Rant About The Show's Half-Baked A.I.

I'm a casual player & play exclusively against the CPU. Franchise & Diamond Dynasty modes to be exact. Have to say that this year's version of the game is a severe let down... Sure, it's visually stunning. However, the game play leaves a lot to be desired. Mostly because the same exact glitches & hiccups seem to carry over from year to year & in this year's version they seem even more exasperating.

IMO, here are the most egregious transgressions in no particular order:

1) The CPU's ground ball rate. MLB's groundball/flyball out ratio is roughly 45%. Yet for some reason, the show's CPU teams only produce groundball outs @ 20%-25% of the time. Grossly unrealistc & it's like this every single year.

Assisted Baserunning Like I said, I'm a casual player. I prefer assisted baserunning but have had to abandon it this year because of how absurdly bad the running decisions seem to be. Even runners who have no business trying to stretch a single into a double seem to do it like clockwork in this year's game with assisted baserunning.

The CPU's superhuman fielding Another continuation year over year over year. CPU outfielders who have no business diving to make catches on scorched line drives do so with regularity. Itr's especially bad in the conquest modes.

The CPU's recovery speed locating & retrieving ricocheted ground balls on missed dive attempts. Most of these would be a physical impossibility in real life. They occur with such regularlity in this year's game that they are no longer laughable.

CPU's pickoff rate success Yet another absurdity - especially in DD's conquest mode. At least one successful pickoff of a runner on first base every fourth or fifth game. Doesn't matter the pitcher. Dosn't matter the runner's lead distance. Heck, even pitchers who never throw over to first seem to be successful at it this year. Last year they seem to make an effort to improve this & this year it's worse than ever before.

As for franchise mode, they touted improvements this year & they were all window dressing. Frankly, they simply slapped lipstick n a pig. Still no international draft, the draft itself again lacks all imagination, and coaching is still incoherent. As far as this mode is concerned, it's time for SDS to clean house and start over. So much potential for improvement & so little innovation four years running. Slap lipstic on a pig & she's still a pig underneath.

Can't speak on anything for franchise but I have never been picked off at first in any year in conquest unless I took the extra lead. I've been nailed on pitchouts too many times to count so I dont try to steal until there is 2 balls so they won't pitch out but never been picked off

@rabid55wolverine said in Rant About The Show's Half-Baked A.I.:

Can't speak on anything for franchise but I have never been picked off at first in any year in conquest unless I took the extra lead. I've been nailed on pitchouts too many times to count so I dont try to steal until there is 2 balls so they won't pitch out but never been picked off

Careful, I had the CPU pitch out on a 2-0 count recently, they might have updated that logic. I was very surprised to say the least!

OP, all you wrote is true. The ground ball rate is silly. I think the AI has turned 1739 double plays against me to my 14 against them.

Also watch how well every AI player plays ricochets of the ball off any stadium structures. If the ball is deflected off anything rest assured the AI will be ready and waiting exactly where it ends up.

The AI is also terrible at bringing in relievers. Totally ignoring matchups.

When stat grinding on rookie and vet I play the Rockies a lot and that taught me that Ramel Tapia has 2.9 40 speed and 15’ high jump ability and simply is the undisputed greatest defensive player in baseball history.

I also agree with OP.....especially on the assisted baerunning, when you see that low speed guy just start running for for second or 3rd and you just thinking....nooooo....whyyy???....any man with eyes could see you would never make it....[censored]...lol

@abbyspapa_psn said in Rant About The Show's Half-Baked A.I.:

@rabid55wolverine said in Rant About The Show's Half-Baked A.I.:

Can't speak on anything for franchise but I have never been picked off at first in any year in conquest unless I took the extra lead. I've been nailed on pitchouts too many times to count so I dont try to steal until there is 2 balls so they won't pitch out but never been picked off

Careful, I had the CPU pitch out on a 2-0 count recently, they might have updated that logic. I was very surprised to say the least!

I actually had the AI do a slide step pitchout on a 2-1 count with a 60ish speed runner on third...no one on first, just third. It was outrageously funny.

There's nothing more frustrating than hitting a bloopy single to center and as you watch the ball get tossed back to second, realize that your hitter is GOING for it. And the second baseman is casually holding the ball, watching you bumble toward him from 40 ft away.

Even more frustrating is realizing that AI base running is still preferable to putting me in charge.