Anyone still not purchased yet...

[spleen1015]

You guys may not like FOFC because of some of the folks there, but you're not going to find a better place for accurate information about a lot of different games.

As MizzouRah said, that board is called FOFC, but it's gone beyond being all about FOF anymore.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I would much rather Markus, Jim, Gary, etc.. get the real world structure right than making so many things customizable.. but it's only MY opinion.

Of course, I could ask the real world structure from which year? The NFL setup of 1967 is not the same as that of 2007.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Of course, I could ask the real world structure from which year? The NFL setup of 1967 is not the same as that of 2007.

So true sir, so true! At least someone has rosters and draft files for the golden days.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

You guys may not like FOFC because of some of the folks there, but you're not going to find a better place for people saying that every single game sucks compared to FOF and piling on for 2,000 posts about especially ambitious yet failed games that could, had they not been failures, made competition with FOF.

Fixed!

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

As someone who only cares with real world setups in any sport, I don't feel your pain, but I understand what you're saying.

I would much rather Markus, Jim, Gary, etc.. get the real world structure right than making so many things customizable.. but it's only MY opinion.

I would much rather have a game that allows me to play it the way I want to play it. This hurts online leagues as well, because anybody with fewer than 32 owners has to let the computer take over some of the teams, which defeats much of the purpose of online leagues. And it's basically worthless for any of us who want to recreate football history.

I know what the next argument's going to be: you can't customize Worldwide Soccer Manager either and it's by far the best text-based sim out there. Well, that's true, but I'd still say there's a good deal of "customization" in that you have so many teams and leagues to choose from that you can still play your own game, more or less. If you want to play the current MLS and nothing else, you can do that. If you want to do an English league where you start with a lower-level team and try to push them into the Premiere League, you can do that too. If you're not into those particular sizes and shapes, you've got different ones from Italy, Brazil, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, and so on and so forth. About the only thing you can't really do is play the game in God Mode and that's why I don't play it, but that's a relatively small thing.

FOF gives you nothing about that. I can't even make a league that started after the 1988 strike unless I want to pretend that the league magically expanded into 32 teams overnight. Want to try an alternate universe where the USFL stays? You're SOL unless you want to pretend that the NFL sucked it up and expanded into 32 teams. Forget about the WLAF or the current WFL or especially the old-skool WFL of the 70s. Forget about running an ultra-competitive 1960s NFL/AFL league either - even a 32 team one - because the game doesn't even come with a schedule editor and thus you're going to have to go in yourself if you want to remove any interleague games. Really, in essence you can forget about any non-32 team league because "32 teams works for football". I am *so* glad that OOTP and for that matter Puresim and Gary Gorski's new basketball game and, heck, even Baseball Mogul - jeez, even non-career sims like Strat-o-Matic and APBA and Diamond Mind Baseball - aren't so arrogant as to assume that all any of their fans would ever want to do is play a recreation of the 2006 season.

It amazes me that FOF 2001 was actually a better game in this regard, since you started with fewer teams and could expand to more if you wanted to. I don't think I've ever seen a game like this actually take a step backward. FOF *badly* needs another text-based football sim out there so that people can compare and contrast and either move to the new game or push Jim Gindin to improve the old one.

[yclept]

Originally Posted by Marc Duffy

I'd be interested in hearing the reasons why you've not yet laid out for the game.

Doesnt matter what, just lay it on the line here.

If you have purchased and you enjoy it, have you managed to spread the word or convince a fellow family member to try it out?

First of all, I *have* purchased it, so you have my money.

However, it was probably a mistake - and, like many others, it comes down to one thing: No MLB roster sets available. I've tried fictional leagues going back to the first OOTP I bought; could never get into it. Historical sims are just not my cup of tea. I want to pick up the game in 2007, have all rosters up to date, and the top prospects as well. The fact that past versions of the game had these things available within a day or two of release rasied expectations that the new versions would have them available as well.

So, until that day comes, it sits on my hard drive collecting dust....

If there is an OOTP 2008, I definitely will learn my lesson and not buy it until a roster set is released.

[HomieGee]

Yes, I'm also starting to believe buying it was a mistake. Although you have my money as well I feel exactly the same way as the poster above.

If I was able to refund it, I would.

[AD31]

Originally Posted by yclept

First of all, I *have* purchased it, so you have my money.

However, it was probably a mistake - and, like many others, it comes down to one thing: No MLB roster sets available. I've tried fictional leagues going back to the first OOTP I bought; could never get into it. Historical sims are just not my cup of tea. I want to pick up the game in 2007, have all rosters up to date, and the top prospects as well. The fact that past versions of the game had these things available within a day or two of release rasied expectations that the new versions would have them available as well.

So, until that day comes, it sits on my hard drive collecting dust....

If there is an OOTP 2008, I definitely will learn my lesson and not buy it until a roster set is released.

There is a roster forum where you can check the status of the rosters before purchase. In the meantime you can use Cubbyfans beta rosters. I do not know how they hold up over time, but it will give you something to do.

[texasmame]

Cross me off the "yet to buy" list.

[highandoutside]

Well let me just add that if you have been enjoying this hobby for many years like I have (25 plus years), I don't know how you could not purchase this game. I understand that roster sets may be an issue, but that is constantly being worked on and there are other games that do a good job of simply replicating seasons. The game may difficult to navigate, but it is intuitive and, if you take the time, it becomes second nature.

To me, this game has taken this hobby to heights I could not have imagined. The game plays like real baseball. By that I mean, there is depth to the simulation of baseball that is impressive. I am tickled that this game has advanced like it has and I am excited about the future. We are very much a niche audience and the game may be in trouble because there simply are not many of us. But, I consider the measly $30 I spent on this game well-spent. Sometimes I look at it as an investment to keep alive a hobby that I love. For goodness sakes, for the cost of I one dinner out at an average restaurant, I have a game that goes beyond what that little guy who used to wait impatiently for his strat-cards to arrive by UPS could ever have hoped for. Thanks SI-dudes.

[bababui]

A few unnecessary negatives Markus could easily program away...

1)Do away with the annoying auto-save and allow the customer to save games the way he/she wants

2)Adopt the FM style of player sorting: OOTP keeps resorting players whenever you change screens when trying to compare players

3)Fix the rating system so we have a general idea what our lesser players will achieve.

4)Fix pitcher fatigue so a reliever who threw 8 pitches in the last 5 days isnt tired/exhausted

5)Fix draft pick trading so we know just what/whose picks we have

6)Fix historic play so we can alter league structure (not addiig/deleting teams) without having the game crash

[Kane182]

Not trying to step on anyone's toes, but I find it interesting when I hear comments like "you have my money now, but I regret it because there are no real MLB rosters." The game was never advertised with having MLB rosters. You cannot blame Markus or SI for any of that. You cannot blame the modders either as they owe us nothing. Just Sayin'...

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Kane182

Not trying to step on anyone's toes, but I find it interesting when I hear comments like "you have my money now, but I regret it because there are no real MLB rosters." The game was never advertised with having MLB rosters. You cannot blame Markus or SI for any of that. You cannot blame the modders either as they owe us nothing. Just Sayin'...

I agree totally, it is not like anyone was mislead by SI....and of course those who want rosters can always make them

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by bababui

6) Fix historic play so we can alter league structure (not addiig/deleting teams) without having the game crash

Well, if you alter the league structure from what it was historically, then it's no longer a historical league, strictly speaking. It's a historical-fictional hybrid, which is a different animal from a purely historical league.

This is not to say however that OOTP shouldn't make such historical-fictional hybrids easier to create and run...

[KCRoyalsFan]

I bought the game expectings rosters within a week or two. It is May, and we don't even have a prototype roster yet.

I was under the impressions that some individuals are given the opportunity to join the beta for the sole purpose of gettings rosters done.

It is unfortunate that a series of events have happened this year to prevent the rosters from being out right now. I don't regret buying the game, but I can definitely see why a number of people are, or haven't bought the game yet.

[yclept]

Originally Posted by Kane182

Not trying to step on anyone's toes, but I find it interesting when I hear comments like "you have my money now, but I regret it because there are no real MLB rosters." The game was never advertised with having MLB rosters. You cannot blame Markus or SI for any of that. You cannot blame the modders either as they owe us nothing. Just Sayin'...

No, it wasn't advertised that way, so that's my mistake. But if they want answers as to why people aren't buying the game, I can bet you anything that it is one of the biggest reasons why. I can bet you anything that people are lurking around, waiting for someone to say there's an official roster out there; it may not make or break the game, but it probably has hurt sales to some extent.
I used to buy the game blindly, knowing that a roster set would be out there within a few hours of release. Now, it doesn't work that way - I am fine with that, but my money that has been poured into many versions of this game no longer will be poured into it...just like it's their choice to not include rosters, it's my choice to not pay for it unless I have real rosters.

[yclept]

Originally Posted by Lee

I agree totally, it is not like anyone was mislead by SI....and of course those who want rosters can always make them

I could, but I am not willing to do that. Nor did I volunteer to do it. I am not dumb enough to volunteer to do something I know I cannot accomplish.

I appreciate any work that modders put into the game; but making false promises is never going to look good upon you, whether you are doing it for free or not.

And back to my original point - the question is why one hasn't bought the game yet; there are likely several different reasons, and one of those reasons is that people who used to buy the game knowing rosters were going to be released probably aren't buying the game until they know there's a good set out there...and nobody seems to know where exactly that set is.

At the end of the day, I really don't care personally - I'll find something else to do with the time I used to put aside for OOTP. I would hate to see the game go downhill, because it is/was a blast to play, and perhaps it will be later this summer as well if a roster is released.

[lschaef]

I finally bought it last night. I had been playing the demo and making sure I'd play it enough to justify spending the money.

I'm a little more cautious after buying 2006 and hardly playing it at all, but I'm still a big fan of the series.

[robster1225]

Originally Posted by lschaef

I finally bought it last night. I had been playing the demo and making sure I'd play it enough to justify spending the money.

I'm a little more cautious after buying 2006 and hardly playing it at all, but I'm still a big fan of the series.

Glad to hear you bought the game. I think you'll enjoy it

[Bears5122]

Originally Posted by Kane182

Not trying to step on anyone's toes, but I find it interesting when I hear comments like "you have my money now, but I regret it because there are no real MLB rosters." The game was never advertised with having MLB rosters. You cannot blame Markus or SI for any of that. You cannot blame the modders either as they owe us nothing. Just Sayin'...

I agree. I think many people learned their lesson last year with that. But if you ask around to people who have purchased the game in the past and haven't for this version, I'd bet that rosters is one of the biggest reasons.

Maybe that means Markus should make roster building easier, or the makers should be more careful with who they give early copies to. Whatever the case is, it's significantly hurting their sales whether they can control it or not.