Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Stillfunky,

What difficulty/sliders, and why the breaking ball ground rule?

Did you dominate/struggle too much when moving the cursor for those pitches?

[StillFunkyB]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Stillfunky,

What difficulty/sliders, and why the breaking ball ground rule?

Did you dominate/struggle too much when moving the cursor for those pitches?

I play on Veteran with default sliders. My reaction time is nowhere near what it was when I was a kid and I don't really get a chance to play as much to make myself better. I have thought of bumping up a level though just because with pitching I have gotten pretty good and the bad outings are starting to get fewer and far between. I also tend to pitch more often with my #1 and #2 starters. The other reason is that I am just not that good at hitting. I feel as if my skill level is below the majority that visit this site.

As far as the ground rule goes, I heard an interview on TV one time, can't remember who it was, but they were talking about major league pitchers and most of them really can't control their breaking pitches as they can with their fastballs. Something along those lines. I also read a thread somewhere, not sure if it was on here or for MVP a few years back where someone had a similar approach. I took that and ran with it.

Edit: The biggest thing I get from the "breaking ball rule" is that it really makes me think about what pitches I am throwing and the game situation. It really helps with the immersion factor for me. By leaving that cursor dead center, your chance for hanging a pitch is much greater. At least that's what it seems like to me. Maybe it's all in my head. Just remember, Yogi Berra said 90% of the game is half mental.

[WatchTheThrone]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Analog is by far the best. Now if you give up a homerun or a hit you know that you made a mistake because the indicator didn't go to the sweet spot of the strike zone or you were completely off.

With the meter and classic it was always a game of guess. I felt like the CPU took more control of the outcomes of your pitches.

[slthree]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Classic, for me, is the ultimate baseball experience.

I'm on All Star difficulty and have pitching control and consistency sliders maxed, or close to max. That was necessary as I was walking 6-8 per game

Even at maxed, I easily walk 3-4 per game and sometimes more.

I love the "randomness" that most who abhor classic pitching refer to. I will never forget an interview Roy Halladay did where he explained how hard it is, even for him, to hit his spots.

When I try to throw a fb that is meant to be low and OFF the outside corner and it drifts over the plate and up in the happy zone, it makes me crazy with frustration. That's the same feeling I had when I used to pitch in real life so I LOVE it.

When its a number 8 batter I do it to, more often than not I don't get punished too much. But, when I do it to a slugger I get punished and LOVE it.

I thought I would never throw a no hitter with Classic because of the randomness but actually threw a perfect game with Tim Hudson a few weeks ago.

On a side note: I saved his line with the glass button but don't know how to upload it here. Give me instructions and I'll get it up here

[DJ]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Classic, for me, is the ultimate baseball experience.

I'm on All Star difficulty and have pitching control and consistency sliders maxed, or close to max. That was necessary as I was walking 6-8 per game

Even at maxed, I easily walk 3-4 per game and sometimes more.

I love the "randomness" that most who abhor classic pitching refer to. I will never forget an interview Roy Halladay did where he explained how hard it is, even for him, to hit his spots.

When I try to throw a fb that is meant to be low and OFF the outside corner and it drifts over the plate and up in the happy zone, it makes me crazy with frustration. That's the same feeling I had when I used to pitch in real life so I LOVE it.

When its a number 8 batter I do it to, more often than not I don't get punished too much. But, when I do it to a slugger I get punished and LOVE it.

I thought I would never throw a no hitter with Classic because of the randomness but actually threw a perfect game with Tim Hudson a few weeks ago.

On a side note: I saved his line with the glass button but don't know how to upload it here. Give me instructions and I'll get it up here

Glad to hear you are getting good results with Classic. The thing that stood out to me when I used the interface was that CPU Power seemed awfully high, but that could be the result of inaccurate pitches. It just seemed that any pitch over the plate got crushed; with Analog, you can get away with mistake pitches from time-to-time. There are times you will pay for missing a spot, but it seemed with Classic, that I paid more often than with Analog.

[DJ]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

I should add that with Classic, I would suggest you calling your own games. If you use API (at least on All-Star), 95% of the pitches suggested are strikes.

[ktd1976]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Myself, I think Classic is the best true sim experience. It relies on the individual pitcher's ratings as far as the results you get...IE Aces pitch like aces, and 5th starters often times struggle. However......

There is the possibility of having a bad outing. I attribute this to the pitcher "not having his good stuff" This happens in real life. At the same time, there is the possibility of your 5th starter (or any other starter for that matter) getting in the zone, and having great stuff and being unhittable.

With meter pitching, if you can pinpoint the meter, you are gonna get good results most of the time, especially with your top 2 starters.

With classic, there are still times where your top starters will have off games. In my opinion, it is much more rewarding trying to battle through a jam with classic pitching, than with meter, where you can pinpoint pitches.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Myself, I think Classic is the best true sim experience. It relies on the individual pitcher's ratings as far as the results you get...IE Aces pitch like aces, and 5th starters often times struggle. However......

There is the possibility of having a bad outing. I attribute this to the pitcher "not having his good stuff" This happens in real life. At the same time, there is the possibility of your 5th starter (or any other starter for that matter) getting in the zone, and having great stuff and being unhittable.

With meter pitching, if you can pinpoint the meter, you are gonna get good results most of the time, especially with your top 2 starters.

With classic, there are still times where your top starters will have off games. In my opinion, it is much more rewarding trying to battle through a jam with classic pitching, than with meter, where you can pinpoint pitches.

Agreed. On every front.

It's my FAVORITE interface of them all, but...

It's too wild. I have a hard time keeping realistic WHIP numbers with my aces (while playing on a difficulty that still keeps the game competitive...or, without having to go bonkers with the control/consistency sliders).

Though it's better than last year's interface, it's still too combustable for me to franchise with.

I have great hopes for improvement on this in '12. I wouldn't say it needs an overhaul or anything, just a little bit of additional love.

Fingers crossed, anyway.

[ktd1976]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

Agreed. On every front.

It's my FAVORITE interface of them all, but...

It's too wild. I have a hard time keeping realistic WHIP numbers with my aces (while playing on a difficulty that still keeps the game competitive...or, without having to go bonkers with the control/consistency sliders).

Though it's better than last year's interface, it's still too combustable for me to franchise with.

I have great hopes for improvement on this in '12. I wouldn't say it needs an overhaul or anything, just a little bit of additional love.

Fingers crossed, anyway.

I should have added that I pitch on Hall Of Fame difficulty, with the pitch control slider upped a couple notches. Pitches are still off the mark sometimes, but this happens in real life as well. I feel I get realistic numbers (IE Verlander still strikes out 6-10 hitters a game, and walks 1-2, and pitchers like Porcello get lots of ground balls, and few strikeouts. Scherzer has games where he is on, and only walks 2, and games when he is off, and walks 5 or more.)

I think my most rewarding game so far was the last one I played. I was pitching as Steve Lep (a guy I create every year. Good stats, but not great, the equivalent of a low #3/High #4 starter.) He has a good 4 seam fastball, and a good to great slurve, a mediocre change up, and an average 2 seam FB. I gave up a hit and a walk in the first, but got out of it. Gave up a 2 run bomb in the second. I had thrown 76 pitches after 3 innings, and neither the 4 seamer or the Slurve were working. I had to jettison the slurve, and go fastball/changeup the rest of the way. I ended up getting through 6 1/3 innings giving up just 2 runs, 7 k's 4 walks, and 8 hits. I threw 106 pitches in that time.

Games like this really make you think, and adjust to what is working, and what isn't. If a pitch isn't working, don't throw it in pressure situations. My 4 seamer wasn't working after 3 innings, so I used it sparingly, to get confidence back up. It worked.

[EWRMETS]

Re: Classic, Meter or Analog Pitching for Realism?

I think classic is fine on default Hall of Fame. I don't have an issue with control. If your pitcher's confidence lowers, you just have to throw the ball more over the plate. Unlike meter, you don't have pinpoint control. If you are having trouble with control, throw the ball over the plate and make the batter beat you.