So…

Are they bringing offense back or what?

They brought up a bunch of stats and say they are happy with the results because it’s near close to simulation, so, no… offense wont be back, SDS wants low scoring games

The short of the long of it is the game is going to be balanced based on the collective telemetry data they review. They are concerned with the overall averages. Basically as long as averages on Legend are the lowest and on Rookie the highest, they are doing it right.

If your skill level falls outside of the mean (either better or worse) you will probably have a poor experience at times.

I'll concede though that it's a very hard thing to balance. At times we have unbalanced rosters playing unbalanced skill levels. When we're using LS players against LS players onHOF, it's not the same using all 99s vs all 99s.

Where I think they are wrong is how the game balances out HRs and Doubles. Year over year we hit way more HRs in the game than doubles. In the entire history of MLB there has never been a year where there were more HRs hit than doubles.

It's a combination issue between not enough line drives being hit, line drives not being hit hard enough, line drives hit right at defenders, weird OF positioning, and everyone's favorite gap shot that hits a magnetic field and defenders suck into.

I don't care if all three fielders are 99 fielding, reaction, and speed. A 95+ exit velo liner to the gap is most likely getting down. In this game though they get hit right to someone or get sucked into a catch animation because fielders still act like they know exactly where the ball will go regardless of ratings.

@ibonafidescrub_ said in So…:

They brought up a bunch of stats and say they are happy with the results because it’s near close to simulation, so, no… offense wont be back, SDS wants low scoring games

I mean they are giving outlier a nerf and the PCI shrinks outside of the strike zone. Those alone will provide a better gameplay experience imo. Whether they are successful in implementing those changes is a different story though

@the_dragon1912 said in So…:

@ibonafidescrub_ said in So…:

They brought up a bunch of stats and say they are happy with the results because it’s near close to simulation, so, no… offense wont be back, SDS wants low scoring games

I mean they are giving outlier a nerf and the PCI shrinks outside of the strike zone. Those alone will provide a better gameplay experience imo. Whether they are successful in implementing those changes is a different story though

I didn't feel a noticable difference in the tech test. Hopefully they try to tweak it a bit more when launch comes.

@chuck_dizzle29 said in So…:

@the_dragon1912 said in So…:

@ibonafidescrub_ said in So…:

They brought up a bunch of stats and say they are happy with the results because it’s near close to simulation, so, no… offense wont be back, SDS wants low scoring games

I mean they are giving outlier a nerf and the PCI shrinks outside of the strike zone. Those alone will provide a better gameplay experience imo. Whether they are successful in implementing those changes is a different story though

I didn't feel a noticable difference in the tech test. Hopefully they try to tweak it a bit more when launch comes.

I don't put much stock at all into the tech tests. It's more or less a marketing ploy anyway. This years tech test was more of a server test for co-op anyhow imo

@the_dragon1912 said in So…:

@chuck_dizzle29 said in So…:

@the_dragon1912 said in So…:

@ibonafidescrub_ said in So…:

They brought up a bunch of stats and say they are happy with the results because it’s near close to simulation, so, no… offense wont be back, SDS wants low scoring games

I mean they are giving outlier a nerf and the PCI shrinks outside of the strike zone. Those alone will provide a better gameplay experience imo. Whether they are successful in implementing those changes is a different story though

I didn't feel a noticable difference in the tech test. Hopefully they try to tweak it a bit more when launch comes.

I don't put much stock at all into the tech tests. It's more or less a marketing ploy anyway. This years tech test was more of a server test for co-op anyhow imo

I disagree because the new elements were in there (Dynamic PCI, PCI Anchor, Dynamic PAR). They had to be coded and balanced to be out in the playable version of the test.

Outlier nerfs, PAR variability (especially mid/high sinkers) are welcome changes that favor hitters.

PCI variability with shrinking outer PCI out of the zone is a welcome change that favors pitchers.

We'll see how things shake out.

I lament the "3 true outcomes" style that real-life ball has become, and I'm sad to see video game baseball imitate that, but that's the world we live in.

They said (again) that the PCI does not represent "the bat", but rather "the area of where a hitter is looking"... I am still trying to figure out, exactly what that means in relation to gameplay hitting?

@xelrojo44x_mlbts said in So…:

They said (again) that the PCI does not represent "the bat", but rather "the area of where a hitter is looking"... I am still trying to figure out, exactly what that means in relation to gameplay hitting?

How COULD the pci represent a bat? It's a big oval shaped moving target.

Maybe "the area where the hitter is looking" isn't a great explanation, true.

Ultimately, it's just a visual convention used in this game to represent a player's contact rating, that's all. The outer part is just a visual convention used to represent a player's vision rating. I wouldn't push for more logic or verisimilitude than that...

@suntlacrimae50_psn said in So…:

@xelrojo44x_mlbts said in So…:

They said (again) that the PCI does not represent "the bat", but rather "the area of where a hitter is looking"... I am still trying to figure out, exactly what that means in relation to gameplay hitting?

How COULD the pci represent a bat? It's a big oval shaped moving target.

Maybe "the area where the hitter is looking" isn't a great explanation, true.

Ultimately, it's just a visual convention used in this game to represent a player's contact rating, that's all. The outer part is just a visual convention used to represent a player's vision rating. I wouldn't push for more logic or verisimilitude than that...

Pretty much this. The amount that people obsess over the PCI is hilarious.

Sadly, it takes an EVENT like the current one to produce fun, higher scoring games.

I'm having a blast with games ending 9-7, 10-9 etc.

Plus I like seeing my guys' OPS go from mostly 800s to 1000s.

@chuck_dizzle29 said in So…:

The short of the long of it is the game is going to be balanced based on the collective telemetry data they review. They are concerned with the overall averages. Basically as long as averages on Legend are the lowest and on Rookie the highest, they are doing it right.

If your skill level falls outside of the mean (either better or worse) you will probably have a poor experience at times.

I'll concede though that it's a very hard thing to balance. At times we have unbalanced rosters playing unbalanced skill levels. When we're using LS players against LS players onHOF, it's not the same using all 99s vs all 99s.

Where I think they are wrong is how the game balances out HRs and Doubles. Year over year we hit way more HRs in the game than doubles. In the entire history of MLB there has never been a year where there were more HRs hit than doubles.

It's a combination issue between not enough line drives being hit, line drives not being hit hard enough, line drives hit right at defenders, weird OF positioning, and everyone's favorite gap shot that hits a magnetic field and defenders suck into.

I too am put off by the overindulgence in home runs and how it is considered acceptable. Way more home runs than doubles and in the stream it showed I think it was total HRs being even 50% of the total singles.

But if those stats are drawn from all 99 power teams then fair enough. The solution (if too many HRs are perceived as a problem… I think it makes for a phenomenally boring and unstrategic experience myself but each to their own) would be to simply enforce team overall limits like is possible in custom leagues.

The new Cricket 22 game has just added a game mode with this restriction. No microtransactions in that game. Coincidence?

RIP Warnie, the greatest spin bowler of his time.

@red_ted_is_back said in So…:

Way more home runs than doubles and in the stream it showed I think it was total HRs being even 50% of the total singles.

I just checked and only the Yankees hit more HRs than doubles but as you said, in this game, people load up on 99s and go for power at every position and have has stacked lineups since the all star break (if not before).

Now, you are correct that the ratio for HR to Singles pretty far off. But you have to ask yourself how much of that is due to all of the power hitters? Personally I think it is because the 2B, SS, and 3B get too way too many balls that would normally go through (diving stops) and make unrealistic throws either popping up from a dive or going deep into the hole.