All-Star Hitting Tips?

[TuffGnarl]

Hello all.

Little bit of background first. This is my first edition of The Show and I love it! Being from Scotland I had only limited exposure to baseball before playing this game (although I've discovered that my local team, The Edinburgh DiamondDevils are the most well established in the UK), I know the teams, basic rules etc. I'm keen on North American sport (and all sport really), having watched the NFL for nearly fifteen years and NHL for a good few. Anyway safe to say I'm now hooked on baseball also.

So I've been playing for about a month and I've dabbled in all of the offline areas pretty extensively. Initially I'd played a lot of RTTS but I really don't like the training system. It got to the point that I was struggling to keep my attributes up. However I loved the rest of the mode. So last night I started a franchise and recreated my RTTS player (a shortstop) and gave him the same attributes that an RTTS rookie has before the showcase. I confess that I did boost his speed up as I always feel in sports games that speed is much less progressive than any skill as it's mostly natural.

I set up a 30 team franchise and used an internet randomiser to pick which team I'd be signed for (when I tried to wait it out as a free agent my guy remained unsigned and retired at the end of the year). I got the Brewers and signed for their AA affiliate Huntsville Stars. I'm using player lock in order to achieve the RTTS mode effect and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it works exactly as planned. I'm using TNK's realism sliders and decided to go with All-Star difficulty as I'd used dynamic before and whilst I only reached veteran briefly, I didn't like the way it bounced around. I figured I'd take on the realistic challenge and just grind it out until I got used to it.

So I played a couple of games for Huntsville with 1 hit in 9 ABs. Surprisingly I was then moved to AAA with Nashville. The first six games were a nightmare at the plate. No hits at all, although my fielding was really good, more assists than anybody and a bunch of putouts. In my seventh game I finally got a hit and since then I've had 8 hits, 4RBI and 2 runs in 9 games. That feels like a decent improvement, not sure how it would translate in batting average.

It feels to me like I'm getting there now, but I was wondering if anybody has any advice on hitting. I think my biggest weakness is getting my timing right. I'd also like to know if my players rating will progress in line with CPU players. Is it based solely on potential or do training and performance each play equal roles in that?

And just to clarify I'm using All-Star and timing hitting. I tried zone and found that it's not for me just now. I've also turned off the strike zone as I thought maybe my ability to judge pitches would be better served if I got used to watching the ball more closely without any distraction. I often swing too early. Also on previous advice I generally use X to swing rather than power or O.

Thoughts and tips would be appreciated and apologies for the essay length post, haha!

[nomo17k]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I'd work on discipline. Given that you are using Timing hitting, the PCI placement is at the mercy of AI (and your own timing), so you cannot improve much there. This might be harder to interpret given that you are using a single-player lock, but in RTTS your swing tendency can be viewed easily in Locker Room. After each game, you can go to the batter analysis screen to see how often you swung, missed, etc.

For a contact hitter, it pays to lean to spray... try not to always pull the ball. Sit back and try to hit a line drive over SS's head if you are a LHB (or over the 2B's for a RHB). That extra split second will give you a more time to identify the pitch. If you already have no issue pulling, then it's a good habit not to pull too much... while being slightly early on a pitch is essential for generating power (e.g., you need to be a bit early to square up against high fastball), if your timing is a tad too early, you will hit grounders instead (e.g., when fooled by a changeup).

[TuffGnarl]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I'd work on discipline. Given that you are using Timing hitting, the PCI placement is at the mercy of AI (and your own timing), so you cannot improve much there. This might be harder to interpret given that you are using a single-player lock, but in RTTS your swing tendency can be viewed easily in Locker Room. After each game, you can go to the batter analysis screen to see how often you swung, missed, etc.

For a contact hitter, it pays to lean to spray... try not to always pull the ball. Sit back and try to hit a line drive over SS's head if you are a LHB (or over the 2B's for a RHB). That extra split second will give you a more time to identify the pitch. If you already have no issue pulling, then it's a good habit not to pull too much... while being slightly early on a pitch is essential for generating power (e.g., you need to be a bit early to square up against high fastball), if your timing is a tad too early, you will hit grounders instead (e.g., when fooled by a changeup).

Thanks, that's all good stuff.

Something I forgot to ask in the original post. When using timing only, does the left stick have any bearing on which direction you send the ball in a hit? In the past I noticed that I may have instinctively pushed the left analog left or right whilst hitting and the ball has gone that direction. Was that simply coincidence?

[nomo17k]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

Thanks, that's all good stuff.

Something I forgot to ask in the original post. When using timing only, does the left stick have any bearing on which direction you send the ball in a hit? In the past I noticed that I may have instinctively pushed the left analog left or right whilst hitting and the ball has gone that direction. Was that simply coincidence?

No, the left stick doesn't do anything in Timing hitting, though you might slightly influence where you hit the ball by "swing influence," but that's preloading the location before the pitch and not what you are talking about.

[Mrmagoo]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I would suggest using zone hitting. The AI will still move the PCI but you also can move it yourself where as in timing hitting I don't believe you can move it. I tried timing when I first got the game and it was pretty brutal Imo. Zone just came across much more realistic to me anyway. Either way good luck on your new chise!!

[TuffGnarl]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I would suggest using zone hitting. The AI will still move the PCI but you also can move it yourself where as in timing hitting I don't believe you can move it. I tried timing when I first got the game and it was pretty brutal Imo. Zone just came across much more realistic to me anyway. Either way good luck on your new chise!!

I tried it for a few games earlier in the season and it seemed like I was giving myself something extra to worry about. I have cooled off again though (hit every other game or so) so I might have to give it a try? I'm certainly better than I was last night though, so perseverance I guess. I'm finding that form in this game is far more mental than with other sports games, haha.

[Mrmagoo]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

Try it, a good 20 games or so even if just in exhibition games. I like it better coz if and when I get a meat pitch I don't always have to worry about the AI moving the PCI of my batter. Nothing worse than working your butt off with a 12 pitch ab only to finally get one right down the pipe only to foul tip it. Then I'd look at the post pitch and see that my PCI was moved by the AI. Frustrating to say the least. I use zone and really don't worry about moving the PCI much at all unless or until I see somewhat of a pattern, ex. A lot of times the cpu will tend to pitch fairly consistently low in the zone when I have a runner on... In this situation I will move the PCI lower and wait to see if I get said pitch. I guess what I'm trying to say is you can easily use zone but you don't have to try n move the PCI to follow a pitch. I never use it that way, instead I use it to target a certain zone before or as the pitch comes in. Another form of guessing the location.

[kehlis]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I would suggest using zone hitting. The AI will still move the PCI but you also can move it yourself where as in timing hitting I don't believe you can move it. I tried timing when I first got the game and it was pretty brutal Imo. Zone just came across much more realistic to me anyway. Either way good luck on your new chise!!

Wait the AI moves the PCI in zone hitting? This is new to me. Doesn't that just make it timing hitting but with the option to override it?

[nomo17k]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

Wait the AI moves the PCI in zone hitting? This is new to me. Doesn't that just make it timing hitting but with the option to override it?

It does not, but based on the relative timing between the pitch and your swing, the post-pitch PCI moves up or down slightly from where you placed it, to refelect whether you swung over (early) or under (late).

[kehlis]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

It does not, but based on the relative timing between the pitch and your swing, the post-pitch PCI moves up or down slightly from where you placed it, to refelect whether you swung over (early) or under (late).

Okay thanks, that's what I thought it was.

THought I'd been living in a lie!!!

[Mrmagoo]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

Sorry guess I should of been clearer.

[kehlis]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

Sorry guess I should of been clearer.

But for clarification purposes, the OP should understand that the AI does not adjust the CPI at all for hitting purposes. If you do not touch the left stick, it stays in the middle of the zone throughout the swing.

You said it will be moved if you don't touch the left stick which isn't the case which is pretty important to know when trying to adjust to a new hitting mechanism.

The AI will still move the PCI

[TuffGnarl]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I switched back to zone. Immediately got a hit on the next pitch. I've had a couple of games without hits but I'm making contact with a lot more pitches and I even had a three hit game.

I'll definitely keep it this way until I've played a decent sample of games. My batting average is at about .150 and rising haha, terrible but improving. I'm determined to master All-Star, hopefully the combination of zone and maybe the gradual growth of my players stats will help towards that goal.

Slightly off topic but how does free agency work in baseball? I heard somebody say that you're not eligible for free agency until you've played 6 years in the majors? So what happens if you're release before then and how does it apply to minor league baseball?

Thanks for all the input guys!

[kehlis]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

I switched back to zone. Immediately got a hit on the next pitch. I've had a couple of games without hits but I'm making contact with a lot more pitches and I even had a three hit game.

I'll definitely keep it this way until I've played a decent sample of games. My batting average is at about .150 and rising haha, terrible but improving. I'm determined to master All-Star, hopefully the combination of zone and maybe the gradual growth of my players stats will help towards that goal.

Slightly off topic but how does free agency work in baseball? I heard somebody say that you're not eligible for free agency until you've played 6 years in the majors? So what happens if you're release before then and how does it apply to minor league baseball?

Thanks for all the input guys!

This isn't the thread for that question and there are many other threads you can ask that in so please take this brief answer to it and if you have follow up questions either PM me or find a RTTS thread more appropriate for the question because I don't want to change the topic of the question at hand which doesn't have anything to do with this (despite the fact that you asked it).

I just don't want to change the subject because it's a good question that will apply to more people besides just you.


You have to make it through you arbitration years before being eligible for free agency.

If you WERE to get released you would then be considered a free agent but I'm not sure that happens very often if at all to RTTS players.

[Bobhead]

Re: All-Star Hitting Tips?

As far as the PCI movement in Zone is concerned, nomo is correct. The PCI will move on its own, up or down, depending on whether you're late or early on your swing. It will never move left or right, and the movement is easily overridden.

Regarding Zone vs Timing, I'm not one to tell people what to use. I'll just say that I prefer having complete control over every aspect of my video game experience. Thus, I use Zone, because it lets me do just that. If I want to hit a line drive, I square up on the ball. If I want to hit a grounder, I will keep the PCI high. I can wait longer and move the PCI to the right to intentionally foul off pitches, and so on. It's not easy, but this is what real baseball is like, so it's imperative, to me, to be able to imitate it as closely as possible. I just wouldn't enjoy hitting nearly as much if I didn't have this kind of control.

As far as your original question goes... If you want to improve your swing timing, try holding your thumb (or whatever finger you use) further away from the swing button. I do this and it works well. I've recommended it to a few other users on this board and it has worked for them, too. By holding your finger further away, you are forcibly increasing the delay before you swing. This decreases your chance of swinging early. It also gives you more time to think about the pitch, and opt to not swing at all, without being at the mercy of the game's check swing system, which we all know, is not very friendly.