A
And here is a secret for SDS:
If I am unhappy with the offline content Im not going to start playing online more, Im just going to play the game less. Which means very little chance for me to care when you do a flash sale if I need to top up for a fomo gamble.
Amen. Heed that, SDS. Your online “experience” is [censored]. I’d rather mow the yard again.
There’s nothing passive about their aggressive push to herd you into that toxic online RNG sewer.
As for fielders, ever notice how almost every time a ball hits the wall, it’s as if the fence hands it straight to the CPU OF? 
Can’t have too many triples now, can we? How many times have you been thrown out at second on a gap shot?
Part of it is the lower level cards. I noticed it early last year, too. But yes. The pitching has been tweaked again. The CPU grind XP rewards are ridiculous. They’re trying to herd we stragglers into the online cesspool with exponentially higher rewards. I can compete in Ranked, generally in the 600’s, but I always walk away hating this game to my core.
@Pigsooie-Nation_MLBTS Ive been at that point since the game dropped
@Wolfski0412_PSN Had the same thought re: SDS trying to discourage flipping and push people to buy stubs instead.
This is a byproduct of the “wheel of sh*t” at the end of the inning progressions. Far more rewarding to sandbag XP and speed up the next inning’s rewards.
@YOSHI24_XBL said in Market Inflation!!!:
My biggest take from this for next year: Go after the gate-keepers first. Then „the next wave“ (we knew, Tatis was having a very good first month) … I bought my last gate-keeper as my very last card and luckily got him (Witt) for 190K (and Judge 236K prox 5 days ago)
Ditto. I nabbed Witt in the 170’s, Judge around 230, and Ramirez a little under 120. I decided to strike during the Diamond Flash Sale to take advantage of the seller wave. Glad I did. Overpaid early for Trout at 160 then bit the bullet on Ohtani at 480 to finish, all NMS.
I about sh!t when I saw the prices yesterday! For once I feel like I did this right!
On the flip side, I’m sick of the [censored] market. 
Should finish mine today, NMS. Painful Ohtani bid is finally in. Never finished before July. Packs have been atrocious. Skenes, Skubal, Sale. A few low diamonds. That’s it. Working the snot out of the market and got some help by poaching a few buy/sells from the stub-selling transaction scum. That works really well, by the way, if you find idiots who just don’t stop. Just pick up their patterns and adjust. When they finally learn and give it a rest, go do something else the come back. They’re almost always back at it.
No. I don’t feel bad about it. At all. 
Yeah, they’re stub transfer transactions and there are a ton of them. I’ve run into this several more times, just this week. Bat Chirp was apparently popular. I jumped into the fray, posting random bids on both their buy/sells. Wound up making 60-80k just f*cking with them. I feel terrible about it. Really.
This is still happening; run into it repeatedly with several unlockables.
Absolutely.
@PriorFir4383355_XBL That’s how MLB chose to handle them this year. Listed like that on the team schedules.
@ace_hardlight28_PSN Jackie isn’t a 99 STL, believe it or not, but you don’t absolutely need that. Obviously Rickey Henderson and the 50/50 Shohei cards are 99 STLs but so is the 99 Joe Morgan. Jimmy Rollins from season 1, too. I got quite a few steals of second from HOF Hank Aaron, Mays, and Jeter. The season 3 99 Mantle and Trout cards will get you those, too. Corbin Carroll is always fun.
Like the other dude, I finished mine in one game without even purposely stopping at first. If you’re going to steal third, take the one poke extra lead and prepare to maybe get picked off. Doesn’t happen often, but it does.
The Baker Bowl would be a trip! 280’ down the RF line with a 60’ high fence! Your list pretty much covers it. I’d be fine with any of the old parks; Tiger Stadium and Ebbets being at the top of my list. Jarry Park/Olympic Stadium might be neat, as would Cleveland’s League Park. With all the stadiums they’ve added b/t the Negro Leagues and Mini Seasons, I have no idea why they haven’t done any of these. Basically the same Classic Stadiums collection as when I started playing in 2010.
@nymets1987_PSN Ditto. Won’t bother.
@Cubsfan217_XBL After finishing that tedious TA, I refuse to use any of them on principle. Horrible notion for a supposed “simulation” game.
There are fewer legends this year than there have been in a long time. Far too many recycled players with multiple cards. Im just speculating but I suspect it has to do with economics. Sony has made cuts across the board b/c growth has stagnated/corrected post-pandemic and the isolation surge. Happening across the gaming environment. Except for the Negro League players, this year’s version of the game has been a noticeable step back across the board. I imagine it has to do with these budget and staff cuts. Seems that would apply to budgets allocated to players for usage rights. Another factor could be the corporate partnership with Topps.
I’m 54 and barely hit 700 for a minute earlier this year before I quit playing online, again. Best ones for me to that point were LS collection Pedro, the 99 Sabathia, and the Angels collection Nolan. The AS Skenes card is ridiculous, too. I P5’d him mostly offline and never gave up a run to the CPU in 100 IP. Retired it to keep the 0.00! Happy hunting!
@dbub_PSN 23
I’ve hit 27 once; non-perfect game, too. I managed to P5 AS Skenes without giving up a run in 100 IP! Kind of surprised and now I don’t want to use him to keep it intact! The 23+ k/9 thing made me laugh, too. It’s funny how most of my stud pitchers average right around 23.3 k/9, seemingly regardless of their K ratings. Explains the “magic innings” where I suddenly can’t get a swing and miss!
On the offensive side, I finally scored 100 runs. Was on my way again with a season-ineligible HOF card God Squad this week when SDS farted and kicked me offline after scoring 40+. Pissed me off and haven’t played since!
*Last year I played well over 100-games in RS. This year: fewer than 20.
*I used to despise the marketplace but now find flipping cards by far the most rewarding and enjoyable part of this beautifully presented digital abortion. In the last week, I’ve made 3-million stubs and purchased Gehrig, Wagner, and Chapman. I’ve yet to use them online and might not!
*In years past, RTTS was my zombie escape mode. Not this year. Thanks for ruining that, too, SDS. Asshats.
*When I occasionally feel like I am “forced” to actually play one mode or another to finish card collecting, it feels like a dreaded filthy chore; one to be endured rather than an enjoyable leisure activity and my day is invariably worse when I turn it off in disgust.
I’m not a gaming expert or anything, but I can’t imagine having your customers hate playing your product is a sustainable business model…unless there’s another factor involved.
At first it was confusing when I realized that I kept playing this steaming slot machine pile despite hating it. Then I learned something about algorithms, group status (Making WS! Getting the banner!), gambling psychology, and ultimately dopamine addiction.
I don’t post much but I do lurk. So many complain and say they’re going to quit. Then someone else will predictably chime in saying, “you’ll be back next week/year” or even dig out an old post where the person said the same thing the previous month! Of course they’re almost always right. How many people joke about how the game blows geriatric sheep but how “addicting” it still is?!?
It runs far beyond MLB 21. The Dopamine Drip is designed into all of our contemporary digital simulators, platforms, and devices. In this game, and I assume others, its tube runs from the constantly refreshed content. They know it. This years game is something to be ashamed of. Do you suppose the flood of content, especially with the TA programs, is a coincidence?
I no longer rage at the game. It’s inanimate. It’s SDS itself that deserves the pitchforks.