World Series Baseball
2K2 FAQ.
Dreamcast
Hello, welcome to my FAQ for WSB2k2. As many
of you know, I'm Vyse The
Sports
Freak from the
wsb2k2 boards, the self proclaimed "True Vet". My name is Jason
Chung for all of
you that don't know. I'm a 15 year highschool
sophmore and am
an avid fan of
basketball, football, and baseball. Therefore I am Vyse... The
Sports Freak!
E-mail me if you have any comments, suggestions, or questions
regarding WSB2K2 or me,
you can do this at: jasonblitz@earthlink.net
Lets start with some
legal mumbo jumbo.
------------
Legal Stuff
------------
You know all the
basic legal stuff. This FAQ is written, owned, and copyrighted
by me, Jason
Chung. If you want to post it on you're site then
e-mail me at:
jasonblitz@earthlink.net
I'll be glad to let
you use this FAQ on your site, if you ask me for
PERMISSION. Also, be sure
not to sell this FAQ to people. What kind of moron
are you, hustling
people like that? Well lets start with the game.
-------------
Introduction
-------------
WSB2k2 is a
sequel to baseball failure WSB2K1. The game's animations were
developed by Visual
Concepts, and the game programming was done by Blue Shift.
It fails in
extra options and modes, especially franchise, but the game play
itself is very fun and
worth while. If you haven't already, I suggest you go
spend some cash and
get this game NOW. Lets start with tips on creating
players.
-----------------------
Creating Your
Fielder:
-----------------------
Nothing to it
here, if you have a problem with doing this I should back-hand
you. There are no
stat limitations, so feel free to make a perfect 100 player.
-----------------------
Creating Your
Pitcher:
-----------------------
Now this is
where player creation some what becomes tricky. Lets look at the
types of pitcher you
would want to create.
{Starting
Pitcher/Long Reliever}
When creating a
starting pitcher, you want to keep fatigue in mind as well as
pitching skills. This
means that if you have every single one of your pitching
skills at 99, your
pitcher will get tired VERY quickly. It's somewhat of
a bug
in the game, when
you're pitching you can hold down the A button for a stronger
effect. How ever, if
you have lets say 3 pitches all at 99 and you continue
to
throw your hardest,
your pitcher's stamina bar will be half gone by the 2nd or
3rd inning. What
you want to do is have one pitch that you are best at,
something reliable... say
a fastball or curveball. You can put that as a 99.
Then, take 2 or 3 pitches and put them any where from 80-90. Try not to
put
these other pitches
above 95. This way, you will have one very strong pitch,
and a few pitches
you can rely on and throw with out getting tired. I often put
my fastball or
curveball to a 99. Then I put 2 or 3 pitches around
the lower
90's or upper
80's. These pitches are often change-ups, sinkers, and sliders. I
tend to shy away
from the more risky pitches like screwballs and knucklers,
but
it's all your
choice. You may want to put batting a bit higher then usual, but
I usually don't. I keep my batting stats low, around 30's so I can add
more
power to my pitches.
{Relief
Pitchers}
This is where
you can risk getting tired a bit more. Instead of just having one
upper 90's pitch, you
can try two, or try to put all your pitches into higher
levels, and even them
out. Lets say you want to have 4 different types of
pitches for your relief
pitcher. A smart choice would be putting 2 of them in
the upper 90's, and
the other two in the upper 80's. The pitches that are in
the 90's can be
anything like fastballs, change ups, sliders, and curves. The
upper 80's pitches
can be pitches like screw balls, knucklers,
forkballs, and
sinkers. If you want to
put a knuckle ball on a relief pitcher, I suggest you
put it into the
90's though. You don't really get the ball twisting
effect
until you put the
stats high like that. Batting should be generally lower then
starting pitcher's.
{Set Up
Pitchers/Closers}
These
are the men you put in towards the 8th and 9th inning. This is where
you
lay it on thick,
and you can risk getting tired. Most times these pitchers will
only pitch 1 inning,
2 at the max. Drain your batting stat down to a 0, it
is
most likely that you
won't need batting at all for a closer/set up man. Pick
3-4 pitches that
you like, and put all the pitches that you can at 99. Pitches
I suggest for
closers and set up men are fastballs and curves. The rest is up
to you, a good
closer should have those two pitches at 99, if not the curve
then atleast the fastball.
*****************
Now we get into
the game play itself, lets begin with pitching!
---------
Pitching
---------
Types: There are
many types of different pitches in wsb2k2. Below are all the
pitches, their
descriptions, and their usefullness in the game. You
will learn
the speed, turns
and movements, and how to get strikes and k's with
the
pitches.
- Fastball: The
most basic pitch in baseball, the player throws the ball
straight and fast as
possible. This basic-sounding pitch has been perfected
by
players like Randy
Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez, Chan Ho Park, and so
many others. The
blazing and incredible speed really makes the ball hard to
hit. This pitch is
very usefull when you have some one that can pitch it
well,
and it's good to
fool the opposition. When you have a good fastball thrower,
you can throw it
low and outside into the corners to really get the ball
moving. Try placing
the ball cursor half on the end of the strike zone, it'll
really entice the
batter to swing, and there is a good chance it will be a
strike. I often pitch
this ball lower and outside. A good trick against the
comp is to have your
first pitch against a batter a fastball in the middle.
Often times this
will be enough to stun the batter and get the first strike. Be
sure it's a pitcher
that can throw it hard though. Pitching these balls in the
corners should get you
strikes. To get the final strike and get the strike out,
try and pitch the
ball where the cursor is only 25% in the striking zone. If
the batter swings
at it, it might be out of his reach, and if he lets it go
there is still a 50%
or so chance that it will be a strike.
- Curveball:
This pitch starts with a high arch and falls down, and a bit off
to the side. This
pitch speed ranges any where from 75 mph, to 90 mph if it is
a practitioner
like Pedro Martinez. The intensity of the curve all depends on
the skill of the
pitcher, and how much energy is left in them. If a tired
pitcher is throwing the
ball, often times it will lift into an arch, but will
not drop low enough
to get the strike. When you place your cursor to throw this
pitch, understand
that the ball will end up a bit lower, and a bit off to the
side of where you
place the cursor. If the pitcher is left handed, I often
place the cursor a
bit to the right of the striking zone, and a bit higher. The
ball will often
times fall barely into the striking zone, to the side and
lower. If the batter
is right handed, do the same on the opposite side. Another
good way to throw
this pitch is to find the batter's cold zone, and place the
cursor a bit above the
cold zone. The ball will land right on it, and the
batter will often
times swing as the ball falls right below the swinging bat.
- Slider: This
pitch starts way off to the side, and then slides back in
towards the catcher. It
is really good at fooling the batter because they
aren't exactly sure
when it's going to come in, and where it's going to come
in. Often times
the ball will sail off to the side of the strike zone and the
batter will swing, completly missing. I like to throw this pitcher off to the
side of a batter's
cold zone, that way the ball will land right past it. If you
can line the cursor
up so that the ball ends up in a corner or barely into a
side, it will make
it very hard for a batter to hit, and the strike will often
times look like a
ball.
- Change Up: Ahh... good ole' change up. This pitch goes down and looks
like a
fastball, but towards
the end, the ball will rise back up higher. A perfect
example of a good
change up is Greg Maddux's change-up. This pitch is
very good
for fooling the
batter, because it will seem to be a fastball but really change
at the last
minute. Often times the batter will swing below the ball, or if
they are
anticipating the change-up, then above it. My favorite way to pitch
the ball is low. If
there is a batter with cold zones low in the strike zone,
you can really get
to them. Take your pitching cursor and place it BELOW the
strike zone. Try to
make the ball cursor fit between the bottom end of the
strike zone box, and
the top end of the dirt. The ball will seem to go low, but
at the end will
rise to perfectly make it in the bottom of the strike zone. Any
time you see a
batter's cold zone, pitch it right below, and the ball will go
up into it.
- Splitter: I don't like using this pitch much. It is basically the same
as the
fastball, but it moves
towards one direction just a slight bit because it has
sort of a spin, and
it travels to the plate in a bit different manner. Use this
pitch as you would a
fastball, just make sure it is a bit more in the strike
zone.
- Sinker: In
this pitch, the ball will at first travel like a fastball. But, in
the later stages of
the pitch, the ball will begin to drop/fall, causing the
batter to over-swing.
It is obvious where to place this pitch, right above
where you want it to
land. Find the batter's cold zone and pitch it right above
the zone, the pitch
will fall into it. I use this pitch often times against
batter's with cold zones
that are high in the strike zone. I place the cursor
above the strike zone
so the ball will drop onto the tip of the strike zone's
top. You can use
these to fall into corners also, I don't suggest
pitching
these in the middle,
because the ball is going in a downwards spiral and it's
pretty easy to hit
underneath the ball and get a slammer.
- Forkball: Some
what like a splitter, has a bit more of a drop or break to it
from what I've seen.
If you want to see a forkball you might want to see
Hideo
Nomo's. I suggest using this pitch in the
lower parts of the strike zone, if
the batter is red
hot down there, then I suggest you go for another pitch.
-
Knuckleball: Knuckleball! This pitch in one word is whack. It
moves about
wildly and swerves to
the sides, and some how manages to land some where near
the catcher. These
pitches are usually slow, but very confusing at times. Since
this pitch has some
what of an uncertinty to where it will land, I
suggest you
don't pitch it too
far off to the sides of the strike zone. If you have 0-2 on
a batter, then
you might want to throw a knuckler off to the side,
so it seems
to fall in as a
strike but swerves outside at the end, out of the batter's
reach. I recommond this pitch in a 0-2 situation as I stated above,
and as your
2nd striking pitch.
- Screwball:
Umm... kinda' like a
knuckleball. In the game, the ball tends to
fall onto one side.
I found with right handed pitchres
the ball usually falls
to the left at the
end of the pitch. So place the ball cursor not TOO close to
the end of the
strike zone, but relatively close to it. The ball will swerve
wildly and end up
falling back to the side.
- Intentional
Ball: Press the Y button and the pitch will sail way off to the
side. Use this to
walk batters when you're too much of a sissy, or if
it's Jose
Canseco at bat :-)
- Bean: Move
your cursor towards the pitcher as much as possible, then press
the Y button. Your
pitch will hit the batter and he'll be walked. Pretty
cool
for beaning ass holes like Barry Bonds.
----------------------
Multi-Player
Pitching
----------------------
No, not
multi-player like on-line, I mean multi-player like competing with your
friend. There isn't much to say here. Just follow the advice above... with
just
one more tip. I
suggest you move your cursor about in a phsycotic
manner as if
you are spazzing, hit the button and place your pitch when the
cursor falls on
the spot you want
it. Your friend won't know what in the hell you're doing and
it'll be atleast a bit harder to hit.
*********************
---------
Batting
---------
In batting, there are many aspects you must take into consideration.
Here is
the list and the
things you should do, to bat well.
-Cursor
Positions/Physics: Many people complain that moving
your cursor is too
slippery, and is way too
sensitive. Not true at all. Just don't jam your analog
stick way off to the
sides as hard as you can. Move it around and get a feel of
how it moves. That
way you'll know how to place and move it. The spot
where
your cursor is
placed IS relative to where your bat will make contact with the
ball. Make sure you
know WHAT type of hit you want. You want a bomber?
Wait for
a bit of a lower
pitch, and position your cursor right below the ball. Beware,
if the batter
isn't a power hitter, the ball might be launched straight up into
a pop fly. If
you're looking to hit it towards 3rd base, then position the
cursor on the left
side of the ball, and of course if you want to sail it to
1st, position the
cursor on the right of the ball. The physics for batting in
this game are
remarkably well-done, if the ball is on the bottom part of the
cursor and you swing,
the ball will most likely crack and travel 2-3 feet at
the most. My
suggestion is to try to hit the ball with the ball around the
middle part of the
cursor, and off to what ever side you want. Don't try
to go
for bombers every
time, it will most likely end up just being a high and easy
to catch hit. Only
put your cursor under the ball when a banger like Manny
Ramirez or Gonzo
is up.
-Calling
Pitches: Be patient. Don't be like Ichiro and swing at everything that
comes to you. Many of
the curves thrown in this game are very tricky, and will
run off course at
last minute. Really wait for your pitch, and have good
judgement on if the ball is going to land in the
strike zone. You should know a
bit of this from
pitching. Don't swing until you're absolutely sure
it's
hittable. Your best bet
is to just loosen up, and be tentive of how the ball
travels in the
beginning. You'll see slight movements toward the end of the
pitch which will
indicate what type of pitch it is. Try and place your
cursor
where you think the
ball will end up ahead of time, this will make it much
easier to hit the
ball.
-Timing: This
goes with calling the pitches, once you know what type of pitch
it is and you can
judge where it will land, you need to know WHEN to swing. Be
sure to judge the
perspective of the ball to the bat. Some pitches will slow
down at the end when
they turn or move, so take that into consideration.
-Judge Your Type
of Hitter: Know what type of hitter you're playing
with. Plain
and simple. If
you're playing as Ichiro understand that he is contact, just try
and hit the ball, don't
place your cursor under the ball expecting a bomber. If
you're playing as Vladdy then put the cursor under the ball. Plain and
simple,
know what type of
hitter your batter is, and implement their style.
Bunting: Bunting
is only useful for one thing and one thing only in this game,
sacrifice bunting. Have
your runner start stealing as soon as the pitcher steps
to pitch, by the
time you bunt and the ball moves foward, your base
runner will
already be at homeplate and it'll be impossible to stop the run. I
suggest you
set it up a bit
early to get your aim straight, try to hit with the meat of the
bat and angle it to
one side.
*********************
---------
Fielding
---------
Fielding is one
of the more lack-luster parts of the game. The animations are
horrible but... oh well.
Lets begin!
-Picking up
Ground Balls: To do this you must be quick, as soon as the view is
changed and you see the
ball blazing down, move your fielder quickly towards
the ball, don't
hesitate because a split second can result in failiure.
-Diving for
Ground Balls: In three simple words: don't do it.
Instead of
sliding on the ground,
your player leaps and leaves the floor. Your player will
leap OVER the ball,
instead of skidding on the ground and getting it. If it's
out of a dive's
reach... well you're out of luck. Have your outfieler
sprint to
the ball as fast as
possible.
-Diving/Leaping/Jumping
Catches: Hard, as it is in real life. If you're going
to dive for a
catch make sure you can estimate the length of your dive, and the
amount of space the
ball is from you. If your leap is unsuccesful that
means
the base runner
will have 1-3 extra bases he can run, and most of the times
this will end up in
runs scored by your opponent. As far as scaling walls and
jumping to catch the
ball is concerened, it won't be required often at
all. The
only way you'll
steal a homer is if the ball is almost shy of a homer, or if it
is barely past the
fance. Your outfielder will also have to be in line
with the
ball, so you'll have
to get into precise position before you can jump and steal
the would-be homer.
Just keep calm and you'll do it when the chance comes
to
you.
-Throwing: USE
YOUR BRAIN before you throw to a base. It is plain and
simple
logic, throw to the
base AHEAD of the base runner. If you're in the outfield,
and there is a
runner on second, and you throw to second... they're going to
steal! But if you throw it to third and they attempt to steal,
chances are
you'll get the out. It's so obvious. Also, be fully aware of your plan before
you pitch. Know
where the base runners are, and what bases you'll have
to throw
to if the batter
makes a hit.
-Fielder's
Positions: Take advantage of this! When Sammy Sosa steps up to the
plate, send your
fielders back. Got a runner one first? Set your fielders
to
double play. Have a runner on third with no outs? Prepare the fielders
for bunt
guarding. It can all be done with the L and R triggers. Remember, there
is a
bug in this game
where the PITCHER has to get the bunts instead of the CATCHER,
and often short
hits have to be picked up by the first basemen... just be aware
and prepared.
*************************
--------------
Base Running
--------------
Base running in
this game is pretty damn fun, and despite what ass
holes say
about every one being
fast, it's not true. Want to see what I'm saying?
Compare
Ichiro running
the bases and McGwire running the bases, trust me...
it is
WAAAAAAY
different.
-Judging to Run
or Stay: Use good judgement, you know the arm power
of the
fielders, look and see
how far you are to the next base. Take into
consideration what the
fielder is doing, and if he's about to throw it. Also,
try and judge the
direction the ball is thrown. Often times when you're
stealing for third the
outfielder will throw it home, instead of immediatly
to
third like they
should. If you've already turned back, don't bother to
turn
around again. Turning
takes a lot of time when you're base running and
chances
are it'll be enough
time to get you out. Keep a keen eye for errors also, an
error by the defense
is a guranteed one more base.
-Base Stealing:
If you're going to have your player steal a base and
it's less
then 2 outs, make
sure your hitter doesn't hit the ball with the cursor under
the ball... unless
he's a power hitter. If there is a pop out, there's a
chance
you won't have
enough time to return to your original base if you already
started to steal. Also, there is a specific time to steal. Look at the
pitcher,
as soon as he
lifts his glove and leg to pitch, hit the steal button. As soon
as he starts this
process, he won't be able to throw to the base and pick you
off, so it's a good
chance you'll get the steal. If you're Ichiro, you're
almost guranteed a steal.
-Playing Pickle:
If you look like you're in trouble, don't think twice.
Head
back. There is about
a 95% chance that you will be safe. The computer at most
times just lets you
back. Only on occasion the fielder will pitch it under hand
to the basemen and
you'll be out. Also, remember that turning takes A LOT of
time, and you'll
have to anticipate the opposition's throws.
**************************
That's about it folks!
That's all of the gaming tips I have! If you want me
to
do add anything
about the game that people will need help on, tell me at:
jasonblitz@earthlink.net
**************************
This section is dedicated to possible questions people will ask me.
Q: Will you do
an FAQ on franchise mode?
A: No, because
franchise mode sucks and it's cluddered.
Doing an FAQ on
franchise mode would be
like writing a guide to suicide.
Q: Will you do
an FAQ on on-line play?
A: No, all the
aspects of the game play are listed above. On-line
play takes
the fun out of the
batting-pitching interface. My only tip for you would be to
anticipate the lag when
you play.
Q: What are your favorite: basketball, baseball, and football teams?
A: Warriors,
A's, and Buccaneers.
Q: What
nationality are you?
A:
Asian, Korean.
Q: Do you have
AIM, MSN, ICQ, or Yahoo Instant Messenger?
A: Yes, I have
all.
Q: Will you give
me your screen name or number?
A: No, if you
want it you can e-mail me at: jasonblitz@earthlink.net and tell
me why you want
it.
Q: Do you play
any sports in real life?
A: Yes, I am in
martial arts. I played football as a freshmen and might play
baseball for my highschool this year if I can.
Q: Where you is?
A:
San Jose, California. 408!
Q: Are you a
nerd?
A:
**** you.
Q: How long is your ****?
A: It's 1# inches long. You can fill that # in yourself.
*************************
This section is
for questions that are sent to me. The above are
questions I
just put in myself, haha. You ask me a question I will post the answers here.
*************************
This section is
my dedications.
This is
dedicated to:
Tupac Amaru Shakur
(Rest in peace homie where ever
you is, I know you alive
though, I'm waiting
for you to come back and punk some of these kids.)
Owen Hart (You
were a great sports entertainer. You are deeply missed, and you
always will be.)
Korey Stringer (It's a damn shame you had to
die this way. You'll be missed
dogg, rest in peace.)
My Grand Father,
Sikyu Chung (I miss you and I love you,
and I know you're
watching over me up
there in the sky. Rest in peace.)
Nick
Sgarlato (For bein' my
homeboy through and through. You got the pussy on
lock.)
Noah Hall (For
being my homeboy, letting me go to his house and play games all
night.)
Mike
Walters (For hustling those damned Indian jewelry dealers.)
Brent
Schultz (For being my bitch, lol j/k. For bein' my homie.)
To all the hoes,
thank y... no wait... I 'aint thankin' ya'll fa' shit!
Fuck
them hoes!!!
*********************
Well this is
goodbye, I hope you enjoyed the FAQ and I hope it helped out.
Later guys.
Jason Chung