MVP Impressions

[pigpen81]

James, clock must be messed up, it was 11:30 PST when I posted it.

Some other observations from last night.

There is an error bug, the CPU hit a shot up the hill at Enron, on the hill my CF'er bobbled the ball and it turned a 2B into a 3B, en error was committed and the batter wasn't credited with either a hit or a 2B. Only seen it once.

I absolutely love balls hit through the box, sometimes pitchers make incredible plays, most times the ball goes BETWEEN their legs, just by them or it ricochets off some pasrt of their body, it looks so lovely.

The hittng engine is well done. With the implementation of the swing analysis I now know why I fisted the ball at the 1B, or hit a lazy pop up. I feel in total control of hitting.

I deserve my HR's and I deserve my slow choppers, I can't tell you how amazing that makes me feel. This even surpasses HH in the hitting department.

For instance, I swung at a slow curve low and away, but I swung a tad earlly. In real life, most often, a hitter would be out on his front foot taking away all his power, sure enough in MVP, the batter is slightly on his front foot and I hit a lazy pop up in the INF or shallow outfield.

If MLB2006 equals this game or even surpasses it, then we will have the greatest year of baseball games yet, even with ESPN's major disappointment.

[Leebo33]

I absolutely love balls hit through the box, sometimes pitchers make incredible plays, most times the ball goes BETWEEN their legs, just by them or it ricochets off some pasrt of their body, it looks so lovely.

Yeah. Last night I hit a shot up the middle that hit Jason Schmidt's foot, bounced up and hit him on the neck, and then shot straight up in the air. It knocked him out of the game.

[Diablo25]

If MLB2006 equals this game or even surpasses it, then we will have the greatest year of baseball games yet, even with ESPN's major disappointment.

I love the way you think pigpen! I can't wait for MLB!

[dbdynsty25]

If MLB2006 equals this game or even surpasses it, then we will have the greatest year of baseball games yet, even with ESPN's major disappointment.

I love the way you think pigpen! I can't wait for MLB!

I agree with Piggy and Diablos statements completely. I really dig MVP and I expect big things from MLB this week. It's going to be a great freaking year, even though 2k5 is pretty bad.

[Slumberland]

Why can't I hit a homerun? I'm about 14 games into my franchise, and I have two homeruns, all from an early season game when I was still playing on pro. But GET THIS, and this is a little like admitting you are 40 year old virgin... I have the user contact and power sliders jacked up to fifty!

The CPU certainly isn't having any problems. Juan Pierre went deep on me twice in one series.

[Kissrox]

Love this game! Couple notes. I had to turn down cpu's speed on the bases. I have had 5 inside the park home runs against me! A ton of triples as well. Anyone have any tips on power? I have played 8 gamess with the Red Sox and I have not even come close to a homer. I've only won 2 games as well. That's OK, I understand. I have to get better but no power at all is killing me.

Otherwise best BB game to date. It is fun and very realistic. Finally EA comes through with something.

[marino]

Is anybody else not getting the cpu out on called strikes.I have not seen it yet.They always go out swinging.

[MizzouRah]

Is anybody else not getting the cpu out on called strikes.I have not seen it yet.They always go out swinging.

Oh yes, plenty of times. A pitch less than "perfect" won't do it.


Todd

[Sully]

Is anybody else not getting the cpu out on called strikes.I have not seen it yet.They always go out swinging.

Oh yes, plenty of times. A pitch less than "perfect" won't do it.


Todd

Agreed, I'm finding out that most of my strikeouts (swinging and looking) come from a "perfect meter" pitch.

[Slumberland]

I am truly, truly terrible at this game, and it's starting to annoy me. I moved back down to Pro with the batting sliders in favor of the CPU to compensate, and still lost two games in a row. I think I'm like 3-11 in my season... I was too afraid to look.

[Boom]

I actually K the batters looking quite frequenty.

[tjung0831]

I actually K the batters looking quite frequenty.

I had 7 no look K's today with Johan Santana.

[GROGtheNailer]

Ok, just bought MVP and a new controller, will install later tonight and play some baseball ( Go Jays) This game is sounding very good!

[James_E]

Grog I am "srjamese" on EASO. Let's hook up for an online game sometime.

[Leebo33]

I am truly, truly terrible at this game, and it's starting to annoy me. I moved back down to Pro with the batting sliders in favor of the CPU to compensate, and still lost two games in a row. I think I'm like 3-11 in my season... I was too afraid to look.

I was feeling the frustration this afternoon. I couldn't hit worth a damn. I switch to Pro and couldn't hit. I played Pro and maxed out the power and I couldn't hit.

I said f*ck it and started over by deleting my option file. I started a season as the Phillies on Pro. The only sliders I adjusted were baserunning speed up and fielder speed down 5 notches each. I played two games with everything else default.

I won the first game 8-2. I hit two homeruns with Burrell and one with Lofton. I had 16 hits and drew a couple walks. I was a little worried because Wolf dominated the Nationals. The bullpen gave up a late homerun. The second game was totally different though. Leiber got shelled giving up 4 in the first and 2 in the 3rd. I gradually came back to make it 6-5 mainly due to a string of errors by the Nationals in the 6th inning. In the ninth inning I got a one out single and then it was 3-0 on Thome. I took two strikes and then swung at a high pitch that would have been ball four and put it to the warning track. I bounced to second to end the game.

I'm convinced that sliders can really screw up this game. I'm not saying we can't make some adjustments, but I don't think we totally understand how they are related and what the hell the -50 or +50 means.

I'm not good enough to play on All-Pro. I think one of the things that is hard about All-Pro is that it is almost impossible to hit a ball that is out of the strike zone (unrealistically so). Couple that with a slider adjustment that makes balls more frequent and that is a recipe for disaster. I'm going to play on Pro for now. I may have to tone down my offense or up the CPU with sliders, but I really don't have any fun on All-Pro.

[webdanzer]

I'm actually playing on all-pro and having good games right now...but I did back up and reset most of the sliders to default. The only thing I have changed right now is my pitching difficulty, and the CPU is pitching me fine! I played the Twins vs my Yanks and Santana walked 3 batters with default settings.

I may follow leebo's lead, however, and increase baserunner speed and decrease fielders a little. I've seen a lot of hits that sure looked like doubles linited to singles, and first to third is damn hard. I haven't seen anything close to a triple, either.

[HouOilers]

I was on XBL and found you can play with custom rosters. I played a guy who picked a AA team to play with, then a window came up asking me if it was ok to play with HIS customized roster.

I said yes and found out his AA team he maxed out with all 99 rated players and all zones red.

Kind of cool though that EA gave you the option to play with custom rosters of other players or your own.

[TRI]

I am truly, truly terrible at this game, and it's starting to annoy me. I moved back down to Pro with the batting sliders in favor of the CPU to compensate, and still lost two games in a row. I think I'm like 3-11 in my season... I was too afraid to look.

I was feeling the frustration this afternoon. I couldn't hit worth a damn. I switch to Pro and couldn't hit. I played Pro and maxed out the power and I couldn't hit.

I said f*ck it and started over by deleting my option file. I started a season as the Phillies on Pro. The only sliders I adjusted were baserunning speed up and fielder speed down 5 notches each. I played two games with everything else default.

I won the first game 8-2. I hit two homeruns with Burrell and one with Lofton. I had 16 hits and drew a couple walks. I was a little worried because Wolf dominated the Nationals. The bullpen gave up a late homerun. The second game was totally different though. Leiber got shelled giving up 4 in the first and 2 in the 3rd. I gradually came back to make it 6-5 mainly due to a string of errors by the Nationals in the 6th inning. In the ninth inning I got a one out single and then it was 3-0 on Thome. I took two strikes and then swung at a high pitch that would have been ball four and put it to the warning track. I bounced to second to end the game.

I'm convinced that sliders can really screw up this game. I'm not saying we can't make some adjustments, but I don't think we totally understand how they are related and what the hell the -50 or +50 means.

I'm not good enough to play on All-Pro. I think one of the things that is hard about All-Pro is that it is almost impossible to hit a ball that is out of the strike zone (unrealistically so). Couple that with a slider adjustment that makes balls more frequent and that is a recipe for disaster. I'm going to play on Pro for now. I may have to tone down my offense or up the CPU with sliders, but I really don't have any fun on All-Pro.

The key to increasing hits is ability to distinguish balls from strikes. Once you do this your hitting stats should increase. So far I am having big time troble with this on the ALL STAR level swinging at pitches near but outside the strike zone.

[GROGtheNailer]

Grog I am "srjamese" on EASO. Let's hook up for an online game sometime.

Wow, is this game beautiful or what? Best looking baseball game i have seen to date for sure. Just had one game tonight ( 2:50 am as i type this) but first impressions are just that...wow! I will definitely look you up James Do you have to pay to play online?

A couple notes. I'm having difficulties picking up where the ball is location-wise, mind you it was only 1st game so that should come hopefully. Also, the manual is fricken skimpy man.

I do notice a ball tutter when throwing to first from second/third...what was the fix for that again? Not a game killer by any means, more a slight annoyance. How do you set advanced graphic options, doesnt seem to be a place for it.

I really like the ball physics so far, very nice. This game could be great, not sure but i like my 1st impressions of it so far. Just dont want to find a game killer for me. You guys getting proper amounts of walks/K's ratio?

Fun so far, very thorough job by EA.

[JRod]

I love the way the pitchers are different. Johnson is a monster and won't walk a lot. With Schilling, you can overpower the CPU. As long as you don't line it up as a meatball you can K a lot.

When I start to hit well is when I play a 3-5 man in the rotation. If I'm playing Mussina, two runs is pretty good.

I just played 1-0 as Boston v Yankees. Mussina (2BB, 9 SO)and Wells (2BB, 5 SO) both pitched a four hitter. Damn Womack had a triple and Jeter sac flied him home. The previous game was a 2-1 win in extra innings. I beat Rivera in the 10th. You can't tell when you have good pitchers up versus bad ones.

This game has just surpassed High Heat in my mind. I dont' see how but if MLB 2006 is better than this game, then it will probably rival WE as best sports game release. Its not like MLB will be a bad game. But the important things in this game are done so well.

There are some stat reporting problems along with incorrectly charging of errors on some playes. When there's a tough situation in the field it might get reported incorrectly. But I don't see any missing hits, or extra errors, it will only happen in those weird situations.

Oh using Pared's slider no changes.

[Danimal]

I am also having problems hitting on All-star setting. I find that my problems lie from the inability to lay off of the high pitch and I can't hit changeups to save my life. I have been tweaking sliders and I got something I like, I will post them someday soon once I have given them more playtime.

Some things I saw yesterday in my 20 game marathon

- Ball hit down the thirdbase line, HITS the bag which causes it to pop up in the air and slow it down, it ended up slowing it enough that I was able to coast into second. I can't recall ever seeing the ball hit the bag in any game I have played.

- Line drive through the box hits Remlinger in the head, bounces in the air and hits in front of the thridbasemnent who picks it up barehanded and fires it over to first off his back foot. Looked so f-ing realistic I was like wow! (Plus Remlinger got a mild concusion and is on the shelf)

- Like the real life Cubs, Latoya Hawkins blew 4 saves for me in the 9th.

- With runners on first and shots hit down the first base line, the firstbasemen will actually field the ball and take the sure out at first instead of trying to turn an impossible DP.

Even though I am losing non-stop, I see things in each and every game that make me shake my head. What a turn around effort.

[webdanzer]

"Line drive through the box "

This is actually one of my minor gripes...too many hits back up the middle.

That, and I don't like the fact that as a hitter my eyes are lighting up on the 'up and in' pitches, even moreso than those right down the pipe. It's truly...odd.

Still love the game, though.

[Leebo33]

"Line drive through the box "

This is actually one of my minor gripes...too many hits back up the middle.

Yeah, that is one of my gripes as well. I've knocked 4 pitchers out of the game so far.

At least there are many many variations of what can happen when the ball is hit up the middle.

[dbdynsty25]

I agree with the sliders destroying the game theory.

I have adjusted 4 sliders...the two fielder speeds (-3) and the two baserunning speeds (+3). I'm getting some damn nice results.

I started my franchise finally with the Braves of course.

4-1 in the first game...

5-3 in the second game...

Both wins, both games were great. 12 total hits in the first game and 21 in the second...I find that completely acceptable. The variety I've seen in the 10 or so games I've played has been outstanding. The only gripes I had were the running and fielder speed leading to very few doubles and triples. The thing that put me over the edge and made me adjust the sliders was in my first game of the franchise.

Brian Jordan is up and the right fielder is playing WAY around to left field. I hit a ball down the line that doesn't even make it to the corner...the fielder gets to it in a hurry and throws Jordan out easily at 2nd. Jordan, when healthy, is not slow by any means...he should not be thrown out on that ball. Even the slowest of players would make that easily...so I had to make a small adjustment and it seemed to remedy that.

[Leebo33]

I'm still slider free except for the same ones DB adjusted and -50 on the pitch meter difficulty. The only thing I am missing is "unintential" walks. I walk 1-3 batters a game, but it's usually because I'm pitching around a power hitter. I doubt I'd ever walk a weak hitter or pitcher.

So far in my Phillies season:

1. Won 8-2 vs. Wash
2. Lost 5-6 vs. Wash
3. Won 6-5 vs. Wash
4. Lost 0-5 at STL (left a ton of men on base)
5. Won 5-4 at STL
6. Lost 0-3 at STL (dominated by Marquis)

So far I've scored 24 runs and given up 25 in 6 games.

I absolutely love the fielding in this game (with fielder speed down some). It is so friggin' dynamic and there are so many animations (not ones that get in the way either). Player momentum is a huge factor. There was "cue" shot down the line at third, Bell was playing off the bag and had quite a way to get to the coaching box, it took him a couple steps to switch momentum, he fired to first in the dirt (actually me because *I* made the throw)...Thome made a backhanded grab...but SAFE!

That's what is AWESOME about this game. Memorable plays. The game is wide open. Anything can happen.