Community Forum

Dear SDS,

Despite all the haters this has been a really good year for the Show in my opinion. Yes there are issues with hitting especially, and since I do meter pitching it seems completely random -- sometimes you hang a curveball with perfect meter, sometimes the FB you miss completely winds up dotting the corner.

But there is a simple suggestion that I have for MLB 2021. Please, for the love of God, do not make an end game starting pitcher available at the beginning of the game. Especially one like Cory Kluber, who is just frustrating -- not overpowering, not interesting, just with juiced stats and three different fastballs who just entices 'good/okays' for no particular reason.

After talking on here about how excited I was for TA3 to diversify the pitching pool, today and tonight I played eight games between 700-850 and faced Kluber in seven of them. Of those seven I think I won five, so it's not that I'm griping because I lost. It's that I'm griping because facing Kluber, particularly on HOF, is just such a [censored] drag.

When I see that I'm facing Kluber, is my reaction "ooo, this will be cool" or "ooo, this is scary!," the way I feel when I see 97 Chapman. No, it's "ok, I'm going to get 2-4 runs and am going to have baserunners every inning, but for the most part I am going to square sinkers or be ahead of cutters and then get good/okays and hit into fly balls and double plays."

There is no surprise. There is no enjoyment. There is just the weak "yay" when the RNG gods deny Kluber's juiced H/9 stats on an inside sinker and it drops, and mostly just "ugh, whatever" when for the 10,000th time I strike out like twice in the game and mostly just hit weak liners and groundouts on balls I thought I squared up.

I've played about 280 RS games, which means that I've faced Kluber roughly 180 times because (I've started counting over the last 25 games or so) I face him -- at All-Star and at HOF level -- almost two-thirds of every game I play, either as a starter or late inning reliever.

It's just lame, guys. And it's no fun. And I'm hoping you drop some more juiced pitchers soon or I hope people start picking up some of the really good TA3 pitchers (note: Smoltz sucks, Orel good but overrated; Wood and Burnett are money).

Because what defines the experience of a game more than anything is the pitcher you're facing, and unlike in years past I know exactly what I am going to be doing for the next 30 minutes when I queue up a RS game: getting good/okays off Corey Kluber.

I'm bored, I'm gonna uninstall for a couple weeks and screw around with trying to learn guitar.

Maybe when I get back I'll get some variety when I play. But somehow I doubt it.

99 position players make fine rewards. You don't need to kill an entire year by putting a pitcher like Kluber in every game from the beginning.

(And no hate to Hal -- Hal is actually fun to face, because he's got good stuff and variety and is a challenge, unlike a boring frustration).

Fin.

@ChArTeRBuS said in This is why I play...:

I’ll never understand people that quit before giving themselves the chance to make a comeback and walk off. Infinitely more enjoyable than a regular win! And walk off grand slams a whole other level.

I was quite bad when online franchise was a thing years ago, wins were hard to come by. Most leagues I was around 5-20 that sort of thing. I STILL remember my first come from behind 9th inning walk off. I tied it in the 9th with a couple runs and the guy I was playing threw it behind Pedroias head. He did the “don’t flinch slowly drop the bat down and stare back like a boss animation” and I got so jacked up from it and hit a walk off the next pitch in San Fran.

As a dude who used to rage quit a bunch (and still does occasionally), I think it just comes from how hard the game is and how much focus it can require, especially for people like me who aren't very good but put a lot of time and effort into the game. (And after five years still can't hit a high inside fastball). If you're in a hard, tight game and then you miss a single pitch that gets jacked and now you gotta climb up 3 runs against a pitcher you struggle against, it can be deflating.

That said, like I posted above, I've not hit WS this year after hitting it a few times every year since 2016 but am enjoying the game a lot more (partly because I'm allowing myself to go for those comeback wins) bc other stuff in my life has led me not to care very much about video games.

Edit: That said, 99 Rivera is gonna be on everyone's roster, and I have yet to make solid contact with that dude. So maybe quitting if you'r behind in the 8th inning will make sense ...

Nice dude! And since I learned to stop caring so much about my rating or hitting WS and just enjoy games like this (and not rage quit as much) the game gets 100x more fun.

Keep at it, once you get Davis you're in for more walk offs

Also the obligatory: showdowns and collections (with bronzes or silvers) are the way to complete Team Affinity, not playing in ranked; tho if I'm making a line-up decision I'll err on the side of the dude whose TA points I need.

@nymets1987 said in Since TA3 Is Sellable...:

@Garet_Jax82 said in Since TA3 Is Sellable...:

Hey I completed the Mantle collection and I'm still running with Vidal Brujan at second as my leadoff. Can't take him out of the leadoff spot, switch hitter batting .300 with ez steals.

I think this feature is allowing for more diversity in teams and hopefully no more Kluber every game.

As I say in every single post, that is literally all I want from this game -- to not be a Kluber/Hal hitting simulator. Hershiser seems like he could reach that level, have faced him 2/4 games today and he's nasssty on legend.

I have my stable of like 5-6 silvers who I just am flipping 24/7 -- 140k is really risky, as the market is volatile AF right now. Banks was 118 yesterday when I bougth him.

I just faced him on Legend, scratched 2 runs in before he got pulled in a bases loaded situation in the 5th.

Definitely really good but there are scarier starters available for free. I'd be confident next. time I faced him, unlike Orel.

Hey I completed the Mantle collection and I'm still running with Vidal Brujan at second as my leadoff. Can't take him out of the leadoff spot, switch hitter batting .300 with ez steals.

Nice list, though Smoltz and Wood should be reversed -- they're two of the only ones I have and have thrown them both 3 times, and Wood with his cutter seems top tier. Smoltz gets hit hard.

Honestly, I'd start with some of the market cards and avoid the TA3 right now. Those prices are gonna drop a LOT, and you can get like Gagne or Greinke -- who used to be 60k and are filthy -- for $15k each.

Also, if you're starting, Ty Cobb for $10k as a leadoff bat is a steal.

@SchnauzerFace said in One line Kerry Wood and John Smoltz review:

@Garet_Jax82 said in One line Kerry Wood and John Smoltz review:

@SchnauzerFace said in One line Kerry Wood and John Smoltz review:

That’s way more than one line.

If you ever try to trick me into reading that much ever again, we’re going to have a problem friendo.

lol. just the first one.

That’s deceptive. It’d be like if I said “$5 for this hamburger” and then after you started eating I told you it was $5 for the first bite and $2000 for the rest.

Say, since I'm furloughed at work that is not a bad business idea ...

It depends on how close you are to collections, honestly. If you still have a ton of cards you need I think a 50 pack bundle on a flash sale (NEVER at regular price tho) is fine.

But yeah, you're better off flipping cards with those extra stubs.

@SchnauzerFace said in One line Kerry Wood and John Smoltz review:

That’s way more than one line.

If you ever try to trick me into reading that much ever again, we’re going to have a problem friendo.

lol. just the first one.

"You really need a second fastball to be effective in this game"

... 122 K/9 and filthy splitter be damned

Wood definitely better just cuz K/9 eliminates check swings, but both underwhelmed. Combined 5 runs in 17 innings but constantly felt like a grind, and one of my opponents wasn't good at all but still squared up Smoltz.

Edit: Maybe others think I'm wrong, but I'm putting Sixto or Greinke back in rotation over Smoltz I think becasue sinkers = king

@genopolanco said in Banks vs Prestige Correa:

If Correa rakes for you, I’d stick with Correa. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

For sure. I haven't had great luck with Yount in the past but his numbers look fantastic so could give him a go for sure.

@ddbake said in TA3 SP:

@TechnologicPR4 said in TA3 SP:

As a Cubs fan, I'm definitely going Wood to oust Felix from my rotation. Who would be better between Smoltz and Orel to replace Hal whom I struggle with.

It pains me to say as a Mariners fan but I haven’t been very good with Felix. Think he’s losing his spot for me as well.

Same -- I loved Felix in his prime and I really want to hold out for him to get prestiged, but he has an ERA over 4 and has cost me more than a few games ...

Dunno if people who have him prestiged see enough of an improvement to keep giving up 3-4 runs in 5 innings?

This is sort of a dead topic, but since I have the stubs after TA3 do people who play with Banks really think he's that good over Prestige 97 Correa to pick up for 125k stubs? I've liked him in the past, and haven't spent the time to make a CAP this year, but Correa rakes.

@Freeze_Time_ said in Showdown AL/NL Division question:

Is there anyway to tell which showdowns you've already completed? I've only done 2 of them but I can only remember the starter one. I will have to go through and see if I can remember. Not quite sure who the boss was. If we get rewards again then it's no big deal I suppose. Just want to do all of them once before I maybe repeat.

If you go to Collections -> Unlockables you can see them there. Or you can just go to TA and check a different team in each division.

Burnett is always good so i will low-key grind for him since I have Sheffield in my lineup and Sixto in my rotation (seems better than most of the TA3 pitchers and has a sub-2.00 ERA for me).

But first thing I did was grab Kerry Wood -- that 122 K/9 and hitting 101 on the gun looks hard to pass up, control issues aside -- then Smoltz

I didn't make as much as I should have if I sold last night, but I still had enough to get Rivera, Chapman and re-buy Walker (at 70k profit). Also found myself selling the TA3 cards that I had enough for and then buying a couple that were cheap because they'll go down.

But with the new cards, what's your line-up look like?!? Will having these cards help me hit high fastballs?!? (No, no they will not, I will still suck at this game).

1. 2b - Brujan (I can't take him out of the lineup and I can low-key grind the rest of TB)
2. CF - Mantle
3. RF - Walker
4. LF - Sheffield
5. 3B -- Prestige Chipper (another guy I can't take out unless people REALLY think Brett is a huge improvement. Plus, switch hitter, which I need as a shitty hitter who cant hit L on Lefty).
6. SS -- Prestige Correa (should upgrade)
7. 1B -- Crime Dog (seemed like the best available lefty first baseman outside of Ortiz and bought him for 20k)
8. C - Biggio

SP (NO MORE KLUBER!!!!!!!)
1- 99 Smoltz
2 - 98 Wood
3 - Hal
4 - Greinke (his card is too good to sell at like 18k or where its at now)
5 - Felix / Sixto

BP -- Gagne, Rollie, Henke, Wagner, Chapman, Dibble, Rivera

@dirtybob007 said in 5th Inning Showdown:

Yeah, I am trying down 4-15. Those stupid blue moments are not on Rookie. I can score 15 against Rivera, but I lose 3 out of the 5 first blue moments.

Also one last obvious but useful tip -- make sure you have a speed guy on your bench or even two (look at the commons) for steals, staying out of DPs, or when you need that last run in from third.