Is It Better Not To Know How The Game Works?

Edward ohare · 01-21-2026, 12:28 PM

I've been wondering if knowing a lot about how the game works decreases the enjoyment of playing it. The Redditors get a lot of enjoyment trying to find methods to end a batter's slump and trying to determine if two or three warning track fly balls mean a pitcher is about to get shelled.

People express the joy of watching diving catches and other fantastic fielding plays after putting an elite defender in CF. And some think they have found the easter egg that lets a GM know a AAA player is ready for the show.

Discussions of the best pitch count to call a steal have died out due to lack of theories. It appears the replacement is the question of why fielders throw to the wrong base.

A few years ago at a baseball game I commented that maybe baseball was more fun before sabermetrics told us steals were a wash, sacrifice bunts were losers, and walks were actually valuable. Maybe something similar is true of OOTP.

David Watts · 01-21-2026, 01:17 PM

Do you think it's better to burn out than to fade away?

Carplos · 01-21-2026, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

Do you think it's better to burn out than to fade away?

Says he's banned so I guess fade away it is.

Bagpipes5 · 01-21-2026, 01:55 PM

No it's not and being around for more than 20 years is more of a curse than a blessing. Next thing you know you'll be making long-winded posts in which hundreds of people view, but nobody responds and thinking of friends who used to frequent here but have been gone for over a decade.

Kris.Newsom · 01-21-2026, 06:16 PM

Why does LansdowneSt have to do all the work? Totally unfair.

LansdowneSt · 01-21-2026, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris.Newsom

Why does LansdowneSt have to do all the work? Totally unfair.

LOL. Hope you had a great holiday and Happy New Year.

textilemonster · 01-21-2026, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carplos

Says he's banned so I guess fade away it is.

I'd think being banned is burning out, but I assume "burning out" means to go out quickly in a flash.
Fading away would be... Replies to comments less frequently over time, longer and longer gaps between visiting the forums, until one day a gap just... never ends, and no one knows what happened to you.

Carplos · 01-21-2026, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by textilemonster

I'd think being banned is burning out, but I assume "burning out" means to go out quickly in a flash.
Fading away would be... Replies to comments less frequently over time, longer and longer gaps between visiting the forums, until one day a gap just... never ends, and no one knows what happened to you.

My thought was that being banned means you can't post anymore so you'd fade away from memory, but I see your point!

fredbeene · 01-22-2026, 12:00 AM

if the game is truly random then you should not be able to crack and secret code.
For me it does decrease enjoyment knowing the game can be gamed.

WhiskyTango · 01-22-2026, 07:13 AM

Most/virtually all games can be "gamed".

David Watts · 01-22-2026, 10:26 AM

In my world, I'm the only person that understand how the game works and I'm the only person that plays it the right way. Others are fools and pretenders.

WhiskyTango · 01-22-2026, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

In my world, I'm the only person that understand how the game works and I'm the only person that plays it the right way. Others are fools and pretenders.

Case in point: there are two gamer approaches - those who play the game as portrayed by the game software and those for who the software itself is the game and the game it contains is merely the pretext.

For example, a first-person action/adventure shooter is played by one who is convinced it is the next best thing to the real thing - virtual reality. The software (or shell) is the delivery system which serves him best by remaining invisible to the process. For him, the inevitable software exploits are sacrilegious.

Yet, for those who include the shell as part of the gaming experience finding and using exploits to outcompete an opponent are part of the game play.

David Watts · 01-22-2026, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskyTango

Case in point: there are two gamer approaches - those who play the game as portrayed by the game software and those for who the software itself is the game and the game it contains is merely the pretext.

For example, a first-person action/adventure shooter is played by one who is convinced it is the next best thing to the real thing - virtual reality. The software (or shell) is the delivery system which serves him best by remaining invisible to the process. For him, the inevitable software exploits are sacrilegious.

Yet, for those who include the shell as part of the gaming experience finding and using exploits to outcompete an opponent are part of the game play.

For me the best part of OOTP is probably the costumes my wife makes for me to wear while I'm playing. Last year the owner of my team died and we went to a local funeral home and had my computer cremated and we scattered the ashes in our backyard. I have also created lots of aliases and I randomly send forum members pm's telling them that I know more than them, but to keep trying. I have a winnebago that I call Simon.

WhiskyTango · 01-22-2026, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

For me the best part of OOTP is probably the costumes my wife makes for me to wear while I'm playing. Last year the owner of my team died and we went to a local funeral home and had my computer cremated and we scattered the ashes in our backyard. I have also created lots of aliases and I randomly send forum members pm's telling them that I know more than them, but to keep trying. I have a winnebago that I call Simon.

Speaking of which - please share your thoughts when Paul Simon appeared on SNL in a chicken outfit. Were you immediately struck by the possibilities, or did that develop over time?

David Watts · 01-22-2026, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskyTango

Speaking of which - please share your thoughts when Paul Simon appeared on SNL in a chicken outfit. Were you immediately struck by the possibilities, or did that develop over time?

I once attended a Detroit Pistons game at the Pontiac Silverdome and my friends and I got into an argument with the San Diego Chicken's handler. We kept telling Ted to get some new material and to get out of the flippen way so we could watch the game. Mascots are for dumb people, most of which have worn a baseball hat backwards at some point while not playing catcher. Paul Simon is a cool dude, but he scares me while performing because his eyes always appear to be looking for hidden snipers in the audience. Do you think he should have said all those things about Richard Corie? Or is it Cory? I now thing Babe Ruth hits more home runs in my version of OOTP based on the deodorant I have on while playing. He just doesn't perform well if it's Degree.

WhiskyTango · 01-22-2026, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

I once attended a Detroit Pistons game at the Pontiac Silverdome and my friends and I got into an argument with the San Diego Chicken's handler. We kept telling Ted to get some new material and to get out of the flippen way so we could watch the game. Mascots are for dumb people, most of which have worn a baseball hat backwards at some point while not playing catcher. Paul Simon is a cool dude, but he scares me while performing because his eyes always appear to be looking for hidden snipers in the audience. Do you think he should have said all those things about Richard Corie? Or is it Cory? I now thing Babe Ruth hits more home runs in my version of OOTP based on the deodorant I have on while playing. He just doesn't perform well if it's Degree.

I hear you about Paul Simon or, as I've come to known it as, The Eyes of Simon. Though I always thought he was looking for his growth spurt.

Be that as it may, one thing I've read about the Corie-Ruth thing is setting fire to your neighbor's lawnmowe shed and then writing a lengthy letter to same neighbor explaining your reasoning and thought process can help, though it's more a short-term remedy (if it works at all. I got it from AI using the prompt -- what happens if David Watts sets fire to his neighbor's lawnmowe shed?).

David Watts · 01-22-2026, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskyTango

I hear you about Paul Simon or, as I've come to known it as, The Eyes of Simon. Though I always thought he was looking for his growth spurt.

Be that as it may, one thing I've read about the Corie-Ruth thing is setting fire to your neighbor's lawnmowe shed and then writing a lengthy letter to same neighbor explaining your reasoning and thought process can help, though it's more a short-term remedy (if it works at all. I got it from AI using the prompt -- what happens if David Watts sets fire to his neighbor's lawnmowe shed?).

Our neighborhood association banned lawn mowing devices long ago, so the sheds in our area are used for cheese making and kidnappings.

WhiskyTango · 01-22-2026, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

Our neighborhood association banned lawn mowing devices long ago, so the sheds in our area are used for cheese making and kidnappings.

Re "lawnmowe" occasionally the lette appea s to me as something indescribable so my imaginary leopa d tells me I can just leave it blank.

Same with the numbe s and .

Reed · 01-23-2026, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

For me the best part of OOTP is probably the costumes my wife makes for me to wear while I'm playing. Last year the owner of my team died and we went to a local funeral home and had my computer cremated and we scattered the ashes in our backyard. I have also created lots of aliases and I randomly send forum members pm's telling them that I know more than them, but to keep trying. I have a winnebago that I call Simon.

Costume??? And I always pictured you in your underwear at 3:00AM puffing a cigar with a drink in your hand hunched over your computer desk playing OOTP.
I am scared to ask but what kind of costume did your wife make for you and did you make one for her???

David Watts · 01-23-2026, 10:11 AM

One of my favorites has to be the Marge Schott costume she made me back in 2015. Another favorite is that of fan during the 1920's through the 40's. It's a wool suit with a fedora. I only wear this one during the hottest of the summer months. We turn off all the air conditioning and enjoy baseball like it used to be.

01-21-2026, 12:28 PM	#1
Edward ohare Banned Join Date: Oct 2024 Posts: 52 Infractions: 0/1 (4)	Is It Better Not To Know How The Game Works? I've been wondering if knowing a lot about how the game works decreases the enjoyment of playing it. The Redditors get a lot of enjoyment trying to find methods to end a batter's slump and trying to determine if two or three warning track fly balls mean a pitcher is about to get shelled. People express the joy of watching diving catches and other fantastic fielding plays after putting an elite defender in CF. And some think they have found the easter egg that lets a GM know a AAA player is ready for the show. Discussions of the best pitch count to call a steal have died out due to lack of theories. It appears the replacement is the question of why fielders throw to the wrong base. A few years ago at a baseball game I commented that maybe baseball was more fun before sabermetrics told us steals were a wash, sacrifice bunts were losers, and walks were actually valuable. Maybe something similar is true of OOTP.

01-21-2026, 01:55 PM	#4
Bagpipes5 Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: TX Posts: 482	No it's not and being around for more than 20 years is more of a curse than a blessing. Next thing you know you'll be making long-winded posts in which hundreds of people view, but nobody responds and thinking of friends who used to frequent here but have been gone for over a decade. Last edited by Bagpipes5; 01-21-2026 at 01:58 PM.

01-21-2026, 01:17 PM	#2
David Watts Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Looking for a place called Leehofooks Posts: 10,054 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Do you think it's better to burn out than to fade away?

01-21-2026, 06:16 PM	#5
Kris.Newsom Banned Join Date: Jan 2026 Posts: 2 Infractions: 0/1 (4)	Why does LansdowneSt have to do all the work? Totally unfair.

01-22-2026, 12:00 AM	#9
fredbeene All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 1,656	if the game is truly random then you should not be able to crack and secret code. For me it does decrease enjoyment knowing the game can be gamed.

01-22-2026, 07:13 AM	#10
WhiskyTango Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 290	Most/virtually all games can be "gamed".

01-22-2026, 10:26 AM	#11
David Watts Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Looking for a place called Leehofooks Posts: 10,054 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	In my world, I'm the only person that understand how the game works and I'm the only person that plays it the right way. Others are fools and pretenders.

01-23-2026, 10:11 AM	#20
David Watts Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Looking for a place called Leehofooks Posts: 10,054 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	One of my favorites has to be the Marge Schott costume she made me back in 2015. Another favorite is that of fan during the 1920's through the 40's. It's a wool suit with a fedora. I only wear this one during the hottest of the summer months. We turn off all the air conditioning and enjoy baseball like it used to be.