No BO for LGO- The Le Grande Orange Interview

[Padreman]

We all know this long time hall of fame member. He's has be all around the forum, many value his opinions, his assistance and some like to argue with him
well here he is Le Grande Orange

When and what version did you start playing OOTP?

I think it was OOTP 4. I joined the forum shortly after finding the game.


What's feature of the game you love most?

It's customization and flexibility. The user can pretty much interact with the game the way they want to, and there is a lot of power in that. Of course, customization can be a double-edged sword, in that it makes it hard to test every possible permutation the game allows. It can also make the interface overwhelming at times.


What's favorite baseball team (any league)?

The Montreal Expos when I was younger; the Toronto Blue Jays subsequently.


How old you?

49, chronologically. If you go by how I feel most of the time, it's closer to 39. If you instead measure age by the sum of life experiences one typically has by a given age, then I'm probably not even 24. It makes for an awkward combination.


Where are you originally from?

Gander, Newfoundland, by birth, but much of my childhood was spent in the suburbs of Montreal. I've been living in Toronto for my adult life, almost thirty years now.


Are you a family man?

It's the only thing I ever really wanted to be. It's also, it seems, the one thing I'll never get to be. [Insert irony here]


What do you for a living?

Nothing at the moment. Once upon a time I worked in the print/publishing/graphic arts field.


Besides OOTP do you have any other hobbies or interest?

OOTP has inspired me to do a lot of research on real-life baseball topics, and I've done a great deal that over the years. Some of it might even prove to be useful someday! Women have long been an interest of mine, but alas, they're not much interested in me, so it's a pursuit I've largely abandoned. I wish I could say I have other interests, but I've become rather dull over the years. If you're looking for the life of the party, keep looking!


You're a long time member here and people respect your point of views and appreciate any assistance you give, but what forum members do you personally admire?

There are really a lot of great folks who particpate in the forum. I hesitate to make a list lest I leave out some deserving folks. So I'll just say everyone who takes the time to come to the forum and help in their own way to make the game better deserves admiration.

That said, if there was an award for "Best Gentleman of the OOTP Forum" I'd have to nominate Eugene Church. A very classy fellow by every measure.


What changes in the MLB would you make if you can if you though it will make the game better or give it more exposure? (Rule changes, expansion, relocation, anything)

I just sort of go with however it evolves, so there's nothing that really irks me about MLB at present. If I could change anything, it'd probably be the post-season. I'd bump the Wild Card round up to a best-of-three series (a single game on the first day followed by a doubleheader on the second day), and lengthen the Division Series to best-of-seven. I'd eliminate a lot of the off days - during the regular season baseball is a nearly every day event, but in the post-season that daily pattern has largely been dropped. Other than that, I might tinker with the revenue sharing system to try and help give smaller market clubs a better chance. Not exactly sure how I'd change it; I'd hire some really bright folks and let them examine the matter in detail and then follow their recommendations.


If the OOTP team asked you be a consultant what will you change, add or remove for new version of the game?

Truly dynamic game worlds. The league evolution feature just scratches the surface of what a truly deep and dynamic game world could offer. It touches upon so many areas - the finances, news stories, league interaction, drafts, and much more. Imagine a game world which realistically responds to changes within it, or to changes initiated by the user. News stories talk about a struggling team possibly relocating; at the winter meetings the owners approve a move; and then news stories follow about the team's reception in its new home. New rival leagues sometimes form and challenge the established leagues. There's sharp competition for players; some even depart for the upstarts. The rival leagues either successfully surive the challenge attempt or die in the process. Teams modify or open new stadiums as their older ones become less profitable. Rules change in response to the existing conditions. And so on.

A truly living and breathing game world. It'd offer an unparalled sandbox within which the user could play, one where facscinating stories unfold on their own. For those users who want to watch an ongoing story I think it would be amazing!


Do feel that Pete Rose should be in the HOF? What about the known or alleged steroid users?

The rules against anyone connected with the sport gambling are long-standing and widely known. Rose knowingly broke those rules, so it's an entirely self-inflicted wound. The steroid issue I think is more complicated, seeing as the rules were not always in place prohibiting certain substances, and I'm not entirely convinced just how much difference they really made, or if it's even possible to specifically quantify that in a meaningful way. Then there is the question of the way the HoF at present is constituted. I mean, Marvin Miller—who surely was one of the most influential figures in the sport's history—is still not in. So maybe the entire HoF needs to be rethought and rebuilt from scratch, in which case the good and bad of the sport's participants can be equally acknowledged.

(Basically, I'm ambivalent on the matter. The biggest thing to me about the HoF is its attached Research Library, which I understand is amazing. I'd love to spend time there, browsing through its many reference resources.)


Is there any other game or show your currently enjoying you would like to let us know?

For a long time I was a Horde mode from Gears of War 2/3 addict. Absolutely loved it. I keep hoping I'll find another console game mode I'll enjoy as much but it hasn't happened yet. I dabble in Minecraft from time to time. In terms of television shows, Breaking Bad of course, and I thought House of Cards was very good also. Archer, The Venture Brothers, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report all tickle my funny bone, but unfortunately I rarely get to see these shows anymore.
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