Change is coming...

Yeah I miss Bernie

Back in the day, Bernie would address suggestions within a day or so, sometimes within an hour or two. Many times laughing off the unrealistic suggestions but he would never leave our ideas hanging for years without some sort of feedback like it is currently.

Here's one they promised from the start: manager records! I don't care if they use a rating system or not, just deliver on your promise, or explain why you can't.

They've had this post for how long now?:

"NOTE: We've finished a basic import of your old teams from the 1969, and 2001-2005 season sets. Your teams' stat totals, W/L records, league standings, rosters and player stat totals are accounted for. We'll be proceeding to import the rest of the older sets (2006) to complete our records, after which we'll be able to restore our Manager Rating system. Thank you for your patience while we work through this extremely intricate process."

Here's one they promised from the start: manager records! I don't care if they use a rating system or not, just deliver on your promise, or explain why you can't.

They've had this post for how long now?:

"NOTE: We've finished a basic import of your old teams from the 1969, and 2001-2005 season sets. Your teams' stat totals, W/L records, league standings, rosters and player stat totals are accounted for. We'll be proceeding to import the rest of the older sets (2006) to complete our records, after which we'll be able to restore our Manager Rating system. Thank you for your patience while we work through this extremely intricate process."

Keyzick, completely agree. The culture is that the customer is last. They even charge by the minute for their customer tech support line. A corporate culture is hard to change in an environment that is looking to change. Impossible in ones that aren't.

There is no point at all in posting any suggestions in the 200x forum or anywhere other than the wish list.
Strat told us they were not going to monitor the boards. If I remember right they said they would have some monitors who would respond to inappropriate posts. Doubt even that is done though considering some of the contentious posts. Suspect they completely ignore everything but the wish list thread unless someone sends an email.

And to be blunt I do not think even the wish list thread is ever actually read. It is only there for the purpose of being able to say they have a place for us to make suggestions. The equivalent of the suggestion box where everything gets regularly recycled in to bin 13.

Bottom line change is not coming. It left the building some time back and has been wondering the streets homeless for quite some time now.

Valen says there is no point posting suggestions anywhere "other than the wish list," then says he doesn't think anything in the Wish List Forum is ever read. That's quite the fatalistic Catch-22.

Here's why there is a lot of point to posting our concerns in the 20xx Forum. Almost all posters read and/or participate in the 20xx forum; not as many pay regular attention to what is posted in the Wish List forum. So, if we are going to get most posters on board to support and call for specific improvements most of us want, the best place for that to happen is the 20xx forum. There it won't be lost among the numerous small complaints and implausible requests that have littered the Wish List Forum.

Yes, SOM says they won't respond to requests from 20xx. However, as I noted before (and even Valen admits), they're not responding to requests from the Wish List forum, either. If we can show SOM that numerous community members want specific and particular improvements, and we're not just throwing them out there casually, they are most likely to take us seriously. Even if we need to send e-mails, at least we'll all know what changes we should send e-mails about. Relying solely on the Wish List Forum, as Valen advocates, just hasn't worked.

Significant change--such as waivers, weighted waivers, and reverse lineups--have happened. So, there's no point giving up. If one truly believes no change will happen, complaining about it not happening is pointless.

Bottom line change is not coming. It left the building some time back and has been wondering the streets homeless for quite some time now.

Well said

Valen says there is no point posting suggestions anywhere "other than the wish list," then says he doesn't think anything in the Wish List Forum is ever read. That's quite the fatalistic Catch-22.

Here's why there is a lot of point to posting our concerns in the 20xx Forum. Almost all posters read and/or participate in the 20xx forum; not as many pay regular attention to what is posted in the Wish List forum. So, if we are going to get most posters on board to support and call for specific improvements most of us want, the best place for that to happen is the 20xx forum. There it won't be lost among the numerous small complaints and implausible requests that have littered the Wish List Forum.

Yes, SOM says they won't respond to requests from 20xx. However, as I noted before (and even Valen admits), they're not responding to requests from the Wish List forum, either. If we can show SOM that numerous community members want specific and particular improvements, and we're not just throwing them out there casually, they are most likely to take us seriously. Even if we need to send e-mails, at least we'll all know what changes we should send e-mails about. Relying solely on the Wish List Forum, as Valen advocates, just hasn't worked.

Significant change--such as waivers, weighted waivers, and reverse lineups--have happened. So, there's no point giving up. If one truly believes no change will happen, complaining about it not happening is pointless.

I'm with l.strether on this (!). I would like to encourage as much discussion as possible on 200X. It IS where most of the discussions take place.

I'm an optimist by nature. In the summer of 2012, we wondered whether there would be a PC tournament. A few gamers and I decided that we would create a tourney, which we called the "sweepstakes". Strat DID see what was going on, and asked me if I would be willing to have the sweepstakes be taken over as the official PC tourney that year, and whether I would be the commissioner.

Never give up. It's a great game, and I'll keep posting (despite so many things in real life that required my attention). This is the best game there is, and I'll do what I can to make sure it keeps on getting better - as much as we gamers can do. I think we'd all be surprised at how much influence we can have, resulting in game improvements.

I don't know (much) of what's going on, on the inside at strat. But I know that they are working on some things. I have had discussions with John Garcia from time to time. If they say change is coming, I really believe it.

To a large extent these are my opinions. But I do believe in the future of strat.

Let's make it work, guys. Keep on posting - especially here, and probably on the ATG threads - where the online strat community gathers!

Another thing that I'm realizing - that there are "islands" of strat gaming communities. In the last year, I learned about "stratdraft". It's not just a drafting tool - there are leagues forming all the time, that play live leaves online using the electronic game. I haven't had time to participate in those leagues yet - I like the online game because of how it works well with my daily routines. But there's more strat gamers out there. I get emails all the time with league invitations.

The trick is to encourage our strat gaming communities to thrive, and ultimately communicate more.

So keep posting guys. There's more good things coming - I'm sure about that!

Geoff
gbrookes
200x moderator

If they say change is coming, I really believe it.

Geoff, I think you missed it. The BIG change has already been announced. A new logo!!!!

See, that's the thing. There have not been any substantial game engine improvements in a long while. It would seem there are so many small things they could be improving all the time (like the "do not steal home" mentioned above).

I've been a pretty solid supporter of Strat. I really enjoy playing the game. But, If they are going to continue to charge $19 a team (or whatever it is), we ought to see effort on their end to improve the game. And, I hear what you're saying about getting on them. But, again, they were the ones that told us to post our suggestions in the Wish List forum. We shouldn't have to mount a counterattack to get them to listen us.

..

"Relax a bit; there's no argument here. I never said anything was anybody's "fault." "

There does not need to be an argument. I feel I should be able to add my viewpoints to this topic by agreeing that the wishlist has become useless and stating my reasoning, along with a possible solution. I don't feel my reply was that intense that would require a need to relax.

If Strat did not like or thought my reverse lineup idea was not needed, they could have just said that to me. If I'm facing a righty 1L and a righty 3L both on the same night, I presented an option. Or they could add a simple on/off selection so we don't have to delete our entire alternative lineups when we don't want them to take effect on a given night.

My point is, many people have tried to suggest reasonable ideas over the past years with no feedback from Strat, leaving many to wonder if they ever read these forums.

Yeah I miss Bernie

PS, this idea has been suggested since the reverse lineup was introduced. I agree with you that's it's not set up very well in it's current state.

I hope Bernie is in good health...or at least improving on that front.