I still skew toward enjoying the game, but This is why when anyone says something along the lines of “it’s my money. Why do you care what u do with it” (that’s the kind version) they are invalid.
Every micro transaction purchased over the past decade, every whale that spends thousands has contributed to games losing features and modes, or having them hidden behind additional paywalls. They are the reason publishers prioritize grind over gameplay and retail games resemble a free to play model.
It’s the reason developers will keep moving the line on what’s deemed acceptable, because SDS will openly receive praise for what would have been deemed unacceptable 5 years ago because other developers are even worse now and people have completely forgot what normalcy is.

This year is less fun for me because it seems like every game plays completely different and there are games where pitch speed is just insane. I’m talking I could be on Veteran and very late on any fastball over 96. I can then go into practice mode and be early on the same fastballs on legendary...it makes no sense at times and it’s frustrating.

Instead of jacking up pitch speeds I really wish they kept those reasonable and just considerably shrunk the pci (and forced actual good contact) as a means to balance skill/difficulty.
At least to me that seems more reasonable considering the potential online issues....and the absurdity it every pitcher you face having a 95+ sinker or can magically throw 100+ every single pitch of a game as a starter.

Wait what?!? This is 6 innings and quick counts?!?

I figure they’d learn their lesson after the first 6 inning one and the response...and the quick counts?!? I mean it’s not even real baseball, stats shouldn’t even count for this.
I’m pretty disappointed at the moment...

As for the actual topic. The reward structure was clear from the start. If you were a maniac who got 60 wins in a week that’s on you. Though, after what I typed above I wish I was more of a maniac and got some more wins lol

I wouldn’t be opposed if it was at least double and stats had to be accumulated AS or higher, maybe even higher than that...

But I mean it is “prestige” which connotes respect and admiration from a great achievement...so it would make sense that would have to be done through competitive online play and there is no prestige that can come from grinding vs the CPU on lower levels (AS probably being included in a lower level)

@Saberq269 said in New Showdowns:

@kidcharlemagne22 said in New Showdowns:

Community complained and now we have a mode that give zero competitivity. That's crazy how people are lazy in video games. If you want no challenge, play conquest in rookie mode.

Go play BR if you want competitive gameplay or RS.

This is against the CPU

The developers themselves claimed that the purpose of Showdown was to create an anxiety and tension filled experience, similar to online competitive, for single player vs CPU.
Competitive gameplay was literally the selling point during the live stream.

But along with not wanting a challenge, people also think they should be able to acquire every TA in like a week or two, so whatever...

I don’t want random pitchers.

They need to tweak stamina and make it more punitive and I’d advocate for a secondary position type penalty for bringing starters in as relievers.
That way it still it can be an option, but it becomes something you at least have to think about, or it may no longer be the optimal option.
I think it makes sense as it relates to real life as well, because a starter coming in for relief can often be a bit of a [censored] shoot, since it’s entirely different routine and situation that they are used to.

@the_dragon1912 said in Live series event:

@rymflaherty said in Live series event:

@Ron_DiGittie said in Live series event:

@luskc23 said in Live series event:

@Ron_DiGittie said in Live series event:

Currently live. Like the limitations in this one and can hopefully have more of a skill based experience with everyone using the same cards

Away from console. What are the limitations this time around?

Gold, Silver, Commons only. 6 innings, AS diff. and no quick counts.

Can be very diverse teams with the no diamonds and I like it

There could be, but there won’t.
Some influencer will define the “meta” lineup and that’s what you’ll see the majority of the time.

I don’t mind the no Diamond in theory, but I’m bummed because I recently pulled a few diamonds that I was looking forward to trying out competitively without throwing them on my RS team.

My bigger issue, disappointment is the 6 innings with no quick counts. Kind of defeats the purpose of Events for many, especially when their asking for 50 wins over a couple weeks or so. As much as I complained about quick counts in a competitive mode, and think it is still a valid criticism, I have to admit it was kind of fun to have a new experience, and I’d prefer them back if they are going to make it 6 hours...but standard 3 innings still being optimal. Honestly optimal probably would have been 3 innings/HOF. Game would probably play great in that level using Golds/Silvers. Oh well...

I agree on 6 innings with no quick counts being garbage but the influencers have nothing to do with what the lineups will be. It really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the best lineup is
C Grandal/Gary
1B Olson
2B Muncy
SS Turner
3B Bryant
LF JD Martinez
CF Gallo
RF Soto

This is kind of proving my point just by defining a “best” lineup.
But maybe this is just me because I believe this is all far more subjective. For instance I can’t hit at all with Olson so I never use him. I’m not going to bother with Gallo, because it’s another batter I don’t seem to do well with...my guess is that he gets my opponents full attention and people focus and have optimal strategies to limit my effectiveness with him. My first build I threw Laureano in CF so I at least had one plus defender. Hit a homer first at bat, so I’ll be giving him some more time.

As long as I’m playing the event I’ll be swapping players around depending on who’s been affective or not...and I think that puts me in a minority. And just an observation, but it seems like lineup construction on this game is governed by a form of “fomo” with a large segment of the base unwilling to roll out anything that isn’t seem as optimal.

@VEGAS__T said in Prestige Felix Hernandez - Discovered May 31st:

@DriveByTrucker17 said in Prestige Felix Hernandez - Discovered May 31st:

@VEGAS__T said in Prestige Felix Hernandez - Discovered May 31st:

Or y’all could mind your own business and stop snitching on folks...

Or people that are actually cheating should be punished.

Yes but let the people who’s job it is find them and catch them. You don’t think SDS is aware his prestige card has been discovered?

We don’t need a bunch of Captain Kirks running around snitching on people trying to save the day. If you wanna wear a cape, go outside and protest the real injustices of the world.

Actually sounds good to me.
World would be a much better place if we had more people like that than you.

For the life of me I will never understand this sort of misguided logic. I can only imagine the people that abide by such a flawed code only do so because they are immoral deviants projecting and wouldn’t want their actions known and placed in the open. And obviously boosting in a video game is not an unforgivable sin of any sort, but I’d argue the action of shaming “snitching” in any capacity becomes a destructive precedent.

@ImDFC said in Gary Sheffield is Orange Cassidy at 3rd lol:

Not many people here are gonna get this reference

I mean, he’s only “the most dangerous man in the world” how can he not be known?!?

It was an awful idea for an event to begin with. At least to me as someone who’a favorite part of Events is creating unique teams and using cards I may not normally use. Or having fun gimmicks you get to build a team around - under 25, all speed, etc etc
There were only a handful of cards available for this Event, so you’re either running into the same lineup/players every game or you don’t have the stubs/money to get those players and field a competitive team.
To me that’s the antithesis of fun and what these Events should signify...and that’s all before the fact that it’s on Hall of Fame.

I like the new reward structures in theory, but it was much better in terms of acquiring player rewards last year.
It’s basically impossible this year, for anyone that has a life outside the game, unless I want to devote every second of my game play time to event, and even then it could be iffy.
55 wins in a couple weeks is just ridiculous, and I say that as someone that wins more Event games than they lose.

Sometimes when rookie/veteran moments/showdowns seems to be giving me fits I just move to only power swings (unless you have a guy it really doesn’t make sense for). Since pci’s are so big on veteran shrinking the zone actually can help me square the ball up better. It’s not always the case, but I think it does help stay out of double plays a bit too, especially if your really going after pitches up in the zone.

I only have Grienke, but I’ll likely be replacing him when I run into a better option. I haven’t been very impressed and as a batter he hasn’t given me too much trouble hitting against him.

If you don’t understand the “demand” portion, be thankful that you don’t have any understanding of that sort of obsessive, impulsive, compulsive behavior...
Realistically it’s what these modes feed off. Taking advantage of that small percentage that can’t control themselves. Usually you think of the corporation doing it, but here it’s other users profiting off it.

@taterracing said in Moonshot Free for All= Quick Counts:

Why quick counts in a 3 inning game?

But, maybe the prestige grinding will go faster. Who knows?

It’s probably a blessing that it will be less pitches with these garbage pitchers.

1. They aren’t.
2. Why not? People seem to like the prestige gimmick, even though I’d argue the moonshot event has ruined what these cards were supposed to signify,
3. It’s essentially SDS offering a buy it now option to players. The majority won’t bother or will use stubs they earn so they won’t notice or will praise SDS, but it is there for that group that is impulsive and impatient and will buy stubs to purchase them immediately...which brings up back to number 2. Because they’ll want them immediately to use in the Moonshot and begin trying to prestige them.

@SchnauzerFace said in Best card in the game:

@Bob_Loblaw1984 said in Best card in the game:

@SchnauzerFace said in Best card in the game:

I wish SDS kept better stats of our showdown runs, because I swear my bronze and silver cards outplay my golds and diamonds every time. Matt Joyce, Josh Reddick, Brian dozier, and hunter renfroe are all showdown gods for me.

EDIT: there’s also a reliever for colorado — I think his name is either Pozo or Pozos — and his cutter has more movement than Mariano or last year’s 99 Kenley. It’s unreal.

I mean it does help that they have perk boosts and play vs. CPU on veteran and occasionally All-Star...

Yeah but so do the diamonds and golds, right? So they should all be proportionally better

I find it can be easier to square up pitches with the bronze/silver cards since it’s on Veteran and their pci’s are more conducive to hitting as opposed to the high diamonds where often it’s just about the size of the entire strike zone and can lead to lots of good/okay and good/popped’s.

Exclusive licenses, and with that, the fact that each iteration often lacked innovation and in some case even removed features, yet still would sell well. So in that regard the consumer is also to blame, because if “good enough” is accepted there’s no reason for them to strive for more, especially with the short development turn around each year.

And from there the issues sort of mirror the AAA game industry as a whole...when it comes to releasing incomplete games or prioritizing modes that are manipulative and exist as a means to compel you to spend more money, etc...so it goes beyond sports games with that stuff.
It also doesn’t help that there’s always a company that’s willing to set the bar lower....what that does in turn is normalize things that would have been deemed unacceptable years ago. That’s how you end up with SDS being praised for not being as bad as xyz, and on a base level it’s true, but it’s also true that the things SDS is doing today would have been considered awful 10, or even 5 years ago...perception becomes so skewed because these practices have been accepted and normalized by the consumer, 5 years from now people will likely say “SDS is better than” while they are implementing the same strategies as EA and 2k are today.

When you’re struggling I think it’s basically the equivalent of struggling when playing the CPU on rookie/Veteran...at least for me, I’m usually inpatient because I’m not really fearing the pitcher at all, so I end up swinging at some questionable strikes...and it can be harder to square up the ball at times because the pci since it’s virtually the size of the zone for some of these hitters.
Out of curiosity, at some point I may just build a team of Golds and Silvers to see if it actually leads up to more squared balls.