The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

[BallisticBob]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I am trying out DD and like the concept. I am struggling a little with the concept behind it. For example, if I am playing a franchise with a killer team of hitters, aren't I going to have a higher OPS than I would if I were playing a team with a weak offense? Therefore, shouldn't I advance faster and maybe unrealistically for my skill level? Conversely, if I have a poor offensive team, I will struggle with OPS and struggle with promotions to harder difficulties?

If that's true, the way to have DD truly rate you is to play/control each team (probably several times) to balance out the high and low rates teams/players. I am asking question, not stating a fact. Curious to see what you guys are experiencing.

[Jr.]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I am trying out DD and like the concept. I am struggling a little with the concept behind it. For example, if I am playing a franchise with a killer team of hitters, aren't I going to have a higher OPS than I would if I were playing a team with a weak offense? Therefore, shouldn't I advance faster and maybe unrealistically for my skill level? Conversely, if I have a poor offensive team, I will struggle with OPS and struggle with promotions to harder difficulties?

If that's true, the way to have DD truly rate you is to play/control each team (probably several times) to balance out the high and low rates teams/players. I am asking question, not stating a fact. Curious to see what you guys are experiencing.

You're probably right. It doesn't seem to take ratings of the players you're using into account, so those people using a good hitting team will probably end up on a higher level than someone using a weak hitting team.

It'll be interesting to see how this evolves, because I love the idea of it.

[drsonoma]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I discovered DD over the weekend and it is Kicking My Butt. I finally started hitting on All Start last year and prided myself on taking a TON of pitches, drawing walks, etc.

Starting at rookie is humbling for me. I now know that I am not nearly the hitter I presumed myself to be . You cannot just sit there and take pitches, you have to be READY to hit when a good one comes in and TAKE when it is out of the zone or a pitcher's pitch in the zone.

Regardless, I am having a blast. I can't wait to progress and know that I EARNED my difficulty level. So far I find myself going backwards as often as forwards.

Previously, I relied on slider adjustments to make the game playable for me. This is actually giving me the challenge of learning how to hit like a hitter. If it is fat you need to swing, regardless of where you are in the count when it comes.

Love it!

[bcruise]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I discovered DD over the weekend and it is Kicking My Butt. I finally started hitting on All Start last year and prided myself on taking a TON of pitches, drawing walks, etc.

Starting at rookie is humbling for me. I now know that I am not nearly the hitter I presumed myself to be . You cannot just sit there and take pitches, you have to be READY to hit when a good one comes in and TAKE when it is out of the zone or a pitcher's pitch in the zone.

Regardless, I am having a blast. I can't wait to progress and know that I EARNED my difficulty level. So far I find myself going backwards as often as forwards.

Previously, I relied on slider adjustments to make the game playable for me. This is actually giving me the challenge of learning how to hit like a hitter. If it is fat you need to swing, regardless of where you are in the count when it comes.

Love it!

Well said. I think a lot of people fall into the mindset that they should take the first pitch no matter what because that's what usually happens in real life, but the reason it's like that in real life is that very few of those first pitches come right down the middle (and if they do, the pitcher probably isn't in MLB for very long! ). If I see a meatball coming, count be damned and I'm going smack that thing as hard as I can! That in turn leads to the CPU being more cautious about the first pitch strikes, and that's how you can get into hitters counts and draw walks.

[Padgoi]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

Count me as one of the people who loves the concept of DD, but is impatient with starting on rookie. The first 10+ games are so incredibly easy.

[drsonoma]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

So not my experience

[SilverBullet1929]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

Reading this. I realize I suck. I can't get out of rookie+ for the life of me right now. I'm trying to stick with it longer cuz I welcome the challenge but damn I'm frustrated as all hell.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[KMRblue1027]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

Well said. I think a lot of people fall into the mindset that they should take the first pitch no matter what because that's what usually happens in real life, but the reason it's like that in real life is that very few of those first pitches come right down the middle (and if they do, the pitcher probably isn't in MLB for very long! ). If I see a meatball coming, count be damned and I'm going smack that thing as hard as I can! That in turn leads to the CPU being more cautious about the first pitch strikes, and that's how you can get into hitters counts and draw walks.

I think something is off with the AI's strategy though. If you don't have around plus 40 power they seem to go after you no matter what. This is why I have players like Ben Revere well over .400 right now on All-Star plus in 55 games. They just throw right down the middle every time when he steps up to the plate.

[bcruise]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I think something is off with the AI's strategy though. If you don't have around plus 40 power they seem to go after you no matter what. This is why I have players like Ben Revere well over .400 right now on All-Star plus in 55 games. They just throw right down the middle every time when he steps up to the plate.

I'll agree with that to some extent, mostly because I know how impossible it is to draw walks early on in Road To the Show (while your ratings are low). The minor league pitchers tend to pound the zone on me there, probably because they know my player isn't that good.

I suppose the answer to that would be lowering the Strike Frequency slider (that's what it's there for, to affect the early count balls/strikes), but that's a fine line - there's a really nice balance in MLB-level play with first pitch balls-strikes on default IMO, and I'm really hesitant to move off of that.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I'll agree with that to some extent, mostly because I know how impossible it is to draw walks early on in Road To the Show (while your ratings are low). The minor league pitchers tend to pound the zone on me there, probably because they know my player isn't that good.

I suppose the answer to that would be lowering the Strike Frequency slider (that's what it's there for, to affect the early count balls/strikes), but that's a fine line - there's a really nice balance in MLB-level play with first pitch balls-strikes on default IMO, and I'm really hesitant to move off of that.

Agreed.

When early strike percentages look good, I like to adjust consistency when walks are still too low for me (haven't done that this year though) because I find it to be the least invasive way to raise BB percentages.

That said, it seems to lead to an increase in pressure situation meltdowns from pitchers so ultimately it's generally my first and last resort.

Pitch Speed is always the ideal place to start with for me. Followed by Consistency. Followed by Strike Frequency.

[Jr.]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

Reading this. I realize I suck. I can't get out of rookie+ for the life of me right now. I'm trying to stick with it longer cuz I welcome the challenge but damn I'm frustrated as all hell.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

I was in the same boat on offense. I realized I was so focused on trying to "level up" and not focusing on my ABs and swinging at quality pitches. Once I got into an actual baseball mindset, I started producing more runs. I'm only up to Veteran now, but I'm hitting much more consistently.

[tdogg097]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

DD does a pretty decent job of adjusting. I've now played 22 games with a few sliders tweaks but mainly to mutual sliders. Here are some stats to get an idea.


User
Record: 15-7 (won first 7 games in adjustment phase)
BA: .263
ERA: 3.17
K/9: 8.0
B/9: 2.2
S%: 66%
FirstPitchS%: 64%
Foul%: 27%
2B%: 19%
3B%: 1%
HR%: 14%


CPU
BA: .219
ERA: 4.68
K/9: 6.6
B/9: 3.2
S%: 64%
FPS%: 59%
F%: 23%
2B%: 11%
3B%: 2%
HR%: 14%


The CPU stats are swayed because of the first 7 games. If you take those out their BA is .243 and ERA is 4.08.


These are my observations/gripes from DD.


1. CPU does not hit enough doubles. MLB average is 19% of hits are doubles and they are at 11%.


2. A little too easy to throw strikes as the user. Strike %'s are a little on the high end but nothing too dramatic. ATL led the league last year at 65.2% and 62.9 first pitch %.


3. The system is streaky. I have 7 wins followed by a loss, then 2 wins followed by 4 losses, 3 wins then 2 losses then 3 wins again. There is a lot of w-l-w-l-w... in the MLB and I'm not getting that with DD. But 22 games is not enough to close the books on that.


4. One solo home run against should not knock your progress down a level and it seems to happen frequently. I get it, it's a HR but if that is the only the only hit you shouldn't go down a level. Now, 2 innings in a row then I get it.


5. A lot of people seem to think the CPU fouls too many pitches in this year's version. I bumped foul frequency down to 4 and they foul 27% of my strikes thrown which is right on the money. MLB average 27.1%.


Overall, DD has made the game enjoyable for me. For some reason I could not hit on AS this year after HOF last year. I'm on AS+ for hitting and AS for pitching.

[sdf4977]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

DD does a pretty decent job of adjusting. I've now played 22 games with a few sliders tweaks but mainly to mutual sliders. Here are some stats to get an idea.


User
Record: 15-7 (won first 7 games in adjustment phase)
BA: .263
ERA: 3.17
K/9: 8.0
B/9: 2.2
S%: 66%
FirstPitchS%: 64%
Foul%: 27%
2B%: 19%
3B%: 1%
HR%: 14%


CPU
BA: .219
ERA: 4.68
K/9: 6.6
B/9: 3.2
S%: 64%
FPS%: 59%
F%: 23%
2B%: 11%
3B%: 2%
HR%: 14%


The CPU stats are swayed because of the first 7 games. If you take those out their BA is .243 and ERA is 4.08.


These are my observations/gripes from DD.


1. CPU does not hit enough doubles. MLB average is 19% of hits are doubles and they are at 11%.


2. A little too easy to throw strikes as the user. Strike %'s are a little on the high end but nothing too dramatic. ATL led the league last year at 65.2% and 62.9 first pitch %.


3. The system is streaky. I have 7 wins followed by a loss, then 2 wins followed by 4 losses, 3 wins then 2 losses then 3 wins again. There is a lot of w-l-w-l-w... in the MLB and I'm not getting that with DD. But 22 games is not enough to close the books on that.


4. One solo home run against should not knock your progress down a level and it seems to happen frequently. I get it, it's a HR but if that is the only the only hit you shouldn't go down a level. Now, 2 innings in a row then I get it.


5. A lot of people seem to think the CPU fouls too many pitches in this year's version. I bumped foul frequency down to 4 and they foul 27% of my strikes thrown which is right on the money. MLB average 27.1%.


Overall, DD has made the game enjoyable for me. For some reason I could not hit on AS this year after HOF last year. I'm on AS+ for hitting and AS for pitching.

Thats a great recap of your games played with DD.

I would post mine but for some reason mine got reset all the way back down to rookie so mine are a little skewed right now. I was on Veteran for hitting and HOF for pitching before they got reset

[RogueHominid]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

I'm coming close to the end of a new 25-game data set using PHI in franchise mode with DD, QC, and default sliders in the post-patch era.

Before I make my post containing stats, I would like to know which stats in particular folks are interested in. My findings have surprised the heck out of me, and I'm excited to share what I've found in the game at default with DD and QC, but I'd like to tailor my response to the needs of the community as much as possible.

[Dwenny]

Re: The Dynamic Difficulty Discussion Thread

Like to know how many walks you are getting and giving up per game. Also how many pitches per game on both sides.