Operation Sports Forums - TheWarmWind's Impact Sliders 2020

This represents a new slider set with a new mentality. I've leaned much further into simulation, as I now believe that balancing user input with simulation is an impossible task. I have not however, lost my roots, and anywhere where user input can help increase simulation, I have pursued with abandon. This is now a HoF/HoF set, as issues with Human/CPU parity could not be solved using sliders on Legend.

Some General notes:
- Fear the zone. Don't be afraid of walks.
- expect much higher pitch counts for the same amount of innings. 100 pitches for 6 innings is still rare but not unusual.
- Shifting is your friend.
- K/9 is no longer the be all, end all pitching attribute. Still very good (might be impossible to nerf it to not be good in this game), but it's lost a lot of ground to the other per 9 attributes.

Recommended and Required Settings

Anything unlisted is user choice

Hitting Difficulty: Hall of Fame
Hitting View: Catcher High
In-play View Offense: Medium
Hitting Interface: Directional (Note: Match Human hitting settings to CPU for zone hitting)
- Input Type: Buttons (Note: other input types change timing and solid hits)
- Camera Shift: Off
Guess Pitch: No Feedback or Off. Note: Even though I personally play with Off, I have tested No Feedback extensively and recommend it. The only reason I don't use it is because I had a hard time adjusting my muscle memory and eventually got frustrated. No Feedback allows for far more strategy at the plate. The CPU will adjust to your habits, and Guess Pitch helps immensely with this. For example: I influence up in order to avoid the double play, and the CPU knows this. I get a lot of high pitches when a runner is on first, because an up influence is weak against that. With the No Feedback Guess pitch, I can cover the top of the zone while still working to avoid the double play. The best part: you don't have to use it every pitch. It'll act just like it does off in those cases.
Sliding Decisions: On
Runner Window: On
Pitching Difficulty: Hall of Fame
Pitching Interface: Pulse (Note: no testing for other pitching interfaces done)
- Pulse Meter Display: Classic
Pitching View: Fish Eye
Pitching Ball Marker: Classic On
API: Off
Throwing Interface: Button Accuracy
Throwing Meter: On
Fielding Decision: Assist
Throwing Decision: Off
In-play view defense: Medium
Throw Cancelling: On
One Button Jump/Dive: Off
Auto Infielder Jump Reaction: On
Auto Infielder Dive Reaction: On
Catch Position Indicator: On
Defensive Shift: User's choice, but it is very important that you utilize the shift with these settings. So whatever setting your more comfortable with, just make sure you're using the shift most ABs.
Off the wall Ribbon: On
Warm Up Relievers: On

Sliders

Human Contact: 3 - Human contact will effect a few things, like the size of the invisible PCI, the width of the timing window, check swing ability, foul frequency, and the bat exit velocity floors. Needed to be lowered in order to lower average bat exit velocity speeds without lowering bat exit velocity ceilings. Also H/9 needed to be buffed.

Human Power: 4 - Power effects bat exit velocity ceilings and therefor also averages. Needed to be lowered to account for the wind change (see wind for more details)

Human Timing: 10 - affects the odds of good contact on hits near but not in the "good" timing window. Needed to be buffed to compensate for issues with lowering the contact slider. Note that good contact in this context can still mean a lazy popout.

Human Foul Frequency: 1 - affects the odds of weak contact outside of the "good" timing window. Note that in this context weak contact can still be a seeing eye ball up the middle.

Human Solid Hits: 7 - affects ball trajectories independent of pitchers. Modifies batters to be better or worse.

Human Starter Stamina: 10 - needed to hit realistic pitch counts. Pitchers will lose effectiveness on their primary pitch around the time that their pitch count equals their stamina.

Human Reliever Stamina: 10

Human Pitcher Control: 0 - Makes BB/9 and Control truly impactful attributes. High control pitchers will not seem that much different.

Human Pitcher Consistency: 7 - has several properties according to my testing. Impacts individual pitch control and movement, and impacts ball trajectory independent of batters. Modifies Pitchers to be better or worse. Note: This setting will likely have to be adjusted based on roster.

CPU Contact: 3

CPU Power: 4

CPU Timing: 9

CPU Foul Frequency: 1

CPU Solid Hits: 7

CPU Starter Stamina: 10

CPU Reliever Stamina: 10

CPU Pitcher Control: 0

CPU Pitcher Consistency: 4 - my testing showed this to be the point of parity. Note: This setting will likely have to be adjusted based on roster.

CPU Strike Frequency: 2

CPU Manager Hook: 4 - The CPU is far more willing to dip into their bullpen when Stamina's are higher (I know that doesn't make intuitive sense but trust me). However, if you are ok with changing the setting mid-game, a setting of 6 to 10 might give you that bullpen management you're looking for. But I'm a set it and forget it guy and I see half-decent results keeping it on 4.

CPU Pickoffs: 5

Fastball pitch speed: Set to user's skill (tested at 5)

Offspeed Pitch speed: Set to user's skill (tested at 5)

Fielding Errors Infield: 10

Fielding Errors Outfield: 10

Throwing Errors Infield: 7 - unsure about this under the new settings. Might need to go up. Throwing errors hasn't been a focus in testing of late.

Throwing Errors Outfield: 7 - see above.

Fielder Run Speed: 0 - having discovered the time dilation effect and using bat exit velocities as the standard for judging speed, along with a metric ton of testing and comparing to real life MLB, I've concluded that this is the only speed fielders can be at. It actually feels pretty good to boot. Takes a little while to get used to the slower game. After playing at such a fast pace for so long, it'll feel wrong at first, but give it a game or two and you'll never be able to got back.

Fielder Reaction: 0

Fielder Arm Strength Infield: 0

Fielder Arm Strength Outfield: 2

Baserunner Speed: 6

Baserunner Steal Ability: 1 - That steal attribute is now really important, probably even more so than speed.

Baserunner Steal Frequency: 5

Wind: 4 - I initially tested this setting because I had heard it impacts game time temperatures, which was a huge problem with my old settings. While results for that were inconclusive, I found out something else. Wind has a heavy impact on exit velocity averages and launch angles, along with having some impact on pitch movement (more wind was equaling better movement). This is why I had my power at 5 before and had no issues with home runs. With wind at 9, it could increase homeruns in an individual game due to a heavy tailwind, but it drastically dropped power and launch angles over a large sample size. Suddenly, thinking that it would amount to little more than a temperature change and more consistent but similar results overall (with maybe a slight boost to power with warmer weather), I was faced with record breaking paces in power leaguewide, all while suffering through a typical comedically cold summer that SDS thinks everyone north of them experiences every year. I've testing and retested it (over 80 games total), and the results are undeniable. Wind affects power and launch angles, particularly on hits outside of the "good" timing window. Those hits needed a buff, because of how much I needed to nerf contact to get the bat exit velocity floor down. Also needed to further nerf K/9 which is insanely overpowered in this game. Now I've finally got a decent timing window without overly high bat exit velocity averages. I'm not happy about the wind situation, but apparently wind impacts more than wind so I gotta roll with the punches here. Sure you could argue that wind should impact those things, but not to the degree I was seeing.

Injury Frequency: 5 - I've seen lots of evidence to suggest that less injuries occur during the first season of a franchise, but once you get into the second season and beyond like I have, 5 is plenty. Oh god is it plenty.

Trade Frequency: 5 (but really user's choice/use other slider maker's suggestions)

Legacy Post

Spoiler

First thing first, I did not design these sliders with a full sim experience in mind.

What I'm chasing with these sliders is a feeling while playing. I want my inputs to have impact, while at the same time I don't want to lose player differentiation and the thrill of managing a team properly. While I feel I've struck a nice balance, obviously this point is going to be different for different people.

Settings

Hitting Difficulty: Hall of Fame or Legend

Hitting interface: Directional - Pairs great with the http://forums.operationsports.com/fo...ing-guide.html (shameless self-plug).

Input type: Buttons
Camera shift: Off
Hitting View: Catcher High
In-Play view offense: Medium
Guess Pitch: off
Baserunning Decisions: Assist
Baserunning Interface: Default
Sliding Decisions: On

Pitching Difficulty: Legend

Pitching Interface: Pulse I find pulse is the best interface is you want your input to have impact. Attributes still have a huge role to play, they effect how small the pulse can get, how large it can get, the speed it pulses at and tons of other variables. Overall a great interface for the melding of sim and player input.

Pitching View: Fish Eye

API:Off - When playing franchise, I take on the role of both pitcher and catcher. I have no interest in what the CPU thinks is good since I (the catcher) am the one calling the game. I'm also the manager in the dugout. Man franchise is fun.

Throwing Interface: Button Accuracy - Once again button accuracy is great for player impact, while still keeping the fact that attributes have an impact on the interface.

Throwing meter: On
Throwing decision: Off
In play view defence: Medium
Throw Cancelling: On
Hot Zones: Off

Anything not mentioned is user's choice, and even these settings are recommendations. However the base difficulties and interfaces need to stay the same for the slider set.

Sliders

Dynamic Difficulty Sensitivity: N/A

Human Contact: 3 8 - Human contact will effect a few things, like the size of the invisible PCI, the width of the timing window, check swing ability, foul frequency, and the bat exit velocity floors. Needed to be lowered in order to lower average bat exit velocity speeds without lowering bat exit velocity ceilings.

Human Power: 5 - Power effects the bat exit velocity ceilings.

Human Timing: 9 - Effects the success rates of all of the early and late results, effecting both the odds of solid contact and the odds of any contact at all. Also has a small impact on ideal timing.

Timing needed to be buffed in order to wrestle away some of the power of K/9. K/9 is very powerful in this years game, to the point where at default settings no other pitching attribute came close. At this setting, K/9 is still very powerful (as it should be), but it isn't the be all and end all anymore.

Human Foul Frequency: 2 - This slider effects the contact rate on grossly mistimed pitches, allowing a batter's vision attribute to dictate a foul when the user mistimes a swing. Much better balanced this year than years past, allowing those few grossly mistimed pitches to make contact while still punishing the player the majority of the time. This is partly due to the incredible power of the K/9 attribute in this year's game (see timing description). V4 note: Needed to be nerfed to compensate for the timing buff to 7. Overall strikeouts were good but timing needed to be buffed.

Human Solid Hits: 6 - This slider effects the batters ability to track the ball and get quality hits on good inputs. To put it another way, it impacts launch angles. Buffed as compensation for contact slider nerfs. Overall launch angles stay about the same.

Human Starter Stamina: 8 - Starters won't be able to match real life pitch counts without this boost. Also solves some bullpen management issues with the CPU.

Human Reliever Stamina: 8 - See above.

Human Pitcher Control: 2 - needed for CPU parity and to encourage a few more walks out of the user without taking away the feeling of control.

Human Pitcher Consistency: 10 - Consistency effects control on bad inputs, pitch movement consistency, and the bat exit velocity bell curve.

CPU Contact: 0 - This setting creates mechanical parity with the human user.

CPU Power: 5 - see human power.

CPU Timing: 9 - see human timing.

CPU Foul Frequency: 2

CPU Solid Hits: 4 - needed for CPU/Human parity

CPU Starter Stamina: 8 - Same reason as Human Starter Stamina

CPU Reliever Stamina: 8

CPU Pitcher Control: 0 - Needed for human/CPU parity

CPU Pitcher Consistency: 6 (-?) - Needed for human/CPU parity.

CPU Strike Frequency: 4 - This setting dictates how often CPU pitchers pitch to the corners or attempt to get you to chase as opposed to "just getting a strike". Lowering the setting will make opponents more careful, raising it will make them more aggressive. Only effects their strategy, does not effect control.

CPU Manager Hook: Personal Preference between 3-4 for modern rosters, 2-3 for historical - Recommend starting at 4 and adjusting to personal preference. Raises or lowers the general "nervousness" of opposing managers. I like my managers nervous. Raising it higher is doable, however it risks triggering the CPU managers "protect" mode too often, where they'll leave a guy in to get destroyed in order to protect the rest of the pitchers in the pen. Note: This will still happen sometimes, but only when the game has become a laugher.

CPU Pickoffs: 5

Fastball Pitch Speed: Tuned to User's skill - must be the same as offspeed. Max out if you want to completely eliminate the time dilation effect.

Offspeed Pitch Speed: Tuned to User's skill - must be the same as fastball. Max out if you want to completely eliminate the time dilation effect.

IMPORTANT How to tune your pitch speed for your skill level: Having the right pitch speed for you is one of the most important things to figure out when playing MLB the Show. How to do this can vary in a case by case basis, and the input lag of your TV must always be considered. However, a general rule of thumb to follow is that a 99+ MPH fastball should feel extremely difficult to get out in front of, but not impossible. A slow changeup should be swung late on some of the time. If you feel like it's impossible to get out ahead of a fast fastball, your pitch speeds need to be turned down. If you are rarely behind a changeup, your pitch speeds need to go up.

Fielding Errors Infield: 10 - note that it can take 3-7 games for the errors engine to normalize.

Fielding Errors Outfield: 10

Throwing Errors Infield: 7 - Since I'm using buttons accuracy, this only effects the CPU.

Throwing Errors Outfield: 7 - See above.

Fielder Run Speed: 3

Fielder Reaction: 3

Fielder Arm Strength Infield: 2 - the delta between arm strength and baserunner speed has the highest impact on the time dilation effect.

Fielder Arm Strength Outfield: 4 - This solves a discrepancy between arms with the same strength in the infield and outfield.

Why fielder run speed, fielder reaction, and arm strengths have been turned down: Many of you know that I often try to find ways to speed up the game in order to match MLB speeds. I've turned down run speeds and reactions for a few reasons.

1. I've been watching a lot of replays from different angles and am finding that my perspective that I play at gives the appearance that the game is running slower than it is. The effect is minor, but important.

2. It is possible that the game distorts your perception of time based on various settings. I'm still testing this one, but assuming it's true, I've instead extrapolated appropriate speeds based on relative bat exit velocities, since I get the actual speeds for those. Based on that factor, the game needed to slow down from the settings I had. This appears to be confirmed with more testing

3. Raising the speeds in this years version was closing the gaps for player differentiation. I had guys with 30 speed running down balls in the outfield as easily as guys with 50, and guys with 50 arm strength throwing equally well as guys with 80. Lowering the speed of the game has increased player differentiation.

4. I really liked how the ball was coming off the bat at my settings, but it was clear that the offence needed to be more potent for both sides.

Baserunner Speed: 9 - see Fielder Arm Strength Infield.

Baserunner Steal Ability: 1 - Has the most direct impact on stolen base success for both you and the CPU. Has the largest impact on the frequency of quality jumps as opposed to bad ones.

Baserunner Steal Frequency: 5

Wind: 9 - While power effects bat exit velocity, wind effects how well a ball carries once in the air.

Injury Frequency: 5 - There is some evidence, as anecdotal as it is, that injuries act differently in the first year of a franchise. I would recommend 6 if you're playing your first season. However as a set it and forget it kind of guy, trust me that in the long term 5 is more than enough.

Trade Frequency: 5 - There are other sets with better solutions, but I don't want to bother with changing my settings every in game month.

There you go! I've always said that everyone should make their own sliders, but hopefully showing you the changes I made, and more importantly why will help you find the slider setting of your dreams. Enjoy!

If you want your input to have even more impact when it comes to batting, the three sliders you want to focus on are Solid Hits, Foul Frequency, and Timing. Raising Solid Hits will reward good inputs more, while lowering both Foul Frequency and Timing will punish bad inputs more.