Now that I finally got this order yesterday, I figured I'd start up a thread. My first question: should I start out in franchise mode or by building my own player?
I never liked building a player in any sports game, but I always enjoyed the franchise mode. My 2 cents.
Did you do it with a pitcher or position player? I hear taking a position player through the RttS is a bit of a grind.
Both. Pitchers tend to get called up faster though, just like real life. I have saved games with a pitcher and a centerfielder. I've got them both at AAA at this point. That's really where you have to grind it out. It just has to give you a chance to get your skills up so that you don't get killed when you do get to go to MLB. If you want to pick just one I'd say go with a position player first. Hitting can be a bit tricky so you want to learn that first with this game. You can catch on to the pitching pretty quickly. RTTS will get you good at that stuff and then you'll have more fun with franchise or season. [Assuming you like to actually play the games]. I have played RTTS a lot. If you have anymore questions about it let me know. I've encountered just about everything though I tend to lose interest once I get my players up to MLB for good. I don't know why.
Actually no though I've been put in a handful of times while being used as a utility player. Don't get your hopes up, you don't get to call the pitches. The only time you get activated defensively is if there is a popup, bunt, or passed ball. Unless they changed the way the position is played in 09 but I don't think they did. One of the few disappointments in the game. Calling games as a catcher would be cool.
I did not touch RTTS mode. Went straight into franchise. Pitching is REALLY fun, somewhat frustrating at times and quite realistic (accept when guys who are hitting .200 get behind 0-2 and proceed to let 3 VERY close pitches pass them by to run the count full and then foul off 3 more pitches, forcing you to throw them something good and then proceed to rip a double....that pisses me off to no end). The computer gets a lot of things to go right for them when they need a run. If they have a guy on base and it is a close game NEVER throw a curveball that could end up in the dirt....it WILL be a passed ball and the computer WILL advance the runners. GREAT game though...totally addicting.
3rd basemen here (just like last year). Was a 5th rd pick by the Reds, and at some point (I think after my first AA season, or middle of my first AAA) those bastards traded me to the Astros. I made the Astros official roster by my 3rd year after spring training, and was also starting, they are very thin at 3rd apparently. We have a monster line-up in my 3rd pro season (5th year overall). I should have been rookie of the year, but got hurt with like 25 games left (on 30 day DL), so they didn't give me the award despite crushing the guys stats who won. 2nd year I got hurt just before the all star break (15 day DL) so i didn't get elected to All Star team. This year I am working on durability. But I'm leading all-star 3rd base, and have like 48 steals in like 50ish games. It's a ton of fun to be a position player IMO.
Here's a dumb question. I downloaded the demo. When I install the actual game, will it automatically overwrite the demo, or do I need to delete the demo myself?
Hitting is frustrating me. On rookie level with the sliders all the way up and I'm having difficulty. Also, I play as a 2B. I noticed that if I'm running to the bag for a double play, and the SS throws me the ball for example, my player STOPS, WAITS for the catch, and then I have to run to the bag again. It won't let me catch while running. This screws up all the double plays unless I get to the bag before the throw. Fun game though, I'm going to stick with it and learn how to play properly. I'm having problems reading pitches, and have a tendency to swing at EVERYTHING.
This is strange considering as a pitcher you can catch the ball while running to cover the bag at 1st. You have to stop swinging. I never swing at the first pitch unless it's a fastball up in the zone. Or a changeup around the middle. It's usually a good idea to take a couple. It gives you a look at what the pitcher is throwing and can help you get a better read on upcoming pitches that you may need to swing at.
How many seasons have you guys played before going to AAA? More importantly, how important is it to meet the progression goals? Not that I've successfully completed any sets in full. But, if i'm batting .400, but don't meet my goals, will I be called up? Thanks
playing catcher is boring on defense, i would just set it where you only hit if your a catcher. hitting is really difficult at first.. i got promoted really quick to AAA after like a month into my first season, but my skills werent up enough to handle it, so i ended up hitting .180 as a back up and couldnt build my guy up at all until next season. pissed me off
I got to AAA after my first full season (in 08 the Show, it took me 1.5 seasons). I think it is very important to hit your goals. In the majors, I was batting real well and I kept coming up short on my fielding percentage goal of .990 or better (I don't get many chances at 3rd so 1 error really ****s that percentage up), and I ended up getting benched for it.
Hitting is the toughest thing to do in the game by a WIDE margin. I'll go through stretches (2-3 games) where I swing at everything and can't score any runs. I've about 90 games into my first season in franchise and I've probably lost 40 1-0 or 2-1 games....it drives me insane. I have a much easier time hitting the top notch pitchers though. They have better control and if you can find a pattern to what they do you'll be able to hit 'em hard. I have a tough time against the low end pitchers who throw garbage because I have no patience but I am getting better. Be as patient as you can is all I can say. The computer always tries to get ahead but I almost never swing on the first pitch unless it is a fastball up in the zone (which I use the "guess pitch" option for and guess fastball up every first pitch). If you don't get YOUR pitch or the pitch you guessed before you get 2 strikes I never swing. If the computer gets behind in the count he will give you something at some point that you can take a good swing on. On 0-2 the computer will ALWAYS (90% of the time) waste one away to both lefties and righties. Another little secret I've learned to scoring runs is the computer does not react well to the suicide squeeze. If I have a guy on third and less than 2 out I ALWAYS lay down a bunt, regardless of who is hitting so I can get the run. If you have 1st and 2nd with less than 2 out I'd bunt as well. The computer glitches out and you'll get a single out of the bunt over 50% of the time. I force myself to do this even with middle of the order guys up because of my tendency to hit into at least 2-3 double plays per game.
It's usually not that tough to make it to AAA at some point in the first season. If you're batting .400 you'll meet your goals. Because you'll be getting plenty of hits and probably a good number of RBIs which will run up your training point totals. The goals usually are not incredibly difficult. I rarely get less than 3/4 of them. Achieving them doesn't guarantee anything. I can get almost all of them for months and not get called up. They seem to want to get your skill level built up before sending you to MLB. Getting called up to AAA quickly as a utility player can actually make things worse. It's hard to get hits/points when you're just randomly inserted into the occassional game for a pinch hit at bat. Your average usually plummets, goals are failed, and you have a hard time getting in the lineup. I prefer a couple of months as a AA regular and then getting called up to platoon or start for an injured player. It's just easier to succeed while starting games. In my current CF RTTS game I was drafted by the Astros. They sent me to AAA Round Rock pretty quickly and then never played me there. They didn't give me enough ABs to meet my goals and then the manager threatened and berated me for it. So I requested a trade and was dealt to the Orioles AAA club where I start at least every other game now as a DH. Pretty good deal and a useful way to get out of a bad situation.
2-4 in my first spring training game as a Cub catcher. A single, a double and an RBI. I think I get credits for strikeouts as putouts, which is a plus. LOVE this game. And since my name is recognized, it gives me chills to hear the PA announcer say my name coming to the plate.
Burning a whole CD of music as we speak that I'm then going to import as MLB music. My walk-up music is going to be "Sex on Wheels" by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.
my only complaint with RTTS is as a pitcher the advancement goals are never for improving your pitching skills, its always fielding. While thats not too bad if you are a fielder since it does help you do your job, but as a pitcher early on you want to improve your pitching as much as possible, not your arm strength for when you are fielding once in a blue moon.
Well, I'm toiling away in AA. The only way I can crack the starting lineup so far is as a first baseman, which is interesting.
so i have a question...can you brush back the hitter, then paint the outside corner effectively? that would be a great feature
Man, this thing is a time sink. And I've never had a gaming experience that was so frustrating and so satisfying at the same time. I'm in a hitting slump, and there's such pressure when I do get a spot start. What an incredibly realistic career simulation.
That's what makes it so much fun. You'll run into periods too where it seems like you can hit anything they throw at you. Then in a couple of weeks you'll wonder if you can buy a hit.
I went 5-6 last game 1 HR, 2 2Bs, 3 SBs, and 4 RBI's. A couple games ago I went 1-7 with just 1 SB, and was 4-16 in that series with no RBIs and only like 4 SBs and 2 runs. So yea, there are some definite slumps that piss me off, then some games like my last one where I feel unstoppable. It's so much fun.
If you were using a really good pitcher you probably wouldn't have to worry too much. If you were using a less skilled pitcher [like your road to the show player] it's more of a problem. I hit guys a lot trying to throw a slider that nips the inside of the plate. It will just come in way too far and hit the guy. Fastballs you aim out of the zone can get a little crazy too.
I can only reflect what I do with the A's but that is dead on. When I have Dana Eveland on the mound he has a decent slider that has a lot of break. If I try and bust it inside to right handed hitters I hit batters. I have to avoid it because if I try and move it towards the middle of the plate to avoid hitting the guy I'll hang it and it ends up in the seats. So much strategy in the game with the pitching. When Duchsherer or my created pitcher are throwing I can hit my spots but when you get to the lesser guys you really have to be careful. Yesterday I was playing the Yankees and Sean Gallager was cruising into the 5th and I had a 2-0 lead. Jeter walked and then with 2 out A-Rod comes up. I throw a good fastball, outside edge for strike one. Slider catches the outside edge for strike two. Waste one up that he fouls off. Then Suzuki calls for a fastball on the outside edge, I wave him off remembering how sharp the slider was that got him to strike 2...I miss the line, hang the slider and he hit it 20 rows into the seats to tie the game. In the 8th of the same game it was still tied and my reliever (Joey Devine) hung a first pitch slider to A-Rod and he hammered it for a 2 run triple. So many variables. Quality of the pitcher, confidence and the actual ability of the hitter to handle certain pitches. I've learned NEVER throw A-Rod a slider, don't give Morneau anything on the inner half and always pitch Langoria away. Sometimes the game is a little ridiculous though, like every video game. Johnny Damon is SUPER overrated, he kills me. Warren Span from the Twins kills me but easily the worst is Pat Burrell from the Rays. I can't get the guy out. IT got to the point that in the last series I played the Rays, anytime Burrell came up with a guy on base I intentionally walked him.
So I lost both of my RTTS games when my PS3 crapped out earlier today. This sucks. I'm pretty sure my pitcher was about to get called up to MLB. I had my CF guy batting around .350 in Baltimore's AAA club. Back to square one.
So i just tried RTTS as a pitcher. My first game I didn't even get an out. They scored like 11 runs....man i suck
It's important to keep in mind that at the beginning skill level the pitch rarely goes where you aim it. The good news is that often where the pitcher misses is fairly consistent. If you couldn't get an out I'd go out on a limb and say your pitcher was missing up and into the middle of the plate. You can compensate by changing the spot you aim for. Not drastically but subtly enough to where when your guy inevitably misses, the pitch will land in a less dangerous location. Remember you don't have to listen to the catcher. Sometimes he will call for something that your pitcher has a very low chance of pulling off. Don't feel the need to get too fancy either. If you can start placing the fastball decently it will be effective. Mix in some changeups and some sliders [always, always aim low with those] from time to time and you'll get your outs. The bottom line though is these things will help but you'll still give up runs to the big leaguers in spring training b/c your guy just isn't ready for them yet. It gets easier in AA.
Arrrghhh ... I'm in mourning right now. I just corrupted my player file. I was in my first full year in the bigs as a starting catcher with the Blue Jays. I was trying to free the USB cord to recharge the controller and accidentally hit the power button while it was saving.
