Ghost/Current Players ? Which real players/teams are in the game ?

Stargamer_Nick · 05-24-2007, 11:25 PM

Hi !

I'm thinking of buying the game for a friend of mine who's an huge baseball fan.

He likes playing simulation baseball games with the real players& teams but since I know that T2 signed a deal with the MLB and the MLBPA 2 years ago, I would like to know which real players or teams are in the game and how exactly can it be determine that a real player is in the game or not ?

Also, I read that the game included Ghost Players. I don't know a lot about baseball myself so can someone explain to me what exactly is a "Ghost" Players and in what way does this enhance the game ?

Thanks !

Ragtime Willie · 05-24-2007, 11:42 PM

This game does not come with the real players and teams, however there are multiple ways to download the historical information needed for that.

Ghost players are used to smooth out play in the minor leagues. Sometimes you don't have enough players in your system and ghost players just make sure that your minor league afilliates aren't just sending out two catchers and a batboy.

Curtis · 05-25-2007, 12:07 AM

That's a good explanation. To carry it a little further, ghost players are created minutes before a game and cease to exist minutes after the game ends, so they don't accumulate statistics. They are supposedly average in all ways for players at their position and level (AAA, Rookie, etc.).

Ghost players are most often used in historical universes with one or more levels of minor leaguers added, though they can be used in fictional universes, also. In historical universes, each organization usually has too many players to fit them all on the major league roster, but too few to fill out an entire AAA team, so ghosts are used to make up the difference.

They're never mandatory. If you don't like the idea of ghosts there are ways to get around them, such as using a secondary roster instead of a minor league system, or filling out your minors with fictional players but checking the 'do not allow fictional players to reach the majors' box during league creation.

Stargamer_Nick · 05-25-2007, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curtis

... in fictional universes, also. In historical universes..

That's where I'm getting again a bit confused.

If there is no real teams or players what's the difference between a fictional and an historical universe ?

Ragtime Willie · 05-25-2007, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargamer_Nick

That's where I'm getting again a bit confused.

If there is no real teams or players what's the difference between a fictional and an historical universe ?

There are real teams and players, they are just downloaded seperately from the actual game.

eriqjaffe · 05-25-2007, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargamer_Nick

That's where I'm getting again a bit confused.

If there is no real teams or players what's the difference between a fictional and an historical universe ?

To clarify, you can download Sean Lahman's database (be sure to get the comma-delimited version) and import a historical league using that - the ability to import a historical league is available in-game.

Any league the game generates without Lahman's database is going to be a fictional league - one of the nicest things about fictional leagues, though, is that it allows for nearly infinite customization, as opposed to the MLB structure.

Both types of leagues allow for "ghost" players, however.

Stargamer_Nick · 05-25-2007, 10:25 AM

And just to make sure, downloading these historical database is legal ?

Doesn't the MLB owns the right to players, the teams and their stats and if someone was to download it, wouldn't they get into trouble ?

Also, if someone has make it available, this means that any league/players can be created from the game ? Is that correct ?

eriqjaffe · 05-25-2007, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargamer_Nick

And just to make sure, downloading these historical database is legal ?

To my knowledge, it is perfectly legal. Sean Lahman doesn't make a dime off of the download.

1998 Yankees · 05-25-2007, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

To my knowledge, it is perfectly legal. Sean Lahman doesn't make a dime off of the download.

They ask for donations to support the costs of maintaining the web site, but they supposedly do not make a profit from providing the data. That's the important distinction and why OOTP/SI cannot provide real rosters and other MLB-associated stuff. The Baseball Archive (the link above) is a well known web site and MLB would have moved to shut it down long ago if it were a problem to them.

05-24-2007, 11:25 PM	#1
Stargamer_Nick Bat Boy Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3	Ghost/Current Players ? Which real players/teams are in the game ? Hi ! I'm thinking of buying the game for a friend of mine who's an huge baseball fan. He likes playing simulation baseball games with the real players& teams but since I know that T2 signed a deal with the MLB and the MLBPA 2 years ago, I would like to know which real players or teams are in the game and how exactly can it be determine that a real player is in the game or not ? Also, I read that the game included Ghost Players. I don't know a lot about baseball myself so can someone explain to me what exactly is a "Ghost" Players and in what way does this enhance the game ? Thanks !

05-24-2007, 11:42 PM	#2
Ragtime Willie Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 21	This game does not come with the real players and teams, however there are multiple ways to download the historical information needed for that. Ghost players are used to smooth out play in the minor leagues. Sometimes you don't have enough players in your system and ghost players just make sure that your minor league afilliates aren't just sending out two catchers and a batboy.

05-25-2007, 12:07 AM	#3
Curtis Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Watertown, New York Posts: 4,567	That's a good explanation. To carry it a little further, ghost players are created minutes before a game and cease to exist minutes after the game ends, so they don't accumulate statistics. They are supposedly average in all ways for players at their position and level (AAA, Rookie, etc.). Ghost players are most often used in historical universes with one or more levels of minor leaguers added, though they can be used in fictional universes, also. In historical universes, each organization usually has too many players to fit them all on the major league roster, but too few to fill out an entire AAA team, so ghosts are used to make up the difference. They're never mandatory. If you don't like the idea of ghosts there are ways to get around them, such as using a secondary roster instead of a minor league system, or filling out your minors with fictional players but checking the 'do not allow fictional players to reach the majors' box during league creation.

05-25-2007, 10:25 AM	#7
Stargamer_Nick Bat Boy Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3	And just to make sure, downloading these historical database is legal ? Doesn't the MLB owns the right to players, the teams and their stats and if someone was to download it, wouldn't they get into trouble ? Also, if someone has make it available, this means that any league/players can be created from the game ? Is that correct ?