Congrats CPU, better luck next time me
MVP NCAA Impressions
Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady
It feels like they did a lot of tuning up of this game compared to last year. Smoother animations, more variety of hits, etc. Basically, no one big thing but a whole lot of little things that add up.
I am pitching a lot better. One thing that got me encouraged was that in one game I suddenly became wild and walked a few people in a row. The CPU team also bunts a lot more than in last year's game.
I am pitching a lot better. One thing that got me encouraged was that in one game I suddenly became wild and walked a few people in a row. The CPU team also bunts a lot more than in last year's game.
I only had time to play another half game last night, but I decided to step up the level of teams a bit (both teams were B+). With good hitters, you really can't miss the pitching meter badly or they will rip it for a hit. It also seems like pitchers tend to have one to three "good" pitches and a couple others that they can throw, but not very well. Need to learn to lay off those not-so-good pitches when pitching to the middle-of-the-order hitters.
Did notice quite a bit of choppiness during the game (at Rosenblatt) that I didn't notice while playing @ ND. It didn't affect gameplay, but I can see how it can bother some people.
One thing I was wondering is how the power game is looking for everyone else. In my game and a half, IU destroyed a hanging curveball over the fence, but that's been it. I had a miserable time trying to hit for power in MVP last year, so I'll probably have to tweak the power slider in my favor.
The name generator does come up with some funny names. I liked my center fielder, Chase LeBron.
Did notice quite a bit of choppiness during the game (at Rosenblatt) that I didn't notice while playing @ ND. It didn't affect gameplay, but I can see how it can bother some people.
One thing I was wondering is how the power game is looking for everyone else. In my game and a half, IU destroyed a hanging curveball over the fence, but that's been it. I had a miserable time trying to hit for power in MVP last year, so I'll probably have to tweak the power slider in my favor.
The name generator does come up with some funny names. I liked my center fielder, Chase LeBron.
xbl/psn tag: dave2eleven
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pk500
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You mofos are tempting me. Baseball is a sport that I don't care to watch or play but I've always enjoyed in virtual form if the game is REALLY good, a la Interplay Sports Baseball 2000, High Heat or MVP 2005.
The lack of license doesn't bother me at all since I don't follow MLB.
Keep the impressions coming ... my wallet curses you.
Take care,
PK
The lack of license doesn't bother me at all since I don't follow MLB.
Keep the impressions coming ... my wallet curses you.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
The zone hitting seems to be getting very favorable impressions, but I haven't tried it out yet. Hope to do that this weekend, but the load & fire seems like such a step forward for hitting models that it is tempting to just stick with it, my lack of power notwithstanding.
PK, since the lack of the MLB license doesn't bother you and you enjoyed MVP 2005, you really need to give this game a try.
PK, since the lack of the MLB license doesn't bother you and you enjoyed MVP 2005, you really need to give this game a try.
xbl/psn tag: dave2eleven
The graphics are a step back. At 720p the game is grainy and sometimes cloudy. Not as good as MVP 2005. And in some of the better stadiums, there are some stuttering issues. Nothing too bad, but noticable when the screen goes from the SS to the 1B during a ground ball put-out sequence. But if there was going to be a step back anywhere, this is the one place I can forgive it. But it sucks that the place where the slowdown is the most noticeable is in Rosenblatt Stadium. The plus is that there are a lot more animations and the variety helps a lot.
Sure it is early, but I was pleased with the games I played. Not as many HRs on mistake pitches. In MVP 2005, every mistake I made went deep. I have also walked more players. In 2005, I could get an 0-2 count and then waste 3 pitches knowing full well that I could hit the corner on a 3-2 99% of the time. In this game, sometimes I miss the plate and like you said, sometimes the ump doesn't give me the corner. And bunting is cool. I lost a game in 10 3-2. In the top of the 10th I gave up a single to lead off the inning. The next guy bunted and I basically did with my controller what a fielder can do in real life - I looked to second, decided to go to first and took too long getting the ball out of 'my glove'. The next guy bunted also and it was a great bunt and he beat it out for a hit. Bases loaded and nobody out. In MVP I would either give up a gapper or an HR, but I managed to do a good job pitching. A forceout at home, a Sac fly and a line out. Gave up 1 run, but avoided really bad damage. Of course I could not get a run in my half of the 10th, but it still was a fun experience.
I hate that i will have to do all the recruiting. It is not something I enjoy - at least in a baseball game. I wish there was a way to have the AI at least help.
A lot of strategy and variation in the games I played. Things i took for granted in MVP 2005 - solid fielding and being able to spot pitches - are no longer that easy. And hitting is fun. I like the new zone hitting but really am not a fan of the stick hitting. One thing is for sure - even using classic hitting, it is harder to get hits than in 2005. That is all good.
I like having only a 60 game season. It will allow me to play multiple seasons and play every game if I want. And the chances of making the tournament are pretty good. 64 teams in the tourney and only 128 in the game? Just have to win more than you lose and either win your conference tourney or be in the top 50 or so.
Layout is nice and there is a lot of information available. Only bad change is that you have to use the white button and then scroll to get to the pitch history. If you look at pitch history for every batter when pitching and batting, this can be a pain.
I hope it sells well enough to make it to the 360/PS3 next year. It is a fun game and I would like to play it in high def with more stat tracking. I think EA did a good job and put a lot of thought into making a college baseball game. A solid effort with some changes and additions that really make it a better game of baseball. Unfortunately, most of the reviewers for the major mags and websites don't get sports games and don't pick up on subtleties. I guess they just want to hit homeruns with Arod and don't 'get' this game.
Sure it is early, but I was pleased with the games I played. Not as many HRs on mistake pitches. In MVP 2005, every mistake I made went deep. I have also walked more players. In 2005, I could get an 0-2 count and then waste 3 pitches knowing full well that I could hit the corner on a 3-2 99% of the time. In this game, sometimes I miss the plate and like you said, sometimes the ump doesn't give me the corner. And bunting is cool. I lost a game in 10 3-2. In the top of the 10th I gave up a single to lead off the inning. The next guy bunted and I basically did with my controller what a fielder can do in real life - I looked to second, decided to go to first and took too long getting the ball out of 'my glove'. The next guy bunted also and it was a great bunt and he beat it out for a hit. Bases loaded and nobody out. In MVP I would either give up a gapper or an HR, but I managed to do a good job pitching. A forceout at home, a Sac fly and a line out. Gave up 1 run, but avoided really bad damage. Of course I could not get a run in my half of the 10th, but it still was a fun experience.
I hate that i will have to do all the recruiting. It is not something I enjoy - at least in a baseball game. I wish there was a way to have the AI at least help.
A lot of strategy and variation in the games I played. Things i took for granted in MVP 2005 - solid fielding and being able to spot pitches - are no longer that easy. And hitting is fun. I like the new zone hitting but really am not a fan of the stick hitting. One thing is for sure - even using classic hitting, it is harder to get hits than in 2005. That is all good.
I like having only a 60 game season. It will allow me to play multiple seasons and play every game if I want. And the chances of making the tournament are pretty good. 64 teams in the tourney and only 128 in the game? Just have to win more than you lose and either win your conference tourney or be in the top 50 or so.
Layout is nice and there is a lot of information available. Only bad change is that you have to use the white button and then scroll to get to the pitch history. If you look at pitch history for every batter when pitching and batting, this can be a pain.
I hope it sells well enough to make it to the 360/PS3 next year. It is a fun game and I would like to play it in high def with more stat tracking. I think EA did a good job and put a lot of thought into making a college baseball game. A solid effort with some changes and additions that really make it a better game of baseball. Unfortunately, most of the reviewers for the major mags and websites don't get sports games and don't pick up on subtleties. I guess they just want to hit homeruns with Arod and don't 'get' this game.
got the game last night. definitely like the gameplay better than MVP. I love the L&F hitting and the analog throwing is great also. difficulty seems perfect on All American. For my first game, I K'd 10 times and scrapped together about 6 hits and lost 8-1. I think once I get used to the batting and throwing, the games will be more even. Glad they left all the MVP batting cameras intact, as I LOVE the "other" angle for batting. The angle seems a little more severe in this game, which emphasizes the righty/lefty thing great. Can't tell you how much I like the L&F hitting! It's all about timing and waiting for the right pitch. Definitely mimicks real hitting more than anything before. The "timing" of it seems dead on too.......you have to start "loading" just about when the pitcher's arm starts downward. If you love virtual hardball and don't care to play as overpaid MLB stiffs, then this game is a no brainer. It's MVP05 with some great enhancements (L&F hitting and analog throwing). If you HAVE to play a season as the NY Yankees, etc., then you should stick with MVP05.
Funny thing is, you can't help but wonder what would have been if they did this game with a MLB liscence. It might have been the holy grail of baseball games???
Funny thing is, you can't help but wonder what would have been if they did this game with a MLB liscence. It might have been the holy grail of baseball games???
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AJColossal
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I'm a huge baseball gamer and was not a big MVP fan last year, but I am really enjoying this one. I have it on zone hitting, and the hitting just feels more balanced than last year's version. I even homered in my second game, so that's a good sign as well!
I've been tinkering with some control sliders, and I actually gave up 3 walks in my last game, which is a rarity for me in these games.
Good stuff so far.
I've been tinkering with some control sliders, and I actually gave up 3 walks in my last game, which is a rarity for me in these games.
Good stuff so far.
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matthewk
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Got it last night. I only managed to get in 1 1/2 games, and toy with the creation modes a bit.
L&F will take some getting used to, but so did the "old" MVP style of hitting at first. I grew to like the old MVP style, but this one I liked immediately. I suck at it right now, but it's a fun way to hit. Having to pull the bat back and push it forward is as close to real hitting I've seen in a video game. I haven't used the powor or contact swings yet, just the stick. I've gotten a wide range of hits this way, so I'm hopeful that I won't have to use the power/contact swing much, if ever.
I may switch the fielding back to last years though. I made too many throws to the wrong base by accident using this new method.
I don't miss the MLB licence at all. The game is even more fresh with fictional players and college teams. The graphics do look like they took a half-step backwards, which I don't understand.
I'm sure I'll end up making up a team for Wisconsin (since there isn't one in the game). The team creation is alright, but not as deep as it is in NCAA football. There are 60 uniform variations (The home/away change colors, so #34 in home is the same as #34 away, just with different colors). The bad thing is that you can't choose the colors. So if set 34 is red and black, you can't change it.
The stadium creator is also fine, but limited. You can edit the outfield walls any way you want, with depth and height for each section (there are about 20-30 sections). What you can't control much is the rest of the surroundings and foul territory. You have 3 settings for this, but no setup for seats, backstop, etc..
For $30 it's worth it. They still have lots of options and depth, so the only thing "stripped down" about it is the MLB license.
One question: How to get the pitch history in this game? In '05 it was clicking on the left stick, but that doesn' work. I frequently like to see where the pitch was in the strike zone right after the pitch.
This game makes me long for my younger days when I played baseball almost every day. I wish I had played in college, or more in High School, and this game brings back the feeling of playing the game. Guess I'll just have to live my dreams out through my son now
PK, get it. It's at least as fun as MVP 05.
L&F will take some getting used to, but so did the "old" MVP style of hitting at first. I grew to like the old MVP style, but this one I liked immediately. I suck at it right now, but it's a fun way to hit. Having to pull the bat back and push it forward is as close to real hitting I've seen in a video game. I haven't used the powor or contact swings yet, just the stick. I've gotten a wide range of hits this way, so I'm hopeful that I won't have to use the power/contact swing much, if ever.
I may switch the fielding back to last years though. I made too many throws to the wrong base by accident using this new method.
I don't miss the MLB licence at all. The game is even more fresh with fictional players and college teams. The graphics do look like they took a half-step backwards, which I don't understand.
I'm sure I'll end up making up a team for Wisconsin (since there isn't one in the game). The team creation is alright, but not as deep as it is in NCAA football. There are 60 uniform variations (The home/away change colors, so #34 in home is the same as #34 away, just with different colors). The bad thing is that you can't choose the colors. So if set 34 is red and black, you can't change it.
The stadium creator is also fine, but limited. You can edit the outfield walls any way you want, with depth and height for each section (there are about 20-30 sections). What you can't control much is the rest of the surroundings and foul territory. You have 3 settings for this, but no setup for seats, backstop, etc..
For $30 it's worth it. They still have lots of options and depth, so the only thing "stripped down" about it is the MLB license.
One question: How to get the pitch history in this game? In '05 it was clicking on the left stick, but that doesn' work. I frequently like to see where the pitch was in the strike zone right after the pitch.
This game makes me long for my younger days when I played baseball almost every day. I wish I had played in college, or more in High School, and this game brings back the feeling of playing the game. Guess I'll just have to live my dreams out through my son now
PK, get it. It's at least as fun as MVP 05.
-Matt
Yeah i'm with you PK on this one, i had no intention of buying this as i do not care for college (unless it's a keg pary) This game sounds great as i did/still do love mvp05. It reminds me of playing older baseball games where you had no license and needed to figure out what generic players were the stars. I remember having great games with Baseball stars(NES) Bases loaded(NES), Hardball(pc) ...what great times, maks you really take the sport for what it is. I have gift cards that needs to be used
I have yet to get this title, but I admit I'm finding this talk about L&F 'as close to real hitting as EVAR' talk strange considering the user seems to have no way to attempt to influence a pop up or a grounder. Note the word attempt (not push up = automatic fly ball.)
Without that it already falls behind several past hitting systems.
If they were going to focus on one plane for the user's swing, I'd have rather they focused on the vertical one, frankly, with timing determining push or pull. That way at least the user's swing could more fully dictate hit results.
Without that it already falls behind several past hitting systems.
If they were going to focus on one plane for the user's swing, I'd have rather they focused on the vertical one, frankly, with timing determining push or pull. That way at least the user's swing could more fully dictate hit results.
It is in the options when you press the white button. You have to cycle through some of the other menus, so it is a little clunkier than last year.matthewk wrote:One question: How to get the pitch history in this game? In '05 it was clicking on the left stick, but that doesn' work. I frequently like to see where the pitch was in the strike zone right after the pitch.
Kicko, I thought of the old NES baseball games, too. I just need to find the Paiste from Bases Loaded on my team so I can hit some taters.
xbl/psn tag: dave2eleven
The game is fun no doubt about it and i was up until midnight playing last night. I actually like hearing Mike Patrick call the play by play. Granted he gets repetitive but I just like that guys voice and I think it sounds great for college baseball. Played a game last night where my pitcher took a line drive right in the face, and left the game with a fractured jaw...it was pretty violent. I never saw anybody get directly hit in the head in mvp. I also love the "ping" of the bat! I'm looking forward to playing it some more this weekend for sure.
Tim
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DivotMaker
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The one other thing that makes this game possibly more fun than MVP is that your players aren't that great! In MVP when i'm going into the 9th inning with a 1 run lead, my closer was automatic 9 out of 10 times, I don't think this is going to be the case with NCAA. I blew my only two leads last night because my relief pitching sucked! I also have noticed that some outfielders have a hard time getting to the ball. What were for sure outs in MVP can't be taken for granted in NCAA. It's a b*tch trying to protect a lead in this game.
Tim
"tjungin it"
PS4 - tjung0831
Xbox - NHLTIM
"tjungin it"
PS4 - tjung0831
Xbox - NHLTIM