Saturday, February 28, 2009

MLB 2k9 - Pitching Sliders

I've finally reached the point where I'm tired of watching the AI absolutely paint the zone with their pitches. I've walked once in 8 games. I've gotten to 3 balls -maybe- three or four times (including said walk). So I'm finally breaking down and heading to the slider route, which I hate doing. Here are the pitching sliders:

AI Pitch Success
AI Pitch Selection Tendency
AI Strike Zone Tendency
AI Pitch Zone Tendency
AI Pitcher Composure Influence

Is it just too damned hard to name sliders something clear or at least document what the damn things do? (This is a problem for nearly all sports games.) I have to assume pitch success affects how often a pitcher's pitches get lit up. I don't have the foggiest what pitch selection, in the context of a higher/lower values, means. If I raise it, does he throw his bread and butter pitch more? No clue. Strike zone tendency, I would think, affects pitch accuracy, but then, how is that different from pitch zone tendency? I'd like to know the difference before I change one or the other. As for pitcher composure influence, I know pitcher accuracy can go down if their composure goes, so I have to assume that's what that affects. Also, there's a separate slider for Pitcher Fatigue. I have absolutely no idea which way to move it to make pitchers fatigue more quickly. Logic says lower it to fatigue more quickly, but it's named Pitcher Fatigue, so it's entirely plausible that raising it means more fatigue, right?

Maybe if the manual weren't 12 pages (4 of which are the warranty/license agreement) or if there were a manual in the game (if there is one, I haven't found it), I wouldn't have to write blog posts about figuring out what it all means.