I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

[Reddog2]

I play this game just like I did ASB or MVP in terms of pitching. I mix up speeds and pitch location. I also try to through about a third of my pitches outside the strikezone. In both MVP and ASB I was able to keep the score in single digits.
With ESPN the computer is destorying me. I play on the second level (all star I think). The CPU is blasting homers off me right and left. Usually by the 5th inning they are into double fricking digits. I usually push the effort meter to 2/3 rds to all the way full. I really like how my pitches don't always go where they are supposed to.

So do I need to do some slider adjustments or (gasp) change my difficulty to rookie? Or does somebody have a different approach to pitching that works better. Granted I am the Royals in my franchise...and they do have the worst (and winless) starting rotation in all of baseball but I shouldn't be losing this bad.

[slthree]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I also play on All Star. I have adjusted the AI pitching sliders but have not touched the Hitting sliders. When I say hitting sliders, I mean the ones that refer to actually hitting the ball, contact and power. I leave those alone.

But, I have altered the sliders that deal with the AI taking pitches. I don't know them by heart but I know I've increased the slider for taking strikes and decreased the slider for taking balls. I did this to avoid the MVP habit of CPU swinging at evry single strike.

So, now the CPU will take more strikes and swing at more balls. But, the main key for me is changing speeds. A change up that follows 2 or 3 fastballs in a row is almost impossible for the CPU to hit, even the great hitters.

I almost always go out of the strike zone with 2 strikes on a hitter and usually its a slider so even if the batter gets a piece, he can't do much with it. The results I have been getting are very realistic and I can't complain.

When I get hit hard, its usually for a good reason: maybe my stuff stopped breaking as well as in earlier innings, maybe my pattern was too repetitive and the CPU said "not this time" as it crushed a 3-2 change up, or maybe the batter was just too hot to fool.

VERY IMPORTANT: I always set my infield and outfield on EVERY hitter. If I'm pitching to a power hitter and I know I'm pitching away, away, away I will set my outfield to shade toward right field and set my infield back. This has helped alot.

I hope this helps.

[slthree]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I also play on All Star. I have adjusted the AI pitching sliders but have not touched the Hitting sliders. When I say hitting sliders, I mean the ones that refer to actually hitting the ball, contact and power. I leave those alone.

But, I have altered the sliders that deal with the AI taking pitches. I don't know them by heart but I know I've increased the slider for taking strikes and decreased the slider for taking balls. I did this to avoid the MVP habit of CPU swinging at evry single strike.

So, now the CPU will take more strikes and swing at more balls. But, the main key for me is changing speeds. A change up that follows 2 or 3 fastballs in a row is almost impossible for the CPU to hit, even the great hitters.

I almost always go out of the strike zone with 2 strikes on a hitter and usually its a slider so even if the batter gets a piece, he can't do much with it. The results I have been getting are very realistic and I can't complain.

When I get hit hard, its usually for a good reason: maybe my stuff stopped breaking as well as in earlier innings, maybe my pattern was too repetitive and the CPU said "not this time" as it crushed a 3-2 change up, or maybe the batter was just too hot to fool.

VERY IMPORTANT: I always set my infield and outfield on EVERY hitter. If I'm pitching to a power hitter and I know I'm pitching away, away, away I will set my outfield to shade toward right field and set my infield back. This has helped alot.

I hope this helps.

[slthree]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I also play on All Star. I have adjusted the AI pitching sliders but have not touched the Hitting sliders. When I say hitting sliders, I mean the ones that refer to actually hitting the ball, contact and power. I leave those alone.

But, I have altered the sliders that deal with the AI taking pitches. I don't know them by heart but I know I've increased the slider for taking strikes and decreased the slider for taking balls. I did this to avoid the MVP habit of CPU swinging at evry single strike.

So, now the CPU will take more strikes and swing at more balls. But, the main key for me is changing speeds. A change up that follows 2 or 3 fastballs in a row is almost impossible for the CPU to hit, even the great hitters.

I almost always go out of the strike zone with 2 strikes on a hitter and usually its a slider so even if the batter gets a piece, he can't do much with it. The results I have been getting are very realistic and I can't complain.

When I get hit hard, its usually for a good reason: maybe my stuff stopped breaking as well as in earlier innings, maybe my pattern was too repetitive and the CPU said "not this time" as it crushed a 3-2 change up, or maybe the batter was just too hot to fool.

VERY IMPORTANT: I always set my infield and outfield on EVERY hitter. If I'm pitching to a power hitter and I know I'm pitching away, away, away I will set my outfield to shade toward right field and set my infield back. This has helped alot.

I hope this helps.

[Gennataos]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

[Gennataos]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

[Gennataos]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

[captaink]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Gennataos said:
I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I would have to agree with this comment, from the games that I have played, anytime I use alot of effort on my pitches in a game I get hammered, now since I have just been tapping the pitch button with little to no effort they don't seem to be able to hit me that well and I have gotten more strikeouts. The effort meter seems to have a reverse effect than what you think should be happening.

[captaink]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Gennataos said:
I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I would have to agree with this comment, from the games that I have played, anytime I use alot of effort on my pitches in a game I get hammered, now since I have just been tapping the pitch button with little to no effort they don't seem to be able to hit me that well and I have gotten more strikeouts. The effort meter seems to have a reverse effect than what you think should be happening.

[captaink]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Gennataos said:
I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I would have to agree with this comment, from the games that I have played, anytime I use alot of effort on my pitches in a game I get hammered, now since I have just been tapping the pitch button with little to no effort they don't seem to be able to hit me that well and I have gotten more strikeouts. The effort meter seems to have a reverse effect than what you think should be happening.

[Reddog2]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
captaink said:
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Gennataos said:
I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I would have to agree with this comment, from the games that I have played, anytime I use alot of effort on my pitches in a game I get hammered, now since I have just been tapping the pitch button with little to no effort they don't seem to be able to hit me that well and I have gotten more strikeouts. The effort meter seems to have a reverse effect than what you think should be happening.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Hmm, I wonder if the effort meter is supposed to function more like a turbo effect where you only use it when you need something extra on your pitches (like one or two pitches an inning) and the rest of the time your are supposed to just tap the button?

Anybody else have the same results? Or better yet is anybody been sucessful pitching using the meter most of the time?

[Reddog2]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
captaink said:
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Gennataos said:
I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I would have to agree with this comment, from the games that I have played, anytime I use alot of effort on my pitches in a game I get hammered, now since I have just been tapping the pitch button with little to no effort they don't seem to be able to hit me that well and I have gotten more strikeouts. The effort meter seems to have a reverse effect than what you think should be happening.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Hmm, I wonder if the effort meter is supposed to function more like a turbo effect where you only use it when you need something extra on your pitches (like one or two pitches an inning) and the rest of the time your are supposed to just tap the button?

Anybody else have the same results? Or better yet is anybody been sucessful pitching using the meter most of the time?

[Reddog2]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
captaink said:
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Gennataos said:
I'd say your problem lies in the effort meter. It seems most of the time I try to put any effort into a pitch, it'll get jacked. I usually put little to no effort in it, particularly if I'm trying to paint the corners or throw any strike. If I'm ahead in the count, sometimes I'll put full effort into a ball off the plate. If you like not being able to hit your spots all of the time, you can change the Human pitch variability...that's what I've done.

I play like this on the All-Star setting, and the CPU usually gets 0-3 homers a game off of me a game. Most of the time when they do get a homer, I know I've thrown a bad pitch just before they hit it.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I would have to agree with this comment, from the games that I have played, anytime I use alot of effort on my pitches in a game I get hammered, now since I have just been tapping the pitch button with little to no effort they don't seem to be able to hit me that well and I have gotten more strikeouts. The effort meter seems to have a reverse effect than what you think should be happening.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Hmm, I wonder if the effort meter is supposed to function more like a turbo effect where you only use it when you need something extra on your pitches (like one or two pitches an inning) and the rest of the time your are supposed to just tap the button?

Anybody else have the same results? Or better yet is anybody been sucessful pitching using the meter most of the time?

[grtwhtsk]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I don't use the pitching meter at all, and I am having a blast with this game.

[grtwhtsk]

Re: I am getting my a$$ kicked every game...help

I don't use the pitching meter at all, and I am having a blast with this game.