Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?

Content is absolutely phenomenal. It has been for the last couple of years. It seems like every day there’s a new card you can acquire. Here’s the rub- why release cards like Marichal, a 90, at this point in the game cycle? He’s basically not usable in Ranked Seasons since he doesn’t have a 102 mph FB with outlier or a 98 mph sinker.

The only time we’re going to be able to use a card like this is when they build an event around a breakout series or players from the west, etc…

It would be so much fun to make these cards viable in ranked…kinda stinks because he’s basically just a collection piece for me at this point. Would love to be able to actually use him.

Moral of the story is if the meta is going to be 102 FB and 98 sinkers up in the zone, which is ridiculous to me to begin with, cards like this will be unusable.

The best answer is it's not possible to have every released card make your god squad. There will always be cards that you just won't use, and I think that's ok.

Also, I don't think fastball velocity being meta is ridiculous. It's basically that way in real life. Sinkers are a different story.

But even if they weren't. There would just be a different meta, that is the reality of online gaming. 2018 wasn't a fastball meta, it was offspeed meta. Expecting people online to not find and exploit a meta is unrealisitic to how online gaming is.

It seems like earlier and earlier now we are getting close to end game cards in the beginning of the game cycle. I understand. Keep people hooked for the first three or four months. Higher rated shinny cards does this. Sds maximizes user traffic and most likely stub purchases. Then when madden releases they coast, already making the majority of their money. As far as these collections and player programs I think it’s a lot of filler content to keep on adding weekly stuff.

They can’t all be winners and it’s more for that 35k xp

If you're facing an R2 spammer, that Marichal windup should really hack them off.

There has to be collection filler type cards released. Player programs have always been this way. What is the point of even having collections if every card is just as good as what you are collecting them towards? Look at Marichal as 35k XP, not a card worth using. If all the god squad cards were available in June there really isn't much worth playing for. See MLB 18. Its the only game in the series I quit playing before November. Not only was the gameplay horrendous, the content was worse

I think OP makes a fair point. It is reasonable to expect the cards released to be relevant to competitive gameplay.

@halfbutt_psn said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

I think OP makes a fair point. It is reasonable to expect the cards released to be relevant to competitive gameplay.

Why? Some people don't play competitively and just like a variety of cards, so they should just ignore that group and only focus on the competitive gameplay side of it?

@eatyum_psn said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

@halfbutt_psn said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

I think OP makes a fair point. It is reasonable to expect the cards released to be relevant to competitive gameplay.

Why? Some people don't play competitively and just like a variety of cards, so we should just ignore that group and only focus on the competitive gameplay side of it?

You’re exactly right with the point of not excluding competitive players but isn’t there a way to satisfy both? SDS created the Meta, not us. If there was more balance to pitching and hitting, you’d be able to use Marichal because he has an awesome pitch mix and really good control. That’s the point I was going after.

@mrwonderful95 said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

@eatyum_psn said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

@halfbutt_psn said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

I think OP makes a fair point. It is reasonable to expect the cards released to be relevant to competitive gameplay.

Why? Some people don't play competitively and just like a variety of cards, so we should just ignore that group and only focus on the competitive gameplay side of it?

You’re exactly right with the point of not excluding competitive players but isn’t there a way to satisfy both? SDS created the Meta, not us. If there was more balance to pitching and hitting, you’d be able to use Marichal because he has an awesome pitch mix and really good control. That’s the point I was going after.

That all sounds great in a theoretical aspect, but again, as I stated in a previous comment, there will always be a meta, if something gets nerfed, people will just find something else. That's online gameplay in 2021. It's simply not possible to make every card usable. There isn't a magical solution where competitive people will just use a variety of different cards. Especially in the streamer age where people watch their favorite content creators using the same cards.

Or do you want SDS constantly nerfing and buffing things trying to find that balance (which is not possible, there WILL always be some meta that people find). Because that sounds like a nightmare trying to navigate a game that constantly changes,

If you make it where velocity doesn't matter, then the velocity guys become irrevalent like in 2018, and how do you "nerf" a 100 mph fastball compared to a 90 MPH? Obviously one will be faster and be harder to react to, how do you change that?

It would be basically impossible for them to make every new content release be a viable God Squad option. The only way they could pull that off is to start and limit cards to 85 and 86 overalls in April, 87 and 88 in May, 89-90 in June, etc.

I don't think anyone wants that.

Not everyone plays online. Not everyone is competitive. Not every card needs to be a god squad card. What they do need to do is find ways to incentivize players to use these cards, even if it is just for a few games.

SDS IS nerfing and buffing things constantly trying to “find balance”.

I just think OP makes a fair point, and that we, as customers, should expect the game to be playable in all the modes advertised.

I’m not saying every card needs to be meta, but most cards should be useable. To me, that’s a no brainer.

Every card is usable. You can bet if Marichal was ever a Rockie I’d be running him out there for RS. One mans trash is another mans treasure.

How do you know? he doesnt fit with most effective, but that doesnt automatically mean he ll be ineffective.
unless you ve already used him vs ppl you cant call him useless.

To be completely honest, pretty much all diamonds and some golds are viable on all star where the vast majority of the playerbase lives. I understand the OP's point, but when you're judging cards being released you have to step out of the super competitive HoF mind set, you guys are a pretty large minority.

These cards are great for custom leagues also.

I believe the answer to be yes, but it's not for card content and release schedule.

I'll start with customer service and just leave that here to breathe...

@mrwonderful95 said in Is SDS it’s own worst enemy?:

Content is absolutely phenomenal. It has been for the last couple of years. It seems like every day there’s a new card you can acquire. Here’s the rub- why release cards like Marichal, a 90, at this point in the game cycle? He’s basically not usable in Ranked Seasons since he doesn’t have a 102 mph FB with outlier or a 98 mph sinker.

The only time we’re going to be able to use a card like this is when they build an event around a breakout series or players from the west, etc…

It would be so much fun to make these cards viable in ranked…kinda stinks because he’s basically just a collection piece for me at this point. Would love to be able to actually use him.

Moral of the story is if the meta is going to be 102 FB and 98 sinkers up in the zone, which is ridiculous to me to begin with, cards like this will be unusable.

The player program cards are designed for if you buy the game today and to be collection fodder. They aren't to be used by people who have been playing the game.

You don't need 102 MPH fastballs to be effective. There are always guys who throw at or less than the median who are super effective. Take Sergio Romo as an example, or Cliff Lee.

Throw in a sense of separation going from SP to BP and it makes them even more deadly. Say Cabrera to Romo, or Lee to Chapman, really fucks your timing.

I find these cards serve more or less 3 purposes:

1. Free unsellable cards for collection rewards
2. Fan service (For the player/team/etc)
3. Events ( and to a lesser extent BR) - Most events wont let you use the "meta god squad". Player overall limits, team overall limits, card type limits etc. Eventually there will be an event that this Marichal will find his home and be on most rosters. Pretty sure once released in the game they get added to the BR pool as well (not that anyone is really taking a diamond round pick on a SP generally).