I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

[Barky]

how difficult it could be. Wow - I got shelled. You have to be extremely precise or the ball will not go where you want it to go (which is great, IMO, since I know I will never be able to master the pitching). I do not like the fact that many of the pitches end up as meat pitches (it would be better if more "incorrect" pitches just ended up out of the strike zone) but I do like the fact that you can make pitching as difficult as you would like it to be.

[Village Idiot]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

I did this today, too. Gave up 8 runs and 11 hits in the first inning.

[baa7]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

I do not like the fact that many of the pitches end up as meat pitches (it would be better if more "incorrect" pitches just ended up out of the strike zone)

My understanding was that mis-pitches end up all over the place, not just down the middle. There was a big discussion about this a couple of weeks before the game came out. And I thought Kushgamer and even Brinkman stated that mis-pitches wouldn't all end up as meat pitches, which is what a lot of people were concerned about. So you're saying they all end up down the middle of the plate?

[nnng07]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

I also did this, and even though I got shelled (lost 17-1), I would say it was actually enjoyable. I feel like if I can eventually master this pitching mechanic it will undoubtedly be the most fun & rewarding method of pitching I have ever used in a baseball game.

Baa, to answer your question, I think it depends on HOW you messed up the pitch. If your gesture is poor, you will likely throw a meatball. If your effectiveness is low on a particular pitch, it will still go to the desired location (not a meatball) but not break as much -for curveballs-, or not have as much velocity -for fastballs-, etc. If your pitch is bad due to release, it will usually end up too high or too low and miss the strike zone. Hope that made sense..

[baa7]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

Hope that made sense..

Yup, it did, thanks

[Village Idiot]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

Baa, to answer your question, I think it depends on HOW you messed up the pitch. If your gesture is poor, you will likely throw a meatball. If your effectiveness is low on a particular pitch, it will still go to the desired location (not a meatball) but not break as much -for curveballs-, or not have as much velocity -for fastballs-, etc. If your pitch is bad due to release, it will usually end up too high or too low and miss the strike zone. Hope that made sense..

Yeah, you're exactly right about this, and when I see it spelled out like that it makes it seem like 2K has really done some impressive work. But unfortunately it's still not good enough, for the simple reason that the CPU still tends to CRUSH "mistake" pitches.

That sounds legit on paper, but just because a pitcher doesn't know where a pitch is going doesn't mean the batter does. A lot of the "meatball" pitches I threw looked like perfectly fine pitches, but got smoked out of the yard - why? - because they didn't end where I "aimed" them. That's stupid. You guys know what I mean here? It's like you can throw what amounts to a nasty pitch, but because you got meatballed by the pitching interface, the guy crushes it. Stupid, I say.

[metal134]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

I know exactly what you mean. And you can look at that one the flip side, as well. When you are batting, it gives an indicator when the CPU throws a meatball. Well most of the time, unless I got that indicator, I would have no idea that it was a meat pitch. That could have been where the CPU was aiming for all I know. But the unfortunate thing is while you can turn off that indiactor for human batting, the CPU still knows when you throw a meatball. And unless you hang a curveball or pipe a fastball, why should it be automatically ripped? I mean, if I aim for the outer edge at the knees, and it ends up going up down and in, that's not exactly something that would make a batter's eyes widen.

[Qb]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

I'm seeing some fouls, called strikes and even swings & misses on meatballs. Granted, I don't throw them that often, so that might help. On the called strikes it almost looks like the AI batter is surprised to see one down the middle as I live on the corners when pitching. They crush some too, but not always and maybe only half (just a guess) the time. And 'meatballs' (can they please drop this for 2K9 & let the engine do its job?) will not always be right down the pipe. They usually catch way too much of the plate, but can be at least towards the edges of the strike zone.

I keep my TCP difficulty at 60 or 65 I believe (why oh why couldn't they have number values next to the bar?!?!). I too set it higher at first, but if you have it over anything around 75-80 or higher, you will get spanked if you're not perfect or damn near close. On the higher settings, almost all of your 'mistake' pitches will be meatballs. Not good. Before I figured this out, I had to quit one of my first games in the 2nd or 3rd because I was losing like 11-2 already...

[Village Idiot]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

I'm seeing some fouls, called strikes and even swings & misses on meatballs.

Well yeah, me too, but that's not really the complaint. In fact, it just came to me: GET RID OF THE MEATBALL, 2K!

If a guy can hit a pitch (if he's "looking" for it, for example) he should hit it. It shouldn't have anything to do with how well you "execute" the interface. The execution of the interface should effect accuracy, yes, but it should not effect whether or not the CPU makes contact at all. I should be able to throw "meatballs" all game long and still throw a no hitter, provided I get lucky. (That is, where a "meatball" is simply a pitch that didn't go where I wanted it to.) That's simply impossible with this game. Like I said above, I can throw what is for all intents and purposes a wicked pitch, but because it's a "meatball" it generally gets clocked. That's just lame.

[baa7]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

Like I said above, I can throw what is for all intents and purposes a wicked pitch, but because it's a "meatball" it generally gets clocked. That's just lame.

Good point. But that sort of extreme/arcade programming has been part of 2K baseball since 2K5. There always seems to be one thing in the game each year like that, whether it's web gems, or batter's eye, or whatever. I think 2K has some schitzo they keep locked in a cage up in the game development department, and every year they open his food tray slot and call out: "And what would you like to see added to the game this year, Herman?"

[therizing02]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

Good point. But that sort of extreme/arcade programming has been part of 2K baseball since 2K5. There always seems to be one thing in the game each year like that, whether it's web gems, or batter's eye, or whatever. I think 2K has some schitzo they keep locked in a cage up in the game development department, and every year they open his food tray slot and call out: "And what would you like to see added to the game this year, Herman?"

Lol! Nice. I agree, and it's not just 2K. It's probably anyone that's ever made a sports game. They probably have an entire building or floor of Hermans over at EA.

[davewins]

Re: I maxed out the Total Control Pitching difficulty just to see...

that comment made me burst out laughing baa7. hahahahaahha and honestly I'm a very serious person it's very hard to make me laugh. wow lmao that's hilarious.

Anyway...I think this is a very important topic. I have yet to win a game lol. I had one great game pitching with Felix Hernandez where I gave up 3 hits and threw a CG against the O's. I lost 1-0 on a solo HR to Huff. It was very rewarding.

It seems to me like it's either YOU dominating the CPU on the mound or the CPU dominating YOU. There doesn't seem to be too much in between because of this issue with the CPU crushing "meatballs". I really hope they get rid of "Herman" as baa7 puts it and realize that it isn't realistic. They know baseball. They should play 15-20 or 30-40 games whatever it takes to pick up on this. Then they can see the issue and attack it. I do see meatballs being swung on and missed but what gets me is when someone takes a pitch low and in yard the other way just because it was a meatball. This game has great bat-to-ball physics and everything plays great but when meatballs come in the picture against the CPU it seems like it turns them into a different hitter in that split second.

I agree with everybody here. I think we should see more out of the zone meatballs and not wild pitches, hit batsmen, and very hard hit CPU balls. This way it would increase pitch count and be easier to give up a few walks. I find that I really haven't given up that many walks.

Other then this issue imo this game plays a great game of baseball. I hope there's some way around this with sliders somehow. Maybe just toning down some CPU batting sliders.

The overall feel I get is I have to be lights out and perfect with my pitches to really have a chance. Pitchers have a lot more breathing room then that. They can make a mistake here and there and get away with it a lot more then in the game.