Suggestions for upping difficulity?

[richmondn96]

So I am three played games into my franchise with the Red Sox (having simmed 4 other games) and I am having trouble finding the right difficulty for hitting. Right now I am using:

Veteran, Pure Analog, Flick, Guess Pitch Classic, Auto Baserunning

Sliders = Default but CPU Strike Frequency -2

And here are my results so far:

Boston (me) 6-16-1
Cleveland 2-11-0
7 strikeouts & 3 walks, / 39 AB's

Boston (me) 4-12-1
Toronto 3-3-0
4 strikeouts & 2 walks / 36 AB's

Baltimore 7-9-1
Boston (me) 18-30-0
Yes, 30 hits, T-3rd most hits in AL history
6 strikeouts & 0 walks / 50 AB's

As you can see I am now averaging 19 hits per game. The first 2 games of the regular season were okay, but everything exploded against BAL. Maybe it's because I've been playing the game a lot and I need to take a week off to "reset" my instincts. However, I don't want to be getting 30 hits no matter how "in the zone" I am. I could have broken the record for hits in a game if I had tried. Honestly I am okay with the difficulty level in all aspects - except for the fact that I got 30 hits. And it was consistent throughout the game, off of multiple pitchers, up and down the lineup. I hit a handful of doubles and at least 2 triples. I even got a hit off of a check swing. The BAL fielders were having a terrible day too.

I know the simple answer is to just bump up the difficulty level but I feel that will be too drastic of a change. I am not really scoring too much -apart from BAL- I am just racking up the hits unrealistically. Could anyone recommend some slider or setting changes that could help? I basically want to get fewer hits, but still maintain the ability to score runs. Should I decrease the CPU strike frequency again to get more walks as opposed to hits? (note the BAL game I had 0 walks.) Or should I bump up the CPU fielder capability?

Any tips are appreciated!

[RockPowderDownLoL]

I think you should just up the difficulty

[KBLover]

Maybe lower your contact and timing by 1 and raise CPU Control by 1. That should make it more difficult to pick up hits without being overly drastic. I don't like lowering solid hits because that might create more outs by just making you hit more choppers and pop ups, which is neither interesting nor terribly realistic on a consistent basis. Lowering contact and timing might do enough of that as it is.

Part of the walks is Veteran difficulty. The CPU may not throw too many pitches out of the zone, but you can try lowering CPU Consistency by a couple and see if that doesn't get you more walks. Strike frequency down might help early in the count, but it stops applying beyond that, so if they can pound the zone, they may well throw 2 balls then 3 straight strikes.

Higher control seems counter-intuitive for walks, but it depends on the CPU mentality. If it's to get a chase (or try to), then higher control + intended out of the zone location = ball more likely instead of it drifting back to the zone. Consistency might make it harder for the CPU to throw a "good ball", one that might get called by the ump or make you chase.

But the simplest solution might be to go All-Star hitting, see how it plays, and adjust from there. Keep everything as you have it now for consistency's sake and see for a dozen games or so (even though that's not a lot in baseball terms), and see what went down. Then adjust from there. You might think it will be too drastic, but you might also be an All-Star (or higher) hitter.

Another option is to go Dynamic (leave your sliders as they are), and see where the game puts you. That could be your base difficulty and adjust from there.

[richmondn96]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

Maybe lower your contact and timing by 1 and raise CPU Control by 1. That should make it more difficult to pick up hits without being overly drastic. I don't like lowering solid hits because that might create more outs by just making you hit more choppers and pop ups, which is neither interesting nor terribly realistic on a consistent basis. Lowering contact and timing might do enough of that as it is. Part of the walks is Veteran difficulty. The CPU may not throw too many pitches out of the zone, but you can try lowering CPU Consistency by a couple and see if that doesn't get you more walks. Strike frequency down might help early in the count, but it stops applying beyond that, so if they can pound the zone, they may well throw 2 balls then 3 straight strikes. Higher control seems counter-intuitive for walks, but it depends on the CPU mentality. If it's to get a chase (or try to), then higher control + intended out of the zone location = ball more likely instead of it drifting back to the zone. Consistency might make it harder for the CPU to throw a "good ball", one that might get called by the ump or make you chase. But the simplest solution might be to go All-Star hitting, see how it plays, and adjust from there. Keep everything as you have it now for consistency's sake and see for a dozen games or so (even though that's not a lot in baseball terms), and see what went down. Then adjust from there. You might think it will be too drastic, but you might also be an All-Star (or higher) hitter. Another option is to go Dynamic (leave your sliders as they are), and see where the game puts you. That could be your base difficulty and adjust from there.

Thanks for the input! One thing I noticed is that the CPU threw me both a changeup and a curveball way up in the zone, and I hit them both out of the park. I assume that was because of CPU Control and they were intended to be down in the zone. I'll test out all of your suggestions!

[PPerfect_CJ]

The way the Red Sox are hitting right now, those stats are pretty close to accurate. Lol!

[NEOPARADIGM]

Best quick fix I've found to up (or lower) hitting difficulty is pitch speed. Try bumping it to 6 or 7 for fastballs and 7 or 8 for offspeed. Might put you right in check.

Also, if you're on Veteran I wouldn't be too concerned with putting Timing straight down to zero. The effect isn't as drastic as you might expect; I have it on zero and am doing fine - in fact I'm still looking for a way to up my strikeout numbers without totally neutering my offense.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by NEOPARADIGM

Also, if you're on Veteran I wouldn't be too concerned with putting Timing straight down to zero. The effect isn't as drastic as you might expect; I have it on zero and am doing fine - in fact I'm still looking for a way to up my strikeout numbers without totally neutering my offense.

Do you have high Vision ratings on your team? I ask because in my Marlins team, I hardly K (maybe 3-5 times if I'm playing right, sometimes even less than 3), but with my fantasy Red Sox, same settings/sliders, I've K'd as much as 13 times. That team is missing 31% of their swings on average. I'm guessing that's PVis at work.

[richmondn96]

Should also mention that the reason I am reluctant to just bump the difficulty level is that I just recently moved up from rookie, where I had been playing for MLB 12, 13, and 16 to start out. Even on rookie I used to be really bad at chasing pitches and not having any discipline whatsoever. The opposing pitcher would frequently throw a complete game and throw maybe 10 balls. But then in 16 I got better at laying off pitches, so I bumped it to Veteran but as you can see I don't get many walks (probably because I am hitting so much).

In fact, in my 30 hit game I think I laid off about 100 pitches but did not walk once. Maybe this means I am swinging too much but getting hits anyway when I shouldn't?