I was thinking about this the other night, and how some people claim to play the game the way it was intended (I believe I've heard this mentioned regarding using two starting pitchers in a game).
In my opinion, RBI was designed to be played a 7 game series at a time, as once you complete a 7 game series without any resets the game goes back to the title screen.
I'm not sure why I started this thread, because I really don't see much discussion coming from it, but this place has been dead since Friday and I'm bored.
I concur
I disagree. First of all, I'll state that I have a shitload more experience playing 1 SP than I do 2 SP. In fact, I was a staunch 1 SP supporter from 1987 to 2003. Then, in preparation for the COTUT, I started using 2 SP.
I personally think it's fine either way, but 2 SP requires more skill, in my humble opinion. With 1 SP, it's pretty easy to take a lot of pitches and eventually, you'll be batting against 60 mph pitches...no talent required at that point.
With 2 SP, you still need to take a lot of pitches, but that's more to get the P down to the 70s/80s range and he's still likely to have some movement.
Also, if you're saying that the game is meant to be played 1 SP due to the 7 game series thing, I'm gonna call flaw. It seems to me, that theory supports "the game is meant to be played with no more than 2 SP in every 2 games played." Not 1 SP per game.
Agree with the no more than 2 SP every two games, bad wording on my part.
I think it can be argued either way, which takes more skill, it takes more pitching skill to use just 1 SP, but it takes more hitting skill to go against 2 SPs.
I'm surprised that this thread has gotten two responses.
I think that it works either way. 2 SP requires more hitting skill and one requires more pitching skill.
Really, I think that it is a matter of how you want to play....
So, I have basically added nothing to the conversation.
Yeah, I understand the argument that it takes more skill to pitch with the 1 SP rule...but there is a law of deminishing returns on that one...eventually, it takes more luck than skill (once the P's speed and movement are depleted). But with the 2 SP rule, this never applies to the skills required (offense and pitching).
I think 1 SP forces you to throw more hitable pitches early in the game, allowing for more realistic games and forcing defense more into the game. It forces you to decide which situations you are willing to have a 6 pitch at bat, more decisions, more out guessing you opponent pitching inside more often. Of course I will admit when we played 1 SP, usually we chose between the bottom 6 teams or so, we usually didn't use Bos, Det, or either All-Star team and would often play the STL/HOU matchup
Good thread. I've played both. When we started playing RBI again a year ago, we only played 1SP. It wasnt till after the cotut we adopted the 2SP.
With 1SP, I tend to try and go after the weak/marginal hitters a lot more. Kinda risky with the marginal guys, but there are innings where you really need to conserve pitches. Like Joe Dirt said, in some games it does kinda come down to luck in the late innings if both teams have tired relievers. It a crappy thing though to lose a game where both teams are taking batting practice late and you cant seem to hit any gopher balls out while the other guys does. :(
However, I prefer 2SP just cause the games seem more intense. You pretty much know that hitting is gonna be a sunnovabitch for all 9 innings in most games.
I am a "series" junkie though, and a best of 3/5/7 with the same teams and 1sp is a fkn blast though. as long as you play, you cant go wrong.
If I mention the Infield Fly here, do you have to change the title of the thread?
I'm just gonna have to add a NSFPWWTAIFD (Not safe for people who want to avoid infield fly debates)
i play if a series is tied after 6 games you play game 7 with all stars
One of the reasons that RBI 2 and 3 are so shitty is that there are way too many pitchers for each team, effectively eliminating the strategic element of stamina conservation. I see the same thing in RBI with allowing 2 SP. I personally don't think it makes the game more enjoyable to have a majority of outs recorded on K's. With 1 SP, you can typically get a K total at the end of the game that is more in line with what's average in the actual MLB. Making your opponent "hit your pitch" is more enjoyable to me than making him swing and miss on (literally) unhittable pitches.
If a player wants to use 2 SP for a game in a series though, that's his own prerogative, since he'll be left with only two relievers the following game.
QuoteOne of the reasons that RBI 2 and 3 are so shitty is that there are way too many pitchers for each team, effectively eliminating the strategic element of stamina conservation.
RBI 2 and 3 limit you to 5 pitchers (2 starters) per game, so it really isn't much different than playing 2 SP in the original. The big difference is in series - there are 4 SPs on each team, so you can use 2 SPs in each game and still play a regular 7-game series without resets.
QuoteMaking your opponent "hit your pitch" is more enjoyable to me than making him swing and miss on (literally) unhittable pitches.
On the rare occasions that I play 2-player, I usually pitch with slurve rules - I'm a better player than the guy I usually play with, so this helps keep the playing field a bit more level. He usually follows the same pattern, although he'll throw junk to me if he gets into trouble (bases loaded, 1 out, that kind of thing).
Those are reasons I dig RBI2. I won't go so far as saying 1 or 2 is "better". I like them both for different reasons.
I think showing some hitting discipline is a big part of the gameplay. As a hitter, I'd just as soon the opponent burned out his better pitchers by throwing junk that I won't swing at and be forced to either throw me a cookie or bring in a new pitcher of lesser quality because they burned out the starter by throwing junk. This seems to be the case in many baseball video games. It takes some of the fun out of it if you (or the guy your playing against) is swinging at every pitch.
Yes, this is part of my point. With 1 SP, as the batter you know that you're going to get more hittable pitches so you can swing away without a ton of discretion.
But with 2 SP, this isn't the case. You have to take every ball and even some strikes; and when you do commit to the swing, you have to be on top of the pitch and try to make something out of it.
And just for the record, Octo--I don't believe that there are (literally) unhittable pitches that can't be taken for a ball.
Quote from: JoeDirt on 01/31/06, 10:03:35 PM
And just for the record, Octo--I don't believe that there are (literally) unhittable pitches that can't be taken for a ball.
Easy for you to say Mr. I Only Ever Play RBI While Sober.
Edit: actually, that's not true about drop balls, which randomly stay up for strikes or drop as unhittable balls. With 2 SP's, drop balls can be thrown much more liberally and lead to more strikeouts (without much negative impact on the defensive team), regardless of skill level.
QuoteEdit: actually, that's not true about drop balls, which randomly stay up for strikes or drop as unhittable balls.
It's still true - if the pitch moves so that it's unhittable, it's a ball, and you don't have to swing. Granted, there's no way to know in advance, but that's part of the game. Knowledge of the pitcher's drop rating is important in that context - you should be more likely to swing at one from Berenguer than from Scott.
Those of you who permit two starters per game need to look at RBI as realists. This isn't just a game, this is a serious situation. The RBI universe is not limited to the game you are playing. As soon as you turn off the cartridge, their never ending season continues on. What are they going to do if you use both starters? We both know that pitching a complete game shutout with Charlie Kerfeld is impossible (unless you are facing Nacho) so it just isn't fair to use both starters. Plus it is just lame...no real team has a reliever just sitting in the pen, ready and able to pitch another 7 innings after the starter goes down.
However, if you reach extra innings, I say go for it...at least that is our rule.
Quote from: Strassy on 02/01/06, 08:54:52 AM
Plus it is just lame...no real team has a reliever just sitting in the pen, ready and able to pitch another 7 innings after the starter goes down.
I didn't know RBI was so realistic. I'll have to check at the next game I go to, but I think most teams carry more than 2 relief pitchers.
I think all these arguments about how the game was meant are funny. The game was meant to be fun, so play it any way that makes it most engaging. I played Stock in some batting practice style last Friday, and even though I kept wanting to move to the edge of the rubber and throw one over the outside corner, I still had a blast just playing the game.
Quote from: BeeJay on 02/01/06, 12:24:50 PM
Quote from: Strassy on 02/01/06, 08:54:52 AM
Plus it is just lame...no real team has a reliever just sitting in the pen, ready and able to pitch another 7 innings after the starter goes down.
I didn't know RBI was so realistic. I'll have to check at the next game I go to, but I think most teams carry more than 2 relief pitchers.
I think all these arguments about how the game was meant are funny. The game was meant to be fun, so play it any way that makes it most engaging. I played Stock in some batting practice style last Friday, and even though I kept wanting to move to the edge of the rubber and throw one over the outside corner, I still had a blast just playing the game.
Very wise BeeJay, sounds like another great RBI quote:
http://dee-nee.com/rbi/faq.shtml#STRAIGHT
I knew that sounded familiar. I guess you guys should know that all my photoshops were stolen from Ziggy cartoons.