Would ATG work as a mystery card game?

[PotKettleBlack]

I'm going to give you a six year span of a player I picked not at all at random. There are THREE MVP seasons in those six consecutive years.
The other three seasons are not injury shortened.

Roy Campanella
1951 - 1956
51 - .325/.393/.590 (OPS+ 159 - NL MVP)
52 - .269/.352/.453 (OPS+ 121)
53 - .312/.395/.611 (OPS+ 154 - NL MVP)
54 - .207/.285/.401 (OPS+ 74)
55 - .318/.395/.583 (OPS+ 152 - NL MVP)
56 - .219/.333/.394 (OPS+ 88)

The point in this is to say that not everyone is clockwork. Some guys have some variability. And it was a crapshoot for the Dodgers in 55 as to what they were gonna get from Campy. They played him and he won the MVP. The next year, same crap shoot, and he crapped the bed.

Not saying there isn't enough variability in the cards already (there is plenty). Just suggesting that mystery card makes it a little like actually managing a franchise.

[Salty]

Thanks for the thoughts, both dissenters approvers and tweeners.

One thing that Ive noticed, is that the mystery cards seem to perform closer to the actual season that they are from-
I have no idea why this is the case, but I played an 80s mystery season and I could pretty much figure out what was what- just by the stats.

Anyway-
if theres more, bring it- its all good as far as discussion purposes go, for me anyway. :shock:

[honestiago1]

[quote:b203a9159a]Not saying there isn't enough variability in the cards already (there is plenty). Just suggesting that mystery card makes it a little like actually managing a franchise.[/quote:b203a9159a]

Wholeheartedy agree. And agree with nev's sentiments, though I have a different take on spending the $25. I don't look at any money I plunk down as a wasted investment bc I enjoy strat-o-matic. It's pretty hard to win the whole thing in any year, especially if you don't do the research (which, as my record indicates, I don't). And I still think there's a way to make the mystery card game palatable to more consumers. It just hasn't been found yet. I'd certainly like to see it in a home computer version, at least. For the moment, you have it there, if you want it. If you don't you stick to the other games, like ATG.


What I REALLY want is the ability to player keeper leagues across seasons. Draft a roster with, say, the 1980 season, then keep a core, redraft from 81 and so on. That would mirror the game the way I grew up with it.

[honestiago1]

[quote:a7331420f1]4 or maybe even only 3 seasons to guess from would be better for enjoyment of the mystery games? (imo) The 5 can be listed, but one or two grayed out right from the start...changing each new season of course.

Or perhaps one grayed out each of the 1st 2 quarters of the season, leaving you with 3 possibilities going into the second half. [/quote:a7331420f1]

And this is a VERY good idea.

[Quincy Wilson]

The mystery card concept needs a larger game, a combination of the70's,80's and 90's with perhaps some earlier players. And, if practical.
a game covering the 40's, 50's 60's would be great.The current game
player rosters are too small, second half of the season roster changes
are generally impractical and 24 team leagues make a mediocre game.

[TRW]

[quote:6a77d11dfe="nevdully's"]
Anyone who has played a non mystery game knows that "the game" and the other 11 owners along with a huge amount of stadium choices, that bring their own comic book effect on the game results and statistics, provides plenty of mystery, as results, not just wins and losses but righty/lefty splits etc. are often greatly skewed from season to season....


If the decision makers on card and year selection for all the btt70s 80s 90s games knew this, and more importantly understood their customers, they would know it's not necessary to, for example, include Dale Murphy's .228 season in his 5 seasons of possibilties in btt80s...I'll explain why...

Two of the most consistent hitters that come to mind from the 70's were E. Murray and Steve Garvey....If you understand how the game is played you'd know that while Murray's stats for his 5 seasons were similar the fact that you've got E, 2R, 4L seasons among them is mystery enough....

You don't have to intentionally go out of your way to give your paying customer a 20% percent chance that his $8m 1bman that was as consistent as any can be throughout the decade might get the "booby prized" Steve Garvey...you know the one and only bad year he had from the entire decade... .227.....that's just "bad for business decision making." Because once again the 11 other owners, different stadiums, and similar numbers that vary from 2R to 4L provide enough of a challenge in getting joy from your 25 dollars

Guy puts down his 25 bucks and loses a couple of key guys to season ending injuries...real? Sure....real dumb for business though...Now the game does not have season ending injuries (thankfully) but getting the .236 11m Morgan is the equivalent...

More "bad for business decision making" but from the opposite end of the spectrum....Here in btt90s you've got people wetting their pants over finally getting Brady Anderson...They'd buy 5-packs in hopes of getting that magical 50 hr season.....Except... it's not included :( bad business....

So please don't think that we "need" the .227 Garvey or the .236 Morgan to challenge our hard earned 25$...And please don't think that magical years like Brady Anderson hitting 50 HRs aren't needed to provide some joy to a very challenging game...and perhaps give us our own magical season..

Know what your customers would want...They're not looking for every player to have their 5 best years...but the stars of the decade that cost so much should bring some level of expectation...let the challenge be 4L or 2R and the other 11 owners etc...Don't booby trap the top players...don't give us a box of Craker Jacks with no surprise (no 50Hr possibility from Brady)...And understand we could have Brady's 50 HR season and 5 solid but different years from a Garvey and Morgan along with that crazy sick left hand side of the Rick Auerbach card for only .75..and still struggle to break .500....It's a tough game...be on our side.[/quote:6a77d11dfe]


Well stated. I love the idea of the mystery card games, but I doubt I will play in any leagues for the very reasons Nev states.

I also agree w/Geyhond that the player pool is too small, at least for my taste. I generally play larger cap (140m ,200m) & live draft leagues. The decades work better for the smaller cap customers.

[ADRIANGABRIEL]

I do not disagree that player performance can be volatile. However, I do not think that is enough to justify the assertion that the Mystery Card game is more realistic. The actual Mystery Card game mechanics dictate a certain methodology in order to win that is decidedly NOT like running a real franchise. Or, maybe because of all the in-season player movement, it is more realistic...

All I know is that I don't like it. My hat's off to those who get enjoyment from it and want to see it better.

[drfreeze49]

My opinion ([b:4f9d121268]don't jump ugly with me[/b:4f9d121268])...I think it would be great...but with a few caveats...1. [b:4f9d121268]no penalty drops for your 1st 3 to 5 transactions...[/b:4f9d121268]this will allow you sometime to recover)...[b:4f9d121268]maybe less then 5 seasons[/b:4f9d121268]...not even sure about that...

Just[b:4f9d121268] think[/b:4f9d121268] your a manager with high hopes for the season...you trade your [b:4f9d121268]veteran Gaylord Perry before the start of the 1972 season[/b:4f9d121268] for young flame thrower Sudden Sam Mcdowell...

you end up with a terrible year for Sam and Gaylord goes on to win the Cy Young...

there are a number of instances where managing and not predictability comes in to play...anyway remember just an opinion..."Don't jump ugly"[b:4f9d121268][/b:4f9d121268][b:4f9d121268][/b:4f9d121268]

[honestiago1]

I think the idea of no penalty for drops might be the one way to inject some life into the mystery game.

[Quincy Wilson]

No penalty for drops is a really bad idea. The drop penalty is only 5%
now and vets tend to save some $ at the start of the season to cover
penalty costs. As it is now we have a lot of what I consider to be premature drops with a small penalty. Without a penalty it willl be chaotic.
I don't understand the breathe life comment. I have joined 6 12 team '90's
leagues and they all filled quickly, as I remember it with in a day or so.
NOw I know the "90's leagues are new and a recent time period so they
ought to fill quickly but I joined some '70's leagues recently and they also filled rather quickly I thought at the time.The mystery card concept is alive and well.