Community Forum

We're here. The Show 25 was on life support basically all season, but since the last "Weekend Classic" I have seen a drastic shift in how poorly this game plays. Prior to SDS completely selling out, I was a fringe World Series player. Sometimes I made it, sometimes I didn't. With this game, I'm a Divisional Series player who has flirted with Championship Series on a number of occasions. After the update... I'm not even cracking 300. The only games I win are when my opponent (with a record of like 49-297) quits in the 2nd inning. I'm getting smoked by guys worse than me (if you go off of record, stats and just the amount of games they've played.) I'm well past the 200+ games played mark, so even if I'm sub .500, you could make a solid argument that I'm still better than guy who is say 7-5.

What's happening instead, is that I'm throwing 99 Roy Halladay out there with something like 97 in control and getting lit up by a .220 hitter in the top of the first with a highly scripted diamond error that loads up the bases (the first two batters cracked pitches low, away and out of the strike zone like it was a meaty ball right down the middle) and of course the classic actual meatball down the middle of the zone that was actually a good released pitch in and on the hands. My opponent said he lost his previous game (and perfect game bid) on a bunt, so this totally reeked of a buff since SDS gip'd him out of his previous win.

At that point, I don't care what happens. I watched my stud 99 pitcher get lit up inexplicably. He wasn't tired, I wasn't predictable or throwing the ball in stupid locations... it was just my turn to get tuned up. That makes a game unplayable to me. It's been happening A LOT. This is the most consistent I've ever seen The Show play... sadly it's just been consistently bad. This definitely supports my theory that as SDS winds down 25 so they can start to come after our money again with 26, they will torch the game with an update that makes it borderline unplayable except to the overly forgiving people. That's all sports games, really.

Quick history lesson:
EA Sports was once the creme de la creme, then greed took over and their quality began to dip. Enter 2K, the savior of sports franchises....we thought they were different and for a while, they were. But eventually greed took over and their quality began to dip. SDS did the exact same thing as 2K. They were well respected for making an amazing sports title and The Show as the premier franchise for years. That ended about 7 or 8 years ago, from where I see it. Now we're playing the game of a complacent company that releases a game that is more infuriating than fun. It's wildly inconsistent and frankly doesn't do a good job at hiding game mechanics intended to make the game more engaging and fun. Comeback logic sounds cool in practice, then you realize that it takes the control out of the players hands. Whether I'm being nerfed and not allowed to get hits or anything cooking on offense or buffed and putting up 6 runs in two innings...that had less to do with how I was playing and more about how this game was made. I know it's a tough concept to grasp if this is not your view of the game, but the people who see The Show how I see The Show would know exactly what I mean.

So, in the way that WWE 2K took off a year after the debacle that was WWE 2K20, I'm suggesting the same for MLB The Show. Go back to the drawing board, forget 26 and show us you really care about the long term health of your franchise instead of cashing in with more subpar baseball and scripted gameplay. In the meantime, we need someone else to come out with a mainstream MLB game to compete with and challenge SDS. They don't care. Look at "Create a Stadium" that's a whole big feature that probably accounts for 10-15 GB of the game's storage (and was the crown jewel addition back in 21 or whatever it was) and it simply does not work. That's like the manager in your fantasy football league who doesn't set his lineup. We get new things to buy every week or two... yet we have whole modes and features that have fallen into disarray and neglect. That's a company who does not need to be in charge of the only baseball game in town.

Yeah, 2 innings for starters is typically the limit. But every single one of my relievers came in and basically replicated his performance.

@x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN

Zimmerman started and went 2
Franco relieves him, goes 0.1 innings and gives up 3 hits and 3 runs
Holton next for 1.2
Soto for 2.0
Morejon for 1.2
Doval for 0.1
Gossage for 0.2

@ThaGhettoBlasta_PSN
It absolutely is.

On another note, a recent patch must have come in to ruin 25 for good. It was playing pretty good in September, but ever since the last Weekend Classic started, it's been virtually unplayable. Everything that's bad about The Show is happening basically every game. I'm losing to inferior opponents under highly questionable circumstances. I'm talking my opponent getting late timing wet noodle home runs vs my blasts that die at the 329 foot mark when a homer is 330 feet. Consistently. Each game finds a new and impressive way to make me hate The Show more.

I've noticed this formula playing out with every sports game too. Right before the game is abandoned and all the focus shifts to the next year's iteration, there is an update that makes the game play about as bad as it ever has. Madden, 2K, The Show...it doesn't matter. What a dream it would be to see sports gamers protest yearly rehashes and make sports games great again.

@x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN

99 Jordan Zimmerman
99 John Franco
99 Tyler Holton
98 Gregory Soto
99 Adrian Morejon
98 Camilo Doval
99 Goose Gossage

@Talkingben9558_XBL

Yeah, ultimately I'd rather have more games like that than losing 2-1, but still feels manipulated within the mechanics of the game and that's what I don't care for.

@Talkingben9558_XBL

1. You always slide in with some "funny" comment, taking odds for when I'll be suspended and things like that. A bit of a tired schtick, is all. More in the tank is a fun expression though!
2. Not mine, but the cliche that a lot of guys have when making ex-gf jokes. You're right tho.
3. Let's have them + which action/statement aligns to said rule.

Oh, and as clarification...of course you're allowed to look up things. But to bring it here to the forum was what I was suspended for (much like bringing up the box score of my game) I don't agree with it being a suspend-able offense, but I'm just calling it what it is. I'll find the receipts if you really need to verify this. Wouldn't be the first time people told me I'm lying / making things up. Just a delusional person who selfishly wants The Show to be the best possible game...and unfortunately for many, that does not include game scripting.

Here's the game I just played.

-I hit a home run top of 1
-He responds with 3 runs
-I respond with 9 runs
-He conveniently ties the game at 10 in the 3rd
-I add 4 more over the 4th and 5th
-He conveniently ties the game in the 8th
-Exciting walk off win to cap the whole game. 15-14! Crazy finish (and totally legit*)

The experience is intended to leave the gamers excited about what they just witnessed. An unbelievable back and forth game that was capped by some bottom 9 heroics. All it reads to me is that this game is heavily scripted, manipulated, programmed....whatever word you want to use.

There were 14 home runs between us. He loved throwing high and inside, so I punished him plenty. I do not have pitching patterns like that. I've tossed 2 perfect games and flirted with more + no hitters. I know what I am as a pitcher. Occasionally someone is legitimately a great hitter and there's only so much I can do...but yeah. For this game, SDS zapped me of control and hung many of my pitches. I'm always right around that yellow line and am careful to give myself some wiggle room if the ball is off target. The amount of balls that end up in super hittable locations is ridiculous. If your release is decent to good, where your pitch ends up should kind of reflect where you placed the ball. If I have a slightly early release when I'm throwing the ball in the dirt, why is the ball at the batter's letters?

All this said, I was certainly buffed in this game as well. It's 11:30 at night, I just got back from a 3 hour movie and am decently tired. I wasn't seeing the ball better than usual or in the zone or anything like that. I was just being credited for my contact. The nerfing didn't come until the later innings to allow my opponent to complete the miraculous home team comeback. Same dude pitching, not really changing things up... same dude hitting. But all of a sudden, what was burning him and rewarding me in early innings was no longer doing that.

Anyway, that's about as blatant as it gets. It's far too common. Deny if it happens once or twice, but it's been happening A LOT recently. An update must've come in and completely broke the game so people will be inspired to move onto The Show 26, which "is the best MLB The Show ever!" (really, just the same game)

@sbchamps17_NSW

I agree, you shouldn't be suspended for that. However, I was warned and penalized because of this specifically. Remember when I called people out for denying my experience, who had barely or never even played ranked seasons? So once again, things I'm saying are true even if you deny them.

@Talkingben9558_XBL

The king of passive aggressiveness! Reminding a lot of guys of their ex-girlfriend, no doubt.

@Talkingben9558_XBL

I'll give this some merit. But sometimes I'm locked in and getting nerfed, other times I'm seeing the ball just okay and getting poor contact, late timed hits and homers. I don't think it has to do with me as much as how this game plays.

@x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN
You're always a critic of mine, man...I sent you a nice PM a while back (that you never responded to) when you were assuming I'd make fun of you for things that were out of your control and you're always positioning yourself as my adversary. I'm willing to bet I play more sports video games than you. I know what I'm talking about. This happens in every single sports game. Maybe you're the wall. Despite seeing multiple people talking about the same exact stuff I'm talking about, you turn your nose to it. I guess there's just a lot of delusional people chasing an invisible dragon. I really hope SDS gives free copies of The Show for defending their honor.

Funny thing is, I got suspended for looking up the amount of games people played and here people are looking up the game I was talking about lol. Is everyone sure they have the right game, though? I don't recall striking out 14 times...then again I do play a lot. And if I hammer 2 pitches that go foul, then get a check swing strikeout, that doesn't necessarily mean I was hitting like dog doo. I'm currently losing a game 24-0 to a guy... but that's because I'm simply not playing anymore. The Show has been playing like absolute garbage the last 5 days, this game was no different so I just set my controller down. You'd swear I was a horrible pitcher if you looked at the box score lol.

I'll respond to everything else about my prior statements at a later time, I kind of forgot about this thread...but I absolutely stand by everything I say about this game.

I just had one of the best batting performances I've had all year. My opponent was pretty easy to predict, I was getting great contact and everything. Just really confident at the plate. Oh... only thing was.... I got 3 hits and lost 2-1. Yup. This game blows and I really wish those who don't see it, did see it. I was nerfed so hard, it's absolutely infuriating. To think I can do everything right without zero results and then see my opponent (who had absolutely no discipline and could not hit) get 2 lefty on lefty home runs in locations I did not place the ball in nor warrant with the release on the pitch meter. The only thing consistent with this game, is how inconsistent it is. That game I just played was appalling, and if ANY of you were me, you'd have definitely been upset. My friend I play with sounds a lot like The Show apologists, yet when he starts experiencing the stuff I complain about, he begins to sound like me...then quickly denies it and tells me I'm full of it. What it feels like is that I was nerfed to help my opponent break his losing streak. There is zero reason that all my good contact, ability to predict his pitches and everything I did to bring home the win, should result in a loss. We are not fully in control of this game, gentlemen. You have 2 opponents...the other person you're playing and all the BS intigrated in this game ie: game scripting, rng, comeback logic, buffing, nerfing. And can I just touch on again how nonsensical a lot of diving stops and catches are? This guy dove for a ball that was going to drop and tie the game incredibly late and the janky animation just vacuumed the ball into his glove. Horrible.

Oh, and recently I got picked off as 99 Mike Trout with all the speed and stealing bells and whistles. No, I did not try to steal, I just took a one step lead. Are pickoffs just random, like everything else in this game? I think so.

@x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN

The guy didn't magically figure me and CC out after looking clueless for half the game. I was pitching as normal, but my pitches were not landing in the zone suddenly even though my control was just fine. Give up a walk, then a bomb on another pitch that landed in a different and random spot. How does the pitching meter determine when it's time for me to hang a ball down the middle? I rarely have poor releases, yet there's always that one pitch that finds itself nowhere where it should be to break up the tie. It feels entirely random to me. I guess my only answer is to accept that the script will be following a completely different logic suddenly. If we're scoreless and hitless through 6 and he has a leadoff hit, better yank my pitcher even if he's only at 42 pitches, because the 6th inning switch has been flipped. That's what I should do, just accept it. But I don't think that is a good thing for The Show. Honestly, I could pull CC and put in the fresh reliever who happens to be pitching like he just got the "out of energy" notice. I can't tell you how many times an absolute monster comes in for my starter, just to get knocked around like I put a 63 overall common on the mound. Played too many games, seen it too many times. I left CC in because I knew I was playing one of those games that would not let me win no matter what I'd do. My bat was nerfed along with everything else I laid out.

I'm in the middle of a game that was going PERFECTLY fine...until we ran into the all too common and game-breaking 6th inning buff. It's either going to be you or your opponent, but this game mechanic pops up frequently and ruins a perfectly competitive game. SDS, for the love of God, let the PLAYERS decide who wins the game...not some BS game mechanic that happens because "it happens in real baseball." This is a video game. It is meant to be fun, not frustrating.

This game had it all.
-Wonky base running from my spammer opponent and slow animations costing me outs
-Unrealistic fielding with diving stops the defy the laws of physics
-99 CC Sabathia magically breaking down at around 60 pitches in the 6th inning. No runs through 5 and then gives up 5 in the 6th. (I remember him being an absolute workhorse throwing complete games on 3 days rest...and SDS has him breaking down at the 60 pitch mark lol)
-Throwing a changeup in the dirt with a good release on the meter only to see it land in the middle of the zone / getting bombed and breaking the tie.
-Multiple diamond fielder errors.
-Balls thrown well inside and being taken for base hits.
-Suddenly losing control on the mound (with the same kinds of releases on the pitching meter) and getting behind in counts.
-Some pitches being hijacked by lag. You throw a fastball outside and it's like a wiffle ball in the wind being taken somewhere completely different. Sometimes the dirt, sometimes the batters leg, sometimes right down the pipe where it gets blasted.

This guy had 0 runs through five innings, scores 5 in the 6th and then doesn't do anything else until the 9th inning with 2 outs once CC was over 100 pitches and out of energy. Once I realize my opponent is being buffed and I'm being nerfed (Every swing I had was a weak fly ball, straight to a fielder or a groundout. Other games I've had those be hits and homers) I just leave my starter in because I realize it's already been coded that my opponent will win no matter what I do. Allows my relievers to regain stamina. I'm sure I'll have a new thing that I hate most about this game at a different time, but to me, if they eradicated this BS 6th / 7th inning switch (and the game scripting) this game could very well be the undisputed sports game champion. As it stands, this is the garbage players can expect from their only option for modern baseball games.

Oh, and when playing my friend yesterday, the tie was broken when my good defensive shortstop committed an error on a routine grounder, and the very next pitch was a 2 run bomb on a pitch that landed in the middle of the zone (though it was not thrown remotely close to that location) So yeah. A really bad performance for The Show so far this weekend. What a mess.

@DrBear100_PSN

Well...we did go from the pitches more or less going where I placed them to a pitch later (when I got the out of energy notice) and immediately hanging a fastball the very next pitch. That, I will accept responsibility for. Not because my pitcher showed any signs of losing control or being gassed prior to that message (nor was my timing off) but because once the notification comes up, the game virtually won't allow you get people out. Same thing goes off in my head starting in the 6th or 7th inning. "Well, my pitcher is only at 53 pitches, but it's 7th inning switch time, so need to think about the bullpen very soon."

The fully fresh lefty vs lefty against a non-power hitter being blasted for a game winner did set off all my alarms, however. It's a game mechanic. To break it down in its simplest terms...let's say you and I are playing NBA Jam: the 2 on 2 over the top arcade basketball game. And let's say I get out to a 45 to 25 lead. Next thing you know, I'll begin missing the majority of my shots and you will begin making the majority of shots. It's to keep the game engaging and give less skilled players a fighting chance. It's a little more complex now, but all major sports games do it.

@PAinPA_PSN
That's what I'm thinking. Assuming it's not a blowout, I stick in the game because I know there's a very good chance my hits will magically start dropping, finding gaps or get blasted over walls. I've had many of these comebacks. As long as you're disciplined, you're going to make the game interesting because that's what it was designed to do.

@Demadrio_PSN
You can accept it in real life, because you're seeing it happen. Physics and various other factors determine the outcome. In a video game, it doesn't exactly work the same way. It just reads as "that's what the coding decided."

@x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN

Would you say the same thing about a protest against something people find unjust? If potheads didn't shut up about the issue, would that be legal? I don't want to delve into all the examples...but let's just say "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Persistence pays off. Might just take another game developer listening to The Show critics and implementing those ideas into a new baseball franchise, which would blow The Show and all other comeback logic sports games out of the water. Some people have switched to a Japanese series, if you don't believe me.

Here's the report of the game I just played...and won!

Quick points:

• I had 6 hits, 4 of which were home runs. First game off of yesterday's robbery and my bats all of a sudden have pop. Tons of good contact, well timed swings going foul or straight to the defenders...but it evened out with the solo shots I was hitting.
• My opponent had 1 hit through 7 innings. As soon as the 7th hit, my pitcher suddenly starts losing control. Throwing balls which I had placed in the zone and timed up well. He gets a walk, followed by a hit and a run. Now it's 3-1. I end up hitting a top 9 home run to bring it to 4-1, but in the 9th he rattles off another 2 hits. I held on and won, but the game scripting + buffing and nerfing were as blatant as ever.
• His pitching patterns were easy. Inside to righties, outside on lefties and some slight variations. I picked it up early on and was still only able to get 6 hits. Tons of good hits that were easy, uneventful outs. I had a good timed swing that went WAY foul. Tons of inconsistencies here. 4 homers is good and all, should've probably been 8 lol.
• Last thing I'll say: this guy had a good record, a lot more W's than L's. His stats with hitters were good and he didn't strike out until the 9th inning. I had 2 K's all game. He had plenty of loud contact, but yet I held him to 5 hits. If I didn't know any better, I think SDS nerfed this guy like crazy and set me up for the win, since it stole the one I earned last night. I just want games to be legit and free of any outside influence.

Blatant game scripting. Had a 1 run lead + no-hitter going into the 9th against a guy who could not hit, nor lay off of junk. I had 22 strikeouts with my starter, to give you an idea. I had 1 hit, we could argue the results of that... but I don't have any stand out robberies on that side. I just sucked...but drew 3 walks, so there's that. And as I have experienced many times (in my favor) the 9th inning walk off buff was activated. He can't touch me all game, so his reward for hanging in there are 2 straight home runs to cap the "exciting" contest! It happens SO often, it is not a coincidence. It is not. It's comeback logic, it's gamescripting, it's RNG, it's whatever you want to call it. One thing it is not is fun, nor satisfying. I feel like I was cheated out of my time in order to give my opponent a dopamine boost, because walkoffs are fun! I had one against my friend the night before. That whole game I felt I had plenty of good hits. The home run that won me the game in extra innings was not nearly as good... yet, I still got the end of the game home run buff and capped off an exciting comeback against my friend. (Oh, did I mention I hit a 2 run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th to take the game to extras?) It's like, dude....it's fun in the moment and all. I feel good for having won...then realize my turn is coming to lose a game in dramatic fashion. It's a seesaw. Buff you for a game or two. Nerf you for a game or two. Just let the games play out based on skill. Enough with the game scripting garbage. Video games in general are becoming too controlled and scripted.

Every year they announce Madden is still broken, it's really disheartening. I would have 100% bought this year...but the simulation stats in franchise mode are out of whack and that is enough to ruin my experience for what I'm looking for in the game.

That said, I can usually go 3-5 years without getting a new iteration of a game...but then I always get the itch. I have those conversations withy myself, but at the end of the day, I like sports games. It's the same thing with Burger King. I go once in a blue moon, whereas it used to be one of my favorite things when I was younger. Every time I'm done eating there now, I have a horrible stomach ache. Same thing goes for Ramen. Yes, I'd be running at peak efficiency if I could stay disciplined and avoid those things no matter how tasty I find them in the moment. Same goes for sports games. My love of sports games goes all the way back to the Super Nintendo era. I could be like you and just vote with my wallet...but there's simply not enough people doing that, so NBA 2K, Madden and MLB The Show have a monopoly on their respective sport. Giving up something you love isn't exactly easy. Even if it has turned into something you don't like / recognize anymore.

@yankblan_PSN , @x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN

Unhealthy, sure. Should probably put my time elsewhere, but I've always enjoyed sports games and I really wish more people would speak up. People know Madden has been bad for over 10 years, but the desire to play a football game is real. Imagine the frustration knowing there's no alternative and getting a horrible product year after year. I thought 2K was different, then they sold out. I really thought SDS was different, then they sold out too. There's 100% something to it. All 3 games thrive off the ultimate team model. I'm sure they've figured out methods to keep people coming back. I'm sure I'm not far away from the game where I'm getting 15 hits and 8 runs, to get me re-invested and forgetting why I ever disliked this game in the first place. Just like "bar science" for anyone familiar with Bar Rescue. There's a calculated approach and different tricks to get people to spend more money at the bar.

P.S. Did you read anything @PriorFir4383355_XBL wrote? He hit the nail on the head with his post.

@PriorFir4383355_XBL

That's one heck of a post, and really words how I feel about The Show (along with NBA 2K and Madden too) in a way that I couldn't seem to articulate.

@x-814-x-MAFIA-x_PSN

Actually, yes I have.

(https://forums.theshow.com/topic/79132/first-game-s-since-early-august-re-opening-my-discussion-on-the-state-of-the-show)

I've always been incredibly fair and even. I'm constantly calling this game out when I have things go wrong AND when I have things go right. I have games where I come out cracking, like 4 hits and 5 runs in the first 2 innings which more often than not results in my opponent quitting / cutting off the fun I'm having. So I don't like the game to play poorly for me or my opponent. I can accept a loss, but like @PriorFir4383355_XBL said, it depends how the loss plays out. If I legitimately mess up on the pitch meter and hang a curveball in the middle of the zone and get blasted...that's one thing. If I pitch the ball inside, out of the strike zone, and get blasted on an early timed swing? Well then...I might just have to talk to the forum about it.

@Talkingben9558_XBL
The people that supported me were able to articulate their points, yet you just came in with the weak arguments I've heard time and again. Do you have anything better for me?

This goes back to arcade / simulation. MLB The Show wants to be both and therefore is neither. Excessive homeruns makes it arcade-y. Errors, randomness and things that happen in real life makes it simulation. I'd honestly prefer the game just ditch the simulation, real life baseball BS. In real life, I can accept a home run I see someone hitting...because it literally happened in front of your eyes and you can't argue with the physics or result. A video game doesn't have those same graces. It needs to be consistent to a degree... because a lot of the random stuff that happens doesn't feel like "real baseball" but rather some nonsense coding to make you lose the game. I've had enough success in this game to know what it looks like. When that formula results in me losing the game decidedly, of course I'm going to call it into question.

Haven't made one of these posts in a while, probably because I've been minimizing the time I'm on this disaster of a game. It was playing well enough, not perfect, but not alarmingly bad...until today.

Once again, this game's inconsistencies are glaring. My thoughts are well known on the downfalls of this game, so let me give you a quick checklist of the sins that occurred during my first game of the day:

1. Opponent might have had perfect check swing success in this game. I don't recall a check swing of his ever being called for a strike. On the flip side, I don't recall a single one of my check swings not being called a strike. That level of randomness probably played a huge role in the result of this game.

2. I had one hit the entire game. Perfect perfect line outs to the second baseman, loud fly outs directly to outfield, etc. In other games I've played, those are gappers or home runs.

3. My opponent had 10 hits, 4 of which were home runs. His home runs came off late timing, early timing, early timing and I didn't see the fourth one, but judging by the crack of the bat, it was average contact at best. Saw him getting hits on very early timing and so on.

4. Diamond fielder error. I don't remember if this cost me or not, but when I'm being nerfed in so many ways, this definitely stuck out like a sore thumb.

Basically, it felt like I was meant to lose that game, no matter what. Video games shouldn't feel that way. That's why so many people hate Madden. There are plays where you get sacked immediately. Not because you're bad at the game, but because the game decided you were going to get sacked. No good. No good at all.

Just popping in to be the devil's advocate here. I don't know about how long he's been making these kinds of posts and won't fault him for it... but here's one thing I would suggest for the makers of the game. Instead of expecting players to come to San Diego, why doesn't SDS go meet with the players where they're at, and get updated face scans there? I'm sure people will list some logistical things, but I think the number 1 reason is SDS isn't interested in giving players quality of life things / updates that show they care about the general user experience. Now, on the other hand... if they could use the new face scan to try and sell us another 99 card, I could see them being interested. There's gotta be some monetary gain or they won't bother.

@yankblan_PSN

That I can concur with. Kinda also my point in regards to the dad. Scrambling / competing for a ball is a young person thing. I also don't think anyone would describe it as civil. I think there's a fair amount of people who would have been irritated if they were the woman who it did happen to. Though, the vast majority of adults wouldn't have pursued the situation and demand the ball back upon seeing it went to a kid.