the problem is that the flaws have gotten worse since 17 or 18. the grind/content has been good over that period, but with the flaws getting worse, it feels like more of a time waste grind rather than a fun grind.
i wouldnt say hitting is too easy on HOF or Legend. its just inconsistent, and consistency is what i desire. i want my gameplay to improve as my skills improve, and with The Show since 17, i dont think thats possible. the game doesnt play the same, session to session.
pitch speeds are not equal across difficulty levels - HOF vs CPU is not the same as HOF online. and we all know that the difficulty levels are meaningless in Moments+Showdown thanks to RNG.
contact results are not consistent due to RNG. the coding has taken away the player's skill in favor of simulation statistics. so even if youre seeing the ball well, if the coding wants the game to stay close, it will. either by nerfing your bat or pitches missing when youre on the mound.
it certainly is what it is. but what it is, to me, is an exhausting waste of time the past 2 seasons. after falling in love with DD in mid 17, i really wanted to play online a ton more. but the gameplay is just not fun with how inconsistent the game is. i want that competitive, human to human experience. but i wont waste my time knowing that my input ultimately is at the mercy of this game's coding, regardless of my skill level.
and can anyone be surprised at the Prestige boosting we've seen in 20? when you introduce something like that into an environment that is heavily dictated by RNG, OF COURSE folks are going to cheat the system. if anything, they're doing their best to level the playing field when the RNG is already stacked against them.
ultimately, i know when im playing poorly and when im playing well. i dont need the RNG to influence either of those situations. i want my skill level and development/progression to be accurately reflected game to game. i dont want to be at the mercy of RNG, poor animations, rubber banding, whatever the coding may be called.