Each at bat is more unique now as batters and pitchers of varying skill levels face each other. A batter with more stars will have higher hit probability and a pitcher with more stars will have better pitch control (giving up fewer balls/walks). 

This also introduces a challenge for the Umpire because the Headphoners have more skilled batters and pitchers. So the Hatters have to win despite the lack of talent on the team.

In addition to introducing more variety and providing an extra dimension in difficulty, this change also lays the groundwork for supporting the Ejection game mechanic. Previously all batters and pitchers were the same so there was no strategic reason to eject any player. Now though, the four star batters are more likely to get hits and four star pitchers more likely to get outs so there can be more strategic use of ejections!

Quality of Life Improvements

My initial goal for this release was only to make some important bug fixes. I was particularly inspired by @jg11z's wonderful comments that suggested these as well.

Right Handed Batters and Umpire Positioning

Now when the batter handedness changes, the camera angle shifts to the other side while maintaining your custom angle. The controls also now allow you to move towards the batter, no matter which side the batter is on.

Extending Pitch Location Visibility at end of At-Bats

Now when an at-bat ends, the pitch location remains visible till the next at-bat starts. So you don't have to wonder how close or far your call was for those strike 3 calls.

Other Fixes

Additionally, this release also fixes:

- When a pitch is challenged, the close calls should be more obvious. When a pitch is a strike, it will always have a clear overlap and when its a ball there should be a visible gap. Previously some pitches were so close that graphics issues made it hard to tell if it overlapped or not.
- When batters get hits, they will hit the ball at more angles instead of just hitting it straight.

Playthrough of the Gameplay

Find the playthrough of the release on Youtube!

Feedback

You can add comments on the main itch.io page or over at TheUmpShowGame subreddit.