I have been looking over the new set and this is what I think about it.
First of all, strato was a game based on TEAMS and not individual players. Card "sets" did not include a picking and choosing of this players years or that players years, it was strictly based on teams. Now, TSN is attempting to glamorize the player set by adding and subtracting cards. Once again the game has been "improved" with an improvement that doesnt touch the spots that are actually in need of improvement. This is especially true when taking into consideration that the last player set was JUST implemented. An improvement in the form of a new player set isnt really an improvement.
Just looking at the player chart for 10 minutes here were the player changes that were implemented that I dont understand.
-Paul Waners over 680 AB card(1927) is changed to his 1934 season. What was wrong with his '27 card?
- Rod Carew. Just when they upgrade his lackluster card to a good first base card in the last version they change his card to his '73 year when he played 2nd. Im guessing his next version will be the DH card.
- Less expensive pitchers that a manager can bank on in certain parks(Dave Boswell,Louis Drucke, Ken Johnson for example) are not even in the game anymore. These guys with a combined salary of under 3 Mil were a combined 34-13 on my last team. We work hard to figure out these specialty guys and now they arent even in the next game. 400 players added and you have to take guys like these AWAY? On that same team I had Mossi, George Suggs and Sam Leever. NOW Suggs, Mossi, and Leever are starting pitchers. People become accusomed to certain guys and to change their cards to a differenf classification is frustrating.
-Certain "stars" are now playing different seasons. WHY would Denny McLains card be changed to 1969 instead of using his 31 win '68 season? Ron Guidrys card was changed from his monster year to a lesser card? Lolichs card was also switched from 1968 to a worse year? Jack Taylor, who I use with great success in previous sets, is now changed to a year with a losing record? Joe Wood who was a great guy for the cash as a backup with an almost .400 OB% is now using his pitcher card? Wheres Charley O' Leary? Mickey Stanley and Jim Northrup are gone from the new set. Then again, with over 400 new players I can draft Mickey Tettleton,Ed Brinkman, and Gil McDougald now so thats important.
The bottom line is that this is an "improvement" to generate revenue. This change doesnt help the manager. All that this player and season juggling does is make the manager have to figure it all out again. All previous info is mute. To reattain this info in the new set will require quite a bit of 5 packs. Thankfully we still have the last version still available to play and arent faced with only the new version to play. I admire Bernie for his hard work but until the real issues are improved we will be innundated with new player sets in lieu of improvements.