MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

[Speedy]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

Ohh...I thought flipping the stick in a certain direction meant my batter was looking in a certain zone for a pitch? I guess that's what guess pitch is for.

I do kindly wish the "look for THIS zone" was implemented as the swing influence ability has been in the game for a while...I love how the camera shifts so I can have my player focus on a certain zone and simply time my swing up from there.

As an example, Miggy gets a lot of pitches down in the zone so it makes more sense if I can have my player look at the knees and just crank a rope somewhere. However this system seems to be counter-productive to that scenario and my desired output, right?

Let's say I have a slow catcher on 3rd with 1-out, IFs are in and I want to hit a fly ball. I know the pitcher will be throwing fastballs or breaking balls at the knees to get me to ground out so my FOCUS should be down in the zone as it's likely that's where I'll be getting pitched but my REQUESTED OUTPUT is a flyball. If I shift my view to the bottom of the zone, I can see that low pitch better using this sytem but the application interprets my input that I rather want to hit a grounder which is not what I want.

...maybe it's me but this isn't ideal and could've been better implemented as again, I love the shift of the camera is great and really makes the AB feel more intense.

[KennyJ1976]

Man, how many posts for MLB 15 The Show are you guys gonna write? Next, it gonna be one about how to run the bases or which camera angle do you use for hitting, pitching, and fielding or which licensed shoes look the best etc. Must be a slow period in the sports gaming world. And before anyone says something, I have the game so I'm not knocking it.

[spaceg0st]

Yes, I'm aware of hitting behind the runner when a runner on first, however, in no way does that concept need a dedicated hitting mode where holding down influences ground ball hits. Poor decision

[Black59Razr]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

Ohh...I thought flipping the stick in a certain direction meant my batter was looking in a certain zone for a pitch? I guess that's what guess pitch is for.

I do kindly wish the "look for THIS zone" was implemented as the swing influence ability has been in the game for a while...I love how the camera shifts so I can have my player focus on a certain zone and simply time my swing up from there.

As an example, Miggy gets a lot of pitches down in the zone so it makes more sense if I can have my player look at the knees and just crank a rope somewhere. However this system seems to be counter-productive to that scenario and my desired output, right?

Let's say I have a slow catcher on 3rd with 1-out, IFs are in and I want to hit a fly ball. I know the pitcher will be throwing fastballs or breaking balls at the knees to get me to ground out so my FOCUS should be down in the zone as it's likely that's where I'll be getting pitched but my REQUESTED OUTPUT is a flyball. If I shift my view to the bottom of the zone, I can see that low pitch better using this sytem but the application interprets my input that I rather want to hit a grounder which is not what I want.

...maybe it's me but this isn't ideal and could've been better implemented as again, I love the shift of the camera is great and really makes the AB feel more intense.

You nailed it on the head! I found this article because I couldn't figure this feature out. Then, I realized, this feature is bass-akwards.

In previous versions, when I was trying to hit a flyball, I would move my PCI slightly down. Reason being, I want to get my bat under the ball.

Alternatively, if I wanted to hit a ground ball, I would move my PCI slightly up, making my bat get on top of the ball.

The same would be for trying to hit the ball the opposite way. I would actually move my PCI slightly inside. And slightly outside if I was trying to pull the ball.

Now, this new feature is counter-productive in that aspect; especially with the new camera shift feature (which I think is a great idea, by the way! Maybe by next year, it can be thought out more).

So, by using this years method, I would always press down with my super fast leadoff hitter. I wanted to put the ball on the ground and let his legs do all the work. He has no power, so I don't want to put the ball in the air. However, I kept hitting fly ball after fly ball. The same was true for my power pull hitters. They were hitting everything the opposite way.

This is what I believe needs to change to make this feature work. Moving the PCI should, in fact, move your solid hits. However, it should not induce flyballs, groundballs, pulling or going opposite field. Those results should come from the pitch location, the player's attributes and timing of the contact. Directional hitting, or moving the PCI, should only move your solid hit zone. And the camera shift should only make it easier for the human player to sit on what he is looking for.

Now, is that what is already going on here? Because, in my small sample size, that is not what's going on here. When I press down to sit on a low pitch and hit a grounder, with the contact button, I repeatedly hit 250 foot lazy fly balls, on thigh high pitches.

[adamjsav]

If this was done similar to mvp baseball where it's like a more user friendly mix between zone and timing, then it would be awesome. Instead, it's poorly done. Experienced baseball player here, who the hell would want to intentionally hit ground balls. If I'm lookin down and in, I'm looking to turn on it and jack it to left. I'm not looking to try and squeeze and grounder between short and third.

Once again, the tools are there but the devs swing and miss.

You've missed the point. If you are looking down and in, with directional you move the stick up and to hit a fly ball to right (LHB).

[adamjsav]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

You've missed the point. If you are looking down and in, with directional you move the stick up and in to hit a fly ball to right (LHB).

You've missed the point. If you are looking down and in, with directional you move the stick up and in to hit a fly ball to right (LHB).

[sink4ever]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

You nailed it on the head! I found this article because I couldn't figure this feature out. Then, I realized, this feature is bass-akwards.

In previous versions, when I was trying to hit a flyball, I would move my PCI slightly down. Reason being, I want to get my bat under the ball.

Alternatively, if I wanted to hit a ground ball, I would move my PCI slightly up, making my bat get on top of the ball.

The same would be for trying to hit the ball the opposite way. I would actually move my PCI slightly inside. And slightly outside if I was trying to pull the ball.

Now, this new feature is counter-productive in that aspect; especially with the new camera shift feature (which I think is a great idea, by the way! Maybe by next year, it can be thought out more).

So, by using this years method, I would always press down with my super fast leadoff hitter. I wanted to put the ball on the ground and let his legs do all the work. He has no power, so I don't want to put the ball in the air. However, I kept hitting fly ball after fly ball. The same was true for my power pull hitters. They were hitting everything the opposite way.

This is what I believe needs to change to make this feature work. Moving the PCI should, in fact, move your solid hits. However, it should not induce flyballs, groundballs, pulling or going opposite field. Those results should come from the pitch location, the player's attributes and timing of the contact. Directional hitting, or moving the PCI, should only move your solid hit zone. And the camera shift should only make it easier for the human player to sit on what he is looking for.

Now, is that what is already going on here? Because, in my small sample size, that is not what's going on here. When I press down to sit on a low pitch and hit a grounder, with the contact button, I repeatedly hit 250 foot lazy fly balls, on thigh high pitches.

I'll apologize in advance if I'm mis-reading your concern, but you seem to be confusing the two systems. There's Zone hitting (with the PCI that you move to be where you think the pitch will end up) and there's Directional hitting (where you pick a direction to try to hit the ball). There is no PCI for Directional hitting. If you're seeing a PCI move around as you move the left stick, you're using Zone hitting.

[Wiggy]

Yes, you are correct.

Sorry about that. I got my directions crossed up in the article. You are correct.

[geisterhome]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

I'll apologize in advance if I'm mis-reading your concern, but you seem to be confusing the two systems. There's Zone hitting (with the PCI that you move to be where you think the pitch will end up) and there's Directional hitting (where you pick a direction to try to hit the ball). There is no PCI for Directional hitting. If you're seeing a PCI move around as you move the left stick, you're using Zone hitting.

The is left stick movement really just influencing the direction or do we have a better chance of making solid contact if we for example move the left stick in if the pitch is going there?

[sink4ever]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

The is left stick movement really just influencing the direction or do we have a better chance of making solid contact if we for example move the left stick in if the pitch is going there?

I would tend to think you'd have a slightly better chance of good contact. Obviously you'll have more success trying to pull an inside pitch than an outside pitch, so there is a slight connection between the two. Mainly it has to do with the direction you're trying to hit the ball, but there are many other influences at work such as pitch location, swing timing, and hitter tendencies.

[ManiacMatt1782]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

I gotta be honest, I am very against this for online. It's timing only essentially, and doesn't take much skill to use.

[Black59Razr]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

I'll apologize in advance if I'm mis-reading your concern, but you seem to be confusing the two systems. There's Zone hitting (with the PCI that you move to be where you think the pitch will end up) and there's Directional hitting (where you pick a direction to try to hit the ball). There is no PCI for Directional hitting. If you're seeing a PCI move around as you move the left stick, you're using Zone hitting.

Thanks for bringing it up because I think I may be confused. So, when I press down on the stick, the camera shifts lower and the bottom of the plate has the yellow line/arrow thing. And almost every time I put that ball in play, it's a pop fly. Which leads me to believe that there's a PCI hidden underneath there. Maybe I just don't have a big enough sample size. Perhaps I should go hit 100 balls in BP and truly test it out.

[tcorb95]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

Many times with directional I get belt high fastballs maybe a little higher and usually pop them up, miss, or foul them off. Those high fastballs are ones that power hitters crush but typically my home runs come off of low pitches. Even when i get the "GOOD" to flash i still foul and pop up many fastballs. How do I put these mistake pitches into the seats or at least get more extra base hits?

[HouseKeepinItReal]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

I gotta be honest, I am very against this for online. It's timing only essentially, and doesn't take much skill to use.

directional has a narrowed timing window. it says this in the 'in game strategies' somewhere in miscellaneous.

I'd love to see you post a live COTW using Directional with the arrows/in-game visuals to prove that you are using directional but also that it doesn't take a lot of skill meaning you are going to have to post a high score.

[HouseKeepinItReal]

Re: MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

Many times with directional I get belt high fastballs maybe a little higher and usually pop them up, miss, or foul them off. Those high fastballs are ones that power hitters crush but typically my home runs come off of low pitches. Even when i get the "GOOD" to flash i still foul and pop up many fastballs. How do I put these mistake pitches into the seats or at least get more extra base hits?

Remember the timing window is slightly narrowed.

Try aiming down on the left stick and you might produce more line drives(You might want to be slightly early). If the pitch comes high and in then try aiming your swing towards the opposite field or even down AND away.

Your timing is more essential than anything. Learn to find the fastball RIGHT out of the pitcher's hand.