Suggestion for In Game

[donkuchi19]

This has bothered me since first purchasing the game. I use the standard graphics for stadiums and such which came with the game. What bothers me is when a player hits the ball about 20 rows deep on the graphics but the game calls it a fly out or a deep fly out. I have also seen on occasion a ball that looked like it blooped over the infielder called a "batter flies out to deep right center field." I would like to see the graphics of the ballpark match the underlying framework for the field so that if it looks like it went over the wall, it does.

I really love the game but this just kind of bothers me.

[Sonny]

I agree. I have seen the ball path go right to the shortstop and the message says fly out to deep left center field. It does not hamper the game like the terrible base running but it does mess up the asthetics (and my announcing of the game[:D]).

[SpharV2]

Easy enough to change where the ball graphics end up in the stadium modification. I had the same problem, so I set all the deep areas right at the wall, so I keep the suspense.

[puresimmer]

It does not hamper the game like the terrible base running

Can you give me some specifics? I'll be glad to look into this. I feel the base running is pretty good so if there are some big issues I'd be happy to investigate.

[donkuchi19]

The only problem I have seen with the baserunning is the following example.

I have a runner on second with a speed of 97. The batter hit a double and the baserunner only advanced to third.

There were two outs so the runner should have been off with the crack of the bat and scored easily. Other than that, I have had no problems with baserunning.

(I chalked it up to maybe the runner tripped or something but it still irritated me because I lost the game by one run and those base runners were stranded on 2nd and 3rd)

[Sonny]

ORIGINAL: puresimmer

It does not hamper the game like the terrible base running

Can you give me some specifics? I'll be glad to look into this. I feel the base running is pretty good so if there are some big issues I'd be happy to investigate.

Well a lot of it has to do with errors. No matter what error occurs there is only a one base advance (though I think on an error on a hit and run the runner advances two bases). I mentioned in another thread that I pinch ran on first with a 53 speed runner with two outs and the batter hit a fly ball to deep right field which the right fielder made an error on. The result - runners on first and second.

From what I've seen if the ball is hit "out of the reach" of an infielder there is a one base advance - no matter what the speed of a base runner or if there two outs (even with a 3-2 count I think). Maybe my interpretation of "out of the reach" meaning the ball got by him to the outfield is not the correct interpretation?

With two out any hit to the outfield should bring in a runner from second. OK I had a guy with a speed of 15 - maybe he should not make it, but anyone else should. I cannot think of a major leaguer who could not make it home from second on a single with two outs (maybe Earl Battey?).

These examples are why I asked in the "Anyone but me" thread if people actually managed the game instead of just simming. There seemed to be no hue and cry about base running.

[Amaroq]

Regarding the errors, that's a "missing feature" not a bug, actually. Currently, all errors are considered to be pretty simple 'booted ball' errors - a ground ball to the infield which kicks off a glove but not too far, or a relatively fast moving line drive that isn't caught. Yes, it would be ideal to move from that to a 'real' errors system, which includes throwing errors and baserunning blunders as well as fielding errors, and models the baserunner's reaction to errors-in-progress. I'd really love to see how throwing errors interacted with our decision about whether or not to try for a runner taking an extra base, for example. We could have all sorts of entertaining / creative plays when errors get involved. However, that's really a very substantial rewrite of all of the error-handling code, not a simple bug.

Yeah, if you're thinking of 'out of reach' as 'ball gets through to the outfield' the results are a little odd. But if you think of it as mostly 'knocked down the ball, but couldn't make a throw', then all of the one-base advances make much more sense. Again, there would be a nice "missing feature" there, including figuring out where the ball gets to when a player can't get to it, what the runners are doing, and how that interacts - a sharp liner down the line that the first or third basemen can't get to should be a double; a ball that gets past the shortstop through the hole might advance a runner two bases with two outs, etc.

I definitely don't agree with you that every two-out hit to the outfield scores the runner from second. I've certainly seen players held at third even with two outs, and I find the 'play at the plate' that results from a single with a runner at second heading home is one of the most exciting plays in baseball. Maybe the percentages are a little off - I certainly haven't run the math - but the possibilities (held, thrown out, safe/beats throw, safe/no throw) should all be present even on a 3-2 count with 2 outs.

[Frozen Stiffer]

I too have seen many runners on 2nd get nothing more than a single base on a hit to the outfield. The quality (read: speed) of the runner, their baserunning decision-making skills, the type of hit (blooper just over the infield, a line drive right at the fielder, etc.), as well as the strength of the fielder's arm all must be considered.

There are plenty of outfielders with cannons for arms where all you get is to MAKE it to 3rd and like it. A bloop single, a fast runner, a late start from the fielder and a poor arm would combine to a very good likelyhood that the runner can score. Sometimes even just the presence of a couple of these factors is enough. You just have to face it, there are no guarantees in baseball.

[Sonny]

I did say that maybe a real slow player may not make it home on a 2 out hit (not just any situation but two out where the runner is going at the crack of the bat) but in the major league games I have seen this year I have not seen it happen. Nor can I remember it happening in any major league game I have watched.

If you want to say the fielder knocked the ball down so there was just a one base advance - fine. But the game does not indicate that. There is no real difficulty in making the text agree with what is happening - just in this game that is not the case. Two base errors in the outfield are common as opposed to one base outfield errors. It is easy - if there are two outs then make it a two base error. Don't need to get fancy. On a ground ball error roll the dice (get a random number)and make maybe 20% of the errors two base errors (you could get fancy and take the runner's speed into account and see if he advances one or two bases but that is not entirely necessary). Believe me none of this is hard compared to doing some of the stuff the game does already. As it is now teams which are made for speed are penalized over the long haul. To go along with this, teams which are poor in the field will be better than IRL. Maybe not much better because they will still make more errors than other teams, but those errors will be less costly.

I am not talking about putting in the "once in a lifetime" strange plays (there are already enough of those with a double out of the reach of the pitcher and a triple to shallow center field) just better base running/error handling.

BTW - I did not say any of this was a bug. I said the base running was terrible.

So next time you're watching a game on TV (or in person) take note of how many players do not score from second on a two out hit to the outfield. Then manage a few games (as opposed to simming) and you will see the difference.

P.S. Shaun said he would look into it so I imagine that things will improve.