MLB 2K11 News Post

MLB 2K11 Developer Diary #3 - Pitching and Hitting

02:01 PM - February 18, 2011 by Fiddy

Check out the latest MLB 2K11 Developer Diary #3. Designer, Shawn Bailey covers pitching and hitting.

Quote:


	"Through the Pitcher Control slider, you can change the concept of control to be more or less challenging. This new slider will allow you to customize the pitching experience to your liking. This is a sensitive slider that will make it noticeably easier or harder to throw strikes. And don�t worry,we are not disabling achievements this year if you change the sliders. It�s your game and it should be played however you want to play it."

Game: Major League Baseball 2K11Reader Score: 5.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: NDS / PC / PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 17 - View All

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Member Comments

# 61 jeffy777 @ 02/19/11 01:47 PM

Last night, I worked 3 walks in one inning at the plate in 2K10......so the game is more than willing to walk you if you're patient. But if you hack at everything, then there's not much the AI can really do. Either you're going to make contact or strike out. The AI pitchers select their pitches quite realistically, so if you're down 0-2 you can usually expect them to try to get you to chase some junk out of the zone. You just have to learn to be patient and fiddle with the camera settings until you can read pitches better. I used to be a hacker as well, but the camera angle in 2K10 (combined with a lot of practice) really helped me. I like the the Hitter 3 camera zoomed all the way in. IMO, it's perfect for reading pitches. Another tip to help you become more patient is to go up there and take pitches until you get at least 1 strike. If you do this, you'll often find yourself in a good hitter's count (not all pitchers throw first pitch strikes) or sometimes a pitcher will even walk you on 4 straight pitches if you're lucky.

I really liked the hitting in 2K10 (I hope it doesn't change too much), and the Pitcher vs. Hitter matchup was really well done. As for pitching, I didn't like the user pitching because of the pinpoint accuracy making it too easy to dominate, but I thought the AI pitching was pretty good in terms of pitch selection.

# 62 CMH @ 02/19/11 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayhawker


	It really does take a willingness to change your approach to playing the game. Last year I just really worked on trying to find reasons to take pitches. Early in the count, I was looking for one pitch. If it was low, or a breaking ball, I just took it, regardless if it was a strike. What I found after some time was that my approach was really beginning to mimic my days from playing high school baseball. Over time, as you take more pitches, you really start to get a feel for what different pitches look like, and it becomes easier and easier to read balls and strikes. At that point, hitting becomes such a joy. I've read how a lot of people want hitting gutted and re-done, but I think it is near perfect. I would approach contact and power swings differently. Mainly, it either needs to be one swing type, or three, with larger penalties for using contact or power instead of normal. But if you spend time considering the ramifications of the swings, I think you can approach an at-bat wit ha plan suited to each hitter's skills and the situation. It seems like most folks chose to just use power 90% of the time. I chose contact most of the time, but increased the power slider. They guys using power swings were forced to increase the contact slider to achieve realistic results. But batting does raise an issue about realistic results. Once I really improved my patient approach at the plate, it's not like I could suddenly become a free swinger when I was hitting with Vladamir Guerrero. It's actually as unrealistic as hacking with Albert Pujols. I'm not really sure what the answer is, to be honest.

I can't remember if this was in MLB 2k10 or if I just did it so much that it became second nature, but starting with MLB 2K9, I used the Inside Edge reports to gauge how I approach the plate with a hitter.

If you pressed right (I think) a few times, it would show you if a hitter was patient or aggressive at the current count. (The reports that appear just under the score overlay)

So, if you had Nick Swisher batting up, the report would say something like "Patient on 0-0 counts." Then that would adjust with every pitch. I used that to determine my approach and it was a lot of fun.

I haven't played 2K10 in months so I can't say for sure it's still in the game, but I'm sure I changed my approach because of Batter's Eye - which I think was the best system in reading pitch type/balls and strikes in video games.

The pitcher vs. batter duel is what always makes MLB 2K my favorite of the baseball games. 2K has lacked in a lot of things and it's frustrating, but the duel always keeps me coming back.

# 63 NINJAK2 @ 02/19/11 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiderGH


	Everything seems promising so far, im still not holding my breath but they are talking a good game thus far. Cant wait to see some actual gameplay of this game in action. One thing I am curious about is pitch counts for the CPU. Things seem perfect while your pitching. Its going to be cool to have accurate pitch counts,etc. The only thing though is, I am not a normal hitter in baseball video games and Im certain most of us are like this. How will the game even out for people who go up there hacking? I mean, I feel like every CPU pitcher is going to pitch a complete game or something because Im quite simply not going to take as many pitches as a real life batter or even the cpu. Has anyone heard of how they are going to manipulate this?

Sim can often be determined by how you play a game as well. If you go up hacking at every pitch you will not get a sim like experience. IRL hitters are often patient. If that is how u plan to play, it is not 2k's fault you won't see accurate pitcher fatigue.

# 64 Blzer @ 02/19/11 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redemption


	dynamic camera angles? Change the camera angle based on the batters discipline so that the lower the discipline, the more difficult the camera angle is to read pitches (this would obviously have to be a feature implemented by 2k, as the user having the change the camera angle every batter would be a huge pain)

This is what I want, and I have some pretty good ideas for it as well but it would take hours of explanation (and we all know how confusing Blzer's explanations can be

# 65 tvman @ 02/19/11 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	The funny thing is when you bat you are really using your plate approach. What I am saying is when I play the Giants I try to be patient at the plate even with Sandoval, but in real life Sandoval is a free swinger. Maybe I will start batting the way the real player bats in real life.

No,no Sandoval will be a much more disciplined hitter this year, aggressive yes but more disciplined.

# 66 econoodle @ 02/20/11 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sroz39


	I'm right with you, pal. The only game in this series I haven't bought since the jump to this generation is 2K9 and I've enjoyed every other one from a little (2K6, 2K7) to alot (2K8, 2K10). This is all the while getting The Show every year. There's aspects of this series that are better and in my opinion, the gesture-based pitching is the second best implementation of analog controls in a sports game, just behind the Skill Stick in the NHL series. It's absolutely awesome and adds a level of immersion to pitching that no game can match (the only game I've ever actually enjoyed pitching in). This game is looking really great, pre-release. And I know any true fan of baseball has room in their library for two outstanding games. Especially when they are so different in how they approach the game.

truer words...

# 67 Blzer @ 02/20/11 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	I hope not. I want him free swinging. When you try to change someone they usually do bad. I want him to be swinging. I really think the divorce was the key factor in his bad year. This year Sandoval will be the Panda again.

I know we've talked about this over and over before, and I've noticed you still haven't changed your mind on the matter.

There's a difference between being a free swinger and going to the plate with zero mentality. Sandoval showed much of the latter last year.

# 68 rudyjuly2 @ 02/20/11 06:45 AM

I'm largely incapable of changing my approach at the plate based on different batters. With sluggers I'm probably less patient but overall I find it hard to change. I did love the slower pitch speed in 2K10 which allowed me to work pitchers (batting angle helped a lot too). I normally had the cpu pitcher's working 15+ pitches per inning.

# 69 jfsolo @ 02/20/11 04:00 PM

Given the last few years, as a 360 only owner, I had pretty much written off playing a baseball game during this generation of systems. The info we've gotten over the last few days has rekindled a fire that has been essentially extinguished since High Heat bought the farm. I will wait until the OS brethren play the game for a week or two, but this is looking promising.

As to the specific topic at hand, I always turn every hitter into a super patient, work the count batter, as I am obsessed with trying to get every opposing starting pitcher over 100 pitches by the fifth or sixth inning, or forcing any reliever to throw 15+ pitches in a inning.

# 70 utahman19 @ 02/20/11 04:38 PM

I do have one concern about the variable strike zone. I hope that it is consistent throughout the game, i.e. the ump consistently gives the outside corner of a right handed batter, calls it tight inside, etc. I want to be able to figure out the strike zone of the umpire for each game, not have to deal with a zone that changes pitch-to-pitch or AB to AB. A strike zone that is not by-the-book is fine, just as long as it is consistent throughout the game and I can adjust to it both as a batter and pitcher.

# 71 jeffy777 @ 02/20/11 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utahman19


	I do have one concern about the variable strike zone. I hope that it is consistent throughout the game, i.e. the ump consistently gives the outside corner of a right handed batter, calls it tight inside, etc. I want to be able to figure out the strike zone of the umpire for each game, not have to deal with a zone that changes pitch-to-pitch or AB to AB. A strike zone that is not by-the-book is fine, just as long as it is consistent throughout the game and I can adjust to it both as a batter and pitcher.

Thing is though MLB umpires aren't always consistent from AB to AB.

# 72 utahman19 @ 02/20/11 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777


	Thing is though MLB umpires aren't always consistent from AB to AB.

I understand that, but they are close enough. If an ump has been giving the pitcher the outside corner, he will still give the outside corner but might tighten it up a bit. I don't want to go from a very tight outside corner to a very loose outside corner between at-bats. Or from having the low fastball called a ball and a high fastball a strike, to the low ball a strike and high a ball. Or a small overall strike zone one inning to a large zone the next. Give the "ump" his strike zone for the day, and stick close to it.

I like the idea, I just hope that it will not vary much throughout a game. Changes from game to game is great, but within each game it should be consistent and you can figure out of what the zone is. Adapt and adjust to what the "ump" is calling for the day, just like in real baseball.

# 73 AmazingMets @ 02/20/11 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utahman19


	I understand that, but they are close enough. If an ump has been giving the pitcher the outside corner, he will still give the outside corner but might tighten it up a bit. I don't want to go from a very tight outside corner to a very loose outside corner between at-bats. Or from having the low fastball called a ball and a high fastball a strike, to the low ball a strike and high a ball. Or a small overall strike zone one inning to a large zone the next. Give the "ump" his strike zone for the day, and stick close to it. I like the idea, I just hope that it will not vary much throughout a game. Changes from game to game is great, but within each game it should be consistent and you can figure out of what the zone is. Adapt and adjust to what the "ump" is calling for the day, just like in real baseball.

this comment still is a good rebuttal to your wish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777


	Thing is though MLB umpires aren't always consistent from AB to AB.

# 74 duke776 @ 02/20/11 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayhawker


	What they have done is, if the ball is 100% in the zone, you are going to get a strikes. If the ball is 100% out of the zone, you are going to get balls called. It's all of those pitches that you try to pain the corners that are gong to be iffy. And they are iffy in real life, too.

This is one thing I'm very very happy about. We all know last year with how if you just nipped the corner, you'd automatically get a strike. I mean I'm fine with it being a strike sometimes and other times not (like how they have made it for 2k11), but last years just completely widened the strike zone way too much. I had actually forgotten about this until it was mentioned in the dev diary. This should also help with the user throwing more balls too, color me excited.

# 75 rudyjuly2 @ 02/20/11 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke776


	This is one thing I'm very very happy about. We all know last year with how if you just nipped the corner, you'd automatically get a strike. I mean I'm fine with it being a strike sometimes and other times not (like how they have made it for 2k11), but last years just completely widened the strike zone way too much. I had actually forgotten about this until it was mentioned in the dev diary. This should also help with the user throwing more balls too, color me excited.

Totally agree. The strike zone was almost hard to miss last year because you got every call as a pitcher.

# 76 SoxFan01605 @ 02/20/11 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke776


	This is one thing I'm very very happy about. We all know last year with how if you just nipped the corner, you'd automatically get a strike. I mean I'm fine with it being a strike sometimes and other times not (like how they have made it for 2k11), but last years just completely widened the strike zone way too much. I had actually forgotten about this until it was mentioned in the dev diary. This should also help with the user throwing more balls too, color me excited.

Agreed. Between the easy calls and the pinpoint accuracy, it wasn't uncommon to rack up 10+ k's with almost anyone. This should help a lot. I like variable strike zones, and it seems they decided to take a very fair approach to it for all users. Fully variable (like the other game) can lead to clear cut strikes being balls, and vice-versa which seems to frustrate a lot of people. This way, you still get some suspense on the borders, but lose the frustration of missing obvious calls. Sounds like a good balance IMO and should add a lot to the pitcher/batter matchup as you said.

# 77 Spanky @ 02/21/11 12:35 AM

Anyone remember when they released the demo last year? 1 week before? 2 weeks before? we have to be getting close, you'd think.

# 78 rudyjuly2 @ 02/21/11 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky


	Anyone remember when they released the demo last year? 1 week before? 2 weeks before? we have to be getting close, you'd think.

It came out a week before release on the 360. The PS3 didn't see the demo until after release unfortunately.

# 79 jeffy777 @ 02/21/11 01:39 AM

Yep, one week before last year on 360, so I'm guessing maybe March 1st (next Tuesday).

# 80 Wavebird99 @ 02/21/11 01:53 AM

Yeah we probably wont see a demo until next week.

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