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2k9 - How Can This Happen?


Schrades

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Now before I speak my piece I have to say this. I have played every game from intellevision baseball through 2k9. I love pc games for the modding, and I love different aspects of different games.

For $20 bucks this game had to be picked up, because as great as MVP was, it was time for it to retire in grace.

I have played over 100 games now in mlb 2k9. I have given this game several chances. I have waited for patches. I have played realistic baseball (countlessly perfecting sliders which I Love, working pitch counts etc.)

I really want to give this a chance as much as the bashers hate, and I have enjoyed this game for the most part. But I just can't stick with all the problems.

I want to point out some errrors that most gamers haven't commented on, as I look for the true to life representation of the game, so I will touch on points most don't mention.

1. Poor ball physics- Anyone ever stood on a major league field? They are MOSTLY hard with trim grass. The balls that get through the infield act as if they were hit into tar. Balls should be rolling much faster in this game, and they don't chop up worth a darn for that matter either

2. Unreal jumps on balls- Now contrary to popular belief, MVP had the same problem. BUt the computer completely unrealisticly gets to balls. Diving is one thing, but the amount of ground they cover on sreamers is just stupid. Nearly impossible to hit hard ground balls down the line or between the 5-6 3-4 holes for hits.

3. Stats, WTF! I just played a game where they didn't even credt my relief pitcher with innings. My starter goes 2 innings, and gets rocked. He gets subbed and the next 2 relievers don't even show up or get stats credited.

4. Franchise tid bits....the injury error and what not.

5. Hitting...I loved MVPs style of hitting and felt it was fairly realistic as far as timing and locations go. This game just feels like timing matters and the rest is in God's hands.

Good effort all in all to ok..but in the end I just finish this game and ask myself constantly....What the )(*&)(& 2k!?!

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I couldn't agree more.

Forget all the glitches and bugs, the actual playability of the game is a little wonky. Half the time it feels like the result of an at-bat is predetermined no matter where you aim or how good contact was made. Also, I've never seen in any baseball game so many line-drives smacked right to a fielder. If you do happen to hit a fly ball, unless it's nailed to the wall in the gap, the outfielders will run it down.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still having fun with the game, but I don't think problems like these are ever going to be fixed with 2k9. I'm thinking we may have to wait for 2k10.

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New development team+being rushed out the door by the suits=unfinished, quirky game.

I knew this was gonna be the case with this game as soon as it was announced for pc, so I'm just gonna enjoy it for what its worth and leave it in the hands of the great modders here. I basically just switch back and forth between Mvp and 2k9 to get my fix. I think the pc community has proven to 2k that we are worth making games for so I'm lookin foward to the 2k10 titles for pc, hell we might even get some hockey from 2k.

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1. Poor ball physics- Anyone ever stood on a major league field? They are MOSTLY hard with trim grass. The balls that get through the infield act as if they were hit into tar. Balls should be rolling much faster in this game, and they don't chop up worth a darn for that matter either

I pitched in Busch Stadium twice (1991 in HS, 1994 in a scout game), it was when they had turf, and it was like a thin layer of carpet on a parking lot. Our RF dove for a ball, and it ripped the top 4 buttons off his jersey. After I pitched, I went to RF ... and form one inning had blisters. 118 degrees on the turf ... June 6th. BTW, I have no idea how those guys catch a fly ball (luckily no one hit to me), there's either a white t-shirt or a white "dot" (sun reflection) on every seat in the stadium.

Now, blah, blah, I've also been on Wrigley field's grass (as a fan), and you could drop pocket change in it and never find it. It's is thick, thick, thick, and plays rather slow.

I can just image how hard the ground at Arlington is in July. That has to be like playing on asphalt.

For these reasons I do like the sliders that allow for faster hits. The 'routine' balls in the major leagues are well hit balls (comparatively). Lots of people think they could field a routine ML ground ball. Hardly. They might be able to get out of the way of a routine ground ball, but not likely field it successfully, let alone make it look easy/routine.

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The things that people are complaining about have been issues in 2k7 and 2k8 also. It's frustrating for those of us who have played all 3 versions for 150+ games each, because in the next year's version they'll [1] fix something, but then [2] something that previously worked, now doesn't.

For example, in 2k7 AI OF climbed walls like spider man and everyone hit bombs, and jerseys blew in the wind all day long, and you couldn't tell one pitch from another. In 2k8, they fixed that stuff, except for homers, only now the AI could never steal bases, and every missed gesture resulted in a meatball or BP fastball (even if you were throwing a curve), and online play was horrible ... but franchise worked well. Fielding has been terrible in all versions. In 2k9 the controls are pretty good except some pitcher's sliders break the wrong way, franchise has horrible issues, but online play is good.

I am not confident that 2k10 is going to be "it". Based on past performance, franchise will work well, but then something else major will be broken or need patches that may or may not come. There is ALWAYS something that causes the version to be significantly less than it should be. ALWAYS.

Furthermore, and most frustratingly, the customers seem to be the "primary testers" of the game. It kills me that they spend so much time on gimmicks like player cards and such, while the main features of the game (franchise, for example) has major flaws. The game also tends to be going toward the acradish type of game just for online gamers (who, coincidently DNF and quit their way to the unregulated leaderboard).

Frustrating. It is definitely one of those "so close, yet so far away" situations. This year it was $20. I took the chance. I would njot have purchased it on 360, but would have just continued to play MVP08.

Still a fun game to play, but I view it as a "one season only" game ... mostly because of the pitching controls. I'm pitch-metered out.

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I haven't noticed that. I have noticed that I really ENJOY throwing home with Rick Ankiel.

I go round and round with this game. Like the beautiful girl example, you think the relationship's gonna be okay and then she talks and says something that makes you want to throw her off the roof. Then she does *something* else, and you consider marrying her .... but the more you're around her, the annoyances are more annoying than the appealling is appealling.

I have NO confidence in a patch 3. 2K has never done anything like that, and they rarely communicate with consumers. Suppossedly there's one in the works, but my guess is once they get fixing the main things that need fixed, they're going to realise how much work it is going to take, how much it going to cost, how long it is going to take, and then just decide to include it as 2k10. Seen that movie before.

If roster edits don't nudge the game a bit more toward realism, we're gonna have to accept that this is the best we have (still pretty decent), and be glad there's a decent alternative to MVP08, and for only $20.

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As long as we're sharing... Has anyone else noticed that seemingly EVERY throw to home from the OF ends up landing up the first base line from the plate?

i thought i was the only one ... not even considering the fact that at any base (maybe not first), it doesn't matter when the ball arrives ... runners are safe or out with or without the ball being there in time.

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This aspect bothers me, because it doesn't seem to matter what you as a catcher on plays at he plate.

The other day I had a play (and will soon post the FRAPs to prove it), where Reed Johnson is stealing 3rd, and Yadi throws a bullet that Barden catches right on the 2nd base side of the bag (perfect) ... and Reed isn't even in view yet. He takes another stride, slides ... and is safe.

There have also been times where I assummed I was dead meat at the plate, only to slide and be called safe.

I notice this BIG time steals of 2nd base. There are times when the ball beats me there by a step and half, I slide and am somehow safe. Other times I start to slide as the ball arrives, and am stunned by an out call. It works both ways, user and CPU.

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Anyone else notice the occasional "no tag"...I have had say a runner on 2nd and one out....ground ball back to the pitcher and runner heads to 3r...I have him dead to rights, and alas...NO FREAKING TAG....whether I keep him still or move him toward the sliding runner, if the ball beats the runner by a long shot there seems to be no tag...This also happens in between bases sometimes to as runners run right by the fielders with no out call!

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I don't like how on line drives that tag the pitcher, the runner retreats almost all the way back to the bag ... and then the P wanders over to the ball and throws him out as he takes off for the next base (User and CPU).

In baseball, the runner would not have time to really make a significant move either way, and would notice that the ball was not caught and either hold or take off immediately.

The runners holding close to the bag on every soft liner, bloop, or one-hop to the of single (numerous in this game), results in far too many OF assits on force outs at the bases. Runners often have the best perspective on the trajectory of the ball because they are looking at it "from the side" versus "straight on". They're usually the first ones to know that it's gonna fall in .... not the last ones to make a decision.

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Anyone else notice the occasional "no tag"...I have had say a runner on 2nd and one out....ground ball back to the pitcher and runner heads to 3r...I have him dead to rights, and alas...NO FREAKING TAG....whether I keep him still or move him toward the sliding runner, if the ball beats the runner by a long shot there seems to be no tag...This also happens in between bases sometimes to as runners run right by the fielders with no out call!

I've gotten this many times and it is extremely annoying.

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On my Logitech the LS controls player movement and RS controls throwing, but you can also use the number pad.

I prefer the sticks because you can start your throw/meter (I don't think it starts filling the meter before you actually have the ball, but it starts it as soon as you have, versus a slight hesitation) before you even field the ball, when you try that with the button I often get the meter at its minimum.

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i'd like to say in addition to the mentioned issues, i tend to miss the little things that added to the baseball games which now i realize since 2k lacks them. things like showing how far a homer was hit, showing velocity and pitch on EVERY pitch, etc.

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