First Game(s) Since Early August + Re-Opening My Discussion On The State of The Show

[Squid_Adams_PSN]

Great news! I'm back from vacation and have some more time to contribute to the message boards than I have these past few weeks. As one of the most brutally honest voices on The Show forums, I know my presence has been missed and I'm honestly happy to be back. As someone who has played this game a lot, I have a lot to say... but I will try to keep it as brief as possible. That said, I still expect this to be longer than your average post. Here's 3 things I'm looking to tackle in my return post: Rundown of my first Ranked Seasons game(s) back, Listing the problems with The Show AND as a change of pace, I'm going to focus more on what I like about The Show.

Detailing a Few of My First Game(s) Back
As many of you know, I'm fair and honest in my critiques of the game. I've been known to call the game out, even when I win. Well... my first game back was a walk-off grand slam win in the 10th. My opponent, admittedly, didn't play a great game. He had a solid first inning and showed flashes of being a good player... but he ultimately lacked discipline at the plate and perhaps didn't prioritize defense. It was a decently fun game, overall. I had rust to shake off and didn't feel the matchmaking threw me to the wolves. That said, I still felt the game was setting me up for the late game heroics. I was the home team and found myself down 0-2 for the majority of the game, despite outhitting him 10 to 3. Without getting too deep into it, let's just say I was hitting the ball hard several times throughout the game, resulting in a hard ground ball out, warning track fly outs, deep flies that went just foul... but in innings 8, 9 and 10, suddenly I'm hitting the ball fair and over the wall. It's not the most blatant example of "game scripting" I've come across, but I did find it convenient.

Fast forward to a game I'm playing right now (it's in a freeze-off... good job SDS) I was blanking my opponent ALL GAME. Then magically in the 8th inning, with only 55 pitches under my belt, I give up consecutive gap hits with my fielders fumbling for the ball like little leaguers / making singles doubles and triples. That cuts my lead to 3-1. Then a game tying home run. Then another gapper where my fielders fumble for the ball again (something I've been seeing a lot of since I've come back. In my favor and in my opponent's favor) Then a diamond fielding 2nd baseman Chase Utley error on a ground ball gives my opponent the lead... now I'm down 5-3. I was up 3-0, racking up K's like nobody's business... then that magical 8th inning switch was flipped and I lose my lead. Now, I know this is a game mechanic. It often doesn't matter what your pitch count is. When you keep a pitcher in for the 7th and 8th innings, expect your opponent to have buffed bats. Down 5-3 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, the game freezes and that's where we currently stand.

What I Like About The Show

1. Supercharged Players. It keeps Live Series cards relevant.
2. More card diversity: I remember everyone's team looking virtually the same in past Shows, with easily obtainable diamonds that were better/cheaper than most cards on the market.
3. As much as Ultimate Team modes steal the focus of game developers who make money their priority, I still believe DD makes it relatively easy to get good cards and stay competitive without spending a dime.
4. I'm probably in the minority here, but I like that a lot of cards have less alternate positions. This creates more diversity in lineups and requires some strategy.
5. Flaws aside (this will be listed in the negative section too) Create a Stadium gives players a lot of options to mess around with and create a unique ballpark. That and you can use them at night (which should've been a given from the jump... but I digress)
6. Me personally, I could do with a ton more 90's / early 00's cards... but in general, they release plenty of cards from all different eras, which is sure to satisfy all ages.
7. The throw meter in fielding puts more pressure on the defense as opposed to just pushing a button. Just wish it was required versus one button press.
8. The first time I heard this game's soundtrack, I thought it was pretty good.
9. I like the crack of the bat addition when you get a perfect-perfect.
10. First time playing ranked Co-Op this year and that was a lot of fun.
11. I feel like ambush hitting is decently balanced.
12. I'm happy to see steroid era / steroid using players in the game.

What I Don't Like About The Show

1. Game Scripting / Comeback Logic: I'll preface this by saying, I've played 150+ ranked season games just this year alone. Every year I buy The Show, I play it wayyyyy too much. 25 has been no different. I see this all the time. The magical switch in the 7th / 8th inning. Blatant buffing or nerfing. It benefits me at times and it benefits my opponent at times. It's happened far too often for me to ignore. Anyone who played NBA Jam back in the day should be aware of the game mechanic that keeps a game close and competitive. The player still has to capitalize, but the game basically gives the player they're buffing every opportunity to come back and take the lead.
2. Create-A-Stadium is broken. It's hard to use, uploading stadiums is confusing and difficult... and now it straight up doesn't work. I chose my custom stadium for a few games recently, and instead they just choose Dodger Stadium or Coors Field.
3. SDS and their EA Like Complacency. There's been very little done with the game from year to year. Animations, graphics, customization options, RTTS, Franchise, Broken Create a Stadium etc. No jersey patches, alternate uniforms and so on. The biggest changes we get in this game are features being removed Sounds of the Show or create a player in DD, anyone? This extends to no tattoos to further add realism and things such as Indians Andrew Miller being number 48 (it was actually 24) and Reds Ken Griffey Jr. being number 24 (when it was 30 and then 3) This reeks of laziness. But hey... at least the homerun derby cards have the accurate jersey numbers lol.
4. Excessive homeruns. I look at real life box scores and Ranked Seasons box scores. They're quite different. The Show would have you believe 40-50% of hits are homeruns every. single. game.
5. Inconsistencies. Whether that's the amount of check swings going in my favor or my opponents favor, balls and strike calls, my opponent getting early timed home runs while I'm recording perfect perfect outs... what makes me successful one game doesn't mean a thing in the next.
6. Identity Crisis. The game can't decide if it wants to be arcade or simulation. Excessive homeruns signals arcade whereas random baseball things like errors, bad calls, well hit outs and the like signal simulation.
7. Diving catches / diving infield stops are wonky and often times looks like the glove has a vacuum, sucking the balls in. Feels quite unrealistic.
8. Random pickoffs. I really don't see pickoffs follow any kind of logic. Increasing your lead by 1 step without calling for a steal won't result in an out 99/100 times. I haven't been able to pick someone with the speed of Jim Thome in these cases. Yet, I've been picked off as Elly De La Cruz numerous times. Didn't try to steal or anything. Seems entirely random.
9. Random check swings. Once again, a check swing is just random. Sometimes you'll get lucky, sometimes you won't. Doesn't seem like it really has to do with the amount of pressure you use with the swing button. I could understand it more if a contact check swing results in more checked swings than a normal or power swing... but I don't think it follows any kind of logic outside of pure randomness.
10. Stealing: Random, again. Sometimes jumps are absolutely perfect, other times you're caught in mud. Does it follow any kind of game mechanic or is it just more randomness? Pretty sure it's the latter.
11. Wonky animations: Whether that's Elly De La Cruz throwing the 2nd baseman a pop fly when you're looking to turn two, your right fielder standing there when commanded to throw to the cutoff man or seeing your man run to first and slow down / begin to round like he's going to second, when it's a bang bang play and you need him to run through the bag to be called safe. I've seen it happen to me and I've seen it happen to my opponents.
12. Freeze-Offs. This has been happening since at least 2017... maybe before then (if anyone can confirm?) 8 years later and no fix?
13. Ultimate Team fixation. EA and 2K fell victim to it a while ago and now SDS has as well. The game should be renamed MLB: Diamond Dynasty. That's what they care about. Look at the amount of updates that gets (things for you to spend money on like cards and bat skins... not fixing long-standing issues)
14. Removing players and then re-introducing / marketing them years later as a new addition to the game. Carlos Beltran, Adrian Beltre and many more. Rinse and repeat. Then you have obvious names being omitted year after year. The only player I know of that won't allow for their likeness is Barry Bonds. So maybe I'm a little uniformed here... but in the years I've been playing Diamond Dynasty, I've never seen Jeff Kent, Curt Schilling, Alex Rodriguez to name a few that come to mind almost immediately. (I'd say Pete Rose too, but I think we all know why). Speaking as someone who enjoyed Eastbound and Down, I'd love to see John Rocker too lol. Considering all SDS cares about is DD, It would be amazing to see them just add cards... never take them away. I'm waiting for Ichiro to be the centerpiece of 26 or 27, as if he wasn't in the game a few years prior. But it's about the money and being able to sell people a nearly identical game year after year. If they didn't have "new things" each year, people might not line their pockets. So we'll get 6 new-ish names next year while losing 10 other names.
15. Yearly Iterations. Once again, this is the model for all sports games, but that's outdated and needs to go the way of the dinosaur. Create an end all be all game, perfect the gameplay and then just charge people for yearly roster updates, jerseys, bat skins and so on.

I can keep adding to this list, for sure and might do that over time... but I've already written plenty. Would love to hear what other people think, even if you want to focus in on one or two of my points. I find this game to be a lot of fun, but maddeningly inconsistent and following the same formula that has dragged Madden and NBA 2K down in the last 10-15 years. I just want the same amount of love to be poured into this game back when game developers were hungry to put out a great game and not hungry for our money.

[PriorFir4383355_XBL]

SDS isn't listening. It's been a multi-year refrain, so much so and so thoroughly has that image of SDS been confirmed in the customer base, that this year's release of MLB The Show 25 actually featured a public relations theme of listening and acting on customer feedback. No doubt SDS spent large money for this.

But, with the words must come the action. And the lack of action doomed SDS once again. I don't know what their sales numbers are, but I suspect SDS is worried, and they should be. Most people just don't spend their money on a company that treats them poorly.

I won't ever again, and I think that mirrors the conclusions of a great number of people who bought this game.

[Squid_Adams_PSN]

@PriorFir4383355_XBL

You're right. Same lip service as Madden every year. If the exclusivity and lack of competition remains, I won't return (until I start forgetting why I left in the first place and begin jonesing for a baseball game again) They're banking on that, the young generation and on people to apologize for / deny the game is even bad.

I thought of a few more points to add to "What I Don't Like About The Show"

16. Completing live series rosters is a grind. For the top 2 guys, you're still paying like 700,000+ for them. And the rewards are low diamonds. I assume most people complete the collections late in the year, so it feels underwhelming to get rewarded with cards you'll never use for a pretty big accomplishment. Which brings me to my next point...
17. No reason to use many of your cards. There's so many 87's, 90's, 92's I'm getting when there were 98's available mid season. When am I going to use them? Outside of challenges or choosing to do something outside Ranked Seasons, never. I can't afford to play a team of 99's with my low 90's team. I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd love to see (if only on some occasions a'la Weekend Classic) a cap set on your team. Like keep your team overall at a 90 or whatever... force you to use a "budget" like real baseball and see how good of a team builder you are. I just have so many diamonds I'll never use.
18. No sell duplicates. What am I supposed to do with three 85 Dontrelle Willis'?
19. Another thing which I might be in the minority in, as I understand its purpose to speed up the game... but having relievers warm from the jump sucks a little strategy out of the game imo. And I know MLB did this too, but I kinda miss having pitchers bat in ranked seasons. You had to use your bench or perhaps pull a pitcher early. Again, more strategy albeit having DH's is objectively more fun.
20. Pitch meter inconsistencies. I don't want to use pinpoint which is likely what SDS would reply. But I shouldn't have a well to good released pitch land somewhere completely random to where I placed it. I hit the yellow line perfectly, yet there are times where it lands a foot off the mark? If I aim a curveball as low as I can and am slightly early with a release, why does it usually hang the pitch? It lands almost somewhere completely different almost inviting my opponent to hit a homer.