Back to the 80's Personal Manifesto

[geekor]

Ummm.... look maybe you should look at this way, at least TSN did listen and actually change some stuff. I may forget but what was the chronological order of the games?

80's -> 03 -> ATG2 -> 05 -> 69 -> 06

Ummmm well what did they change in the 03 game since it came out? ATG2? 05?

Oh yea, nothing.

Look, no one may like it, but it is an older format, just like the 03 game. Bascailly, they look at it like a FINISHED product, unless bugs appear. You may like it, good for you, but it's not on the top of the chart. ATG3 will be out next, then probably 07, then maybe another game, maybe another mystery card game, who knows. But the formats get better with each NEW game. the didn't go back to 02 and give it a makeover to look and act like 03. Jeez, basically you want them to redo the 80's game because you play an old game. Hey I want Pacman redone for me too, too bad it's old, get over it.

[bernieh]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

This will be short and to the point.

- I don't post here that often, or on a lot of the other SOM forums because there's just too many individual SOM forums for me to check. If I patrolled every forum regularly I'd never get any work done.

- It's a whole new ballgame this year. Strat-O-Matic has my full-time attention now.

- I will devote time to the 80's game in particular, [i:fe89376198]immediately[/i:fe89376198], once the 2006 game is off and running.

This was the plan before you posted this thread. I hope you'll pardon me that after I've given you some time to read this reply of mine, I will delete this thread because it's unnecessary. I respect the passion here but it's overkill; I was coming here whether or not this thread existed. The 80's game will get its due attention, "in due time" - which means immediately after the 2006 game has settled in.

Thanks.

[IM Bacchus]

Geekor- You have precisely 2 Back to the 80's games out of 156 teams played, so you are clearly NOT speaking from a position of any insight. It's very easy to take such a dismissive position when you don't give a damn about the subject.

Bernie- What you are witnessing here is a cry for help from your core "mystery card" Strat supporters. We want to help you make this format thrive and succeed. The problem is we don't get that same sense of conviction from you guys. We feel that "mystery card" Strat has been become an afterthought to its very creators. In reading through this post, people are only looking for tweaks, and a little attention. In this day and age, especially on the internet, if something is not moving forward, it is swiftly moving towards the abyss of irrelevence. We don't want to be writing posts on this board a couple of years from now lamenting what might have been (we will leave that for the Strat Football fans) if TSN had only paid a little more attention to "Back to the 80's". You guys really do need to market this game better. You need to convey a message that the game is a success and here to stay. That and taking care of acouple of tweaks, and you will have a growing, happy, and fanatically local customer base.
IM Bacchus

[nycalderon]

Bernie..

IMBacchus sums it up nicely... The game is a nice innovation.. and the fan base is loyal to the format and growing. How many of your products have INCREASED IN POPULARITY 2 years after their introduction?

By the way, Bernie, I sent you a PM over a month ago asking you to convert two credits from that BORING 2005 game to 80's credits and you haven't even looked at it....

WHAT GIVES?

And why the heck would you delete this thread? BJS worked hard on this... I think it is petty to protest so strongly.

[YountFan]

No reason to delete the thread....it will just fade away. Lets BJ's manifesto stand without censorship!

[bjs73]

[quote:10165582dd]- I don't post here that often, or on a lot of the other SOM forums because there's just too many individual SOM forums for me to check. If I patrolled every forum regularly I'd never get any work done.[/quote:10165582dd]

I understand that you're a one man act here. However, this is what you stated on Jan. 26:

[quote:10165582dd]- Customer service will be drastically improved; I'll be on the forums more and hopefully getting more of your questions answered.[/quote:10165582dd]

We rarely see a TSN employee brush through here so after a little more than 40 days, you can see how my patience is a little worn through. I'll let you be your own judge on whether or not what you just said is consistent with what was said on Jan. 26.

[quote:10165582dd]This was the plan before you posted this thread. I hope you'll pardon me that after I've given you some time to read this reply of mine, I will delete this thread because it's unnecessary. I respect the passion here but it's overkill; I was coming here whether or not this thread existed. The 80's game will get its due attention, "in due time" - which means immediately after the 2006 game has settled in.[/quote:10165582dd]

This is all great news and yes you are pardoned in my eyes. My only question is that if the 80's was up next right after 2006, why not just say that when you were asked?

Why is it always a secret in the works about what's going on behind the scenes? Sometimes I wonder if there is a plan at all or is it the squekiest wheel gets the most oil? There was never anything mentioned about touching up the 80's game after 2006 goes to market before but now, after a "passionate" outcry, it looks like there will be some action items on the way.

I don't understand the logic of holding all your cards to your chest unless you are avoiding accountibility?

[quote:10165582dd]I will delete this thread because it's unnecessary.[/quote:10165582dd]

Hmm. Why not just lock it like you do everything else that stirs the pot? At least there will be a record of the words and promises here.

IMB sums it all up best and I've said my peace. We want this game to be successful for TSN. We want TSN to embrace it and market it. We've already fell for it hook, line, and sinker. We want TSN to make a good return on it and we want to help with the process.

[YountFan]

[quote:3d914d70ef]My only question is that if the 80's was up next right after 2006, why not just say that when you were asked? [/quote:3d914d70ef]

I did read that somewhere BJS. It was not hidden or anything.

[LMBombers]

[quote:1350f62b16="bernieh"]The 80s game will get proper due attention, but not before we get the 2006 game out. Stay tuned.[/quote:1350f62b16]

This is what Bernie said on Feb 12th in another thread.

[Runnin Rebel]

Great post BJ, it speaks to the frustrations of us all.

You gotta realize that we, the few, the proud, the loyal patrons of BTT80's are floating in a solo orbit with little or no support from the Mothership much like [b:6553e011b2]MAJOR TOM[/b:6553e011b2].

We were a trail balloon to see how the "[b:6553e011b2]mystery card[/b:6553e011b2]" concept would work for other games hopefully encompassing stars grouped by team (ATG Yankee-greats, etc. ) or decade (50's, 60's, 70's) but after the majority of people walked away holding their collective noses we were cut loose from the herd.

A lot of casual fans walked away in disgust when they could not grasp the intricacies of the "mystery card" we, on the other hand, were stubborn and tried two or three times until [b:6553e011b2][i:6553e011b2][u:6553e011b2]we [/u:6553e011b2][/i:6553e011b2][/b:6553e011b2]got it right. I like the MC for the simple fact that it tends to level the playing field a bit. Even if you are lucky enough to have the best draft in the world, getting the your player's worst card will force you to earn that championship instead of making it a "[i:6553e011b2][b:6553e011b2]Set-it-and-forget-it[/b:6553e011b2][/i:6553e011b2]" like so many other games (ATG for example).

Sure BTT80's needs a tune-up with some of the existing cards shuffled, players whose careers bridged the decades added, and a few values adjusted but chances are the whole project will be shelved before a BTT80'sII is offered. At best it will be replaced by another decade, hopefully the 70's, or my personal favorite ATG "mystery card".

Let's face it, TSN missed the boat trying to recapture the excitment of the 1969 season when the Miracle Mets won the pennant. In reality it might have been SUPER-exciting for a kid growing up in New York at that time to see [b:6553e011b2]YOUR[/b:6553e011b2] team win the World Championship, but the S-O-M card set ends up producing teams loaded with pitching dynamos surrounded by questionable defense and impotent offense at best. This lackluster roll-out had the excitment and shelf-life of LUX dish detergent, but is another example of the heavy "New York-basis" of the programmers which is a topic mentioned in other streams.

Time will tell what happens. We have one week until the new season begins and that should take our minds off this topic for a while, but in the end the concerns of this small community of loyalist should be addressed.

[Rob55]

Set-it-and-forget-it" like so many other games (ATG for example).
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If you did that in ATG2 then you probably didn't win, but at the very least you didn't play the game correctly.

Interesting reading guys.... I have never tried the 80's game.. the mystery card idea didn't strike me as something I would like. Reading this thread makes me wonder if I should maybe reconsider. Another thing that held me back was that when you have a "core" of regulars...like in ATG or 200x games...if you don't start early - when the game comes out, you are so far behind the learning curve that you simply can't compete with the vets. In ATG there are so many players that you CAN compete somewhat even if you aren't sure what is going on...but in the 200x games, 80's.... especially the 80's where you need to be able to recognize palyers as well as good or bad years..... and you are not playing agaisnt newbies like yourself, you don't stand any chance really. Then you must waste a bunch of cash to "learn" the game well enough to compete. Wish I had tried this early in my TSN/SOM career.
:D