The future of the MLB 2k franchise.

[Trevytrev11]

I don't think anyone knows exactly what they will work on for next years game-but I wish (and of course this is just my opinion) that they don't even think about adding any new features to the game and focus soley on cleaning up all of the "little things"

New modes and gimmicks are great , but I hate to see those things get attention while other little things that make or break the game get neglected.

I would love to see them put 100% of their attention on cleaning up all of the animations, improving the physics of the game and getting all of the ball parks as detailed as possible.

I think the engine of the game has a pretty bright future, but it needs a lot of polish, subtle in some places and obvious in others.

I do enjoy crowd specific chants, player harassament, cut scenes, minor leaguers, all star festivities, rain delay's etc., but instead of any of that stuff, I would rather have:

-fixed the swings and picher deliveries.
-as many accurate batting stances and swings as possible
-as many generic stances and swings as possible
-as many accurate pitching windups and deliveries as possible
-as man generic windups and deliveries as possible
-as many realistic fielding animations for routine plays, spectacular plays and everything in between (dives, slides, back hands, barehands, digs, side arm throws, under hand throws, throws in the dirt, throws off line, throws over heads, realistic double play turns, several HR robs,several error animations, bad hops, etc. etc)
-realistc physics-no more balls speeding up after bouncing on the ground, no more super fielders, no more perfect 350 feet throws on a line.
-clean up the little graphical things (gloves (which look good on the 360), hats, cleats, bats, etc)

Keep everything else they have the same for one more year. Keep the franchise the same for one more year, keep the pitching system the same for one more year, keep the ana-log hitting for one more year (or forever if it works). Just fix the game play. Once that is solid and obviously better than anyone elses product then go crazy with extra's every year.

Istead of trying to do a hundred things half way, do 10 things great.

[baandje]

Instead of trying to do a hundred things half way, do 10 things great.
I agree:

1. new player models and complete animation overhaul
2. new player models and complete animation overhaul
3. new player models and complete animation overhaul
4. new player models and complete animation overhaul
5. new player models and complete animation overhaul
6. new player models and complete animation overhaul
7. virtual hotdogs; I get hungry by the seventh inning
8. new player models and complete animation overhaul
9. new player models and complete animation overhaul
10. new player models and complete animation overhaul

[Bears34]

I really wish they would just settle on an engine and perfect it. I dont care if it takes 5 years of tweaking the game .

Ive always thought this was 2K's biggest problem. They keep rebuilding the games every 2 years when they really dont need to.

[DaoudS]

How about a super deep career mode...

[Trevytrev11]

How about a super deep career mode...

Well my whole point was to leave it be until the get the gamepaly as good as it can possibly be.

[cae_b_c]

Well my whole point was to leave it be until the get the gamepaly as good as it can possibly be.


I agree with you 100%! 2K does not have to compete with EA for the MLB game now, so stop with the gimics and get down to making a MLB game playable so that it's not frustrating to see the stupid junk that seems to haunt there other titles.

[baandje]

I agree with you 100%! 2K does not have to compete with EA for the MLB game now, so stop with the gimics and get down to making a MLB game playable so that it's not frustrating to see the stupid junk that seems to haunt there other titles.
It's a natural by-product of being #2 in sports gaming: thinking they have to out-do the other guy. I guess it hasn't sunk in yet that the other guy picked up his bat and glove and went home... well, went off to college actually.

[Trevytrev11]

It's a natural by-product of being #2 in sports gaming: thinking they have to out-do the other guy. I guess it hasn't sunk in yet that the other guy picked up his bat and glove and went home... well, went off to college actually.

Yeah, maybe they won't feel like they have to compete as much or keep up with a change EA would have made and do their own thing instead.

Sometimes it seems that all companies are too worried about what the other companies are creating that they lose their direction of focus.

[DaoudS]

I haven't played 2K sports since WSB 2K3, and the developer has changed since then so I don't really know what to change. I will think on this after I extensivly play MLB 2K6.

[esmeet]

I posted last night in the "Future Ideas 4 the Game" thread about an expansion team mode. (I won't repost all the information here...if you're interested, you can go read it there.)

I know gameplay is the #1 concern for most of us, but it would be nice to see them add a mode like this. It would increase the replay value of the game tremendously, and it would make those of us who play fantasy baseball or dream about being a GM happy.

Did anyone (other than me) play this Expansion Team mode in Acclaim's All-Star baseball several years ago? I had more fun creating a team and trying to build them up to something competitive than I've had playing a franchise mode or playing on-line.

2KSports...if you want to increase the replay value of your game, consider adding the Expansion Team mode!

[DaoudS]

I posted last night in the "Future Ideas 4 the Game" thread about an expansion team mode. (I won't repost all the information here...if you're interested, you can go read it there.)

I know gameplay is the #1 concern for most of us, but it would be nice to see them add a mode like this. It would increase the replay value of the game tremendously, and it would make those of us who play fantasy baseball or dream about being a GM happy.

Did anyone (other than me) play this Expansion Team mode in Acclaim's All-Star baseball several years ago? I had more fun creating a team and trying to build them up to something competitive than I've had playing a franchise mode or playing on-line.

2KSports...if you want to increase the replay value of your game, consider adding the Expansion Team mode!

I remember playing it, but it seemed kind of empty and you couldnt go DEEP into the franchise as it lasted for just one season.

[esmeet]

I remember playing it, but it seemed kind of empty and you couldnt go DEEP into the franchise as it lasted for just one season.

I hear you, but it wouldn't be too difficult to expand it. After you go through the Expansion Draft, they could essentially run it exactly like a Franchise Mode and let you build up a team from the ground-up and try to take them somewhere over several seasons.

[DaoudS]

I would honestly rather have a Career mode but first I agree with everyone else, all the gameplay mechanics must be fixed so they don't look so stiff.

[esmeet]

I agree that fixing the gameplay is the #1 thing (for any sports game). Graphics and play modes are nice, but they're only as good as the feel of the game on the playing field.

I think a Career mode in baseball would be cool...kind of like the 24/7 mode in basketball. You could take BP and HR Derby-type practices to improve contact, power, bunting, etc. You could do some sort of agility drills or running to improve the player's speed and range in the field. You could include pitching drills to improve velocity, accuracy, etc. Finally, you could have some sort of fielding drills that would improve hands and throwing, etc. I like the idea...

Still, for me personally, I think of baseball more from a font-office perspective, so my vote would be for an Expansion Team mode that would really push the GM inside each of us and lead into a Franchise mode with the team you created and built from the ground up.

[bigfnjoe96]

I agree:

1. new player models and complete animation overhaul
2. new player models and complete animation overhaul
3. new player models and complete animation overhaul
4. new player models and complete animation overhaul
5. new player models and complete animation overhaul
6. new player models and complete animation overhaul
7. virtual hotdogs; I get hungry by the seventh inning
8. new player models and complete animation overhaul
9. new player models and complete animation overhaul
10. new player models and complete animation overhaul

Don't forget the ability to channel dead baseball players via your 360 & XBL :thumbsup:

[Trevytrev11]

I agree that fixing the gameplay is the #1 thing (for any sports game). Graphics and play modes are nice, but they're only as good as the feel of the game on the playing field.

I think a Career mode in baseball would be cool...kind of like the 24/7 mode in basketball. You could take BP and HR Derby-type practices to improve contact, power, bunting, etc. You could do some sort of agility drills or running to improve the player's speed and range in the field. You could include pitching drills to improve velocity, accuracy, etc. Finally, you could have some sort of fielding drills that would improve hands and throwing, etc. I like the idea...

Still, for me personally, I think of baseball more from a font-office perspective, so my vote would be for an Expansion Team mode that would really push the GM inside each of us and lead into a Franchise mode with the team you created and built from the ground up.


I really do like that idea, but I think most people buy baseball games to play baseball, first, and then run a franchis second. I mean if you gave people the opportunity to play a game that had actual baseball but no franchise/gm mode or a game with no actual gameplay and only a franchis/gm mode. I think the majority of people would choose the one in which you could actually play baseball. Obviouslly almost all of us want both.

I never played ASB, but I really like your concept. As deep as the frequent franchise modes have been, they really have lacked a lot of things that a real franchise would enconter, such as rule 5 or expansion drafts, naming franchise players, dealing with an actual agent who makes counter offers, etc.

My gripe comes down to the fact that in these games-there is no way to measure chemistry and other intangible things. Because of this, a Billy Beane, Mark Shapiro or Ken Williams method of GM-ing (ie finding ways to win with $40-$75 million payrolls)wouldn't be nearly as successful as a Brian Cashman with $200+ to spend.

It all comes down to preference and in this case, my vote would be to nail the gameplay then deepen and detail the franchise mode.

[esmeet]

I agree whole-heartedly that gameplay needs to be the #1 focus for the designers; however, with that being said, the Expansion Team mode would be very easy to integrate into an existing game - it doesn't take new animations, motion captures, graphics designers, or really any of the "difficult" processes that gameplay upgrades require. All it takes is a few simple algorithms to run an expansion draft with protected players and to generate schedules with one extra team in the AL or NL as well as a few extra hours in the booth for the audio guys to record the potential cities and team names that would be used. Other than those minor tweaks, it would run like the existing Franchise modes. (Adding AI agents and chemistry would also be great, but would IMO (again) be a bit more complex to achieve.)

As for game improvements that could realistically be 100% implemented and achieved in one year, this is my vote. The Career mode is cool, but I think it would require new animation, designing new environments for the mini-games to be played, etc. Upgrading player models and animations is always important, but we can't expect them to reach perfection there in one leap.

[2KSPORTS FAN]

I posted last night in the "Future Ideas 4 the Game" thread about an expansion team mode. (I won't repost all the information here...if you're interested, you can go read it there.)

I know gameplay is the #1 concern for most of us, but it would be nice to see them add a mode like this. It would increase the replay value of the game tremendously, and it would make those of us who play fantasy baseball or dream about being a GM happy.

Did anyone (other than me) play this Expansion Team mode in Acclaim's All-Star baseball several years ago? I had more fun creating a team and trying to build them up to something competitive than I've had playing a franchise mode or playing on-line.

2KSports...if you want to increase the replay value of your game, consider adding the Expansion Team mode!

no none paid too much atention on what you wrote because you started thrashing every one on the way. if you would of placed a series thread every one would of follow you

but you mention the greede companie 2ksports took away the license and payed too much atention to this steroid profesional sport..

if you would of placed it like you did right now, you would of gotten so much better and firerent responces to it... specialy from me...

by the way this is a nice way to say it

[Trevytrev11]

no none paid too much atention on what you wrote because you started thrashing every one on the way. if you would of placed a series thread every one would of follow you

but you mention the greede companie 2ksports took away the license and payed too much atention to this steroid profesional sport..

if you would of placed it like you did right now, you would of gotten so much better and firerent responces to it... specialy from me...

by the way this is a nice way to say it

are you drunk right now?

[esmeet]

Ummm....

I can only assume you've mistaken my post for someone else's. (or you're drunk...)

[Cell Block]

How about a super deep career mode...

What difference does a "Super Deep" career mode make if the game doesn't play or look right?

The majority of consumers are not even gonna give the game a solid look if it doesn't 1st LOOK the part then play the part...Thats just being real...IMO Graphics and gameplay go hand in hand because one w/o the other is a sub par effort IMO.

[DaoudS]

I simulate A LOT more then I play, so I enjoy the perks of deep Franchise modes and what not. I know the average consumer doesn't do that, but I do.

Actually, I wouldn't mind "MLB General Manager" type game.

[Jimmy42Jack0]

ditto...and after mvp, a game without any kind of playable minor leagues just isnt the same kinda baseball experience as i want

[Cell Block]

I simulate A LOT more then I play, so I enjoy the perks of deep Franchise modes and what not. I know the average consumer doesn't do that, but I do.

Actually, I wouldn't mind "MLB General Manager" type game.

Hey to each his own in terms of the way a person enjoys the game but maybe you can now see why I might be more on the critical side with sports games...I actually play them 100% and NEVER simulate or for the most part play the cpu...I play about 99.9% vs human opponens in head 2 head online or offline play.

And I can assure you that these games play a bit different when you are not playing the cpu exclusively or simming games...You get a whole new perspective on whats good and bad when you actually play a living breathing opponent

[Art1bk]

What difference does a "Super Deep" career mode make if the game doesn't play or look right?

The majority of consumers are not even gonna give the game a solid look if it doesn't 1st LOOK the part then play the part...Thats just being real...IMO Graphics and gameplay go hand in hand because one w/o the other is a sub par effort IMO.

Then again u could be wrong because many people loved the high heat baseball games and they had horrible graphics. So it's not always the graphics and gamplay together. Some people feel different about that.