1)
Overall Difficulty - I play the game on All-Star mode, and I feel that pitching is spot on with the way pitchers tire, the way they have control, and the way they act during the game. Fielding wise, I feel that the fielders could have a little less on their speed out of the box, as I routinely see outfielders grab balls in the deepest parts of the yard when they are playing close in. Running is kind of difficult and cumbersome for new players because it's hard to grasp who is running where, but I don't think that it is a major concern.
My biggest problem is hitting. I feel that the new physics have altered the game in a way that was unintended. There are a number of balls that should be in the outfield that end up being speared by infielders making magnificent leaps. Maybe that's more of a fielding problem, but it just seems that balls going into the outfield are mostly speared by the infielder, caught by a speedy outfielder, or are a Texas Leaguer. Maybe there needs to be a little more arch on the hits for next year; however I'll defer to your opinion. Again, I love the new physics, but I think they need to be tuned again for optimum play for next year.
In addition to that, balls that get past the catcher are a bit weird this year... almost as if they have extra bounce. I've had more than a couple that bounce off a padded wall as if they were bouncing off of brick. That could be part of the new physics, but I'm not sure (it was really good in previous games.)
2)
Game Log - To be honest, I don't use the game log that much. Stats wise, I would like to see some more sabermetrics in the game like ERA+, wOBA, and BABIP just to name a few. This would mean a lot more in franchise mode of course. When I have used the log before, I enjoyed seeing the first inning first.
3)
Strategy Guide - I have not in the past, so I really can't comment on this.
4)
Pitcher Batter Analysis - I do use the chart sometimes, but I really can't think of anything more to add at this time.
5)
Pitching Interfaces - I used to use meter pitching for the longest time. I tried analog last year, and although it was alright I just felt more comfortable with meter (there's nothing wrong with analog, it just wasn't for me). This year, I'm using pulse pitching and I think it accurately portrays pitching in baseball. The only thing I can think of to change it would be to chose if you wanted a control pitch or a power pitch with tradeoffs. Perhaps that already happens, I can't tell. Sometimes, I want my pitcher to have a little more control and to give up some power to focus on that. Other times, I want to power it by the batter and let my fielding do the rest.
6)
Classic Pitching - N/A
7)
Hitting Modes - I should try timing-only hitting? Would that improve the game to where it plays better to the new physics engine? Perhaps that's why people are having so many problems... perhaps that plays to the batter's stats... In any case, I use zone hitting. Again, I'm having problems getting balls into the outfield or into the gap, but maybe that's because of the mode that I'm using.
8)
Stealing Balance - I have played some games online (which, I'm sorry to say needs a lot of work for me to keep playing it), and the only time I steal is when a) the other player isn't good at keeping me on base, or b) I have a Ricky Henderson clone on first. I find that I can keep players on the base online, but throwing to second... it doesn't pre-load for me sometimes. In fact, I've had more problems pre-loading this year than last year. Perhaps I still need to shake off some of the rust, but last year I was Pudge Rodriguez behind the plate. Now, I'm below average.
9)
Guess Pitch Modes - I used to use guess pitch, but I find that it's a crutch. Online, I can dominate players who use it because they are focused on one pitch. If I have a two seam fastball and a four seam fastball, I'm going to really confuse them on the mound. When I did use guess pitch, I was okay with it (no major issues to report). However, I find that without it, I'm more focused on what the pitcher is doing, and I get more hits without it.
10)
Pitch Speed and Ball/Strike – Heh, yeah it's a little too fast. I had to turn it down three notches in order to be comfortable with it. I find that with it down like that, I can read the ball much better, and I can take more balls. There are some times that I don't want to swing, but I do anyways because I just get trigger happy (especially against sliders and low pitches), but that's really my fault for not having a good at-bat. In hitter's situations, I let the ball come to me and if I'm wrong, it's no big deal. In neutral situations, I let the ball come to me, but I'll foul one off if it's close. In pitcher's situations, prayer helps some
By the way, I know this isn't part of the survey but give the guy who did the stadium art a raise. Rangers Ballpark looks amazing, and the details on the big board in left have not gone unnoticed.