MLB The Show 18 Gameplay Video - 22-Minute Video Explaining the Gameplay Changes

Awesome story

Is that an Orioles logo behind Goldschmidts head?

Okay...that's brand new.

Anybody notice any new equipment?
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Yes, and Ramone even pointed out while it's on screen that the game is still in development.
Hmm... he also hints at the commentary turned off because there's something new there. :y220a:

Anything on franchise mode?

A little MVP borrowing there. Glad to see they put that in.

Too much dead air in this. Game is looking good though. I wonder if the emotions involve the umpires too.

What is the function of that?
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Gameplay trailer had face shields!
Still didnt see any Nike catchers equipment... I REALLY hope they add more catchers equipment brands this year!

Not sure if i heard right but the only mention of franchise was that there was something new called "phases" ???
Sounds as though the majority of changes are in RTTS. Sigh.

Damn....can't view at work. :(

A few things I noticed:

• New body type for Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. They dont look like midgets walking up to the bat anymore
  
• Sonny Gray has a new windup and its perfect.
  
• Players flex their fingers and stuff on the bat, which is cool.
  
• Yankee Stadium textures and lighting look great.
  
• Very cool cut scene from Monument Park that's new
  
• Gary Sanchez has a new face and looks like himself.
  

I love the fact the finally redid the tagging engine...till I saw a pickoff and the first baseman swiped his glove straight through the runner like they’ve done for...well always :(
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Phases to me seems like something similar to madden where they would break down parts of the season in stages. Not really a anything new if that is the case.
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It's a visual timing feedback osd. It will show where your bat was at the point of contact. The green zone being your perfect timing. Giving you a visual is a lot more telling than just the word "late" showing up in the feedback for example.

I like what I heard for the most part. It seems like RTTS got a lot of focus this year and the only thing mentioned about franchise mode was Phases. I really hope they have put some focus on franchise mode and not just RTTS.

A few quick impressions from the IGN gameplay video and trailer:
PRO: Improved player emotions/personalization. Improved crowd reactions to big plays. Graphics still look great. Looks like they added more equipment. Face-shields on helmets made it in this year. 7th inning stretch cut scenes. Replays are improved.
CONS: Still see a lot of legacy player animations. (Slides, Diving catches, casual throwing)
Overall - looks like SDS once again listening to consumer feedback on alot of these "little things" that go a long to the overall experience. Just wanted to say i appreciate this. Looks like a winner so far.

Pretty sure I saw Bregman with Marucci batting gloves.

Nothing to get too excited about just yet, the main additions seemingly being that they've fixed the things that were broken and are selling them as new features (tagging, catcher being a sloth in a human suit). The real news for me at least will be the actual new features, rather than fixes and tiny details like new hats or catcher gear.
The only thing they let slip on that front was the addition of "phases" in franchise mode (could be good if it means better roster and trade logic) and apparently more stuff for RTTS (couldn't care less, but not everything can be aimed at everyone).
Mainly excited that the news is starting to come! More please...

I know this is a gameplay trailer but there wasn't even a hint about PSVR support. I really hope the game gets VR support.

Yeah. I know it would seem gimmicky to a lot of people on this board but I've been looking for an excuse to get into VR and The Show would be the perfect way to do it.
I'm one of the probably handful of people who actually enjoyed the Move control thing during the PS3 generation.

Love all this stuff and the game looks amazing.
I am a bit worried about franchise mode, I hope it is not becoming the neglected mode every year. They mentioned that road to the show got an overhaul but they don't really promote or seem excited for franchise mode. WE will see
Game looks amazing tho!

What equipment did you notice?

Awesome if true!! Hopefully Mizuno batting gloves have been added as well!

Yeah, but at what cost though? They usually remove stuff when they add new equipment.
EDIT: Marucci batting gloves are in.

Thought i saw new UA cleats on Judge and new Nike cleats on Goldschmidt. I Could be wrong. Didnt recognize the color pattern on either example so it appeared new to me.
http://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/05/mlb-the-show-18-new-features-overview-az-vs-nyy-gameplay-ps4-pro-1080p60fps
Goldy - 2:15 mark
Judge - 5:00 mark
Maybe someone can verify?

9:05 mark in the Gamespot video has Didi Gregorious with new Nike Cleats that weren't in 17 I think.

Im guessing Nike catchers equipment wasnt added... Otherwise we would have saw it on Sanchez.
I hope I'm wrong!

Yea good point... :brickwall

I’m guessing this video was from a while back because Aaron Boone wasn’t the manager and the skin tones looked all wonky.
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The actual managers usually don't get added until the year after they're hired. Joe Maddon was a generic his first year with the Cubs. Ditto with Dusty Baker and the Nats (RIP). Boone probably got the same treatment.

Hopefully with the improved crowd AI, they will be able to fix certain overreations. Situations like the entire stadium going wild after a random strikeout, the crowd standing after a routine groundball, or still going crazy several pitches after a HR. As for the strikeouts, I still noticed the whole crowd jumping to its feet after the first two Gray K’s, but the reaction to the third strikeout was beautiful (majority of the crowd stayed in their seats while cheering). The reaction to the Andujar homer was fine, but it continued too long into the next AB. If you watch a real life MLB game, pretty much everyone is seated by the time the first or second pitch is thrown to the next batter.
Not to be too nitpicky, but those are just a couple of minor things that could really help the crowd feel more realistic and less like a “video game crowd.” The dev team always does a great job addressing the little things that help make the game so realistic. The hands moving on the bats, the net over monument park, facial expressions after each pitch, etc. They all go a long ways.

Boone most likely won't be in until next year. What I don't like is how the generic manager has a beard! Silliness, as the Yankees don't allow beards. Same thing happened in The Show 08, when I started a Franchise my Manager looked like Bill Bellamy.

Hahahaha
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About time Sanchez made it to San Diego for his face scan. Still notice the enormous interlocking NY logo on the helmets even though the bat boys logo is the right proportion. Why can't that be fixed? Must be something in the code?
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Haven't read yet but I hope they put in a ton of new throwing animations, or at least a feature to "Urgent/Quick throw" the long canned throwing ani's are decent in infield but Outfield those guys snap an sling it more like catchers.
The show has struggled with this as theres very fine positioning you Need to do just to get the "doable" gun a runner out animation.

Since I didn't see anyone else mention it I'll go ahead and do it...looks like old school flapless helmets are in!
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The game does seem more fluid, but I am going to have to wait for more of the upcoming streams to make a decision this year.
Graphics do look pretty dang good.

They just have to be coaching/managing the prior year. Joe Maddon was with the Cubs his first season in MLB The Show.

They were in 17....

May be very minor to some, but the front jersey numbers need some love. Looked like in those clips they hadn’t been addressed. Obviously, I am aware that the new art may not be in the build. Just hoping it is a priority this year.
The Brewers Jerseys look really bad when comparing the the real assets to the ones in 17.
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Didnt realize they where. Probably why it wasn't mentioned, lol.
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Can anyone confirm if they added the LED lights design around the stadium ?

What LED lights design do you mean?

Looks like Goldschmidts are just the Air Clippers from last year and i know in the Gamespot video Sanchez and Gregorious appear to be wearing the new Trouts.
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The game needs new player models, new cloth physics, all kinds of franchise changes, overhauled pitching, and we in here talking about brands. I mean really, we are talking about brands. Not what really matters, not what really matters, but brands. We are talking about brands. I mean how silly is that?!

Hopefully they added in the new Nike Hurache Elite cleats that are new this year. A few guys were wearing them in the playoffs last year.
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Top quality work as usual.... Just take my $70 right now... facts.

Not silly at all :)
Everyone here loves the game, and the details within the game. Brands are a big thing in sports, and especially baseball because of what every athlete wears. It's cool to see that in a video game.
Of course a lot of people want to see what you want as well, but we all know they aren't going to address that right away. And that's okay!
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it's just about time I hit that pre order button on the PS store me thinks

Sadly the first thing I scanned for. With Nike under contract, why can't we equip the catchers? Or get the swoosh on wristbands?

Yea, I dont get it.
We have the Nike symbol wrist brace thing but we cant get Nike wristbands or forearm bands?
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I quit playing the show around the same time I stopped posting on this forum which was June 17. A major reason was the frisbee ball curve they added which caused base hits to go foul and in turn inordinately low scoring games in manage mode. Have they fixed the problem?
https://youtu.be/rMqEv5qa2QA?t=695
A baseball is not a frisbee. A baseball is a baseball.

I just noticed they have Stantons Helmet with the face protector! thats new isn't it? wasn't in last years game

Correct, they added this year.
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another thing I noticed is the sound effect at yankees stadium when a home run was hit, that is also added in from last year.

Noticed that shot from monument park had the net over it. Couldn’t tell if the net was there during actual gameplay though.

noticed that too
Miguel Andujar portrait wasn't in the game either. and he played in the majors last year
I also love how Ramone said fans will start to leave if a team is being blown out! about time... I hope also the crowd sound bored and don't cheer if their team is down by 10 in the 9th innings, and more quiet so I hope it sounds that way too not just looks

It was there during gameplay. Saw it on a few balls hit in the OF.

Really pleased with what was discussed with focusing on core gameplay elements. That is where 17 really fell apart for me, to the point of taking a break from it. Gameplay is what it is all about, you could have every bell and whistle in the game but if the game does not flow well all that other stuff is lost.
There are a lot of game play details unfortunately we will not have an answer on and can only be answered by playing it. I also really, really hope they addressed the frequency of the suicide squeeze by the CPU. Seems to be the CPU's play of choice way too often.

A golf ball isnt a frisbee either, yet it can have a ton of spin to make it look like so. If they toned it down a TINY bit it would be perfect.

They worked on ball physics again so stay tuned to the gameplay blog to see what is different
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At about 14:20 Ramone says there is more info about rain to come. I wonder if we get rain delays? I am loving the new swing feedback.

it has to be, either that or it's just rain graphics changes. guess we will see lets hope for rain delays and double headers

He mentioned they re did the rain and fog before and then also said there was something else about the rain to talk about later so hopefully both!

Isn't that just the magnus effect of a spinning ball in air? Maybe it's too much though..

Now if only they'd copy Hitters Eye. ;)

I am a graphics man, but even I know that had to be a serious focus on this franchise. Looks like that part is at least doing well.

he mentioned a feature that we had been asking about for years so hoping this is it!!
that would bring a lot of strategies into the game,
maybe variable weather? I am not sure how rain delays would work because it would just simply be a cut scene and 10 seconds later it's a hour later in the game

Pitching motions look 10X better than last year if Gray and Ray are any indication. Still way too many pitchouts, my god how is that still a thing?

Why does the batter walk up show handedness instead of player position?!?!
Please tell me it’s not like this again this year
:brickwall
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If expansion is on the table, I hope retraction is as well.
Cant keep replaying 1960/70/80's classic rosters with 30 teams.

Looks exactly like 17 to me. No improvement to player animations at all, zero, 10 years on next gen and they still cant get players loads and strides mo-capped correctly, they just let them morph into the generic load and stride. Do we at least have correct ball physics this year? Who knows.

Will wait to see more as the release goes forward. I didn't expect too much. Last year's game was awful. This one still looks aged on the graphics front. We'll see.

Something I noticed watching the video was that Jake Lamb's swing was noticeably longer (as was Tomas as well). I don't know if that is incidental, or will be reflected in the options but it's very nice.
Also, I don't have 17 in front of me to compare, but the catcher catching the ball seems a bit more fluid.
And yeah, enough with the pitch outs.
You don’t care where I sent this from

This is the fourth iteration on PS4.. ? I guess you're counting when it came to PS3..

Lol. Didn't take long.
Game is not finished! What we saw today won't necessarily be in the final build. We go through this every year.
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Yes there's still time but every year we are told the same thing about this not being the final build and ultimately very little if anything actually changes once the final build is released so I think it's fair to be skeptical, within reason.

Correct. PS3 and PS4 are both considered next gen.

What do you think is going to change between now and release date? Goldy, Peralta and Didi all have the same wrong motions as they have had since they first debuted in the show. They arent going to magically update the players motions that they havent cared to correct for years now.

You just joined today. I've been on these forums for 9 years. In that time I have heard this exact same thing more than I can count. You would be surprised what can be changed between now and release. I've seen it. I am in no means bragging about my tenure. Just letting you know to let things play out.
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We go through this every year because the player models still look PS2 /PS3 and it makes the game look the same every year .. They work on judges chambers ,kings court, batflips stuff that really should come after you get the players right ..There is not enuough differential in body types and looks of the players to make the game look any different so the game looks the same every year .. Here is another thing should be in before that other stuff ..Plus why cant we move players in the batters box ? Give me that over the fluff stuff ..
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LOL, OK.. Do you understand what the word next means?

So you think they are going to update those motions along with the hundreds others that are wrong in the next month? I have also been around this place since it was Madden Mania and have owned every iteration of the show since it came to PS3. I know all too well what they do and dont do with this game no matter how much feedback they get from their customers.

Animations and models are not changing from this point and they never have before. They will probably fix colors and smaller details in the next few weeks, but the animations are set in stone.

People who complain about the player models STOP complaining and don’t buy the game...but we all know you will.

That’s all everyone does nowadays we don’t like something let’s complain about it San Diego studios is not a big game company I think the game every year is great buy rbi if you’re gonna complain.

I will take punctuation for $200.

Hey man, there are some apostrophes in there...nailed the "you're"

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned in this thread but I noticed the 2nd base ump's animation is exactly the same as 17 and I think 16. He always looks over his shoulder before every pitch. WHY OH WHY SDS???

The 2nd base umpire is involved in some shady business in the offseason and since he knows that retaliation is sure to come, he finds himself constantly looking over his shoulder in anticipation of being attacked, instead of paying attention to the game like he is supposed to do. :ohno:

The game looks great from what I saw today. I do have one MAJOR issue, and that is with the score bug. Is it really necessary that it keeps flashing MLB The Show 18 on the right side of the score bug after fouls and balls in play. It is REALLY distracting to the eye. Maybe this can be removed?

Tbh i don't think the pitching motions are looking that great this year. They still aren't paying nearly enough attention to landing position. Sonny Gray lands drastically towards 1st base off balance every pitch. But in the game he lands square pretty much.


Same thing with Robbie Ray, they don't pay attention too much to the end of the delivery, follow through


To me that's one of the biggest aspects of the delivery, it'd also serve them well to pay attention to the glove position in general, they still don't have it tucked in.

Here we go again after the first release of some game play , Hey Debbie Downer's don't be haters !!!!

This is not just directed at you.
Nothing wrong with constructive criticism. Calling people haters when they simply state their opinion is frowned upon here.
The non constructive criticism and trolling will be dealt with by the mods.
The whole attacking posters who say negative things about the game will not be tolerated this year.
again, this is not just directed at you. but everyone in this forum.

Let me tell you why my thing is more important than your thing. You should be a political analyst.
We are all baseball fans here. We all care about this franchise. Everything can be important to anyone.

the net behind homeplate should be made of much thinner strings. been a real eyesore for years.
what was worse last year was the nearly indivisible net at seafco field. strange nobody else is bothered by this. hope they fixed it. it is nothing like that on tv either. imo there shouldn't be such inconsistencies graphicwise.
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Yes, I understand that. My point was that there is always are rush to judge an unfinished product that is in process as Ramone has stated . Let us give them a chance to show what is new for this year before making any judgements or criticisms of the game.JMHO

Finally got a chance to really sit down and pay attention to the video. Game looks good to me and seems fluid. And I am really liking the changes that have been mentioned thus far in the few videos that have been released. The catcher animations alone are a HUGE fix from last year.
My only bugaboo is the handedness of the batter showing up on the batter walkup.
Really looking forward to hearing more about gameplay on Thursday.

Really hoping they're hiding a broadcast fielding cam till the presentation Twitch stream. I won't necessarily hold my breath, though; Russell made mention about new camera additions, but only hitter and cut scene related. We'll see.
This looks good. Wish night games looked just as good. And get used to seeing a lot of Yankees, Astros, and likely next the Dodgers in these streams.

The one thing I dislike about the streams is they never mix up the teams much. Hell, show Oakland or Kansas City for all I care. Just something different than the Yankees or Dodgers.
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I think rain delays are doable but I'm less sure rescheduled makeup games from rainouts will be on the table anytime soon. Which makes me wonder, if I play a game that goes, say 45 innings, shouldnt that bump into my next game? That would be an interesting experiment.


Sold.
I will accept a contribution to The Human Fund in my name, at your earliest convenience.

I also wish they'd pay some attention to where the pitcher sets up on the rubber (and let us move pitchers from first base side to third base and back again).

People are allowed to criticize the game off of what we have seen so far. We have seen a trailer and gameplay. So why shouldn't people be able to give their opinion on it, good or bad?
I'm sure some stuff will be cleared up in the remaining development time. But the fact is, the game will not see any wholesale changes before launch. So again, nothing wrong with pointing out the negatives along with the positives.
If you feel that shouldn't be the case then that's fine, but this forum is for discussion on the positives and negatives.

Yeah I’m really hoping they remove this and replace it with the player’s position. It’s a head scratcher that they had it in last year and that it looks to be in this year as well. Maybe it’s a minor change they can easily fix before finishing up the game.
Other than that, I like what I’m seeing with the new swing analysis and camera cut scenes between innings. Always liked the presentation but it has gotten a little stale in seeing some of the same cutscenes over the last few versions.
Cant wait to see what more they reveal. Love this time of year when we get more info rolling in.

or leave the handedness and return the position as well.

One of my biggest gripes is always the finishes of the pitchers, but last year they did something weird where guys would be really stiff with their backs throughout the delivery, I wish I could describe that better. They looked a lot better and much more fluid in this video in that regard, but I agree on the landings. Only a couple pitchers finish in the fielding position because they're trying for more velocity which leads to more violent landings with their stride foot.

The more I watch these gameplay videos the more I'm enjoying what I'm seeing. Everything just seems so smooth/fluid. And personally I think it looks pretty darn good.
In '17 when pitching from behind the pitcher, it seemed as though the hitter would swing in slow motion and would always appear to be late on the pitch. I'm not seeing that in these early game play videos.
Also welcoming to hear that the catcher got new animations (100 I think Ramone said). Very much needed, because one of the turnoffs to me last year was the fact that balls in the dirt were automatic base advancement.
And I'm really eager to see the changes to hitting/ball physics. Last year it felt off. Now its hard to tell anything in that regard with these videos and will require hands on play to see if the feeling returns to what I felt with hitting playing '16.
Can't wait to hear more tomorrow during the gameplay stream.

I know that many gamers want absolute "perfection" (and it seems without is some just lose that immersion feeling, even with all the wealth of options given us), but after watching these first few videos I'm just thinking....what a gem that has been given to us. Watching the videos on a 4K TV has moved me to go out and get the PRO (already have the TV).
Damn, baseball fans....rejoice.

Couldn't agree more Knight. I too am going out and getting the Pro this week. My TV is fairly new still, but by the end of the year, I am sure I will upgrade to a 4K.

Glad to see this too. It took them 13 years to catch up to MVP, but this is what I think a lot of us have been asking for. Not the graphic showing the feedback, but confirmation that different contact points exist.
I wonder if the "green" is bigger for better hitters, or is timing the same for everyone?

Hopefully they do something like Madden with hair like Cueto's in this years game. it was too stiff in previous builds.

More of this, please!! No cut-scenes, simple throw back to the pitcher and the pitcher gets back on the rubber.

Is it me or is Goldy's arm sleeves shorter? I know they had it in last year but it seems much more pronounced...I like it. That'll make the 1/2 sleeves that go the elbow actually visible then.

YES YES YES!! :)

An option for a full throwback to the pitcher on every pitch would be a huge incentive to buy this year. I was checking the gameplay footage released to see how they were handling the throwbacks and unfortunately it looked just like last year, i.e. a full throwback only once every 10 pitches or so.

It looks like they still love the "pitcher takes off his cap and wipes his brow" animation. Was hoping they would dump that one...or only use it in late innings and maybe once a game.

https://youtu.be/rMqEv5qa2QA?t=695
Comparing a golf ball struck with a metal golf club to a baseball struck by a wooden bat? Apples and oranges. Top spin is fine but balls curving foul constantly down both foul lines is not even close to reality. That's not how a ball reacts when struck by a wooden bat unless it hits the end of the bat.
Why they introduced that I don't know but it's clear from the video they don't intend to change it. It's their game, they can do whatever they want but it's unfortunate to see the game move closer to arcade instead of sim/reality.

While it may need to be adjusted, that force is a factor of a batted baseball's trajectory in reality. It's called Magnus force.
https://youtu.be/oph9BP4lKjs?t=1m24s

Fixed that just a bit

I'm pretty sure Dock Ellis was shown in one of the screencaps OS had up. Has he been in DD before??
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Was the game that smooth on OG PS4 last year? If the smoothness is because of Pro, I may really think hard about getting one.

I didn't play 17 on the OG PS4, so I couldn't compare, but compared to 16 on the original PS4, the smoothness of High Frame Rate mode on the PS4 Pro cannot be overstated. It plays incredibly at a rock solid 60 fps during gameplay, with only slight occasional hitches during cutscenes. It was the reason I bought a Pro and I don't regret it one bit.

Honestly I haven’t played much of ‘17 to say definitively one way or another
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I've played on both, pro is noticeably more smooth than og ps4
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Why does the second base umpire always look back at center field and touch the top of his head before every pitch still in MLB The Show 18?
Why can't they add a few new animations for him?
I also notice batters running to first base touch the top of their head a lot too.
Lots more animations are really needed for these kind of gameplay moments!

I already asked that question earlier ITT and got made fun of.

Made fun of really? :(
Well in my opinion when you keep seeing the same animations over and over again it makes the game look a lot less life like!
One more issue still is the batter running down to first also hops after crossing the bag sometimes which looks strange and happens more then I would like to see.

I wasn't making fun of you, I was merely making a joke.

John Cena has unfinished business with the second base umpire. You just can't see him!

these LED lights.

Yeah, yours was funny but you didn't answer my question and others basically told me it's my problem and no one else cares.

I never even look at the 2nd base umpire never actually noticed that
as for umpires I have noticed about 99% of all check swings are NEVER a strike. it has been this way for the past 2 years now. there was a time when I would check swing and be nervous about if I went. now I am never scared because I never ever get called on a strike for a check swing now

Literally no one else responded to you or even referenced your post. No one even came close.
No idea who you are referencing when you are saying "others."
And CB was clearly joking.
Also, you're asking a question that no one here will have an answer to if you were really hoping for one. Seemed like more of a rhetorical question to begin with.

I care. :)

This! I hope they finally fix it this year. Of the 46759 check swings in 17 so far I think 2 were strikes.
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There was one year where the ump said you went no matter how soon you checked. They made an adjustment and ever since then check swings have been irrelevant because 99.9% of the time the ump says it's a check swing.

One thing I liked about this video is the crowd and how they reacted to certain aspects of the game (the homerun by the Yanks, the 2 on with 1 out situation for the D'Backs)

I’ll be straight. If they gave me the exact same game as last year but fixed catcher animations, tag animations and runner AI, I’d be psyched. I have zero issues with the way the game looks or plays aside from those isssues 🤷🏻*♂️
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Any word if we are gonna get 4K/ 60FPS? Would be amazing!

They are in. I can tell by the video of gameplay...Also noticed the Judges Chambers, netting on monument park, and the in between inning digital clock beyond the left field bleachers is in...o and the bleachers are actually bleachers!

And if they add a few creeps some deadbeat dads phonies and fake fans in those bleacher seats it will be perfect
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A wooden baseball bat is only round on one axis. Balls don't curve weirdly sideways. For that to happen the bat would have to be round on both axes.
https://youtu.be/rMqEv5qa2QA?t=695
That ball IRL would be fair down the line and possibly an extra base hit. Instead since the show 17 new ball spinning it curves sideways - and down both foul lines it always curves in the direction of foul territory. The result in the only mode I play - manage mode - is fewer hits and less offense. Balls which should be hits become foul balls.
I don't know why this is happening but it is not realistic. It's unfortunate to see it still in the game this year.

The bat is a cylinder and the ball is a sphere. Both of which may have varying degrees of spin along multiple axes at the moment of impact resulting in an incredible array of results. Some of which are most certainly balls curving foul.

How much actual baseball would you say you watch in a year? Cause I gotta be honest, if you haven’t seen balls hook foul or curve off the bat, it must not be much.

Pulled balls probably do curve too much in the game, but they definitely have side spin IRL and turn toward the line more often than not (unless the hitter has crazy quick hands and can keep their hands inside the ball but still pull it). Balls hit the opposite way have even more spin and curve toward the line even more.
Going by your logic, table tennis players shouldn't be able to put spin on their shots because the paddle isn't curved. Obviously that's not the case.

I think you're assuming though that everyone swings flat, thus the cylindrical shape having the round parts on top and bottom instead of the sides. I wouldn't really ever assume that, though.
https://forums.operationsports.com/forums/mlb-show/924468-topspin-phenomenon.html#post2049178417


Now, I agree that with the placement of that pitch and the angle of that swing, that hit probably shouldn't have provided that hit type to such an extreme. To say it can't happen though is just ignoring physics.
Plus, this game used to have a massive issue of not maintaining its spin after it hit the ground, and corner outfielders would be able to take away doubles down the line too easily. I'll take this remedy for now until next-generation's physics are written.

I was just thinking this exactly like a few hours ago. At the very least you will see a hooking hit on sportscenter every other day

Yep, rain delays are in finally!

I wouldn't jump to conclusions. It's great to speculate, but maybe it's something about a slicker field/ball or varied weather during the game (like it can rain in the first couple of innings and then the sun can peek out later). Or maybe games can just be outright postponed. There are plenty of different things to consider.

I think you may have missed the Gamestop Monday trailer.

There's a clip of the umps talking to a manager and then cutting to a screen notifying you of the delay's length and asking whether you want to change pitchers.
Delays are in. :D
Full postponements and rescheduling...that's still up in the air (and I wouldn't bet on it). I'm sure we'll get a definitive answer on those Thursday.

Just the thought of the possibility of changing pitchers strategy has me as giddy as a school girl.

Oops. You're right, I haven't yet caught wind of anything today. I just went straight to my thread subscriptions first.
This is just like last year when I suggested for someone not to jump the gun about stating Reynolds was one of the broadcasters, only to find out I haven't seen the new updated media. :34:

The patch on the right sleeve of the D-backs uniform is metallic and has a gloss over it.

Is that good or bad?

Don't knock it until you've tried it...

I’m a little curious as to by it was raining at Minute Made Park. Why would they choose to have it raining there when the roof should be closed during the rain.

Roof broken
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Pretty sure they did it just to show it off. It won't actually rain in Minute Maid park. It's obvious the roof is open just to show off now the delay works.

We have rain delays in Toronto. Sometimes a game will be delayed 15-20 minutes or so while they close the retractable roof. Maybe the same has happened at Minute Maid Park before.
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Why don't the Jays start closing the roof before the rain gets there? Rain is generally predictable.

I’d like to see it happen more early in the season mostly the bad westher delays early on are in April

Not sure where you are getting that idea from.

Usually they do, but I guess sometimes they're caught off guard and the rain shows up earlier than expected.
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Why did you have to point this out? Never noticed it before, but now I can't look at anything else :D

Well, if they really wanted to show it off, they should have picked the Trop. Now that would have been one mean feat.

Would love to see managers/teams have strategic identities. Ex: teams that wait for 3 run innings VS bunt/hit/run teams...and teams that expect starters to go long VS teams that try the multi-short inning pitchers scheme...(ex: say, in season, you were to play a cpu KC and from scouts’ info you knew they run all the time—you could change pitching rotation to counter it by starting those with quick moves & catcher’s with Better D/great arms).
Also, why not also, give option for real seasonal field wear/tear as the season progresses (which would incorporate groundskeepers into above strategies: if facing speed/running team home team’s ground crew would add extra thick sand around bases, let grass grow longer infield, etc)...so grass would get yellow and have divots in it; get dirt spots by autumn & art turf would have repaired tears in it (teams that shared stadium with football would show chalk marks for historical franchise realism)..
Hope the above makes sense in English (French Canadian speaker)
Bring back the Friggn Expos!!!

Thanks for the reply. It's safe to assume the developers think this
https://youtu.be/rMqEv5qa2QA?t=701
is realistic.

I seriously have no idea what it is that we are supposed to be seeing that is "wrong". :confused:

Yes. That IS realistic! You've never seen a baseball slice in real life?

I will leave this here for anyone who has questions about the factors that cause the ball to curl foul down the lines. It is all physics.
https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/tht-live/the-physics-of-a-foul-down-the-line/
Also, this doesn't even take into account how the spin on the ball coming to the plate can accentuate the spin off the bat to create even more curve down the lines.

So like I said before. Do you watch actual baseball? It really seems like you don’t. Balls slice. Balls curve. I’ve seen guys hook foul balls into the dugout.

It did seem unrealistic when Ramone mentioned things were "farter"...:D
Seriously though, can you give a specific time to scrub to in the video where you feel you see a problem. Remember videos are shown from a WIP build.

I literally spit out drink laughing at that. :spit:

LOL - Freudian slip from Ramone?
Video begins at the appropriate time. If you are interested in user feedback here it is. That ball in the show 16 was fair for a hit down the line. In the show 17 it curves foul - and that same thing happens a dozen times a game. Fewer hits = fewer runs which was the problem in manage mode which is 100% free of human input. Another factor was the new infielder animations which caused infielders to be a bit overpowered.
It is a tricky balancing act I'm sure to get the game to play realistically. I would suggest if you are going to reduce the number of hits in one area you need to find a way to increase hits somewhere else.

Got you. Not so much that the ball curves foul, but the frequency of these types of fouls and how that affects total offensive output.
I know these numbers are examined often while balancing and finding the right "lever or knob" to adjust to get the most realistic results can be a challenge. This was a WIP progress build with human players, so hopefully, the final product with an AI v AI game will be closer to your expectations.

Just watched the "little things" stream and the issue appears to have been addressed. Balls still curve but not nearly as much as in the show 17 and importantly they frequently land in fair territory.
The game looks impressive.

Disregard it’s.......

I umpire. Trust me it slices!! You better be paying attention because the speed of the ball off the bat is insane
Another Planet!!

they curve IRL but not as extreme as in the show 17
https://youtu.be/rMqEv5qa2QA?t=701
That ball was fair 20 feet in front of the bag and made a left turn and landed several feet foul just behind the bag.
The problem was the curve was too extreme and the balls landed foul far too often.
It appeared on the little things steam the problem was fixed but when I watched it a second time I noticed Ramone had foul balls turned off so who knows.

You keep posting that clip to prove your point, yet nothing there is extreme or unrealistic.

That ball JUST sliced foul. What is wrong with that?! That happens in baseball all the time. I've seen balls in real life slice way more extremely than that clip.

Well for only 100 feet of travel that is on the extreme side, but I don't think it's unrealistic. I don't think it would happen from that bat angle and contact point, though. Perhaps I'm mistaken. I'm on the side of "It looks normal to me," though.

I think the point he's trying to make in the show 17 (which I agree with) is that these types of foul balls are far too prevalent and happen on a constant basis. There are way too many instances of hits down the line that just curve foul by inches. The best example of this from 17 is the almost absurd amount of long fly balls that literally land foul by 2 inches! Yes, ball curve is realistic, but not at the rate it happens in 17 and not all balls that curve are foul.
Also, in the video shown of 18, while it doesn't really curve that much, another point that should be made is that, as shown in the Colon video, the ball needs air time to curve like that. In the show 18 video, that ball is barely off the ground. A ball barely off the ground like that is probably not going to curve close to that much and most certainly going to stay fair!
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If there was a batting average for hitting foul balls, I would be hitting over .400 in 17 with solid contact. Between the lines? I was lucky to get past the Mendoza line. Hitting was whacked out last year.

It was never any better. What version do you honestly think hitting wa better in?

Personally I like the hitting in '16.
As an overall game, I think that '16 is the best of the series.

I hit well with 11,13,14,15. Things started to slide in 16 and 17 was a disaster for me.

It is called age. We getting old! :splat:
:crazy:

Absolutely agreed! My reflexes suck compared to 10-15 years ago. I actually have hit the best in 16 and 17 that I've hit in years, since MLB 11. MLB 12 and 13 were seriously humbling experiences for me and my gaming ego. :splat:

You think 16 is a better game because hitting was easier? What about all the improvements from 16 to 17. I'd really be interested to hear what you mean. Because Ive read the opposite. Seems like people are all over the place with their hitting experiences. Seems very anecdotal. Maybe you have lost your reflexes?

No...I think '16 overall was a better game because I got more enjoyment out of playing '16 than I did playing '17. '17 was a good/great game, just some of the hiccups prevented me from enjoying it as much as I did '16.
And honestly, I thought hitting was easier on '17 than it was on '16. I thought the hitting was more balanced in '16 than it was in '17.

17's PCI probably makes 16 seem harder to hit, if anything. Passed balls & wild pitches, combined with new physics also gives 17 a very different feel from 16. Among other small things.

In case anybody cares this is my take on the gameplay stream.
First my take on the show 17 gameplay. In manage mode there wasn't enough offense and the primary culprits were new ball curve which turned about a dozen balls which were hits down the line in the show 16 into foul balls - and slightly overpowered infielders. When they removed that much offense from the game they failed to add offense elsewhere which is why runs were inordinately low and why I quit playing the game and quit posting on this forum in June 17.
What caught my attention about the show 18 streams is ball curve remains the same. In the little things stream the balls were landing fair - because as you can see at one point in the stream they had foul balls turned off. When you have to turn off foul balls that's not promising.
They mentioned they lowered density of air to increase ball travel which should add offense.
They mentioned fielder ability is now more dependent on all attributes which should add offense. They missed a great opportunity to show the differences between different fielders in the stream. They mentioned it as a feature but didn't show it.
They mentioned improved catcher and tag animations which result in more outs and should subtract offense.
What does it mean in terms of gameplay? It's hard to say until and unless you buy the game and play it.
Biggest potential positive is the change in fielders which differentiates between fielders depending on attributes.

Deleted as I started another thread.

The great conspiracy continues.......
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Offense can be increased by tweaking sliders, but yes out of the box offense has been low these last couple of years. I recently restarted a MoM season in MLB 17 using the official rosters released at the end of the real world 2017 season and one month into my season offense is definitely down using the same sliders settings I was using last summer. I recently tweaked the contact setting up a notch and only time will tell if that improves things or if more tweaks would be needed. But I wonder if the MLB The Show Ice Age also influences the low offense we see year after year. Yeah sure I am back living in my native wintery Canuckistan. But I lived in the metro Denver area for 8 great fun fill years between 1998 and 2006 and not once did I ever experience a summer night in Denver in the 30s F temperature range. But when I play MLB The Show evening games even in the months of June, July and August the in game temperatures for these summer night games are almost always in the 30s.

I really like the addition of facemasks for the hitters helmets. It looks like they have nailed most of the equipment so far.
I do hope they offer full cloth physics in the future.