Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

[The Chef]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

@Chef:

I'm no expert, but here's my take:

1) Wild Pitches seem like they are currently hard coded into the game, so if that's the case, sliders don't mitigate that much...I don't try and adjust sliders for those, as a result...

2) HOF seems to have a "penalty" to either HUM Control or Consistency or both...

3) On AS, I'm finding that HUM Control @ 5 and Consistency @ 7 is ballpark value that makes pitchers play pretty close to attribute...

So:

I bumped CPU Contact to 7 and Solid Hits to 6 or 7 to compensate...

If you wanna stay on HOF with 6 / 6, you'll have to at least bump CPU Contact up from default to compensate...

I'd also consider leaving Control at Default, and just raise the Consistency slider to whatever value plays realistically for you...maybe 7 or even 8 on HOF...

This year, I'm liking the way the game plays when you keep the pitching sliders for both sides at default or slightly higher (esp. Control) and then raising both sets of Contact and Solid Hits sliders above default to balance...

Thanks for the feedback.

1. The wild pitches are just stupid at this point. I have no idea why this hasn't been fixed. I know some prefer this over the lightning fast catchers from last year, I question why we can't just have it somewhere in the middle. All we've done is traded one problem for another and this one effects how I want to construct my roster. For instance I have Sonny Gray and he has a 12-6 curve but I don't dare try and bury it down in the zone with runners on otherwise it's almost guaranteed to miss up or bounce in the dirt for another wild pitch. In my current game he's thrown 2 through 5 innings. In other words I won't be resigning Gray or any other pitcher who has a nasty curve to get outs on as it's pointless and does more damage then it's worth.

2. I've got control and consistency at 6 for this current game and like mentioned before Gray has 2 wild pitches, walked 3 and given up 4 runs over 5 so clearly it isn't effecting the CPU offense too much. I will say I saw the first "what the ****?" moment this game though. Brett Gardner hit a double into the LF/CF gap and both Dyson and Valencia stopped completely and stood there before deciding to run it down allowing Gardner to get the inside the park HR. I use auto fielding so nothing I could do about it. It was a very strange thing to see and I have no idea what caused that, should have been an error clearly but it didn't record it as such inflating Gray's ERA in the process.

I still have no idea how classic pitching works and I'm starting to think more and more it has no true mechanic to it at all and it's all about some dice roll in the background and nothing more. I have played nearly 100 games and it's always the same story, guys are going to be erratic regardless of pitch confidence, overall confidence, pitch control, it all seems to play second fiddle to that dice roll that will decide the outcome. Some games I'll actually pitch well, most games I'll watch as guys can't even locate to the correct side of the plate let alone near the intended target.

[squashbuggie]

I have been just pitching in The Show since 10 and Classic the entire time.
I was on AS, and now am on HOF.
I see very good results.
I think in baseball, so many different things happen.
I also play/quik manage every single game - so I see the gamut of experiences.

[KingV2k3]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Thanks for the feedback.

1. The wild pitches are just stupid at this point. I have no idea why this hasn't been fixed. I know some prefer this over the lightning fast catchers from last year, I question why we can't just have it somewhere in the middle. All we've done is traded one problem for another and this one effects how I want to construct my roster. For instance I have Sonny Gray and he has a 12-6 curve but I don't dare try and bury it down in the zone with runners on otherwise it's almost guaranteed to miss up or bounce in the dirt for another wild pitch. In my current game he's thrown 2 through 5 innings. In other words I won't be resigning Gray or any other pitcher who has a nasty curve to get outs on as it's pointless and does more damage then it's worth.

2. I've got control and consistency at 6 for this current game and like mentioned before Gray has 2 wild pitches, walked 3 and given up 4 runs over 5 so clearly it isn't effecting the CPU offense too much. I will say I saw the first "what the ****?" moment this game though. Brett Gardner hit a double into the LF/CF gap and both Dyson and Valencia stopped completely and stood there before deciding to run it down allowing Gardner to get the inside the park HR. I use auto fielding so nothing I could do about it. It was a very strange thing to see and I have no idea what caused that, should have been an error clearly but it didn't record it as such inflating Gray's ERA in the process.

I still have no idea how classic pitching works and I'm starting to think more and more it has no true mechanic to it at all and it's all about some dice roll in the background and nothing more. I have played nearly 100 games and it's always the same story, guys are going to be erratic regardless of pitch confidence, overall confidence, pitch control, it all seems to play second fiddle to that dice roll that will decide the outcome. Some games I'll actually pitch well, most games I'll watch as guys can't even locate to the correct side of the plate let alone near the intended target.

1) Yeah, WP are random and they s*ck...when I try to use curveballs, I just make sure it's when there's nobody on base and try to drop them in for strikes, which is counterintuitive to how they're usually used...hopefully the WP issue gets patched...

2) What roster are you using and how do you have your error / fielder speed / reaction set? I'm using the Hybrid which has lower fielding ratings so I'm pretty close to default...the error sliders don't just control frequency, it's a modifier of fielding ability...

For instance, with the Hybrid, having IF Throwing Errors above default results in things like the 3rd Baseman pulling the Catcher off the plate on a throw from a paltry 90 feet away...

I see that people are boosting those error slider this year to try and pull some error numbers out of the engine, but for me, all that's resulted in in "T Ball Level" fielding...



3) You're correct that there's a LOT of "behind the scenes" factors that affect Classic...heaven help you (for instance) if you go into a start with a pitcher that has the "cold" icon...

Individual pitch confidence / player morale / home v away / "Any Given Sunday" factor (yeah, wrong sport, but...) / etc. can ALL affect location...

I tend to just tap or hold (rare) at the release point and don't get much fancier than that...

Works more reliably for me this year with those default or above settings...

Anything lower (IMHO) results in "chuck and duck", which is not only not realistic, it's not fun!

[bcruise]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Just want to re-post something I did awhile ago in another thread about classic pitching:



This isn't exactly classic pitching (it's player-locked catcher with the CPU throwing to me) but it's the same idea. And those are supposed to be all fastballs down the middle.

Imagine what happens with curveballs, given the same conditions.

[KingV2k3]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Just want to re-post something I did awhile ago in another thread about classic pitching:

This isn't exactly classic pitching (it's player-locked catcher with the CPU throwing to me) but it's the same idea. And those are supposed to be all fastballs down the middle.

Imagine what happens with curveballs, given the same conditions.

What level, sliders and roster?

I'm guessing AS / Default with OSFM, right?

Looks about right for AS at 5 Control / Consistency this year, which is why I'm now at 5 / 7...

I remember in the book "Ball Four", Jim Bouton said an MLB pitcher is able to locate most pitches inside the perimeter of a shoebox or so...

By that logic, at least four of the nine pitches pictured are WAY outside that center "shoebox"...

And only two or three of them are actually within that desired perimeter...

[bcruise]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

What level, sliders and roster?

I'm guessing AS / Default with OSFM, right?

Looks about right for AS at 5 Control / Consistency this year, which is why I'm now at 5 / 7...

I remember in the book "Ball Four", Jim Bouton said an MLB pitcher is able to locate a 4 most pitches inside the perimeter of a shoe box or so...

By that logic, at least four of the nine pitches pictured are WAY outside that center "shoebox"...

Yeah, it's default AS. SCEA roster.

[The Chef]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

1) Yeah, WP are random and they s*ck...when I try to use curveballs, I just make sure it's when there's nobody on base and try to drop them in for strikes, which is counterintuitive to how they're usually used...hopefully the WP issue gets patched...

2) What roster are you using and how do you have your error / fielder speed / reaction set? I'm using the Hybrid which has lower fielding ratings so I'm pretty close to default...the error sliders don't just control frequency, it's a modifier of fielding ability...

For instance, with the Hybrid, having IF Throwing Errors above default results in things like the 3rd Baseman pulling the Catcher off the plate on a throw from a paltry 90 feet away...

I see that people are boosting those error slider this year to try and pull some error numbers out of the engine, but for me, all that's resulted in in "T Ball Level" fielding...



3) You're correct that there's a LOT of "behind the scenes" factors that affect Classic...heaven help you (for instance) if you go into a start with a pitcher that has the "cold" icon...

Individual pitch confidence / player morale / home v away / "Any Given Sunday" factor (yeah, wrong sport, but...) / etc. can ALL affect location...

I tend to just tap or hold (rare) at the release point and don't get much fancier than that...

Works more reliably for me this year with those default or above settings...

Anything lower (IMHO) results in "chuck and duck", which is not only not realistic, it's not fun!

I'm using OSFM but not the hybrid rosters. I also use Armor & Swords sliders minus just bumping up control and consistency to 6/6 for the user. I have the CPU pitching sliders at 5/5/5 and other then that all other sliders are identical to his.

I'll keep chugging away at it, it does seem better with it at 6/6 as they will still miss and miss more as fatigue sets in but it's not at the level it was prior to moving to the current 6/6 setup.

[stealyerface]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

It is so odd to me how from person to person, it seems like folks are playing entirely different games.

This is by no means a knock on anyone, or their experiences thereof, but it blows my mind that the game can be so different between users.

I became a Classic Pitching convert last year, and find it to be the best replication of pitching there is. There is no mini-game to master, and therefore, your experience is based on ratings, dice roll, input, and a sprinkle of HTHK.

The only "minigame" I can see within the Classic Pitching, is learning when to release the button, and that is based on trial and error. Chris Sale slaps the ball into his mitt when he pitches from the stretch, and if you press the button to pitch, and let go of it the second his hand slaps his mitt, you'll get pretty close to the perfect release point for best results. Get a batter up 0-2 or 1-2 and want to drop a nasty hammer on him, hold til the rumble, but aim accordingly. (I use clean screen with my own slider set. No on-screen help at all)

I too have been plagued by the wild pitches, but have adjusted by staying away from low, heavy break, in-the-dirt pitches when I have runners on. This has allowed me to expand my horizons, by using the top of the strike zone, when umpires allow such.

My advice to the Classic -Pitching curious who have not figured out "how it works", is to find out where your pitcher's best release point is for speed, movement, etc.. and then "feel" the pitching, based on your vibration (aim) and release.

I also am firmly under the impression that there is a bit of "Variable Stuff" programmed into the mix, in that I can have a 15 strikeout game from Porcello who goes 7.2 innings and is an absolute stud, and I can have a 32 pitch first inning, and he gives up 5 runs before we can to bat.

I pitch the same, I release the ball the same, and I have the same game plan towards each batter, and yet some days I have it, and some days I don't. Real life here I come.

Some days I had a great bully, and figured it was going to be an easy ride, and I got shellacked. Some days I left the bullpen thinking I could not break a pane of glass from 60 feet, and ended up having a good enough offspeed selection to get through it.

Bottom line is that I do believe there is some crazy algorithm that affects the ratings and input via a dice-roll. That said, I am totally okay with it, as it is the only way to replicate the days when you have it or you don't.

The difference in the arm angle, release point, and how the muscles work from a day to day start are imperceptible. You can see a drastic change on a video review, but for the most part, you would never see the small, yet HUGE equation that causes such a large disparity in performance.

The only way for a video game to replicate the humanity of a game played with so much going on, is to add to the mix, a programmable error-based entity, that allows this margin of error to happen. That is the ONLY was to keep the game from becoming a robotic mini game, based on a series of button presses to result in a perfect game or a home run every at bat.

Personally, I do not want a game whereby I master a button press, or the timing of a mechanic, and get a perfect result. Because the difference between high fives in the Home or Visitors locker room, is less than 1/4 of an inch.

~syf

[The Chef]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

It is so odd to me how from person to person, it seems like folks are playing entirely different games.

This is by no means a knock on anyone, or their experiences thereof, but it blows my mind that the game can be so different between users.

I became a Classic Pitching convert last year, and find it to be the best replication of pitching there is. There is no mini-game to master, and therefore, your experience is based on ratings, dice roll, input, and a sprinkle of HTHK.

The only "minigame" I can see within the Classic Pitching, is learning when to release the button, and that is based on trial and error. Chris Sale slaps the ball into his mitt when he pitches from the stretch, and if you press the button to pitch, and let go of it the second his hand slaps his mitt, you'll get pretty close to the perfect release point for best results. Get a batter up 0-2 or 1-2 and want to drop a nasty hammer on him, hold til the rumble, but aim accordingly. (I use clean screen with my own slider set. No on-screen help at all)

I too have been plagued by the wild pitches, but have adjusted by staying away from low, heavy break, in-the-dirt pitches when I have runners on. This has allowed me to expand my horizons, by using the top of the strike zone, when umpires allow such.

My advice to the Classic -Pitching curious who have not figured out "how it works", is to find out where your pitcher's best release point is for speed, movement, etc.. and then "feel" the pitching, based on your vibration (aim) and release.

I also am firmly under the impression that there is a bit of "Variable Stuff" programmed into the mix, in that I can have a 15 strikeout game from Porcello who goes 7.2 innings and is an absolute stud, and I can have a 32 pitch first inning, and he gives up 5 runs before we can to bat.

I pitch the same, I release the ball the same, and I have the same game plan towards each batter, and yet some days I have it, and some days I don't. Real life here I come.

Some days I had a great bully, and figured it was going to be an easy ride, and I got shellacked. Some days I left the bullpen thinking I could not break a pane of glass from 60 feet, and ended up having a good enough offspeed selection to get through it.

Bottom line is that I do believe there is some crazy algorithm that affects the ratings and input via a dice-roll. That said, I am totally okay with it, as it is the only way to replicate the days when you have it or you don't.

The difference in the arm angle, release point, and how the muscles work from a day to day start are imperceptible. You can see a drastic change on a video review, but for the most part, you would never see the small, yet HUGE equation that causes such a large disparity in performance.

The only way for a video game to replicate the humanity of a game played with so much going on, is to add to the mix, a programmable error-based entity, that allows this margin of error to happen. That is the ONLY was to keep the game from becoming a robotic mini game, based on a series of button presses to result in a perfect game or a home run every at bat.

Personally, I do not want a game whereby I master a button press, or the timing of a mechanic, and get a perfect result. Because the difference between high fives in the Home or Visitors locker room, is less than 1/4 of an inch.

~syf

Are you pitching on HOF? I can't get any consistency from anyone in my rotation regardless of ratings. I just faced KC who has a pretty poor offense, hell they only have 2 guys with contact ratings even above 70 yet thanks to HOF their entire offense played above their ratings lacing balls all over the yard off Felix Hernandez at that. I lost the game 10-5 and gave up 15 hits to a team that has, arguably, one of the worst offenses in my franchise. It's things like that that annoy the hell out of me, I can't shut down good offenses and don't expect too but if you're gonna have the good offenses play to their ratings then don't juice up the garbage lineups just to make things "interesting" or "entertaining", starts to feel like an uphill battle at that point.

Tap, hold to the leg kick, hold to vibration, nothing makes a difference if the game has deemed my SP is going to have an "off" day and those days seem to happen with greater frequency on HOF then they ever did on AS.

[stealyerface]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I am on HOF pitching with control and consistency at 1 and 1 respectively.

I moved down from legend, because I saw what you are seeing, and felt that Legend gave the upper hand to the hitter, and caused my "variable things" to lean towards a negative variable too often for my liking.
I have found a great balance within HOF, but again, my slider set may have something in there that, under the hood, has neutered the CPU's onslaught against me.
During slider testing, baserunner and fielder speed adjustments wreaked havoc against me, because now, as the baserunnner speed was low, the fielder arm strength was not fair. So I raise that, now the ball flew across the diamond unrealistically.
This is why slider testing is so maddening. One adjustment here, means unintended chaos elsewhere. Then you chase, and then you are in a loop that spirals to starting over.
I am playing with the hybrid sliders and pitch edits. And have this post-patch game dialed in. I can update my post-patch slider set online and maybe you can find the great games I am getting in your own games.
~syf


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[The Chef]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I am on HOF pitching with control and consistency at 1 and 1 respectively.

I moved down from legend, because I saw what you are seeing, and felt that Legend gave the upper hand to the hitter, and caused my "variable things" to lean towards a negative variable too often for my liking.
I have found a great balance within HOF, but again, my slider set may have something in there that, under the hood, has neutered the CPU's onslaught against me.
During slider testing, baserunner and fielder speed adjustments wreaked havoc against me, because now, as the baserunnner speed was low, the fielder arm strength was not fair. So I raise that, now the ball flew across the diamond unrealistically.
This is why slider testing is so maddening. One adjustment here, means unintended chaos elsewhere. Then you chase, and then you are in a loop that spirals to starting over.
I am playing with the hybrid sliders and pitch edits. And have this post-patch game dialed in. I can update my post-patch slider set online and maybe you can find the great games I am getting in your own games.
~syf


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

My God, you must be unbelievably good at this game and know some secret if you're able to function on HOF with control and consistency at 1/1. I seriously have no idea how you do it so hats off to you.

I can't locate at all to save my life. I like to be analytical about things, look at ratings in depth etc so I have a spreadsheet with each of my pitchers listed and their individual control ratings for every pitch they throw. I reference this a lot and try and pitch accordingly. By that I mean if I have Scribner on the mound I try and put more "juice" into his fastball since he has 99 control of it. Same for his curve as he has 96 control in that pitch. Problem is he has the same control of those pitches if I tap it or hold to the vibration and it's a razor thin difference even when I raised control and consistency to 6/6. It makes little sense that I can throw his fastball and tap the button and he misses by a wide margin then hold to the vibration and be spot on. In the past the developers have consistently said that longer you hold it the less accurate it will be, tapping it improves accuracy but at the cost of velocity and break. This year it doesn't appear to make a difference, it's as if between the quirks and the over abundance of HR's that classic pitching, for me at least, has become a crap shoot.

I'm at the point where I want to really crank control and consistency up through the roof but the one thing that prevents me are posts like yours. Surely if you can pitch on HOF with it at 1/1 then why in the hell can't I have any glimmer of success at 5/5? What do you have the CPU hitting sliders at? That's the only thing I can think of.

I quit my last game after Oakland of all teams hit 6 HR's off me, 3 the game before so 9 in a 2 game series and the game wasn't even over yet. I should point out Oakland had hit 106 HR's on the season in 114 games, less then 1 per game, yet 9 in two games off me. It's incredibly frustrating when the CPU doesn't bother to play anywhere near their results over the course of 100+ games prior and instead comes out and hits like the best team on earth. It's things like that that kill any realism or immersion, I shouldn't have to pitch around the entire Oakland lineup lmao.

[stealyerface]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I will post my updated Post-patch slider set, and send them to the vault.

I would urge you to give them a try for a five game set.

Let the blowouts happen, let the close games unfold, and just play five games, and that way you can run through your rotation, and see where the game shines between the starters' abilities.

Also, I would use the Hybrid Roster with pitch edits, and get a chance to see the correct speeds and physics for the pitches selected.

I am not sure what to tell you, as I am not a super-skilled player, and my old-man reflexes are certainly kicking in, hence my pitch speeds down to a manageable level...

The only thing that I might suggest, is to turn on the pitch-break toggle, and play a game where you can see what the pitch will do, based on the feel of the vibration. Also, with the beautiful pitch-edit job those guys did with the roster, you can see the difference between a 1 starter's Curveball, and your 5 starter's garbage comparatively. You will see what sliders look like, compared to what the vibration point is as well.

I play 100% clean screen, memorize my pitcher's goods before the game, and allow myself to see the hitter's cold/hot tendencies in their first at-bat.

I played a game on Father's day, and lost 0-2 to the Astros. Porcello had 7 K's and gave up a blast to Altuve, and an RBI to McCann. I had two guys thrown out trying to be a little greedy on the basepaths, but was able to effectively hold the Astros to the 2 runs, 8 hits, and Porcello struck out 7 and walked 2.

I pitch to set up hitters, and I am just wondering if our attack against the CPU is just different enough to see the disparity we do.

I pitch to batter's tendencies like I did in real life, and even though they are not human, I LOVE the results I get when I go soft away, soft away, softer away, and then up under the hands with the quick stuff, and get the CPU looking, or flailing at the pitch. They did a great job with the pitching/batting cat and mouse, and it just sounds, to me, that you are throwing too many strikes, and the CPU is reading your tendencies, and hunting fastballs in the zone, and ambushing bad pitch decisions.

I really would urge you to try my slider set. play some games, and see what happens.

Right now you are frustrated with the game, so why not switch directions, and just see if a new look altogether isn't exactly what the doctor ordered...

Let me know how you do, and I can update the sliders on my page, or send them to the vault.

~syf

[The Chef]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I play 100% clean screen, memorize my pitcher's goods before the game, and allow myself to see the hitter's cold/hot tendencies in their first at-bat.

I pitch to batter's tendencies like I did in real life, and even though they are not human, I LOVE the results I get when I go soft away, soft away, softer away, and then up under the hands with the quick stuff, and get the CPU looking, or flailing at the pitch. They did a great job with the pitching/batting cat and mouse, and it just sounds, to me, that you are throwing too many strikes, and the CPU is reading your tendencies, and hunting fastballs in the zone, and ambushing bad pitch decisions.

Those comments were the ones that finally helped fix my issues. First, I turned on the same hitter's hot/cold zones for the first pitch of every AB which allowed me to formulate a gameplan and know where to tread carefully and where I could exploit someone with 2 strikes at potentially. That made a world of difference as I finally went into every AB with a legit game plan and not just trying to attack corners.

The second comment was spot on. I was throwing too many strikes and it gave the CPU too many opportunities to make solid contact. Last night utilizing those changes, pitching around the big power bats in Baltimore at times, I was able to go 6 IP with Sonny Gray giving up 2 ER on 4 hits, 5 K's and 4 BB's. The walks were high but then again I pitched around Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo as much as I could which led to inflated walks. The thing is, the pitching felt extremely good so sincerely appreciate opening my eyes to what my problem was.

The only other change I made was to call my own game and not follow the CPU at all. I've found that as the game progresses the catcher gets fastball happy and calls nothing else. When that happens not only do you become more predictable but confidence in all the other pitches drops since they aren't being thrown so it creates two different problems in the end. Instead I called my own game and incorporated all my pitches, and because of that I was able to escape from a bases loaded no out situation against Baltimore. With Chris Davis at the plate I got ahead of him 0-2 and thanks to keeping Gray's confidence high in his changeup I used Davis' aggressive nature against him and threw a change outside thigh high, he rolled over and grounded into the double play, Pedro Alvarez flew out to RF and I turned a bases loaded no out situation into only 1 run surrendered and inning over. Had I not kept the confidence in his changeup up I'd have had a much tougher time. Later I gave up a lead off single, Machado came up and after busting him inside I threw a slider away and out of the zone getting another double play. Again, had I followed the catcher the only pitch worthwhile by that point would have been the fastball and I'd have gotten shelled.

[gigemaggs99]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I'm trying classic pitching for the first time. Coming from meter pitching. I have a few questions.

-When I aim the pitch with the L-stick do I need to continue to hold the L-stick in that direction or can I let go after I select the pitch but prior to throwing the pitch?

- If I tap the pitch button does this increase my chances for better location vs holding it down until the vibration?

- Does the optimum timing have something to do w/ the vibration?

-What if anything does it do if I continue to hold the pitch button down after the vibration?

I'm confused as I can throw the same pitch in the same location and it really doesn't seem to matter if I tap the button or hold it down until I feel the vibration. I'm kinda wanting to know what the vibration is supposed to mean if anything.

-Classic vs Fade pitch indicator. On Fade I assume where the red line ends up is where the pitch is intended to finish. On classic it shows the ball and yellow arrows. Do I aim the ball where I want it to go or do I am the yellow arrows for my intended finishing point?

I've watched a few videos on youtube and it seems like they are trying to explain it, but when they show the videos and talk through it, it seems completely random, like they're saying one thing but the game is doing something else. Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWsIJj2N_T8&t=284s

Thanks for any tips/suggestions/help.

[wisdom less13]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I'm trying classic pitching for the first time. Coming from meter pitching. I have a few questions.

-When I aim the pitch with the L-stick do I need to continue to hold the L-stick in that direction or can I let go after I select the pitch but prior to throwing the pitch? No. Once you select your pitch, it's all about how long you hold the button now.

- If I tap the pitch button does this increase my chances for better location vs holding it down until the vibration? Yes. It is not a guarantee, but it's for more control.

- Does the optimum timing have something to do w/ the vibration? No. It's pretty much about feel. Trial and error. Each pitcher is different. Some may require a press closer to vibration on a pitch. The other pitcher will be geared more towards a light.

-What if anything does it do if I continue to hold the pitch button down after the vibration? Nothing. But some of us have a built in placebo that digs deep. Believe.

I'm confused as I can throw the same pitch in the same location and it really doesn't seem to matter if I tap the button or hold it down until I feel the vibration. I'm kinda wanting to know what the vibration is supposed to mean if anything. Vibration is a max effort. Your fastball will be faster, and your breaking balls, sharper and harder. You are sacrificing accuracy by doing so

-Classic vs Fade pitch indicator. On Fade I assume where the red line ends up is where the pitch is intended to finish. On classic it shows the ball and yellow arrows. Do I aim the ball where I want it to go or do I am the yellow arrows for my intended finishing point? Yellow arrows are the break. That's what you want to look at.

I've watched a few videos on youtube and it seems like they are trying to explain it, but when they show the videos and talk through it, it seems completely random, like they're saying one thing but the game is doing something else. Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWsIJj2N_T8&t=284s

Thanks for any tips/suggestions/help.

Hope this helps. Classic is a lot of fun. It almost seems like the knuckleballers of MLB players. I even turned a few friends into classic people. Remember, you'll never master it...