Let's be honest about 6.5

[Johnny99]

Let me start off by saying that I am as much an OOTP "fanboy" as anyone. The game has and continues to provide me with countless hours of enjoyment, going back to, I believe, version 3.

But lets call a spade a spade. It seems to me, after several weeks of gameplay, that 6.5 is not much more than a very padded patch intended to ensure a new "release" during this baseball season since v7 will not be out until next year. New player development algorithm? c'mon. A couple of cosmetic tweaks? sure. I use the milestone watch and projected leaders. I asked for overall totals to be listed in the lineup chart. Yes, yes, nice little features. But I don't see much more than that. And its not the money. I'd send ten times that amount to Markus just for all of the enjoyment I've gotten from his product. And I'll buy v7 the day it comes out. It just seems all the fanfare for 6.5 was much ado about not so much. And a few unresolved bugs, to boot.

Hey, even the great ones stumble once in a while. I hope v7 sells a billion copies and Markus marries a supermodel. But I gotta call it like I see it.

[statfreak]

My opinion is very different. v6.5 has really seemed like a totally new and improved game to me. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's been more than worth the money already and I still have months of gameplay left.

Easily my favority version, though OOTP4 is a very close second.

[Johnny99]

Originally Posted by statfreak

My opinion is very different. v6.5 has really seemed like a totally new and improved game to me. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's been more than worth the money already and I still have months of gameplay left.

Easily my favority version, though OOTP4 is a very close second.

Seriously, in what ways? And I still play it too, and enjoy it. Just don't see much diff. from 6.12.

[Steve Kuffrey]

As with ANY game, patch, update, etc.........the "your mileage(satisfaction) may vary" tag should be added.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

I like 6.5 quite a lot.... but the bugs that have been added and not yet resolved are quite annoying. I think it will be worth it and more if they are dealt with; more of a close call if not.

[bulldog55]

I did end up buying it as the other BBSC Leagues had made the switch and the Victory League owners wanted to do the same. We're just finishing up our season and haven't switched yet but I've been playing it solo and online. A few thoughts....

1. Yes, it does seem a lot like a dressed-up patch. Some nice additions, don't get me wrong, but nothing that even approach a new version of the game as many have claimed it to be. An expansion pack might be a fair designation for it, but...

2. There are just too many bugs. It seems hasty, it seems unplanned. The unretire feature not just working the same as Pierre's utility, but throwing off career leaders and retired players. The AI flipping ratings and benching legendary players. It really does feel like unretirement was just thrown in at the last minute to sell more items.

3. I like the shop around feature (though it took me quite a while to find it) and the popularity rating. I haven't simmed enough to notice how the team focus works but it's definitely a nice concept. I like the new box scores, don't care enough about stats to really get excited over what are nice additions, but statistics-wise I do like the projected stats as well as being able to toggle stats in the lineup screen. I also really like the milestone watch page, especially for my historical sim so I can keep up on players I wouldn't otherwise be following. I haven't even tried the 7-day lineup feature, which I should make a point of doing.

Do I think it's worth $10? Not really. Is it worth money? Yeah, I'd say so. Am I losing sleep that I paid for it? Of course not. Am I concerned about the state of the game and the company? To some degree, yes.

[Faroo6]

My experience with the Team Focus has been everything its cracked up to be. Teams that go to rebuilding usually trade good veterans to win now teams for specs.

Shop player is definitely my favorite new function of the added ones. I use this all the time when a player irritates me. Shop him and see if he's worth dumping or it I should just wait it out.

[Malleus Dei]

Originally Posted by statfreak

My opinion is very different. v6.5 has really seemed like a totally new and improved game to me. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's been more than worth the money already and I still have months of gameplay left.

I'll second that.

[Kemp]

The ability to lock team tendencies was VERY big, I think. I also like the team focus (though I play with financials off).

I thought 6.5 was a very solid upgrade.

[Jonzard]

Probably worth $5

[treedom]

Originally Posted by Kemp

The ability to lock team tendencies was VERY big, I think. I also like the team focus (though I play with financials off).

I play that way too and I was a bit dissapointed that it was a financials only feature, since, when you play with financials off, there are certainly still trades that this feature could apply to. Oh well, not that big a deal.

[Draft Dodger]

I personally think that 6.5 was a bigger improvement over 6 for $10 than 6 was over 5 for $35.

[cshigh]

6.5 is the best version that I have enjoyed so far. I really like the Milestone Watch feature, as well as the ability to set each team's tendancies. I'm using MD's Manager utility with it, and I am having a blast. I play mainly fictional baseball, and have not seen many problems at all.

[BravesSince66]

It's all good. In my comparatively brief exposure to OOTP I found that 6.12 improved 6.03 which improved 6.0. I expect something along the same lines with 6.5. Minor tweaks are all that's needed. Was it worth $10? No. The whole thing is worth a lot more than that. This game is BY FAR the best value on the market.

I have found in life that sometimes more experience with something taints the pure joy of it for some people. Must be a forest for the trees thing.

[Johnny99]

Originally Posted by BravesSince66

It's all good. In my comparatively brief exposure to OOTP I found that 6.12 improved 6.03 which improved 6.0. I expect something along the same lines with 6.5. Minor tweaks are all that's needed. Was it worth $10? No. The whole thing is worth a lot more than that. This game is BY FAR the best value on the market.

I have found in life that sometimes more experience with something taints the pure joy of it for some people. Must be a forest for the trees thing.

No, it just that when you see something you care about go, in your opinion, slightly off course, you feel compelled to remark on it. I think certain features were included for the sake of padding without having been tested well, and they caused and continue to cause problems with the game.

[BigCity]

Originally Posted by BravesSince66

I have found in life that sometimes more experience with something taints the pure joy of it for some people. Must be a forest for the trees thing.

Well said. Your comment made me think of a personal parallel. I bought a highend digital camera a couple years ago for about $1000. I've probably used it about 500 hours and have gotten much enjoyment from it. That works out to about $2.00 per hour.

I've purchased V3, V4, V5, V6, and V6.5 of OOTP over the past 4 years for about $150. I've probably spent 2000 hours over the past 4 years (maybe more) playing this game or otherwise being involved with it, and have gotten much enjoyment from it as well. That works out to about 8 cents an hour.

It's pretty clear which was the better deal even with the "bugs".

[Johnny99]

Originally Posted by BigCity

Well said. Your comment made me think of a personal parallel. I bought a highend digital camera a couple years ago for about $1000. I've probably used it about 500 hours and have gotten much enjoyment from it. That works out to about $2.00 per hour.

I've purchased V3, V4, V5, V6, and V6.5 of OOTP over the past 4 years for about $150. I've probably spent 2000 hours over the past 4 years (maybe more) playing this game or otherwise being involved with it, and have gotten much enjoyment from it as well. That works out to about 8 cents an hour.

It's pretty clear which was the better deal even with the "bugs".

I never said a word about the price. Its irrelevant to me, given what I've gotten out of the game. Doesn't mean we should keep our mouths shut when we see something we don't like.

[BigCity]

Originally Posted by Johnny99

I never said a word about the price. Its irrelevant to me, given what I've gotten out of the game. Doesn't mean we should keep our mouths shut when we see something we don't like.

I think you took my comment to "Braves..." personally, of which it wasn't intended - or directed at you.

I do think, however, that there is a thin line between voicing concerns (which is good) and expressing those concerns in a way that then looks insulting (I got ripped off, the game/upgrade isn't worth it, or even your "I think certain features were added for padding").

Why is it we can't state what we are concerned about and would like to see fixed, without making it a personal vendetta against OOTPD?

Let's ask a question.... Did Markus come out with V6.5a to make some money since V7 was going to be delayed till next Spring? Yeah. I would say that was part of his reasoning, as well as the fact that he and SI had talked and felt an upgrade would be fair to the customers while they waited for V7.

So, what's wrong with that approach? If a customer didn't want to buy it, they weren't forced to (and I don't want to get into online league requirements because what they choose to do is NOT OOTPD's or SI's responsibility). A list of features was provided, most of which worked as advertised, some which were disappointments - nothing out of the ordinary here. In addition, Markus has already said there will be another patch at some point, so he's shown (as he always does) that he is willing to try and resolve any outstanding issues. Keep in mind also, all of this support comes for a game that is already obsolete!

I find myself always posting in response to these threads, not because I think complaints should not be posted, but because too many posts carry a concern into an attack of some sort - blaming OOTPD for being a business, and somehow conniving its customers into paying for something. It's this last point that finds me constantly asking why this is necessary?

[jeheinz72]

I personally would've paid $10 for just the milestones, projected leaders and toggle stats. But that's just me.

[Chappy]

My favorite feature so far is the injuries in spring training... Much more realistic, even though the Freedom lost their 4th outfielder for the year before the season even started!