[billybuck22]

I've bought three versions of this game over the years and after playing through game by game almost four seasons of 13, I've been forced to accept this game is not designed for playing out games and managing on a day to day basis and that I won't continue to reward a disingenous marketing strategy with my money.


It's a game for numbers crunchers only and works well enough simming a season or seasons at a time I suppose, but does not hold up if you like in game strategy or even looking at daily box scores. Setting aside the understandable difficulty in programming baseballs strategy nuances, two issues, easy to fix, drive me from the game and their occurence through all three versions I"ve bought show me that the features to play out games or the hook of managing a team on a daily basis are merely marketing ploys.


1) Extra innings- In almost four seasons of playing out nearly every game, the ridiculousness of the 15 inning game and the game machinations to manufacture it are an interest killer. I would estimate that 85 percent of extra inning games go exactly 15 innings, 10 percent go 14, and 5 percent go 18. I've yet to have a game I've played out go any other number of extra innings. I can tell starting about the 7th or 8th inning when a game is going to go 14,15 or 18 innings.


It's just a game killer when the excitement of extra innings becomes such a dramatic manipulation. It's laughable how competent relief pitchers become in extra innings.


2) insanely clutch hitting pitchers- Again, an issue in every version I've bought. It is so ridiculous how well pitchers hit with men in scoring position that I've resorted to intentionally walking pitchers, even moving a second man into scoring position based on the odds.


I believe I've seen comments in the past by the developers about their disdain for having the pitchers hit. I could be wrong on my rememberance, but the fact that this easy-fix issue remains speaks volumes anyway. The joy of managing National League style ball is completely killed by this. I find myself relieved when I come to road interleague games, a feeling I hate.


Anyway, these are the two main points that drive me away from this game. Though, the fact that the ratings inversion, especially among coaches and scouts, where the highest ranked perform the poorest and vice versa is another seemingly easy fix that has plagued the game in every version.


I guess I've logged back into the forum after not posting in so long is largely out of frustration. I long for a game I can play as a day to day manager and engross myself in baseball game strategy. The fact I've bought this game three times and devoted so much time to it 3 times is evidence of that.


Mainly however, I post this as a warning to those considering buying the game to play in the fashion I've mentioned. Playing arcade games in manage only mode are just as, even more realistic. Most importantly though I think the developers need to seriously consider how inappropriate it is to market a game on features that don't work and aren't intended to work.


If there aren't enough number crunching, yearly simulators out there to turn a profit, you need to put some effort into making the game work for the people that will get you to the financial finish line or move on to something else.