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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Legend - Guess Pitch on.