Difficulty & Sliders

[NelsonBis]

What sliders defaults are changed when moving to a different difficulty level? I know that user contact goes down if you move up a difficulty because the batting coverage indicator gets smaller, but do ALL the other sliders defaults change too?

[Bobhead]

The exact answer depends on your hitting controls (Timing/Zone/Analog/etc) so I'll just assume you're using Timing.

Spoiler

- Your PCI covers the ball less often, and placement becomes more sensitive to poor timing.

- Your PCI shrinks in size

- Your power decreases

- Your ability to hit the ball solidly decreases

- The size of your timing window (the leeway you have with how late you can be before you miss) decreases

- Pitch speed increases

- The AI becomes less aggressive

- The AI's command increases

- The quality of the AI's pitches increases (think the Hits per 9 rating that pitchers have, but in reverse)

Not all of these apply with every level, for example, I don't think the pitching quality becomes any better from Hall of Fame to Legend, and I don't think it's any harder to hit a line drive on All-Star than it is on Veteran.

And I haven't stripped the game code down or waterboarded an SCEA employee or anything, so take these with a grain of salt. This is just what I've observed while changing difficulty levels over the years.

[NelsonBis]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bobhead

The exact answer depends on your hitting controls (Timing/Zone/Analog/etc) so I'll just assume you're using Timing. Spoiler - Your PCI covers the ball less often, and placement becomes more sensitive to poor timing. - Your PCI shrinks in size - Your power decreases - Your ability to hit the ball solidly decreases - The size of your timing window (the leeway you have with how late you can be before you miss) decreases - Pitch speed increases - The AI becomes less aggressive - The AI's command increases - The quality of the AI's pitches increases (think the Hits per 9 rating that pitchers have, but in reverse) Not all of these apply with every level, for example, I don't think the pitching quality becomes any better from Hall of Fame to Legend, and I don't think it's any harder to hit a line drive on All-Star than it is on Veteran. And I haven't stripped the game code down or waterboarded an SCEA employee or anything, so take these with a grain of salt. This is just what I've observed while changing difficulty levels over the years.

This is interesting, thanks Bobhead. Now I have an understanding as to what sliders to alter on HOF making it more like All Star but with cleverer AI pitching.

[erod550]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bobhead

The exact answer depends on your hitting controls (Timing/Zone/Analog/etc) so I'll just assume you're using Timing. Spoiler - Your PCI covers the ball less often, and placement becomes more sensitive to poor timing. - Your PCI shrinks in size - Your power decreases - Your ability to hit the ball solidly decreases - The size of your timing window (the leeway you have with how late you can be before you miss) decreases - Pitch speed increases - The AI becomes less aggressive - The AI's command increases - The quality of the AI's pitches increases (think the Hits per 9 rating that pitchers have, but in reverse) Not all of these apply with every level, for example, I don't think the pitching quality becomes any better from Hall of Fame to Legend, and I don't think it's any harder to hit a line drive on All-Star than it is on Veteran. And I haven't stripped the game code down or waterboarded an SCEA employee or anything, so take these with a grain of salt. This is just what I've observed while changing difficulty levels over the years.

Is there a way to get the PCI to cover the ball more often on timing hitting? Because even on Veteran I've lost count of how many times I've gotten a 2-0 fastball right down the middle with good timing and it ends up being a weak dribbler or even just fouled back because the PCI is way off to the side or way low or something. And this isn't with bad hitters, this is with guys like Matt Kemp.

[Bobhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by erod550

Is there a way to get the PCI to cover the ball more often on timing hitting? Because even on Veteran I've lost count of how many times I've gotten a 2-0 fastball right down the middle with good timing and it ends up being a weak dribbler or even just fouled back because the PCI is way off to the side or way low or something. And this isn't with bad hitters, this is with guys like Matt Kemp.

The contact slider definitely does that... and I think the Timing slider does too. Don't quote me on that though, I haven't spent much time with Timing hitting...

But I vaguely remember reading that your timing affects the location of the PCI, so it seems reasonable to suggest that expanding the timing window will enhance the accuracy of your PCI.

So definitely Contact, and maybe Timing as well.