Confidence needs to be revamped

[Vashyron.]

I've recently gotten back into The Show playing against the CPU, and confidence just dominates this game to ridiculous levels on the mound and at the plate. I just pitched a shutout a few games back, and I really wasn't locating well towards the end of the game. I was hanging sliders left and right, only to see them go for easy outs. All my pitches pretty much had full confidence as well, so I was just literally throwing over the heart of the zone because I know the CPU is just going to hit the ball for outs. Just because I pitched well in the PAST shouldn't dictate that I will pitch well in the present and future. Also, hitting against a CPU pitcher with full (or nearly full) confidence is just not fair, I'm getting solid to superb contact on most of my swings only to hit line shots right at someone or weak grounders or fly balls. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I can put a horrible swing on a pitch against a pitcher with low confidence and get some bloop hit half the time.

If a hitter in real life squares up a pitch, it doesn't matter if the pitcher is so confident that he's sweating confidence, the pitch is going to get hit hard. You regularly hit the ball weak on good swings in this game just because the pitcher has high confidence. In the game, it's obvious confidence directly affects the end result. Instead, confidence should indirectly affect the end result. For example, if a pitcher gains confidence in his slider (gets a feel for it), then make locating the pitch a bit easier and increase the break on the pitch a bit more. That would make the pitch harder to hit, but not in a cheap way where you are getting solid/superb contact but no hits because the confidence level says so. If you do square up the high confidence pitch (which will be harder to square up), then confidence plays absolutely no part in how the pitch is hit (that would just be all on the attributes).

Onto the hitting confidence. If a batter is hot, then you don't even have to put a good swing on the pitch, and you'll get a hit. Instead when a batter is hot, increase the PCI a bit and increase the attributes a bit. Much like pitchers, hitters get hits just because the confidence says so.

Anyone that plays this game regularly has to see these things. Hot hitters get "lucky" hits far more often than they should. A hot hitter in real life is getting hits because he's seeing the ball well and squaring up pitches, not putting bad swings on the ball and getting bloop hits. High confidence pitchers get away with bad pitchers for too often. And, when you are pitching with a pitcher with low confidence, even if you throw that perfect pitch, the CPU is going to crush and you know it. You have to get pitcher out of the game or hope a mound visit will replenish his confidence. To much of this game revolves around playing the "confidence" game instead of the actual game of baseball.

[Black59Razr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vashyron.

...and confidence just dominates this game to ridiculous levels on the mound and at the plate...

Where can we see hitter confidence?

[Vashyron.]

Quote: Originally Posted by Black59Razr

Where can we see hitter confidence?

Hitters get hot and cold symbols when they are hot or cold, which shows on the before-the-game lineup screen and on the manage roster screens and such. Also, there is hitter confidence levels within each game. If you get a HR or a couple early hits, that player is hot for the rest of the game. If you're in a tight situation late in the game (tie game, runner at 2nd) and the batter at the plate has a couple hits already and say Albert Pujols is on deck and is 0-3, pitch around the current batter and pitch to Pujols as he will be a much easier out. Obviously, in real life, you wouldn't do that but it's a great strategy in this game. It doesn't matter if the 0-3 were 3 at'em balls either, the fact that he's 0-3 means he has low confidence and is rather unlikely to get a hit.

[Yankees2009Champs]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vashyron.

Hitters get hot and cold symbols when they are hot or cold, which shows on the before-the-game lineup screen and on the manage roster screens and such. Also, there is hitter confidence levels within each game. If you get a HR or a couple early hits, that player is hot for the rest of the game. If you're in a tight situation late in the game (tie game, runner at 2nd) and the batter at the plate has a couple hits already and say Albert Pujols is on deck and is 0-3, pitch around the current batter and pitch to Pujols as he will be a much easier out. Obviously, in real life, you wouldn't do that but it's a great strategy in this game. It doesn't matter if the 0-3 were 3 at'em balls either, the fact that he's 0-3 means he has low confidence and is rather unlikely to get a hit.

Hot zones and cold zones influence as well. I don't really agree with your argument though. Here is what happened to me this weekend:

Red Sox vs. Yankees. I get killed by them in first two games pitching Colon and Sabathia. Colon I can see but C.C. is 14-5. He had all the confidence in the world and it couldn't save him. Next up was Freddie Garcia, 8-8 high E.R.A., and I was dreading the game. Garcia went on to only allow 3 hits, and I won 1-0. Now explain to me how in the world Garcia shut the unstoppable offense. (I couldn't believe it)

[Vashyron.]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yankees2009Champs

Hot zones and cold zones influence as well. I don't really agree with your argument though. Here is what happened to me this weekend: Red Sox vs. Yankees. I get killed by them in first two games pitching Colon and Sabathia. Colon I can see but C.C. is 14-5. He had all the confidence in the world and it couldn't save him. Next up was Freddie Garcia, 8-8 high E.R.A., and I was dreading the game. Garcia went on to only allow 3 hits, and I won 1-0. Now explain to me how in the world Garcia shut the unstoppable offense. (I couldn't believe it)

I am talking more about the in-game confidence level. The confidence bar you see on the pitcher when you press select. I'm willing to bet most of the runs off C.C. came when he had low confidence levels. Pitchers receive a better starting confidence if they come into the game hot. If you don't pitch well, that confidence will start dropping. If a pitcher is cold, he starts with a lower confidence and his pitches usually start with a lower confidence as well, but if you can put together a good couple of innings, then he you should be good for the rest of the game. That pitcher hotness or coldness really only apparent at the start of the game.

[Yankees2009Champs]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vashyron.

I am talking more about the in-game confidence level. The confidence bar you see on the pitcher when you press select. I'm willing to bet most of the runs off C.C. came when he had low confidence levels. Pitchers receive a better starting confidence if they come into the game hot. If you don't pitch well, that confidence will start dropping. If a pitcher is cold, he starts with a lower confidence and his pitches usually start with a lower confidence as well, but if you can put together a good couple of innings, then he you should be good for the rest of the game. That pitcher hotness or coldness really only apparent at the start of the game.

I know what you're talking about, C.C. came in hot. Over 3/4 full confidence, he was getting beat up. I had to use like 3 mound visits in 1st, 2nd, and 4th. Garcia came in shaky and dominated.

[thegut]

I agree with you Vashyron. Pitcher confidence is pretty much the only problem I have with this game. I find it curious that the Show (which is so realistic it's amazing) includes a pitcher confidence meter which is basically a mojo meter. It really should only effect location and maybe add a little more break. In real life after a pitcher pitches a gem you always hear them say, "I was really hitting my spots" or "I just really had a handle on my curve". In Show I feel it would go like this, "I just started pitching down the middle because I was so confident".

[Vashyron.]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yankees2009Champs

I know what you're talking about, C.C. came in hot. Over 3/4 full confidence, he was getting beat up. I had to use like 3 mound visits in 1st, 2nd, and 4th. Garcia came in shaky and dominated.

I'm not saying it's literally impossible to hit a pitcher with high confidence, it's much too difficult. I would say once you get to the 85%-90% or higher confidence level, that's where it really gets bad. Also, C.C.'s confidence had to have been dipping if you had to do 3 mound visits as the only reason to do a mound visit is to up your pitcher's confidence if you're not buying some time for the pen.

Confidence is the main reason why lots of people think this game has comeback code because the relievers' confidence is so touchy. Literally, one hit can cause a reliever to get low confidence. If you don't pay close attention to your relievers' confidence, you're going to blow a lot of games in the late innings. You always have to have at least one guy up in the pen just in case and ready to come in at a moment's notice even if your lock-down closer is on the mound. Also, there's no reason to bring in your closer for the save if your 8th inning setup guy just dominated, keep him in for the 9th as his confidence is through the roof.