Super Mega Baseball 3(!)

f*ck this game!

Not really, but, man, my Pennant Race just imploded. I was around 1800, and 11-7. I finished 1-7, dropped to 1630 and was demoted back to Junior.

Then last night I started my Junior Pennant Race going 1-3 and dropping under 1500. Total free fall. Might change teams, but now I really like my team.

There might be better ones, but I moved into fan mode with my team, which is when a sports game is really working. To accomplish that with fictional rosters is pretty amazing.

My first three games last night in the new Pennant Race was against the same opponent, which was fun. Lost a pitchers duel 5-0 by giving up 4 in the last inning. Lost game 2 6-5 in extra innings. Had 5-3 lead in the 4th. Finally beat him in the third game, scoring 6 runs in the first that held up in a 7-5 win.

But in three games our ability to trick and bait each other was getting better. Every inning just got more interesting. And we were texting back and forth and having a blast.

Then I played a game in which I had it done to me, losing 7-5, scoring three in the 5th and leaving two men on base.

Yep, still great.

I'm 5-11 in pennant race games last session, all in Junior, but the frustrating thing is I've never actually won a game. I had a lot of games I lost by a few runs, a few I lost to the mercy rule, but I've never had that moment where was leading in the 5th inning

All 5 of my victories have come due to opponents disconnecting. 3 were jumping out to a couple quick runs with no outs and the opponent drops (funny thing is I LOST every single game like that were the opponent stayed) and the other 2 were somebody saying "find game" and walking away. With the game giving me the 1-0 win after they auto walked my batter by not pitching

The funny thing is it feel like these fake wins boost my rating enough that I then get beat down the following games

I was watching some 80+ Ego Pennant Race games on Twitch, and I think I’m figuring out some of the issues we’ve seen with guys mashing everything and not swinging at balls.

Easpecialky warly on, there are a lot of unranked and low ranked guys that are really good, but are still grinding their rsting up. The pitches come so fast, and your reticule is so little, that hitting is almost another beast at that level. I have so much more plate coverage than those guys it’s ridiculous.

So if some guy is coming over from SMB2, those low Ego games are insanely easy because the pitches seem so slow and you have so much more plate coverage.

But as you grind up, the smaller and smaller reticule will make mashing every strike hard. I certainly don’t see the 80 Ego guys mashing. So some of it is that at this level, they probably are that good.

But from watching Twitch, if you move up, that becomes less of an issue.

I’m close to finishing this week in 2nd place. I started 1-4, but finished 8-2 for an overall 11-8. Should be 11-7, but I stupidly started a game right before the plumber cane, so I had to forfeit one game.

Still rolling with The Phog, but I think I am going to stick with the original Moose players instead of changing them all.

I don't do Pennant , I'm a Franchise guy and having loads of fun. I played a 32 game standard, then went to customize Franchise so I wouldn't be familiar with players or teams. I did find out quickly that from SMB2 to 3 I had to lower my ego to play a competitive game. My hand eye has deteriorated or game is harder.

Franchise is a kick tho'. Trying to decide on how to use your money. Put it into a big time player, or save it for upgrading the players you have. Then decide wether to put most of the monies earmarked for upgrade big time players, or spread it out to get everyone more balanced. Hard choices. Especially you have to really gauge what their offering for an upgrade versus more versatality.

As an aside, I'm really amazed at all the play's the player's in the field do animation-wise. You get such a feel for baseball. I don't think you can ever pick-off a player at first,, however I did get a 'pick-off' achievement for throwing a guy out at third from right field.

A patch is rolling out to all platforms. They address a couple of things.

Update 3 Patch Notes
Update 3 is currently rolling out on all platforms. Here are the patch notes:


Baserunners now delay for a small amount of time on swing contact with less than 2 outs, allowing more time to defend against line drive double plays and making it slightly easier to put runners out on ground balls in the infield.
Passed ball rates have been revamped:
Passed ball rates have been reduced on pitches in and directly above the strike zone.
Passed ball / wild pitch rates have been increased on balls in the dirt or very far from the strike zone, particularly when the pitch location is far from the initial target.
Further improvements have been made to base stealing in online play to shorten the window of time between when the pitcher starts the pitching minigame, and when the pitcher starts their stretch delivery animation.
AI bullpen usage has been improved, particularly to have the AI be more willing to pull the current pitcher sooner rather than later.
AI pick-off and pitchout rates are now reduced.
AI baserunners are now more susceptible to being picked off.
The Mojo penalty that pitchers receive for a failed pick-off attempt has been significantly reduced.
D-Pad buttons can now be used to make throws in the field (useful after stepping off during an early steal attempt).
In online play, chat can now be accessed during the post game.
In online play, extra pitching time is no longer awarded following a pick-off attempt.
It is now harder to steal 3B and home.
It is now much harder to steal home on a double steal play (by first stealing with a runner at 1B and then sending the runner at 3B home after the catcher throws to 2B).
It is now slightly harder to steal 2B when playing at a high baserunning Ego, and slightly easier to steal 2B when playing at a low baserunning Ego.
It is now harder to successfully steal a base when starting a steal after the pitcher starts a step off or pick-off attempt.
Infielders are now less likely to dig throws out of the dirt from the catcher during stolen base attempts.
Pitchers now drop comebackers more frequently.
A pitcher who is injured during play can now be replaced before facing the minimum 3 batters.
AI batters now rely more heavily on the power swing mechanic, producing more swings & misses and less softly hit foul balls while also generating more power on balls put in play.
AI batters' aggression is now more varied during a game, leading to the AI swinging more often in some at-bats than others.
Bunting is now a bit easier, both for AI and human batters - a perfectly aligned reticle on the pitch location will now result in a slightly downward bunted ball rather than slightly upward.
Fielder running dive distances have been adjusted to help prevent fielders from diving past a hit ball.
AI is now less aggressive when it comes to making fielding substitutions when ahead late in a game.
Batters are now less likely to be injured after being hit by a pitch, and are more likely to receive a significantly larger Mojo increase instead.
Fielder selection changes can now also be triggered by changing movement directions, much like in Super Mega Baseball 2.
Various tweaks and improvements have been made to which fielder is initially selected on contact, and which fielder gets selected based on movement direction or when the change fielder button is pressed.
Middle infielders will now track pop-ups and shallow fly balls near the foul lines.
Fielders now make better decisions regarding when to run towards a throw when a runner is caught in a pickle.
The timing and speed of a baserunner's slide during a pick-off attempt has been tweaked so that the runner stands up sooner.
The AI is now less likely to attempt to steal a base or execute a hit and run late in games when the run doesn't matter.
You can now see how much surplus each team has when picking a team for a new Franchise.
In Franchise mode, pitching rotations are now reset to the default rotations at the start of the playoffs.
Franchise news feed text has been updated to use gender-neutral pronouns.
In Pennant Race, SP/RP pitchers that are part of the 4-man starting rotation are no longer available to pitch from the bullpen.
Several new shapes have been added to the Logo Editor.
Tweaks to various stadium and cinematic cameras have been made.
Various other minor UI fixes and improvements have been made.
Minor improvements and updates to help content have been made.

Issues Addressed:

Fixed: Some instances of loading into a Pennant Race game can result in a deadlock on the loading screen.
Fixed: Exhibition team select screen can become laggy and not respond for periods of time.
Fixed: AI tends to leave in their current pitcher longer when the bullpen is rested, rather than when the bullpen is tired.
Fixed: In Franchise mode, a released player's initial new asking salary may not be generated correctly, resulting in a lower initial asking salary than intended.
Fixed: In the offseason of Franchise mode, an online co-op partner can interact with some of the menus, possibly leading to a crash.
Fixed: Automatic fielder re-selection after missed catch triggering at incorrect times.
Fixed: Middle infielder catching pick-off throw behind the base, rather than at the base.
Fixed: Crowd booing after home team attempts a pick-off throw.
Fixed: Skip home run button not working in AI vs AI games.
Fixed: Infielders sometimes behaving strangely during strikeout cinematics.
Fixed: A slightly off-centered right analog stick can result in unwanted check swings when swinging with the face buttons.
Fixed: Batter behaves strangely in rare cases during a passed ball, wild pitch, or stolen base attempt.
Fixed: "Fooled" AI batter feedback can appear when the AI batter is taking a pitch during a straight steal attempt.
Fixed: AI outfielders sometimes incorrectly throw to 3B or home plate, easily allowing the batter-runner to advance to 2B.
Fixed: AI outfielders sometimes try to double-up a runner at 1B when there is no hope of the throw beating the runner.
Fixed: Pitcher can sometimes be charged with an error and Mojo penalty after dropping a hard-hit comebacker.
Fixed: In online play, selection halo, player name, and throwing meter can flicker near the end of certain player animations, particularly after a stretch catch at 1B.
Fixed: In online play, players appear choppy / laggy during some cinematics.
Fixed: Starpoint award for home run under 350ft reads "Home run under 300ft".
Fixed: Starpoint award for reaching 1B safely on a dropped third strike can be incorrectly and repeatedly awarded after advancing on a passed ball or wild pitch.
Fixed: Airhorns blaring after home run cinematic is skipped.
Fixed: Announcer call not working correctly for Spanky Wagnerd and Raphael Gonzolo.
Fixed: Announcer repeated calls for "Number 27" and "Number 43".
Fixed: Some umpires not making verbal strike out call.
Fixed: Female umpire making repeated "Fair Ball" call.
Fixed: Small hole in right field corner of Big Sky big enough for the ball to fit through.
Fixed: In local head-to-head play, "Pitchout" text can remain visible after the pitcher has started their delivery.
Fixed: In online play, a batter with extremely high latency could overly delay pitch deliveries and overly affect a fielder's ability to field a hit ball.
Fixed: In customization, "Apply All" not working for tattoos.
Fixed: Crash when removing a local co-op partner from the party after hitting a home run, but before the home run was ruled.
Fixed: Rare crash when closing the pause menu right at the end of a game.
Fixed: Possible crash upon loading into a game after a disconnect re-routes to the front end.
Fixed: Other rare crashes and stability bugs.
Fixed: Grass is too bright in some stadiums / lighting conditions, making the ball hard to see (Nintendo Switch only).
Fixed: Frame drops experienced in some stadiums / lighting conditions when multiple baserunners are on base (Nintendo Switch only).
Mitigated: First baseman fields a ball that the second baseman can and should easily field

Can't seem to post an image for some reason so I'll need to type out some stats. We were in control of a game with my starting pitcher until he suddenly gave up 3 runs in an inning. I brought in a RP who almost instantly gave away another, and his stats tanked with a mojo hit. He finished with statline of...

Donovan Drake: IP 0.1; H 2; ER 1; SO 1;

I brought in another RP straight away who ended with...

Alana Lantana: IP 4; H 2; ER 0; SO 3;

We won convincingly, 17-4, but Drake was given a 'Win'. Is this a game problem, it was desperate to give someone a 'save' tag? Or a baseball problem?

A pitcher is only eligible for a save coming in with a three run lead or less.

Jayhawker wrote:


Ok, I guess it makes sense that they gave Lantana a save then, given it was 6-4 when she came in. But wouldn't it have made more sense to give her the win, considering the other two pitchers did quite poorly?

If the pitchers team is is in the lead when they leave the game and that doesn’t change, they are scored with the win.

absurddoctor wrote:


I see. So the game is modelling it correctly, thanks.

Not sure how they adjust for the 5 inning f FF Ames, but MLB you have CT to pitch in the the 5th inning or later to get the W.

And like absurddoctor said, the pitcher that leaves with a lead that is not relinquished gets the win. Even if they leave with a 3-1 lead and the final score is 5-4. As long as the team got to 5 before their opponent got to 4, then pitcher leaving with the lead gets the win.

They don’t seem to include them in the game, but MLB also tracks Holds now, which are like saves, but given to a pitcher that holds the lead for the next guy, with the same requirements as a save. Multiple pitchers can earn a hold in a game.

You also get a save in MLB if the reliever pitches the last three innings of the game if they enter with a lead, regardless of the score.

bhchrist wrote:


Yep. Forgot about. Harkens back to a time when that wasn’t weird.

Update 4 will release on all platforms on September 29th with:
New Online Leagues mode (formerly Custom Pennant Race mode) for organized, 1v1 cross-platform play against friends.
All new Watch Mode feature for a more immersive AI vs. AI experience.
Adjustments to Pennant Race Ego and Rating for better run-scoring rates, particularly for the highest-rated players.
Important bug fixes and improvements to both online and offline play.
We are excited to finally have a date in place for our next update! In terms of developer hours spent, Update 4 is the biggest update in Super Mega Baseball's series history. It includes a new game mode, a new way to spectate AI vs. AI games, and a healthy set of bug fixes and improvements throughout the game.
Check out our new reveal video for more details about Online Leagues and Watch Mode.
Online Leagues
By far the biggest new addition to the game is Online Leagues, the mode we formerly referred to as Custom Pennant Race. Online Leagues is a game changer for how we play SMB3 with friends and is available in both the demo/trial versions and the full game.
For owners of the full game, you can form a league and invite up to 31 other people on any of the platforms to join you. Game length, season duration, DH rule, Ego, and more can be configured to create as casual or competitive of a league as you choose. Alternatively, you can create a league with default settings that allows demo or trial users to play in your Online League for free - this is a great way to finally convince those stubborn friends to give SMB3 a try!
Watch Mode
Another new feature coming in Update 4 is a completely revamped Watch Mode for spectating AI vs. AI games. Watch Mode allows you to control the camera direction and zoom while watching the game from dozens of new camera angles. This will give you a more immersive experience while you watch two CPU-controlled teams battle it out in those important Season or Franchise games.
Pennant Race Ego & Rating Adjustments
As for existing modes, Pennant Race is receiving some important updates as well. We have adjusted how your Ego is assigned in Pennant Race to improve run-scoring rates, particularly for our highest rated players.
Many of you reported having a lot of difficulty scoring runs at the higher Ego levels, resulting in many long, scoreless extra-inning games. Our data confirms that runs could be very hard to come by, especially at Ego levels in the 80s or 90s. When Update 4 launches, expect to have your assigned Ego adjusted, which you can now see in the Pennant Race Hub. It will now be much harder to ever reach Ego 90 or above.
You will also notice that your Rating will have gone down due in part to this change. However, your relative ranking among the Pennant Race population will remain the same - if your Rating was higher than your friend's Rating before the update, then that will remain true after the update.
In addition, your Ego may change more from game to game in your first several matches after the update. This is to allow the updated system to gauge the right Ego more quickly for you. Should you play well during this period, your Rating should also quickly climb to or above your previous Rating.
Other Updates
Update 4 includes several other key improvements and bug fixes. Many of these changes are thanks to you, the community, for suggesting or bringing them to our attention.
We have fixed a few bugs around base stealing in online play that resulted in a "steal spamming" exploit where runners could too quickly return to their base safely after starting a steal attempt.
Deflected balls off missed catches will now travel more in the ball's current direction, rather than shooting off at a sharp angle from the diving fielder's glove.
Items such as post game season stats and previous game pitch counts that are shown in Season mode are now correctly shown in Franchise mode too.
In addition, we have made further adjustments to changes made in previous updates, including more improvements to AI bullpen usage, having pitchers drop even more comebackers, and better AI throwing decisions when throwing balls in from the outfield.
We also fixed a bug in Pennant Race where you could be unintentionally locked into the same team for the next race without being given an opportunity to pick a new team.
There are several other improvements and fixes coming that will be listed in the patch notes when Update 4 launches.

There's a YouTube session with designer going over the changes. My only concern is having some kind of 'handicap' when playing on-line league. I hover around 39 for playing, I'll have no chance with at 60+ ego.

Here's the video!

Really looking forward to checking this out, and hopefully finding some Goodjers to play some short seasons with. I had taken a break from the game, but cranked up a franchise last week. Currently I'm 14-4 and playing at 56 EGO. I started my season at 50 and decided to raise one EGO on two of the four categories after every win, and drop one EGO after two consecutive losses. My goal is to push me up into the 60's and 70's, and try to get into the higher Pennant Race leagues by getting used to the speed and requirements of the higher difficulties.

In my league I'm playing 5 inning games, which I'm liking a lot. The game does such a great job with pitcher's stamina. You can burn your starter out in an inning. I've also had a starter go 7 innings. Managing the staff is more fun than in Pennant Race, as I use my terrible SP/RP guy way more often to save my bullpen for other games.

Would folks be interested in a league if it were five innings? I like that the games take that much less time, too. My thought would be to start with the shortest seasons, and see what we like.

I don’t mind getting pounded for awhile to see how it works:)

Donan wrote:



I'll see myself out.

I have not played with EGOs set that are very different. In Pennant Race, they keep you pretty close, even if your ratings are farther off. The game might handle it well, or it might get really funky. I've seen high EGO platers on Twitch complain when playing someone 10-20 lower. As you get to the higher levels, the pool of players dwindles, so the range extends to keep enough people playing.

I think when it drops it will be worth trying things out to see how they work. They have options for two guys to play a Seven game series, with stats and settings how they want, or 20 playing in a league with a season of games. I liked his idea of a Thursday night league with 5 inning games. Everyone joins and plays each other, and the game keeps stats.

It plays such a good strategic game of baseball that I think it could do really well as more people play it competitively. I hope a ton of baseball fans find it. The idea that we can have a Goodjer league that welcomes PC, XB1, PS4, and Switch, with a really fun editor that lets you create entire teams and uniforms in any way you want, including gender, is pretty cool. It ends up representing the best things in sports.

Count me in for a once a week online GWJ league. Time zones may be an issue though since I expect most players are in the US?

That would be an issue for collecting everyone online and playing at the same time. But I'm anxious to see the options.

I could see a league where each week you play six games against one opponent, 3 home, and 3 away (or maybe we just do a round-robin of 5 or 7 games series), and get through a season by lumping games instead of in a traditional schedule. It would limit the number of times you need to arrange. And playing multiple 5 inning games is really doable. Pennant Race games almost always clock in under 30 minutes, which is what I think the sweet spot is for online sports matches. But in the end we still have some stats to reminisce over.

Leagues have traditionally been where the more sim and stat oriented gamers congregate, so full on 9 inning games and longer seasons are something to do to. My little league was 7 inning games until a certain age, and that was partially due to time. The younger kid games can go on forever.

Without a MLB license, and so many options, we can do what most sports leagues do, which is change whatever you need to make for fun and competitive games for the demographic playing. We can set it to a certain EGO, we can limit it, or we can let everyone play at whatever they want.

I'm less concerned with what the rules are than the idea that we can make them fit what we want, and have some fun.

Can you split the EGO online? Because I can get up to the 50s for pitching but my batting would need to be at around... four?

Mr Bismarck wrote:


Not sure yet.

In the current Pennant Race mode EGO is set by the CPU. When you begin, you play 5 games. During those, it might swing your EGO large amounts. After five games you given a rating. Each Season, which is one week -Sunday-Saturday, you are placed in a division with others around the same rating.

During the game it shows the EGO you and your opponent have. When you are batting it shows your batting and his pitching, and vice versa. You never see the EGO for speed and fielding. But I do know that EGOs for Hitting and Pitching can be different from that.

But until they they drop the mode, I'm not sure how it will be set, and what the options are for adjusting it.

I had to quit pennant mode because of the discrepancy between my pitching and batting. I just couldn't ever hit anything.

What Ego are folks typically playing at?

Edgar_Newt wrote:

What Ego are folks typically playing at?

Mid-40's here. (in more ways than one)

Yikes. I have a way to go. Just cresting into the 20s. Thanks for the feedback.

Arise thread! The game is free to try on Steam for the next several days! If you've had this on your ITAD list forever like I have, it's time to check it out!

Looks like these devs were bought by EA, so we're back to there being no good baseball games on the market.

Yeah, saw that. Bummed.