State of the Show 9/20/25
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Every year they announce Madden is still broken, it's really disheartening. I would have 100% bought this year...but the simulation stats in franchise mode are out of whack and that is enough to ruin my experience for what I'm looking for in the game.
That said, I can usually go 3-5 years without getting a new iteration of a game...but then I always get the itch. I have those conversations withy myself, but at the end of the day, I like sports games. It's the same thing with Burger King. I go once in a blue moon, whereas it used to be one of my favorite things when I was younger. Every time I'm done eating there now, I have a horrible stomach ache. Same thing goes for Ramen. Yes, I'd be running at peak efficiency if I could stay disciplined and avoid those things no matter how tasty I find them in the moment. Same goes for sports games. My love of sports games goes all the way back to the Super Nintendo era. I could be like you and just vote with my wallet...but there's simply not enough people doing that, so NBA 2K, Madden and MLB The Show have a monopoly on their respective sport. Giving up something you love isn't exactly easy. Even if it has turned into something you don't like / recognize anymore.
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Blatant game scripting. Had a 1 run lead + no-hitter going into the 9th against a guy who could not hit, nor lay off of junk. I had 22 strikeouts with my starter, to give you an idea. I had 1 hit, we could argue the results of that... but I don't have any stand out robberies on that side. I just sucked...but drew 3 walks, so there's that. And as I have experienced many times (in my favor) the 9th inning walk off buff was activated. He can't touch me all game, so his reward for hanging in there are 2 straight home runs to cap the "exciting" contest! It happens SO often, it is not a coincidence. It is not. It's comeback logic, it's gamescripting, it's RNG, it's whatever you want to call it. One thing it is not is fun, nor satisfying. I feel like I was cheated out of my time in order to give my opponent a dopamine boost, because walkoffs are fun! I had one against my friend the night before. That whole game I felt I had plenty of good hits. The home run that won me the game in extra innings was not nearly as good... yet, I still got the end of the game home run buff and capped off an exciting comeback against my friend. (Oh, did I mention I hit a 2 run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th to take the game to extras?) It's like, dude....it's fun in the moment and all. I feel good for having won...then realize my turn is coming to lose a game in dramatic fashion. It's a seesaw. Buff you for a game or two. Nerf you for a game or two. Just let the games play out based on skill. Enough with the game scripting garbage. Video games in general are becoming too controlled and scripted.
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@Squid_Adams_PSN said in State of the Show 9/20/25:
There are plays where you get sacked immediately. Not because you're bad at the game, but because the game decided you were going to get sacked.
Happened in Tecmo Bowl all the time and it's considered one of the greatest games ever made.
Just deal with it and move on to the next play. -
I wonder what real baseball teams feel when they have a firm control of the game all game until their closer has a meltdown and loses the game for them in the final moments.
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@Squid_Adams_PSN said in State of the Show 9/20/25:
Blatant game scripting. Had a 1 run lead + no-hitter going into the 9th against a guy who could not hit, nor lay off of junk. I had 22 strikeouts with my starter, to give you an idea. I had 1 hit, we could argue the results of that... but I don't have any stand out robberies on that side. I just sucked...but drew 3 walks, so there's that. And as I have experienced many times (in my favor) the 9th inning walk off buff was activated. He can't touch me all game, so his reward for hanging in there are 2 straight home runs to cap the "exciting" contest! It happens SO often, it is not a coincidence. It is not. It's comeback logic, it's gamescripting, it's RNG, it's whatever you want to call it. One thing it is not is fun, nor satisfying. I feel like I was cheated out of my time in order to give my opponent a dopamine boost, because walkoffs are fun! I had one against my friend the night before. That whole game I felt I had plenty of good hits. The home run that won me the game in extra innings was not nearly as good... yet, I still got the end of the game home run buff and capped off an exciting comeback against my friend. (Oh, did I mention I hit a 2 run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th to take the game to extras?) It's like, dude....it's fun in the moment and all. I feel good for having won...then realize my turn is coming to lose a game in dramatic fashion. It's a seesaw. Buff you for a game or two. Nerf you for a game or two. Just let the games play out based on skill. Enough with the game scripting garbage. Video games in general are becoming too controlled and scripted.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
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Would you say the same thing about a protest against something people find unjust? If potheads didn't shut up about the issue, would that be legal? I don't want to delve into all the examples...but let's just say "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Persistence pays off. Might just take another game developer listening to The Show critics and implementing those ideas into a new baseball franchise, which would blow The Show and all other comeback logic sports games out of the water. Some people have switched to a Japanese series, if you don't believe me.
Here's the report of the game I just played...and won!
Quick points:
- I had 6 hits, 4 of which were home runs. First game off of yesterday's robbery and my bats all of a sudden have pop. Tons of good contact, well timed swings going foul or straight to the defenders...but it evened out with the solo shots I was hitting.
- My opponent had 1 hit through 7 innings. As soon as the 7th hit, my pitcher suddenly starts losing control. Throwing balls which I had placed in the zone and timed up well. He gets a walk, followed by a hit and a run. Now it's 3-1. I end up hitting a top 9 home run to bring it to 4-1, but in the 9th he rattles off another 2 hits. I held on and won, but the game scripting + buffing and nerfing were as blatant as ever.
- His pitching patterns were easy. Inside to righties, outside on lefties and some slight variations. I picked it up early on and was still only able to get 6 hits. Tons of good hits that were easy, uneventful outs. I had a good timed swing that went WAY foul. Tons of inconsistencies here. 4 homers is good and all, should've probably been 8 lol.
- Last thing I'll say: this guy had a good record, a lot more W's than L's. His stats with hitters were good and he didn't strike out until the 9th inning. I had 2 K's all game. He had plenty of loud contact, but yet I held him to 5 hits. If I didn't know any better, I think SDS nerfed this guy like crazy and set me up for the win, since it stole the one I earned last night. I just want games to be legit and free of any outside influence.
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Isn't it supposed be like that in real life, that persistents pays off. If not then the slogan I just used wouldn't exist.
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@Talkingben9558_XBL IRL if you hit a line drive right at someone that's just crappy luck, but if you strike out looking on a borderline pitch the reaction is much less likely to be "go up next time and do a good job" than "this game is rigged, I am being robbed". Look at the batters when that happens in a game. Bet you anything they're mentally cursing out the umpire at that moment.
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@Squid_Adams_PSN said in State of the Show 9/20/25:
Blatant game scripting. Had a 1 run lead + no-hitter going into the 9th against a guy who could not hit, nor lay off of junk. I had 22 strikeouts with my starter, to give you an idea. I had 1 hit, we could argue the results of that... but I don't have any stand out robberies on that side. I just sucked...but drew 3 walks, so there's that. And as I have experienced many times (in my favor) the 9th inning walk off buff was activated. He can't touch me all game, so his reward for hanging in there are 2 straight home runs to cap the "exciting" contest! It happens SO often, it is not a coincidence. It is not. It's comeback logic, it's gamescripting, it's RNG, it's whatever you want to call it. One thing it is not is fun, nor satisfying. I feel like I was cheated out of my time in order to give my opponent a dopamine boost, because walkoffs are fun! I had one against my friend the night before. That whole game I felt I had plenty of good hits. The home run that won me the game in extra innings was not nearly as good... yet, I still got the end of the game home run buff and capped off an exciting comeback against my friend. (Oh, did I mention I hit a 2 run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th to take the game to extras?) It's like, dude....it's fun in the moment and all. I feel good for having won...then realize my turn is coming to lose a game in dramatic fashion. It's a seesaw. Buff you for a game or two. Nerf you for a game or two. Just let the games play out based on skill. Enough with the game scripting garbage. Video games in general are becoming too controlled and scripted.
I am wondering if the guy on the other side of this was sitting there thinking "ok, I sucked this whole game but here comes the 9th, is the game gonna screw him over so I win?
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I don't understand if you lose it's the games fault. There is so many variables throughout the game on both players part that have a greater influence on the game instead of the predestined theory. Let's say you were up by 1 had 22 strikeouts so that means to me your SP was still in the game going into the 8th or 9th inning with that many strikeouts, I'm sure he was gassed only a matter of time that he'd serve up a meatball homerun to tie the game. Why not go into your bullpen sooner.? Before you blame the game,or anything else, look at yourself and ask what could I have done differently in any scenario to preserve the win. I find very hard to imagine that SDS cares that much about any one player to predestine a win or a loss. Seems illogical to me.
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Well...we did go from the pitches more or less going where I placed them to a pitch later (when I got the out of energy notice) and immediately hanging a fastball the very next pitch. That, I will accept responsibility for. Not because my pitcher showed any signs of losing control or being gassed prior to that message (nor was my timing off) but because once the notification comes up, the game virtually won't allow you get people out. Same thing goes off in my head starting in the 6th or 7th inning. "Well, my pitcher is only at 53 pitches, but it's 7th inning switch time, so need to think about the bullpen very soon."
The fully fresh lefty vs lefty against a non-power hitter being blasted for a game winner did set off all my alarms, however. It's a game mechanic. To break it down in its simplest terms...let's say you and I are playing NBA Jam: the 2 on 2 over the top arcade basketball game. And let's say I get out to a 45 to 25 lead. Next thing you know, I'll begin missing the majority of my shots and you will begin making the majority of shots. It's to keep the game engaging and give less skilled players a fighting chance. It's a little more complex now, but all major sports games do it.
@PAinPA_PSN
That's what I'm thinking. Assuming it's not a blowout, I stick in the game because I know there's a very good chance my hits will magically start dropping, finding gaps or get blasted over walls. I've had many of these comebacks. As long as you're disciplined, you're going to make the game interesting because that's what it was designed to do.@Demadrio_PSN
You can accept it in real life, because you're seeing it happen. Physics and various other factors determine the outcome. In a video game, it doesn't exactly work the same way. It just reads as "that's what the coding decided."
