Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

[Dolenz]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

I've used both and directional is much easier to use. You only have to worry about 1 faucet of hitting.

Will it get you better results than someone that knows what their doing with zone? Heck No! That is why it has not really bothered me. The better players all use zone for the most part.

The same goes for classic pitching. Do I think it should be allowed for online? Not really...but it does not bother me because it is very inconsistent even with the best pitchers. If it gets more people online (which I think it has this year) then that is great.

One thing I disagree with in this thread is a lot of you said you do not play online but you seem to be totally against the OP's reasoning for removing it. I don't think it is fair to judge his opinion if directional hitting belongs in online play unless you've actually played and tested it yourself (hitting and pitching).

Similar to the OP stating that he has not tried directional hitting himself, a lot of you may never know if it is balanced or not without actually testing it online.

Again, I am not necessarily for or against directional hitting being allowed for online. I am just simply stating my observations of using and pitching against directional hitters in nearly 100 games online total.

Honestly it should just be another filter. I am sure some of you would be totally against using only guess pitch online. It makes things easier for sure and is annoying to pitch to. If you want to face zone only hitters then it should be an option like being able to face guys that do not want GP on. If they are going to allow all of these options for online then they need to allow users the ability not to have to worry about facing them either.

Yeah they need to draw the line somewhere for what is allowed in online play and what can be filtered. However, simplifying something as challenging as hitting is really questionable. Hitting is arguably the hardest thing to do in any sports title and it is not exactly balanced if one user can eliminate one of my pitches and only has to worry about the timing aspect of hitting, while I read my own pitches, use my LS to put the PCI on the ball and then time it all at once.

For things like pitching and fielding...I could care less. The difference between using something like Pulse and Meter pitching is negligible to me.

Well, in my defense I said I do not play online and did not care if it was there or not. I simply refuted the fact that good timing alone was enough to make solid contact with directional hitting.

I also agree that a good zone hitter can probably hit better than a good directional hitter because the directional hitter has no control over the PCI. As I said, I have had good pitches in the middle of the plate where I popped it up on the infield even with good timing with directional hitting.

And the timing windows seems incredible short for swings to be labeled good. I don't know if that is the case in Zone hitting as well though. I just know that the timing window seems smaller in directional this year than it did with zone hitting last year.

[Brando70]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

I have always been a zone/PCI guy, and this year I switched to directional with analog. I agree with others that it's not easier to produce hits. I am striking out a little less, but I think I'm hitting about the same as I was in years past because ratings restrict performance somewhat more with directional. Zone makes it easier for me to both underperform but also overperform with players. Directional tends to move my offensive performance more toward a realistic middle.

I also think classic pitching is the second-hardest pitching mode after Pulse for the same reason. To me, I find pure analog the easiest even though it involves the most user input, simply because it's much easier to aim. With classic you are at the mercy of ratings.

[DarthRambo]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

I disagree. If they are going to remove anything it would be bunting. Really frustrating how easy it is to lay down a perfect bunt down either line for a base hit. Players bunt guys over with ease and it's annoying! Sometimes I can't even get the out at first cuz of the bunt being so darn perfect I can't defend it even with infield in against the bunt.


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[cardinalbird5]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

I have not played much zone hitting or online this year but I understand the mechanics. From what I know imo Zone hitting actually gives you more of an advantage than timing. I don't think you realize how bad the PCI placement can be for timing hitting especially with lower rated players. With Zone hitting the player ratings don't mean as much and you can master that control method much easier. I have no way to know but I can almost promise that most of the top hitters on the leaderboards use zone hitting. With that said it would be great to have an option to have zone hitting locked as well as separate zone hitting leaderboards.

I am with you for directional/timing hitting. It is at the mercy of the ratings and can be very inconsistent to make solid contact. I will always prefer zone, because I am in control if I hit well. But do not underestimate the impact ratings can have with zone.... they do still matter a lot for zone, especially contact, power, and plate vision. All three of those ratings increase your PCI size.

I am not sure about having separate leaderboards entirely, and I don't even mind facing directional hitters. I think, at the least, we should have some type of filter options for at leagues and challenges.

The problem with directional hitting IMO is the fact there seems to be no disadvantage for trying to pull/push. It just seems to be a slight modifier for guiding your hits and it seems to have little impact on how your timing changes based on the pitch location. MVP had a good balance with their hitting, but directional feels more like straight up timing with slight modifiers for directing your hits.

[BrianU]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

I am with you for directional/timing hitting. It is at the mercy of the ratings and can be very inconsistent to make solid contact. I will always prefer zone, because I am in control if I hit well. But do not underestimate the impact ratings can have with zone.... they do still matter a lot for zone, especially contact, power, and plate vision. All three of those ratings increase your PCI size.

I am not sure about having separate leaderboards entirely, and I don't even mind facing directional hitters. I think, at the least, we should have some type of filter options for at leagues and challenges.

The problem with directional hitting IMO is the fact there seems to be no disadvantage for trying to pull/push. It just seems to be a slight modifier for guiding your hits and it seems to have little impact on how your timing changes based on the pitch location. MVP had a good balance with their hitting, but directional feels more like straight up timing with slight modifiers for directing your hits.

I do believe there is a penalty if you are aiming your swing to push the ball outside but the pitch comes inside and you remain aiming to the outside. The problem is you can either let go of the left stick to go back to normal timing hitting, or move your aim to the inside. There is no risk-reward to this system, it's too gamey. If the pitcher has been pitching you outside and you feel like taking a chance and trying to push the ball, you should be locked into that once the pitcher begins his windup or releases the ball. For offline I play with house rules that if I use directional hitting feature and choose to aim my hit I cannot change it after the pitch is released. It's a good idea for a first iteration but it could use some work.

[HouseKeepinItReal]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

The timing window is much smaller for Directional Hitting. This is fact; it's in the in-game strategies under hitting. I sometimes use directional on legend but zone will always be the most consistent/ dependable way to hit the ball in the show.

[TheBleedingRed21]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

To say there is no strategy pitching vs timed hitting is absolutely silly.. It is ratings based, the PCI market is set via ratings.. Therefore, mixing up pitches can make weaker batters place the "zone" in the wrong spot. Trust me, as a timed player since show came out, it's not just about getting good timing and it equals automatic hits. The pitcher needs to mix speeds, location.. Until you've played it for a full cycle, don't diss it.

[Smallville102001]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

The timing window is much smaller for Directional Hitting. This is fact; it's in the in-game strategies under hitting. I sometimes use directional on legend but zone will always be the most consistent/ dependable way to hit the ball in the show.

Really? I thought the timing window was the same no matter what controls you use. I don't know why it would be smaller you are already at an disadvantage because you cant control the PCI. If there is a smaller timing window that would be like 2 disadvantages to using Directional.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

keep it in, whatever attracts more to online play the better. No issues here facing these type of hitters, lol at my losses due to online franchise sims smh really like 14 losses

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

[QUOTE=HustlinOwl;2047243475]keep it in, whatever attracts more to online play the better. No issues here facing these type of hitters, lol at my losses due to online franchise sims smh really like 14 losses





Hustlin I am looking forward to battling in our league brother.

Now my sig is no where near yours......yet. But I am on a 6 game winning streak online.....and 3 losses were due to a freeze and I would not sit around and wait for more than 15 minutes.....can't do that...I rather move on and keep playing...it is not a big deal in the grand scheme!

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

Hustlin I am looking forward to battling in our league brother.

Now my sig is no where near yours......yet. But I am on a 6 game winning streak online.....and 3 losses were due to a freeze and i would not sit around and wait for more than 15 minutes.....can't do that...I rather move on and keep playing...it is not a big deal in the grand scheme!

I hear ya on the freeze, lol another 5-7 losses are from me saying forget it and restarting game

[HouseKeepinItReal]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

Really? I thought the timing window was the same no matter what controls you use. I don't know why it would be smaller you are already at an disadvantage because you cant control the PCI. If there is a smaller timing window that would be like 2 disadvantages to using Directional.

Yes, the timing window is smaller. But you can treat directional almost like pure analog or zone and simply just place the left stick where the ball goes or you could adjust mid-swing.

Sometimes i try to pull but if i see the pitch going towards the outside of the plate i simply slide the left stick to push the ball opposite field.

[ManiacMatt1782]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

To say there is no strategy pitching vs timed hitting is absolutely silly.. It is ratings based, the PCI market is set via ratings.. Therefore, mixing up pitches can make weaker batters place the "zone" in the wrong spot. Trust me, as a timed player since show came out, it's not just about getting good timing and it equals automatic hits. The pitcher needs to mix speeds, location.. Until you've played it for a full cycle, don't diss it.

I won't go as far as to say no strategy, but I stand by my belief that it is significantly less. also good pitches on the black some how find their way through for base hits far more frequently when playing against a directional user. They may not even be hit harder, they just seem to be far mor seeing eye singles for directional uses especially if they hit a pitchers pitch.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

No, but there should be an option for ManiacMatt & the many like minded players to not have to play directional hitters.

[Wolverines05]

Re: Should Directional Hitting be removed from online play?

I do believe there is a penalty if you are aiming your swing to push the ball outside but the pitch comes inside and you remain aiming to the outside. The problem is you can either let go of the left stick to go back to normal timing hitting, or move your aim to the inside. There is no risk-reward to this system, it's too gamey. If the pitcher has been pitching you outside and you feel like taking a chance and trying to push the ball, you should be locked into that once the pitcher begins his windup or releases the ball. For offline I play with house rules that if I use directional hitting feature and choose to aim my hit I cannot change it after the pitch is released. It's a good idea for a first iteration but it could use some work.

I actually don't think there is a penalty to aiming your swing that winds up in a different direction. Well, at least not in the way of decreased contact ratings. Its more that the farther away the ball is thrown from where you are looking, the LESS LIKELY you can influence the ball in that direction. Just like if a ball ends up exactly where you're looking, you're not given a ratings increase, but instead a greater chance of hitting the ball in the intended direction. The "guess location" feature is what applies a bonus/subtraction to ratings and gives hitting that risk reward feeling.

At least I think... itd be great to get clarification from a dev