The developers at San Diego Studios decided to make some significant changes for the hitting in MLB 15 The Show. Many consumers were complaining it was too difficult to hit, especially online. Users would also not want to play online games, because “Timing” hitting was not allowed for online play. For this year’s iteration of the MLB The Show, the developers decided to add a new hitting interface as well as change how Analog works. Many players are still confused by all of the new settings and how to even use them. In this guide, I will break down the basics, as well as, some approaches to use for the new hitting interface, Directional Hitting. I will also explain the key differences with Analog in comparison to previous years.
Directional Hitting
This interface is very similar to that of MVP 05’s hitting interface. It has a simple concept.You look one spot and if you get your pitch there then hit it. The developers felt like this would simplify hitting and that it also allowed users to use a more realistic approach at the plate. They also strongly recommended not to shift the arrows (arrows show users where they are looking In the strike zone) in the middle of a pich, because it can cause confusion and it also shifts the camera. However, users do have the option to turn toggle the arrows off and turn the shifting camera off. Personally, I recommend trying to react to the pitch with these features off if you are trying to improve your hitting. This can allow you to look inside for the heat then react to an outside pitch and turn it into an opposite field hit. Give both approaches a shot or even try to mix and match with them. For example, you may want to look inside on a 2-0 count, but then when protecting the plate you can choose to react to the pitch.
Directional Hitting has also replaced the “timing” hitting interface. However, “Timing” hitting is still in the game. Users just need to simply choose directional hitting as their interface and do not move the camera/arrows at all.This essentially turns the directional hitting interface into timing and it works the same as in the past. This approach is recommended if you just do not like zone and cannot get used to the directional hitting concept. Something also to note that you can still look inside/outside in your head with the “Timing” method and still be successful. This means even if you don’t shift your camera to the inside portion of the strike zone, you can still swing early to pull pitches effectively. I noticed no negligible difference when using this method, albeit is still early in the game’s life cycle.
Analog Hitting
Stride timing has been taken out completely to simplify hitting for analog users. There is no
more aiming inside/outside either. Users need to just simply flick the stick up for a normal swing. For power, pull the stick down then flick it up (same as Pure Analog in past). There is still no stride timing, however, when swinging with power. When using a contact swing, flick the stick to the sides (left/right). Some people were confused with the difference between Pure Analog, which is still an option in MLB 15 The Show, with Analog input. Analog input can be used with either hitting interfaces, directional or zone. It is just an alternative to buttons. Pure Analog is the same as using “Directional Hitting” with the Analog input option. The only difference is that with Pure Analog you cannot shift your arrows/camera to inside/outside or up/down to influence your hits. I recommend to simply use the Directional Hitting Interface with the Analog input instead of the Pure Analog Interface, because it gives you more options and is the same mechanism as Pure Analog when not shifting the camera.
Be sure to give the new interfaces a try, as well as, the approaches listed in this article. Let me know if you guys enjoyed this MLB The Show Tips and have found another way to use “directional hitting” and if you guys are having success with it thus far. Good luck to you all on the Diamond!
Make sure you read some of my latest MLB The Show Tips:
MLB 15 The Show Fielding Guide
MLB 15 The Show: How to Use the Slide Step
MLB 15 The Show Zone Hitting 101
MLB 15 The Show Defense and Using Shifts Effectively
