Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

I've played the baseball board game since I was very little. I still love the board game but I can never find anybody to play against. Forcing my wife to play random best of 7 series every once in a while just doesn't do it (not just because she seems to insist on batting backup catchers leadoff). The online version of Strat-O has been awesome so far and I'm pretty addicted.

That said I was thinking about getting either the football or basketball versions of strat-o (my mind can't grasp how Hockey could possibly be a good board game). Has anybody played them? How do you think they compare to the baseball version? Do they capture the essence of the sports as perfectly as the baseball game?

Just creating conversation while we all wait for the new site.

Football has a pretty big following

hope with the new site Bernie finds the time to bring the online version back from the dead ;)

Way, way back in the early '70s.....I'm on the bus going to CVU, and Strat comes up - with my old buddy Mike T. I've got baseball, he's got football. Jeez, I hope I have the story straight! It's a long time ago. I'll make sure he verifies or not. Many games later - lifetime addiction to baseball (of course), but the football game is EXCELLENT too!!! We had 4 guys, basically, playing in H.S., and then I set up an 8 guy league when I was on a cruiser in the Med in 1976. Loved it!

Basically, you have a quarterback who's the 1-2-3 like a batter in baseball - same thing with running backs on offense - then the defensive cards are 4-5-6, and you also have ratings for offensive line, all the defensive players have ratings - you make a play on offense, then the defense sets and guesses - and that affects the outcome of the play. It only would take a couple/three games to get it down. Very, very good game. As much fun as baseball, and actually involving as much or even more strategy. You can blitz, double-team.....hey, is it beyond hope I could become a paid salesperson for Strat-o-Matic? I'd do it, and be very, very good!

But the basketball game? Not impressed. Mike T. (named above) most likely still has an old edition. It didn't have the continuity you'd want, at least as I remember.

I think I had the 1969 football cards. I thought the football game was actually pretty good. I've never tried any of the other Strat games. I also couldn't imagine hockey...or basketball for that matter as a board game.

thanks for the responses. I might try the football game then. I think it might be easier to find a live opponent than the baseball game.

Have you tried the computer games from Strat? Not SOMO but the Strat games- baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and curling (ok, not curling). You can play in leagues with either netplay (live opponent) or play vs HAL, or just play exhibition games vs live opponents. Check out the Strat website.