I have one small request for showdown. If we only need to accomplish hitting stats (like the first one against Oswalt), don’t make us have to mindlessly pitch the innings too. Adds to the time if you’re just failing anyway.

Interesting. I see the notes. We'll see how things are affected. One question I have, they say the hitting and pitching changes are in "competitive multiplayer." So, does that mean the changes don't apply to conquest games, MTO or showdown?

It says a correction for the fly ball issues in the outfield. Doesn't say anything about the frequency of bobbled/misplayed balls. I hope that's part. Also doesn't say anything about baserunning (needs to be more instinctive on the assisted baserunning).

You're right, nothing about timing windows either. Also, pitch speeds on All-Star seem pretty darn quick right now. Not sure if it's just my imagination or what, but it seems really quick. I have a tough time timing things properly, not sure if that's the pitch speeds/differentials or timing window, or what.

I'm hopeful. Crossing my fingers this is what we all need. I'd love to feel good after playing.

Holy carp. I won a showdown...and then another.

Man, it was crazy. Like others here, I had no success on it at all for a while. I've mentioned before that I'm an average player, I'd say. I play a lot, online and offline, and I'd say I'm an average player (although I haven't had much success online this year). I was able to do moments the past two years but not showdown.

Anyway, I sat down today to try it again and said I was going to lock in. I started with the first inning showdown. I had a crappy draft, too many pitchers, etc. I just tried to play it through to get my entry stubs back. So, I'm playing through and I make it to the second mini boss (Didn't want to risk the loss). I skip him and go straight to the final and I get matched up with German Marquez in Coors and I'm down 15-5. Haniger walks it off with a two-run HR with two outs left. I yelled so hard, I surprised my son. I'm beyond thrilled. So, I try the AL West and get through, doing pretty well. I make it to Verlander at the end down 15-10 and I win without ever making an out. Like, what? How in the world? My son was watching me and I keep telling him how hard it is (he doesn't play the show) and then when I win, he's like, "that's not hard." I did have a [censored] good lineup by the time I faced Verlander.

It was a sweaty grind. I was locked in and super focused. Putting pressure on myself. I am happy I finally won one, but I can't say it was necessarily fun. I admit, I did switch to directional to win. I am willing to bet that's the only reason I won. I was hitting on directional and often pushing up to influence fly balls. Double plays kill you in showdown.

Anyway, no one else in my house would understand. So, I just wanted to share here because it feels good to finally conquer it.

I mentioned this somewhere else, but if they want to make perfect-perfect tough to do, I'm fine with that. And whatever they want to call the next best outcome (good-good, I think, or good-squared up?) that is fine too. But hopefully this exit velocity switch makes those good-good, and good-squared up a bit more rewarding. I think that's the thing. I still get perfect-perfect a few times a game. I'm OK with that. But if good-good is the next best thing, it should still be giving us some good exit velocities; hard hits and decent results.

I’d sign

I hate to agree with you, but you’re right. It’s very unfulfilling/unrewarding. I’ve heard comments that it’s back to last year. I disagree, game play last year felt better than this currently is. Not getting rewarded at all hitting-wise and feedbacks that might have produced hits in the past are getting nothing this year. Pitching is a total crapshoot. Fielding and assisted baserunning are a total mess.

And don’t get me started on showdown. I can hardly advance. I’ve been an OK player in past years. Able to accomplish everything they put up offline, but I can’t get even get to the final showdowns. I got there once in NL West (trailing 15-9) and came up two runs short. Welp, thanks for playing, you get nothing. Lately (granted my showdown games have mostly been post patch) I am getting knocked out at first boss in first inning showdown. It feels so all or nothing and one slip up kills the entire entry

That there’s an epidemic of relievers dropping their gloves when they get to the mound. I never knew that was an issue in Major League Baseball.

All joking aside, I’m noticing that squaring up and perfect, perfect feel great, but otherwise the PCI is much less forgiving than in the past. Even balls I’m just missing are nothing grounders or soft fly outs.

I’m not sure what to make of this dynamic fielding camera. Did they change it? I can’t remember what I used last year. I tried the different options this year and I can’t find the one I used last year (or it’s changed).

Along with the issue of outfielders not locking on to balls, is anyone else seeing an increased issue of infielders not fielding balls cleanly? Even routine balls sometimes get bobbled. Strange.

Also, might just be me in limited sample size but it seems like CPU is hitting much better against me, a lot more homers than in the past in conquest games

So it helped you complete it faster, but now you’re trying to tell SDS to stop it so other people can’t do it?

And relievers are still dropping their gloves when they get to the mound. Along the same lines, why are we still throwing the ball in the dirt at first on the third out? Why is that even a thing?

Aside, hitting just seems unrewarding right now unless you get perfect perfect. The CPU is actually giving me a hard time in conquest, mainly because I can’t hit. Not sure if I’m just having a bad night or what. I can’t score on the CPU in conquest. this has never happened before. I actually switched fr
Playing on veteran to all-star just to up the pitch speeds. Game seems to play a little better on all-star.

Also, the CPU has a great eye at the plate. It’s unreal. Also, Victor Robles catches everything in CF. Nothing falls.

Agreed on all of this. And the OCD in me goes crazy when I have that green duplicate tag and I can’t do anything about it

I wondered if there would be a patch today or tomorrow along with the new inning program. They've usually been announcing them late at night on Twitter.

@bonion said in What would you do:

You should prob focus on the AL first if you have stronger stub value in that respected division. Brewers would kinda be pointless unless you want the team collect card

I've always done well with Stargell cards. Plesac being new is fun.

I've heard good things about Giambi. Anyone willing to share an opinion on how that Alomar plays this year? I know the Walter Johnson for the AL Central is nothing special (and I've heard the Cody Allen isn't all that great either).

Curious for everyone, what percentage of your perfect-perfects are on pitches right in the middle of the zone. I've gotten a few on pitches near the edge of the zone, but a large percentage of mine have been simply just pitches in the middle or close to the middle.

I change occasionally to button accuracy for fielding throws because everyone says its the way to go and I can't time it to save my life. After a handful of errors, I usually just switch back to regular buttons. If anyone who uses button accuracy throwing wants to share tips, I'd love to hear them.

I'm more of a casual.

I have diamonds for left Yankees, Indians, Angels and Astros, Mets, Nationals, Brewers and Dodgers. I also already have Aroldis and Alonso. Which team would you finish? I have enough to finish one of these teams (or two of the cheaper) except Angels. I could buy Cole and Judge to finish Yankees, which would get my Giambi and Alomar since it's my last AL East team. Get Lindor and Ramirez to finish Indians and AL Central. Get Yelich and Hader to finish Brewers and NL Central?

Or I could finish something like Brewers and go to buy Oswalt and Gagne. I can't decide.

I've had so many issues with the advance all button. Guys not responding to it, stopping in between. Yesterday in MTO, I was sending Buxton from first to third. He stopped halfway between second and third and started to run back, even though I was still holding the button.

I want to start manually directing them all, but instinct just takes over and I hit the advance all.

The ones with doubles were the hardest to me. I actually got Vlad on my first try. Switch to direction for HR moments and push up to influence a fly ball. But I will say it seems like the timing windows for directional have been really off lately, very small window. Maybe this was secretly patched lately to avoid people doing this in moments and showdown. I've gone back to try some of the CAP moments lately and I can never time it up right, early sometimes, late sometimes, sometimes both on pitches that are the exact same speed, nearly same location.

I wondered this too.

@allmustfall16 said in Sale?:

This has the potential to really tank the prospect cards If that’s what they are. I mean really tank them. Everyone will get a chance at a pack now. Not just a few people. If you’re sitting on prospects, now might be the time to sell. Also may make Wander Franco affordable.

I think you can almost be certain this is too bring the price of those down. Too expensive to complete that set. I have never seen a Wander Franco online.

Yeah, I really doubt anyone (unless they really want him and don't care the price) have gone after Franco. It just doesn't make sense. They really must have thought people would go crazy for it. There's no way I would lock in all those prospect cards for that Franco.