Baseball Superstars® 2012. - (by Gamevil) - Universal App

[ticookie]

Seemingly unplayably slow. I'm a huge fan of the Baseball Superstars series, but it doesn't seem optimized, and chugs along, even after restarting. Anyone else having this issue?

[commanderkeen42]

It feels different from 2011, which I have come to know and love, but I think it's good so far. A little slower than I would have liked, and that's on 10 speed.

[chickdigger802]

It plays fine on a 4S. Like how I feared, this game is a lot harder than last year in a 'come on kid... get some g points to help yourself ;P' kinda way.

Playing my batter right now on normal, and season 1 is pretty brutal. You barely get any condition back if you win a match, and you lose many if you mess up a 'in match event', which is pretty easy when your stats aren't great.

It also cost a bunch of condition to train, which means you gotta be a lot more conservative.

btw: is morality and condition the same thing?

[icepulse]

Originally Posted by Ayjona

I've only tried a few test runs, so exhibit some good judgement and don't take my words as fact and absolute truth , but so far, for someone who liked the last few iterations of the series, Baseball Superstars 2010 seems just excellent. Much like Zenonia 4 was a splendid evolution of the Zenonia series (at least graphically ), but with even less forceful IAP, and far more changes and improvements to basic mechanics.

It is prettier than ever (actually, very, VERY pretty, with bright colors, nice character designs, and a large, vibrant town map for the "My" adventure modes), and there are actually quite a few new mechanics and systems this time around:

There are "smart" (as in more advanced) batting and pitching modes, in the case of pitching a system of gestures that allows for greater precision in throws, and in the case of batting, durned-annoying tilt controls. Luckily, the player can choose to use the old or new modes for either system, meaning that smart pitching can be combined with classic batting (for those who find tilt controls bothersome, a group to which I belong). Also, the on-screen buttons are customizable, and can be positioned anywhere on screen.

There are also skill trees that are unlocked through skill points, with a limited number of skills that can be equipped at one time, encouraging the player to combine different skills. The equippable titles from Zenonia 4 make an appearance, in the form of Nicknames.

The "My Batter" and "My Pitcher" modes might (as I can't quite recall which of these features might have been present in previous iterations) have been expanded, possibly with more locations to visit, and more auxiliary and secondary mechanics and systems (special challenges, trivias, tarot readings, injuries, etc).

So far, the IAP is none too forceful. As far as I can tell, it is much the same as in Baseball Superstars 2, used mostly for quicker progression and cheat-like options, never required for gameplay. The normal equipment categories in the shop have no items that require real world money/IAP currency, and G points, the IAP currency, can be acquired in LOTS of ways in-game.

As an illustration of the leniency of the IAP, some of the cheaper slightly cheat-like items (permanent stat boosts) bought for G points costs 100 g points. Succeeding at the first mission in the mission system earned me 50 G, and redoing the same mission earned me another 30. That's less than two minutes of play to earn enough G points to buy a cheap IAP currency item. Even the most expensive G point items (costumes that grant permanent stat boosts) can probably be bought after just a few hours of play, perhaps even less. It seems that there might be a near-infinite source of G points in just playing the game.

There might be stuff that have been lost from the last Baseball Superstars, but I am hard-pressed to spot it so far, and the game most certainly does not feel watered down or simplified, but the opposite, and not just in a small way. If not big, then at least clearly noticeable, and with a tangible effect on gameplay.

The result is, at least after a superficial examination, the best version of Baseball Superstars yet, and perhaps one of the greatest leaps between iterations so far.

Is there manual fielding?

[chickdigger802]

Originally Posted by icepulse

Is there manual fielding?

nope. Only real gameplay changes are a new batting and pitching system. Been doing only batter mode, which feels more like the homerun series from Com2us with the tilt aiming.

[MJY8]

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[geb]

This game is RUINED with IAP. Really there is like 40.00 worth of IAP including one for 20.00! -- none of which unlock the full game, just certain aspects. THEN there is a separate purchase area for G Coins to fuel gameplay and temporary buffs.

It is too bad Gamevil has done this. I would pay 10.00 for this game in a full package, but it is just a constant money pit in this form. It's pretty. It plays well until you run out of energy. However.... It is insulting for the Gamevil Rep to come onto TA in the upcoming thread and announce to the word that the game is now "Free on the App Store".

[Essex]

I really like the new graphics. Gamevil stepped their game up with this one. I don't really mind the IAP since you can earn a fair amount of G-Points just by playing.

[Ayjona]

Originally Posted by geb

This game is RUINED with IAP.

It might be time for us to reevaluate our hatred of IAP :-) Baseball Superstars 2012 is a splendid example. None of the IAP is required to progress or have fun. There are no level caps or energy timers. Furthermore, G points, the IAP currency, can be acquired in game, in seemingly infinite or near-infinite amounts, and at surprisingly generous rates (I did the first training mission, and was surprised to earn 50 G points in less than two minutes. With the G point pice points ranging from 800 to 7000, I could grind enough for the cheapest item in a matter of minutes, and the most expensive in less than hours).

There is a category of items only purchasable with real-world money, but these are items which provide immunity to illness, debuffs and injury, unlocks all super players (which are normally unlocked through gameplay), gives super stats, etc, all stuff designed to bypass the intended challenge of the game, and allow the player to easily overcome all obstacles. To my mind, there are few better ways to ruin a game. For those who enjoy it, splendid. Either way, we both get what we want, with nothing lost for either party.

Another interesting point is that the IAP is about the same as in the last iteration of the game, which sold for a dollar. Normally, IAP in paid games elicits a stronger reaction, but in this case, my guess is that the "free" price makes players assume that the IAP is worse than it truly is.

All in all, Baseball Superstars is unhindered and unhampered by the presence of IAP (much like Zenonia 4, but to a greater extent), offering an IAP currency that can be acquired in-game (in masses and with little effort), no limitations on free play, and cheat items that break balance for those who still want to spend money.

And the ONLY difference from how a premium version of this game would appear is an additional button in the shop. Yep, as a player, that additional button is all you have to put up with in order to play this for free.

With some companies, such as Gameloft, going of the deep end and implementing the second worst form of IAP (the worst is IAP that which give unique competitive advantages in multiplayer games), others balancing on a fine line, some devs offering free games, occasionally of good quality, with OPTIONAL IAP (Gamevil, Bullet Time, all iOS TCGs, Forever Drive, Deadlock, Disc Drivin', Hero Academy, and many others), and even plenty of polished high-quality premium games allowing progress through IAP (Infinity Blade 2 and Epoch are good examples), I think we would be much more productive if we stopped decrying the evils of all IAP, and started to assess just what impact the IAP has on gameplay.

[Stereomastery]

Have none of you even noticed there's no improvement in the A.I?
Exhibition matches are winnable, BARELY. You require stupid luck.

9/10 games for me end up with their pitcher being switched out for a 💩💩💩💩ing Super Player who NEVER RETIRES and is always there. Most of my batsman barely punt his/her throws.

Then when it comes to pitching itself, they sometimes miss 1 or 2 but rarely ever a strike-out, and the super pitches from my own super player are hit more often than not.

How is this balanced? Do other stats fit into here or something? Because the only one I've had any success and feel slightly good at is the My Pitcher mode. Because it told me in a tip people have weaknesses and to try and exploit them, so I've been remembering batsman names and what not.

Batting mode was just, a joke? I think my team won like, 18 games in an entire year, in second to last place. Yet I get MVP for everything. I don't get it at all.