Every game has cursor-based hitting...

[Will]

...some just choose to make the cursor visible.

Think about it.

In every baseball game, batting goes like this:

You see the pitch, you move the analog stick in the direction the pitch is going, you press the swing button.

Now, in games like ASB and WSB, there's an actual visual representation of how you're moving the analog stick. In games like HH, however, there is no such visual.

Does that mean anything different is happening? No.

You are still moving the analog stick in the direction of the ball and swinging when applicable. It's just that in some games you can see how you're moving the analog stick and in others you can't. That is the only difference.

[This thread was created in response to the 40 posts floating around currently bashing one game or another for their use/non-use of a cursor-based hitting system. In reality, there is absolutely no difference other than aesthetics.]

[snaz16]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

I agree with ya to a certain extent. With non cursor based I'm watching the flight path,or break of the ball and if I want to go to right or pull the pitch its an easy analog push.
With cursor based, I pretty much try to guess where the location is going to be before the swing,or I'm concentrating to get the cursor to its location,and not watching the ball flight or potential location. Which is why I prefer no cursor. If your taking a pitch for a ball, you gotta be able to reconize it early on in its flight path.

[snaz16]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

I agree with ya to a certain extent. With non cursor based I'm watching the flight path,or break of the ball and if I want to go to right or pull the pitch its an easy analog push.
With cursor based, I pretty much try to guess where the location is going to be before the swing,or I'm concentrating to get the cursor to its location,and not watching the ball flight or potential location. Which is why I prefer no cursor. If your taking a pitch for a ball, you gotta be able to reconize it early on in its flight path.

[MrBradSr]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

Snaz, I don't necessarily agree with you. I've been playing the hell out of WSB lately and I've found myself able to place a lot of hits wherever I want them to go by actually watching the flight and velocity of the pitch. I've gotten to the point where I can actually foul off a pitch if its too close to take. So, I'd actually have to agree with the original post in that, cursor and non cursor are the same process, just that you either see or don't see the hitting cursor.

[MrBradSr]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

Snaz, I don't necessarily agree with you. I've been playing the hell out of WSB lately and I've found myself able to place a lot of hits wherever I want them to go by actually watching the flight and velocity of the pitch. I've gotten to the point where I can actually foul off a pitch if its too close to take. So, I'd actually have to agree with the original post in that, cursor and non cursor are the same process, just that you either see or don't see the hitting cursor.

[Graphik]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

I think they are to completely diffrent things. One you have to have amind set on placing a cursor in a location and the other is swing away with the option of aiming the anolog in the direction of the pitch. In other words, cursor based batting takes more conncentration.
I agree with snaz b/c they other poster said he played WSB. If you played ASB you woul'nt time to view the flight of the pitch, it was pretty much guess where the pitch is going. On HH, you view the pitch and swing accordingly. To completely diffent batting styles IMO.

[Graphik]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

I think they are to completely diffrent things. One you have to have amind set on placing a cursor in a location and the other is swing away with the option of aiming the anolog in the direction of the pitch. In other words, cursor based batting takes more conncentration.
I agree with snaz b/c they other poster said he played WSB. If you played ASB you woul'nt time to view the flight of the pitch, it was pretty much guess where the pitch is going. On HH, you view the pitch and swing accordingly. To completely diffent batting styles IMO.

[SportsorDeath]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

In theory, they are close to the same, but not in practice.

With the cursor being visible in games like ASB and WSB, I find myself locking onto the strike zone instead of watching the ball come out of the pitcher's hand. In real baseball, hitters are taught to focus their eyes on a spot close to where the pitcher's release point will be (I always used the logo on his hat), and then right when the pitch is about to be released to focus your eyes real quick on the ball coming out of his hand, so you can pick up the rotation of the ball. Good hitters can tell what kind of pitch it is right away by the rotation on the ball.

Of course, in the world of video baseball, this doesn't hold as true. Still, with the cursor being visible, it often feels more like I am a fighter pilot trying to gain missile lock on an enemy jet rather than trying to hit a virtual baseball. This is especially true in ASB, because there is so little time and room for error that you have to be extremely precise. WSB is a little more forgiving because of the slightly slower pitch speeds and the fact that you can still make contact if you are not dead on with the cursor. I find it to be a much more realistic representation of hitting than ASB and I would venture to say is probably the best cursor method I have ever played.

I really disagree that games that do not use a cursor (HH, MVP, etc.) are the same, save for the cursor not being visible. While it is true to a degree, these games do not force you to be as precise as the ones with the cursor in effect. Think about High Heat. Yes, you do "pick" a location to swing, but all you have to do is tap that direction on the controller when the ball reaches the hitting zone. There is no time spent moving a cursor to line up your swing. You just pretty much grip it and rip it, if you will. In High Heat, you can totally miss the location and still make contact with the ball, it will just end up being a little dribbler instead of a solid hit ball. MVP looks even more forgiving than HH in this regard, as it seems you can still make solid contact and spray the ball all over the field even if you don't guess a proper location. This is because in MVP, you are not really "guessing" the pitch location, you are simply trying to decide the best type of hit for any given pitch. Up for a fly ball, down for a grounder, left or right to pull or go oppo, etc.

I don't know if I would say that any of these are a realistic representation of real hitting, frankly. If I had to pick, I would choose WSB's method, only because it seems like you get the best of both worlds. It is possible to miss the pitch entirely if you are not good with the cursor, but it is also a little forgiving and will allow you to make contact if you aren't. Also, by being a 2D cursor, where you place it has an effect on where the ball willl go, unlike ASB. Their 3D cursor allows you to put the ball basically anywhere you want it, which is way too unrealistic, IMO, although this year's game will allow the user to go with a 2D cursor. That should help things, but the pitches are still way too fast to allow you to actually watch the pitch.

[SportsorDeath]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

In theory, they are close to the same, but not in practice.

With the cursor being visible in games like ASB and WSB, I find myself locking onto the strike zone instead of watching the ball come out of the pitcher's hand. In real baseball, hitters are taught to focus their eyes on a spot close to where the pitcher's release point will be (I always used the logo on his hat), and then right when the pitch is about to be released to focus your eyes real quick on the ball coming out of his hand, so you can pick up the rotation of the ball. Good hitters can tell what kind of pitch it is right away by the rotation on the ball.

Of course, in the world of video baseball, this doesn't hold as true. Still, with the cursor being visible, it often feels more like I am a fighter pilot trying to gain missile lock on an enemy jet rather than trying to hit a virtual baseball. This is especially true in ASB, because there is so little time and room for error that you have to be extremely precise. WSB is a little more forgiving because of the slightly slower pitch speeds and the fact that you can still make contact if you are not dead on with the cursor. I find it to be a much more realistic representation of hitting than ASB and I would venture to say is probably the best cursor method I have ever played.

I really disagree that games that do not use a cursor (HH, MVP, etc.) are the same, save for the cursor not being visible. While it is true to a degree, these games do not force you to be as precise as the ones with the cursor in effect. Think about High Heat. Yes, you do "pick" a location to swing, but all you have to do is tap that direction on the controller when the ball reaches the hitting zone. There is no time spent moving a cursor to line up your swing. You just pretty much grip it and rip it, if you will. In High Heat, you can totally miss the location and still make contact with the ball, it will just end up being a little dribbler instead of a solid hit ball. MVP looks even more forgiving than HH in this regard, as it seems you can still make solid contact and spray the ball all over the field even if you don't guess a proper location. This is because in MVP, you are not really "guessing" the pitch location, you are simply trying to decide the best type of hit for any given pitch. Up for a fly ball, down for a grounder, left or right to pull or go oppo, etc.

I don't know if I would say that any of these are a realistic representation of real hitting, frankly. If I had to pick, I would choose WSB's method, only because it seems like you get the best of both worlds. It is possible to miss the pitch entirely if you are not good with the cursor, but it is also a little forgiving and will allow you to make contact if you aren't. Also, by being a 2D cursor, where you place it has an effect on where the ball willl go, unlike ASB. Their 3D cursor allows you to put the ball basically anywhere you want it, which is way too unrealistic, IMO, although this year's game will allow the user to go with a 2D cursor. That should help things, but the pitches are still way too fast to allow you to actually watch the pitch.

[ViperVisor]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

Not really

[ViperVisor]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

Not really

[Graphik]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Not really

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

Great answer ViperVisor, you sumed up everything with that. You aced the quiz with flying colors.

[Graphik]

Re: Every game has cursor-based hitting...

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Not really

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

Great answer ViperVisor, you sumed up everything with that. You aced the quiz with flying colors.