Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

I am winding down my first season and realize it would be helpful to have some Strat-o-matic tools to help the next time around. I went to Strat-o-matic.com and found lots of products, but did not know which to buy.

Here is a list of some of the products I found, but I doubt I need them all.
*Basic Fielding Chart
*Advanced Fielding Chart
*Super Advanced Fielding Chart
*Rule Book
*Basic and Advanced Strategy Chart
*2005 Rating Book
*2005 Rating Desk

Which should I buy? Is there something else I am missing?

[quote:892b6ac100="Jimbo1958"]I am winding down my first season and realize it would be helpful to have some Strat-o-matic tools to help the next time around. I went to Strat-o-matic.com and found lots of products, but did not know which to buy.

Here is a list of some of the products I found, but I doubt I need them all.
*Basic Fielding Chart
*Advanced Fielding Chart
*Super Advanced Fielding Chart
*Rule Book
*Basic and Advanced Strategy Chart
*2005 Rating Book
*2005 Rating Desk

Which should I buy? Is there something else I am missing?[/quote:892b6ac100]

On a basic level, to understand what goes on here, you need:

-The rules.
-Super Advanced Fielding Chart.
-Ratings book and /or disk.

Ultimately my advice is to spend $40 and by the board game (Product Code: B2005G). The computer game is good too, but there is no better way to appreciate various aspects than to know the board game. Not that it is easy to learn the Super Advanced rules.

Besides, the rules and charts come WITH the game...so buy the game.

I lost interest in MLB a long time ago, so I only play the 1969 version (also ATGII and maybe 80s). So, I have doubts that the charts for the 2005 game will be applicable to SOM online/1969 etc. Other than the player cards, has TSN actually said what cards are used to determine the outcome of plays (especially for 1969, ATGII)?

[quote:a2f5bd2bc0]Unless you're going to buy the actual board game, don't bother buying the charts. They're nice to have, but won't really help you much online. [/quote:a2f5bd2bc0]

I disagree with this advice. For example, the only way to really know the difference between a 3e17 at SS, and a 2e12, is to see it on the chart before your eyes. The rules explain how and when they are downgraded for holding runners.

Once a "vet" in here advised someone that the "holding" fielders get downdraded 2 levels, from a 1 to a 3 for example. Read the rules for $1.75 to know for yourself that this is not true. It is one level (1 becomes a 2).

The Super Advanced charts show you the low percentage of hits by the batter on a hit and run as well.

SOM probably wants to appeal to online gamers here, attracting a new audience. But until they eliminate the cards, which are what make SOM superior to ALL other baseball sim games, it will help to have rules and Super Advanced Charts.

You should not need the basic fielding chart, because Super Advanced has it's own chart included in the back of the rule book.

That's not the fielding chart.