MLB 2K11 News Post

MLB 2K11 My Player and Franchise Mode Improvements (ESPN The Gamer)

03:08 PM - February 11, 2011 by boomhauertjs

Jon Robinson has just posted an article on the My Player and Franchise Mode improvements for MLB 2K11.

Quote:


	"Another change is the fact that when you pause the game, it doesn't show you a pitcher's energy or stamina meter. Now, everything is tracked using actual pitch count data. So if Tim Lincecum is on the mound, there will be a box that tells you how the manager wants to keep him in the 80-110 pitch count range for the game. Keep him in too long throughout the season, and you're going to wear him down. Take him out too early too often, and you'll wear out your bullpen."

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Member Comments

# 1 Money99 @ 02/11/11 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomhauertjs


	He just tweeted that it's going to be up on ESPN.com "in just a bit".

SWEET!!!
I live for these modes!

I'm a hockey nut, but I cannot wait for this game to drop.

# 2 econoodle @ 02/11/11 03:50 PM

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/vide...more=fullstory

enjoy fellas... the franny info we wanted

# 3 tvman @ 02/11/11 03:51 PM

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/vide...e-improvements

# 4 WazzuRC @ 02/11/11 03:58 PM

Quote:


	2K also added actual stat-based progression into the mix (unlike last year's game, that Bailey admits just gave players random progression points no matter how they played). But now that the statistics engine has been ironed out, it looks like players will actually progress at a more realistic rate. "We gutted our player progression system," adds Bailey. "Now we factor in a player's potential, their age, their position, their style of play. Look at Buster Posey. He's got 5-star potential, and right now he's at 4 stars in the game and trending up and we show it all to you right on the screen.

NICE!!!

I stopped playing the game last year when I dominated with Felix, won the Cy Young, and his rating fell by 10 points. Good to see they are cleaning that stuff up.

# 5 tvman @ 02/11/11 04:01 PM

I know it was mentioned yesterday but i really like the idea of pitch count instead of stamina or fatigue bars, just so much easier for my brain to compute, lol.

# 6 econoodle @ 02/11/11 04:06 PM

this tidbit has me xcited.

"for those gamers looking for that extra edge that putting someone on three 15-day DL lists can give them as opposed to one 60-day stint"

jayhawker: you might be getting your wish of a good immersive franchise mode.

saberg: enough already man.

# 7 bigfnjoe96 @ 02/11/11 04:06 PM

I really hope they give us an Insight on Animations.... This for me is music to my ears.

Quote:


	"Rather than just saying, you're good or you're bad, now with the new animations, you might have a grounder ride up your glove and hit your body and it's up to you to still make the play. Or you might hit the throw meter in the red and throw a one-hopper to the first baseman and you're sitting there hoping he catches it. These new animations make you sweat out every play because now every ground ball is not just a clean catch and throw."

Quote:


	"It's funny, though, because at work we have things that we call '2K11' plays. That's a play where everything that happened couldn't have been done in '2K10.' I just had a play where Ichiro hit a chopper (new hit type), and we shot all new animations for speedsters leaving the batter's box and trying to beat out the play at first. We also shot all new fielding animations where good fielders charge the ball and bare hand it, then wing it to first while falling down (while a bad fielder might need to get a better grip before they throw or double clutch).

# 8 NY4Life @ 02/11/11 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvman


	I know it was mentioned yesterday but i really like the idea of pitch count instead of stamina or fatigue bars, just so much easier for my brain to compute, lol.

Agreed. I think it's too easy to ignore count and just see that the stamina bar is depleted. Now you will have to make the decision on how much the guy has left in the tank.

# 9 SoxFan01605 @ 02/11/11 04:10 PM

Depth and detail are really sounding nice. I love the tiered animation idea to help further differentiate players. It's impossible to say for sure of course, but it really sounds like they put a strong effort into the meat of the game.

I just want to see it in action!

# 10 hitstreak13 @ 02/11/11 04:11 PM

I will say that I am a bit disappointed with this information. Injuries shouldn't take up more than half of the franchise news. It should have been in last year anyways. Now, I do like the fact that there will be wear and tear during franchise by overworking aging players, but I just didn't see enough to warrant $60. I guess I will wait to see more information in regards to franchise (i.e. Waivers, options, etc.). I'm hoping that this isn't all that they added this year.

I will give 2k credit though. Overall, it looks like a much improved game from last year. Looks like 360 owners are going to have a solid game this season.

# 11 jeffy777 @ 02/11/11 04:14 PM

Sounding better all the time. It seems like VC is really polishing the game up this year and working out the kinks.

# 12 ryan36 @ 02/11/11 04:15 PM

So my concern is that with pitch count being the only indicator, the ai better take pitches, and we better be able to walk people...

otherwise starters will never get tired.

# 13 bcruise @ 02/11/11 04:17 PM

This is interesting:

Quote:


	""Last year, it didn't really matter what a fielder's rating was. Everyone basically made the same plays. But this year everything is based on the fielding rating. How we do this is, when the ball is hit, you see the ball shadow, and the worse your fielder rating, the bigger the initial shadow on the ball and the longer it takes to show where the actual ball will land. So for a guy like Andres Torres, the initial ball shadow shows up almost immediately and it's only a tiny bit bigger than the actual spot, so you know you've got it. But with a guy like Pat Burrell, the initial shadow is huge and we delay where the actual ball mark shows up to make it even more of a struggle. Now, if you're missing fly balls, it's because you've got a Burrell-type guy out there on the field."

I hope it affects the AI in the same way it would us (CPU Pat would have trouble finding the ball just like we might). No game has really done this that well IMO.

Like others have said I'm intrigued with the pitch count idea. 2k is thinking outside of the box on ratings just a bit, and and I'm interested to see how it goes.

# 14 jeffy777 @ 02/11/11 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan36


	So my concern is that with pitch count being the only indicator, the ai better take pitches, and we better be able to walk people... otherwise starters will never get tired.

Well, the AI took pitches in 2K10, but walking AI batters was the issue because of the overly accurate pitching. It sounds like they've addressed the pitching accuracy, so I think this will be good.

# 15 hitstreak13 @ 02/11/11 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan36


	So my concern is that with pitch count being the only indicator, the ai better take pitches, and we better be able to walk people... otherwise starters will never get tired.

Very good point Ryan. I wish they didn't get rid of the energy meter (or percentage). I mean, even if it is a game, I dont see the need to get rid of it. They should simply keep it in the pause menu so you can determine whether or not its time to bring someone else in. I am a bit concerned that during simulation, CPU controled teams will be throwing complete games left and right because they had a few 1-2-3 innings, therefore are way below their pitch count.

# 16 SoxFan01605 @ 02/11/11 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hitstreak13


	Very good point Ryan. I wish they didn't get rid of the energy meter (or percentage). I mean, even if it is a game, I dont see the need to get rid of it. They should simply keep it in the pause menu so you can determine whether or not its time to bring someone else in. I am a bit concerned that during simulation, CPU controled teams will be throwing complete games left and right because they had a few 1-2-3 innings, therefore are way below their pitch count.

If it is entirely based on pitch-count, then yes, it could be a problem. I'm not sure this will be the case though. As some of us said in the other thread about pitch count, it sounded more that the indicators for stamina/energy were removed...it never said that the concept of stamina was. Pitch count mainly determined pitcher stamina in 2K10 anyway, so it seems that, at it's worst, it would probably be at least on-par with 2K10.

I disagree about putting an energy bar in the pause menu. If it is more an indication and tracking change than base function, as I suspect it is, I think it adds a nice layer of strategy to franchise and career modes. Managers and players don't get a bar that pops up that say "you're pitcher has 23% left." Conceptually, if we are relying on pitch count and visual/performance indications to make such decisions, it's far more immersive.

Of course, that depends on how well the system itself works, but again...it's impossible for any of us to say at this point.

# 17 Yeah...THAT Guy @ 02/11/11 04:42 PM

I'm just hopeful that with the DPR hopefully stats won't be so average. Guys like Cliff Lee pretty much consistently went like 13-11 every year. If you had a guy hitting over .280 he was having an incredible year. Stuff like that.

# 18 BlackBetty15 @ 02/11/11 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayhawker


	That actually kind of confused me, because I don't think that is how the DL works. You put the guy on the 15-day DL, and then you can activate him anytime after that. You don't have to put him on another 15 days. Maybe I am confused.

Maybe for those guys who are on injured 1-2 moths so it exceeds 15 day DL but not 60 day DL?

# 19 BlackBetty15 @ 02/11/11 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777


	Well, the AI took pitches in 2K10, but walking AI batters was the issue because of the overly accurate pitching. It sounds like they've addressed the pitching accuracy, so I think this will be good.

Well they did say being as pinpoint with pitchers in 2k11 would be far and away harder than it was in 2k10. We will see though. I would like confirmation that trade and FA logic is nice in franchise and that hopefully there is better celebrations and end game cutscenes available. I do like that fielding is way more intense, makes my player the first thing I play!

# 20 GrandMaster B @ 02/11/11 05:10 PM

This wasn't considered the second developer diary was it? Or is that still coming today?

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