[luckymann]

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind of the existence of a differential in results - over and above those caused by human interaction and decision-making - between simulated games and those played out.

There is the same amount of certainty in my mind this has worsened with 22.

One of the main issues I encounter is stealing / baserunning.

Here's a good example. I traded away one of my players to another team in my division almost exactly halfway through the season. When he left our club he had 26 steals. When the season was over he had over 80. And I employ a running game.

It isn't a matter of CS% but rather the AI countermanding your steal commands at an unseemly high rate. I understand the whole concept of count unfavourability and all that jazz (I use one-pitch mode) but surely if I'm the manager / player, the decision should be mine and mine alone as to whether or not the guy should try to steal the base. And, yes, I'm aware of the other options available to me such as run and hit blah blah blah but why should I have to revert to those when what I want is a straight steal. if my guy gets mown down, so be it - that's on me. Not sure how the AI engine even comes into decisions like this at all. It's a huge frustration that has a massively adverse effect on gameplay, especially when I'll then see time and time again in the same game one of their guys stealing second when his ratings were lower than my guy and my catcher's are higher than theirs.

The other area when playing out games that is increasingly difficult is judging when to take an extra base / try for home etc. The 3D is admittedly much improved across the board except in this area, where one is easily misled one way or another by the display as to the wisdom of holding up or waving around.

I would think in both of these gameplay elements some sort of probability rating in a pop-up box would be an improvement, whereby you are told some rough odds of success / failure and given the option to green-light or hold up. It's not perfect and takes some of the mystery out of it, as well as slowing down the game (although there is already a pop-up box for advancing baserunners), but it is an improvement on the sheer guesswork required at present.

Not meaning to hijack your thread DS2, but I think this goes towards your general argument. If I am seeing this using one-pitch, I can only imagine the exponential effect PbP would have.

Consider yourselves lucky I didn't get started on infield hits GRRRRRRRRR....