New Player - Finding the game rather hard, any tips?

[Poltergeist]

Hey all,

I am finding the game rather difficult at EGO 20. I totally suck! Are there any tips in general that you guys can recommend?

I find batting challenging. What looks like a ball to me commonly ends up as a strike. I often pop fly out, etc.

I am (much) better at pitching so far, but I can use any tips there as well.

As for fielding, I suck horrible. I find that things usually work out in 1 of 2 ways:

1. My fielder runs under the ball and catches it with little/no intervention
2. I seem to have an opportunity to move towards a ball, but diving/jumping never seems to help -- is there a technique to making those hard plays?

I am playing with a DS4. Any tips very welcome! I play in Standard Franchise mode, as I am too tempted to cheat in custom.

Thanks!

[easytarget]

I"m betting you just need to play a bit more to get the hang of it.

[Worlord]

I'll second that. You have to be super-disciplined when it comes to batting. I find it very difficult to lay off the high heat.

You should try out practice mode. Maybe one session just diving and jumping at everything so you can see how the mechanics work. Then you can experiment without ruining your franchise stats. And no, that's not cheating; it's practicing.

[G Willikers]

You can also play with different ego levels in different phases of the game, so leave hitting on 20 (or lower) but raise pitching to 30.

The bits of advice I would give us that it's ok to lose some games - the best teams in history lost a third of the games they played - and don't feel like you have to play at a certain ego to be a "real" player. Start with whatever ego makes the game fun and you'll naturally progress from there.

[Worlord]

Originally posted by G Willikers:

You can also play with different ego levels in different phases of the game, so leave hitting on 20 (or lower) but raise pitching to 30.

The bits of advice I would give us that it's ok to lose some games - the best teams in history lost a third of the games they played - and don't feel like you have to play at a certain ego to be a "real" player. Start with whatever ego makes the game fun and you'll naturally progress from there.

Excellent advice!!!

[MrProtista]

Hey Poltergeist,

As for hitting, as mentioned above, learn to be very disciplined at the plate. It's okay to look at a few called strikes, even get called out on strikes occasionally when a great pitch is thrown. Don't forget that's the same net result as a swinging third strike or swinging at garbage and making an easy ground out or pop up, and even better than hitting into a double play. Your objective is to take advantage of the one pitch in the 'at bat' that you were specifically looking for and/or the pitcher throws something that catches a little too much of the plate.

If you watch MLB at all, notice how often players look at a called third strike. They know a walk is usually (not always) as good as a hit and when runners are on base, they hate being the guy that hits into lots of double-plays. Also notice how "infrequently" they actually swing at pitches during at bats and how good an eye many of them have for not chasing borderline pitches just outside the strike zone.

In SMB, just like IRL, timing of your swing is key. Pay attention to your non-hits and assess them. Was it weak contact because you swung too early on an off speed pitch? Did you swing too early on an outside strike pitch when you should have waited a little longer and drove it to the opposite field? Did you hit a fly out that was caught on the warning track and was in the air forever? You did almost everything right and the timing was good on that one and the next one may be the home run!

Hope that helps.

[View The Phenom]

1) When hitting, figure out what you want to hit and start aiming for it. If you want a Fastball at the top of the zone, position your cursor and time your swing accordingly. Depending on the count, you can be a bit more patient with strikes outside of that area; never feel the need to chase something across the zone because you guessed wrong.

2) Know when taking a strike is better than giving up an easy out (or worse). You have three strikes before an out and every pitch uses up more of the pitcher's stamina; keeping an at-bat going for as long as possible is always in your favor. Be aware of when hitting into a Double Play is possible, and make decisions to avoid it at all costs; even if that means taking a strikeout.

3) Hitting above the pitching target will force the ball downwards, hitting below the target will force the ball upwards. If you go too far in either direction, your hit will result in a ground ball or pop fly; ensure you're still hitting the target when you swing.

4) Also, timing is more important for good contact than power; aim for swings that make timing easier as opposed to getting as much power as possible. You should default to Contact Swings (which allow easier Checked Swings) and switch to Power accordingly; preferably when you're really keyed in on a certain pitch or really want to hit deep into the outfield.

5) Make your choices according to the strength of your batter. If someone is weak, don't look for a bad hit and quick out; you're better off milking the at-bat for as many pitches as possible. If someone has high Power and low Contact, opt for Contact Swings to avoid dealing with additional variables (timing and a reduced cursor size).

6) Practice, you'll get it eventually.

[G Willikers]

Originally posted by View The Phenom:

1)
5) Make your choices according to the strength of your batter. If someone is weak, don't look for a bad hit and quick out; you're better off milking the at-bat for as many pitches as possible. If someone has high Power and low Contact, opt for Contact Swings to avoid dealing with additional variables (timing and a reduced cursor size).

On this note, unless I'm bunting (or the pitcher happens to be a good hitter), I never swing with the pitcher until I'm down 2 strikes. An at bat doesn't have to end in a hit to be productive and sometimes you just want to wear down the opposing pitcher.

Obviously doesn't necessarily apply to a DH team.

[View The Phenom]

Originally posted by G Willikers:

Originally posted by View The Phenom:

1)
5) Make your choices according to the strength of your batter. If someone is weak, don't look for a bad hit and quick out; you're better off milking the at-bat for as many pitches as possible. If someone has high Power and low Contact, opt for Contact Swings to avoid dealing with additional variables (timing and a reduced cursor size).

On this note, unless I'm bunting (or the pitcher happens to be a good hitter), I never swing with the pitcher until I'm down 2 strikes. An at bat doesn't have to end in a hit to be productive and sometimes you just want to wear down the opposing pitcher.

Obviously doesn't necessarily apply to a DH team.

Indeed, if a pitcher can get 4 or 5 pitches out of the opponent I consider that a success.

[pbMander]

I play on 50 ego batting, so I'm no pro. But I would suggest just taking more pitches, and also focus on your batting reticle, and pay attention to where you make contact. You can change the sensitivity for it, and/or try to compensate for where you're missing. When I started, I was constantly popping out, trying to swing under the ball and trying to crush homers. Just try to pay more attention to that, and square the ball up and make solid contact.

As for pitching, try to vary speeds and locations. Take note of whether or not the batter is early or late on foul balls. If they're early on the fastball, slow them down with an off speed, and vice versa. Change elevations too. High fastball, low curveball, etc. I've not had great luck getting swings and misses on breaking balls in the dirt(pitching ego 70), so keep it a little closer to the zone. That's all I can think of. I hope that helps :)