MLB 11: The Show - March 8 - Analog Controls, Co-op, RttS 5.0, & More - Demo Out 2/22

[quote name='Pck21']I was the exact way with the NHL series, but I grew to love and prefer it over the original button layout. Honestly, once you get used to it, it's not bad. Your choice of course![/QUOTE]

Yeah, but it works for hockey because you decide when you shoot the puck. Hesitating or being a second late can actually work in your favor. In baseball, timing is everything. I agree 100% with cgarb. This game was already known for its steep learning curve and difficulty. Trying to read pitches AND time a hitter's stride is too much. Somewhere along the line, this game stopped being fun and became work. I like simulation sports games as much as the next guy, but if I'm having to grind out at bats just to score one run, it's not fun anymore.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Yeah, but it works for hockey because you decide when you shoot the puck. Hesitating or being a second late can actually work in your favor. In baseball, timing is everything. I agree 100% with cgarb. This game was already known for its steep learning curve and difficulty. Trying to read pitches AND time a hitter's stride is too much. Somewhere along the line, this game stopped being fun and became work. I like simulation sports games as much as the next guy, but if I'm having to grind out at bats just to score one run, it's not fun anymore.[/QUOTE]

if it's that hard for you, maybe try switching to the rookie difficulty and tweaking some settings. At least until you get the timing down and such. Grinding out bats just to score one run is what baseball is all about anyway. If realism is too much for you, then yeah I guess The Show really isn't for you.

Also I couldn't tell based on what you wrote, but you do know you could switch to button hitting and pitching right? There's no need to use the analog controls if you don't like them. I personally will be using the analog pitching, but the buttons for hitting.
 
I don't know why they decided on All Star difficulty for the demo, as that's not the best way to ease people into the new controls since things are simplified on easier difficulties. There should be enough options to suit anybody's preference though.
 
[quote name='ssjmichael']if it's that hard for you, maybe try switching to the rookie difficulty and tweaking some settings. At least until you get the timing down and such. Grinding out bats just to score one run is what baseball is all about anyway. If realism is too much for you, then yeah I guess The Show really isn't for you.

Also I couldn't tell based on what you wrote, but you do know you could switch to button hitting and pitching right? There's no need to use the analog controls if you don't like them. I personally will be using the analog pitching, but the buttons for hitting.[/QUOTE]

Yeah...I've been playing The Show a long time. I'm not going to get back into my laundry list of issues that the game has that aren't representative of "real baseball", but I appreciate your condescending attitude. Also, since you're so knowledgable about switching the controls, how do you suggest they handle the fairness of online play if people are just able to switch their controls and use whatever method they prefer?
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Yeah...I've been playing The Show a long time. I'm not going to get back into my laundry list of issues that the game has that aren't representative of "real baseball", but I appreciate your condescending attitude. Also, since you're so knowledgable about switching the controls, how do you suggest they handle the fairness of online play if people are just able to switch their controls and use whatever method they prefer?[/QUOTE]

Wasn't really trying to be condescending but whatever. I don't really see any control scheme being less fair than the other. People will play with the controls they prefer best. If one player has an advantage over the other, that's because of their skill with their preferred choice. The same argument can be made about the Move vs Dualshock 3 in Killzone 3, or Joystick vs gamepad for Street Fighter IV
 
[quote name='ssjmichael']Wasn't really trying to be condescending but whatever. I don't really see any control scheme being less fair than the other. People will play with the controls they prefer best. If one player has an advantage over the other, that's because of their skill with their preferred choice. The same argument can be made about the Move vs Dualshock 3 in Killzone 3, or Joystick vs gamepad for Street Fighter IV[/QUOTE]

I disagree, but I've spent a lot of time with this series online (and saw multiple leagues fail due to SCEA's piss poor offering). It's not worth arguing about though. Best of luck to everyone who buys this game at launch. I'll still be anxious to read reviews of how online plays.
 
One thing I read at operationsports.com that made the demo even better for me was that if you turn on a 2nd controller and try to go co-op, you can adjust the custom cameras to the team-specific broadcast cameras. It is a lot of fun pitching with the Cleveland cam as that is the camera I've seen the most on TV. The others are great as well. Once you have the camera you want, you can move the 2nd controller back over and turn it off.
 
Are they named? I saw a ton of camera options in the settings but they're just numbered so I couldn't tell if they were the team-specific views or not.
 
Having never played a MLB game on the PS3, this was hard as fuck for me on my first (and only, so far) playthrough. After 2 innings of hitting about 20 foul balls per at-bat, I decided to turn the system off and play something else.

I couldn't figure out how to pitch until my second inning go-around, but after that it was pretty much cupcake stuff.

If I wasn't hitting foul balls every time I connected then I might have this pre-ordered already. Now I'm probably not going to buy it at all, or I'll pick up last year's game when it drops sub-$19
 
[quote name='HydroX']Having never played a MLB game on the PS3, this was hard as fuck for me on my first (and only, so far) playthrough. After 2 innings of hitting about 20 foul balls per at-bat, I decided to turn the system off and play something else.

I couldn't figure out how to pitch until my second inning go-around, but after that it was pretty much cupcake stuff.

If I wasn't hitting foul balls every time I connected then I might have this pre-ordered already. Now I'm probably not going to buy it at all, or I'll pick up last year's game when it drops sub-$19[/QUOTE]

At least you were making contact. All my swings were misses with possibly one foul ball per at bat. I'll have to go back and lower the setting and turn off analog batting to see how it is but I'll probably pass on the game. I can't ever get remotely realistic stats since I never get a walk.
 
It takes practice guys. Press the analog stick (I forget which one) after every hit and miss and see what your contact is (i.e. Very Early, Late, Very Late, Normal, Perfect, etc..). That will help you to figure out when's a good time to swing.

Another thing I do is to try and visualize where the strikezone box is when it disappears. Then when the ball gets to the sweet spot of it, I swing. Visualizing the zone also helps me to stop from swinging at balls.

It's still challenging mind you, but once you practice a little bit you'll get the hang of it. Don't give up after just a few tries
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Are they named? I saw a ton of camera options in the settings but they're just numbered so I couldn't tell if they were the team-specific views or not.[/QUOTE]

With that workaround I posted once you have access to the cameras menu, you can pick custom 1,2,3, or 4 and then customize them. There are presets for each team listed that you can select then.
 
I greatly adjusted the settings and had quite a game earlier.

Changed hitting to Timed, adjusted difficulty to Rookie (lol) and ended up taking a 1-1 game into the 11th inning -- pretty hilarious to me seeing the Giants swap out pitchers and here I am still trucking with C.J. Wilson 11 innings in. Dude is a workhorse in the demo! haha.. I ended up giving up a walk off homer to Buster Posey in the 11th -- just wish you could adjust rosters in the demo by bringing someone in from the bullpen.
 
LOL, nice commercial, still not getting '11 anytime soon. Mauer makes me think of Mark Prior :(
 
[quote name='slfc']LOL, nice commercial, still not getting '11 anytime soon. Mauer makes me think of Mark Prior :([/QUOTE]

Us Cubs fans still cringe at the sound of that name.
 
[quote name='Josh5890']Us Cubs fans still cringe at the sound of that name.[/QUOTE]


Ha. My youngest sons middle name is Prior!!! I think about Mark every time he gets in trouble and the first and middle name gets busted out. Born in 2004 after his down year. Should have known 2004 was a sign not to give him that middle name.
 
[quote name='HydroX']I greatly adjusted the settings and had quite a game earlier.

Changed hitting to Timed, adjusted difficulty to Rookie (lol) and ended up taking a 1-1 game into the 11th inning -- pretty hilarious to me seeing the Giants swap out pitchers and here I am still trucking with C.J. Wilson 11 innings in. Dude is a workhorse in the demo! haha.. I ended up giving up a walk off homer to Buster Posey in the 11th -- just wish you could adjust rosters in the demo by bringing someone in from the bullpen.[/QUOTE]


Just switch teams and they'll bring in a new pitcher for you.
 
I just got my copy in and since it doesn't seem like the reviews are in just yet, I can answer some questions if anybody here has any. Keep in mind that I just go it about an hour ago, so I haven't been able to do too much.

The most interesting thing I've seen so far is that you can start playing the game that starts when it goes into demo mode, which I don't think anybody else has done before. If it generates games based off of your favorite team or a game that's happening the same day, that would be really cool.
 
Started up RTTS. In addition to all of the normal customization stuff, they let you pick what kind of player you are with some sliders to decide whether you focus on speed or strength, contact or power, and fielding or throw power for batters. The play evaluator seems pretty good, as you can be rewarded for not getting a hit as long as you work the count and make good contact on the ball.
 
Finished up my first few weeks in RttS and then started up a franchise to get some team play in. Took me about six innings to get used to the batting controls, which are much harder in franchise than RttS. Played three games to get used to the controls overall and capped it with a 16 inning 1-0 victory over the Dodgers. Analog pitching is great and analog field works well.

They still have the awful analog baserunning controls from last year's RttS, so I had to switch them in the mode settings to get back the classic controls. Camera control is also gone for baserunning and defense, which stinks since I liked looking around.
 
So in RttS you mainly just get Performance points for batting right? I'm not missing something am I?

Also, I've had the game about a week now and have been enjoying it so far. I never really played The Show much in the past, but I've really been getting into RttS.
 
Even though it's the first day and expectations should justifiably be low, how's online play? Is there any indication whatsoever that anything is different from last year?

EDIT - Researched a little for myself. Apparently, the servers just went up about 90 minutes ago, so reports should start trickling in soon. I did read that no leagues can be created for 2 weeks though. Not sure if that's even a thought for anybody in here, but there you go. Although trying to start a league within the first 2 weeks of launch is probably a bad idea anyway considering the series' track record.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Even though it's the first day and expectations should justifiably be low, how's online play? Is there any indication whatsoever that anything is different from last year?

EDIT - Researched a little for myself. Apparently, the servers just went up about 90 minutes ago, so reports should start trickling in soon. I did read that no leagues can be created for 2 weeks though. Not sure if that's even a thought for anybody in here, but there you go. Although trying to start a league within the first 2 weeks of launch is probably a bad idea anyway considering the series' track record.[/QUOTE]

Trying to start a series within the first two months is a bad idea given The Show's previous online preformence:drool:
 
Ruh-roh!

I was wondering if anybody was having lag problems in there online games. Like it's unplayable lag that's how bad it was. I have played 2 games this morning online and have been disconnected in both games. It's not my Internet because I'm still online after. Worse of all I got the losses for both when I wasn't even losing ha.
Click to expand...
online is lag tastic. you gotta swing 3/4's of a second after you're eye tells you to. almost impossible to adjust to. I mean it sounds easy but your brain is telling you to swing when you see it..... but yeah.. lol... bunts are the best online. it's pure comedy.. I dropped 3 in a row and got safe each time.
Click to expand...
Getting a lot of lag in my games (which makes analog controls rough to use) but I am guessing the servers are just getting pounded from all the people buying the game and trying it out. Hopefully it improves soon

edit - all of this is with a green lag meter too
Click to expand...
Those are the complaints I've seen so far. There's definitely some positive reports mixed in as well. But really, that's what we see every year, which to me indicates no significant change. Online play is pretty buggy for every game during the first week though, so we'll see if things improve. But I'm not holding my breath.
 
There's only one update for this, unless I missed something.

Godspeed for those that get a platinum in the MLB games, as some of these are crazy. I got one for getting a homerun on Mother's Day with a pink bat.
 
I'm talking about system updates, Frisky. I understand it's because it's a new system, but come on. I just want to play. The one for this game wasn't really long at all.

Looks like it's done now. The game looks great, but it will definitely take some time for me to get used to the controls. I've only played a couple innings, and I already like it more than any 2K version.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Ruh-roh!

Those are the complaints I've seen so far. There's definitely some positive reports mixed in as well. But really, that's what we see every year, which to me indicates no significant change. Online play is pretty buggy for every game during the first week though, so we'll see if things improve. But I'm not holding my breath.[/QUOTE]

So are you going to troll this thread for the whole baseball season? Every time you post it;s always seems to be something negative. Gets pretty old
 
[quote name='ssjmichael']So are you going to troll this thread for the whole baseball season? Every time you post it;s always seems to be something negative. Gets pretty old[/QUOTE]

It shouldn't bother anyone who's not a fanboy. I'm posting user experiences with the game. I'm not making anything up. As someone who purchased the game for the past 4 years and felt the last 2 years were not worth full price (too many broken features, too many patches), it's only fair to make sure everyone knows what they're getting into.

Why does it bother you that people are reporting that online has been laggy so far? Would you prefer nobody know about it? Honest to God, I would love for this game to run smoothly online. If that were the case, I'd probably go out and buy it today. But based on previous experiences, I'm not expecting it. All I'm trying to do is respectfully and accurately post user reports for informative purposes. If you don't like that information, put me on ignore and enjoy your blinders.
 
You're cherrypicking to fulfill your own expectations. I'm positive that if I looked I could find at least 10 instances of people saying online worked perfectly fine. That in itself doesn't really prove anything though. Like I said, the whole negative slant you seem to have is pretty obvious. You'd think the studio and this franchise hurt your family or something the way you've carried on the last few years or so. Like I said, it gets pretty old.

I guess one option is just to put you on ignore.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Look, all I'm doing is pulling quotes from this thread on OS.

http://www.operationsports.com/forums/scea-sports-mlb-online/472105-servers-laggy.html

Like I said, there are good reports, but plenty of bad ones too. And in my opinion, that's what we see every year. some good reports + some bad reports = same as any other year = inconsistent online



Wow, so you don't want issues with the game being reported...

Nuthugger.jpg
[/QUOTE]

How mature of you.. I never said I don't want negative aspects of the game posted, I said it gets old hearing a single side to something and not the other. Apparently your brain couldn't process what I meant though.

And from your own link here are two quotes that I'm sure you were just about to post :roll:....

I see a noticable difference in lag (or lack there of) over last years game. I think the online experience overall is substantially better. I've only played 2 games but both were better than anything I played online last year. I'm thrilled about this because it was my biggest "hope" (lag free or limited lag online) going into this year and I feel like they delivered. I noticed that it is tough to hit online and it's not completely lag free but it's not too bad and I enjoyed my onlinegames. In my second game I was getting no hit in until the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs when I hit a 2 run HR with Helton against Felix Hernandez for the walk off game winner....I think my lack of hitting is more my problem than a lag realted problem though.
Click to expand...
i agree i think the lag is not as bad as previous years.
Click to expand...
Do continue to make your own conclusions based on your narrow vision and traumatic history with the game.
 
[quote name='ssjmichael']How mature of you.. I never said I don't want negative aspects of the game posted, I said it gets old hearing a single side to something and not the other. Apparently your brain couldn't process what I meant though.[/QUOTE]

Not worth fighting over...which is why I removed it (even though that picture is hilarious)

[quote name='ssjmichael']
And from your own link here are two quotes that I'm sure you were just about to post :roll:....

Do continue to make your own conclusions based on your narrow vision and traumatic history with the game.[/QUOTE]

Where did I deny that there were positive reports? From my very first post on the subject I said that there were. My point is good reports + bad reports = exactly what we see every year. People are getting lag when their connection strength shows all green bars. To me, that's a warning sign. It suggests a problem on Sony's end, and is pretty much exactly what we saw last year. Prove to me that online works great. Make me eat crow. I truly and sincerely want you to.
 
So I don't get flamed again, here's both a positive point about the game and a negative one that I saw in response to OS's "First Impressions" review. http://www.operationsports.com/features/1241/mlb-11-the-show-reviewer-first-impressions/

The fielding did change more than just analog added though.

There is momentum. So missteps are critical. Every fielder is unique. You will want to make subs in late close games. Their jumps, speed, throwing, acceleration. All changed.

How they react to close played balls where you will take less risks with less than stellar fielders.

Way more realistic ball physics and collision on the field of play.
Click to expand...
Am I the only person annoyed by the complete lack of attention to the franchise mode?

They didn't even touch it. The arbitration system is a complete albatross, the trade AI is terrible at best (I was offered Joe Mauer for a 'fakey' middle reliever, just an example) and contract renewable players get dumped into free agency without warning. You can't extend players in season, the draft is awful, you can't edit the players contract to make them accurate.

You can't play the game multiple years down the road and expect it to be anywhere near realistic, and yet, there are PC games like Mogul and OOTP that every year make gigantic strides in improving this. How come San Diego Studios can not?

Also, they really sold us on this co-op mode, but you can only do it in exhibition games, why not put that elsewhere in the game such as franchise or season mode?

I was let down, RTTS was much improved, and gameplay was much nicer, but for being the predominant seller on the block, I really expected some attention paid to the franchise mode. I feel like they just re-packaged last years game with a few patches.
Click to expand...
I guess it depends on what mode you play the most, but Franchise and Online are where I've always spent most of my time. If those were botched again then there's no game here for me.
 
I usually spend most my time playing RTTS and then regular matches online, so I'm glad they improved RTTS at the very least.
 
Surprised ssjmichael didn't post this in here, but for those who haven't seen it, Modell's is currently screwing themselves over by allowing videogames to be part of their spend $49+ get 40% off and free shipping sale. MLB 11: The Show for $35.99 or MLB 2K11 for $32.99.

http://www.modells.com/product/inde...Id=&kw=ps3&origkw=ps3&sr=1&s=D-StorePrice-MOD

I decided to pick up MLB 2K11 just to give me a change of pace. At least my frustrations will be new this year.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']

I decided to pick up MLB 2K11 just to give me a change of pace. At least my frustrations will be new this year.[/QUOTE]

I know the online for The Show isn't that great, but you still should have gotten it over MLB 2K11. Did you play the demo?
 
[quote name='JetMan07']I know the online for The Show isn't that great, but you still should have gotten it over MLB 2K11. Did you play the demo?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I did. It felt like the same game as the past 2 years but with analog control. I don't know, maybe the commentary is just dragging the game down, but it literally feels like the same game year after year (even the OS review hints at this...but that it's a good "same"). I just needed a change.

The other thing that bothers me is that some fans of The Show are starting to adopt the same arrogance as the company. This is pulled from a 2K11 review thread on OS.

And after all of that, which I have only minor disagreements with (especially pertaining to the magnitude of the complaints), I will still be firing up this game and my sealed copy of the Show will still be sitting there on my table. Video games are often like this with me. The whole is something way different than the sum of it's parts.
---------

You have the Show and 2K11 and The Show will sit sealed? I'm sorry but thats rubbish. The Show 11 is incredible.
---------

I'm sure it is. It's the only baseball game that I've played the last 3 years. I haven't played 2k during that time. 2k11 is simply a refreshing change of pace and FUN to play.
---------

Have to agree with CoreyMac, however I can see how some people could find mlb 2k11 fun, especially considering a lot of people i know are intimidated by the realism and difficulty of the show in comparison.
---------

Ok a few notes for everyone here:

1. Stop talking about The Show.

2. Stop thinking that people that play MLB 2K only do it because The Show is too hard. If you want to know what's really rubbish, it's that sort of rubbish thinking.

Learn to respect people's preferences.

3. Stop talking about The Show in an MLB 2K thread.
Click to expand...
No desire to play against douchebags with this line of thinking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top