CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

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  • Qb
    All Star
    • Mar 2003
    • 8797

    #1

    CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

    I've said in multiple posts that I am a big fan of the pitcher/batter interface in this series. However, there are still a few things that chap my *** from time to time in regards to CPU pitch location/selection/etc...

    The biggest one is that the CPU pitchers throw up in the strike zone way too much, especially with breaking/offspeed stuff. You almost never see a pitcher throw anything other than a fastball up in the zone unless its a mistake. In the game, a high slider or changeup is just another way to fool the hitter for the CPU AI. Does anyone else feel the same way, or is it possible that this is due to my AI pitching sliders (I have throw ball overall at 15, paint corners at 85)?

    Another, which seems to be improved upon in this year's iteration, is having the AI pitch around (not IBBs, just very careful) dangerous hitters and others when situationally appropriate. It's still not great, but getting better. For example, when the 8th hitter is batting in NL, many times they will see very few strikes due to the pitcher being on deck (aside from PH situations of course). Obviously hitters like Pujols, Bonds, Ramirez, Ortiz, etc should be pitched to very carefully by the CPU, as they in real life.

    I remember playing High Heat circa 2002 and getting probably a walk a game with Brian Giles because the CPU pitchers didn't want to throw him strikes. He was the only truly dangerous bat in the lineup and it seemed as if they weren't going to let him beat them, if at all possible. Very well handled in my opinion.

    I'm sure I didn't mention some others, but even with these nit-picks, I think the showdown between the pitcher and batter (probably the most important aspect of a baseball game) comes across very well. It would be even better with more foul-offs to drag out at-bats for a few more pitches, but thats a story for another thread...
  • baa7
    Banned
    • Jul 2004
    • 11691

    #2
    Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

    Originally posted by q_bert183
    The biggest one is that the CPU pitchers throw up in the strike zone way too much, especially with breaking/offspeed stuff. You almost never see a pitcher throw anything other than a fastball up in the zone unless its a mistake. In the game, a high slider or changeup is just another way to fool the hitter for the CPU AI. Does anyone else feel the same way, or is it possible that this is due to my AI pitching sliders (I have throw ball overall at 15, paint corners at 85)?
    Agreed, and there's nothing you can do. Those high pitches have been in the game since 2K5. Siliders can't address it. Lowering AI Corner way down will at least direct more CPU pitches towards the middle of the plate (or further outside). I played with mine @ 15 with 2K5. It also helps to distinguish balls from strikes if that's a issue.
    Last edited by baa7; 02-28-2007, 06:44 AM.

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    • Qb
      All Star
      • Mar 2003
      • 8797

      #3
      Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

      Originally posted by baa7
      Lowering AI Corner way down will at least direct more CPU pitches towards the middle of the plate (or further outside). I played with mine @ 15 with 2K5. It also helps to distinguish balls from strikes if that's a issue.
      Interesting. I don't really want more pitches in the middle of plate, but having a little more of a distinction between a near miss and an ordinary ball would be nice. At my current setting, practically every ball in a near miss. I'll have to lowering it a little. I always associated this slider with how good the CPU would "pitch", without really thinking about making it too accurate around the edges. Thanks for the tip, baa!

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      • Qb
        All Star
        • Mar 2003
        • 8797

        #4
        Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

        I knew I forgot to mention something in my first post, amazing as it might be the most irritating of them all to me. Why does the CPU have to put the ball directly in the center of the strike zone on a 3-0 nearly every time? I understand trying to just get one over, but rarely will a pitcher groove one like the AI does routinely in this situation. I mean, move it a little down/in/out, for crying out loud.

        I try to counter this by only allowing hitters that would likely get the greenlight in this situation. Funny thing is, when I swing at these meatballs, I often hit the ball on the screws right at someone for an out. Again, nothing major, but a pet-peeve of mine. Still loving the game thus far.

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        • slthree
          MVP
          • Sep 2003
          • 2529

          #5
          Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

          Agree with the high strike thing.

          I was very surprised to see curve ball after curve ball up in my eyes.

          Who throws a high CB? That's moronic.

          Comment

          • baa7
            Banned
            • Jul 2004
            • 11691

            #6
            Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

            Originally posted by q_bert183
            Thanks for the tip, baa!

            I knew I forgot to mention something in my first post, amazing as it might be the most irritating of them all to me. Why does the CPU have to put the ball directly in the center of the strike zone on a 3-0 nearly every time? I understand trying to just get one over, but rarely will a pitcher groove one like the AI does routinely in this situation. I mean, move it a little down/in/out, for crying out loud.
            You bet

            Is there a Meat Pitch slider this year? That might help with the grooved 3-0 pitches. Again in 2K5, I always played with that thing @ 0.
            Last edited by baa7; 02-28-2007, 03:24 PM.

            Comment

            • Qb
              All Star
              • Mar 2003
              • 8797

              #7
              Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

              Originally posted by baa7
              You bet

              Is there a Meat Pitch slider this year? That might help with the grooved 3-0 pitches. Again in 2K5, I always played with that thing @ 0.
              Sure is. I've had it at 25 or 30 I believe, which is right around default. Maybe I'll try it down towards zero. Again, thank you sir.

              Comment

              • Chitown1211
                Pro
                • Nov 2004
                • 762

                #8
                Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

                Originally posted by q_bert183
                Sure is. I've had it at 25 or 30 I believe, which is right around default. Maybe I'll try it down towards zero. Again, thank you sir.

                The slider you probably want to change to help your problem is the "throw strike ahead" slider. Lower that and the CPU will throw out of the zone and try to get you to chase when they are up in the count.
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                • djep
                  MVP
                  • Feb 2003
                  • 1128

                  #9
                  Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

                  Originally posted by Chitown1211
                  The slider you probably want to change to help your problem is the "throw strike ahead" slider. Lower that and the CPU will throw out of the zone and try to get you to chase when they are up in the count.
                  Actually, that slider would be the "throw strike when behind"...

                  Either way, that's a great idea.

                  Comment

                  • Trevytrev11
                    MVP
                    • Nov 2006
                    • 3259

                    #10
                    Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

                    I agree. This has been a pet peeve of mine in pretty much every game I've ever played. If I face a guy like Maddux, who makes his money keeping the ball low and on the corners, I want to see him doing exactly that. I don't want to see him try to paint the to to top of the zone with a circle change because in real life, that pitch gets hammered.

                    Fast balls are really the only pitch you want up in zone, and even with the fastball, your only doing it when your ahead in the count and trying to get the hitter to chase something that is out of the zone. And usually the only guys that can get away with this are guys that can throw the ball by a hitter. A guy like Maddux doesn't even attempt that pitch because at 84MPH, a hitter can still get around on that pitch and hammer it.

                    Personally, I'd like to see game take a little effectiveness off of offspeed pitches when throwing them up in the zone. Offspeed pitches are much more effective when thrown down in the zone, because that means the pitcher was able to get on top of the ball and throw the pitch properly. When a curveball or changeup or slider is up in the zone, it's usually much flatter, because the pitcher wasn't able to get on top. These pitchers are your "hangers" and are the pitches that hitters eyes light up on when they see and end up swinging out of their shoes and hitting the ball 400 or so feet.

                    If your a pitcher and are trying to throw a curve up in the zone, that pitch isn't going to be as sharp as one that was thrown into the dirt...therefore, the game should take a little off and give the hitter the true edge that they would normally have. After all, the goal is to simulate what really happens.

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                    • Qb
                      All Star
                      • Mar 2003
                      • 8797

                      #11
                      Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

                      Originally posted by Trevytrev11
                      I agree. This has been a pet peeve of mine in pretty much every game I've ever played. If I face a guy like Maddux, who makes his money keeping the ball low and on the corners, I want to see him doing exactly that. I don't want to see him try to paint the to to top of the zone with a circle change because in real life, that pitch gets hammered.

                      Fast balls are really the only pitch you want up in zone, and even with the fastball, your only doing it when your ahead in the count and trying to get the hitter to chase something that is out of the zone. And usually the only guys that can get away with this are guys that can throw the ball by a hitter. A guy like Maddux doesn't even attempt that pitch because at 84MPH, a hitter can still get around on that pitch and hammer it.

                      Personally, I'd like to see game take a little effectiveness off of offspeed pitches when throwing them up in the zone. Offspeed pitches are much more effective when thrown down in the zone, because that means the pitcher was able to get on top of the ball and throw the pitch properly. When a curveball or changeup or slider is up in the zone, it's usually much flatter, because the pitcher wasn't able to get on top. These pitchers are your "hangers" and are the pitches that hitters eyes light up on when they see and end up swinging out of their shoes and hitting the ball 400 or so feet.

                      If your a pitcher and are trying to throw a curve up in the zone, that pitch isn't going to be as sharp as one that was thrown into the dirt...therefore, the game should take a little off and give the hitter the true edge that they would normally have. After all, the goal is to simulate what really happens.
                      Well said sir...

                      Comment

                      • Qb
                        All Star
                        • Mar 2003
                        • 8797

                        #12
                        Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

                        I decided to try something new, since there are no sliders to adjust the amount of high off-speed pitches. I turned off the AI Pitchers use Inside Edge option under AI Pitching Options. To my surprise, this allowed my to adjust the AI Change Speed slider. I did this about half way through a game and maybe it was my imagination or plain old seeing-what-you-want-to, but it seemed to make a marginal difference in AI pitching patterns.

                        The AI threw to more parts of the strike zone. They still threw high off-speed stuff, but I don't think quite as much. I can say with relative certainty that the AI came inside, notably down-and-in, more often than with Inside Edge turned on. I'll test this out some more tomorrow, for now it's off to bed.

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                        • baa7
                          Banned
                          • Jul 2004
                          • 11691

                          #13
                          Re: CPU Pitching Pet Peeves

                          Originally posted by q_bert183
                          I decided to try something new, since there are no sliders to adjust the amount of high off-speed pitches. I turned off the AI Pitchers use Inside Edge option under AI Pitching Options. To my surprise, this allowed my to adjust the AI Change Speed slider. I did this about half way through a game and maybe it was my imagination or plain old seeing-what-you-want-to, but it seemed to make a marginal difference in AI pitching patterns.

                          The AI threw to more parts of the strike zone. They still threw high off-speed stuff, but I don't think quite as much. I can say with relative certainty that the AI came inside, notably down-and-in, more often than with Inside Edge turned on. I'll test this out some more tomorrow, for now it's off to bed.
                          Interesting. The first thing I did (I rented the game yesterday) was change the game settings, including turning off Use Inside Edge - I don't use it IE. I also cranked up AI Change speed to 100. I played 3 games, and as I think about it now, I can't say I saw a lot of high pitches. Could be similar to that which Davewins pointed out with The Show. He was seeing all FB's with that game's IE-type option on, and after he shut it off, he noticed a vast improvement in the variety of pitches the CPU threw.

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