MLB Inside Pitch

[jim416]

Bought this game new from Amazon for $5.50 plus s@h.

I heard some negative things about this and didn't purchase it when it came out, but I put it in and did some roster adjustments to update the teams. Cranked it up and played. Not bad, not bad at all.

I found the game to be pretty clean, gameplay wise, lots of balls thrown, batters swing at balls out of the strikezone, easy fielding (no auto/assisted fielding).

The graphics are fairly nice, faces look spot on, animations are a mixed bag, but the game (and this was the first/last for this one) plays a pretty solid game of ball. I have a feeling it's a really good Human V. Human game.

All in all, if you can pick it up for five bucks, I recommend it.

[catcatch22]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

what system was this for xbox?

[catcatch22]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

No hitting cursor, can't stand timed hitting it becomes to easy over time.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

This is zone-hitting, similar to High Heat. 9 zones, the way you point the stick is the zone it's going to be in. If zones match, contact is made. It may not be good, or it might be a foul ball, or whatever... you also have to time it to hit it.

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

Yes, there's a little bat thingy that you use that will tilt your swing, etc.

I'm doing a roster right now (for my own use) and will post it later if anyone is interested.

[Vince]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

Jim, you're the man. Great ASB rosters too. If you're doing and update on this game, i'll definatly be getting MLB-IP again.

Thanks

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

I did all the roster movements last night. There are a few hundred free agents.
I was quite surprised that I was able to get some good roster accuracy, especially with the pitching staffs. The rosters are strictly 15/10, fifteen fielders, 10 pitchers. I was able to use actual minor leaguers to fill some of the slots of guys that aren't in the game.

The create a player thing is strange though. When you create your player there is like a high speed digital thing that you press to get a players attributes points assigned. I don't quite get it as it's hit and miss. Anybody understand it? Then you have to go and train the created players, sort of time consuming. I'll have something by weeks end. The only thing holding me up now is the create a player.

[daflyboys]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

So for best gameplay vs AI what would you play? HH04; ASB 05 or IP? I already know I don't like 2K5 all that much.

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

So for best gameplay vs AI what would you play? HH04; ASB 05 or IP? I already know I don't like 2K5 all that much.

Wow, that's a tough one to answer and it's all really subjective for each gamer.

HH2k4...I love this game (PC) with all the mods and the gameplay is great, but I'm just tired of it a bit after hundreds of games.

ASB2k5..only with the player attribute modifications that Knight and I came up with. Out of the box, no thanks.

MLB2k5..I want to like this game so much with the presentation and all, but it's a hard one to figure out. One game great, the next one leaves me scratching my head as I can't hit the ball out of the infield.

MLB2006...FREEZE PARDNER! Not going to play a game that freezes on me in the 8th inning. Also the roster management is really bad.

I'm tellin' ya, I've been fartin' around with this little game and it's surprising the heck out of me. Not much glitter, a few bumps, but I like it. I'm moving along really good with the roster update and should have something within the next few days.

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

Roster coming along nicely. Created the following players..

Utley
Jason Bay
Richie Weeks
Chad Cordero
Gary Majewski
Miguel Cabrera
Aaron Miles
Holliday
Chad Tracy
Jose Reyes
Khalil Greene
Xavier Nady
Derrick Turnbow
Dan Wheeler
Roberto Novoa
Brandon Webb
Greg Aquino
Macier Izturis
Russ Adams
Mark Teixeira
Rocco Baldelli
Jeremy Reed
Bobby Crosby
Joe Mauer
David DeJesus

There are so many free agent pitchers and fielders that I was able to fill in the backup guys pretty much with players who are actually on a particular team.

I did not take Bonds/Salmon/Grissom, etc. off their teams. As this game is two years old I was able to do a half decent job with the rosters. For example..

Texas will have..
Soriano
Matthews
Mench
Colbrunn
Texeirea
Hidalgo
Nevin
Young
Delucci
Alomar
Blalock
Barajas
DeRosa
and from AAA I filled the rest with Jason Hart/Esteban German/Andres Torres

Pitching is Rogers/Benoit/Almanzar/Baldwin/Callaway/Shouse/Karsay/Bukvich/
Gryboski/Cordero

For the Mets...

Beltran
Cameron
Floyd
Piazza
Anderson
Offerman
Reyes
Cairo
Woodward
G. Williams
Mientkiewicz
R. Castro
Benito Santiago/Bengi Gil (minors) fill in the rest

Pitching is...Martinez/glavine/benson/zambrano/trachsel/seo/R.Hernandez/
Graves/Aybar and Looper

Not bad actually. Back to my hobby...........

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

Ack! What a pain in the butt the create-a-player is. You actually have to TRAIN them in bunting, fielding, etc., etc., etc. If you don't your player will be awful.

I didn't believe it until I assigned Russ Adams to Toronto w/o training him. The first three balls hit to him at SS he booted for errors, so I traded him back off Toronto and will now have to train each created player. Ugh.

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

Ugh! Why do the developers come up with some of this stuff. This training scenario thing is difficult. I may never get through this. For example, for a fielder there are about 8 scenarios you have to take them through.

Fielding in 3 different ballparks, catching at least 6 out of ten balls hit and some of the outfield hits would be doubles in a game. Knocking in runs, pitch recognition, pulling/spraying/hit up the middle, bunting, etc., etc.

I'm stinking at this. I don't know how long it will take. Anybody want to help with this who has the game?

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

Well, slowly putting the infielders and outfielders through their fielding training, ugh. I actually transferred Khalil Greene to the Padres and played a game with him (didn't do any hitting training) and he actually got two hits.

Does anyone who had this game know if it is absolutely necessary to do this training for all the created players? It didn't seem to effect his hitting, however, when I transferred Russ Adams to Toronto and tried him out (without putting him through fielding training) he booted the first three balls hit to him.

I would be done with this dang thing if this wasn't slowing me down.

[jim416]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

O.K., have a major hold up here.

I have finished the fielding training, for the most part. For outfielders you have to train them in three stadiums, catch at least 6 out of ten fly balls, six will give you a poor rating, so you need to catch at least 7 or 8. I'm having a real problem with the COORS field training as it's centerfield and they don't make it easy for you.

The hitting training HAS to be done as I simmed a season without training Khalil Greene and Xavier Nady. They hit around .200 or below. So they have to be trained. There is one training, pitch recognition, where a light blinks showing you the pitch and an indicator blinks showing you the location in the zone. You have three seconds to duplicate this and I'm telling you, you'd better get the exact location of the zone right or you fail (6/10 is mimimum pass). There is bunting training were they have to be placed perfectly down each line or you fail, etc. I'm having a problem with this part.

Is there anyone with the game who'd like to give the training scenarios a try as it's all that's holding up the roster?

[meatman]

Re: MLB Inside Pitch

O.K., have a major hold up here.

I have finished the fielding training, for the most part. For outfielders you have to train them in three stadiums, catch at least 6 out of ten fly balls, six will give you a poor rating, so you need to catch at least 7 or 8. I'm having a real problem with the COORS field training as it's centerfield and they don't make it easy for you.

The hitting training HAS to be done as I simmed a season without training Khalil Greene and Xavier Nady. They hit around .200 or below. So they have to be trained. There is one training, pitch recognition, where a light blinks showing you the pitch and an indicator blinks showing you the location in the zone. You have three seconds to duplicate this and I'm telling you, you'd better get the exact location of the zone right or you fail (6/10 is mimimum pass). There is bunting training were they have to be placed perfectly down each line or you fail, etc. I'm having a problem with this part.

Is there anyone with the game who'd like to give the training scenarios a try as it's all that's holding up the roster?

Well, I went out and bought the game too, and you are right, the create a player is a pain in the rear. It took me like two hours to create two players.
The key to the outfield drills is player speed, I found if their speed is 70 and over it makes it a hell of a lot easier,(especially in coors field), but as far as the hitting drills- I am having a tough time, especially with bunting!
Let me know if you find any shortcuts.
Good luck to you!