MLB The Show 18
MLB The Show 18 Road to the Show Features Plenty of Improvements
Check out what’s new in MLB The Show 18’s Road to the Show mode. This year the team cut micro transactions from progression, added new archetypes and attribute caps, focus training, customization improvements and much more.
No More Micro Transactions
The first change is the removal of micro transactions from progression. We wanted to remove the need to make purchases to progress your player and just focus on the gameplay and more pure experience. So this year, you will no longer be able to purchase Training Points. Instead, you will experience a new way to progress your created player, but I will get into that later. The removal of micro transactions from Road to The Show also means that you will no longer be able to heal injuries through stubs. You will just heal naturally.
New Archetypes and Attribute Caps
Another big change we made was how your player is created. This year, your created player will have an Archetype. We designed Archetypes as a means to create more believable players and they reflect the various types of players currently found in baseball. Each will have their own suggested primary positions, and there are specific ones for infield, outfield, and pitchers.
Every Archetype has a pair strengths and a weakness. Some Archetypes may have big power potential at the sacrifice of speed, while others will be insanely fast, but lack the ability to go deep. For example; a Power Corner Archetype’s strengths are their Arm and Power, and their weakness is Speed.
Lastly, Archetypes will have limitations to how powerful they can be in certain attributes. These are called Attribute Caps and you will need to be raised these during the course of your career if you want to get the most out of your player.
There are two types of Attribute Caps, Current and Max. Current caps are temporary attribute limits that can be raised through selecting the appropriate Focus Training choice, during one of your training sessions. Training choices that feature a teammate are the only way to raise your cap. Be sure not to neglect these opportunities, because once you reach a Current cap, you will not be able to take advantage of any gains until the cap is raised.
Eventually, you will reach an Attribute Cap, which cannot be raised. This is your Max Attribute Cap. Max Caps are the best that your player can be at a particular attribute, through training. But don’t worry, you can use equipment cards to further enhance attributes, even past their Max Caps. Speaking of equipment cards, we have added even more equipment and rituals, to provide so much more variety for your created player. We know how much fun it is to find that right piece of equipment, which balances both looks and bonuses.
Expansion of Pave your Path – Focus Training
We have brought back our narrative experience to help tell the story of what it is like for a mid-to-late round draft pick in the baseball world, with a newer minimal UI. In addition to keeping the strong storytelling presence, this year, we are taking some major steps in one of our favorite modes.
In addition to Archetypes, we changed the way you progress your characters, as you pave your path. We thought about how our previous progression system worked and we asked ourselves, “Does this feel good?”, “Is this how you would progress in the real world of baseball?” and “How do we create a more seamless experience?” After discussions, between ourselves and with professional players, we came to an answer for how player progression should work. Progression is now a two part experience.
On The Field
The first way that you progress and get better is on the field. As we all know, you learn by doing, and your abilities will award you gains to your player’s attributes. We felt like this was a very organic and passive way to progress. You just play the game. Every on the field action you make will feed into your player’s attributes. For example, if you hit a monster bomb off of Chris Sale, with runners in scoring position, then your player would earn gains in their Power vs Left and Batting Clutch attributes. You will be able to track these gains, both during the game, as they happen, and at the end of the game, on the Base Gains screen. The hope is that both you and your player improve together, as you play.
Focus Training Choices
The second way that you will be able to improve your player is through Focus Training Choices. Previously, you had the power to take all accumulated training points and place them wherever you wanted. This year, we removed the hassle of getting into a groove, of playing some of your best games, and then having to spend that growing sum of points to play catch up on lapsed training. Now, you will be presented with a quick choice experience, during the course of your season, where you are presented with a short list of options. These options represent areas you want to specifically focus and train your player, in order to improve. You will choose one from up to four facility themes. Each facility will have their own specific training exercises. You will choose the training exercise that suits your needs and then improve the specified attributes. It is just that simple. This will allow you to choose how your player progresses, while allowing you to get back to playing the game.
When we interviewed players over the past two years to help build Road to the Show, every player we spoke to, mentioned that a big part of their growth came from learning from other players. We wanted to try and reflect that this year in some way. So, as mentioned previously, All Player Archetypes have temporary caps. You will have the opportunity, during a Focus Training session, to choose a teammate to learn from and have them help you push your player’s potential. Managing your Caps is important, because if you neglect them too long, and an attributes caps out, then you will not be able to gain progress in that attribute and will have to wait for another opportunity to train with a teammate.
Customization Improvements
Finally, I want to write about the customization improvements available in Road to The Show. As a team, we have made it one of our biggest priorities to improve the look and appearance of your created player, while offering you more ways to express yourself. We know that this is the starting point, of your Road to The Show experience, and it should offer everything you need to make you or your ideal version of a ball player. This year, we have taken some steps to help make this process a best in class experience.
Improved Skin, Hair, and Heads
Our Art Team has been busy all year to improve the quality of our skin tones and how they look in various lighting conditions. This year, in MLB The Show 18, your player’s skin tone will have an even more natural appearance, and look more realistic. In addition to skin, all of our hair has been re-worked, in order to look and react more like hair. This is for both facial and head. Now fade hairstyles transition better from shaved areas to the grown out parts, while mustache, goatee, and beard fidelity reflects a more realistic look.
Batting Stance Creator
A major addition to the player customization experience is the brand new Batting Stance Creator. Batting Stance Creator will allow you the opportunity to tweak and adjust that perfect batting stance to reflect your personal style. We even exposed the values, so you can share these with other people. All of these adjustments to provide a deeper level of customization and uniqueness to created players. So fine tune as much as you need!
I just did a little dance.
Yeah, that's a really good question, one that I'm sure they'll address in the stream today.
Gonna watch close for Nike catchers equipment.
Huh?????????????
"Improved Skin, Hair, and Heads
Our Art Team has been busy all year to improve the quality of our skin tones and how they look in various lighting conditions. This year, in MLB The Show 18, your player’s skin tone will have an even more natural appearance, and look more realistic. In addition to skin, all of our hair has been re-worked, in order to look and react more like hair. This is for both facial and head. Now fade hairstyles transition better from shaved areas to the grown out parts, while mustache, goatee, and beard fidelity reflects a more realistic look."
I love that SDS tries to make the game look better year after year.
I am very anxious to see how carry-over saves are affected. My guy is a 99 currently.
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Pretty sure he said YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I am very anxious to see how carry-over saves are affected. My guy is a 99 currently.
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My biggest concern as well. I don't want to start over, to much time invested. Got a feeling we'll have to start over.
I am very anxious to see how carry-over saves are affected. My guy is a 99 currently.
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk[/QUOTE
My biggest concern as well. I don't want to start over, to much time invested. Got a feeling we'll have to start over.
Also, hopefully all this new info also means it takes longer to make it to the big leagues than it has been.
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My bad, pal. It means, "Although this is not my primary way of enjoying this particular game, these additions are quite exciting. I may even have to dabble more than in the past. Full RPG is fine by me, being a nerd who enjoys them."
Thanks for understanding...
I don’t know how I feel about the Caps being set but I do like Archwtypes. Only worry I have is how are you going to recreate a Nolan Arenado Player. MVP, Sver Slugger but also a Gold Glove 3rd Baseman. It seems like you’re going to be stuck one or the other. Or if you choose both, it won’t be as dominant.
I really hope they improved Catcher gameplay and fielding opportunities. That’d make it perfect
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I don’t know how I feel about the Caps being set but I do like Archwtypes. Only worry I have is how are you going to recreate a Nolan Arenado Player. MVP, Sver Slugger but also a Gold Glove 3rd Baseman. It seems like you’re going to be stuck one or the other. Or if you choose both, it won’t be as dominant.
I really hope they improved Catcher gameplay and fielding opportunities. That’d make it perfect
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Yeah I like to make speedy power hitters (Willie Mays/Barry Bonds style) so I'm worried that might not be possible in this new mode. Hopefully the training segments will offer enough cap flexibility as to make the restrictions strategic and not just frustrating. Ideally I can make my super fast home run champ but I'll have to make some big sacrifices to get there.
Heard them say for carry over saves that you will still have to pick an archtype and the caps will apply to your carried over player.......specifically said "they will pull those skill points down over time". So sounds like not an immediate drop, but a slow and eventual one.
I don’t know how I feel about the Caps being set but I do like Archwtypes. Only worry I have is how are you going to recreate a Nolan Arenado Player. MVP, Sver Slugger but also a Gold Glove 3rd Baseman. It seems like you’re going to be stuck one or the other. Or if you choose both, it won’t be as dominant.
I really hope they improved Catcher gameplay and fielding opportunities. That’d make it perfect
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There needs to be a 5 tool player archetype so you can make a guy like Ken Griffey Jr. or Mike Trout.
Agree. There are people out there who want a realistic, “I’ll be a certain type of player that suits me” and that’s great for these current archetypes. But there’s also those “I want to be that once in a generation talent” and not offering that could be a huge negative.
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I am curious as to how they will handle this. But I'm sure they will support the carry over.
Sadly, they will pull back the attribute to the cap.
Source : https://youtu.be/2vEk6ranoHQ?t=3m40s
At 3:40
Source : https://youtu.be/2vEk6ranoHQ?t=3m40s
At 3:40
Yeah, that pretty much guarantees that I keep 17 installed for when I want to play RTTS with my existing players.
I uninstalled my 17 already I hope it wasn't premature for my RTTS experience, guess I will have to wait and see.
Save data and game install data are separate - you didn't delete your RTTS player if you uninstalled/deleted Show 17. You would have had to go into The Show 17's save data folder to do that.
Source : https://youtu.be/2vEk6ranoHQ?t=3m40s
At 3:40
"...over time..."
In-game Weeks?
In-game Months?
In-game Years?
If my 99 contact , 99 power CF that took me many seasons to achieve is going to be a 99 contact and 75 power guy at the end of one season I don't see any reason to carry him over and will continue to use '17 for RTTS
Thanks, I know, just a wait and see now, lucky I have a 17 disc and a digital preorder 18 so all will be good.
In-game Months?
In-game Years?
If my 99 contact , 99 power CF that took me many seasons to achieve is going to be a 99 contact and 75 power guy at the end of one season I don't see any reason to carry him over and will continue to use '17 for RTTS
Yeah, that wouldn't seem fair...
So how long is it? LOL
A gentleman never says...
Seriously, I do not know what I am allowed to say. Details will most likely be discussed in today's stream.
Seriously, I do not know what I am allowed to say. Details will most likely be discussed in today's stream.
Ha, OK.. I tried.
In 2K, I can't even truly create Kawhi Leonard or Steph Curry, let alone a MJ or Lebron without significantly hampering a key aspect of their respective games. We'll see how it works for The Show, but the early archetypes I'm seeing don't seem to readily account for a Mike Trout, for example.
Now, I realize the builds cover a far more prevalent cross section of players and that star performance is certainly still possible with the format, but I worry about caps being too restrictive for certain ratings (speed, in particular..for example, I'm fine with 70 power with 90+speed, but less so with 70 speed and 90+ power, based on how ratings play out in the game).
And yes, I realize equipment slots can boost things to crazy levels, but I personally just want to outfit my guy with gear I like to look at. And while I have no problem with it and can respect that people like both the caps and the equipment boosts, please don't argue "hey realism!" out of one side of your mouth to defend attribute caps and then tell me to dress my guy up in cleats I don't really like because I need a +8 in speed.
I guess I saw this coming, but was hoping that such caps wouldn't be necessary given the way progression is now specifically performance-based. Meaning, if I suck at fielding, then I've capped myself, haven't I? I can understand having a temporary cap with maybe a performance-based way to lift it, but I'm not sure I agree with the need for max caps.
My hope is that perhaps there are plenty more archetypes, the caps aren't so stringent, or that maybe these cap extender sessions open up more if you are really excelling at a lower capped area. We'll see, I guess, but I'm admittedly skeptical.
Unless something has changed that I didnt see you get stubs after every game you play. You also get a card after every game you play that you can sell to get more stubs. You can then use those stubs to go buy whatever piece of equipment you want.
Or as for me an only RTTS player , I sell all my good player cards on the marketplace for stubbs and use them to purchase equipment for my RTTS player, easy pezzy, just sayin.
That all being said, hopefully they remove those upper caps in a patch sometime around mid-year. I get what they're trying to do but I don't think that it's going to work out well in an offline game mode. Unless this is the preperation for a co-op online RTTS (which is where I feel these mode changes fit best) I honestly expect that these upper caps will be gone by if not before the release of MLB The Show '19.
Also one can hope for the ability to phone the agent on demand again by then or at least a weekly check-in, unless I missed them saying that check-in frequency would be greatly increased.
By that logic there were never any micro transactions to begin with, as the training point boosts were purchased with stubs, that you got from all the ways you mentioned.
Almost done with my 8th season in rtts, it's a carryover from 14. That feature is such a blessing, it should be a back of the box feature every year imo.
Also, what did they mention about age regression, if anything?
Also, what did they mention about age regression, if anything?
At age 34 you choose what area you want to not regress. So regression begins at age 34.
That has be interested say you come into the league as a raw athlete with speed and fielding and you can hit a little then later in your career your team asks you to put on some weight in the offseason and transition into more of a power threat while still maintaining most of your speed because these guys coming up have the speed power combo we’re all looking for.
I think it’s more realistic to build up to that and not just always be a mike trout type prospect coming straight into the bigs raking.
Excited to see how it plays out I do like the results based attribute increase that seems cool. Players get hot and cold throughout seasons and careers. I think it will definitely make for a more immersive realistic journey. I’m all for it!
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Almost done with my 8th season in rtts, it's a carryover from 14. That feature is such a blessing, it should be a back of the box feature every year imo.
How are the ratings on that 8 year player that you have spent years building up. Are you past the caps? If so are you ready for those stats to be slowly nerfed back to the cap with no chance to maintain them short of possibly playing musical chairs with the archetypes.
I really hate the fact that they choose you are a mid to late 1st round pick and you can only progress to a certain level. Why not give us the option, would you like to be a 1st overall, undrafted, late 1st rounder etc all influencing your hard cap.
I for one play Rtts to become the GOAT, to be that one special player...I just don't think this allows me to do so. As a massive Rtts player it saddens me to think that I most likely won't touch this year's version only probably having to fork out another full price for next years game when they gave us back the ability to become a dominant force.
I love breaking records, become insane at everything...that is what draws me to the mode. That is all gone now...
This is a fabulous idea.
I don’t. Maybe those who ground it out, but not the ones who spent money. Not even a little.
But what does it matter? If someone spent extra money to make the game more enjoyable for themselves why begrudge them that? I understand people being against others spending real money to improve their DD team to gain an advantage, but where is the harm in doing so in RTTS. It is a single player mode that affects nobody else and it is their money to do with as they please.
Because it has an effect. On a personal level, it doesn’t matter. But on a macroscopic level, it is the reason the game industry is currently in micro transaction hell. In this particular instance, you’re right. SCEA has done a good job of not making it pay to win like NBA 2K’s player mode or any number of other games. But in a more indirect way, it still contributes to publishers wanting to do it more and more.