Let's make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

[pigpen81]

Instead of constantly debating the virtues of and non-virtues of hitting in baseball games why don't we work together to come up with the hitting model for next years game.

My idea!:

replace the cursor with the analog stick. Much like Tiger Woods uses the analog stick to swing the golf club....the analog stick can be the baseball swing.

Not only would this work for timing that us High Heaters love but also provide the skill(so called....hehe) that cursor lovers
clamor for.

The stick would operate in 9 zones....for instance when a pitch is low and inside to a RH batter...you move the stick down and left...with the correct timing as well...

anyway...that's my idea...anyone have theirs?....maybe someone can expand on mine?

[Diablo25]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

Nice idea pigpen. I'd like to see a game at least try that. I played the arcade version of World Series Baseball at a Dave and Busters (rest./arcade) a few months back that had something like that. It was pretty fun. It was basically the first WSB that was on the DC with the hitting interface you just described. I liked the game alot. Pumped more than a few quarters in that baby

[Graphik]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

I like the idea also, and it would make checking your swing more realistic.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

I like where you are going with this, but I would like to offer a variation.

Primarily, I would do away with selecting "Power," "Normal," and "Contact" swings. The fact of the matter is this - those decisions are rarely made as claer cut as they are in games -especially prior to a pitch leaving a pitcher's hand. If a hitter gets a hanger during an at bat, he'll adjust his thought process and attempt tee off. It is a fluid decision process than what most games do not allow.

For that reason, swinging would use an analog trigger such as found on the XBox and GameCube (never used a PS2 Controller, so I am unaware if the L and R triggers are analog). The harder you press down, the harder the swing. Push lightly, and you will swing just to make contact, push all the way and you're using power. That way, you can decide during a pitch's flight to the plate whether it is a meatball or not.

As for aiming a swing, I would use a non cursor/cursor system, much like the PITCHING interface from WSB2K1 and Home Run King.

You could aim your swing anywhere, you just can't see the cursor. Instead, the enitre analog stick would come to represent the "swinging range" and reach of a batter, and you would have to put the bat in the right spot at the right time to meet the pitch. This would still allow the ball to hit the wrong part of the bat, such as if you had chosen to swing further insdie than where a pitch eventually goes.

With analog aiming, and an anlog swing, timing would also be needed to assist in where a ball is put into play. It would also take user skill in addition to requiring a pretty extensive animation routine (get on it, programmers!).

The lighter the push on the analog stick, the larger the invisible cursor would be. This would allow for on the fly adjustments. No longer would chosing "Normal" swing only to see a great pitch to crush go by without the hitters' chance to adjust.

In addition, I would include a guess pitch option since hitters do look for certain pitches in an actual at bat. I guess my hitting system would be a mix of High Heat and Home Run King.

This model would allow users to work counts by purposefully trying to have the ball hit the very end of the bat by swinging inside the pitch using a light swing geared to creating foul balls. Gamers would be able to attempt to hit foul balls purposefully a la Wade Boggs until a pitch came along that was worth really swinging at. Rather than forced to chose "Contact" prior to a pitch even leaving the hand of a pitcher, the decision to fould off, swing for the fences, or to try and bring a pitch back up the middle is made on the fly - not pre pitch.

The more I think about this, the more I wish I had it!

[kumala]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

great idea! I would to see this happen. You would use the left joy to aim and use the right to swing. This would be awesome. Somehow these game makers have got use this. If not maybe you should take their place.

[pigpen81]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

brendan....nice


hopefully some developers will take a look at this....

heck...989 sports has nothing to lose

maybe Inside Pitch will come out with something like this....we should only be so lucky.

[Peter_OS]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

Or how about taking it to the next level. Virtual Reality that is.

[snowmizer]

Re: Let\'s make the perfect batter/pitcher interface!

Sega already did make it with WSB 2k1, on legendary with no handicaps...

Speed of pitches. Break of pitches. Invisible pitching cursor. Stamina of pitchers. Selection of pitches. Size of batting cursor. Size of power center within batting cursor. Speed of movement of batting cursor. Size of strike zone.

All these ingredients, plus others I could remember if I had the game in front of me, came together as perfectly as I have seen.

The only thing that needed work was the resulting batted ball variation (examples: too many infield pop-ups; few pulled HRs). Too bad the rest of the game was so undercooked that the baby got thrown out with the bathwater.