Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

[spit_bubble]

What are the differences for the CPU AI between the difficulty levels?

In the options menu it says Veteran is easy, All-Star is normal, etc. But what exactly distinguishes them from each other?

Is it simply an overall boost in ability, or does it make the CPU play differently in particular areas (like maybe make CPU hitters more aggressive, for example)?

I'm trying to settle in on a difficulty level, and ideally I'd like to play on the most realistic one. I've played games on multiple levels and can't really determine what the differences are.

[gambler1180]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

That's a good question. The only thing i have noticed was the pitch meter moved faster on the higher levels.

[baa7]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

The most obvious difference is that the level you decide to play on, decides the type of hitting you'll be using. I've always played on HoF because I use the L stick and prefer 9 zone to 4 zone hitting.

This year I tried Legend for a few days, and while I love the hitting difficulty, the performance boosts the CPU gets on that level are unrealistic to me. It's obvious the CPU hits the ball harder, and in spots where it will have a better chance of picking up an extra-base hit. When it's obvious the AI programming in a game is fudging things and determining game outcomes -- is cheating, in other words -- I lose interest in the "challenge."

Anyway, it's either HoF or the level below that supposedly plays the most like real baseball -- or so I've read.

[Phoenixmgs]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

That's a good question. The only thing i have noticed was the pitch meter moved faster on the higher levels.

I don't think the pitching meter timing changes on difficulty levels. The speed of the pitching meter is different for every pitcher, it's tied to the pitcher's delivery.

[LastActionHero]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

The most obvious difference is that the level you decide to play on, decides the type of hitting you'll be using. I've always played on HoF because I use the L stick and prefer 9 zone to 4 zone hitting.

This year I tried Legend for a few days, and while I love the hitting difficulty, the performance boosts the CPU gets on that level are unrealistic to me. It's obvious the CPU hits the ball harder, and in spots where it will have a better chance of picking up an extra-base hit. When it's obvious the AI programming in a game is fudging things and determining game outcomes -- is cheating, in other words -- I lose interest in the "challenge."

Anyway, it's either HoF or the level below that supposedly plays the most like real baseball -- or so I've read.

In Veteran you also gotta use the L stick, maybe it's more forgiving I don't know but you do need it. Only in rookie/beginner mode you don't have to touch it.

Or am I now completely off?

And is veteran indeed 4 zone hitting?

[baa7]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

In Veteran you also gotta use the L stick, maybe it's more forgiving I don't know but you do need it. Only in rookie/beginner mode you don't have to touch it.

Or am I now completely off?

And is veteran indeed 4 zone hitting?

HoF is 9 zone, that I know. I always thought the next level down is 4 zone hitting. Strange that it's not explained in the manual seeing how critical it is to the gameplay.

[baa7]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

koshi, if you read the description of Legend mode in the manual, it's pretty clear how the gameplay differs on the various difficulty levels. The description states Legend decreases the sweet spot with user hitting, and that AI hitters will "punish any mistakes you throw them." That's exactly what I saw when I played. Can't say I noticed anything else I'd call noticably different from the gameplay I'm seeing on HoF.

[nemesis04]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

Here are some notes from Brian Ma on last years game. Some info may be helpful to you guys.

Classic vs. Meter
*) Classic and Meter pitching produce fairly consistent results when used by a skilled player. They're both retuned every year in detail like most of pitching/batting. Some users will be better at one than the other (question of strategy vs. execution skill). Holding X down longer on classic will trade some accuracy for power (velocity/break/fatigue).

Difficulty:
*) Allstar difficulty (normal) is best for most non-beginners. The game defaults to Veteran (easy) for beginners. Veteran is also good for players who aren't looking for Allstar-level challenge (i.e. losing about half the time). To play HoF (hard) and consistently win even half the time, you have to be better than 90% of players. In other words, HoF is for the best player out of 10, and they'll typically win at least 1/2 of 162 games with an average team. On OS, that might be the best out of five players. If you need handicapped sliders just to play on HOF, you'd play a more realistic game on Allstar. The difference between Allstar and HoF is difficulty, not AI intelligence. The increase in difficulty is split between batting and pitching, so each difference may seem minor even though it's enough to eliminate most users from qualifying. Skill/ability in baseball is revealed over multiple games, and as previously mentioned don't be surprised to win a few games on HoF and lose a few on Veteran. Even AA/AAA teams can beat MLB teams on occasion.

Guess/Noguess Pitch
*) The game is designed to play well whether you never use guess pitch or always use guess pitch. Again, some users will be better at one than the other (emphasis on strategy vs. pure execution skill). Guess pitch tends to help beginners and those who are stronger at strategy than reaction, but it's often balanced for a skilled user. Note that Veteran is an exception since the AI adapts slower to your patterns/strategy than on Allstar/HoF - otherwise real beginners wouldn't stand a chance. So "fake beginners" (experts playing on Veteran) therefore may conclude that guess pitch is easier when that's not necessarily true on Allstar/HoF. The AI on Veteran thinks like an intermediate-beginner. Expert users may find guessing only type or only zone (or not at all) to be more optimal, depending on the count and pitcher's mix of pitches.
*) The modes of guess pitch are: New, Classic 1/4, Classic 1/6, No Feedback, and Off. Within guess pitch you can guess both type on zone, only type or zone, or neither. "New" guess pitch tells you if you guessed location correct, without showing you the location. Classic 1/4 shows you the location. Classic 1/6 is the same but your guesses cover 1/6 of the strike zone. No feedback never tells you if you guessed correct. The bonuses/penalties are carefully tuned differently for every combination of usage and result (yes every combo), and each detail has been retuned from last year (mainly for realism/balance/challenge). Note that using the L stick you can always manually guess pitch (the old fashioned way in real life) but the full explanation is too large for the space I have.

Hitting Tips
*) Be patient at bat, and distinguish between fastballs and offspeeds (timing-wise, and be picky on offspeed before strike 2). Before strike 2, only swing at good pitches. If the current pitch isn't good - even if it's a strike - chances are a future pitch is better. You have to swing a little earlier on inside pitches and later on outside pitches to put them in play - it'll get harder to time quality hits on extremes. Swinging slightly early relative to the pitch can get you a little more power, a little late can give you a better look at the pitch (contact vs. power style).
*) When you've gotten the hang of facing pitches down the middle, learn to use the L stick to cover the plate better. This is more important on higher difficulties and is not necessary for beginners. Even though pitches down the middle are the best to time/cover, the pitcher is trying to pitch around you. If you cover 2/3 of the SZ with the L stick (ignoring 3 other zones), you can improve your pitch recognition (ball/strike location, even guess pitch type) and narrow down your timing window (if looking in/out). This is manual guess pitch, which has been around a hundred years in baseball.
*) You have to stay ahead of the AI so it won't catch on (easier on Vet). Note that if you look for an inside pitch, you've filtered out some offspeeds (which tend to be low/away) and will improve your timing potential (both due to smaller window of coverage and fastball filtering). On the other hand, looking away will tend to give you more time to look at pitches. Looking low will qualify many pitches but have less SLG potential, while looking high gives fewer pitches but with higher SLG potential. If you don't have a plan or have trouble working one side, it may be better to leave the L stick centered. I'll post more details later but these are a few examples.


Power swing
*) Power swing is ideal for 2-0 and 3-0, where you want to either hit it hard or not put it into play at all. Many batters aren't even allowed to swing on some counts (though less true in MLB than lower leagues), but when they are allowed that's a good mentality ("hit it hard"). You don't want to put the ball weakly into play when you're ahead like that, when you could easily get on base on ball 4 or potentially see 1-3 easy pitches instead. On a power swing you get a moderate power bonus, you are fully committed (cannot check your swing), your timing window is a little harder (slightly more fouls), and it's harder to make adjustments (chasing pitches outside of the strike zone or your coverage). If you don't know what you're doing, you're much better off not power swinging in the long run.
*) Ahead counts (such as 2-0/3-0) are also ideal because a lot of pitches are fastballs deep in the strike zone (predictable timing, location). Note that from 2-0/3-0 you get at least 3 chances from a position of advantage (misses/fouls are low-cost), so you don't want to swing at just any pitch (regardless of if it's a strike). Other clutch situations make sense for advanced users, or if you're dominating the pitcher. Power swinging obviously won't help if you end up chopping the ball or popping it up (or fouling it), and it tends to hurt AVG/Ks/BBs in return for SLG/RBIs in the long run.

Pull/Push Hitting
*) Player strategy has a big influence on results. For example, batting opposite field like Derek Jeter or Ichiro and gaining contact at the cost of power. These players will tend to do that naturally, but you can choose to shift every player in that direction to some degree by choice. By swinging later on pitches, you gain pitch recognition (type and location) at the cost of some power (pushing vs. pulling). Power strategies work the other way and require excellent pitch recognition without hesitation. The most powerful swing requires you to be slightly early (P for perfect in pitcher/batter analysis) - obviously trajectory plays a dominant factor. In the game, contact strategies tend to be optimal for contact hitters, and power strategies tend to be optimal for power hitters. But it's a minor factor that only matters in HoF level play, because there are much more important skills to focus on like taking pitches well.
*) More generally, players who try biased strategies will get biased results. Your hitting results will only be realistic when considering what you've done. Most beginners hit for contact and don't realize it. In real life some normal batters will become contact/push hitters when overmatched by an ace for similar reasons, many times by choice.

Statistical Streaks
*) There are 30 teams in the MLB, but perhaps a million people who will play the game. Every person will get different results and different streaks. Let's take the Red Sox in real life and their first 5 games of 2007 (April 2nd-7th). They hit 1 HR out of 5 games. This isn't enough to draw any broad conclusions about MLB or the Red Sox's power. If I pick another team, there will be another stat I can focus on. If 1 team out of 30 had this kind of streak, imagine the variety in a million people. I've found that it takes 10-20 games before most stats will stabalize, and in multiple runs there will eventually be a set of 10-20 games that strays from the trend. You can see this in a good/bad month for a team. In internal development, I never hear anything from the 90% of people getting expected results, just the 10% who get the unexpected.

Other
*) The game fully supports Dualshock 3.
*) Repeated steals/bunts/etc increase the alertness of defense. Against a high steal threat, you want to focus more on fastballs. Against anticipated steals, pitchouts can be very effective (the value of an out is very high compared to the cost of one ball).
*) Fastballs are fundamental because of their accuracy/reliability. A properly thrown curveball is harder to hit, but a badly thrown curveball can be taken for a ball or slammed hard for a hit (undoing the benefits of several good curveballs). More pitching tips in the future.
*) High velocity pitchers don't have to worry about location as much, and have a shorter learning curve. Therefore beginners will tend to find these types of pitchers "easier" to use, when a skilled player wouldn't necessarily. High control/movement pitchers focus more on strategy (pitch type/location selection) and hitting location. While they have a longer learning curve and can't afford to miss as much, they also have greater situational control. An example of situational control is whether you walk a guy without wanting to vs. walking a guy due to a calculated risk (not intentional but not completely unintentional). At 95-100 mph, location is not as important, although it's certainly not optimal to throw pitches down the middle in the long run especially when batters catch on. At below 88mph, missing your location can be much more costly and you rely more on changing speeds, location, and pitch movement. I.e. confusing the batter rather than blowing him away.
*) The API pitches differently to every batter, with every pitcher, and for every situation and count. It considers factors that casual players wouldn't appreciate, but are necessary for a realistic game. To the most casual user, I don't expect them to see any improvement on the API - but it serves them a good purpose nonetheless. The API has no hidden knowledge of any kind. It relies on information available to the user and applies that to its strategy. There is no inherent bonus for listening to the API, unless your sense of strategy and situation is weaker than the API. It's defaulted off on Allstar/HoF but you can force it to be on. If you really are of Veteran (easy) skill, you'll definitely learn something from the API. The most important detail is the precision of working strike % by count/type/zone/etc.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

koshi, if you read the description of Legend mode in the manual...

Yeah I saw that after I posted this...

HoF is 9 zone, that I know. I always thought the next level down is 4 zone hitting...

So it seems the lower the difficulty the less you have to move the L stick to make solid contact (and on Rookie not at all).

I wonder then if it's simply the converse for the CPU... In other words maybe the CPU batter sweet spot increases the higher the difficulty...

It sure seems that way... And it would make sense too.

I think I may stick with either All-Star or Veteran, because I'm having a tough time picking up the location of pitches... So it's better for me to rely less on moving the L-stick when hitting.

Thanks for the replies!

[Garrett67]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

I normally play on HOF or All-Star but yesterday I took my same sliders but changed the difficulty to Veteran, thinking I would have an easier time winning.

Boy was I wrong, my Tigers got rocked by the Rockies 12-3, they had 23 hits and I played havoc trying to get out of the first 2 innings.

I really don't think level makes as much of a difference as it used to. It may change some characteristics, like pitch meter speed (I use classic) but I don't think it is as drastic of a change over years past.

[bsb13]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

It may change some characteristics, like pitch meter speed

I always thought the pitchers windup dictated the speed of the meter? If thats true, then the speed of the meter shouldn't change from one difficulty to the next.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

I hope that the SCEA team could make a list like they did last year about the differences of the difficulty levels. I play on All-Star this year, but I am wondering if HOF is the most realistic now since it's not the hardest level anymore.

A semi-detailed explanation of All-Star, HOF, and Legend would be great.

[Garrett67]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

I always thought the pitchers windup dictated the speed of the meter? If thats true, then the speed of the meter shouldn't change from one difficulty to the next.

That was just an example. I don't use the meter anyway.

But you could be correct.

[wsu_gb23]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

What are the differences for the CPU AI between the difficulty levels?

In the options menu it says Veteran is easy, All-Star is normal, etc. But what exactly distinguishes them from each other?

Is it simply an overall boost in ability, or does it make the CPU play differently in particular areas (like maybe make CPU hitters more aggressive, for example)?

I'm trying to settle in on a difficulty level, and ideally I'd like to play on the most realistic one. I've played games on multiple levels and can't really determine what the differences are.

I think the most realistic level is HOF. I played on all-star but hits were too easy to come by. I was getting 10-14 hits every game, even against the good pitchers. The AI batting is about the same on HOF as All-Star, but HOF AI pitching is a little more challenging. I lower pitch speed by 3 on HOF to be able to read the pitches. I am getting good realistic scores on HOF.

[swaldo]

Re: Differences for the CPU AI between difficulty levels???

Ben Ma kind of contradicts himself when referring to last years game: He stated...

"The difference between Allstar and HoF <ST1</ST1is difficulty, not AI intelligence. The increase in difficulty is split between batting and pitching, so each difference may seem minor even though it's enough to eliminate most users from qualifying."

Then while discussing hitting tips he states:<O</O
<O</O

"You have to stay ahead of the AI so it won't catch on (easier on Vet)."

I would like to see a detailed description of the differences of each level. Is "difficulty" strictly correlated with PCI size or do ratings come into play as well?

According to ratings and in general, if I have a B rated pitcher facing an C rated CPU hitter on all-star, would they become a B- rated pitcher facing a C+ hitter on HOF level? Is the PCI size any different in the lower levels, or just Legend? What about AI differences in this years game between each level?