Never owned a PS3 might buy for manager mode, need opinions

[Jack1975]

Hi Guys,

I'm a 36 year old dude with a kid,wife,house and dog. Seeing the cool videos for MLB the show I admit I'm dangerously close to purchasing a PS 3 or Vita? Which would you recommend?

I also admit my gamepad skills would suck quite badly and I would play in manager mode? Is it worth purchasing if I'm going to strickly play in this mode? Does the CPU do a good job of in game managing (pinch hitting, pitching changes) as an opponent? Thanks for any feedback you can provide.

Jack

[Knight165]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jack1975

Hi Guys, I'm a 36 year old dude with a kid,wife,house and dog. Seeing the cool videos for MLB the show I admit I'm dangerously close to purchasing a PS 3 or Vita? Which would you recommend? I also admit my gamepad skills would suck quite badly and I would play in manager mode? Is it worth purchasing if I'm going to strickly play in this mode? Does the CPU do a good job of in game managing (pinch hitting, pitching changes) as an opponent? Thanks for any feedback you can provide. Jack

Jack;

I love the mode. It's really the only way I play through my franchise.
Yes...the CPU is pretty good at handling the team. ....you can also influence the pitching changes somewhat through the manager hook slider and also the SP and RP stamina sliders.(if you play an "old school game"....maybe with some of the awesome historical rosters guys make)...and want to see your opponent leave his pitchers in for a longer haul.

They added the ability to choose uniforms this year...pre-game...so that is a plus. There are also some new screens to see stats and matchups(player card is available in some new places).....and the in game ticker adds to the franchise feel of the game.

There are some things to be aware of.....the game is really a CPU vs. CPU game that has a "forced" setting to let you step in and manage your team....BUT there are some instances where the CPU overrides your team(not really any of your decisions...it's sometimes in spots where you aren't doing anything)...such as when you have a guy on 1B and a 2-1 count...the CPU might call for a hit and run.....sometimes with 1B open and a big bopper up...it might intentionally walk him(I find that if I know that one is possible....I pick pitch locations and it doesn't do it)....
But it's a great mode and those little things don't detract from it IMO.

M.K.
Knight165

[treyraq]

Jack,

What Knight says.
I had gone the whole PS2 generation without a console but 3 years ago I felt the need again. Metal Gear 4 got me thinking of a PS3 but it was the Show 09 that solidified the decision for me. I too was worried about actually playing the game, and although it was hard to pick up after not playing a baseball game for about 3 years, I "discovered" the Manage-only-mode" and there was no looking back. There are a few flaws of the design (or non-design) of the mode but it took me about 2 years for them to stand out, and I still played it religiously and the developers keep working on them, so...
I'd say since you're especially seeking this mode, with the fact of how good of an improvement '12 looks to be, this should be a no-brainer for you.

I would go for the console over the Vita, so you can appreciate the graphics and presentation of the game.

[Jack1975]

Thanks for the responses. Simply the most beautiful game I've ever seen. I've been watching the preview videos of the new version all night. My wife thinks i'm nuts.

[Knight165]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jack1975

Thanks for the responses. Simply the most beautiful game I've ever seen. I've been watching the preview videos of the new version all night. My wife thinks i'm nuts.

You are.....but that's a good thing.
We all are in here.

M.K.
Knight165

[nomo17k]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jack1975

Hi Guys, I'm a 36 year old dude with a kid,wife,house and dog. Seeing the cool videos for MLB the show I admit I'm dangerously close to purchasing a PS 3 or Vita? Which would you recommend?

I'm like you, an old dude but with no kids, no wife, no house, and no dog. I've seen plenty of MLB the Show gameplays and I admit I'm dangerous close to suggest that you try this video game. (I'm looking for a rehab facility to rejoin society... but just cannot find a place with a PS3...)

Vita is nice for not occupying your entertainment station which you presumably share with your family, but the PS3 version has a little more to offer so you might be more impressed by that...

You don't really need great stick skills to enjoy this game. In fact one of the thing I like to do is to just let CPU play against another CPU and watch as if it's on TV. The play variety is great that I don't get bored just watching from the side when I'm actually not playing. But you can be a manager or GM and enjoy that way as well of course. If you like baseball and video gaming, this game literally gives you the best experience.

[tgreer]

MoM guy here, trust me if you like baseball at all you will love this game. Even better this year after watching all the videos!! Talking about what the batter did last night, what they have done last 6 games etc...This will add a lot to our franchises!! Please Knight tell me all these presentation additions made it into "our" little mode

[Doran]

Quote: Originally Posted by Knight165

Jack; I love the mode. It's really the only way I play through my franchise. Yes...the CPU is pretty good at handling the team. ....you can also influence the pitching changes somewhat through the manager hook slider and also the SP and RP stamina sliders.(if you play an "old school game"....maybe with some of the awesome historical rosters guys make)...and want to see your opponent leave his pitchers in for a longer haul. They added the ability to choose uniforms this year...pre-game...so that is a plus. There are also some new screens to see stats and matchups(player card is available in some new places).....and the in game ticker adds to the franchise feel of the game. There are some things to be aware of.....the game is really a CPU vs. CPU game that has a "forced" setting to let you step in and manage your team....BUT there are some instances where the CPU overrides your team(not really any of your decisions...it's sometimes in spots where you aren't doing anything)...such as when you have a guy on 1B and a 2-1 count...the CPU might call for a hit and run.....sometimes with 1B open and a big bopper up...it might intentionally walk him(I find that if I know that one is possible....I pick pitch locations and it doesn't do it).... But it's a great mode and those little things don't detract from it IMO. M.K. Knight165

The part in bold is what has always kept me away from Manager Only mode, seriously. I've been doing CPU vs. CPU franchises almost exclusively, but what I really want to be is the manager and GM. (I can't play. I'm terrible.)

Now with uniform selecting, it brings me a step closer. Plus, I'm a hardcore uni geek too, so that helps.

The only other mode I play is ROTS, as I find it easier to play just one person. And now that uni selecting is in that mode, too... I can't wait to play this year.