This year´s baseball games & zone hitting

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 4:43 pm

It seems like every game is going to High Heat´s method of hitting, using a zone based system first over cursor hitting. I´m not complaining, but why the sudden change for every game?
 
 For ESPN, this worries me. It was the only cursor system I liked, and I really love that game. My biggest fear is that in their switch to zone hitting they screw something up and create a game killing problem.
 
 I guess I´ll have to wait until March to know for sure...
 
 -Matt

snate · Post by **snate** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 5:07 pm

MVP´s system is not really like HH even though many mistakenly characterize it that way. In MVP, you choose where (left/center/right) and how (fly/liner/grounder) you want to hit the ball. In HH, you choose where you want to swing your bat and the result is based on the bat to ball contact.
 
 I am not sure how ESPN and ASB plan to implement their models.

Parker · Post by **Parker** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 5:09 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-04 13:07, snate wrote:
 MVP´s system is not really like HH even though many mistakenly characterize it that way. In MVP, you choose where (left/center/right) and how (fly/liner/grounder) you want to hit the ball. In HH, you choose where you want to swing your bat and the result is based on the bat to ball contact.
 
 I am not sure how ESPN and ASB plan to implement their models.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Apparantly, the batting system in MVP has changed this year. Now, it really is like High Heat where you don´t just aim in order to pull the ball or hit it to the right side.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 5:13 pm

Nate.....Parker beat me to the punch......MVPs system WAS like that last year, but they made enhancements to it this year and it sounds like it is EXACTLY like High Heat´s system now.
 
 On a side note....ASB really sounds like it may be THE game this year.

Parker · Post by **Parker** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 5:20 pm

Yes, but I hope I won´t be throwing regular shutouts with 5th starters in this year´s ASB.

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 5:33 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-04 13:13, JackB1 wrote:
 Nate.....Parker beat me to the punch......MVPs system WAS like that last year, but they made enhancements to it this year and it sounds like it is EXACTLY like High Heat´s system now.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 
 Actually, from the ign preview video, Hilary makes mention of the hitting system and it sounds like it is UNCHANGED from last year (which I hope is not the case, since I much prefer HighHeats system).
 
 Toper

jujuhound76 · Post by **jujuhound76** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 6:42 pm

"Each pitch attribute for each pitcher and the location of each pitch will also be a factor. You´ll have to follow that old adage in baseball, "Hit the ball where it´s pitched." The left analog swing control will also really be a factor this year. Last year you could get away with just pressing the swing button and getting a nice hit. This year, you´ll actually have to put a proper swing on the ball. If you´re getting pitched to the outside, you´ll want to press the left analog to go outside with that pitch. If you´re being pitched inside, you´ll want to pull the ball. And if you´re trying to do the wrong thing with your left analog swing controls, that´s going to have an impact on the quality of contact. Last year there were two, maybe three things that were modified in terms of contact quality of hits, this year there are about 15-20. I think it´s really going to provide a really unique, really authentic hitting experience. It´s less about hit success than it is quality of contact. And the great thing about it is that we have all of these factors that come into play the moment you put a swing on the ball and the game spits out a contact quality between 0-100 to like three decimal places, so the net result of that is a real physics based and mathematics model that is going to give you every type of hit imaginable. There´s choppers off the plate, sinking liners, Texas leaguers, towering fly balls, lines home runs, towering home runs…every hit you can imagine. That´s the biggest thing we´ve been working on in terms of gameplay innovations."
 
 http://sports.ign.com/articles/448/448292p2.html
 
 This quote describes the new hitting system in MVP. It sounds like they are trying to emulate the HH batting system. It will all depend on how well it is implemented, but it IS different than last year.

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:23 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-04 14:42, jujuhound76 wrote:
 "Each pitch attribute for each pitcher and the location of each pitch will also be a factor. You´ll have to follow that old adage in baseball, "Hit the ball where it´s pitched." The left analog swing control will also really be a factor this year. Last year you could get away with just pressing the swing button and getting a nice hit. This year, you´ll actually have to put a proper swing on the ball. If you´re getting pitched to the outside, you´ll want to press the left analog to go outside with that pitch. If you´re being pitched inside, you´ll want to pull the ball. And if you´re trying to do the wrong thing with your left analog swing controls, that´s going to have an impact on the quality of contact. Last year there were two, maybe three things that were modified in terms of contact quality of hits, this year there are about 15-20. I think it´s really going to provide a really unique, really authentic hitting experience. It´s less about hit success than it is quality of contact. And the great thing about it is that we have all of these factors that come into play the moment you put a swing on the ball and the game spits out a contact quality between 0-100 to like three decimal places, so the net result of that is a real physics based and mathematics model that is going to give you every type of hit imaginable. There´s choppers off the plate, sinking liners, Texas leaguers, towering fly balls, lines home runs, towering home runs…every hit you can imagine. That´s the biggest thing we´ve been working on in terms of gameplay innovations."
 
 http://sports.ign.com/articles/448/448292p2.html
 
 This quote describes the new hitting system in MVP. It sounds like they are trying to emulate the HH batting system. It will all depend on how well it is implemented, but it IS different than last year.
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 
 This quote from ign COMPLETELY CONTRADICTS their commentary in their own preview video. I guess we´ll have to wait and see.
 
 Toper

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:53 am

IGN just posted of video of the ´MVP Baseball 2004: The Art of Hitting´ at:
 
 http://sports.ign.com/articles/490/490113p1.html
 
 This video should help answer all the questions asked here.
 
 Jason

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 2:33 am

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-04 21:53, Jason wrote:
 IGN just posted of video of the ´MVP Baseball 2004: The Art of Hitting´ at:
 
 http://sports.ign.com/articles/490/490113p1.html
 
 This video should help answer all the questions asked here.
 
 Jason
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 
 Jason,
 
 Thanks for the info...definitely looking more forward to this one!
 
 Toper

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 4:09 am

g4tv ran an interview with the producers who were claiming they wanted too go in a much more sim like direction
 
 as they were not happy that people felt they had a game that was sim/arcadish atributes
 
 one of the producers said he plays all the baseball games and he knows (or alluded too) what a good baseball game is and where he wants too take this game
 
 it will play again im sure...i will have too pay more attention too where they were showing the hitting videos
 
 cant remember if it was on "players" or "sweat" but it was one of those programs

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 11:32 am

Glad to see more baseball developers are going with zone hitting. I can´t stand cursor hitting, as I rule out almost all titles that use it as a primary batting system.
 
 Like you cats, I´m very intrigued by MVP. It was a few flaws away from excellence last year.
 
 The lack of online play hurts, though. Baseball is a good online game because of its relaxed pace, plus it´s pretty tough to cheese with baseball.
 
 Take care,
 PK

NoJoke · Post by **NoJoke** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 12:03 pm

I watched the new videos over at IGN and was impressed. The addition of a High Heat style zone hitting is definitely a plus in my book. However, the hitting tutorial, while mostly impressive, raised a question in my mind.
 
 The first few instances of hit the ball where it is pitched were spot on. Low and outside, reach out and slap it the other way. Up and in, turn on it. The graphical display of the shoulder turn was great.
 
 The one thing that seemed off to me was the one with the low curveball. The batter mistakenly swung high on a low curveball. Now shouldn´t that lead to a strike? Or at best a grounder? I mean that is what happens when you swing over a ball, you hit it into the ground. But in the video, he pops it up to the outfield. . . . How could he possibly have gotten under the ball? That doesn´t seem like "true" zone hitting to me.
 
 
 Did anyone else notice that?

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:32 pm

I think you are right NoJoke. I just watched that video on batting and I can only conclude that MVP is not true zone hitting like HH. I know we have seen some reports that say it is, and although the batting may be improved and modified this year I think it still has the same basis as last year´s MVP system.
 
 If you notice in that official game video, harold reynolds says the batter screwed up on that curveball by pushing up and therefore "is trying to put a flyball swing on the ball," thus puts out a weak flyball on the low pitch. If it was true zone hitting he would have swung high and hit a groundball, like you said. Left me thinking that gamespy review where the said the hitting was changed is wrong, as I´ll put more creedence in the game´s official tutorial than their preview.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:33 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 The one thing that seemed off to me was the one with the low curveball. The batter mistakenly swung high on a low curveball. Now shouldn´t that lead to a strike? Or at best a grounder? I mean that is what happens when you swing over a ball, you hit it into the ground. But in the video, he pops it up to the outfield. . . . How could he possibly have gotten under the ball? That doesn´t seem like "true" zone hitting to me.
 
 
 Did anyone else notice that?
 
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing as you. That did have me a little worried about their hitting logic. I believe their exact words in the tutorial were a ´lazy fly ball´, when that should have been either a strike or grounder.
 
 Jason