Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

[TheProfessional]

I actually realized this accidentally but its pretty interesting and i wanted to share it with everyone else as well. So that we could all benefit.

Many of you are under the impression that this setting is simply to increase or decrease the difficulty level for the human batter. This is only partly true.

A few days ago i started to lower this slider a bit to try to increase the variety of hits. My theory was that if the pitch speeds were lower, then batters would have more time to either be late or early with their swings and create a bit more "wiggle" room to either pull or go the other way with the ball. Because most of us were using higher pitch speeds it seemed like the window to make contact with the ball was so small that either you would have to time it perfectly and hit it up the middle or just swing and miss.

Well as i lowered pitch speed i realized that the pitch speed slider not only affects difficulty but the speed of the ball coming off the bat. In other words the lower pitch speeds mean that batters will not be able to hit the ball as hard or as far. Simple physics. It seems interesting that the programmers would actually calculate velocity based on pitch speed and not just use the pitch speed setting as a difficulty variable.

EDIT:

Just wanted to add that the same does not appear to hold true for AI Batting. It seems to have little or no affect on how hard the AI Batter will hit the ball.

[Hoos]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

I actually realized this accidentally but its pretty interesting and i wanted to share it with everyone else as well. So that we could all benefit.

Many of you are under the impression that this slider is simply to increase or decrease the difficulty level for the human batter. This is only partly true.

A few days ago i started to lower this slider a bit to try to increase the variety of hits. My theory was that if i pitch speeds were lower than batters would have more time to either be late or early with their swings and create a bit more "wiggle" room to either pull or go the other way with the ball. Because most of us were using higher pitch speeds it seemed like the window to make contact with the ball was so small that either you would have to time it perfectly and hit it up the middle or just swing and miss.

Well as i lowered pitch speed i realized that the pitch speed slider not only affects difficulty but the speed of the ball coming off the bat. In other words the lower pitch speeds mean that batters will not be able to hit the ball as hard or as far. Simple physics. It seems interesting that the programmers would actually calculate velocity based on pitch speed and not just use the pitch speed setting as a difficulty variable.

I've played 5 or 6 games today while testing some roster ratings changes that Im making and noticed exactly what you are talking about with the pitch speed. I cranked it up to 100 my last two games and although I struck out more, which was my goal, most of the hits were screaming hard hits. Any idea where a happy medium would be ??

[TheProfessional]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

I've played 5 or 6 games today while testing some roster ratings changes that Im making and noticed exactly what you are talking about with the pitch speed. I cranked it up to 100 my last two games and although I struck out more, which was my goal, most of the hits were screaming hard hits. Any idea where a happy medium would be ??

Well when you talk about a "happy medium", it really comes down to your own skill level, and combination of "pitch speed", "contact", and "power". Since you're trying to get more Human Strikeouts, i would start by lowering the contact setting first instead of raising the pitch speed setting.

[brunnoce]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

well i am using 50 here for this exact reason you guys pointed out.
i played 75 before, than when i first got to 50 every pitch seemed in slow motion, underwater... but after some games, i just got used to it..and now i do get blowed away by high 90 fastballs the same way i did when playing with it at 75....its just like g.madduxx does in real life...he throws off speed stuff..so when he reaches for his fast ball(not that fast) it looks much more faster for the batters...

ps. try hit the eephus pitch hard with 50 ítch speed...its almost impossible..the perfect timing windows is just way too small... also knucle pitchers are rooloing over me....mussina had 9 ks the other day, and yesterday while playing against weakfield he went 8 shotout solid innings allowing only 4 singles...

btw i have power at 5, contact at 90 using the swing stick..i dont use the power swing , only in meat pitches, which i have at 10 so its barely one per game.

[TheProfessional]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

well i am using 50 here for this exact reason you guys pointed out.
i played 75 before, than when i first got to 50 every pitch seemed in slow motion, underwater... but after some games, i just got used to it..and now i do get blowed away by high 90 fastballs the same way i did when playing with it at 75....its just like g.madduxx does in real life...he throws off speed stuff..so when he reaches for his fast ball(not that fast) it looks much more faster for the batters...

I agree with you that going from 70-80 pitch speed settings and then going to about half that seems like slow motion at first but after a few games you can't really tell the difference.

I actually think it feels like it plays much better at the slower pitch speeds. As you mentioned, the perceived change in speeds seems to be a bit more drastic now which is nice. Just as it is in MLB, its not the speed of the pitch that will necessarily get you but the change in speeds and location.

[brunnoce]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

Just as it is in MLB, its not the speed of the pitch that will necessarily get you but the change in speeds and location.

you said it all...spot on.

[NimitsTexan]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

Interesting. But it makes sense. Most of the pitch speed sliders in other games affect the speed at which the ball comes off the bat as well.

I personally think the realistic range is somwhere around 65-75. (80-100 just seem to make it too tough to hit and create too many home runs and screaming grounders). Plus, some guys over at the 2K forums timed the pitches in game, and seemed to think they matched the real speeds best at pitch speed setttings around 70.

[Tyrant8RDFL]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

I use 85 and seen all types of hits even all types of outs and foul balls, What did that for me was raising contact.

[TheProfessional]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

Interesting. But it makes sense. Most of the pitch speed sliders in other games affect the speed at which the ball comes off the bat as well.

I personally think the realistic range is somwhere around 65-75. (80-100 just seem to make it too tough to hit and create too many home runs and screaming grounders). Plus, some guys over at the 2K forums timed the pitches in game, and seemed to think they matched the real speeds best at pitch speed setttings around 70.

I saw that thread going around. There's one major flaw with it. The guys over at 2K forums are all using that pitch speed calculator that i've seen going around. That tool is a great, i've used it myself to try and figure out some of the speed issues with the game.

However, the problem with that is that when you "time" pitches, the timing will change based upon how zoomed in or out your settings are. For example i have my zoom setting set pretty far back. So naturally pitches will take longer to get to the plate than someone who is using a default setting. So for someone wanting "realistic" speeds, someone using 70 at default will not be realistic for someone like me using a less zoomed setting.

[Shadymamba]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

This here is very interesting i was wondering why I was hitting so many homeruns with the pitch speed on 100, I was looking for the ball to come in faster to make it more life-like but i just really boosted up my power, so now im at 65 yes the ball comes in slower like your playing softball overhand LOL, but at leat there are more hits and a little less homeruns...great observation bro.

[NimitsTexan]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

Hmm. Good point. I guess the best way to measure it might be to use the replay feature (you'd get a more accurate measure using slow motion anyway, as long as you accounted for how much time was slowed down) and/or measure from the pitcher's view.

[packmanuk]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

I dropped pitch speed to 60 and had 2 great games. I lost 3 v 1 in the first and lost 4 v 3 in the second. I had 4 hits in the first game and 7 in the second.

The cpu had 9 hots in game 1 and 8 in game 2.

I hit a hr in game 2 and the cpu 1 in game 1.

I had power at 30 and contact at 70 with the cpu at 50 and 55 and skill at 0.

I had 8 so's in game 1 and the cpu had 9. It was similar in game 2.

I reccommend everyone trying this out as it seems to make a huge difference.

[SeaNNyT]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

75 or 80 seems to be the most realistic in terms of speed perception and how hard it comes off the bat, as well as the variety in hits.

[frago]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

This is a great find.
I have dropped mine to 50 right in the middle, and my games are very good again. I have been searching high and low to find a way to curb my hitting. No matter what I did everyone on my team is hitting over 400 it seems.
Now I really struggle at the plate and the hits I get are very realistic.

[TheProfessional]

Re: Information on "Pitch Speed" Setting

This is a great find.
I have dropped mine to 50 right in the middle, and my games are very good again. I have been searching high and low to find a way to curb my hitting. No matter what I did everyone on my team is hitting over 400 it seems.
Now I really struggle at the plate and the hits I get are very realistic.

I've actually lowered even further to 35 and have had some great games. For even greater hit variety, i use the left analog stick to aim my swing (ala High Heat's zone hitting).