So i love video game baseball. Whether it be triple play back in the 90s or backyard baseball on pc to the legendary mvp baseball from 10 years ago. I've enjoyed them all. I always do. There's just one problem.

Franchise mode. Now don't get wrong franchise mode in mlb the show is always fun. Building teams and trying to win it all is entertaining because no two games play alike.

The thing is I know I can't play 162 games. I usually try to sim a few games here and there but it just doesn't feel like I'm getting everything out of the experience. I don't like online modes and really just dive all in to the franchise. But unlike madden, with seasons that last 16 games, I cannot fathom playing 162 for baseball. I just don't have the time.

So my question to all of you. How do you go about playing franchise mode for this series?

I'm the idiot who tried to play every single game. That's my video game white whale -- to finish a 162-game season. I don't know if I'll pick up '16, though. I bought last year's after a two-year hiatus and only played it for a few hours.

I believe most people play one game in each series while simming the rest. It varies, but I imagine choosing the pitching matchup that's most important for your team(s).

Since the rise of player career modes in sports games, I tend to pretty much always play those rather than a regular franchise mode. With the way those modes are pretty good about letting you skip through action your player isn't involved in, it is actually feasible to play an entire season. I completed about 10 seasons playing every game of a shortstop RTTS career in MLB 12, which I did over the course of a couple years (probably several hundred hours of play time). It took me like 150 hours to do one season (including playoffs) of my player's career in NBA 2K15 with 12 minute quarters.

When I used to play franchise and GM career back in the ESPN MLB days, I tended to play something like 30 or 40 full games a season and sim the rest, then playing the full playoffs. Sometimes, however, I would do full management runs where I wouldn't play at all and would just manage the team and sim every game. Those ESPN games had a cool gamecast feature where you could sim play by play and manage the game from a menu without actually doing any gameplay. It would take a bit longer than straight simming, but gave you more control.

I"ve never finished a full 162 game season in any one game. I've tried once or twice, but start siming at some point.

I've currently 80% through a season of player career mode for NHL

I was thinking about an online season with real players for every team. I'm not sure it's something they even offer. With everyone responsible for ever, or most teams. Since in baseball you play 3 or 4 game series each time you could easily figure out that the cubs play the cards like 30 times over the course of one year. So rather than trying to line up one game at a time you should just play has many games as needed in one season, whenever you have time.

I am thinking of getting this game so anyone else check in a few days to see if I'm playing. I'm waiting for QL cause I can't see any reason to pre order a game.

I used to do all 162 for several titles but that ultimately burned me out and I haven't really played much sim baseball since. If I were to do one now i'd probably do something like only play in division matchups or when certain pitchers are starting etc.

I played a full 162 game season in 2014, but only played a 20 game season last year and focused some more on the Road To The Show mode. I am also most of the way through a 162 game season on 2013 for the Vita. MLB The Show is something I can relax to while listening to a podcast or some music or something. I don't have to pay attention to the commentary, just play some baseball.

I'm going to pick this years up, but have now idea how much I will actually play this year... Go Reds! - please don't lose > 100 games this year

I've honestly never tried going through a season of Franchise mode. I mostly stuck with playing a Postseason or pitching in RttS. The idea of playing one game a series is intriguing and makes Franchise much more palatable. Maybe I'll give that a shot this year.

Also, does anyone know if we're getting a separate Canadian cover this year? Seems a bit redundant with JoDo being the cover athlete, but I'm curious.

We are, Canada gets Donaldson wearing the red "canada day" jersey.

I play all 162 usually. Only game I've ever simmed in a sports game is an all-star game.

@corvak said:

I just googled it and Josh is looking sexy af on that cover:

Boy I can't wait for the season to start. Bangers gotta bang and spring training just isn't cutting it.

@darth_navster said:

@corvak said:

We are, Canada gets Donaldson wearing the red "canada day" jersey.

I just googled it and Josh is looking sexy af on that cover:

Boy I can't wait for the season to start. Bangers gotta bang and spring training just isn't cutting it.

This cover is so much worse than the standard North American cover imo. I also hate the red Blue Jays jersey, their blue jersey is one of the best in baseball (coming from a Yankees fan).

@counterclockwork87: I dunno, the pose looks more "action-y" to me. Jersey preference I get, but the red has the association of Canada Day weekend for me, which is crazy fun to attend a game at the Dome.

EDIT: I got the NA cover confused with the MVP edition cover, which just looks lame. The NA cover looks pretty sweet.

The farthest I've gotten into a season was when I used to play one game a day concurrently with the actual season, and I made it to a bit after the All-Star break. Nowadays it's mostly RTTS as it's easier for me to dig into for as much or as little as I want. Playing through one entire game takes longer than I'm willing to go through, even with quick counts enabled. Another problem I have when I play franchise is that I'm always frustrated when I don't do things to match up with players' real-life counterparts, like not taking as many walks as I should, which leads to me losing interest. And I don't feel comfortable simming because one of the appeals to franchise is being responsible for every pitch thrown and every swung bat, so bringing the computer into it kind of cheapens it for me. I do try it again every time I buy one of these games though, so maybe this will be the year. At least the Mets should be rated decently.

Usually stick to RTTS. Feel like Baseball may be the toughest to do full playthrough of in a franchise mode given the 162 and the length of the games themselves. Dabbling with the Diamond Dynasty a little this year with the two new modes, but the servers are so jacked right now it isn't worth screwing with.