MLB 15 The Show News Post

MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Impressions

12:21 PM - April 1, 2015 by RaychelSnr

This year there is a new hitting mechanic in MLB 15 The Show called Directional Hitting. The idea behind this system is rather simple. It's basically timing hitting with the ability to influence the directions of your hits by pushing the left stick in a certain direction.

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# 141 COMMISSIONERHBK9 @ 04/20/15 11:54 PM

So when is it good to hold up or up left or up right

# 142 joewillyjets @ 04/24/15 11:43 PM

speaking as someone who used zone plus analog since its implementation, and also as someone sorry to see the stride mechanic go by the wayside... i'm willing to give anything new the chance to work. so... i have used directional hitting since day 1. i like it, but something was missing. today, for the first time since i picked up mlb 15 the show on day 1, i decided to go back to zone hitting. don't ask me why, but for some reason, because the interface is no longer called "zone + analog"... i was thinking it wouldn't be the same as last year. but... it is, with the exception of stride being removed. and since i've been without it for over 3 weeks, now, anyway... i discovered what it is i've been missing, by using directional hitting... and it's simply control over my at-bat. it's fine to allow the game to determine whether or not your bat makes contact with the ball, BUT... when using the "zone" interface, YOU are the one controlling where your bat swings through the strike zone. if you want to employ what i like to call "situational" hitting, which is more or less what directional hitting is trying to accomplish, then simpy watch the video that (i think his name is wolverine) put up, here on operation sports, to help people with zone hitting. want a fly ball? swing slightly under the ball. want a ground ball? get on top of it. wanna it to right field? wait back on the pitch. this is more "true-to-life" than randomly allowing the cpu to determine when and if you're going to make contact with the ball even when you get "good" feedback on your times swing. directional hitting is ok for those who need some help with their hitting, but i feel zone hitting is still what makes this game "feel" like you have more control on what is happening with each individual at-bat.

# 143 joewillyjets @ 04/24/15 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joewillyjets


	speaking as someone who used zone plus analog since its implementation, and also as someone sorry to see the stride mechanic go by the wayside... i'm willing to give anything new the chance to work. so... i have used directional hitting since day 1. i like it, but something was missing. today, for the first time since i picked up mlb 15 the show on day 1, i decided to go back to zone hitting. don't ask me why, but for some reason, because the interface is no longer called "zone + analog"... i was thinking it wouldn't be the same as last year. but... it is, with the exception of stride being removed. and since i've been without it for over 3 weeks, now, anyway... i discovered what it is i've been missing, by using directional hitting... and it's simply control over my at-bat. it's fine to allow the game to determine whether or not your bat makes contact with the ball, BUT... when using the "zone" interface, YOU are the one controlling where your bat swings through the strike zone. if you want to employ what i like to call "situational" hitting, which is more or less what directional hitting is trying to accomplish, then simpy watch the video that (i think his name is wolverine) put up, here on operation sports, to help people with zone hitting. want a fly ball? swing slightly under the ball. want a ground ball? get on top of it. wanna it to right field? wait back on the pitch. this is more "true-to-life" than randomly allowing the cpu to determine when and if you're going to make contact with the ball even when you get "good" feedback on your times swing. directional hitting is ok for those who need some help with their hitting, but i feel zone hitting is still what makes this game "feel" like you have more control on what is happening with each individual at-bat.

btw... didn't this game used to have "directional influence" that you could use prior to your swing? wasn't it something like holding L2 and then moving the left stick up, down, left or right, to HELP influence where your hit would go? to me, it seems like (after watching all the live streams prior to release) that there was that one guy who was vehement about directional hitting being more reflective of his own personal experience as a professional baseball player. but he was a utility guy. not a power guy. so a lot of his at-bats with runners on base were about moving the runner over. and that's fine, but don't you wanna be the one to determine where the ball goes, based on not only your timing... but also your placement of the bat? i think they could easily marry the two mechanics to satisfy those who enjoy both. i could see them doing that, next year.

# 144 GatorNation15 @ 04/25/15 12:10 AM

I'm new to baseball games. I am currently switching between pure analog and button hitting. Just so I have this correct, in pure analog I swing for contact with the right stick to the right or left and power up or down? Also, do I use the left stick to direct where I want the ball to go? For directional button hitting, what do I use the left stick for? I am on ps4 and have hitting on rookie. Thanks to anyone who can help.

# 145 Pylon8 @ 04/25/15 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joewillyjets


	speaking as someone who used zone plus analog since its implementation, and also as someone sorry to see the stride mechanic go by the wayside... i'm willing to give anything new the chance to work. so... i have used directional hitting since day 1. i like it, but something was missing. today, for the first time since i picked up mlb 15 the show on day 1, i decided to go back to zone hitting. don't ask me why, but for some reason, because the interface is no longer called "zone + analog"... i was thinking it wouldn't be the same as last year. but... it is, with the exception of stride being removed. and since i've been without it for over 3 weeks, now, anyway... i discovered what it is i've been missing, by using directional hitting... and it's simply control over my at-bat. it's fine to allow the game to determine whether or not your bat makes contact with the ball, BUT... when using the "zone" interface, YOU are the one controlling where your bat swings through the strike zone. if you want to employ what i like to call "situational" hitting, which is more or less what directional hitting is trying to accomplish, then simpy watch the video that (i think his name is wolverine) put up, here on operation sports, to help people with zone hitting. want a fly ball? swing slightly under the ball. want a ground ball? get on top of it. wanna it to right field? wait back on the pitch. this is more "true-to-life" than randomly allowing the cpu to determine when and if you're going to make contact with the ball even when you get "good" feedback on your times swing. directional hitting is ok for those who need some help with their hitting, but i feel zone hitting is still what makes this game "feel" like you have more control on what is happening with each individual at-bat.

This is spot on. I've just gone back to zone hitting for these reasons. It does seem that there is a lack of control to directional hitting that can make it unsatisfying. With zone hitting you can use the PCI as a cue to look for "your pitch" when you are trying to hit the ball in a certain direction.

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