Detroit's "Sliderology" Guide and Set for Classic/Timing/Quick Counts - MLB 22

[DetroitStyle]

MLB 22 SLIDEROLOGY 101

Welcome to my slider guide and set for MLB 22. My goal is to provide better, real-world descriptions of the sliders as well as a set that incorporates quick counts and fast play. Of course you can use these with any settings or styles with some adjustments based on your knowledge of what each slider does.

One of the most important takeaways though is that all sliders are dependent upon each other. Lowering one or raising one does not have much of a significant impact. Multiple sliders need to be tuned at a time to get a strong impact on gameplay. The descriptions below impact both the User and CPU equally unless otherwise noted.

I will only go over the more ambiguous hitting and pitching sliders. Anything not listed works exactly as expected or noted.

THE SLIDERS - EXPLAINED

Contact: This simply impacts the PCI in any hitting mode. At the extremes of 0 or 10 this decreases or increases the PCI. This does necessarily improve contact (as in bat-on-ball) but improves the chance of getting the PCI on the ball to improve your chance of solid contact or quality hits. This should be tuned in conjunction with Timing to increase or decrease batting averages and strikeouts. For the CPU this does seem to improve plate discipline and vision as stated in game.

Power: The amount of juice in a hit. Specifically, when good timing and solid contact is made how far a batted ball will go. This should be tuned in conjunction with Solid Hits to increase and decrease Homeruns and extra base hits. Pop flies will also go a bit further when hit within the PCI.

Timing: The timing window for swings. This stretches or contracts the windows to get early, good, perfect, or late swings. This should be adjusted based on your configuration such as cloud gaming, input lag, or latency. Skill level also applies here. If hitting is too easy or hard I would recommend changing Pitch Speed first. This should be modified with Contact especially for the CPU to improve offense and reduce user strikeouts.

Foul Frequency: Contrary to what you might think, this does not influence strikeouts or contact. It's a modifier on poorly timed swings (early or late timing) and borderline PCI coverage that dice rolls whether a ball should go foul or fair. This could be the difference between a weak grounder or pop fly and just fouling it off. Think of this as a batted ball in play modifier. At 0, more balls will be batted in play leading to more outs. At 10, batters will foul off more pitches giving them more time to square up a pitch.

In a lesser sense, a higher foul ball slider can lead to more overall hits while a lower slider can lead to more outs or balls in play.

Solid Hits: When timing is good and the PCI is on the ball this is the chance for a hit to be a "Solid Hit". These are line drives, crushed hits, and no doubter home runs. To a lesser degree they can be hard hit grounders or pop flies. If Contact is the ability to get bat-on-ball then solid hits is the quality of that hit. Increasing this does increase base hits but more so increase x-base hits. This should be tuned with Power as it has the highest modifier on Solid Hits.

Starter Stamina/Reliever Stamina: Simply a modifier for how fast or slow stamina drains. This is the only effect this slider has. There are other factors at play when stamina is high or low, as well as pitcher confidence, but these are not changed by these sliders.

Pitch Control: Strictly determines how off a pitch is from it's intended location based on early, late, or good/perfect timing. When not using classic pitching user skill determines release point (early, late, good/perfect). In classic pitching these are still determined but are a dice roll based on RATINGS. Lowering or raising Pitch Control does NOT influence the timing of a release to occur more or less often.

Pitch Consistency: When increased, allows more borderline pitches such as curveballs to get caught in a glove when aimed low. Possibly to a lesser degree affects confidence. I did not see much of an effect for this slider on any pitch mode for the user.

However this has a large effect on the CPU as you will see more/less hit batters and wild pitches near the extremes.

A quick note on pitch sliders: I'm not sure which version it changed but pitches are only rated on "release" timing. It used to be that bad timing got you a meatball but this no longer appears to exist. Instead, early release timing a pitch will go high and late timing a pitch will go in the dirt. Pitch type also determines the extreme of this. A batter is no more likely to hit a pitch hard that has early or late timing than a pitch that has perfect timing. This ONLY modifies how accurate a pitch will be.

DS's All-Star Slider Set

Settings:

I go clean screen and no pitch marker. I also use button timing (not directional) and classic pitching. See Armor's set as my settings closely mimic his.

Hitting Difficulty: All-Star
Pitching Difficulty: All-Star
Quick Counts: ON

I believe All-Star gives the most ratings based challenge. Higher modes give the cpu and user unfair modifier that effect ratings such as artificially increasing the CPU timing window and PCI as well as decreasing the users.

Sliders:

USER/CPU

**See the spoiler tags for additional info/observations**

Contact: 6/6

Spoiler

Quote:

Increases PCI size leading to a better hit chance. Also improves CPU's ability to watch pitches and make good contact. On classic the PCI location is a dice roll but the larger size helps with getting more hits. For those using another hitting mode this is all user skill. Doesn't matter how big or small the PCI if you're skilled at squaring it up. Non timing/button hitters should feel comfortable lowering this WITHOUT lowering timing.

Power: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

Seems good at default. Can be lowered with Solid Hits if too many home runs or drives.

Timing: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

Increases the timing window for both User and CPU. Reduces strikeouts to a lesser degree but improves the chance to get better timing on more hits which influences batting average.

Foul Frequency: 3/3

Spoiler

Quote:

Good balance between fouls and batted balls in play.

Solid Hits: 6/6

Spoiler

Quote:

Good balance between regular hits and drives. This can be lowered if needed, along with power, to reduce homers and x-base hits.

Starter Stamina: 10/10

Spoiler

Quote:

This is essential for quick counts. With so many counts starting 1-1 or 2-1/1-2 pitchers will NEVER get into late innings. Pitchers will have much higher and unrealistic pitch counts but it's a meaningless number.

Reliever Stamina: 8/8

Spoiler

Quote:

Same reasoning as starter stamina, just a reduced effect.

Control/Consistency: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

Good balance between balls and strikes. A lower consistency causes the AI to bean batters and I just don't see any difference for the User. Control also has a negligible effect but does cause more pitches to miss their mark. These sliders aint' what they used to be.

Strike Frequency: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

Using quick counts this can stay at default. Still drawing plenty of walks.

Manager Hook: 0

Spoiler

Quote:

With quick counts AI managers factor in pitch counts and stamina but I still see them take out starters way too early. Luckily the extreme setting doesn't keep poor pitchers in all game. Situation (as stated in game) is still the dominant factor.

Pickoffs: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

May lower a notch but seems fine for now at default.

Pitch Speed(s): 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

User preference. I would change this HIGHER if you're hitting too well. This works directly with user skill and wont impact ratings like Contact/Timing would. If you're struggling I would NOT lower past default as pitch speed becomes way too slow and may hurt your timing even more!

Fielding Errors (ALL): 7/7

Spoiler

Quote:

Seeing more errors as needed but any higher becomes Benny Hill baseball.

Fielder Run Speed: 1/1

Spoiler

Quote:

Fielders have always been blazing fast since '08. Reducing this allows more hits and extra base hits as fielders take more time to get to balls in play. You can still track down hits and am confident this setting is perfect.

Fielder Reaction: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

I may lower this but default is a good balance between diving plays in the infield and outfielders misjudging flyballs.

Fielder Arm Strength Infield: 3/3

Spoiler

Quote:

With this year's game, infielders are constantly throwing rockets on the run. Without reducing this you would almost never see an infield single.

Fielder Arm Strength Outfield: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

Seems perfect at default. A good balance between gunning down aggressive CPU runners and noodle arms not making throws home.

Baserunner Speed: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

I'd prefer to reduce fielder arm strength than increase this to get more infield singles. But this could be raised to increase x-base hits and more runs. However the CPU is VERY aggressive this year and will easily get more triples and doubles beyond what might be realistic.

Steal Ability/Steal Frequency: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

AI is already aggressive and success rate varies on a lot of ratings. Best to leave at default.

Wind: 5/5

Spoiler

Quote:

No need to change from default.

[DetroitStyle]

A game that makes you want to have a kneejerk reaction to reduce sliders. Only one game but a lot of good offense and early back-and-forth.

Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays
Jun 16, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (CPU)	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	5	6	1
Toronto (USER)	0	3	1	1	0	0	1	2	X	8	14	0

Baltimore Orioles
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
TEAM TOTALS	32	5	6	5	5	9	2
BATTING: 2B: 1

Toronto Blue Jays
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
TEAM TOTALS	37	8	14	8	1	5	3
BATTING: 2B: 4

Baltimore Orioles
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
TEAM TOTALS	8.0	14	8	6	1	5

Toronto Blue Jays
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
TEAM TOTALS	9.0	6	5	5	5	9

[DetroitStyle]

Made the following adjustements:

Contact: 6/6
Timing: 5/5
Solid Hits: 6/6

I've played over 50 games and these three sliders have the most impact and are extremely delicate.

Contact cannot go higher than 6. At 7 the CPU makes contact on everything. This didn't seem to affect strikeouts as I could get 12 one game and 5 the next, averaging dead on the MLB average of about 8.67 a game. The problem is the CPU gets a hit on anything not a strikeout averaging about 6 runs per game and 10 hits.

With Contact at 6 you get more variety while strikeout totals remained largely the same. However the CPU offense becomes inert averaging around 3 runs per game and 7 hits.

So the question was how to get the CPU to score runs without jacking up hits (raising contact) or nerfing strikeouts (by raising timing). The solution seems to be bringing Solid Hits up to 6.

Solid hits can increase home runs and x-base hits. However, they can also improve quality singles. Hits with only Contact at 6 that might have otherwise just been major league pop ups or weak grounders, now become drives to the outfield or shot through a gap.

After several games im pretty satisfied so far. I had one game were I gave up 2 runs on 2 hits (a two run homer) and the next I gave up 11 runs on 13 hits . Variety seems to be there.

[DetroitStyle]

Really locked in the with the recent changes. Box score from current Pirates franchise.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds
May 6, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (16-16)	0	0	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	5	10	0
Cincinnati (15-17)	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	11	0

Scoring Summary
SCORING DETAILS			PIT	CIN

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
TEAM TOTALS	36	2	11	2	2	8	2

Cincinnati Reds
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
TEAM TOTALS	36	2	11	2	2	8	0

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
TEAM TOTALS	9	11	2	2	2	8	0

Cincinnati Reds
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
TEAM TOTALS	9	10	5	5	2	6	2

[awffltony77]

Very cool. I! A QC guy too, and these are very very (very) close to what I've been using all cycle. I'll plug these I'm now

[awffltony77]

Do you hit from the fish eye?

[DetroitStyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by awffltony77

Do you hit from the fish eye?

No, I use MLB 16 camera.

[Ragnar84]

Hey, love the summaries and sliders. Have you made any changes since the OP? Thanks!