Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

So I pulled way back from the boards for quite a while, realized that I was complaining way more then contributing. But, with the release of Football 365, I need to vent.

I understand the desire to release the game before week 1 of the NFL season, makes complete sense, but the game just isn't ready to be released for purchase. All of the bugs have been documented very clearly by a lot of managers, problems with usage, stats, penalties, salary structure, credit pricing, CM settings, nightly play cadence, # of plays per game, 2 point try's, and on and on.

Thanks to members like Geekor, GBrookes, Chris Franco, PaulLong71, ehlekev, mrherzog, and all of the other managers there is a great deal of feedback and suggestions.

What is the most frustrating is:
- There is NO engagement from the game co addressing the bugs or recognition of feedback
- There was obviously very little testing
- They don't seem to care about the quality of the product and are willing to charge us for it regardless

I was incredibly excited about this product, buying a 5 pack within a few minutes of the announcement, drafting 4 teams for week 1, and my gaming experience has been one that I would have expected if I was a Beta tester doing it for free.

I emailed customer service and asked for my teams to be vacated and for a refund of the 5 pack purchase.

Sorry for venting, but I wanted to put my thoughts out to the other managers.

The owners of Football teams should get a choice of either a full cash refund or a 1 for 1 credit exchange for baseball.
I know the baseball team is more costly but SOM should take the hit for this mess.

I posted similar statements in the leagues I was in.

I never played SOM in my life, until SOM football on TSN. I only went to baseball when football was shut down.

I was so excited I bought the 5 pack too.

I was excited, now heart broken a 2nd time. Not sure why they don't involve the community in being beta-testers anymore, but I refuse to pay money to be their beta tester.

Beta fish live for weeks in a little jar with air holes on the top at PetSmart.
Praying they get adopted by someone other than a kid who will kill them within a week.

Glug glug glug

As a huge fan of SOM footbal, I'd love to see this game properly fixed. Even if it takes several iterations.

Not sure if SOM shut down the game in response to feedback from this board or it simply could not get the games run.

Whatever the case, I am surprised by the number of problems caused, not by the volume of games, but serious flaws in the game logic. I know this game was beta tested. Nobody noticed that Aaron Rodgers was missing multiple games or two point conversioins were being attempted from the 15 yard line?

Hope SOM is true to its word about updates. In the meantime, i'll keep my five pack investment. i'd just blow the money somewhere else, anyway.

mr_herzog wrote:As a huge fan of SOM footbal, I'd love to see this game properly fixed. Even if it takes several iterations.

Not sure if SOM shut down the game in response to feedback from this board or it simply could not get the games run.

Whatever the case, I am surprised by the number of problems caused, not by the volume of games, but serious flaws in the game logic. I know this game was beta tested. Nobody noticed that Aaron Rodgers was missing multiple games or two point conversioins were being attempted from the 15 yard line?

Hope SOM is true to its word about updates. In the meantime, i'll keep my five pack investment. i'd just blow the money somewhere else, anyway.

I agree with all of the comments on this page, but I especially agree with the hope that this game gets properly fixed. I think strat should recognize the disappointment that we've felt - some more than others. Credits or refunds aside, there is clearly a desire for this game, by many of the online gamers here. Here's hoping they get this right. Most importantly, strat should let us know that they are listening to our suggestions, and that they will really try to implement our suggestions - and not simply dismiss them in a casual kind of way (e.g. the 2 nights for each game suggestion).

Come on strat - you can do this!

Even though I didn't make the cash outlay you all did, I echo your sentiments. Strat Football is their best board game, by far. I would love to see it successfully implemented in an online environment. From the comments I've seen following it's launch it's clear that:

1. They did little to no beta testing.

2. They clearly didn't look at or have any experience with, the old online game version, because none of the issues that game had were addressed in this new release, in fact it seems they made things worse.

3. I'm glad I didn't wind up wasting my money, as the product as is, is clearly broken.

4. There is clearly a market for the product, even if it is small, it is passionate, as evidenced by the posts here on the forum.

I truly hope they go back to the drawing board and get it right. I know an online game will never have that play to play down to down, chess like feel of the board game, it simply can't, but i think it can still work in a more limited fashion if some of the suggestions here are implemented.

In the meantime, if any of you are in the Greensboro NC area and want to learn the board game, I'm always looking for new football opponents.

Ninersphan wrote:Even though I didn't make the cash outlay you all did, I echo your sentiments. Strat Football is their best board game, by far. I would love to see it successfully implemented in an online environment. From the comments I've seen following it's launch it's clear that:

1. They did little to no beta testing.

2. They clearly didn't look at or have any experience with, the old online game version, because none of the issues that game had were addressed in this new release, in fact it seems they made things worse.

3. I'm glad I didn't wind up wasting my money, as the product as is, is clearly broken.

4. There is clearly a market for the product, even if it is small, it is passionate, as evidenced by the posts here on the forum.

I truly hope they go back to the drawing board and get it right. I know an online game will never have that play to play down to down, chess like feel of the board game, it simply can't, but i think it can still work in a more limited fashion if some of the suggestions here are implemented.

In the meantime, if any of you are in the Greensboro NC area and want to learn the board game, I'm always looking for new football opponents.

Hey Bill, when are you starting the FIRST Football Keeper League?

I can get to Greensboro once a month for a night of football face to face.
But I prefer the old game. Using the 1969 to 1974 seasons. I think I have most of that. That would be very cool.
Maybe a top 16 team...single elimaination format by year.
843 269 4030
I live in South Carolina.

1-10 ADA 36 (15:00) Flat Pass - Right (Blocking Back 1HB) [D: Nickel 4-2-5, Run]
Pass Michael Thomas (SE) - 35 yards
Tackle Richard Sherman (LCB)
FD

1-GOAL ADA 1 (14:40) Line Buck (Tight End) [D: 4-3, Run - Key]
Run Andrew Luck (QB) - 1 yards
Touchdown

1-10 ADA 15 (14:24) Short Pass (Blocking Back 1HB) [D: 4-3, Run]
2PointAttempt -1 yards
Pass Mike Wallace (FL) - 13 yards
Tackle DeShawn Shead (RCB)

This is from a league that serves as beta-league

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/434119

Given that the name is Bo Knows 2, I suspect that this was the second beta league. As you can see from the score page, it was run in July and August. I was not in it, just found it by mistyping the url

All the bugs discussed on the forum are there in plain sight:

8 starting running backs injured or benched for game 4. Some of them A0. Some quarterbacks too.

2-point conversion on the 15-yard line,

the expression "-1 yard" in the play-by-play but which not related to yards but to failure (example: "2PointAttempt -1 yards", when it should read something like "2 pointAttempt : -1 (failed)"

Just to name a few...