Request: More robust weather system for rainouts/postponements/field conditions, etc.

LouGerig_IronHorse · 09-02-2016, 06:37 PM

I'd love to see the weather system beefed up. We have rain delays, games postponed (from the start), rain-shortened games and suspended games... all of which are awesome and make the game (particularly in the in-game experience) more realistic. I would love to see the following enhancements worked into the game:

EXPAND HOW/WHEN GAME CALLED DUE TO RAIN/POSTPONED - right now, games are postponed at the outset or rain-shortened after reaching the point of being an official game. The following enhancements would make the game more realistic:

1.) - There should be the chance that a game gets under way but could be called due to rain BEFORE it becomes an official game. Essentially the same as a postponement from the start, but it happens after the game is underway. All MLB rules for postponement/suspension should apply as appropriate.

2.) - Early-season postponements due to cold/snow in cold-weather cities in April.

3.) - Darkness: There should be a special suspension/game called applicable for Wrigley Field pre-July 1988 - and if possible, the appropriate ballparks in the very old seasons prior to the introduction of night games - that the game is called and/or suspended due to darkness.

VARIABLE WEATHER: Right now the game allows for cloudy conditions to transition to rain. (In fact, it seems that every time a game is played under cloudy skies, it rains.) The following enhancements would make the game even more realistic:

1.) - Cloudy conditions should NOT always transition to rain.
2.) - Differentiation between quick-passing thunderstorms (including downpours) and longer-duration rain that typically falls in April (particularly in the colder northern locations). This should impact the chances a game is called/rained out. (with differentiation between long rain delay and flooded field from big thunderstorm)
3.) - More robust/realistic transition of weather - in real life it can go from clear to cloudy to a thunderstorm and back to clear in the matter of an hour or two... Right now (aside from cloudy to rain) the weather for a given game is static. Would be great to see weather conditions transition more. (and the game engine appears to be able to handle this since it can transition from cloudy to rain)
4.) - Start of game delayed by rain. Right now, unless a game is rained out from the beginning, a game gets played. There should be times when the game is played - but the start is held up by rain.
5.) - Rain/rain delay impacts field conditions which impact game play. Baseball played on a wet field after a rainstorm is a much different animal from baseball played on a clean/dry field. (Poor footing, players slip/fall, slower surface for things like ground balls, baserunning, etc., increase chance of errors, increased chance for injury)
6.) - Particularly for long rain delays, starting pitcher is replaced when play resumes. IRL, the starter usually does not continue following a long rain delay.

3D MODE - match the sky to the weather conditions - obviously the 3D mode is the newest part of the game and is still in its infancy - but a few simple additions to the sky colors to match weather (since the game already beautifully handles transition of day to dusk - and dusk to night) would make the game even more realistic. For overcast conditions, grey.
1.) - Overcast daytime - lighter grey.
2.) - Overcast dusk - medium/dark grey.
3.) - Overcast night - night sky but no moon.

During rain delays - have a tarp cover the infield.

Le Grande Orange · 09-02-2016, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouGerig_IronHorse

1.) - There should be the chance that a game gets under way but could be called due to rain BEFORE it becomes an official game. Essentially the same as a postponement from the start, but it happens after the game is underway. All MLB rules for postponement/suspension should apply as appropriate.

I would point out the minor leagues don't use the same rules for suspended games. In the minors, a game can be suspended before it is an official game. (It is also a rule in the minors that when a suspended game is being completed before the regularly scheduled game for the day, if the suspended game was suspended before reaching official game status, the regular game is shortened to 7 innings; if the suspended game was suspended after official status, the regular game stays at 9 innings.)

LouGerig_IronHorse · 09-08-2016, 11:36 AM

One additional thought on the weather system - wind. Every game seems to have wind blowing and usually 10 mph or more. There should be at least some games in which there is little or no wind at all. I've not seen that in this year's version (can't remember 'no wind' or very light wind (less than 5 mph) was in play in previous years.

09-02-2016, 06:37 PM	#1
LouGerig_IronHorse Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 76	Request: More robust weather system for rainouts/postponements/field conditions, etc. I'd love to see the weather system beefed up. We have rain delays, games postponed (from the start), rain-shortened games and suspended games... all of which are awesome and make the game (particularly in the in-game experience) more realistic. I would love to see the following enhancements worked into the game: EXPAND HOW/WHEN GAME CALLED DUE TO RAIN/POSTPONED - right now, games are postponed at the outset or rain-shortened after reaching the point of being an official game. The following enhancements would make the game more realistic: 1.) - There should be the chance that a game gets under way but could be called due to rain BEFORE it becomes an official game. Essentially the same as a postponement from the start, but it happens after the game is underway. All MLB rules for postponement/suspension should apply as appropriate. 2.) - Early-season postponements due to cold/snow in cold-weather cities in April. 3.) - Darkness: There should be a special suspension/game called applicable for Wrigley Field pre-July 1988 - and if possible, the appropriate ballparks in the very old seasons prior to the introduction of night games - that the game is called and/or suspended due to darkness. VARIABLE WEATHER: Right now the game allows for cloudy conditions to transition to rain. (In fact, it seems that every time a game is played under cloudy skies, it rains.) The following enhancements would make the game even more realistic: 1.) - Cloudy conditions should NOT always transition to rain. 2.) - Differentiation between quick-passing thunderstorms (including downpours) and longer-duration rain that typically falls in April (particularly in the colder northern locations). This should impact the chances a game is called/rained out. (with differentiation between long rain delay and flooded field from big thunderstorm) 3.) - More robust/realistic transition of weather - in real life it can go from clear to cloudy to a thunderstorm and back to clear in the matter of an hour or two... Right now (aside from cloudy to rain) the weather for a given game is static. Would be great to see weather conditions transition more. (and the game engine appears to be able to handle this since it can transition from cloudy to rain) 4.) - Start of game delayed by rain. Right now, unless a game is rained out from the beginning, a game gets played. There should be times when the game is played - but the start is held up by rain. 5.) - Rain/rain delay impacts field conditions which impact game play. Baseball played on a wet field after a rainstorm is a much different animal from baseball played on a clean/dry field. (Poor footing, players slip/fall, slower surface for things like ground balls, baserunning, etc., increase chance of errors, increased chance for injury) 6.) - Particularly for long rain delays, starting pitcher is replaced when play resumes. IRL, the starter usually does not continue following a long rain delay. 3D MODE - match the sky to the weather conditions - obviously the 3D mode is the newest part of the game and is still in its infancy - but a few simple additions to the sky colors to match weather (since the game already beautifully handles transition of day to dusk - and dusk to night) would make the game even more realistic. For overcast conditions, grey. 1.) - Overcast daytime - lighter grey. 2.) - Overcast dusk - medium/dark grey. 3.) - Overcast night - night sky but no moon. During rain delays - have a tarp cover the infield. Last edited by LouGerig_IronHorse; 09-02-2016 at 06:46 PM.

09-08-2016, 11:36 AM	#3
LouGerig_IronHorse Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 76	One additional thought on the weather system - wind. Every game seems to have wind blowing and usually 10 mph or more. There should be at least some games in which there is little or no wind at all. I've not seen that in this year's version (can't remember 'no wind' or very light wind (less than 5 mph) was in play in previous years. Last edited by LouGerig_IronHorse; 09-08-2016 at 12:58 PM.