QUICK SETTINGS (2012-2014):

This is a compressed version of user settings beginners can use to get started quickly. To avoid confusion though it's best to click the top right button (highlighted) which will bring you to all available settings which is shown in the next image below...

USER SETTINGS:

The below options are taken from the Season Mode - User Setting menus. Some choices (such as CPU Managing difficulty) may not be available in other modes such as Exhibition. For new players, make sure you set Part D. Batting - Batting Point to "Normal". "Real" is extremely challenging and should only be reserved for pros.

On left handed side, top to bottom:

A. Difficulty
B. Camera
C. Control
D. Batting
E. Pitching
F. Baserunning
G. Defense
H. Strategy
I. Stats Display

A. Difficulty

1. Pitch Speed - Slow, Slow+, Basic, Basic+, Middle, Middle+, Real
2. Difficulty - Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Perfect, Spirits, Self-Adjusting, Custom.

Note 'Self-Adjusting' difficulty is only available in Pennant mode (see settings explained page section A2 for full details on this option.)

If you choose 'Custom', the following difficulties will be opened up for adjustment:

3. CPU Pitching - Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Normal+, Hard -, Hard, Hard+, Perfect, Spirits

* We dedicated a whole page to this setting which analyzes 'CPU Pitch Difficulty' and gives you tips on how to draw walks. Here's the link..

Analysis of CPU Pitch Difficulty

4. CPU Hitting - Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Normal+, Hard -, Hard, Hard+, Perfect, Spirits
5. CPU Baserunning - Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Perfect, Spirits. Note: "Normal" is recommended in the 2011 version because there have been reports of over-aggressive baserunning on higher levels.
6. CPU Defense - Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Perfect, Spirits
7. CPU Managing (Pennant Mode only) - Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Perfect, Spirits. This option applies to Manager Mode only, it affects how well the CPU manager does. It does not effect player performance, only how smart the manager decisions are.
7 (Exhibition) or 8 (Pennant): CPU Guess Pitch (#7 Exhibition, #8 in Pennant) - ON / OFF

B. Camera

1. Pitching - TV (Stadium-Specific), TV (Set), Dynamic (2015). Batting (Default), Batting (Middle), Batting (Dynamic 2015)
2. Batting - TV (Stadium-Specific), TV (Set), Dynamic (2015). Batting Default, Batting (Middle), Batting (Dynamic 2015)
3. Defense - Broadcast Cam (starting in 2013), Normal, Normal Wide
4. Running - Broadcast Cam (starting in 2013), Normal, Normal Wide

C. Control

1. Type - Analog, Digital (for moving the batting cursor and pitching cursor).

2. 2013+ version: If you change to Digital Control, you can adjust the speed of the digital batting/pitcher cursor from -2 (slowest) to +2 (fastest)
3. Rumble - On, Off (your controller will vibrate at times if ON)

D. Batting

1. Meet Cursor - Normal, Assist, Zone. (See settings explained section D1 for descriptions.)
2. Meet Assist Level - Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Self-Adjust (See settings explained D2 for descriptions.)
3. Batting Point - Normal, Real or Off. (See settings explained D3 for descriptions.)
4. Strike Zone - Show All, Only Weak/Strong Points, Only the Strike Zone, Off

• Strike Zone 'Weak/Strong Points' are crucial to seeing the fluctuating player abilities on a per pitch basis. This is covered in detail in the Anatomy of an at bat page.

5. CPU Pitch Cursor - On, Always in Center, Fade, Off. (See settings explained D5 for descriptions.) ***Update: It was discovered the FADE setting affects the CPU pitchers control! Drawing walks will be rare so FADE is not recommended for realistic play.***
6. CPU Pitcher's Pitches: Pitch Type And Info, Pitch Type, None. (See settings explained D6 for descriptions.)
7. (2014+) Guess Pitch: On / Off

8. Guess Pitch Options:

• Auto: Guess Pitch will be set automatically depending on location of your batting cursor.
• Semi-Auto: (select 'Guess Pitch' with R analog stick (Left/Right), it will stay set until you change it.
• Do not use Guess Pitch. Not sure why they added this because it appears to be the same as ON/OFF in #7.

E. Pitching

1. Pitch Style - Direct (Default), Assist (CPU help if you miss release point), 1 Button Simple style (you select pitch type and location, the CPU takes care of the pitch release timing.)
2. Pitch Cursor - On, Always in Center, Fade, Off
3. Pitch Display - Pitch Type And Info, Pitch Type, None
4. Pitch Point - Normal, Real, Off (same as D3: Batting Point)
5. Pitch Form - Real, Always From Stretch
6. Catcher Throw Back - On, Off (Animation of catcher throwing to pitcher after a pitch is thrown.)
7. CPU Strike Zone - Show All, Only Weak/Strong Points, Only the Strike Zone, Off

F. Running

1. Runner Control - Totally Manual, Classic, Assist, Auto

G. Defense

1. Defense Type - Manual, Assist, Auto Fielding Only, All Auto. (Assist will help you take a small automatic step toward the ball, so if your reaction is not that good you can try this.)
2. Throw Type - Normal, X + Direction. (This is like a tribute to old school gamers. X+D is how very old games on NES like RBI Baseball used to control, which older people may still prefer.)
3. Formation - Standard, Basic, Pro. There are really no substantial differences. Pro is supposed to simulate how real baseball players back up the bases in run-down situations or backup the bases but to be honest I tried using different settings and couldn't tell what was changed.
4. Flyball Cursor - On, Off
5. Fielder Cursor - Under Feet, Over Head, Name Only, None
6. Cursor Change - Semi-Auto, Auto. (This is how you switch to another defender. It's hard to tell the difference between semi auto and auto so personally I think the default is fine.)
7. Dive/Jump - Manual (Triangle - Jumping Catch, Square or O - Dash Catch, X - Diving Catch), Assist (Automatically determines type of grab)

H. Strategy

1. Managing - Manual, Auto

2. Defensive Shift - Aggressive, Medium, Conservative. For a detailed description of this setting along with a list of the shifts please see the settings explained page.

3. Shift Control - Guide, Simple. Press L1 in-game to bring up the shift menu. Guide will pause the action and show you big diagrams of the shifts. Simple is quicker and you will be scrolling through the different shifts right on the action screen at the upper right hand corner (above the wind meter.)

4. Block Sign - Guide, Sign Only, Off (press L2 to bring up Block Sign menu.) For a detailed description of this setting along with a list of the signs see the settings explained page.

5. Coach Advice - Auto, Manual (Press Square to listen to coach when available), Off

I. Stats Display

1. Player Name - Show, Don't show
2. Special Skills - Show, Don't show
3. Batter Attritbute Petagon Graph - Show, Don't show
4. Control Guide - Show, Don't show
5. Batting Timing Guide - Show, Don't show
6. Pitching Speed Gauge - Show, Don't show

1. Normal -------------- 2. Modify Settings using Normal as Base
3. Pro ------------------- 4. Modify Settings using Pro As Base
5. My Setting ---------- 6. Modify My Setting

After you modify settings in 2 or 4 and hit confirm, the end product will become 5 (your custom settings.) From here on out, if you want to play with the settings you tweaked, you should ALWAYS CHOOSE 5 and ignore 1,2,3, and 4. If you're tired of your settings then go into 6, modify it and the end product will overwrite and become 5.

To make things really simple we recommend beginners go into 4, look at our translations and tweak it to your liking. Then select 5 from now on to use those settings (or go to 6 to modify them) but dont touch 1,2,3,4 again.

**IMPORTANT** the settings are independent to each mode, so even though you tweaked everything in Exhibition they wont show up in Season or Stardom, so you would have to tweak them again in each mode.

At the VS screen where you see both team's lineup, you will see 4 buttons at the top. They are:

• Begin Contest
• Match Setting
• User Settings
• Digest Settings