Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

[TheFlamingWeazel]

Seems every CPU hitter is barry bonds in their plate discipline. Lead the league in Runs against, ERA yet near last in strikeouts, pitches just off thew plate that almost always take rarely get strikouts them chasing. I thought I read they fixed this for this year somewhere or did I dream it? Either way definitely still an issue.

This really ruins the pitching for me.

[saucerset]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I've gotten quite a few to chase pitches outside the zone.

[ShowTyme15]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I strike out quite a few CPU batters on chased pitches out of the zone. I also get a ton of strike outs with elite pitchers as well. Struck Edwin Encarnacion out 4 times in one game. 3 of the 4 were on pitches he chased out of the zone.

[Mrmagoo]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I would think it has at least something to do with sliders tho.

[KBLover]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

Seems every CPU hitter is barry bonds in their plate discipline. Lead the league in Runs against, ERA yet near last in strikeouts, pitches just off thew plate that almost always take rarely get strikouts them chasing. I thought I read they fixed this for this year somewhere or did I dream it? Either way definitely still an issue.

This really ruins the pitching for me.

I see it on occasion, but I also see them swing at junk as well, especially if you've got them fooled.

I do have adjusted sliders though - I have CPU Contact at 3 and Timing at 2 on HoF Classic Pitching.

I played last year's game with the same settings and see a marked difference. I think they did improve it this year.

[TerryP]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

IMO it's vastly improved. I've experienced far more CPU batters chasing pitches this year!

[ShowTyme15]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I would think it has at least something to do with sliders tho.

I bump up the CPU contact +2 CPU power +2 solid hits +3. Still get good results of pitches chased by the CPU. All human sliders are minus 2.

[@legendm0de]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I don't feel like they won't chase a pitch but it's not as humanistic as it could be for sure and you definitely have a point. You can get strikeouts but for a variety of reasons the CPU batting will need to be adjusted if you want to try and enjoy a more realistic opponent. I have their contact and timing at 2 a piece and that's after tinkering their contact all the way up to 10 which was utter ridiculousness.

My touring with CPU batters is still a work in progress, but I'm now at the point where statistically everything is well balanced as for their offensive production, with the added balance of them hitting the ball realistically and not like computers would. I still feel like they can be even more competitive with me though so there as still some things to look forward to for me when it comes to CPU batters.

[OhioCub]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I haven't experienced too much of this, every now and again I see it but the thing that really bothers me is when have you seen the AI take a strike, especially one in the middle of the zone (which does happen quite often in the majors)? To go even futher, when was the last time you struck the AI out looking? It's nearly impossible as they'll almost always throw the bat out at the last second and foul the pitch off (or sometimes swing and miss). They swing at way way way too many first pitch strikes, even with guys who are notorious for always taking the first pitch of an AB.

[JPCaveman13]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

I've seen more of an ebb and flow to striking out the AI. Some games, my RTTS pitcher will strike out upwards of 10 or more (tops is 18 K's in a game), but in the next game, it may only be 4-7 strikeouts. I do know that most of them have come off of setting up certain pitches to get them to chase, be out in front, or swing too late.

As far as striking out the AI looking, I'll get around 2-3 looking in about every 10 strikeouts. Getting them looking has mostly come on pitches starting out of the zone and catching the edge at the last moment, although there were a few where I dropped a curve or slider that was "unexpected" and froze the batter.

[BegBy]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

My biggest complaint with his title, and always has been, is the cpu batting. You can feel when they turn it on. You just know that no matter what you pitch, where it's at or anything else, they are either getting a hit or they have the world's best eye and take the pitches. Combined with some bad calls by umps (it goes both ways though, especially this year) and I get frustrated.

I cannot stand how they won't protect the plate. It'll be 0-2. Curveball on the black. 50-50 call, at best, and they just leave the bat on their shoulder. Every batter. Every game.

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

About 90 full games now I've struck guys out every which way from Sunday at this point (500+ Ks on the year); they definitely swing at a ton of garbage.

Those "how did he take that?!?" moments are there but if I had to guess it only happens 3-5 times per game. After all, sometimes guys really are just taking. I get them looking kinda sorta all the time too.

Pretty balanced and ultimately pretty cyclical, like maybe one game with "Barry Bonds" eyes everywhere followed by two games of "looks like he's swinging a garden hose." Comes and goes. And likely ties with fatigue, control, confidence, ratings, execution and everything else, like everything else.

[Gagnon39]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

Um, Mark Reynolds doesn't. I struck him out four times in one game. Twice on three pitches, and once on a slider way out of the zone.

Also, the next time I faced him he hit a bomb against me. I'd say that's pretty stinkin' realistic.

[Gagnon39]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

My biggest complaint with his title, and always has been, is the cpu batting. You can feel when they turn it on. You just know that no matter what you pitch, where it's at or anything else, they are either getting a hit or they have the world's best eye and take the pitches. Combined with some bad calls by umps (it goes both ways though, especially this year) and I get frustrated.

I cannot stand how they won't protect the plate. It'll be 0-2. Curveball on the black. 50-50 call, at best, and they just leave the bat on their shoulder. Every batter. Every game.

This just isn't true. It happens, sometimes. Just the same way that it happens in real life, sometimes. But have you ever had a complete-game shutout? I have. In fact, more than I can remember. In those games when did they, "turn it on?" The CPU sure didn't turn anything on when I tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout against the Reds with Travis Wood.

And for the record I pitch on Hall of Fame with my pitch accuracy down (4) and pitch consistency down (3). Everything else is default.

Not trying to argue, but just trying to help you understand that things like this happen. I know it's frustrating, I've been there. But at the end of the day, it's realistic. It makes you wonder how real pitchers feel when innings like you're describing happen.

[@legendm0de]

Re: Every AI batter has barry bonds discipline

My only biggest gripe with CPU batting right now, is that even in the hardest level with default or adjustments to settings, too many times the CPU will take called 3rd strikes on pitches that catch too much plate to just sit there and not even flinch at a swing.

That really bothers me, and adjustment wise it's a difficult answer as to how to fix it. What I'm beginning to work on now is a CPU Timing up to 10 and I'm seeing a bit of improvement, with a stronger ability to foul off balls but there is still much more remaining to be seen. If you adjust the CPU Contact higher, IE above 5 you'll bring a new set of problems with poor contact resulting in hits. Plus an advancement in their discipline which means they'll take even more pitches making for unnatural feeling at bat many times.

Overall it's a tough fix, and would be best if the AI were just naturally programmed to react to pitches realistically and let their individual ability determine whether they are successful in the at bat or not. I don't get the impression that this is the way the AI is being created.

Spoiler

For me, I'm currently at 2 CPU contact (which primarily means the level of forgiveness the batter gets when making contact, ie poor or late contact can still be rewarded with a Hit). And I'm using 10 for the timing, 5 for the power.

edit -- My theory anyhow is perhaps at 10 they won't be bashful about swinging and feel confident in making contact with a pitch as they should, they are MLB players. Hopefully I will see a vast improvement or at least a difference in how CPU deals with protecting the plate in those 2 strike situations in particular. Because too often I could fire a pitch near the strike zone and they will just take it and end up called for their 3rd strike. Also I feel this 10 timing rate is actually a very fair improvement for them because on the other side of the coin, I feel great about making contact with a pitch if it's in terms of just ability. Obviously other factors affect whether I actually do make any contact or not. So the CPU should not be suffering from having the ability and the intelligence of making contact on a 2 strike fastball around the strike zone.