This game has NO juice 🥤
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It is early and it might get better, but with the lack of engagement how many of us will still be here to see it? Maybe me, but the fact I'm questioning it in April doesn't bode well.
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I will admit to being very similar in my feelings. Gameplay wise has not been too bad, but there are some odd quirks. Content/programs have been very weird. I am definitely a fan of the power creep because I have always felt the game plays better before it is littered with 99s. But there is just something odd with all of it this year. '21 had the power creep (although not as drastic), but it just didn't feel like each week there would be better cards coming the very next week in abundance. Previous versions would get a couple of better cards a week (unless it was something like a TA launch), but this year introduces about 20 new cards a week (mainly through packs) that are better than the week before. There just isn't much motivation to work towards anything in my opinion. I have plenty of stubs, but I just do not see the benefit in buying anything. I really should just spend my stubs each week, then sell and buy new stuff a week later. Rinse and repeat.
I will admit that I complained that the programs in '23 were way too much and still feel that way, but this year just feels like typical overcorrection...along with "here is your new content for week"...I mean "here are your new packs for the week." I hated last year, but I am already playing way less this year. I think I like this year better, but my actions are not showing that.
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'24 is definitely an overcorrection. There were tons of complaints about the content last year. My gripe with '23 wasn't the amount of programs, it was that so many of them sucked. Mexico City was awful, Father's Day was somehow even worse, etc. So now this year's game has few programs and a metric ****ton of packs which are unavailable anywhere but the shop. Yes, they will probably be in programs or elsewhere in the near future. At that point they will be outdated and strictly collection fodder (welcome back to '23's content woo!).
I prefer a power creep to high diamonds at launch. Always have, always will. But to me a power creep is not starting over every season. That's just SDS trying to recreate launch excitement (read - stub sales) every 3 months. The old innings format was so much more enjoyable and you didn't have to wait all cycle to get the 99s. The best of the best were at season's end, sure, but I remember 99s being the bosses fairly early in the innings progression in '19 at least.
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@TripleH-4481 Yup! Usually the first month and a half I'm on every day for as long as I can.
This year I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything when I'm not playing.
I guess this year is just going to be "wait for the next TA Chapter to drop, update my team, play online for a few weeks and repeat".
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I wanted to add another thing that has ruined excitement early on:
The castrating of live series collection rewards!
No division collections I understand so there aren't too many core cards, but Palmeiro and Pedro should have been 97's (I'd be fine with 99's...)
Not having the LS Collection chase being worth it takes a lot of the fun out of the beginning of the game. Instead of having motivation to get every stub I can, I'm just sort of holding on to my stubs and buying players off the market.
It used to be a rewarding grind that kept me motivated for the first month.
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@bjd10048 said in This game has NO juice 🥤:
I wanted to add another thing that has ruined excitement early on:
The castrating of live series collection rewards!
No division collections I understand so there aren't too many core cards, but Palmeiro and Pedro should have been 97's (I'd be fine with 99's...)
Not having the LS Collection chase being worth it takes a lot of the fun out of the beginning of the game. Instead of having motivation to get every stub I can, I'm just sort of holding on to my stubs and buying players off the market.
It used to be a rewarding grind that kept me motivated for the first month.
Babe Ruth is the most valuable collection card in years to be honest, not the best pitcher but 125's across the board, not much better than that.
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@chucky97___ said in This game has NO juice 🥤:
@bjd10048 said in This game has NO juice 🥤:
I wanted to add another thing that has ruined excitement early on:
The castrating of live series collection rewards!
No division collections I understand so there aren't too many core cards, but Palmeiro and Pedro should have been 97's (I'd be fine with 99's...)
Not having the LS Collection chase being worth it takes a lot of the fun out of the beginning of the game. Instead of having motivation to get every stub I can, I'm just sort of holding on to my stubs and buying players off the market.
It used to be a rewarding grind that kept me motivated for the first month.
Babe Ruth is the most valuable collection card in years to be honest, not the best pitcher but 125's across the board, not much better than that.
I believe this, but all the other LS rewards are pointless. It is a ton of stubs to lock in for one card. I remember years of locking in Trout and the Angels reward could help your team. Then you completed the West and that was even better, then you had the AL and finally the LS reward. This year it is collect every LS card for Babe.
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@bjd10048 said in This game has NO juice 🥤:
I wanted to add another thing that has ruined excitement early on:
The castrating of live series collection rewards!
No division collections I understand so there aren't too many core cards, but Palmeiro and Pedro should have been 97's (I'd be fine with 99's...)
Not having the LS Collection chase being worth it takes a lot of the fun out of the beginning of the game. Instead of having motivation to get every stub I can, I'm just sort of holding on to my stubs and buying players off the market.
It used to be a rewarding grind that kept me motivated for the first month.
Yeah, this is spot-on. Power creep is fine, low OVR now is fine, but not having division rewards sucks, and having NL and AL not be 97-99 sucks too. Another miss by SDS.
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@bjd10048
I agree on all points, especially #3.Hopefully they find a way to make this game relevant and exciting through summer.
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@bjd10048 They slashed game play xp and put a low cap. They kept the xp path full of trash rewards like banners and unlockables no one cares about. They didn’t put any of the numerous packs in the xp path or any of the programs. They aren’t giving us new conquest maps. We didn’t get a third mini season program like last years lefty loosey. We aren’t getting new showdowns. Team affinity took a couple days to complete. The programs in some cases took minutes. CAP’s are detached from DD, so the market for equipment is non existent and makes me not even bother with RTTS. There’s nothing to do. Progressing through the xp path at a snails pace is not fun. This game is just not fun. The game play is actually worse than last year, which was unexpected. What the heck are they doing? They certainly aren’t listening.
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@briankoke Pretty good summary and you didn't even touch on the technical side. Server outages in early access, attempted patch that blew up everything, and unlinking accounts making it appear that all progress was nuked. All done with little communication on their part.
Pretty impressive for a game that changes very little year to year.
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@Skarmaen I have a lot more complaints. There’s just too much to complain about and a lot of it is just common knowledge at this point. I was skeptical before launch and I should have trusted my instincts and skipped this year. Everything before launch pointed to this year being a complete disaster and I wasn’t wrong. This is by far the least fun I’ve had playing the show. It seems like every decision they make is terrible. Even a good decision, like bring back the power creep, was taken too far.
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This fanbase's response to this year's game should be the dictionary example for the word INURED.
I guess I'll go that way, too, since all the venom doesn't do a [censored] thing.
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@chucky97___ You are objectively wrong. Chipper, Randy Johnson and Mantle were all better overall.
Ruth is an amazing hitter, but pitching is meh, hes slow and power hitting lefties become plentiful very quickly.
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@Skarmaen
Exactly!
You'd think staying on old gen and not paying new legends = More $ for infrastructure and servers....but NOPE!
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@SaveFarris 18 was so bad with the Immortal grind and hits felt like you where using a pool noodle after the 1st update and every update after never got back to launch day feel. Let's not forget the missions that took forever like the Joe Torre doubles mission and collecting every jersey every cap. 18 DD was not good at all if you loved the feel of grass.
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@bjd10048 With sets and seasons it helps Ruth being core becuase those that have him will at least always have a starter at the beginning of new seasons.
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Speaking of chipper did they lose his rights this year?
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@bjd10048 Maybe it’s just me, but he doesn’t seem to hit up to his rating either. I square up balls that aren’t hit hard often with him. He looks great on paper, but he doesn’t play that way for me.
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@Venom1120 I’m probably in the minority, but I liked the immortal grind. There was always something to do. Collecting hats and whatnot was great for flipping as well.
