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Like many I've been playing this game for years. Go through the same array of emotions as everyone. Anger quite often.

Generally like the game, but understand it's far from a true simulation. To call it a loose representation of what it might be like to play with real MLB players if probably fair. I've always held the opinion that 70% of the game is the AI generating animation as it has preordained prior to every match. 20%, perhaps, is the ratings of your cards. 10% is the skill of the player.

I've been rebuked many times for saying skill is only 10%. Especially by those people that have this pretentious belief they are Wizards due to some RS rating hold, held, or whatever. And that's fine. To be honest that 10%, though, is the difference between being able to slightly control the outcome of game the AI has already scripted.

We all know the AI will just start creating ridiculous animation that doesn't remotely align with what we see or believe we are sending through our controllers. The errors that AI completely controls, base-running outcomes that AI completely controls, even the pitch/swing outcome (ball location at completion of pitch in relation to the swing plane). I don't believe that's accurate much of the time. Especially when the AI is trying to create an advantage for one player or the other to meet it's predictive outcome.

The AI paints a still animation on the screen to "show us" what happened on a swing, but I know it often doesn't match any possible trajectory the pitch could complete as it comes out of the pitcher's hand. The AI also controls the "sound" of the contact which leads us to believe we did or didn't get a good swing. The controller feedback. Those are just some of the ways the AI dictates outcomes and makes us believe we did bad or good.

Getting back to that 10% skill. I believe there are some folks (not me for sure) that have such advanced eye-hand coordination they can consistently react and get the bat in the location at the exact time the AI predictive engine gets the ball there. Those ppl are going to have a much better chance to "change the script" the AI is trying to enforce.

There are many subtle points during the game the AI changes speed of play (difficulty level) I think that in RS the 2 players are often playing at different levels simultaneously. So, yeah, that 10% skill set can potentially allow the VERY advanced player to more consistently step over the land-mines the AI sets to dictate an outcome. And, also those that are new or maybe don't have that blazing eye-hand coordination can be completely buried by AI hi jinks.

I'll be generous and say the gaming industry just isn't evolved enough the create a realistic sports simulation. One that is totally driven by controller input and card ratings. Especially with the complexity of online play and trying to govern all the many speeds-of-play it's near impossible. So, all of them try to fake it. Set an outcome before the game starts and through animation-generation try to make it look like it's real.

That's it, and maybe I'm as full of C19 as the rest that believe they've got it figured out. But, typing out my thoughts help me process them I guess. For sure tone down from the last bout of rage I felt for some ridiculous animation the AI nailed me with.

You're playing MLB The Show...where logic and realism is often absent.

And why I finally just walked away from the game.

Writing this in hopes it can change but, based on what I'm pretty confident is how MLB the Show works it would take a complete software rewrite. There is enough revenue being generated now by those that "believe" they are playing a simulation that is based on skill. It's not skill...perhaps the most mundane that even the beginner has..but not a skill that can be developed through perpetual play or advantage gained by having 90+ players.

Not saying anything that hasn't been, likely, talked about many times over the years. But, the biggest misconception in this game is the results of the pitch/swing placement is based on real world physics. If it were, skill would indeed come into play. But, it's not.

I don't expect anyone to believe me. Just watch very carefully yourself as you play. Watch the change-ups coming in as a strike when you don't swing..but the exact same pitch and trajectory drops it down in the dirt on the next pitch. Makes you feel foolish, but you shouldn't. You're playing against AI generated animation...not real life physics.

Watch your PCI swing location end up either slightly enough away from where you KNOW you guided the controller or, often, not even in the same vicinity. This whole argument over perfect-swing, etc. is irrelevant because it's the AI that writes the script to each and every pitch. It's the AI that will give you the vibration and hard-contact audio and make you believe you hit the ball square. Doesn't mean you did. It's the same way when you know you shoulda hit it square and you get the smothered audio of a "rolled-over" swing.

None of it is skill. There is more skill factor written into every RPG or First-shooter I've ever played than this game. It's been said before by many..playing MLB the Show is like watching a game, because you aren't really in control of the outcome.

I also suspect there will be many SDS fanboys with marketing agendas that will disagree with everything I say. It usually comes down to "Well, how can some people always be 800+" if there weren't skill involved. And, I've replied many times to that..it's an illusion the SDS marketers have created in an attempt to give credence to this game. That's not tin-foil and conspiracy. It's just simple business/marketing tactics in order to promote a game with an attempt to inject authenticity. It's the only thing they got because experience and observation from all of us that have played it (way more than we should have) reinforce the fact it's a game being controlled by AI that randomly gives outcomes based on what keeps players coming back.

Is it about driving us to buy more cards? Not even sure about that because you might have a team of 90+ diamonds playing a team of silver-golds and lose handily. Why? I think that's just because the randomization doesn't even take into consideration the player-card skills. Which is another very sad part of the game.

And,this is my own personal experience. I've never-ever-ever gotten so angry about a game as this one. It's because I hate being cheated and duped. I hate wasting 13 innings playing a match and suddenly a relief pitcher goes deep on me when I throw a slider 6 inches off the plate. Just so-so many reasons this game upsets me. And, I'm done letting a freaking game control my emotions.

OK, back to Outer Worlds. Much more believable and satisfying.

@mrwonderful95 said in Miserable experience in all star:

I could care less about wins and losses if it isn’t fun..what’s the point?

Ain't that the truth. I could handle going 0-10 if the game felt real and didn't have to witness all the bizarre shenanigans the AI dumps on us to "make it more exciting". I guess to the programmers or their managers or their managers or their Directors or their CEO (whatever..ha) fun is every game going down to the wire and one player or the other getting the where-did-that-come-from homerun to decide it.

That's not fun.

Just played the new 2nd Inning Showdown. The same randomized/scripted gameplay. Guess I really shouldn't expected anything else but there was a patch.

The "don't give up a run challenge"..just the same 'ol no matter where you pitch it the AI will string together enough to get that run. With a gold pitcher they singled-singled-sacrifice-fly. The sacrifice fly was on a sinker low and outside that, physics dictate, should have been a grounder.

But, then, we get the exact opposite affect later in the 1st elimination game. Score 4 before 7 outs against Berdosian. As usual, you get the first 3 runs fairly easily. I'm taking no chances with guys on 3rd base because ALWAYS-ALWAYS in that mode fly balls are shallow and you will be thrown out tagging up by the weakest armed OF in the game (it's a constant). Anyway, I'm down to 3 outs with 1 run to go guy on 1st. Bogaerts pops one up on a good-pop-up (what the hell is a good pop-up) to the catcher.

Boggs coming up with 2 outs left. Seen this script many times. I knew the double play would happen. Did every conceivable thing to stop it, but no..Boggs grounds into a double-play...game over. This grounder was on a fast-ball up that physics dictate would have been a fly ball, unlike the "actual" ground-ball pitch that produced a fly-out in the first game I lost.

I don't know about you, but I just get this grin on my face when I smell the BS. It's like, here we go again. Might as well lay the controller down and let the AI just play it out for me.

I am the stupidest most gullible dummy in the world...and restart and go through the BS pain again.

No bigger lie than your title "I've officially seen it all". You ain't even scratched the surface of the utterly inane code these clowns wrote. It's a comedy of errors (no pun intended). How this game ever got into the public's hands is beyond me.

You're right about the SDS folks that hang out in this forum. They really get defensive when you rightfully point out all the many-many-many-many-many flaws. They've only had a decade or so to fine tune them.

@DoIHearBossMusic said in MLB the RNG 20:

Has SDS ever commented on this? The fact that there is no way 'skill' your way between good/good, good/pop up and other random outcomes makes me believe that it is scripted 100%...RNG

I'll be honest, if these guys were just honest and forthcoming enough to admit it's a randomized animation event we get to watch and, occasionally, participate in..I would have more respect for them.

Just come out and say "Hey guys, it works like this. It's ,indeed, randomized so every one gets a fulfilling win now and then, but balanced so everyone also gets the chef's surprise". And, yes "We have created this fabricated hierarchy of RS studs that always make the WS to support the false narrative".

"One day we hope to be able to orchestrate all this without being so blatant that's is obvious to everyone all the way down to the wee 10-year old's that play. "

Here is a thought. More conspiratorial than fact-based, but quite plausible. Surely would fit into a marketing strategy by a gaming company.

I believe every year SDS chooses a random set of userId's to "relax" the AI on. Perhaps set most of their online experience to "Veteran" difficulty or whatever. Those are your consistent 800 folks. And, believe me, that would easy-cheesy for the programmers to integrate into the game. A simple coded switch.

By doing this SDS has created a "point of reference" that the fan-boys can recite to argue the game-play is based on player skill not AI. Really isn't another valid argument I've ever heard than this. Don't know how many times I've seen some one type "It has to be real or so-and-so wouldn't always be 800+". Well, my response is "you have to be gullible" to believe that's any sort of quantifiable metric. Marketing...pure and simple.

There is no way to logically compare MLB The Show to a Boss challenge in most other games. In all the games I've played and started way back with the original Doom and Wolfenstein.

The difference? in all the other games the "Boss" exhibits the same patterns and traits and the more observant and discerning a player is the quicker they can defeat the "Boss". In MLB the Show..you're fighting an AI that just goes off the rails and refuses to be beat at times. There really is no pattern.

Without a consistent pattern...folks are gonna struggle and complain. Which they should. No one wants to waste an hour getting to a final challenge and always lose because winning is not based on skill or pattern recognition..it's based on an AI randomization algorithm.

When your gold-glove right-fielder jogs over to make an easy catch as you've done countless times and "OH, HE MISSES IT". Just out of the blue, no apparent reason other than the opponent that has been flailing the entire game needs some assistance from the AI.

C'mon..just get this nonsense out of the game. It doesn't belong. It's not fun, it's not creating excitement for anyone. It's just another example of your programming ineptitude.

Just another ridiculous piece of animation amidst a sea of nonsense.

It's a constant theme in every aspect of the game. You're battling a scripted narrative that you can't win..unless the script is designed that AI doesn't win. Don't know if it's worse this year, but I feel the script vibe (user not really having a vital part of the outcome) more often.

The latest in a long-line. Playing the NL Central Showdown Luis Castillo 12-outs. First 2 guys single and 3rd guy hits a homerun. Ol' Luis was just serving up meatballs that I couldn't not destroy.

Still 12 outs to go and only one run. needed. After 7 good contacts and 3 perfect I don't get another hit much less run.

C'mon programmers, you can do better than that. Need to keep the customer engaged and the only way to do that is make it believable. This version has been far from that.

@Rambo_11k said in I've Come to the Realisation...:

No thanks, I’ll still blame the core gameplay instead of myself when stuff like this is happening.

Got to agree with you on this. But something I've really noticed in this year's game. The PCI accuracy is more skewed. I'll move my controller down right to catch a ball and the PCI will show it middle left. That happens fairly often. I would say at least once every 10 pitches. Maybe it's my controller...all 3 of them.

But, for sure, the PCI lies about final placement of a pitch a whole lot.

I "believe" that final pitch placement is just a software generated still that "should" be based on the true physics and trajectory of the pitch. But, it misses the mark a lot more this year. And, perhaps, it's just the display on my television...and a couple of my friends TV's that also point out the same inconsistency.

I don't believe anything I said is some conspiracy. It's just the way the software works. A conspiracy is a secret plan or plot.. As far as I know SDS never said this game is a true simulation. They might like to insinuate. And I know they would like us to believe the implication because it's better for sales. And there are those on this board that like to promote the same suggestion.

But it's not real reflective, nor accurate and true to the controller input or the card ratings. At the point it varies even a little it ceases being a simulation and becomes just another video game. But it's fun at times. And, for sure, more realistic than an arcade game. Sits somewhere in the middle.

Out of the Park is a baseball simulation. Generates stats and outcomes pretty close to real life. Text based and not as pretty as the Show. Animation is pretty primitive.

MLB the Show is a console game. It generates animation with a small bit of emphasis on controller input and card ratings.

Would be pretty cool to merge the 2 into a best-of-both-worlds game. But, they are 2 different game engines. One for fun, one for simulation.

I've found myself this year quitting games at a record pace. Not, always, because my opponent has taken a lead and I'm blaming it on the AI. I bail much earlier.

As soon as I see anything impossible (or what I consider so based on the situation) I just quit. I really could care less about my record. I'm hoping those that get quit against get really pissed off and do the same thing as me when they are in the same situation.

If enough people do this, perhaps, it will send enough of a shock into RS gameplay the developers might "try" to address the complete competitive farce it is. No doubt, cosmetically appealing, but true simulation it's not.

One example of what triggers this "babyish" reaction. Just quit a game at the top of the 1st. I batted first. Had Trea Turner on first base. My opponent was paying zero attention to him. I advanced him 3 bumps. He was half-way to 2nd. Trigger the steal option. My opponent throws a slow lazy curve ball that skips in the dirt. His catcher comes up firing. Throws Trea Turner out under all of those impossible conditions. I still had an out to go. But, it made me sick to my stomach and I had to purge.

And, no, Trea didn't pull a hammy coming down the line.

I just quit. 0-0 game. Made me nauseous.

Here is a thought. More conspiratorial than fact-based, but quite plausible. Surely would fit into a marketing strategy by a gaming company.

I believe every year SDS chooses a random set of userId's to "relax" the AI on. Perhaps set most of their online experience to "Veteran" difficulty or whatever. Those are your consistent 800 folks.

By doing this SDS has created a "point of reference" that the fan-boys can recite to argue the game-play is based on player skill not AI. Really isn't another valid argument I've ever heard than this. Don't know how many times I've seen some one type "It has to be real or so-and-so wouldn't always be 800+". Well, my response is "you have to be gullible" to believe that's any sort of quantifiable metric. Marketing...pure and simple.

I realize this forum, conceptually, should be about the community helping others. Pointers, tips, instruction and all that jazz.

But we have a game that is so flawed with so many varying degrees of bizarre unpredictability. Just a new twist every day. Drives the paying customers to madness and they vent.

But then, you actually have people that are so...I don't even know a proper word...literal maybe...they actually offer pointers and rationalizations to the upset..that they believe will console.

"I know there are a few bugs, but if you try this", "Well, I played a game the other day and that didn't happen at all". "That happens in baseball" And, of course, the worst "you just need to practice".

C'mon, don't defend it unless you can explain exactly why the AI does what it does. And, perhaps, some of the community members work for SDS and do write the software and could fill in the blanks. That would be awesome and I'm all ears.

It's not just squaring up or not squaring up. It's worse than that.

The AI dictates the animation on the final pitch location. The AI regularly places the pitch in a spot that your eye knows it couldn't actually end up. Because it's not based on physics, it's based on animation. That is why, you can't "really" get better at a game. You're continually practicing real-life physics (you manipulating the controller) against AI generated animation that don't match.

And they are so inconsistent you just can't practice and get better. The only way to get better through practice is with a consistent and replicable feedback experience. That's not part of this game.

It generates the audio, and controller feedback that makes you "believe" you hit the ball square. It's a complete sham.

Pretty simple. The online play is all about creating parity and letting every win as much as they lose. Same with all the online sports games. They aren't simulations.. Skill and card ratings means almost nothing.

So, to ensure the parity and all customers are getting an enjoyable win now and then they cheat with false animation. In no way mirrors user input. Just inane shenanigans..all in an attempt by the developers to create parity. Unfortunately, this year's iteration is just over-the-top obvious.

@D_e_m_I_s_E said in I really hate online play.:

Pretty sure there are a few I am forgetting

Double-plays every time you get a guy on 1st. This is regardless where you make contact. In real MLB you hit the ball on top it typically results in a grounder. Hitting the bottom sends the ball up. There is absolutely no way, when AI decides it's DP time, to prevent it. Sometimes a strike-out is actually better.

Pitches you know you throw on the corner or outside with a perfect pitch just randomly drop right into the middle of the plate. Believe this happens mainly to help the directional batters out.

Any steal attempt, regardless of the lead, catcher, speed of the runner, results in a caught-stealing.

Deep fly balls that absolutely look like they are dropping, don't and anyone you have on base running get thrown out.

Speaking of runners on base. The most convoluted and happens WAY to often is when you have a couple guys on...you hit one deep..because of the very situation I mentioned in the last sentence you wait to see if it drops. When it does, you then start the runners...invariably they start running past each other on the bases ending in double and even triple plays.