MVP & hitting - I don´t get it

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 8:34 pm

I picked up MVP baseball for cheap a couple of weeks ago, to get me through until the new baseball games come out.
 
 I have read a bunch on MVP, but I still do not have a clear understanding of whether or not the hitting has changed from last year.
 
 Which brings me to my original question. As I understand the tutorials in the game, if I want to hit a fly ball, I press up on the stick. If I want to hit a grounder I press down. This is contrary to my ingrained thought process of just going with the ball. If the ball is low, I press down to get to it. Same goes for balls high in the strike zone. I just can´t get myself to get used to being able to basically will the ball down or up.
 
 Lets say I am pitching, and there´s a man on first. The announcers always suggests pitchin low, preferably using a sinker or some other pitch that drops off in order to force a grounder and hopefully get a double play. This makes sense. I have consistently used this method, but almost every time the CPU manages to keep the ball in the air.
 
 I hope this has been modified for 2004. The hitter should not have THAT much control over how he hits the ball. It just doesn´t happen that way.
 
 -Matt

snate · Post by **snate** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 9:24 pm

From what I understand it is aim where the ball is pitched this year - totally different from last year.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 9:51 pm

It works somewhat the same as zone hitting except for one aspect.
 
 In zone hitting if you press up and the ball is low you miss. In MVP if you press up and the ball is low but time your swing right you´ll pop it up.
 
 That´s easy to understand. You can´t in MVP say pull a low and away pitch. So it does hamper the "total control" over batting.
 
 Hope that makes sense.

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 6:16 am

Anyone else feel a deja-vu from this thread?
 
 <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 11:44 am

Toper, I don´t get it. Did I already go through this weeks ago?
 
 -Matt

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 2:36 pm

i am confused becaused it sounds exactly the same as last year, but they say the hitting system is new this year? It doesnt sound like High Heat´s zone hitting though.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 3:22 pm

From the way their describing it, it sounds exactly like last year, but for some reason they´re marketing it is new. Maybe they feel like it didn´t work as well as they wanted it to last year, but now it does.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 3:50 pm

I think it´s just more refined than last year. It does sound the same but i suppose the big difference is that this you might have to apply more zone batting techniques than just going up there and trying to pull an away pitch. That´s what it sounds like to me.
 
 I´m wondering, if they also added the ability to strikeout by being completly wrong on a pitch even if timing was decent. I don´t know though.

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 5:14 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-28 07:44, matthewk wrote:
 Toper, I don´t get it. Did I already go through this weeks ago?
 
 -Matt
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Matt,
 
 I don´t mean to give you a hard time, but didn´t we already cover this here:
 
 http://66.162.145.133/modules.php?op=mo ... 81&forum=1
 
 Anyways, I see your concerns about MVP, but it seems like this year´s version is gonna be a step in the right direction, even though it won´t be exactly like high heat´s hitting (which I prefered out of all the ball games last year).
 
 Toper

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 7:45 pm

What doesn´t excite me much is what Steve had to say on OS in his beta impressions. Basically, if you just swing without pressing up, down, to the side, etc., you will make contact with the ball. Perhaps not a solid line drive but you will connect with the ball. To me, that isn´t good.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 1:52 am

actually, if u read that last thread folks were just as confused as then as they are in this thread. to me, it sounds the same as last year, but they will penalize you more if u dont put a proper swing on the ball. it is definitely NOT similiar to HH´s zone hitting, which I would have prefered.
 
 p.s. I think MLB05 will turn a lot of heads this year

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 3:22 am

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-28 21:52, JackB1 wrote<IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_razz.gif">.s. I think MLB05 will turn a lot of heads this year
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Yup, I´m enjoying the hell outta my rental of 2004...it´s a damn good foundation already.

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 7:52 am

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 12:02 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-28 10:36, JackB1 wrote:
 i am confused becaused it sounds exactly the same as last year, but they say the hitting system is new this year? It doesnt sound like High Heat´s zone hitting though.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 After playing the ESPN demo numerous times, I´m convinced that their batting model is a lot more like High Heat than what they´re describing with MVP.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 12:28 pm

I bought into the hype and pre-ordered MVP for Xbox. I will wait for impressions on ESPN and MLB, but I won´t hesitate to try them out as well. In fact, I will probably rent all of them regardless at some point.

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 1:27 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 
 
 p.s. I think MLB05 will turn a lot of heads this year
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 I know mine did. I was strictly going with an XBL title until I saw those videos of MLB. Time to hook up the PS2 to the internet again <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_biggrin.gif"> .

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 2:21 pm

Toper, when I started that other thread it was beofre I saw the tutorial videos at EA SPorts´ site. After watching the tutorials, I came away more confused than ever. It sounds (from them) like it´s new, but the they way they describe it is just like it worked last year.
 
 I was dead set on an Xbox baseball game, but I´m off to find some info on MLB2005.
 
 -Matt

bigmoe · Post by **bigmoe** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 4:28 pm

This is posted at OS by guys that played the game ....maybe helps with the HH comparison........................................................Sean - Since you were a HH fan, how would you rate MVP´s pitcher/batter interface compared to HH´s?
 
 I like the look of MVP when you bat (without the aids) and like how the pure swing control sounds. However, my biggest problem with last years game was pitching. I like the pitch meter, but thought it was too easy to locate your pitches and pick parts of the zone to hit. I could almost always throw low and away and get a groundout to that side. I assume MVP doesn´t allow aftertouch this year as well?
 
 I always enjoyed the way HH did this where you picked a pitch, chose a location and could use aftertouch to make the ball go where you wanted. Of course stamina played a part in this and the ball didn´t always go where you wanted though...
 
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 I´m not offended, but it´s "Shawn", by the way...
 
 I´ve never liked "aftertouch" - I find it to be entirely unrealistic.
 Personally, I found the two titles to be very similar in most other regards.
 I found the "experience" of pitching to be better than any other game to date.
 
 Hitting felt essentially identical to "High Heat", as far as I was concerned. As I´ve mentioned, I played baseball at the low professional level, and it replicated my thought process at the plate perfectly. As far as I´m concerned, it´s a more-than-adequate replacement for "High Heat".
 
 I know Nivek felt the same, because he was sitting next to me, muttering "it´s just like High Heat" under his breath repeatedly...

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 4:59 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-02-29 10:21, matthewk wrote:
 Toper, when I started that other thread it was beofre I saw the tutorial videos at EA SPorts´ site. After watching the tutorials, I came away more confused than ever. It sounds (from them) like it´s new, but the they way they describe it is just like it worked last year.
 
 I was dead set on an Xbox baseball game, but I´m off to find some info on MLB2005.
 
 -Matt
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 
 Matt,
 
 No worries! Like I said, I got a little deja vu...but I´m also still confused with mvp´s "new" hitting system.
 
 I had the chance to re-rent all the baseball games from last year, and I still think high heat was the best playing overall. (which is too bad that that series will be taking a year off).
 
 Anyways, the first batch of baseball games will be out in about 10 days, and I´m looking forward to giving them all a spin.
 
 Toper

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 7:52 pm

<A HREF="http://www.easports.com/games/mvp2004/hitting.jsp" TARGET="_blank">EA Sports explains MVP´s hitting</A>
 
 This pretty much explains it all. I don´t know what people are so confused about. It´s just like High Heats hitting, you aim where you want to hit the ball. You can still make contact if you are wrong but chances are you will pop it up or ground out. What´s so confusing?

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 7:58 pm

But that doesn´t sound like High Heat´s hitting. If the pitch is low in High Heat and you swing high, you´re going to miss the ball. In MVP, the direction you push doesn´t affect where the bat goes. If the pitch is low and you aim up, you´re just going to make poor contact.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:45 am

Exactly, Slumber. At least with last year´s MVP, this is NOT the same as High Heat. In HH the idea is to point where you want to swing the bat. In MVP the stick is used to control where you want to hit the ball.
 
 I keep hearing copntradictory statments about this years MVP. It´s just like High Heat, it´s the same as last year. Guess I´ll have to wait to try it myself to get any clear answer.
 
 -Matt

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:48 pm

The good news is that almost all of the comments I have read from people who have played the game have been really positive (including comments on the hitting model). Has anyone read any negative comments from users (I´m not talking about our interpretations of their comments)? I have read that hitting is challenging, intuitive, and rewarding. That´s all I am looking for. Just the fact that I don´t have to play missle command and try to chase a ball down with a cursor sounds good to me, but only time will tell for sure.

AJColossal · Post by **AJColossal** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:16 pm

I´ve been all over the net looking for impressions, and the early word is that this is a very impressive game. Read the OS boards for yourself, the scrutiny they have put the game under is really comical, but MVP appears to be holding up very nicely. Anyways, here´s some of the only concerns I´ve heard regarding this title:
 
 -At times, there is questionable AI regarding late-inning substitutions. This has not happened ALL the time, but it has happened on occasion according to some.
 
 -EGM claims that the outfielders react a bit slowly to hard hit balls in the gaps. Other testers have claimed not to have this problem. If a problem, this might be rectified with sliders.
 
 -EA has included many adjustable sliders, but apparently not one for AI pitching control. This could be a disappointment for those wanting to get realistic walk totals, although those that have played said you can draw walks.
 
 -Strike zones seem a bit too large to me, but you can turn them off.
 
 Thus far, the only real negatives I´ve encountered. A lot of HH players have said MVP plays a lot like it, and they´ve said it was one of the more fun baseball games they´ve played. That was good enough for me, as I´ve already got my copy reserved.
 
 I´m still waiting around for MLB as well. If MLB turns out to have the gameplay advantage, I will trade MVP in for it.
 
 But from the looks of things, MVP may be THE game this year. We shall see. [ This message was edited by: AJColossal on 01-03-2004 09:17 ]