Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

[icvu42]

One issue I have always had in baseball is I hardly ever walk the CPU when pitching. I have my consistency slider set at 3, but if I go lower than that, the CPU pounds me with extra base hits and Home Runs. Any way I can issue more walks without increasing the CPU hits?

Thanks.

Rick

[TopSide83]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

One issue I have always had in baseball is I hardly ever walk the CPU when pitching. I have my consistency slider set at 3, but if I go lower than that, the CPU pounds me with extra base hits and Home Runs. Any way I can issue more walks without increasing the CPU hits?

Thanks.

Rick

The worst thing you can do is lower consistency or control. Keep them both at default. Plus what style pitching are you using?

[bryanm1982]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

The worst thing you can do is lower consistency or control. Keep them both at default. Plus what style pitching are you using?

Hey TopSide, can you explain the reasoning for that?

[icvu42]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

The worst thing you can do is lower consistency or control. Keep them both at default. Plus what style pitching are you using?

I use pinpoint control. And I very rarely ever get a perfect pitch.

Why should I not lower consistency or control?

Rick

[tc020791]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

Playing on default HOF I just walked the CPU 7 times last game. This was with classic pitching.

[bryanm1982]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

It also depends on if you use clean screen or the ball marker on. If you do clean screen, it would be more challenging and might give you more walks.

[JoshC1977]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

Hey TopSide, can you explain the reasoning for that?

I'm not TopSide, but I agree with his stance...and here are my thoughts.

When you change a slider, you change the balance of the game. So, editing a user slider impacts the CPU. You lower control/consistency, you alter their behavior; which can actually wind-up being self-defeating. So, you begin this process of constantly adding more absurdly random dice rolls to the game to compensate for the alterations in their behavior. You'll never strike the balance that you get on defaults the minute you change a single slider. Honestly, I think even deviating from AS can yield a shift in the game's balance that can be detrimental (which is why I moved back to AS after being on AS+ in past years - AS is just tougher and more well-balanced this year). SDS has NAILED the roster ratings this year - and I think that has really resulted in a slew of very positive changes.

Just playing on default AS, I'm seeing HUGE variations in walk rates (and everything else) from game-to-game. Great teams/players stand out and vice versa. Every game feels natural and different; I don't know what's going to happen.


For clarity - all statements made above are relative to a setup using Classic/Directional/Auto Field/Clean Screen/No Vibration. Experiences using other interfaces (or aids) will most certainly vary.

[jcar0725]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

One issue I have always had in baseball is I hardly ever walk the CPU when pitching. I have my consistency slider set at 3, but if I go lower than that, the CPU pounds me with extra base hits and Home Runs. Any way I can issue more walks without increasing the CPU hits?

Thanks.

Rick

From my perspective, I walk hitters when I'm afraid to pitch to them in the strike zone and I'm trying to nibble.

[bayman]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

You are missing the reason walks happen. They don't happen because they can't throw strikes, they happen almost universally because the pitcher is afraid to throw strikes/trying to be to perfect on the corner. If your slider bump results in you being hit around but your ball% is low, you need to aim closing to the edge/out of the zone more and more walks will happen naturally and you will get hit by the cpu less also.

[baseballguy99]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

I'm not TopSide, but I agree with his stance...and here are my thoughts.

When you change a slider, you change the balance of the game. So, editing a user slider impacts the CPU. You lower control/consistency, you alter their behavior; which can actually wind-up being self-defeating. So, you begin this process of constantly adding more absurdly random dice rolls to the game to compensate for the alterations in their behavior. You'll never strike the balance that you get on defaults the minute you change a single slider. Honestly, I think even deviating from AS can yield a shift in the game's balance that can be detrimental (which is why I moved back to AS after being on AS+ in past years - AS is just tougher and more well-balanced this year). SDS has NAILED the roster ratings this year - and I think that has really resulted in a slew of very positive changes.

Just playing on default AS, I'm seeing HUGE variations in walk rates (and everything else) from game-to-game. Great teams/players stand out and vice versa. Every game feels natural and different; I don't know what's going to happen.


For clarity - all statements made above are relative to a setup using Classic/Directional/Auto Field/Clean Screen/No Vibration. Experiences using other interfaces (or aids) will most certainly vary.

How do you figure their behaviour changes when lowering human control and consistency?

[slthree]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

Classic pitching, problem solved

[GAMEBREAKER85]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

I'm not TopSide, but I agree with his stance...and here are my thoughts.

When you change a slider, you change the balance of the game. So, editing a user slider impacts the CPU. You lower control/consistency, you alter their behavior; which can actually wind-up being self-defeating. So, you begin this process of constantly adding more absurdly random dice rolls to the game to compensate for the alterations in their behavior. You'll never strike the balance that you get on defaults the minute you change a single slider. Honestly, I think even deviating from AS can yield a shift in the game's balance that can be detrimental (which is why I moved back to AS after being on AS+ in past years - AS is just tougher and more well-balanced this year). SDS has NAILED the roster ratings this year - and I think that has really resulted in a slew of very positive changes.

Just playing on default AS, I'm seeing HUGE variations in walk rates (and everything else) from game-to-game. Great teams/players stand out and vice versa. Every game feels natural and different; I don't know what's going to happen.


For clarity - all statements made above are relative to a setup using Classic/Directional/Auto Field/Clean Screen/No Vibration. Experiences using other interfaces (or aids) will most certainly vary.

I don't know if I'm buying that either.

The difficulty setting has a lot to do with pitch selection/sequence by the computer. All-Star means your more likely to get a fastball in favorable counts & in favorable locations. The more you move up difficulty wise the more likely you are to see a different assortment of pitches and locations. Also on higher settings, if you are struggling against a pitch, the cpu will continue to offer it more. Nothing worse than seeing a good pitcher get hot with a low change-up or splitter against me b/c you're going to keep seeing it. (Talking about hitting here of course)

For guys saying do not move pitcher control - there is mental aspect to moving this slider they aren't taking into the overall picture. When you plant that pitch at a location at default there is a good chance you can relax in your chair at home and not be punished. When you alter that slider, it will make you rethink throwing that 2-seamer on the inner 1/3 of the plate b/c you're comfortable it will end up in the correct spot. You move that slider and that pitch ends up on the inner half and sent to the upper deck it will make you start more of your pitches off the plate which will result in more balls, which will result in more favorable counts for the cpu, which will make them more affective, & make you pitch on the fringe more resulting in more walks.

They made pitching easier this year flat out; you have to make it more difficult until there is a patch altering settings. Playin 162 games in a franchise - you are going to see your team go on streaks in every "compartment of the game"; it's how it's programmed. But I can tell you, you want to be challenged (at least I do).

[DarthRambo]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

I don't know if I'm buying that either.

The difficulty setting has a lot to do with pitch selection/sequence by the computer. All-Star means you're more likely to get a fastball in favorable counts & in favorable locations. The more you move up difficulty wise, the more likely you are to see a different assortment of pitches and locations. Also, in higher settings, if you are struggling against a pitch, the cpu will continue to offer it more. There's nothing worse than seeing a good pitcher get hot with a low change-up or splitter against me b/c you're going to keep seeing it. (Talking about hitting here, of course)

For guys saying do not move pitcher control - there is mental aspect to moving this slider they aren't taking into the overall picture. When you plant that pitch at a location at default, there is a good chance you can relax in your chair at home and not be punished. When you alter that slider, it will make you rethink throwing that 2-seamer on the inner 1/3 of the plate b/c you're comfortable, and it will end up in the correct spot. You move that slider and that pitch ends up on the inner half and sent to the upper deck it will make you start more of your pitches off the plate which will result in more balls, which will result in more favorable counts for the cpu, which will make them more affective, & make you pitch on the fringe more resulting in more walks.

Idk. I hit on Allstar, and Strasburg loves to throw that slurve to get me chasing or out in front of it all game long, lol. Hated that pitch since Roy Halladay dominated me with it years ago. RIP, Roy! At best, they may somehow know which pitch has the most confidence and throw that more is about as smart as the AI gets. That is where it might seem they know what is getting you out, but reality it's just coded to know which blue confidence ring is most full. And even that may not be true. I don't even try higher difficulties for hitting, but I am doubting their pitch sequencing is any different. Same way with how the cpu plate approach is exactly the same on legend as it is on rookie or any other.

I find it hard to believe Sony would actually make this a thing as it would be complex cpu logic since they can't fix other more simple logic things. The only thing I see change with difficulties is the size of the PCI and nothing else. I've tested this over and over yearly and see nothing else different.

I definitely agree with you on pitch control and consistency, though. Lowering it doesn't change AI behavior. Wishful thinking and maybe just placebo effect/seeing what you want to see, I suppose. But it just doesn't. Their behavior seems hard coded to me and doesn't change no matter what you change. Discipline attribute is the best we get for some players able to check swing better than others. We all have our theories though. Sony will never explain any of it so we know. Nothing wrong with running with whatever theory you want to believe. Kinda like having multiple religions. Only one of us is correct, but no one truly knows who lol.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[GAMEBREAKER85]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

At the end of the day, pitching on a baseball game is comparable to throwing on a football game. For years I had to lower my QB Accuracy to 5 or 10 on EA's NCAA/NFL games & you were still going to be near the top in completion % - it was just an automatic on the old consoles to go to 5 or 10; FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES! I think you could play any company's baseball game the last 30 years and you are always going to have the least amount of walks or close to the least in the league if I was betting money on it. The only way to alter this is to change sliders to make you fear throwing strikes (why do you think MLB pitchers walk guys?). It is what it is.

[Rmiok222]

Re: Recommended Sliders to Allow More Walks

If you’re not walking enough hitters my first suggestion would be to use classic pitching and my second suggestion would be to up the difficulty, I would do both of those things before lowering control or consistency.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports