What Are the Best Video Game Pitching Controls?

[vaughn99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trevytrev11

This doesn't make sense to me at all. Every individual pitch (the micro) dictates the outcome (the macro). You can't just say pitch to a hitter and hope for a double play ball. You have to execute the proper pitches in hopes the hitter will put the ball on the ground. This is the chess match that is baseball. It's setting hitters up, moving them off the plate a few inches on one pitch to go away on the corner with the next pitch. It's throwing a curveball in a fastball count. It is the micor because one pitch, any pitch, can change a game. You can hope and pray for a groundball, but if you can't execute the pitch in the bottom 1/3 of the zone, chances are the balls going to be hit in the air. Do you feel this way about hitting and fielding as well as far as less physical control and more computer control? If not, why have complete control over the hitter or the fielder and not the pitcher? For hitting, why not just have "hit behind runner, hit ball in air,etc." as your options instead of actually swinging the bat? If so, then I'm confused as to why next gen baseball games would appeal to you. It seems like stat based sims would better suit you...or a MLB game like NFL head coach. I don't think the goal of this game is to be either of those things.

That would be the optimum, that you choose what to do when hitting as well -- but just like in real life -- IT IS a "roll of the dice" so-to-speak. It would be nice as well if you had deeper options in hitting and pitching . . . but this discourse is specific to pitching and what's actually out there.

I think my disconnect with sports gaming is where the blur occurs between controlling a player and a team. These are team sports and yet we can switch to nearest player to make a tackle, or in Baseball -- we are the pitcher and catcher and nearest fielder. I don't think the 1st person POV is ever the (or even an) answer, so IMO it should revert back to you're a manager, you can call pitches, but you're leaving it up to a player (or here a game's AI) to determine the outcome.

[vaughn99]

And you're right -- I enjoy NFL Head Coach and I even had an import version of Football Manager (the Euro sim game for soccer) ordered before I even had my 360, (which so happens to be region-free). And I'm stoked for the MLB General Manager . . . Why next gen? I do like these pretty pictures -- and the processing power is amazing, too.

[Beantown]

I enjoy the button scheme a lot more than the right-stick scheme that debuted in MLB this year. The stick control was innovative and would be cool...if I didn't despise it.

[Chitown1211]

I like the idea behind 2K8's pitching system and it is fun, but I only use it when I want to play an in depth game. IMO 2K3, or WSB at the time, worked just fine. Aim and press a button. Let the ratings and randomness be the judge of what happens. There was a "pitching variabillity" slider that worked great. If I could just get that back and REAL cursor hitting I would be set.

[WatchdogXC]

I prefer the button system used in the Show. I really liked MVP's pitching and I like the Show's even better. I used to always want to get everyone out and just bat but it is just so much fun pitching and trying to set guys up and striking guys out feels rewarding.

[BadKermit]

It seems to me that the writer says that 2K8 has the best pitching CONTROLS ("MLB 2K8 has the most in-depth and unique pitching system of any baseball game on the market."), but then gives the nod to The Show just because of the RESULTS ("MLB 08: The Show currently contains the favored pitching system...because the pitching system in The Show, simple as it is, gives more realistic results when pitching.").

I don't understand why the results would factor into which has the better control scheme? By way of analogy, an FPS with a great control scheme would still have a great control scheme, regardless of whether or not hit detection in the game sucked.

[Trevytrev11]

Quote: Originally Posted by BadKermit

I don't understand why the results would factor into which has the better control scheme? By way of analogy, an FPS with a great control scheme would still have a great control scheme, regardless of whether or not hit detection in the game sucked.

My thoughts exactly regarding the premise of the article. The question is which has the best controls, not which has the best overall pitching experience.

[dogoreo]

To be the best possible make it like MVP baseball 2005.