Re: Already back to playing ASB
I bought WSB also, and whlie I like it, I find myself going back to ASB as well.
I like cartain things about WSB..fielding is responsive and fun, and the dive actually is actually functional. I like the way the pitching cursor works, and enjoy pitching. Being able to adjust the pitch velocity is a good thing, and WSB has a tremendous amount of files to customize (as does HH2004).
The player editor is great in WSB, and I don't mind the batting cursor as much as others do.
Now for the bad...the commentary in ASB is head and shoulders above WSB. Not only is Ted Robinson's vocal tenor somewhat annoying, but the commentary is very droll, and lags in exchanges between Robinson and Hudler (the color commentator). Acclaim really aced this one in my opinion, as the commentary is the best of any baseball game IMO. I was actually surprised that WSB was so lacking, given that Visual Concepts did such an excellent job with NFL 2k3.
Hitting in WSB just feels a little strange to me. It's hard to explain, but the bat seems like a stickball bat, and the swing animation just seems a little bit awkward.
A stated earlier, I enjoy pitching, but I was disturbed to see a 10 to 15 MPH drop in pitch velocity when a pitcher gets tired ). No way Roy Oswalt starts throwing 83 MPH fastballs in the 9th inning of a 4 hit shutout. No way. A pitcher gets tired, he loses some velocity, some command but not that much. Perhaps this can be addressed via sliders or editing.
ASB does so many of the little things right to replicate baseball, that it is hard to stay away from it.
I played HH2003 on the PS2 last year, after playing ASB on the N64, and 2001 on the PS2. l really enjoyed it and it's realism, but I went back to ASB this year. I will still give WSB some playing time, but I only have the time and energy to run one franchise and it appears this year it will be on ASB.
My only concern has been trying to find a batting mode I can use and get reasonable statistics. I started off with classic, and while I enjoy it, I find almost all of my hits go to CF or one of the gaps. I cannot pull or push the ball down either line.
I tried switching to the regular cursor with exaggerated pitching and I think that it might be the way to go. Based on batting practice and minimal exhibtion play here are my findings;
- you can hit the ball to all fields, but have to aim the cursor to do so. This is not very realistic, but I guess I can live with it. Hitters do try to hit the ball to certain areas in certain situations, but no one goes to the plate and aims to pull the ball down the 3rd baseline regardless of the pitch.
Its not possible (at least given my reflexes) to aim the cursor while swinging at a particular pitch, so you have to predetermine where you want the ball to go.
- you can hit HR without using the power icon. If you aim slightly up and manage to get the sweet spot on the ball you can homer. This is very good, as it seems to hit varying line drives with the occasional HR mixed in. You can still swing for the fences with the power icon, but the majority of homeruns are hit with average swings, not loading up for the all or nothing hack.
I hope this will produce some good numbers, and some hit variety.
I bought WSB also, and whlie I like it, I find myself going back to ASB as well.
I like cartain things about WSB..fielding is responsive and fun, and the dive actually is actually functional. I like the way the pitching cursor works, and enjoy pitching. Being able to adjust the pitch velocity is a good thing, and WSB has a tremendous amount of files to customize (as does HH2004).
The player editor is great in WSB, and I don't mind the batting cursor as much as others do.
Now for the bad...the commentary in ASB is head and shoulders above WSB. Not only is Ted Robinson's vocal tenor somewhat annoying, but the commentary is very droll, and lags in exchanges between Robinson and Hudler (the color commentator). Acclaim really aced this one in my opinion, as the commentary is the best of any baseball game IMO. I was actually surprised that WSB was so lacking, given that Visual Concepts did such an excellent job with NFL 2k3.
Hitting in WSB just feels a little strange to me. It's hard to explain, but the bat seems like a stickball bat, and the swing animation just seems a little bit awkward.
A stated earlier, I enjoy pitching, but I was disturbed to see a 10 to 15 MPH drop in pitch velocity when a pitcher gets tired ). No way Roy Oswalt starts throwing 83 MPH fastballs in the 9th inning of a 4 hit shutout. No way. A pitcher gets tired, he loses some velocity, some command but not that much. Perhaps this can be addressed via sliders or editing.
ASB does so many of the little things right to replicate baseball, that it is hard to stay away from it.
I played HH2003 on the PS2 last year, after playing ASB on the N64, and 2001 on the PS2. l really enjoyed it and it's realism, but I went back to ASB this year. I will still give WSB some playing time, but I only have the time and energy to run one franchise and it appears this year it will be on ASB.
My only concern has been trying to find a batting mode I can use and get reasonable statistics. I started off with classic, and while I enjoy it, I find almost all of my hits go to CF or one of the gaps. I cannot pull or push the ball down either line.
I tried switching to the regular cursor with exaggerated pitching and I think that it might be the way to go. Based on batting practice and minimal exhibtion play here are my findings;
- you can hit the ball to all fields, but have to aim the cursor to do so. This is not very realistic, but I guess I can live with it. Hitters do try to hit the ball to certain areas in certain situations, but no one goes to the plate and aims to pull the ball down the 3rd baseline regardless of the pitch.
Its not possible (at least given my reflexes) to aim the cursor while swinging at a particular pitch, so you have to predetermine where you want the ball to go.
- you can hit HR without using the power icon. If you aim slightly up and manage to get the sweet spot on the ball you can homer. This is very good, as it seems to hit varying line drives with the occasional HR mixed in. You can still swing for the fences with the power icon, but the majority of homeruns are hit with average swings, not loading up for the all or nothing hack.
I hope this will produce some good numbers, and some hit variety.
I am back too. 
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