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Franchise manage mode. Wind blowing out at 9 mph in White Sox ballpark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Xif99EjEk

482 ft.

@SaveFarris_PSN said in Looking at the front page franchise 1,000 topics and 5,000 posts. Storylines 9 topics 33 posts:

The only metrics that matter are the ones we can't see.

SDS has the amount of time spent playing each mode somewhere in the server data and that is the only metric that they care about.

It's a pet project. Meanwhile I'm not the only franchise user who doesn't buy the game every year because of lack of attention for the developers.

Not trashing the game. I love it. Just stating the obvious.

@Dolenz_PSN said in Looking at the front page franchise 1,000 topics and 5,000 posts. Storylines 9 topics 33 posts:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in Looking at the front page franchise 1,000 topics and 5,000 posts. Storylines 9 topics 33 posts:

With all the potential additions to franchise that are neglected annually why are they spending developer hours on a mode that has miniscule interest.

I am not saying that Franchise doesn't need some love but comparing the forum sections is the wrong way to gauge interest. Storylines provides cards that are used in DD so most discussions about Storylines ends up in the DD sub-forum.

Plus the Storylines sub-forum only has posts from this year, making me think it was a new sub-forum while the Franchise sub-forum has been accumulating posts for, what appears to be, 6 years with messages dating back to 2019

This forum has 47 posts to 1 topic a week ago. 33 in a year?

With all the potential additions to franchise that are neglected annually why are they spending developer hours on a mode that has miniscule interest.

@PriorFir4383355_XBL said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@TheBigPapa55_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

WBC mode in Franchise or we’ll boycott

Too much work to be done on the base franchise for them to add world baseball classic. I don't boycott but I skip every other year because of no y2y.

Skip is something one does because the game doesn't advance enough each year to justify yearly purchase. Boycott is what is done when customers determine the company isn't giving the game the proper attention.

Each is a choice. But, many of us have now reached the point of concluding that the second option is well called for!

I understand completely. I could go on a long rant about the changes they have made that were poorly implemented but that would do no good. Progression doesn't match scouted projection for draft picks is an example of them implementing something new that is broken from day one. It's frustrating to see that kind of stuff happen when other obvious things like Y2Y never make it in the game but it is what it is.

The blurb about gameplay being overhauled has my attention but there is no way to find whether it's an improvement without buying the game. Without Y2Y that's the only thing that will get me to throw away my franchise and start over.

@TheBigPapa55_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

WBC mode in Franchise or we’ll boycott

Too much work to be done on the base franchise for them to add world baseball classic. I don't boycott but I skip every other year because of no y2y.

@TheBigPapa55_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

Cards mainly, but uniforms, stadiums, icons, and sponsorships too. Again, mainly cards.

Not my thing but thanks for the reply.

@howelljake17_MLBTS said in 26 Franchise Mode New Features Discussion:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS definitely agree with only 6 rounds, eventually young depth is hard to find. especially in relievers. I love playing deep into a franchise and im always having to poach prospects from other teams for my minor leagues so I don’t have to sign 35 year old 55 ovr guys to fill out my pitching staffs.

What's strange is when they re-worked the draft they apparently didn't realize the scout projections don't match actual progression in the game. These are the developers assigned to franchise. I don't expect it to be fixed.

@Talkingben9558_XBL said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS
The currency in MLB the show

I'm franchise exclusive for many years. What do you buy with stubs?

@ebbets1957_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@Talkingben9558_XBL Respectfully disagree, Autobots that continually and immediately always bid a stub higher is a problem.

Pardon my ignorance but what are stubs?

@RiceRiceBaby15_PSN said in 26 Franchise Mode New Features Discussion:

I’d love to see the coaching aspect expanded upon. Let your coach level up have an archetype really good ideas. Maybe let retired players become coaches or create a manager maybe.

Potential ratings should be changed to player development like normal, star & superstar.
Doesn’t put a cap on any players overall so to speak.

If a player outperforms his development for a few months give goals to achieve for the next couple weeks with that specific player to up his development trait.

Player progression and regression needs sliders period….. some of the games stars are in their mid 30s and they become unusable very quickly.

Bring in a system for free agency that has an interest level for signing with your team.

Backloaded & front-loaded contracts must come back period.

Training needs to actually mean something at some point. Maybe make it an XP system that you get after every week or month to increase attributes for players.

I’d like to have a legacy board that shows who makes it into the HOF even if I’m in year 2050 to see who’s made it all those years. Maybe make it a WAR thing for players to reach to make the HOF.

CUSTOM DRAFT CLASSES.

More trade slots would be pretty great too.

I post this only because you may not be aware. I wasn't until recently. There is a random dice roll for every player determining the progression and regression curve. That is separate from potential. In my franchise I don't see good enough progression to sustain a franchise long term given the draft is limited to 7 rounds.

@howelljake17_MLBTS said in 26 Franchise Mode New Features Discussion:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS I don’t disagree with game play, but that impacts every game mode, I was just thinking of franchise specific things that can bring the mode to the next level!

Perhaps. I don't play other modes and know nothing about them. Do other modes also have manage mode like franchise?

@howelljake17_MLBTS said in 26 Franchise Mode New Features Discussion:

Hey everyone! I’ve been playing franchise mode for a long time and wanted to share some of my thoughts that I think would help the game feel a little more personable.

I am a big sim guy, so some of these ideas are centered around stuff that’s not actually in the game, but specific to the mode.

1. Popularity/Fans

I think it could be fun to tie in fandom into the franchise experience a little bit more. More popularity leads to more fans in the stands and more money to spend. Top prospects debuting and big trades or big signings could boost popularity too.

2. Coaching Staffs

Manager Archetypes: I think it could be interesting if prospective managers had an archetype that could elevate your team in different ways.

• Player Development: This archetype would lead to faster progression for younger players/top prospects in the big leagues
• Old School: This would lead to slower/stunted regression for older players.
• Fan Favorite: This could be a popular former player that leads to increased popularity from fans (and increased chance to resign players in FA)

3. Front Office Identity

Team would have an “identity” in their team makeup. This aligns with market size kinda. Certain teams horde prospects and will not (or rarely) trade their young guys for a star. On the contrary there are teams that are constantly trading top prospects for stars. Then there are the teams that will trade stars in arbitration for prospects too. Could be a fun new dynamic to trading in the Show.

4. Free Agency

Minor League Contracts! I know a lot of people want that for signing aging veterans.

Also - I know players have preferences (location, coaching staff, etc) but I think it should matter more to Free Agents (sometimes). Just like in real life - some players prefer location, some want top dollar.

5. Rivalries

This has to do with expanding quirks for players. Some players kill rival teams, while for others the “lights are too bright”. I thought this could work for player v player too when one guy beats up on the other it can grow the rivalry.

6. Storylines

This is basically just a module on the mode that contains the same info you see in game on the bottom ticker. As someone who doesn’t play a lot I enjoy seeing the content that displays in game. When guys hit milestones, who gets traded, who got put on waivers, that kind of stuff.

7. AI Announcing!

This is the biggest undertaking on the list (or so I think). I think implementing some AI in announcing could lead to a more fun, dynamic in game experience. You could have enhanced storylines like a guy playing against his hometown team, a guy who is absolutely owning another player (ie rivalries) and other things like that without it being so cookie cutter after a while.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you read this far, thank you!

That sounds like the kind of things they would implement. I'd like to see them fix gameplay. Perhaps the new ball physics they mentioned in the first announcement will do that but I'll believe it when I see it.

@VF1S_Rick_Hunter_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

I’ll start by saying this free agent system is much better than what they had previously, but it still can be improved. It wasn’t realistic to see all the offers and associated player interest level for each free agent in prior versions of the Show. I think bringing back options and back/front loading would be good. I think having a target board of free agents each team is interested in is realistic, although an improvement might be having 3 primary target free agents and 3 secondary target free agents. I think interest level growing each week is a bit contrived, but there is some logic in that if I’m focused only on top end free agents OFs like Tucker and Schwarber, I might miss the chance to sign Grisham. I like that it is realistically harder to sign a top end free agent if my team (Angels) has no hope of winning.

I don’t play Madden, but the Show’s version seems more realistic than all 32 teams offering each free agent a contract on day 1 of free agency. I’m not going to offer a contract to Grisham and have him take a 40 man spot until I’ve heard back from Tucker or Schwarber.

Why wasn't that realistic. MLB general managers are on the phone with agents constantly during the offseason to know where they stand. The new 3 player limit is unrealistic. It reminds me of the morale system which was unrealistic and poorly implemented.

I haven't experienced that and it would be very frustrating. I make sure to have multiple saves. Did you try loading a different save file to see if you get a different result?

@PriorFir4383355_XBL said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@VF1S_Rick_Hunter_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

SDS not going to add cap and floor until MLB does. I’d rather SDS spend the time and effort to improve CPU trade logic, CPU free agent signing logic, CPU rebuilding team strategy and CPU scouting/draft logic.

What did you think of the free agent system the put in place for MLBTS 25? Only 3 players and interest improves the longer you keep them on the board.

I think the best comparison point is to compare MLB The Show to other sports video games. And SDS firmly loses this comparison. Madden NFL is the most successful sports video game, and when you enter free agency you have every one of the 32 NFL teams listed with their offers. This includes your former team. You get to select the offer you like most and they do vary significantly. You can even re-sign with your original team.

To limit the free agency in MLB The Show to merely three teams is laughably substandard in that measure.

In the coding world, this stuff is easy. There is no reason for SDS to avoid matching their competition in this area other than it isn't their focus.

My issue is it's unrealistic. I've never played March to October but my impression is it's full of gimmicks like this. Limiting me to only 3 free agents at a time and the player's interest increases the longer I keep him on my board is contrived. I suspect whoever came up the the goofy morale system a few years ago came up with this. Keep all that stuff in March to October.

@VF1S_Rick_Hunter_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

SDS not going to add cap and floor until MLB does. I’d rather SDS spend the time and effort to improve CPU trade logic, CPU free agent signing logic, CPU rebuilding team strategy and CPU scouting/draft logic.

What did you think of the free agent system the put in place for MLBTS 25? Only 3 players and interest improves the longer you keep them on the board.

@Dolenz_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS I think when they removed them from RTTS they just decided to remove them from the game altogether.

I personally wish they were still in for both modes.

A lot of us do. Unfortunately some of the things the add are not realistic. The new free agent system is just contrived to try to make it entertaining and does not resemble what really happens.

@Dolenz_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@Dolenz_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

Year to year saves.

I loved the idea of year to year saves for RTTS and Franchise. They actually, in my mind, were a reason to buy the new version of the game knowing that you would not lose your progress.

That said, I can also understand how year to year saves could potentially handcuff developers wanting to make more sweeping changes to those modes by having to make sure it would work with older save files.

They used to have it in the game and I saw no difference in the number of new things added. It only saves roster files and current season standings/schedule. They stopped doing it the same time they expanded to multiple platforms. I believe they simply don't want to spend developer hours to write the code for platforms beyond playstation. It's doable. They just don't want to spend developer time on it.

Changes were minor in the old days. It was removed when they completely changed the mode and added in Archetypes (in 18?) which was the single biggest change up to that point. I was a RTTS player exclusively in those days and Archetypes was kind of the beginning of the end for me and RTTS

Strangely, even though it sounds like they have gone back more to the old ways this is the very first year that I have not even created a RTTS player

I don't know about archetypes in franchise. They have said y2y could return in the future which means it is possible if they choose to spend the hours on it across all platforms.

@Dolenz_PSN said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in My Must-Haves To Purchase MLB The Show 26:

Year to year saves.

I loved the idea of year to year saves for RTTS and Franchise. They actually, in my mind, were a reason to buy the new version of the game knowing that you would not lose your progress.

That said, I can also understand how year to year saves could potentially handcuff developers wanting to make more sweeping changes to those modes by having to make sure it would work with older save files.

They used to have it in the game and I saw no difference in the number of new things added. It only saves roster files and current season standings/schedule. They stopped doing it the same time they expanded to multiple platforms. I believe they simply don't want to spend developer hours to write the code for platforms beyond playstation. It's doable. They just don't want to spend developer time on it.