Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

[ripwalk]

As we all know there are many many different skill levels and slider options to set in MLB 10/MLB 11.

I'm just wondering what hitting levels everyone plays on and whether or not you use guess pitch?

Guess pitch is a good way to give an advantage to the hitter if you have trouble picking up differnet pitches, but it's not necessarily overly realistic, as a real hitter can't ever really pick up (before the ball is even thrown) that it's going to be a fastball in the lower part of the plate once it leaves the pitcher's hand, for example. However, it's also kind of fun to try to think along with a pitcher and guess his pitches, so it's almost lke an in-game mini game.

However, I find it useful as if I don't have any idea what pitch is coming (or where approximately it is going to go) I will be way behind fastballs before I decide to swing and way ahead of breaking balls/offspeed stuff.

I'm just wondering a few things ...

1) Do you play with guess pitch on? With what settings? How do you balance the realism aspect versus the simply wanting to compete and not strike out 10 times a game aspect?

2) If you do use guess pitch, do you actually try to pick a pitch and location that you think will be coming on each pitch, or do you just use it the same way every time to give you a better idea of what's coming? (for example always guessing fastball down in the zone, etc).

3) For someone who has to rely on guess pitch, what are some tips you can give to slowly ween yourself off it, to make a more authentic experience? I assume lowering pitch speed probably helps in this respect, anything else?

Basically I'm just trying to decide what sort of settings/options might be suitable for hitting once the new game drops, especially now with analog.

Any and all experiences are welcome on how you guys play this aspect of the game. I'm thinking I may just start only guessing on pitch type for most realism, as in real baseball you often key on a certain pitch in a certain count and while you might be looking for it in a certain location you never really have an indication that it's coming in that spot.

Anyway, your thoughts?

[Skyboxer]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I usually play AS/HOF and dabble some in Legend mode.

I never ever ever use guess pitch as I don't think there should be a ratting boost because I guess right. To me if I want to guess FB then... guess fast ball and if I'm right I'll be all over it...wrong and I'll either take or look like a fool. Don't need the game to give me an artificial boost due to guessing right. The most I'd go IF I did use it, is I would never have the notification turned off that lets me know I guessed right.

Tips would be 1: Be patient!! If you want to sit dead red then do it and either react fast enough to lay off if its not a FB or not in right location.

For me I pick a certain location and sometimes sit a certain pitch. If right away I see it's not in the right location I take. I end up getting good counts and some bad counts but the important thing is I'm making the pitcher work and not just free swinging.
Once you get patient enough you'll find yourself in better hitters counts. There are times though you'll also be sitting 0-2..but that's baseball.

I've even struck out a few times becasue I knew that a certain location would more than likely cause a DP and end inning so I'd sit a certain area nd if not there I take. Sometimes its a ball but sometimes it's strike 3...BUT I left myself another AB to keep inning going.

I'd go cold turkey as far as guess pitch and just turn pitch speed down and practice practice getting a good eye. then slowly raise the pitch speed.

Anyways that's my .02 and while that's how I play everyone needs to play the way they get the most enjoyment.

[49ersfan4life85]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

1)I always play with everything off.Just a better feel for the game as a sim baseball game.I don't want all that gimmick stuff on my screen while I play.It may be hard at first but you tend to warm up to hitting and do great.This year it will be different because of the analog.I'm thinking it may better to focus on how you see the ball placement and where it is going etc.Walks for me should b easier.This year in MLB 10 I've been playing on All Star level.I'll stick with that until I get better.
2) I never use guess pitch for some reason it kills the aspect of real hitting to the game for me.I guess it must all depend on how you feel about the need for knowing what to gear up as the pitch comes to you.When you not using GP I think it does give you more of a feel for pitches when your decided to play in a league or online.
3)Me personally I never use the GP I did when i first came into the show series in 08 but never has since.I was try slowing up the ball speed or just using the strike zone.That is all I have in that area.

In all fairness it doesn't really matter your skill level when playing the cpu as long as you are enjoying the game of baseball and are winning games like most of us want to do of course.It really all depends for me of how I am doing in my Seattle Mariners Franchise is to what settings I will be using etc.I still suck at trying to draw out walks this year game due to the fact that I swing at almost everything but I am getting,and I think with the analog system that will help most so they don't and to tap a darn button instead they can just let go of the stick and go from there.

[harvey88]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I play with guess pitch on, BUT with no feedback. I think with no feedback you still get a bit of a boost from guessing right but its still realistic since you don't know if you guessed right ahead of time and their is risk since if you guess wrong you get a small rating penalty. I will usually only guess if I am in a good hitter count and I usually will sit on a fastball on say 3-0, 3-1 counts. I play on HOF for both hitting and Pitching. I started with All Star Pitching but was getting a bit too good, so I upped it to HOF about halfway through my 1st season. I use phycho bulks sliders.

[ripwalk]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

What about the PCI, do you guys move that around when hitting? I think that's a main part of the reason I use guess pitch, is that I don't really have much luck moving the PCI around accurately enough to get good hits. So I guess pitch and then just pretty much leave it steady.

[harvey88]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I usually don't move my PCI and i will never move it during my swing. I will sometimes move it before the pitch and keep it there, usually will move it low in the zone to avoid getting on top of the ball and hit into DP. I am mostly don't move it though and wait till the pitcher puts the ball in the zone. The PCI is pretty Big even on HOF mode and covers most a good part of the plate anyway.

[Gagnon39]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I'm going to All-Star on day one and unless I'm going 162-0, I'm sticking with it. I hate sliders anymore because I eventually end up spending more time adjusting them then playing the game. Also as far as guess pitch, I've always thought that this was cheap. I never use it.

The advantage of guessing a pitch is that you sit on it and time it. There's no need for a little red icon that tells you exactly where the ball's going to be. That's not what happens in real life. If you are guessing a fastball up in the zone, and the pitcher throws a fastball up in the zone, then that's an advantage enough. There should be no extra attribute boost for guessing the right pitch. I'm just glad its something that's optional. I've never used it and my personal opinion is that is takes realism away from a very realistic game.

[countryboy]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

Legend - Guess Pitch on.

[42]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

HOF (Pitching/Batting) with all aids OFF is my personal preference.

Going with Analog controls for Pitching, Batting and Fielding this year.

[Jeffster]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

Rookie hitting, guess pitch off.

I'm thinking of trying Veteran hitting for my next Franchise team, though.

[McCannFann]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I never ever play with guess pitch. I feel I become too reliant on it, trying to figure out the pitch, and actually do worse. I feel I do better when I can simply react to the pitch. I can look for a certain type of pitch and location on my own, based on the count and how the pitcher's been behaving.

For instance, I was playing a game the other day where the opposing pitcher walked the first batter of the inning and then hit the second. So there are two on with no outs. I'm batting with Dan Uggla and the pitcher's gone 2-0 in the count. That just SCREAMS fast ball down the middle, though it's not always so likely. But I took a chance. I was going to power swing, no matter what. So I was expecting a fast ball, and as soon as I acknowledged the ball wasn't breaking (or at least I didn't think it was), I hit the square button. BOOM goes the three-run homer! I guess I was a little lucky, because he could have thrown me a change up and I'd have swung WAY ahead of it. But that's the risk/reward of baseball.

I do All-Star for both pitching and hitting, though I've dabbled in Legend for both.

[bukktown]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I hit on Legend with Guess Pitch / no feedback and I bump up CPU control/consistency sliders and drop the throw strikes slider. I basically look for a pitch right down the middle.

[Tommyklaid]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

*All-Star (game always seem to play more realistic on A.S.)

*everything OFF (batters box, pitching marker, throw meter, guess pitch, etc, etc, etc, etc)
EXCEPT for Catch Region which I will keep ON

*seems like the game played GREAT out-of-the-box last year (seems like every year the "tweaking" gets less and less)

((( I don't know if I'm going to use the new pitching/batting system - I'm pretty old school and like using buttons instead of sticks))) -although, I "will" give it a whorl.

[HITTERSAURUS REX]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

1a-All star batting w Legend Pitching along with some custom sliders.
- Fouls, Baserunner Steal Freq, Fielding & Throwing Errors set @ MAX
- Solid Hits,Strike Freq set @ 2
- Fielder Run & Reaction set @ 1
- Pickoffs set @ 0
- Every other slider is Default.

1b-I do NOT use:
No Strike zone, No Guess Pitching. No Hot Zone, No Catch Postition Ind,

1c-I do use
PCI, Swing Influence, Catch Region & Tag UP Indicator & Pitch Meter (fade) Set to ON.

MLB 11, (Undecided, But 1b and 1c will remain)

[DJ]

Re: Let's talk hitting - settings and guess pitch.

I bat on All-Star with no slider adjustments (this game plays great out of the box), outside of Pitch Speed, which I lower 2-3 clicks.

I have Guess Pitch on but never use it. The only reason I have it on is so I can check the swing feedback (I think there's a way to do this without Guess Pitch on, but I can't get it to work) by pressing in on the L-stick. I don't move the L-stick while batting, either.

I am going to try out the Analog Controls when I first get the game. I have a feeling that I'll be dropping down a level (or two) while I get the hang of the new control scheme.