After Series Anti-Climax

[endgame]

Aside from http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...-managers.html bothering me right now, I have another.

I don't know if I'll be accepted into Beta this year or not, but this is a discussion we've had every year I've participated and I'm not sure why, but we've never been successful in generating any real momentum to add any changes: how to make the game treat the playoffs and winning them (include your equivalent of the World Series) with a little more zippity do, opposed to the here's a nice picture of a trophy and your team. Now look over what changes you might want to make, do some offseason stuff, and click-click-click until it's Spring Training again, lather-rinse-repeat.

I'm not complaining, so much as feeling a little empty that there wasn't a bit more fanfare, tasks, or news, to invigorate that involvement and/or immersion that so many of us solo players are looking for in terms of the format that, maybe, provides a tad more interaction. At least, one that allows us a celebration unlike the hardship and small joys we experience during the season (unless you're a talented dynasty writer), alone, and in no small way, a Show sold out with one ticket. You make it what you can.

So I've seen suggested, properly, in the Suggestion Forum categories, things like spicing up the number of news stories, including making sure each and every game of the playoffs is covered; maybe adding, or having the AI select the Series or Post-Season MVP award; one could create a news story themselves, adding a post-playoff interview with the manager, and more. I haven't hunted them all down, but I hope we do this year and give it some serious consideration for evolvement.

Any ideas out there about what could be enhanced, added, eliminated, or changed to make that aftermath of losing the playoffs or winning them go by a bit more slowly, or provide for some inspiration to delve deeper into the game? Or am I alone in feeling a certain sense of anti-climax, a bit of a sludge-like process that crawls out without real event until ST is there knocking on my menu, with the exception of the little message that lets me know it's "that time again", whatever that time is?

If it's not important, you can tell me that, too. Maybe it's not for simmers, but for the solo guy playing 'em all out, or even most of them, I just have this sense - as I've had in years past - that there's a void that could be better filled with real interactions of some kind. Thanks in advance. Even after finally winning it all, seems I'm still not satisfied, eh? Consider it a conversation starter, even if it ends quickly.

[Bluenoser]

Why do you only mention solo players? Do you think online league players don't get just as immeressed because there are other human owners?

If this is going to be addressed, it needs to be done for all who play the game, online, simmer, and not just solo players.

[endgame]

Originally Posted by BruceM

Why do you only mention solo players? Do you think online league players don't get just as immeressed because there are other human owners?

If this is going to be addressed, it needs to be done for all who play the game, online, simmer, and not just solo players.

I don't mean to, nor am I implying, that it isn't important to them. I agree any addition or changes should rightly embrace all types of players in one form or another. The truth is, I can only speak from the solo player's vantage point because it's, for all practical purposes, all I've ever known. I had one brief experience with online play and, granted, my immersion into the team and the character probably went beyond what was acceptable to the league at large, but I had some fun with it. No doubt.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know how important that aspect of the immersion is to other types of players 1) because I don't play that way and I'm sure many variants exist and 2) I read a lot of reports of 15-20 season leagues that - at least in my mind - center more on an overall look at the players and teams (immersions of that sort) rather than any focus on one special season, unless it's in retrospect and stat evaluated. Again, that's just an impression. I'm likely mistaken because I just don't know enough about the experience. All I can address is my own, and in no way want that to come across as isolated (except that solo IS isolated) in any larger degree than another type of player.

I've always been an advocate of broadening the experience and interactive nature of the game for all players, BruceM. I'm just not able to articulate the others, or my own sometimes, as well as I'd like. I hope that others, like yourself, will take this opportunity to share what might be of importance to you to improve an area like the playoffs and the World Series event. Maybe there's a need, maybe there's not. I don't question anyone's ability to become immersed in the game. Equally, I don't doubt anyone's capability of experiencing the voids, emptiness, or stagnancy the game can bring on. I'm interested in both and from all vantage points.

[Afino]

I can somewhat agree that, especially after the first one where you'll all HOLY **** I WON IT ALL!, it's pretty ho-hum and could be spruced up a bit. How I'd do that, I don't know.

[Syd Thrift]

Remember that Dungeons and Dragons game from the 80s where if you won it, it just kicked you out to a DOS prompt? That was aWesome. I don't know if any game could ever reach a higher pinnacle than that but I for one think Markus should try. As they say, if you reach for the moon and miss, you will soon die because humans cannot breathe in space.

[Nasty5037]

I agree with you. The atmosphere does not feel different and the only real way to actually know its the playoffs is by what the schedule says. What could make this a little better are news articles that are specific to the playoffs. These articles could include things like playoff match-up articles similar to what you get from your scout, playoff history articles like when a team has never made the playoffs have an article about it, and finally I doubt this could happen but maybe a prediction article of each matchup. One thing I have seen that I really like are the championship banners that online leagues make. Using a template, the game could have all the banners with years set and then the game would add the logo, name of the team, and team colors into the template. These banners could be placed in the history of the league and on the league home page throughout the next year. Just my two cents.

[JackRules1]

A short victory parade video clip would be nice.

[Afino]

Originally Posted by Nasty5037

I agree with you. The atmosphere does not feel different and the only real way to actually know its the playoffs is by what the schedule says. What could make this a little better are news articles that are specific to the playoffs. These articles could include things like playoff match-up articles similar to what you get from your scout, playoff history articles like when a team has never made the playoffs have an article about it, and finally I doubt this could happen but maybe a prediction article of each matchup. One thing I have seen that I really like are the championship banners that online leagues make. Using a template, the game could have all the banners with years set and then the game would add the logo, name of the team, and team colors into the template. These banners could be placed in the history of the league and on the league home page throughout the next year. Just my two cents.

I'm an advocate of some sort of pennant page and pennants being on the team history page as well.

[ootp3to6]

Originally Posted by endgame

Aside from http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...-managers.html bothering me right now, I have another.

I don't know if I'll be accepted into Beta this year or not, but this is a discussion we've had every year I've participated and I'm not sure why, but we've never been successful in generating any real momentum to add any changes: how to make the game treat the playoffs and winning them (include your equivalent of the World Series) with a little more zippity do, opposed to the here's a nice picture of a trophy and your team. Now look over what changes you might want to make, do some offseason stuff, and click-click-click until it's Spring Training again, lather-rinse-repeat.

I'm not complaining, so much as feeling a little empty that there wasn't a bit more fanfare, tasks, or news, to invigorate that involvement and/or immersion that so many of us solo players are looking for in terms of the format that, maybe, provides a tad more interaction. At least, one that allows us a celebration unlike the hardship and small joys we experience during the season (unless you're a talented dynasty writer), alone, and in no small way, a Show sold out with one ticket. You make it what you can.

So I've seen suggested, properly, in the Suggestion Forum categories, things like spicing up the number of news stories, including making sure each and every game of the playoffs is covered; maybe adding, or having the AI select the Series or Post-Season MVP award; one could create a news story themselves, adding a post-playoff interview with the manager, and more. I haven't hunted them all down, but I hope we do this year and give it some serious consideration for evolvement.

Any ideas out there about what could be enhanced, added, eliminated, or changed to make that aftermath of losing the playoffs or winning them go by a bit more slowly, or provide for some inspiration to delve deeper into the game? Or am I alone in feeling a certain sense of anti-climax, a bit of a sludge-like process that crawls out without real event until ST is there knocking on my menu, with the exception of the little message that lets me know it's "that time again", whatever that time is?

If it's not important, you can tell me that, too. Maybe it's not for simmers, but for the solo guy playing 'em all out, or even most of them, I just have this sense - as I've had in years past - that there's a void that could be better filled with real interactions of some kind. Thanks in advance. Even after finally winning it all, seems I'm still not satisfied, eh? Consider it a conversation starter, even if it ends quickly.

I would like to see some improvements in this area as well.

[koohead]

Definitely agree with you and think the AI can do a better job of "marketing" the post season than it currently does. Right now there is no difference in the amount of media coverage given to post season games compared to regular season.

Until this is fixed though, you could always take it upon yourself and look at each box score and write up a quick game recap. This will add to the realism of it and you get to slow the entire sim process down by writing some articles about each playoff game.

[OldFatGuy]

Originally Posted by endgame

Aside from http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...-managers.html bothering me right now, I have another.

I don't know if I'll be accepted into Beta this year or not, but this is a discussion we've had every year I've participated and I'm not sure why, but we've never been successful in generating any real momentum to add any changes: how to make the game treat the playoffs and winning them (include your equivalent of the World Series) with a little more zippity do, opposed to the here's a nice picture of a trophy and your team. Now look over what changes you might want to make, do some offseason stuff, and click-click-click until it's Spring Training again, lather-rinse-repeat.

I'm not complaining, so much as feeling a little empty that there wasn't a bit more fanfare, tasks, or news, to invigorate that involvement and/or immersion that so many of us solo players are looking for in terms of the format that, maybe, provides a tad more interaction. At least, one that allows us a celebration unlike the hardship and small joys we experience during the season (unless you're a talented dynasty writer), alone, and in no small way, a Show sold out with one ticket. You make it what you can.

So I've seen suggested, properly, in the Suggestion Forum categories, things like spicing up the number of news stories, including making sure each and every game of the playoffs is covered; maybe adding, or having the AI select the Series or Post-Season MVP award; one could create a news story themselves, adding a post-playoff interview with the manager, and more. I haven't hunted them all down, but I hope we do this year and give it some serious consideration for evolvement.

Any ideas out there about what could be enhanced, added, eliminated, or changed to make that aftermath of losing the playoffs or winning them go by a bit more slowly, or provide for some inspiration to delve deeper into the game? Or am I alone in feeling a certain sense of anti-climax, a bit of a sludge-like process that crawls out without real event until ST is there knocking on my menu, with the exception of the little message that lets me know it's "that time again", whatever that time is?

If it's not important, you can tell me that, too. Maybe it's not for simmers, but for the solo guy playing 'em all out, or even most of them, I just have this sense - as I've had in years past - that there's a void that could be better filled with real interactions of some kind. Thanks in advance. Even after finally winning it all, seems I'm still not satisfied, eh? Consider it a conversation starter, even if it ends quickly.

Good points, Endgame. I too have felt the "letdown" you described.

I don't have any suggestions Post Series, but I would like to add some "zing" during the season as well, in terms of making the playoffs.

Would love to see a headlined news item appear whenever a team clinches a playoff spot. Maybe even make it two or three headlines, with one focusing on the game/day they clinched, another focusing on the number of times and last time the team made the playoffs (the history), and a third focusing on personnel, listing the major contributors.

Along those same lines, maybe a news item (can they be focused on ONE team???) when a team is officially eliminated from playoff consideration as well. Maybe this one appears on the team's home page, but not the league, if that's doable. And it could have a follow-up discussing rumors or talk radio's screams for the manager's head, etc. etc. etc.

I wish I had ideas for after the Series too, because I definitely feel the letdown you described, and I definitely feel SOMETHING more should be done. I just can't seem to come up with good ideas. Well, I'm not implying the previous ones (EDIT:the previous ones in this post) were any good either.

[tirk44]

OldFatGuy, I think I can help. I've felt the same way. The news is a great feature, that feels quite original; the problem I've seen so far is that only major individual or calendar-based events seem to be the trigger. Anything on league events will have a nice blurb saying the season is getting started. Then all the players get comments - big games, injuries, transactions, if they are in trade rumors, and coach hiring/firings get on the list.
I haven't been playing v9 long but I haven't seen a mention of team events. Besides the ones you've talked about, I can think a long winning or losing streak, or comments about how the defending champion team has started out rough or in a slump. Other ideas off the top of my head...
- long winning or losing streaks, with rumors of making a move/firing the coach or postitive comments from the manager
- comments with more team history - "the defending champ has gotten off to a rough start", "team x is surprisingly in 1st place after april ends; they went 67-95 last year" etc.
- random stories about game context - "a sell out crowd supported the team", "in front of frigid temperatures the team rallied..." etc.
- big matchups ahead: a big rivalry series or a 1st place vs 2nd place anytime of year, then pennant stretch/playoff implications.
- of course, the results of the big matchup weekend

I'm not sure if increased team news on the v10 suggestion list so credit may already be due.

Some users may complain about the increased volume of the news, but the already suggested news filter would be great too.

[Syd Thrift]

Another news bit that would help with this sort of thing is that all offseason references to the team should refer to them as the champions. "The defending champion Phillies engineered a trade today that might make them repeat winners." "The champion Phillies learned that their starting 3rd baseman will miss the next 3 weeks after he slipped on some puppy pee." "The Phillies, 2008 champions of all of baseball, are the subject of this news article for no particular reason." What is a championship if you don't get to lord it all over everyone else? This would be great for multiplayer leagues but also a lot of fun for solo leagues as well.

[Curtis]

Originally Posted by JackRules1

A short victory parade video clip would be nice.

Originally Posted by OldFatGuy

I wish I had ideas for after the Series too, because I definitely feel the letdown you described, and I definitely feel SOMETHING more should be done.

For people looking for just a tiny smidge of inspiration, I recommend you try the free preview of Tennis Elbow Manager from Mana Games. When you win a tournament the screen cuts to a picture of the biggest loving cup I've ever seen in my life (superimposed over a tennis stadium), and the cheers pour over you like a wave. I've won hundreds of tournaments, but I still get a shiver up my spine — every single time. Whoever set that up did a beautiful job; the cheers start to fade after exactly the right amount of time.

The next time you advance the screen it goes to a listing of who has advanced (or declined) in ranking the most in the past week, which often includes your players. An OotPB analogy for that could be a cut to the final standings, or to the finished playoff brackets with your team highlighted in some way.

I like Syd's, tirk's and Nasty's ideas, too. And I'm going to add a suggestion in the appropriate forum concerning postseason awards.

[matt2053]

Maybe each player / manager who is part of the team gets a championship ring on his screen. And I like the idea of each team getting pennants on their team pages. I also think referring to the defending champions as such would add a nice reward and up the immersion factor a bit.