SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

[Mike Lowe]

Whether I'm using Pudge, who swings very early in the count, or Adam Dunn, who gets a ton of walks by being pitched around with the Nats...these guys will usually have BB totals that mirror each other based on my ability.

There should be a difference between a Kevin Youkilis, and a Randall Simon!

Generated counts don't really help with this much as it doesn't give you a feel for the AB for stolen bases, and getting a read/feel for the pitcher.

Having the game "auto not-swing" or something silly like that would take too much control out of the player's hands.

Perhaps having some sort of rating that determines how often balls/strikes are thrown. For instance, Pudge would see a lot of early strikes in the zone and not too many balls. Other guys who walk a lot, might have some simple pitches thrown to lay off of. Perhaps the pitchers just need to be overly cautious towards certain players. I know the game does some of this, but not enough to create good separation for certain players and their BB totals.

[metal134]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

Perhaps having some sort of rating that determines how often balls/strikes are thrown. For instance, Pudge would see a lot of early strikes in the zone and not too many balls. Other guys who walk a lot, might have some simple pitches thrown to lay off of.

Yeah, I've felt this way for a long time. That's how High Heat did it. It would basically calculate the pitcher's likelyhood of throwing balls/strikes against a batters ability to take balls/strikes.

[Mike Lowe]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

This is my biggest wish for the game moving forward. Aside from that:

-Players being called up/sent down based on PERFORMANCE and not just injuries (totally lame and inexcusable for a game of this caliber)

-Expansion, relocation, contraction, new stadiums ala ASB 2001.

[Shaffer26]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

Whether I'm using Pudge, who swings very early in the count, or Adam Dunn, who gets a ton of walks by being pitched around with the Nats...these guys will usually have BB totals that mirror each other based on my ability.

There should be a difference between a Kevin Youkilis, and a Randall Simon!

Generated counts don't really help with this much as it doesn't give you a feel for the AB for stolen bases, and getting a read/feel for the pitcher.

Having the game "auto not-swing" or something silly like that would take too much control out of the player's hands.

Perhaps having some sort of rating that determines how often balls/strikes are thrown. For instance, Pudge would see a lot of early strikes in the zone and not too many balls. Other guys who walk a lot, might have some simple pitches thrown to lay off of. Perhaps the pitchers just need to be overly cautious towards certain players. I know the game does some of this, but not enough to create good separation for certain players and their BB totals.

This is would something truly ****!

[2ndBase]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

I don't know how this would go over, but it could be as simple as great players getting the close call go their way. A border line pitch to Austin Jackson is a strike while the same pitch to Puljos is a ball. Not sure...

[cactusruss]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

I would love an "Auto Don't Swing" option based on the players plate discipline rating. So if you swing at a pitch out of the zone, a player with a higher discipline rating might not actually swing all the time (but still swing some of the time), a player with a lower rating would still swing more often (but still take some of the time).

And it would be an option, probably turned off by default. But I know I'm not the only person who finds themselves swinging at bad pitches the player they are controlling would never swing at who would like something like this.

[2ndBase]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

I would go for an auto no swing in the form of a check swing. The further the ball out of the zone, the greater the chance of the check swing. Of couse there could be no appeal. I had to turn that off any way.

[Shakedowncapo]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

Make the spin on the ball more prevelant for the Utleys and Pujols of the world! It would be pretty simple as SCEA would set a baseline for OBP(or a number of stats) and decide if they get it or not. Imagine being on an absolute tear and it kicking in for a few games until you cool off by your own faults?

Thats something I could dig. A more realistic version of batters eye from MVP baseball.

[Speedy]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

Perhaps having some sort of rating that determines how often balls/strikes are thrown.

For the CPU, it is already determined how the batter will be in the AB. For the user, I don't want the CPU having a preset way to pitch me just because of a BB rating. The CPU should pitch according to the situation.

Having said, I agree that's extremely difficult trying to earn walks in the game. The best way for the user to earn BBs I believe is a pitch recognition system where if my batter has a high BB rating I can realize it's a breaking ball quicker with Chipper than if I was Francoeur.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

I like the topic, but I think you guys are making this a little too complex.

A consistency slider (as well as consistency programing) is already in the game. This makes pitches miss their target from a lesser/wider margin.

I'm not sure exactly how SCEA calculates walks (as it translates to the user while at the plate), but perhaps the pitchers BB/9 plus the hitters ability to take a walk can have more of an impact on the overall pitch consistency. It's still up to you to recognize the pitch and take it, though.

I, personally, walk more with guys like Berkman and Rodriguez; than I do with Gardner and such, but it seems to me that consistency could be the easiest way to seperate these types of players. This isn't a huge problem for me, but I may be a little more patient with these players because I like to have them hit their real life totals.

[findinghomer]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

they actually sort of do. it just needs to be more apparent. guys with good eye/discipline will check swing easier, and sometimes not even swing if you attempt at a bad pitch. i just wish they would tune it to be more influential. its one thing i hate about actually playing games, its more human skill then players ratings.

[Knight165]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

they actually sort of do. it just needs to be more apparent. guys with good eye/discipline will check swing easier, and sometimes not even swing if you attempt at a bad pitch. i just wish they would tune it to be more influential. its one thing i hate about actually playing games, its more human skill then players ratings.

You're right...and don't the PCI's change with the vis/disc ratings?

M.K.
Knight165

[EnigmaNemesis]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

You're right...and don't the PCI's change with the vis/disc ratings?

M.K.
Knight165

It does, and contact, as well as other factors.

Ratings do play a lot in playing games... You still have to have timing and skill with that aspect yourself, but each player has his own ratings which reflects his ability when using him.

[dave724]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

interesting topic, I have long thought of the same thing. What I do is situational and inline with the player himself. Meaning, I will take more pitches with a "patient" hitter and swing away more liberally with a "free" swinger. It seems to work out although I don't have a full season of stats to prove it, but I generally am able to draw a good number of walks. Sometimes, you just can't be afraid to strikeout or get behind in the count. Of course, the pitchers ratings also plays a large role in this...

[cactusruss]

Re: SCEA needs to find a way to mimic hitters with patience/good eyes

sometimes not even swing if you attempt at a bad pitch.

In the hundreds of games I've played, I've never once experienced a batter not swinging at a bad pitch when I hit the swing button.