All the little things that have caused me to lose interest

[Leo_The_Lip]

I've been playing OOTP since its Season Ticket days, and every version of PT so far. But so many, many irksome irritating things have caused me to just about give up.

First, there is no point to the actual baseball games going on. Why? Lots of reasons:

1. I can add a 100 player and my team, relative to the league it is in, does not get better. By the end of the season, I've dropped significantly in relative quality.

2. The randomness of results is wearing. It is also the reason I get bored with every sports sims out there.

3. The whole Perfect Card concept annoys me. The vast differences in the 100 ratings makes me simply not care. If you want ratings to matter, give us ratings the DO matter.

4. I complete a Build-a-Bear and get two packs. I get lots of MLB LIVE cards that cashing in is the sole option, plus a Tony Horton silver which excites me until I look and see he isn't in any missions. Grrr.

5. Each of my three teams has hundreds of non-Live cards that aren't in any missions. When the last series of missions got announced, NONE of them got promoted to mission worthy. Only existing cards in the new missions which made the cost go up. Again Grrr.

None of these by themselves is cause to quit, however when they all exist (as they do) my irritability with the game is far too high.

I doubt whether any of these issues can/will be addressed, so I doubt I'll ever enjoy PT again.

Lastly, I'll be adding to this thread over time as it is depressing to think about this stuff for too long.

[Leo_The_Lip]

This applies to the main game, also.

For Utility 2, please set the default "Starts" to "If Starter tired" and not "Never" I always need to reset this every forking time I add a card and it is tedious.

[professor ape]

To your second point about the randomness of results; It can be frustrating but I believe that it is exposing just how random the results are in real life. It is amazing how much noise there is even in a full season worth of stats. Running random full season results based on a consistent expected level will vary wildly both at an individual and team level.

[Kushiel]

Random results are part of baseball. I remember when Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in the World Series. A journeyman pitcher does the unthinkable. How random is that?

And yes I am old enough to remember that day. The last out of the game was my Dad's cousin. Dale hardly ever struck out, but he did then. How random is that?

[bailey]

I think of the OP's reasons for losing interest, item #2 is the strongest reason, because it is the only one I totally agree with!

My situation is this: I've completed all the missions and have enough equity to complete all future missions. At the end of that effort, my reward is to have the identical cards that several hundred other people have. Therefore, if I win a diamond league in the future it will be entirely because of luck because I lack the skill to maximize the potential of these mission reward cards.

[HRBaker]

"Randomness" is baseball. The variables that swing from left to right in any specific game FAR outweigh the ratings on the cards. That's why we play 150+ games - because a 3-4-5-6-7 game series means little.


That much I understand and that much I can live with.


The problem with PT (IMHO) is the "card-creep". We start out with 6 levels of cards that are reasonably categorized into Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Perfect.


Then the "creep" starts. by the time we get 4 months into the game, we are releasing "super perfects", then "super-super perfects" and finally "omnipotent perfects". The cost of these upper cards is beyond 90% of the player base, so 90% of them finally fold and give up.


If OOTP wants that bottom 90% to keep playing, they are going to have to come up with something better than striving to print a card better than the last ones.


What bar color comes after Blue?

[professor ape]

I agree that the 100 rating loses its meaning after a while. You just need to get used to the fact that it is the underlying rating and player characteristics that matter. At least making more cards 100s means that you can at least sell the weaker ones for no less than 20K when they are surpassed by new cards.

Regarding the giving up factor, that’s just the nature of the beast. If the cards didn’t slowly get better throughout the season, then the more dedicated players would get bored with static rosters and fall off. That would be worse for the company. I think the crew has done a good job of trying out different modes like Perfect Draft which give more options for players who aren’t going to be able to put together a main team which can compete at higher levels.
I’m F2P and made my first Perfect season last week. I went 69-93 but felt great satisfaction that it can be done. I’m back in Diamond and working to get back to the top league.

[HRBaker]

Originally Posted by professor ape

I agree that the 100 rating loses its meaning after a while. You just need to get used to the fact that it is the underlying rating and player characteristics that matter. At least making more cards 100s means that you can at least sell the weaker ones for no less than 20K when they are surpassed by new cards.

It's not the release of better cards - but when you start out with 100s, then you will eventually get caught up in creating even better 100s.


It seems to me that the availability of cards on Day 1 should ALSO simulate a pyramid. Most of the cards Iron - very few 100s. Force teams to be successful with weaker cards. Build up the availability of better cards over time. This will also make the Auction House more Dynamic. You might pay a premium for a Gold card early because it's the best card you can get (or afford) but once the Diamonds and Perfects are released later the card would drop to 1000pp at best.


And another advantage is weaker cards would play a lot more in the early months.

[Hertston]

In a parallel universe somewhere there is a version of PT with no monetization beyond the initial purchase price with all cards and missions available at the start, and all players with appropriate ratings. THAT would be an excellent game. It just wouldn't make as much money.

[Bunktown Ballers]

The bottom line is ratings don't matter. Nobody and I mean nobody can make a diamond pitching card with a 102 Stuff, 56 Movement, 58 Control a good card or a 100 Perfect hitting card with a 65 Contact, 69 Gap, 85 Power, 33 Eye, 39 Avoid K's a usable card. Putting the 100, 99, 98, 87..on down to 40 is only for Auction House & Selling Prices purposes only...raising a card from 89 to 100 does not make it better....only the gut (individual) numbers matter because if you take a 40 card and put rating of 100 Contact, 94 Gap, 110 Power, 89 Eye, 92 Avoid K's that card will work and be useful up to a point..So relying on the 100, 99, 98 etc rating of cards is useless...just the money game thats all. I got some hard decisions to make for next year

[Abnerdoubleday]

Originally Posted by professor ape

At least making more cards 100s means that you can at least sell the weaker ones for no less than 20K when they are surpassed by new cards.

On the other hand, weaker 100's reduces the value of packs. While, I don't think the odds of pulling a historical 100 has changed, the chance of pulling a good, useable, 100 in a pack is much less.

[Vapier]

Originally Posted by professor ape

To your second point about the randomness of results; It can be frustrating but I believe that it is exposing just how random the results are in real life. It is amazing how much noise there is even in a full season worth of stats. Running random full season results based on a consistent expected level will vary wildly both at an individual and team level.

I'm ok with the randomness throughout the season, BUT in playoffs this should be limited and take in account the players performance during the season and boost that to make the playoffs more realistic, I can't count in all the PT renditions how many times i was the number 1 team in entire league dominated the stats board and then in the playoffs yeah 1st round by but then a wildcard team that i anhilated all season Sweeps me, and this has happend more than once and cost me a World Series that should have at least been close... That's what really infuriates me, Do something better with the playoff sims, they really seem to be total random sim of any other game. Yeah in some rare cases this happens in real life a miracle run, but these miracle runs on PT seem to be more common and not so "miracle" i could see a wild card doing this to me once but not several times...

[Vapier]

Originally Posted by Hertston

In a parallel universe somewhere there is a version of PT with no monetization beyond the initial purchase price with all cards and missions available at the start, and all players with appropriate ratings. THAT would be an excellent game. It just wouldn't make as much money.

Capitalism, gotta love it, I know I have spent WAY too much on this game and in the previous, i bought the programmers personal a corvette im sure... so why would they give up that kind of return...

[HRBaker]

Originally Posted by Bunktown Ballers

The bottom line is ratings don't matter...

I think most of us know the OVR ratings are not as meaningful as the individual ratings - and I am guilty of over using the term to simplify my descriptions.

But the concept still stands. As the year progresses, better cards must be released, and that's done by increasing the individual ratings. That's why I asked what color comes after Blue? As more super cards are released, most of the player-base becomes disenchanted and stagnant. But I also understand this business plan creates profits.

You mention hard decisions. I agree. I'm fairly sure I'll run just one PT team next year and I suspect that team will settle out in Silver or Bronze after about 6 months.

After 4 years of PT, I think I'll mostly find my way back to the classic game.

[bailey]

Originally Posted by HRBaker

You mention hard decisions. I agree. I'm fairly sure I'll run just one PT team next year and I suspect that team will settle out in Silver or Bronze after about 6 months.

I don't see why you make this game so hard. I have to deliberately play sub-optimally, such as with a theme team, to NOT get to diamond lickety split.

[chazzycat]

Originally Posted by Vapier

I'm ok with the randomness throughout the season, BUT in playoffs this should be limited and take in account the players performance during the season and boost that to make the playoffs more realistic, I can't count in all the PT renditions how many times i was the number 1 team in entire league dominated the stats board and then in the playoffs yeah 1st round by but then a wildcard team that i anhilated all season Sweeps me, and this has happend more than once and cost me a World Series that should have at least been close... That's what really infuriates me, Do something better with the playoff sims, they really seem to be total random sim of any other game. Yeah in some rare cases this happens in real life a miracle run, but these miracle runs on PT seem to be more common and not so "miracle" i could see a wild card doing this to me once but not several times...

Sorry for your poor playoff luck, but the game should never be artificially inflating your playoff chances in the way you describe, that would be awful, compromising the integrity of the simulation

[professor ape]

Originally Posted by Vapier

I'm ok with the randomness throughout the season, BUT in playoffs this should be limited and take in account the players performance during the season and boost that to make the playoffs more realistic, I can't count in all the PT renditions how many times i was the number 1 team in entire league dominated the stats board and then in the playoffs yeah 1st round by but then a wildcard team that i anhilated all season Sweeps me, and this has happend more than once and cost me a World Series that should have at least been close... That's what really infuriates me, Do something better with the playoff sims, they really seem to be total random sim of any other game. Yeah in some rare cases this happens in real life a miracle run, but these miracle runs on PT seem to be more common and not so "miracle" i could see a wild card doing this to me once but not several times...

I would argue that the playoffs in real life are just a crazy and random. How many times has the wild card team taken out the top team in the league over the past twenty some years? The bottom line is that the playoff structure is a terrible way to determine the season’s champion. More often than not, the “best” team does not win the tournament. It’s painful, but it is just the way it is.

This is less of a factor in basketball and football because there tends to be more separation between the teams. Hockey is its own animal where (to me) the regular season is just extended qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs which is the real season.

[professor ape]

Originally Posted by Abnerdoubleday

On the other hand, weaker 100's reduces the value of packs. While, I don't think the odds of pulling a historical 100 has changed, the chance of pulling a good, useable, 100 in a pack is much less.

If the way that the OVR ratings were distributed such that a 100 rating was reserved for a smaller group of truly elite cards, then I’m sure they would alter the pack odds. Instead of 1:1000, it might be 1:2000 or higher. Our lizard brains love seeing the fireworks when we pull a 100 card so you have to keep it happening often enough for us to keep hitting the feeding bar.

[Leo_The_Lip]

You are all missing the point. None of these reasons in and of themselves is a reason to quit. However, when they all lump up, they are.

Another reason is those stupid Tournament Ready! pop-ups that usually occur just as I clicked a tab to move on. Now they pop-up for the team I just logged out of.

You should all watch the episode of Everyone Loves Raymond in which he describes what is like to live across the street from his parents. that's what I'm getting at.

[Leo_The_Lip]

Not being able to use a Build a bear until you reach the 100 level.

Along the way, you often have to buy a card(s) that are better than the Diamond level card of the player you are attempting to complete.

When I have been able to utilize a B-bear diamond, when I finally complete the 100, I lose access to the stats of the old card. It is the same player! I want to see his total career for my team! Another disapointment.