MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode - 5 Most Important Additions and What's Still Missing

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Just for once I want SDS to make Franchise mode a priority. Still plenty of additions that haven't been added and being asked by the community over the years. 

What about Expanded rosters? Rotating interleague schedules? I could careless about critical situations and allstar game jerseys. Just my opinion.
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Couldn't care less you mean :)

the only way that'll happen is if it's the mode that makes the most money.
it's unfortunate but it's the nature of the beast

Or maybe I could careless?... hmmmm lol
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I’m surprised the international signing period has not been touched. They implemented two way players which is nice, but international FAgency has been a huge part of baseball for the last decade.

I feel like "Top 5 Additions" could have also just been titled every addition added to Franchise mode this year.
I kid... sort of.
What's still missing?
International free agency is an embarrassing missing feature.
Rotating interleague schedules is an even more embarrassing missing feature.
Expanded rosters. While they could say last gen consoles made this near impossible, and it wouldn't be 100% truthful, they definitely have zero excuses this gen we've moved into now. If they don't add this in, it's simply because it isn't a priority to them and nothing more.
Those are probably the 3 biggest MISSING features from the mode. What needs changing is an entirely different conversation.
Completely redone pitching staff management logic is needed. Scouting needs a complete overhaul as does progression and the potential system.
Do all of that and you'll have a franchise mode that doesn't take away from the elite gameplay they have on the field.
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I'm at the point I don't think we'll ever see expanded rosters until the current gen is longer supported. so working off that assumption and 17 was the first year of no ps3 Show, we're looking at what, Show 24?

If they intend to have expanded rosters then you make it next gen exclusive if you have to. It would be a mistake to not have it in simply because you release an old gen version that is likely receiving minimal updates.
I'm not sure if SCEA cares about expanded rosters, imo. I've never gotten the vibe that they really want it in, but simply couldn't.
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In talking with them, expanded rosters wouldn’t work with the old logic that was in the game.
I’m hopeful the changes made to the logic of budget, contracts, etc are the necessary step that needed to be taken to get expanded rosters
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For me, I have a few wants to really have franchise mode get just a little bit closer to OOTP.
Ability to add or remove teams/realign divisions and leagues:
So this is more of a dream than anything. But imagine if we can remove teams (say, down to 12 total, 6 in each league), have only the league with no divisions. And bam! You have the NPB :lol:
In all seriousness. We do really need expansion next year. And it's the logical step to take after adding rebranding last year and the stadium creator this year. I think it's coming soon. And with expansion, realigning divisions is a must if they let us add more than two teams (hell, even if it's just two teams). And let us move existing teams to other divisions or leagues. The Astros and Rangers have no business being in the AL West over 1500 miles away from the rest of the teams I the division.
Draft classes:
This is one I probably wouldn't use myself, but it would be nice to have, and could help keep the league from becoming a mess down the road (I don't sim far enough for this to happen usually but I've seen people mention it quite a bit in the past). It could also be neat if we did a "historical sim" of sorts and just do draft classes for years in the past. Could be neat.
International Free Agents/Amateurs/Posted players:
Fairly straight forward. Let's see a time for us to sign young international players, as well as generated free agents from other leagues and then posted players from Japan and South Korea where the bidding system is in place and the posting fee and all that. Adds a bit to the off season.
Scedules:
Schedules would need to be fixable and we would need to be able to generate them at will if realignment or expansion were to become a thing anyways, but rotating interleague schedules would definitely also need to be addressed at that point.
Playable Single A teams (and subsequently, expanded rosters):
Kinda of a in general and not specific to franchise, but I would love the ability to play Single A ball in franchise and have more roster spots. Pretty straightforward ask.
3 Team Trades/Cash Considerations/Player to be Named Later:
This one might be hard from a logic standpoint (even OOTP doesn't have these), but it would be neat to see these. And a little side ask, but tradable draft picks. I know the MLB doesn't have it, but it would be neat if we wanted to have it.
Bring back concessions prices and promotions:
I don't know what it was, but I loved setting prices for tickets and concessions and setting promotional days to increase attendance and what not. I miss the older The Shows for this.
This is about what I've got off the top of my head. There is of course logic stuff that needs fixing but these are some bigger things I'd like to see.

As much as I would love it, I’m sure you guys understand why franchise mode will never come close to being like OOTP.
OOTP caters to a very niche group. The Show has a MUCH broader audience and just wouldn’t make sense to do that. They have to accommodate as much demographics as possible, OOTP, not so much given it’s for a very specific audience.

Ultimate team modes are killing licensed professional sports games starting by the show.
They spend money on non sense features like March to october instead of investing in the only true mode a real baseball fan play. The one which give you the complete picture of professional baseball.
This year not only they did not add anything interesting (just gadgets) but they removed the (key) feature to import games to the next version (for a 162 games season long sport).
I am done until they bring us better starting by a true online franchise experience.
Luckily OOTP looks awesome and not yet corrupted by the UT non sense.

I don't think anyone expects the game to be OOTP with gameplay on the field. All of us OOTP people know what isn't ever going to happen. That said, asking for expanded rosters, rotating interleague schedules, and international free agency isn't asking for the game to be OOTP. That's asking for some basic things that should be in a baseball game in 2021.
OOTP is a whole different animal because it is a baseball sandbox with near limitless customization. We will never get that in The Show. We should, however, have the three things I mentioned already along with other basic things like eating a players salary in a trade/cash considerations in trades. We should have an enhanced scouting system. That's been one of the most commonly requested changes for years now.
I don't see how asking for any of that is asking for the impossible. We won't ever get every single year of MLB history with named rosters that are playable and a franchise mode that can start at any of those years. We know that will remain special to OOTP. We won't get the 100s of options that let us customize everything we can imagine. We know that. We should have the other features that I've mentioned and have been asked for for years now.
If anyone says that asking for rotating interleague schedules, international free agents, expanded rosters, a better scouting system, and the ability to trade cash or eat a salary in a trade is asking for way too much, then I'll be at a loss for words. Those are features that should be in a game like The Show. Those are not hardcore features that only belong in OOTP.
Heck, even asking for the ability to play someone out of position and them to learn said position over time is something that shouldn't be reserved for only OOTP. That's another common baseball thing that has a place in the more casual game like The Show.
I'm not saying you're doing this, but it seems peoole are at times too forgiving and just use the "this isn't OOTP" as a copout. Let's not forget that NBA 2k is just as casual of a game as The Show and its franchise equivalent is easily closer to being like OOTP than it is The Show or Madden, two games that are a bit notorious these days for having dumbed down franchise modes and it isn't something that scares away the casuals. It's the best selling sports game in America despite not even being the most popular sport.
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What about adding something simple? League history more than 3 years. Even Madden and SuperMega baseball has that.

Come on canes... I was replying to the guy who literally said he hoped it would be closer to OOTP. LOL. Almost why I hate even chiming in with posts like that because it’s unpopular and so someone has to always try to contradict it though it’s the truth, no one just wants to hear it.
I should’ve quoted it. If you look anywhere on these forums, you’ll see post after post saying to just be like OOTP. I simply gave the view from a game developer perspective of why that’s not possible for them.

And the guy you were replying to wasn't asking for anything crazy like I was saying in my post.
He mentioned historical draft classes, but said that wasn't a big wish. Probably the most outlandish wish, but he also said he knew that.
International free agents. Something that is commonplace in baseball and should be in the game. We don't need foreign leagues, just have a market that has the top foreign players. Some come over to the MLB, others stay and reappear in the future.
Rotating interleague schedules. You yourself have said that this should have been in already and it is embarrassing that a company like SCEA hasn't fixed this yet.
Playable Single-A. Essentially expanded rosters. Common community request. Not a crazy request.
Then 3-team trades and he admitted this one would be a bit more difficult to get in, but even NBA 2k has this.
I don't see anything on this list that is too hardcore of a request for The Show. Practically all of those are very common community requests.
You can pretty much go anywhere outside of OS, go to Reddit, a very DD leaning crowd, Twitter, other forums, and these are all the same requests you will see annually, so it isn't OS just being OS and asking for very niche things to be added.
If people were coming on here and asking for every single year to be playable in franchise mode, or for sliders to change how players are valued _ how pitchers progress and regress versus hitters, and how inflation will be in the future, and all of those kinds of features, then I'd understand where people are coming from that always say "This isn't OOTP'. Those aren't the features people point out when they reference OOTP, though. It's always the same things this guy already mentioned which should already be in the game and are not things that are only for the niche crowd.

I wish they would have spent the time they spent on fixing check swings to put some of the basic stuff in the game.

Excellent video Brian, nicely breaking down the new fixes and features.  Thanks

I think the only way the Show could be as deep as ootp is if the Show had a separate PC edition, untied to the console version. there's a reason we can't play ootp on consoles. I know I can't play it on PlayStation and I'm assuming xbox as well also too

Last gen maybe but there is no reason ootp cant run on next gen consoles. PCs with much worse hardware can run it.

1. Playable Single A
2. Playable Single A
3. Playable Single A

I sure hope ootp comes to next-gen consoles. I stopped playing when my laptop crashed. I never bother replacing because I really don't need a pc
fixxed :)

I've been asking for this for the last 6 years. This could literally be added via patch. I don't understand why SDS is so indifferent about the franchise mode. It almost makes me want to like a different sport

OOTP could’ve ran on the PS3 LOL. The problem is as I mentioned, it’s a very targeted audience. It doesn’t have the player base to support consoles and the required changes it would take to make it console friendly. It’s 100% build to be used with a keyboard and mouse, it would have to change so much to work with a console controller (Atleast friendly). This is why OOTP can be so deep though, they know their hardcore audience and can cater to that, no need to worry about the casual or worry about the gameplay. (Besides their 3D virtual sim play)

Let’s forget Ootp it is not the point.
I mean SDS pushes real baseball fans to stop playing the show.
Community keeps asking same things: enhanced roster, enhanced scouting/draft etc...
Over the ps4 era, not only they did not develop any relevant new features but they removed two fundamental features: online franchise and save import.
It is a disaster. You mention Madden but Madden has effectively improved its franchise (i know some will jump but have a deep breath and read this before saying otherwise).
2k has all the features missing and that is the point.

For me the most important thing still missing is the ability to reallign the teams including the ability to increase or decrease the number of teams.
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No one misses the “point”. We all want the mode to get off the ground, it should have by now. I think too many on here mistake positive posts. I don’t post about positive changes or post about limitations because I’m satisfied, quite opposite. I want more, way more. I just go about looking at it different than others, that’s okay.
If it wasn’t for the outspoken crowd, Madden wouldn’t of touched their franchise so I hope you guys continue to let them have it. If we could get this on PC, there’s several things I could fix like we do for Madden that would instantly create a better mode.

The different charts pertaining to Franchise are very colorful and much easier to read than the PS4 versions of the last few years, which carry black scripts on white backgound. It's really hard on the eyes. Here's my question: do the Franchise charts we see on that presentation apply to the PS4 version as well?
Thnak you in advance for your response.

Critical situations are still in the game; toggleable in the menu. See feature premiere at 2:50 in.
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As a franchise player I don't see a reason to buy mlbts21 unless it's for create a ballpark and since I don't own a ps5 that isn't going to happen in the immediate future but I'll comment on the video.
The changes in menus are not as important to me as structural changes. It is good to see milb stats will be readily available on the player card. That's an improvement.
Basing value on WAR I disagree with because WAR is a convoluted way to determine player worth based upon a contrived value assigned to each position defensively. The other change is performance making up 25% of trade value.
Those two things could make it easier - not harder - to rip off the cpu in trades.
Corner outfield and first base traditionally is where teams hide a poor fielder with a big bat. Now a top defensive corner outfielder/first baseman with an average bat could be traded for a good hitter?
Player with solid attributes gets off to a slow start. I can acquire him easier because he is off to a slow start?
I don't see this making trades more realistic but I won't know until I get a ps5 which isn't going to happen any time soon. Maybe the developers will send me a free ps5 so I can test the build-a-stadium feature for them :-) .

you can bet anything we can do to exploit the cpu in a trade, we'll figure it out quick enough lol
I just hope the Studio had time to do plenty of testing, taking advantage of some of the more devious minds double lol

Why assume that performance being 25% of the calculation will consistently overrule the other 75%, specifically the 50% that says that a fielder that’s underperforming still has those good attributes?

You know I did say I'd want it as a dream. I'm more than aware The Show will never be OOTP with gameplay. You're preaching to the choir in that regard.
There are definitely things the dev team can do going forward to improve the mode. I'm content with the mode for the time being, but it absolutely needs simprovements going forward. And again, I'm sure we'll start to see more going forward since they can expect more sales going forward with Xbox being added to the fold, and in turn should be able to get more people to the team. If my memory serves me right they only have one guy working on franchise mode. Just one guy. They need a few more than that and I imagine they'll be able to. But we'll see hahaha

Speaking of menues, I sure hope SDS changed the black script on white background to something easier to read. It's an eye killer.

I use strict self imposed trade restrictions because I discovered long ago with high heat 2002 that winning as a result of ripping off the cpu isn't gratifying.

I didn't assert the 24% would "overrule" the 75%. I asserted the 25% will impact overall value and cause a player with good attributes to be easier to acquire in a trade if that player is in a slump. Most players in MLB go through slumps from time to time.
I seems like a way to make it easier to rip off the cpu in a trade as is using WAR to determine value.

I would love to see the stamina/durability formula re-worked.
In my own experiences it is very difficult to get a player 155+ games started. After about 10 days the players energy is worn down and they don't perform as well. On paper this may seem true but I just believe the attributes are effected a little too much. I feel like I am hurting my team by leaving Arenado and Goldy in the lineup on days when they have low stamina. 8-9 games in to the season should not result in my players being this worn down. I just feel like they fatigue too quickly per game.
I'm sure I am not the only one in this camp.

Easier than when, specifically? Than if he was playing to his max ratings? Does it not make sense that a player who is underperforming would be easier to acquire than one who is playing to his high attributes or even overperforming?
That's probably why the player's value isn't rated entirely on performance though, and the attributes have twice the impact. So the game can look and say "this guy's playing pretty well, but he's still not the best" or "his stats are down, but his power is still 85+", etc.

So just...don't rip off the CPU? The game should obviously have logic to building a team and not just accept any dumb offer (and we won't truly be able to judge any of the new logic they claim until release), but if someone really wants to rip off the CPU in their offline game, who cares? Not hurting anyone.
I don't have any rules for myself beyond "does this seem fair?" (which varies from trade to trade) so maybe there's more to it than that, but if someone decides they want to rip off the CPU... :nocomprende:

IMO, the best value-add option to include in Franchise in the future is an Expansion Mode (with division realignment). -- Allowing users to create a new team from scratch with a realistic expansion draft (i.e., each existing team would protect a certain number of players), design a new ballpark, design logos and uniforms, build a minor-league system over several seasons, and to compete with "your team" in a realistic MLB setting brings all of the best aspects of the game together. -- If desired, the developers could even allow you to bring your RTTS player into the Expansion Mode so you could create the first legend for a new team.
For me, this is the biggest value-add addition they could put in the game.

The one thing I really care about is prospect generation/development.
It looks in this video like Tatis has a 95 overall rating. In my experience, it's basically impossible to draft/develop a guy like that in the game. With my current franchise (just fired up for the first time in a long time), I have a 23-year-old 2B with an 87 overall rating. He came in with about the best attributes a rookie could have at 19 years old, and after three years of killing it in AA and AAA then having a great rookie year, that's his rating.
Prior to him, my best rookie came in as a 75 overall, 95 potential, 21 years old. By 24, he was a 96, comparable to Tatis (but two years older). He's the only player of that level that I've seen in the entire league over 14 seasons, and I only got him because I restarted the initial franchise about two dozen times until I found a draft class with a cornerstone first pick I was happy with (rebuilding the Royals).
My experience might not match everyone else's, and admittedly, I'm still playing 19 (from what I read, these things weren't touched in 20). But if I can't draft a few stars and build around them, I lose interest. No franchise mode is fun to play for several seasons if the existing stars get older/worse and the generated prospects are never as good.

I'm sure they have the ability to add expanded rosters and changing schedules to the next gen eventually and with those, you get more realistic and increased injury expansion, but with MLBTS team its always about holding back on something that attracts sales the following year. So these things and more will be introduced in stages and years to come.
OOTP have almost reached their pinnacle of full game management coverage and are now increasing their gameplay graphics each year to attract a wider audience. That and current roster and rule changes is basically all they have left to expand upon.
The Show team went with 'design a stadium' this year as their BIG sell, but there must be a lot more in the pipeline, as they like to plan years ahead.
They have to introduce at a steady pace to invoke interest in the next years and beyond, game.
Their only problem with this, is that an aging fanbase, eventually reaches a time, when waiting for the ultimate in programming becomes 'a wait too long' and what they gain from a younger interested fanbase, they lose in an ever aging current baseball fanatic, that wishes their fingers and brain were as fast as they were twenty years ago ......

If they add one thing it should be expanded rosters down the road. Give us 120 player rosters.
Doing this will require adding to the draft rounds, improve progression and regression, and give us more control over our franchise.
One thing fixes many.

What do you mean by this exactly?
A full baseball system would be tremendous. I hope it's in their plans because it doesn't seem to be prohibitive in any manner on the next gen systems. Imagine AAA, AA, High A, Low A, Rookie ball, Winter Leagues, revamped draft and scouting, international FAs, maybe Asia, Cuba are implemented in some form, more realistic player contracts. Not even asking to be able to PLAY all of those leagues, but having them represented would be great.

I agree.
For me not a whole lot. Full A ball then 15 extra roster spots in low A or rookie or whatever. The other thing would be to edit draft classes as a whole before the draft. So many of the player types that spawn are similar and ratings are so wonky at times that this would do wonders for our franchises. I don't care if they were not shareable.
Also some simple things like letting us edit the top 50 prospect order and the ability to export or import a player out of any franchise without roster control on.

There is nothing more important for Franchise mode than this. For the mode to take that next step towards a deeper experience as a GM/manager it needs rosters to be expanded on. And of course CPU AI to be really worked on for both on and off the diamond decision making.
Please SDS. Please hear us on this and work on it.

Editable draft classes would be a godsend for me. And player export/import would also be amazing. I'd love to combine my favorite players from multiple franchises, just to see what happens. I can approximate it via player editing, but it's not quite the same.
A couple other small things I'd like:
1. The ability to add 30-team control after starting a franchise (not in 19, don't think it was in 20, no idea if it's in 21). I don't like doing 30-team control generally, but occasionally I do want to change teams/add a couple teams to my control at times. No reason we shouldn't be able to make those changes whenever.
2. Custom player cards. For generated players (at least in 19, I assume still true), their player cards don't have an image. It would be pretty cool to take screenshots during games and create card art for our drafted players. Seems like it would be a pretty simple photo editor addition, but I realize why it would also be a very low priority for the devs.

I just want more stats. Baseball more than any other sport, revolves around stats and this game severely lacks in that department.
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Presentation. I would love there to be a weekly 'Baseball Tonight' style show done with character models and clips using the game engine to really get me invested in the world of my franchise.
They could show the top 5-10 homers and web gems from around the league. They could also talk about hot prospects & teams, trades, and playoff & awards races.
We've seen it done before, so it is just a matter of them wanting to implement something like this. Sadly, I don't see it happening, but I hope I am wrong.

Agree presentation matters for the longevity of the game.

I play franchise exclusively, use quick counts, generally play 2 full 162 game seasons each year. Here are some off the top of my head items I'd like to see in Franchise:
Would like to pause and see my upcoming schedule while playing a game, and would like to see future SPs I am to face labeled as LHP or RHP in upcoming schedule to help plan out rest days in advance. More emphasis in game via graphic displays and announcer mentions to the teams current division and wild card standings games back/ahead/magic # etc. Would like to see rainouts and double headers. Injuries, more of the day to day hamstring HBP soreness etc. i.e. unavailable for today/couple days do I DL or not type and SP skip a start type blister/dead arm etc. Would like to see an opponent injury report prior to each series beginning for possible roster adjusting in advance.

This would be really cool. If I remember right one of the old 2K College Hoops had a selection Sunday show like you’re talking about before March Madness, and that was on the PS3. So I know it’s doable on PS4 and 5. Sadly I think Inside The Show is as close to something like that as we’ll get.

You remember correctly. College Hoops 2k8 had both a weekly recap show with highlights and at the end of the season it har a Selection Sunday show. Both were high quality at the time. Unfortunately, 2k seems to be the only developer that cares to do anything of the sorts. Going back 20 years now practically every sports game they have had has had some type of show, be it weekly, halftime, whatever, with actual 3D modeled hosts.
I'd gladly watch a recap show in my franchises. It's a better way to see what is going around the league versus me doing it manually.
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Yes. I loved having it in that game. And I think NFL2k had some type of halftime show with scores and highlights from around the league.

I agree the presentation needs a serious facelift.

Halftime show, weekly wrap-up, free agency highlight shows, draft preview show, draft recap show. NFL 2K5 had it all, and it was 17 years ago on the ORIGINAL Xbox.

AMEN AMEN AMEN!! Preach it Bro!! :)