Here's my go at 2011 (4th Annual!) SHOW Sliders. As always, your mileage may vary - unless you're my clone, in which case I bet these work pretty well.
Overall, I feel the game mechanics are VERY much improved this year. A big Kudos to San Diego Studios and SCEA. Personally, there still exist a few slight (probably algorithm based) nuances, namely errors, but 'll take it.
It's of my opinion that these will ONLY play right on Hall of Fame.
Hitting Difficulty: Hall of Fame
Hitting Interface: Timing
Pitching Difficulty: Hall of Fame
Pitching Interface: Meter
Quick Note: For you Franchise guys, if you use this, or any slider set with the injury and stamina sliders modified, make sure you set those back to default before simulating the other games. (Otherwise you'll see a rash of simulated injuries and bloated reliever appearances).
Added 3 following tweaks on 4/22:
CPU Solid Hits +1 (5 to 6)
CPU Strike Frequency +1 (2 to 3)
Fielding Errors -1 (10 to 9)
HUMAN
Contact: 4
Power: 5
Timing: 6
Fouls: 6
Solid Hits: 4
Starter Stamina: 6
Reliever Stamina: 2
Pitcher Control: 4
Pitcher Consistency: 4
Nothing too exciting here. Many of the slider sets posted thus far are falling right around here. Maybe the only things worth mentioning is the bump to Fouls (6, to increase counts), and a ding to both Contact and Solid Hits (4/4). The decrease to Solid Hits is to lower BAIBP vs OBP and SLG.
The decrease of Contact relates to the ratio of perfect timing swings and misses. An average hitter should not be putting a bat on almost every perfectly timed swing. Frustrating sometimes? Yes. But I'll take realism over angst. If you're swinging and missing on 1-0 curve balls or sliders, sliders aren't your problem.
The intangible here is CPU Pitcher Confidence. When it gets high, USER Contact at 4 seems like a nightmare, while if you get rocking at the plate (or you have a hot batter), contact (independent of result) is almost a foregone conclusion.
I also turned API OFF. Even though I would only use the suggestions 50% of the time, it definitely makes pitching to the CPU much more challenging.
COMPUTER
Contact: 4
Power: 5
Timing: 5
Fouls: 5
Solid Hits: 6
Starter Stamina: 6
Reliever Stamina: 2
Pitcher Control: 4
Pitcher Consistency: 5
Strike Frequency: 3
Manager Hook: 6
Pickoffs: 4
Again, nothing too shocking here. A ding to CPU Contact to bring their misses and chases to realistic level (relative to the HOF AI.)
The only other thing worth mention are the Control / Consistency settings. I've seen a lot of sets where they lower both or consistency rather dramatically, and can't quite figure out why.
I believe lowering consistency causes the CPU to miss their target more and by a wider margin (think missing the yellow line when pitching), thus creating more 'mistake pitches' or 'meatballs' further from where they intended. (You can experiment yourself, lower the HUM Consistency and start missing high and low from the yellow line - the ball get's considerably more random the lower the setting, and not necessarily always out of the zone - a common misconception.)
I'd imagine there is a direct correlation of meatball pitches when the CPU is behind in the count and this slider. If you're seeing too many balls hitting the center of the zone on 3-1 or 3-2, or even 2-2, your consistency slider may be askew. I'm positive the CPU AI is not trying to put every ball in the zone when they're behind in the count. Especially at HOF.
Control was also dropped one to decrease the HOF pitchers skill at putting the ball exactly where they want it, and USER batters being able to make contact. I'd love to go through and drop every pitchers control rating by 10 (the caveat of video game ratings existing in a box versus real life), but one click of the Control slider accomplishes approximately the same thing.
This also helps to allow the user to work counts:
http://img852.imageshack.us/f/mlb11theshow.png/
http://img847.imageshack.us/f/mlb11theshow1z.png/
UNIVERSAL
Pitch Speed: 4
Fielding Errors: 9
Throwing Errors: 7
Fielder Run Speed: 2
Fielder Reaction: 7
Fielder Arm Strength: 5
Baserunner Speed: 5
Baserunner Steal Ability: 5
Baserunner Steal Frequency: 6
Wind: 4
Injury Frequency: 6
The biggies here are the Fielder Reaction to 7, and default Arm Strength and Runner Speed. I've already posted considerably elsewhere on this subject, but ultimately this is to cut down on awkward infield hits, and runners scoring sac flies on shallow fly balls or singles to right or left field with a runner on second. I can't figure out why everyone is lowing Arm Strength.
In years past I can count on one hand how many guys I've thrown out at home trying to tag or score on an shallow fly ball, or from second. This happens every day in MLB, maybe their isn't a play because a runner isn't going to test someone's arm, or he's slow or a poor base runner - but the USER or CPU should have to at least think twice about trying to tag from third or score from second. The result shouldn't be a foregone conclusion.
Furthermore, in baseball, balls are fielded rather regularly from just behind second base by the SS or second basemen. At default reaction, guys don't have a chance in hell to make this play. They may not make the throw in time (due to the animation), but this play is made all the time in MLB. To this end, with lower arm strength and lower base runner speed, you see a lot a guys with average speed 3 or 4 whole strides short of first on a ball hit to the left side of the infield, no way...any MLB player is within a stride or two of that bag (well, maybe not Prince Fielder).
The rebuttal I hear most often for raising fielder reaction is that too many line drives are snagged. I'd be willing to wager that said animation will occur regardless with the gold glovers. Not to mention the fact that line drives are snagged all the time in MLB - I don't know the ratio of line drives for outs versus hits, but belive this is why the statistic BABIP was created, to factor out the luck of such hits.
As an example, just a few games ago Chipper Jones made a diving stab at third and threw me out. A true Web-gem play. That's probably a (weak) hit with lowered Reaction or Arm Strength, even more so if Runner Speed is decreased. I've see no decrease in extra base hits with the bump to reaction.
PERSONAL SETTINGS
Plate Coverage Indicator: OFF
Bunting Interface: Classic
Guess Pitch: Off
Pitch Confidence: ON
Balks: ON
Baserunning Interface: Classic
Baserunning Decsions: Assist
Batting View: Catcher
Pitching View: Catcher
Fielding View Offense: Medium
Fielding View Defense: Medium
Fielding Decsion: Assist
Auto Throwing: OFF
Auto Sliding: Assist
Pitch Callout: Full
Pitching Ball Marker: Fade
Plate Coverage Indicator: OFF
Swing/Pitch Indicator: ON
Runner Windows: ON
Strike Zone: OFF
Hot Zones: OFF
Tag Up Indicator: ON
Catch Region Indicator: ON
Catch Position Indicator: ON
Rob HR Indicator: ON
Vibration: ON
Warm Up Pitchers: ON
Check Swing Appeals: OFF
Umpire Close Plays: ON
Umpire Balls & Strikes: Variable
Ejections: ON
Well, love them or hate em' here they are. I'm always down for civil discussion and debates. Cheers!
Overall, I feel the game mechanics are VERY much improved this year. A big Kudos to San Diego Studios and SCEA. Personally, there still exist a few slight (probably algorithm based) nuances, namely errors, but 'll take it.
It's of my opinion that these will ONLY play right on Hall of Fame.
Hitting Difficulty: Hall of Fame
Hitting Interface: Timing
Pitching Difficulty: Hall of Fame
Pitching Interface: Meter
Quick Note: For you Franchise guys, if you use this, or any slider set with the injury and stamina sliders modified, make sure you set those back to default before simulating the other games. (Otherwise you'll see a rash of simulated injuries and bloated reliever appearances).
Added 3 following tweaks on 4/22:
CPU Solid Hits +1 (5 to 6)
CPU Strike Frequency +1 (2 to 3)
Fielding Errors -1 (10 to 9)
HUMAN
Contact: 4
Power: 5
Timing: 6
Fouls: 6
Solid Hits: 4
Starter Stamina: 6
Reliever Stamina: 2
Pitcher Control: 4
Pitcher Consistency: 4
Nothing too exciting here. Many of the slider sets posted thus far are falling right around here. Maybe the only things worth mentioning is the bump to Fouls (6, to increase counts), and a ding to both Contact and Solid Hits (4/4). The decrease to Solid Hits is to lower BAIBP vs OBP and SLG.
The decrease of Contact relates to the ratio of perfect timing swings and misses. An average hitter should not be putting a bat on almost every perfectly timed swing. Frustrating sometimes? Yes. But I'll take realism over angst. If you're swinging and missing on 1-0 curve balls or sliders, sliders aren't your problem.
The intangible here is CPU Pitcher Confidence. When it gets high, USER Contact at 4 seems like a nightmare, while if you get rocking at the plate (or you have a hot batter), contact (independent of result) is almost a foregone conclusion.
I also turned API OFF. Even though I would only use the suggestions 50% of the time, it definitely makes pitching to the CPU much more challenging.
COMPUTER
Contact: 4
Power: 5
Timing: 5
Fouls: 5
Solid Hits: 6
Starter Stamina: 6
Reliever Stamina: 2
Pitcher Control: 4
Pitcher Consistency: 5
Strike Frequency: 3
Manager Hook: 6
Pickoffs: 4
Again, nothing too shocking here. A ding to CPU Contact to bring their misses and chases to realistic level (relative to the HOF AI.)
The only other thing worth mention are the Control / Consistency settings. I've seen a lot of sets where they lower both or consistency rather dramatically, and can't quite figure out why.
I believe lowering consistency causes the CPU to miss their target more and by a wider margin (think missing the yellow line when pitching), thus creating more 'mistake pitches' or 'meatballs' further from where they intended. (You can experiment yourself, lower the HUM Consistency and start missing high and low from the yellow line - the ball get's considerably more random the lower the setting, and not necessarily always out of the zone - a common misconception.)
I'd imagine there is a direct correlation of meatball pitches when the CPU is behind in the count and this slider. If you're seeing too many balls hitting the center of the zone on 3-1 or 3-2, or even 2-2, your consistency slider may be askew. I'm positive the CPU AI is not trying to put every ball in the zone when they're behind in the count. Especially at HOF.
Control was also dropped one to decrease the HOF pitchers skill at putting the ball exactly where they want it, and USER batters being able to make contact. I'd love to go through and drop every pitchers control rating by 10 (the caveat of video game ratings existing in a box versus real life), but one click of the Control slider accomplishes approximately the same thing.
This also helps to allow the user to work counts:
http://img852.imageshack.us/f/mlb11theshow.png/
http://img847.imageshack.us/f/mlb11theshow1z.png/
UNIVERSAL
Pitch Speed: 4
Fielding Errors: 9
Throwing Errors: 7
Fielder Run Speed: 2
Fielder Reaction: 7
Fielder Arm Strength: 5
Baserunner Speed: 5
Baserunner Steal Ability: 5
Baserunner Steal Frequency: 6
Wind: 4
Injury Frequency: 6
The biggies here are the Fielder Reaction to 7, and default Arm Strength and Runner Speed. I've already posted considerably elsewhere on this subject, but ultimately this is to cut down on awkward infield hits, and runners scoring sac flies on shallow fly balls or singles to right or left field with a runner on second. I can't figure out why everyone is lowing Arm Strength.
In years past I can count on one hand how many guys I've thrown out at home trying to tag or score on an shallow fly ball, or from second. This happens every day in MLB, maybe their isn't a play because a runner isn't going to test someone's arm, or he's slow or a poor base runner - but the USER or CPU should have to at least think twice about trying to tag from third or score from second. The result shouldn't be a foregone conclusion.
Furthermore, in baseball, balls are fielded rather regularly from just behind second base by the SS or second basemen. At default reaction, guys don't have a chance in hell to make this play. They may not make the throw in time (due to the animation), but this play is made all the time in MLB. To this end, with lower arm strength and lower base runner speed, you see a lot a guys with average speed 3 or 4 whole strides short of first on a ball hit to the left side of the infield, no way...any MLB player is within a stride or two of that bag (well, maybe not Prince Fielder).
The rebuttal I hear most often for raising fielder reaction is that too many line drives are snagged. I'd be willing to wager that said animation will occur regardless with the gold glovers. Not to mention the fact that line drives are snagged all the time in MLB - I don't know the ratio of line drives for outs versus hits, but belive this is why the statistic BABIP was created, to factor out the luck of such hits.
As an example, just a few games ago Chipper Jones made a diving stab at third and threw me out. A true Web-gem play. That's probably a (weak) hit with lowered Reaction or Arm Strength, even more so if Runner Speed is decreased. I've see no decrease in extra base hits with the bump to reaction.
PERSONAL SETTINGS
Plate Coverage Indicator: OFF
Bunting Interface: Classic
Guess Pitch: Off
Pitch Confidence: ON
Balks: ON
Baserunning Interface: Classic
Baserunning Decsions: Assist
Batting View: Catcher
Pitching View: Catcher
Fielding View Offense: Medium
Fielding View Defense: Medium
Fielding Decsion: Assist
Auto Throwing: OFF
Auto Sliding: Assist
Pitch Callout: Full
Pitching Ball Marker: Fade
Plate Coverage Indicator: OFF
Swing/Pitch Indicator: ON
Runner Windows: ON
Strike Zone: OFF
Hot Zones: OFF
Tag Up Indicator: ON
Catch Region Indicator: ON
Catch Position Indicator: ON
Rob HR Indicator: ON
Vibration: ON
Warm Up Pitchers: ON
Check Swing Appeals: OFF
Umpire Close Plays: ON
Umpire Balls & Strikes: Variable
Ejections: ON
Well, love them or hate em' here they are. I'm always down for civil discussion and debates. Cheers!
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