Originally Posted by Syd Thrift
One thing I notice when playing out games... I'd really like to see more off-the-ball movement. I'm sure this is something the graphics guys were working on adding in anyway but just wanted to make it noted somewhere. Some examples:
- Players racing to back up bases on groundouts and base hits. Even if, for instance, the pitcher can't get all the way behind first base on a 4-3 putout, you should see him moving in that direction (or, baseball coaches can correct me if I'm wrong... should the right fielder be backing up first on that play? Anyway, whoever is supposed to do that, should do that).
- When holding a runner, show the fielder holding the runner running back to position. I think I still see a lot of "jump"s.
- Runners going to first should run through the bag, not disappear upon being called out or magically stop after running full speed to get there.
- The PBP doesn't necessarily match what's on the screen but I'd love to see actual animations of runners taking out the pivot man on double play attempts, especially considering that that is an in-game situation where injuries happen. Also, maybe the low bridge every now and then? I can understand not wanting them because they're borderline dirty plays but they do happen in the game, if only occasionally.
- Fielders charging in on bunts and otherwise moving a little bit before a pitch, even, like, those little hops guys take sometimes in order to be able to move in an instant.
- Even stuff like the pitcher turning around to stare at a ball leaving the yard or an infielder looking up as a line drive goes over them instead of just sitting there would be awesome.
Some other animations that'd be cool:
- Foul outs to the outfield!
- This is probably hard as craaap to implement with customizeable stadia, but leaping catches at the OF wall. Honestly as a guy who plays almost entirely (actually I think entirely ATM) with user-created stadia, I'd be A-OK with a fielder clipping through the fences to make that catch. As long as you get it to look right with the defaults I think it'd be fine.
- The catcher going out to the mound on his own to talk to the pitcher.
- I'd love better animations for balks. Which, again, I'm sure y'all are working on this but at least IME a significant portion of balk calls come on a throw to first (or an illegally faked throw to first!) and not on an actual throw home. But stuff like dropping the ball after a pitcher gets into the set position or moving in and out of set position also result in balk calls.
- Still see the Bugs Bunny ball, although mostly now on broken-up double plays. Still find it more amusing than bad but, I don't know, those probably shouldn't be there.
- I'd love to see more indicators that an error is about to occur than a guy falling down. I see this at third especially: guy falls down, makes the throw, and the throw is almost always off the mark. Throwing errors probably come off of rushed throws more than non-rushed ones but this feels like a case of artificially rushing...
- Speaking of, sometimes, too, a guy bobbles a ball and still manages to throw a batter out. Any time this animation happens in the game, it ends in an IF hit or an error.
- HIDDEN BALL TRICKS WHY ISN'T THIS IN THE GAME OMG WHY DO I EVEN OOTP
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