MLB The Show 15

[Diablo25]

I'm liking the Diamond Dynasty feature. I created my team and have been using my stubs from the anniversary edition to buy some packs. I haven't played anyone online but you can play people's created teams in the "Extra Innings" part of DD. I'm currently playing a team called the Erie Elite. My created player (you get to create one guy that can play anywhere you want) hit a grand slam in his second AB . I'm up 4-1. This particular opponent's team stadium is Fenway. This feature is growing on me. What a great game.

The created player thing is pretty cool. You can "feed" unwanted player cards from your roster to make the created player better.

I had to pop off! Michael Cuddyer just hit a 2 run jack off me to make it 4-3...damnit!

[Diablo25]

Well, I finished off that game and had a ton of fun. Ian Kinsler added a big insurance run with an RBI single. Then CarGo hit a big bomb to put it away. A few highlights below.

[grtwhtsk]

Guys, what batting camera are you using?

[Rodster]

Default camera for me.

[10spro]

Guys, what batting camera are you using?

Catcher offset or you can make your own customized one.

[Diablo25]

Guys, what batting camera are you using?

Catcher offset or you can make your own customized one.

I use Catcher Offset also. Love it.

[bkrich83]

Guys, what batting camera are you using?

I have a modified the wide angle by zooming in just a bit.

[Inuyasha]

Is the new directional hitting simliar to the 2K hitting? Where if you get a pitch down low, but swing up, it still makes contact and makes the ball a pop up? I hope not because THE SHOW was the last bastion for realistic High Heat type hitting. If a pitch is down low, and you swing up, you miss - more realistic.

[Aristo]

Yeah, that's not how 2K's hitting worked. If it the pitch was low, but you tried to hit it up, it would most likely result in a weak ground ball or a miss. Choosing poorly made the window for contact smaller. The point was, like The Show's current system, to go with the pitch when possible. You could try to force the ball the other way, or even a fly ball, but if the pitcher effectively placed the ball, you would most likely fail. The trick, like real hitting, was to wait for a pitch that you could drive the direction you were looking for.

But more often than not, you really shouldn't be using directional hitting at all unless you were 100% dialed into where the pitch was located. You were more likely to be dialed in if you were looking for a particular location. The Show enhances this by slightly zooming into the location you are looking at. This was one of the reasons 2K was such great system for getting realistic pitch counts. Early in an at bat, you could look for one pitch, which made taking a strike in a another location easier to do.

One of the prime reasons I hated The Show compared to 2K was that I never got the same feel for situational hitting in The Show like I did in 2K. The fact that SCEA tried to improve that be featuring generated pitch counts highlighted the lack of emphasis on working a count to your favor.

This also allowed 2K to implement a logical advantage for better hitters with the Batter's Eye. The better the hitter, the more likely they would get a quick clue as to the pitch type and general location. This would represent how better hitters were more intuitive about what was coming, while weaker hitters were as clueless you the user. Plus, the slider for this was really useful, meaning it could be as little as never coming up, or it could come up often for all hitters.

While the devs never explained this to their community, because they really were the worst in that regard, it was a perfect way to train users to use the advantage of looking for locations when hitting, which could then be utilized even without the prompts. It did not take long to become pretty good at reading pitches, making it better to run that slider down to having prompts be more rare.

[Inuyasha]

Yeah, that's not how 2K's hitting worked. If it the pitch was low, but you tried to hit it up, it would most likely result in a weak ground ball or a miss. Choosing poorly made the window for contact smaller. The point was, like The Show's current system, to go with the pitch when possible. You could try to force the ball the other way, or even a fly ball, but if the pitcher effectively placed the ball, you would most likely fail. The trick, like real hitting, was to wait for a pitch that you could drive the direction you were looking for.

But more often than not, you really shouldn't be using directional hitting at all unless you were 100% dialed into where the pitch was located. You were more likely to be dialed in if you were looking for a particular location. The Show enhances this by slightly zooming into the location you are looking at. This was one of the reasons 2K was such great system for getting realistic pitch counts. Early in an at bat, you could look for one pitch, which made taking a strike in a another location easier to do.

One of the prime reasons I hated The Show compared to 2K was that I never got the same feel for situational hitting in The Show like I did in 2K. The fact that SCEA tried to improve that be featuring generated pitch counts highlighted the lack of emphasis on working a count to your favor.

This also allowed 2K to implement a logical advantage for better hitters with the Batter's Eye. The better the hitter, the more likely they would get a quick clue as to the pitch type and general location. This would represent how better hitters were more intuitive about what was coming, while weaker hitters were as clueless you the user. Plus, the slider for this was really useful, meaning it could be as little as never coming up, or it could come up often for all hitters.

While the devs never explained this to their community, because they really were the worst in that regard, it was a perfect way to train users to use the advantage of looking for locations when hitting, which could then be utilized even without the prompts. It did not take long to become pretty good at reading pitches, making it better to run that slider down to having prompts be more rare.

I guess we're opposite on this. I thought 2ks hitting was its worst feature. I'm more in for realism for baseball games than making a baseball game more of a videogame. The latter is what 2k tried to do with their hitting system and it was not for me. Ea did the same with MVP but that game had a lot of other things going for it so I could live with it.

If you've played baseball, if there is a high pitch and I swing low I miss. The shows hitting system portrayed that perfectly. HH did a better job since the had the ball off the bat physics down pat.

But is there a way to go back to the hh hitting model in the show this year are you forced to use directional hitting?

[Diablo25]

Yeah, that's not how 2K's hitting worked. If it the pitch was low, but you tried to hit it up, it would most likely result in a weak ground ball or a miss. Choosing poorly made the window for contact smaller. The point was, like The Show's current system, to go with the pitch when possible. You could try to force the ball the other way, or even a fly ball, but if the pitcher effectively placed the ball, you would most likely fail. The trick, like real hitting, was to wait for a pitch that you could drive the direction you were looking for.

But more often than not, you really shouldn't be using directional hitting at all unless you were 100% dialed into where the pitch was located. You were more likely to be dialed in if you were looking for a particular location. The Show enhances this by slightly zooming into the location you are looking at. This was one of the reasons 2K was such great system for getting realistic pitch counts. Early in an at bat, you could look for one pitch, which made taking a strike in a another location easier to do.

One of the prime reasons I hated The Show compared to 2K was that I never got the same feel for situational hitting in The Show like I did in 2K. The fact that SCEA tried to improve that be featuring generated pitch counts highlighted the lack of emphasis on working a count to your favor.

This also allowed 2K to implement a logical advantage for better hitters with the Batter's Eye. The better the hitter, the more likely they would get a quick clue as to the pitch type and general location. This would represent how better hitters were more intuitive about what was coming, while weaker hitters were as clueless you the user. Plus, the slider for this was really useful, meaning it could be as little as never coming up, or it could come up often for all hitters.

While the devs never explained this to their community, because they really were the worst in that regard, it was a perfect way to train users to use the advantage of looking for locations when hitting, which could then be utilized even without the prompts. It did not take long to become pretty good at reading pitches, making it better to run that slider down to having prompts be more rare.

I guess we're opposite on this. I thought 2ks hitting was its worst feature. I'm more in for realism for baseball games than making a baseball game more of a videogame. The latter is what 2k tried to do with their hitting system and it was not for me. Ea did the same with MVP but that game had a lot of other things going for it so I could live with it.

If you've played baseball, if there is a high pitch and I swing low I miss. The shows hitting system portrayed that perfectly. HH did a better job since the had the ball off the bat physics down pat.

But is there a way to go back to the hh hitting model in the show this year are you forced to use directional hitting?

Zone hitting is still in The Show...that was the High Heat way of hitting. The new Directional hitting is simply just timing. The direction mechanic is just for "looking" where you think the pitch is going. Sony's own website explains it perfectly. I posted it earlier in this thread.

Directional Hitting Interface
(PS3, PS4, VITA)
Featured for the first time in MLB 15 The Show is the new Directional Hitting interface, which allows you to influence the direction of your hits in real-time while you swing. Using the L-Stick, you can attempt to influence fly balls, ground balls, pushed hits, pulled hits, or any of those in combination. The most success will be had by swinging at pitches that are conducive to the hit direction you are aiming for. Outside pitches are better for hitting to the opposite field, while inside pitches are best for pulling. If no direction is pressed with the L-Stick, it’s just like using the old Timing Hitting interface. Like never before, Directional Hitting allows you to play into each hitter’s strengths and utilize the strategies of proper situational hitting.

[Aristo]

I guess we're opposite on this. I thought 2ks hitting was its worst feature. I'm more in for realism for baseball games than making a baseball game more of a videogame. The latter is what 2k tried to do with their hitting system and it was not for me. Ea did the same with MVP but that game had a lot of other things going for it so I could live with it.

If you've played baseball, if there is a high pitch and I swing low I miss. The shows hitting system portrayed that perfectly. HH did a better job since the had the ball off the bat physics down pat.

But is there a way to go back to the hh hitting model in the show this year are you forced to use directional hitting?

Well, unless you aren't good enough to play t-ball competitively, there is no thought that goes into swinging at he ball. Zone hitting might a good way to hit if you are a fan of Missle Command. But it doesn't resemble hitting in real life at all. "Aw man, I swung high when the ball was low," said no one, ever.

What directional hitting does do is replicate how learn to keep you shoulder in on outside pitches, and pull it out on inside pitches. You do find, even in MLB, hitters that try to pull everything, and pitchers getting them out by pitching them away. And you do have guys that tied up on a pitch in because they aren't ready to adjust.

Like I said, the devs are guilty of not explaining the system. That's why so many people continue to post misinformation about how it works.

But lucky for you, zone hitting is in The Show.

[Inuyasha]

You obviously never played baseball in real life if you think there is no thought that goes into swinging at a baseball. Sounds like you have some personal agenda towars 2k and against the show. Doesn't surprise me since there is no baseball game on xbo.

If you've ever played baseball in real life, even in the playground you'd know 2k hitting is a gimmick. Do this, throw a ball in the air, at its highest point swing the bat at your feet where the ball isn't - and let me know if you hit. Let me know which 'direction' it went.

[Diablo25]

I guess we're opposite on this. I thought 2ks hitting was its worst feature. I'm more in for realism for baseball games than making a baseball game more of a videogame. The latter is what 2k tried to do with their hitting system and it was not for me. Ea did the same with MVP but that game had a lot of other things going for it so I could live with it.

If you've played baseball, if there is a high pitch and I swing low I miss. The shows hitting system portrayed that perfectly. HH did a better job since the had the ball off the bat physics down pat.

But is there a way to go back to the hh hitting model in the show this year are you forced to use directional hitting?

Well, unless you aren't good enough to play t-ball competitively, there is no thought that goes into swinging at he ball. Zone hitting might a good way to hit if you are a fan of Missle Command. But it doesn't resemble hitting in real life at all. "Aw man, I swung high when the ball was low," said no one, ever.

What directional hitting does do is replicate how learn to keep you shoulder in on outside pitches, and pull it out on inside pitches. You do find, even in MLB, hitters that try to pull everything, and pitchers getting them out by pitching them away. And you do have guys that tied up on a pitch in because they aren't ready to adjust.

Like I said, the devs are guilty of not explaining the system. That's why so many people continue to post misinformation about how it works.

But lucky for you, zone hitting is in The Show.

Aristo, that's not how Zone hitting works in The Show. Basically, you swing where the ball is. If you are accurate and swing where the ball was pitched you will make ideal contact...then the player's rating take over which, in my opinion, is the best representation of hitting a baseball. As far as Directional, I like the idea but don't know if it's going to be too easy. I've only used it a once or twice so I'm not sure on it yet. My knee jerk reaction is that it's in there for gamers looking for an easier form of hitting...a pick up and play type of feature. Perhaps it will be deeper than that. I do know that the dude on the Dev team that instituted it was a former pro player so it definitely merits a try. Bottom line is it is awesome that The a Show gives the gamer several ways to hit. Just one of the reasons why no other sports game even sniffs it. The Twitch streams the development team did further solidified how awesome the guys are that make the game. I was thoroughly impressed with them on every level. They are young to middle aged guys that love baseball and make a baseball game. I actually envy them. Their job must be both rewarding and fun.

As far as the devs being guilty of not explaining the system, that is partly true. Their live stream explained it in great detail BUT not everyone saw that (or the other) stream. They should post a video from that stream where (his name escapes me) the dev explains Directional hitting.

[Diablo25]

Here is one of the Live Streams with the developers. They did numerous streams. I'm still trying to locate the stream where Directional hitting is explained by the team.



Here is the stream where Directional is explained by Chris Gill. He enters around the 12:15 mark. Chris gets into the meat and potatoes of it around the 14:45 mark. Like I said above, it's a cool feature, I just hope it doesn't make hitting too easy. Jury is still out for me. I plan on using it later today for a few games to see how it pans out.

[Aristo]

I was criticizing the 2k devs, not SCEA. SCEA does an awesome job of describing the whys and hows of their game.

It may be a personal thing, but I never thought about where the ball was when I swung. That just happened. The moment I tried to guide my bat was the moment I began to suck. It's like most every athletic skill. You just do it. Your brain is working out the calculus before the ball even leaves his hand. Once you've seen enough pitches, you instinctively figure out what is happening and are already starting your swing based on feel.

But then, I only played through high school. I was always a good hitter, and batted anywhere in the top 4 spots. I had speed and power. Not enough to move on, but enough to hit home runs and steal bases at that level. When I hit, I would visualize where I wanted the ball to go early in the count. So when a pitch came that met with that visualization, I was already in motion. If not I took the pitch, strike or not. Later in the count, it was just making contact with a good swing.

I was a lefty, so teams almost always played me to pull, since that was the norm. I always looked to drive it to left-center in those situations. But I pulled almost all of my HR's.

So Zone Hitting feels like placing a cursor like in Missle Command, to me. Timed hitting lets me concentrate on pitch selection. Directional adds that last element that relates to how I thought about hitting.

[tjung0831]

when I use directional hitting I struggle mightily. Granted I have been successful a few times with some shots down into the corner but most of the time I'm flying out or popping up.

[Aristo]

You obviously never played baseball in real life if you think there is no thought that goes into swinging at a baseball. Sounds like you have some personal agenda towars 2k and against the show. Doesn't surprise me since there is no baseball game on xbo.

If you've ever played baseball in real life, even in the playground you'd know 2k hitting is a gimmick. Do this, throw a ball in the air, at its highest point swing the bat at your feet where the ball isn't - and let me know if you hit. Let me know which 'direction' it went.

My only agenda is explaining why I like what Ido, and why don't what I don't. You are the console warrior vet. You don't pick sides, but you view every conversation as opposing sides.

I've said that I'm close to buying a PS4 to get The Show this year because I like what they did. It's still a lot of money for one game.

And seriously, do you really "think" about where you place your bat, moving up an inch at the last second in order to get good wood on it? What's funny about your stupid example is that it is exactly what I am talking about. If you play fungo, it is all about timing, not bat placement. You are swinging the bat in a way to catch the ball where you want to hit it.

[Diablo25]

I was criticizing the 2k devs, not SCEA. SCEA does an awesome job of describing the whys and hows of their game.

It may be a personal thing, but I never thought about where the ball was when I swung. That just happened. The moment I tried to guide my bat was the moment I began to suck. It's like most every athletic skill. You just do it. Your brain is working out the calculus before the ball even leaves his hand. Once you've seen enough pitches, you instinctively figure out what is happening and are already starting your swing based on feel.

But then, I only played through high school. I was always a good hitter, and batted anywhere in the top 4 spots. I had speed and power. Not enough to move on, but enough to hit home runs and steal bases at that level. When I hit, I would visualize where I wanted the ball to go early in the count. So when a pitch came that met with that visualization, I was already in motion. If not I took the pitch, strike or not. Later in the count, it was just making contact with a good swing.

I was a lefty, so teams almost always played me to pull, since that was the norm. I always looked to drive it to left-center in those situations. But I pulled almost all of my HR's.

So Zone Hitting feels like placing a cursor like in Missle Command, to me. Timed hitting lets me concentrate on pitch selection. Directional adds that last element that relates to how I thought about hitting.

10-4 Aristo. I agree 2K was bad. I think both styles are good in The Show. Supposedly they updated Analog hitting too. I was never a fan of that though. The Directional has great potential - I just worry it may become too easy. I hope I am wrong. I like Zone because it yields the most realistic results (For Me). In a weird way, I like when I swing and miss/foul off a good pitch sometimes because that happens in real life. Directional, as Chris stated in the stream, is great for situational stuff...moving runners, scoring a runner from third with less than 2 outs and the infield is back, etc.. When I was in pro ball minor league hitting instructors lost jobs when the hitters were not getting the job done situation wise. They track everything. I'll never forget when Ron Jackson (minor league hitting coordinator w/ Brewers back then) came into El Paso for a quick "visit" when I was in AA and chewed our ass for a good 30 minutes because he was getting heat from the front office about situational hitting being taken too lightly I moved a runner over that night with a simple groundball to 2nd and you would have thought I hit a walk off . Like i said earlier, I plan on giving Directional more time later today...after Easter dinner at my parents

[Inuyasha]

I wouldn't advise buying a PS4 just for the show. Unless you really really have to have a baseball game to play.

I haven't even bought the game yet. This is the first time in a long time where I did not buy a baseball game at launch.

I may just need some time away from the series. if I did buy it, i would only be playing MLB Today games. the rest of the modes are a been there done that experience for me.

AAMOF, I am looking into the new RBI Baseball on XBO. If I do want a baseball game, I'd like to get something where I can get a game in in a 15-20 min setting.


btw in the show , do they have the new videotron's up in Wrigley?

[Aristo]

10-4 Aristo. I agree 2K was bad. I think both styles are good in The Show. Supposedly they updated Analog hitting too. I was never a fan of that though. The Directional has great potential - I just worry it may become too easy. I hope I am wrong. I like Zone because it yields the most realistic results (For Me). In a weird way, I like when I swing and miss/foul off a good pitch sometimes because that happens in real life. Directional, as Chris stated in the stream, is great for situational stuff...moving runners, scoring a runner from third with less than 2 outs and the infield is back, etc.. When I was in pro ball minor league hitting instructors lost jobs when the hitters were not getting the job done situation wise. They track everything. I'll never forget when Ron Jackson (minor league hitting coordinator w/ Brewers back then) came into El Paso for a quick "visit" when I was in AA and chewed our ass for a good 30 minutes because he was getting heat from the front office about situational hitting being taken too lightly I moved a runner over that night with a simple groundball to 2nd and you would have thought I hit a walk off . Like i said earlier, I plan on giving Directional more time later today...after Easter dinner at my parents

I really liked how Chris Gill described situational hitting and how to use it. It matched up nearly identical with how I approached it in 2K. It's about maximizing every advantage and minimizing your disadvantages. Early in the count, you have the freedom to take a strike if it is not what you want. You maximize that by focusing on what you want.

While many hitters just take first pitches, the real strategy is that you take anything that isn't exactly what you are looking for. So if a pitcher is worth anything, he is not giving you a strike where you want it. That should result in lots of first pitches being taken, not just because, but because. But this also eliminates a portion of the strike zone, which should increase the number of balls thrown to you. That's how you start building those 2-0 and 3-1 counts. Because once you get to 2-0 and 3-1, you've now made it harder for the pitcher to avoid grooving one to you.

When I said I hated the generated pitch counts, it was because I had grown to love the game of working counts. My goal every inning was to see if I could see 15 pitches. That might mean lots of hits, but it mostly meant waiting for good pitches. As you built those pitch counts, and then added some hits, you would get those 20-25 pitch innings that would get pitchers out of games. For the all of the problem 2K baseball had, the pitcher/batter battle was not one of them. For me, generated pitch counts turns the game into slow pitch softball. And while I love to play slow pitch softball, that not what I want in my video game.

And situational hitting also requires counts. If you have a 2-0 count, the odds of a fastball are better, which makes it less ideal to steal, but more ideal to hit and run. If you are down 0-2, the odds that the pitcher will make you chase one is greater, which makes the hit and run a bad idea, but stealing smarter. And if you are trying to hit and run, you need to aiming for the SS or 2B that will be leaving his position early. You can afford to push a weaker ball through in that situation, forcing a ball the other way.

I could not be more serious when I say that Chris Gill's explanation of directional hitting is precisely has me scheming to buy a PS4. But like I said, it's a lot to spend for one game, and I need more than one really cool baseball game to sell the wife. And we aren't trading away the XB1, which my wife loves.

[Aristo]

AAMOF, I am looking into the new RBI Baseball on XBO. If I do want a baseball game, I'd like to get something where I can get a game in in a 15-20 min setting.

I impulsively bought the new RBI baseball, but I'm not a big fan. It might be great if I had someone to play on the couch with. It might be good online, but it doesn't feel like it would be fun playing with randoms, and I just don't see many people picking it up.

Whatever secret sauce made Super Mega Baseball so much fun is still not there with RBI, and that's too bad.

What will probably happen is that I won't get a PS4, the new EA golf game will come out, and that will become my summer sports game. I will still miss baseball on the XB1, but to be honest, I've skipped many, many seasons of baseball on consoles because most of the games really just aren't very good. I have OOTP 16, and that will probably be enough.

Now, if the new golf game sucks, then I might find some $$$ to get a PS4.

[Aristo]

I'll also say the Diamond Dynasty looks frickin' awesome. That might a reason not to get a PS4 and the game, though. I love the UT modes in NHL and the latest version Madden, but baseball would have to be the best sport of all for this mode. And I might go broke building a team. I did spend more $$$ than I would like to admit on MUT, although I had a blast playing it, and can't complain.

Baseball in this mode might end up owning my soul.

[Diablo25]

I could not be more serious when I say that Chris Gill's explanation of directional hitting is precisely has me scheming to buy a PS4. But like I said, it's a lot to spend for one game, and I need more than one really cool baseball game to sell the wife. And we aren't trading away the XB1, which my wife loves.

I have no idea what your financial situation is Aristo but TO ME The Show is a system seller. I love it. If you decide to get a PS4 for The Show you won't regret it.

FYI, I am liking Diamond Dynasty but I've only played it offline. Baseball games are touch and go when it comes to the online play due to the timing issue. I haven't heard anything about how The Show is online this year.

[10spro]

My online experiences have been good so far. Unlike past years the only lags I've seen are in some catching, throwing animations.