I think I finally figured out my problem with this game - ease of contact

[Padgoi]

Ease of contact has always been a problem for me. I just think there aren't enough strikeouts. Your PCI cursor can be nowhere near the ball, but if you time it right (using Zone hitting), there's a good chance you can at least foul the ball off. This is presenting a problem for me because in an effort to increase user strikeouts, I've resorted to moving pitch speed to 10. This regulates user strikeouts, however it also reduces number of hits because making solid contact on a pitch that fast becomes exponentially more difficult. I've been toying with sliders since Day 1, but I'm starting to think that this problem will never be rectified until SCEA actually lowers the potential to foul pitches off where the PCI isn't close to the actual pitch. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to back up my assertion, but I'm pretty sure we've all experienced this where you can foul off a pitch where the PCI isn't even close to the pitch. I guess this is why I've always been an advocate of cursor-based hitting (ala Yakyuu Pro) because if your cursor isn't on the ball, you're not hitting it.

Anyone else seeing this as an issue?

[braves_94]

I find my strikeout totals swing with my aggresiveness at bat. If I look for something in a particular zone, or let a few pitches go by for the length of a game, I might end up with 5 stikeouts on hall of fame. But if I open up my strike zone earlier in counts, I see more strikeouts. Do you have the same approach for every batter? For sim purposes in my Brave franchise, I tend to be a little more aggressive early in counts with Gattis, Simmons, and Johnson. Yet try to make the pitcher work with Heyward and Freeman. I see pretty typical results with the exception of Freeman. His strikeout total is pretty low compared to his just under a strike out per game in real life. Probably a rating thing.

[nomo17k]

My plate discipline has gotten good enough that I can "choose" to strike out less having a certain approach in at bats.

That said, if you increase Pitch Speed and reduce Contact slider, at a high difficulty level I think you should still be able to find a compromise. Unless you are so good that you can perform very well on Legend, I think it can still be a challenge.

What kind of setting are you playing at? Difficulty level, sliders?

[Bobhead]

I did have a problem with putting too many balls in play, but i wouldn't say it's too easy to foul off pitches. I think it's very easy to take for granted how many foul balls are hit in an actual game: about 25, per team, per game.

It should be easy to foul off pitches.

[KBLover]

I think there's too many swings and misses, especially on Timing hitting.

Contact % are just too low, both in zone and especially out of zone.

When I look at the real life contact rates (both from the hitter and pitcher sides), there just seems like there's too little contact on Timing.

[KayOtic723]

I agree that this is a problem but strikeouts are there if you try to work counts take strikes because they are not where you want and sometimes not swinging at close strikes with 2 or 3 ball counts...its all about how deep you get in to the count...if you turn on Quick Counts you will at least see 5-10 strikeouts per game with a bunch of walks because the counts are more realistic (only thing about QC that isn't realistic is pitchers with 2 strikes in a bunt situation) about a month ago i went strictly to quick counts because of this reason and it makes the game 10 times more realistic..you can get the same result not using QC just have to work counts and while pitching not be scared to walk batters throw a ball with 3 ball count throw strikes with 0-2 count a lot of people also pitch in the same zone all the time if you play on the harder levels (HOF Legend) you won't strike people out gotta mix your spots just my two cents

[Acts 4 12]

Quote: Originally Posted by P.A.D.

Ease of contact has always been a problem for me. I just think there aren't enough strikeouts. Your PCI cursor can be nowhere near the ball, but if you time it out (using Zone hitting), there's a good chance you can at least foul the ball off. This is presenting a problem for me because in an effort to increase user strikeouts, I've resorted to moving pitch speed to 10. This regulates user strikeouts, however it also reduces number of hits because making solid contact on a pitch that fast becomes exponentially more difficult. I've been toying with sliders since Day 1, but I'm starting to think that this problem will never be rectified until SCEA actually lowers the potential to foul pitches off where the PCI isn't close to the actual pitch. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to back up my assertion, but I'm pretty sure we've all experienced this where you can foul off a pitch where the PCI isn't even close to the pitch. I guess this is why I've always been an advocate of cursor-based hitting (ala Yakyuu Pro) because if your cursor isn't on the ball, you're not hitting it. Anyone else seeing this as an issue?

I agree with you and I also prefer cursor based batting, but I have come to appreciate the batting in this game. I think you can find a happy medium with the correct level and slider tweaks. I'm 40 years old and have really good hand eye coordination and reflexes. Pitch speed below max is just too easy for me to make contact. Finding a level to bat on proved to be a little more difficult. I either had to decrease the sliders on H.O.F or increase them on Legend. I chose the latter. I can't put my finger on it but batting on legend just played a little more realistically for me. If you haven't batted on legend with some slider tweaks I highly recommend it.

[Bobhead]

I do agree Legend hitting feels a little more realistic and natural. I haven't had the time to really invest into making it work, though, so I've stuck to HOF for now. Eventually I'll figure out the sliders I need to change to get the offense how I want it on Legend, and I think I'll be pretty happy there.

I don't agree, however, that cursor batting is necessary, or that the problems in this thread render the current "zone" system inferior or useless.

I think the hitting engine is simply wayyyyyyyyyyy too lenient in regards to making contact, and then the entire system is scaled outwards to accommodate the leniency.

If SCEA would just shrink the PCI and timing windows in half, on Legend, Hall of Fame and All-Star, I think the hitting system would immediately become more realistic.

The physics still need a lot of work, especially with the line drives I've discussed to death... but I think the main problem that turns players off to the hitting system is that you're making contact on pitches you shouldn't be making contact on.

Of course I am going to get unrealistic batted ball physics, and unrealistic at-bats, when I am literally making contact with the ball unrealistically.