Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

[nixon08]

So I've decided (for now) that I am going to give up on the analog hitting. I'm throwing in the towel. Why? Because I'm THIS CLOSE to hurling my PS3 through a sliding glass door.

First let me say this: I play baseball. I played my entire childhood, high school, and still at age 28 I am playing competitive baseball against guys who throw 80-90 mph.

HITTING THE FRIGGIN' BALL IN THE SHOW ON PURE ANALOG IS HARDER THAN HITTING AN ACTUAL 90 MPH FASTBALL.

It severely frustrates me that I am waiving the white flag, as one of the reasons I purchased the game was for this new feature, but I just can't take it anymore. I don't have time to play the g-d dam game all day every day. At most I can squeeze in one game a night, and I'm not always at my most focused at 9:00 on a weekday night. I've played nearly an entire spring training and my team batting average is below the mendoza line. There are times where I show flashes of improvement, but then the very next game I'll be swinging at everything.

I think I could play this game for a year straight and I'd STILL never be able to tell the difference between a change and a fastball until AFTER the bottom has dropped out of it and I'm bashing myself in the forehead with my dual shock controller for swinging. I don't know what my problem is, but I just cannot seem to pull it together. I am playing on Veteran, with my batting sliders pushed all the way up. I've used practice mode quite a bit, and here's the thing...I do great in the cage. But on the field it just doesn't translate. I hate this game.

If all you have to say is "practice more", then I hate you too. I need to hear from others who have said "F This" and given up on analog hitting entirely.

Where's the emoticon for "donkey punch self in face"?

Oh wait...

----> (<-- me)

[Scottdau]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Move down to rookie or veteran and I am sorry, but I LMAO when you said it is easier hitting a real baseball. Yeah, maybe in your pick up games. But go try to hit in the majors and see how that goes.

[Two Seamer]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

If you're not having fun, what's it all for, right? It's a video game. No shame in the switch at all.

I switched right away. I tried analog in the demo and even though I liked the idea, timing the different strides for every player just distracted me too much from enjoying the experience of the whole game. I may try analog for my RTTS player, who will always have the same stride. But for everything else? Back to zones, baby.

[nixon08]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

First of all, they aren't pick up games - don't insult me like that...lemme bust out the boxing dude again it's a legitimate 25+ wood bat league.

Secondly, I'm not saying it would definitely be easier to hit a major league pitcher (though I am not sure of that). I'm saying that in my experience, it is easier for me to swing a long piece of wood at a small leather ball moving at 90 mph and make contact with it than it is for me to pull a friggin joystick back and connect with a bunch of small white pixels traveling from the top to the bottom of my television screen. It's just not fair.

[ShortyDM]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Yep, gave up on the Analog hitting during the demo. Too much to focus on and I wasn't able to actually focus on the most important thing...the pitch.

So I switched back to zone and have a good time playing on HoF with that. I did keep analog pitching and fielding, however.

[Scottdau]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

First of all, they aren't pick up games - don't insult me like that...lemme bust out the boxing dude again it's a legitimate 25+ wood bat league.

Secondly, I'm not saying it would definitely be easier to hit a major league pitcher (though I am not sure of that). I'm saying that in my experience, it is easier for me to swing a long piece of wood at a small leather ball moving at 90 mph and make contact with it than it is for me to pull a friggin joystick back and connect with a bunch of small white pixels traveling from the top to the bottom of my television screen. It's just not fair.

Dude just stop please. I can't stop laughing. Wood bats! I am going to bow out of this thread. I played in a semi pro league in my 20's to and it was not even no where near to facing a real MLB pitcher. If you are not having fun switch or you can move down a level and work on your timing.

[nixon08]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Woohoo we've got an ex-semi pro here! Just give me one second while I wipe the drool off of my face. I'm glad you are having a good time laughing at me, but dude I am not stating that I am the best baseball player of all time, nor am I suggesting that ex-college pitchers 5 years removed from competitive play are anywhere near as difficult to hit as major league, or even professional grade pitching.

I'm simply stating that the VIDEO GAME is more frustrating than the ACTUAL GAME. You're getting hung up on semantics - I'm talking about contact, not winning batting titles. I'm talking about pitch selection. Why can I lay off a slider low and away in real life, but in the game I'm swinging when I know I should take. It's just frustrating.

Anyways, I'm not saying it's hard for everyone. I just don't know why I am having such a hard time with it. Maybe I just don't play enough video games.

[kehlis]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Dude just stop please. I can't stop laughing. Wood bats! I am going to bow out of this thread. I played in a semi pro league in my 20's to and it was not even no where near to facing a real MLB pitcher. If you are not having fun switch or you can move down a level and work on your timing.

Scott, you are the only person who has compared this to batting against a major league pitcher, he even said in his second post he wasn't making that comparison.

All he said is he has faced pitchers who throw 90 and has an easier time hitting against them than he does in the game which makes your suggestion to turn the difficulty down valid. But he never once compared it to hitting against major league pitching and I'm not sure why you keep bringing it up...


That said, I'll offer my opinion of the analog hitting.

I really hope next year there is an option for zone plus analog. I would love to control where I swing with the left stick and the timing with the right stick.

I don't like analog because I can't control the height of my swing. I'm not suggestion zone is more realistic because I realize there are takeaways with that as well.

I love having attributes controlling a majority of the outcome but I want to be able to control exactly where and when I swing.

I tried analog and it isn't for me.

[Scottdau]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Yep. I guess I saw the 90 mph ball. And was thinking that is more on level with the Major, but I apologize. Bro I am not trying to hate on your league. So good luck.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Timing isn't my issue. I mean yeah, I'm stiking out a lot but that's only because I'm trying to make things work. See my big issue is I can't control where I swing using the left stick. 80% of the hits I put on the ball are skied or grounded to an IF. WHen I look at the timing etc I usually see "Good" or "Perfect" but then my guy swings above or under the ball.

Really frustrating batting .180 due to something that isn't under my control I'm doing all the right things...should be batting .280ish at least and I'd be happy with that. Thought vision would help but having that maxed and sliders set in my favor still isn't changing it.

I love feeling of analog, the timing is great and I feel a realistic rhythm when using the method but man its very annoying not being able to control that aspect of my swing.

Also, the argument isn't 90MPH pitchers here...I played in a league with a bunch of former minor league guys who threw high 80s to low 90s and batted .265 (around there). The problem would be hitting a 90mph fastball with good movement and pinpoint accuracy I could see my average being .180 or worse in that case :P

[Scottdau]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Go down to rookie or veteran. It does help.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Go down to rookie or veteran. It does help.

Always played on All-Star so I thought I'd try Rookie and Vet. Rookie I was pretty much hitting everything to the wall. WAAAY too easy. I checked after hits too and still wasn't hitting on target height wise but it was more forgiving. I thought Veteran would be easier and I gotta say it is easier but my guy mostly just skies it in Veteran.

I don't think the game is harder...just feel like the mechanic of that particular mode is flawed which stinks cause I really want it to work for me.

[Scottdau]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Could be. I am still on veteran.

[The_Ripper_]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

I am actually really liking pure analog hitting. I play on veteran with only the power slider moved up one tick and the cpu strike frequency down 2 ticks. I played a little baseball to (just high school) and using the analog just feels natural, I love controlling your first step. And I when I swing and miss I miss under, I miss over and swing and miss right through some pitches (never thought I'd be so amazed by strikeouts, lol). I could be mistaken but I think were your bat ends up (in the zone) depends on the timing on your step as well as your follow through.

I had a ton of trouble at first but one thing I think can help you get back on track is (this is what I did) dont guess the pitch but guess the location of the pitch. If the area you guessed lights up red then focus on that area and prepare to swing and just layoff anything that doesn't cross the area you guessed. After doing this for a while I think you can get a better understanding of pitch recognition in the game.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Giving up on Pure Analog Hitting

Could be. I am still on veteran.

I'll find a happy method to making it work. Just for kicks I tried a few of my RTTS games in zone. Went from averaging about 0 to 1 hit a game in All-Star to averaging about 2 hits a game with zone.

I really feel if they cold take on a zone analog mode (patch maybe?) that would be my mode. It would still be "pure analog" technically since you're using both sticks.

I'll find a happy ground because like I said, I like the tempo of the game using analog but I like the control of my bat I have with zone. SCEA, please give us a zone analog option