slide away and they put you out 'cause of the bad slide (you just went out of the base). and if you press de buttom too early then the runner slide before and they put you out 'cause of the bad slide too. what more i liked about this is the great animation when you did a bad slide the runner trying, draging himself to be safe after a bad slide what a great animation and none baseball game actually has this. it would be great to see that again

*Batting:

great performance this year i mean contact,defensive and power swing perpect so... got to work a little bit more in the mocap with swinging strikes 'cause it just seems all of 'em the same swing.

What do you thing about it?

Do you thing this new features can handle the market of the baseball video games? or not if so then why ?

My player mode as a first baseman OR catcher:
　
what a great　would it be if you just can press a buttom to catch the ball............(first baseman)
　
I　mean when you're a first baseman and the IF throw toward first on a play you just should be able to move　the hands of the first baseman towards the ball and then press a buttom to catch it.　Examp:
　
shorstop in the hole throw a bad shot toward first base　i mean to the right side then you need to move de right stick toward right side and then　just before the ball comes in you press　 a buttom this could be a　great!!! and a 　big deal.
　
catcher:
　
first of all the camara angle:
　
　you need to see as a catcher i mean the camara should be at the catcher's eyes not at the back of him　so you can see and feel what is the emotion of being a catcher. right now nobody wants to make a catcher or firstbase　'cause of the boring it could be and it is because you haven't add　the things you need to.

note: if you see the wishlist for MLB 2k10 at 2k forum you will see that i already written this and they tried to do it(user name slayer too) but it's not how i told them they just got wrong on this.(catcher view while stealing base)

Another thing
　
there's need to　be signs asking before launches. Example:
(catcher mode) instead of the traditional pitching selection menu(A Fastball,R1 slider,X seam fastball,　B curve ball etc) there's need to be signs(tow fingers down cuve ball, one finger down fast ball, 3 fingers down slider etc) just like they are at the top right of the screen. just to make it more fun.

finally: (exibihition,franchise or generally)

should be able to tag the runner on a slide play or even when you're chasing him by making a gesture or pressing a buttom Example:

the runner goes to second and then the slide... but at the same time you press the tag butom then the animation.... you just tag the runner and you can see where you touched him closely if you touched him in the feet then the the feet moves a little bit in the same diretion you touched him or if you touch him in the leg then the leg moves a little bit in the same direction and so on. just to make more realistic!!!!!!!


2K should just pay me for this incredibles ideas

what do you think about it?
please coment.


mwjr:
improved franchise/off-season/free agent logic for the AI. Prince Fielder shouldn't be re-signing for $4 million/year.

To enhance this, allow gamers to determine whether their franchises will play more closely like the real MLB does - i.e. featuring large and small market teams and respective budgets - OR to allow for balanced budgets in the game so all teams are on the same page.

teewee:
Choppers for batting, the ability to hit infield bouncing balls.

Bwnarrow3:
I really think the two aspects of gameplay in which the show beats 2K is graphics and gameplay. 2K really did step it up this year and added a bunch of needed features to the game (my player, MLB today), however, I feel that they really need to get their priorities straight next year to compete with The Show.

As far as gameplay goes, it pretty much needs a complete overhaul.

- Hit Variety- This has been badly needed for the past 5 years. Many gamers this year are complaining of a lack of bloopers, choppers, foul balls, etc. Next year we need hit variety overdone. I want to see slow bouncers, high choppers, more foul balls, foul tips, pop ups, deep flies you name it. I have felt for the past few years that the hit variety was broken. Balls travel way way too fast to the gap and deep fly balls into the outfield fall way too fast. Hit variety is key next year, we need to see everything. This is a key example where the show is way beyond 2K.

- More foul balls/ability to work the count. Yes the defensive swing is nice, and is a strong step in the right direction, but I want the ability to work the count for the user and computer. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the defensive swing but I feel as if we need more foul balls. This ties into hit variety. I want contact swings to foul off fouls too. Sometimes players think a fastball is coming, find out it's a change-up, and reach out and adjust to barely foul it off. Realistic pitch counts have been a problem for forever and next year it needs fixed no excuses.

- Added difficulty to pinpoint pitches. I have yet to see a quality pitching mechanic in a 2k game since 2K8. It is WAY too easy to pinpoint pitches. This needs to be fixed! 2K8 was a great step in the right direction (unfortunately kush had to hand it over to vc or whatever). 2K8's pitching mechanic worked wonders, and made it very hard to pinpoint pitches. What was great about it was it took in effort, fatigue, and timing into the pitching system. The only problem was the meatball. They NEED to do something like this next year. Factor in effort, fatigue, and timing please! They need to develop a system where I can't just pinpoint my curveball to barely drop in the zone. I think there should be a small gap where a fastball could cross the zone over the strike zone, and, depending on the rating of the pitches, the gap either shrinks or gets larger. A player with great control of their fast ball should be able to pinpoint it in the zone within a few inches of where they're aiming, where as a minor leaguer who just learned a curveball should struggle to hit it anywhere in the zone. It all needs to be tied into the rating, and have subcatagories for effort, fatigue, and timing. Everyone loved the pitching system this year. I have no idea why. It would've been good if it were more sensitive, but I get bored when I can pinpoint my curveball down and away with a 45 rating.

- Fielding. This was arguably the worst aspect of the game. On line drives in the infield the fielding was automatic. So next year for fielding they need three options. Automatic, Assisted, Manual. Automatic would be where the defense does everything. Fields the ball, and throws to the base, just like the cpu would. Assisted would either be where the fielder would react toward the ball and the user would field and throw (as in this years game sometimes), or where the fielder would field the ball, and the user would throw to the base. And manual would be where the user does everything (field, throw, etc.) There is not enough user control in this game. I really liked the total control throwing system in 2k8. The user would fill up the meter, and depending on how high and low the bar went, that would correspond to the height of the throw to that particular base. Not only did it determine the height of the throw, but it also determined the position of the throw, whether it would be directly to the baseman, or to the left or right of him. We need something like this next year. Make it more error prone on throws falling away from the base and on momentum shifts, and make it easier to throw on routine ground balls. Also tune the arm strength. No longer should I be able to throw from center field to home as easily as I can this year. Make the throws realistic in speed and height. It shouldn't be too hard. Just watch a real baseball game.
Also add the ability to cut off the throw. Not throw to the cutoff man, that's already in this year. Make the user able to stop his throw to a certain base before he throws it.

-Graphics- there was certainly a graphical upgrade this year as far as graphics, however it is not up to par with the other game. I'm not an expert on graphics like I am gameplay, but there is certainly room for improvement. Make the dirt and grass more detailed, and if possible, remove the 2d cutouts for fans in the upper deck. Not a game killer by any means, but it'd be nice. Also it'd be nice to see an improvement in the lighting. Instead of changing by inning maybe change by at bat? The other game does this perfectly where the sunlight on the field slowly moves up up and away during night games. It'd be nice to see a significant graphical upgrade next year.

- Animations- I believe that no sports game can have too many animations. Baseball is a game that requires many nonchalant animations to replicate in a video game. They added some nice surrender animations and around the horn animations this year but I want more. Routine fly ball catches in the outfield, hard grounders that are easily scooped up and casually thrown to first, balls thrown into the stands by the fielders after the 3rd out. We need much more of this 2K. Along with casual animations I want gameplay animations. The double play and plays at the plate were nice this year, but we need catchers framing pitches, fielders having trouble tracking fly balls in the sun, fielders fielding ground balls and their momentum taking them away from the base, etc. I don't want fielders stopping on dime and throwing easily. We need momentum and physics. Fielders sprinting to catch fly balls in the gap need a few extra steps to bring them to a stop. Hard ground balls to short that are stopped with a backhand in the hole carry the shortstops a few extra feet. We need animations galore next year. Please.

I believe these are the key areas of the game that need improving. 2K needs to get their priorities straight this year. Don't focus on fun. Please. Focus on realism. That's what the show did and look where they are. I know I'm comparing this to the show the whole time, and I'm not trying to bash 2k or say the show is a better game, but I feel they focused on what's most important. Gameplay. 2K made some great improvements this year, and I feel as if MLB today and the commentary dominate what the show as in the areas of sound and presentation, however, the show dominates in graphics and gameplay.

Yes, weather, retractable roofs, and other little things are important, but we need this first. If there is time in the development cycle to add the little things then go for it. But I would much rather take great gameplay than rain delays.

Again. Focus on realism. Not necessarily fun.

m-dogg:
My Player baserunning would be really fun if a couple things were fixed/added:

stealing (obviously) - give us full control of sliding every time, add sliders for basestealing speed, catcher arm and catcher accuracy. let us balance the game with custom sliders. no catcher has the crazy accuracy that 2k gives them all.

the 2nd base pickoff attempts - 2k has always overdone this. teams do not attempt this as often as the AI does in this game - as it has dangerous repercussions. you should also add animations where the pitcher steps off and fakes a throw to second. also add animations where the pitcher lobs it over to first or second - so when they really whip it over they try to catch you off guard. also, pickoff attempts to second must result in some errors...you cannot keep doing this and not have balls leaking into the outfield, bouncing off the runner diving back, etc etc. this game REALLY needs these little details for realism.

add button to stop running a ANY point. if I want to stop running 2/3 of the way to 3rd to make sure a wall ball is not caught, let me do this. maybe a shoulder button would be good. then another tap on the trigger gets you running in either direction again.

please add the options to play defense in My Player:

1. only when ball is hit to your area (as it currently is)
2. only when ball is hit (anywhere on the field)
3. full - all inning, every pitch

It would also be cool to add presentation options for My Player:

on/off - pregame setup, cutscenes, pitcher introductions etc.
on/off - camera shots of the park etc


this might not work for head to head, so i am going to request this for co-op -- a team-up mode where me and some buddies can play on the same team in a player lock situation, just like my player except no simming. how ever many humans can be allowed, with the rest of both teams controlled by the AI. I would actually have fun playing the field, watching my friends at bat, combining on double plays, or just trying to hit a relay to home correctly, etc.

and I agree on smoothing out the animations. one pet peeve that really detracts for the game: line shots in the air that the IF'ers run to catch. In real basesball, infielders do not have time to run 4 or 5 steps to catch a screaming liner, the worst being when 2k infielders run backwards toward the outfield to catch them (that should only happen on soft flares higher up). Infeilders should only have time for three options on line drive hits: dive left, dive right, jump up to try and make a play on the ball. There should be a lot of work to add tons of different diving/jumping animations (the majority of them NOT making the catch). having a lot of variety in them makes sure they do not get redundant and look and seem natural. this would really add to the baseball realism, as the infield has never played or looked correctly in 2k..

PLC:
First i'd like to say this year was better and enjoyable than the past 2 years. But the game still isn't perfect and it would be cool to see some improvements.

My player mode:

-Getting to the majors-
The my player mode in mlb 2k10 is OK but i think the whole idea of being a baseball prodigy and being called up to the majors only after 15 games is stupid. A lot of baseball is battling it out in the minors and experiencing the struggle to get to the majors. When i played mlb the show:09, i think it took to long. the only way it would be fun in The Show would to be a closing or staring pitcher. when i was a fielder i played maybe 3 months and i stopped and went back to my pitcher. I hope in mlb 2k11 they find a way to move it along faster but still have the experience of the minors.

-trades-
In real baseball most players don't stay on their clubs for their whole career they are traded to other teams and put on the free agent list. What i'm trying to say is have the your team can trade you without doing it yourself. It's just more realistic.

-Character customization-
This isn't a huge problem but it would be nice to have a little more customizable features in the game. more sliders for the face and beard and so on.

MY PLAYER IN GAME GAME PLAY

-Game play sliders-
I find myself bored on the base paths when i'm watching a 7 pitch at bat then he walks. It would be nice to see an option to make it half an at bat or the pitch he hits.

-Other additions-
Walk up music or bullpen music would be great. i also wouldn't mind custom chants or jeers to your player(not so important). Cut scenes of maybe your player walking off the field or highfiving someone(not only after the game) would be cool.

-Pitcher-
I had some MAJOR PROBLEMS with the my player pitcher in this game. one of them was that you never got pulled from the game. i player over 15 games and i got pulled from one. in some games i let up 5 runs and in the 9th i was still pitching. Most pitchers in baseball only have 4 to 5 complete games in a year. It is a MUST to change this, if you are doing great, keep the pitcher in. If you are doing bad or mediocre take him out and replace him. It would be cool to see more cut scenes like the pitcher tossing and using the rosin bag. If you are called in as a closer there should be a cut scene of you coming to the meeting on the mound and talking to the coach and catcher.

-Catcher-
The catcher in this game is just boring. the things that would make it better is if you could call the pitches.you can call the pitches and where the location would be. also when there is a pop up around the plate and the catcher tries to catch it he should take off his mask. also you should be able to visit the mound.

-1st Base/ All other positions-
All other positions and other stuff is good besides 1B. Bottom line 1B is boring but i really don't know how to fix it but from other comments people thought maybe a button to press to catch it.

-My player overall improvements -
. Longer time toiling away in the minors.
. Team can trade you.
. Better character customization.
. Being able to shorten OTHER peoples at bats while on the bases.
. Customizable walk up music.
. Realistic cut scenes.
. Not keeping the pitcher in the whole game, take out the pitcher if he is doing bad.
. Mound visits.
. Catcher/ able to call pitches and location.

Franchise Mode:

-Overall improvements-
There isn't much to improve on in franchise besides being able to buy stuff for your stadium like new grass or concession stands.

Graphics:

-Overall improvements-
The graphics in the game are pretty good but not good enough. I liked the shadows on the field and everything. the only problem is all the player look the same, and the stadiums don't look good at day and night,but afternoon looks great. the graphics look more clumpy than detailed but if they are the same in 2k11 but the game play is better i won't be upset. One person you have to improve on is Dustin Pedroia he looks totally different.

Game play/ Sounds,Small improvements,Atmosphere:

-Game play-
Game play in this game is pretty solid overall. I like the improvements on hitting and fielding. the problem is there needs to be more fluent animations and more animations. P.S. i have yet to see a bug, Great job!

-Sounds-
The sounds in mlb 2k10 is good but when i comes down to the clutch moments it stays the same. For example at Fenway Park with 2 down playing the Yankees in the 9th the crowd was making the same noise as in the 1st, thats a little lame. One thing i would like is to be able to create your own chants and jeers. so bottom line is fix the crowd sound.

-Small improvements-
I really want to see people walking up and down the aisles like in 2k7. More cut scenes would be nice. Better celebrations.

-Atmosphere-
The atmosphere in the game could be better. like i said earlier there should be more sound and excitement.

Final Improvement:
Lastly i really think there should be a create a stadium option. 2k needs to do it before the show does it. Make it a lot like MVP Baseballs, just more in depth. also a create a team option to put in your park would be great for the game.

Thats all and i really like this years but i really need these improvements for next year.

P.S. don't change anything that doesn't need to be fixed.

[MaddenBalla]

Hey Mods, can we get a sticky for this?

[kumala]

redo the graphics, so there are no more jaggies. this games looks like a xbox or ps2 version.

zone hitting like high heat.

correct throwing speeds from infielders and outfielders.

ability to change cameras and save them in options menu. kind of pathetic that you have to change them every time you restart your game.

new fielding cam. hate it when the cam looks down on the outfielder on high fly balls.

redo the animations.

[playball11]

Please add weather and many classic stadiums done accurately.

[AmazingMets]

Rule 5 Draft, Accurate Salaries, Arbitration that you actually have to offer and is not automatic..

more when i think about them.

[econoodle]

Quote: Originally Posted by MaddenBalla

[size=1] Team Relocator: If I want to move the Yankees to New Jersey, I should be able too!

dont ever do that to the yankees emblem again.
and i am FROM Jersey. lolol

i love it

[nld230]

Realistic number of errors, injuries.

Don't remove anything that is working, please, like the player editing, or the contact and defensive swings.

It seems like grousing, but I wish I had put in the 2k9 wishlist that they leave fielding errors or in the year before that they left batting stance editing in.

A pitcher control slider.

If only one wish, please pick this one, lol. Putting this slider at zero would make it nearly impossible to throw strikes, and putting it at 100 would be 2k8 like pinpoint accuracy. The lack of user issued walks is the only thing about the gameplay that really screws up the stats. You allow the standard 9 hits per game, but rarely see the 3 walks per game.

Co-op play.

Two players can play franchise. You assign each position to a user profile. Example, I assign 2nd base to one profile and SS to another. The first profile bats and fields with the 2nd baseman, and the second bats and fields with the shortstop. A very early version of baseball this decade had it (I think 2001 or so, because Mark McGwire was in it.)

[slickzeus]

Completely redo the graphics. But still keep the silky smooth gameplay. The player models need to be redone completely and get rid of all the jaggies. And get rid of all the little bugs and the bad animations. Everything else can just be improved upon and we will have ourselves a ball game.