Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

OK my turn.

I've played Strat for six years. Not sure if that makes me an old-timer. Don't really care. I'm not going to criticize the opinions of others. I just want to let folks know how I feel.

So here goes . . .

1. To me the game is a game. I pay my money, buy my teams, plan my strategy, and see what happens.
2. I've made some great friends here, most playing the 70's game, but a few here in ATG and the current sets.
3. I am happy - HAPPY - with the improvements Strat has made. The mystery card games look better and play better than they ever did before. Also, I'm playing more ATG than in the past.
4. I have no interest in "looking behind the curtain" to see what features are turned off or turned on.
5. I couldn't care less if there are one, two, or ten programmers.
6. If John Garcia is Bernie, Hal Richman, or Sherman Cooper is of no concern to me.
7. Strat has treated me fairly. I get what I pay for and will continue to play and support this venture.

I know from conversations with others that I'm not alone on these issues. It just seemed to be time to share them.

Oh yes, one more:
8. Rob Latorre is TERRIBLE at this game!

Thanks,
Paul

Paul-

I am truly glad that you and hopefully everyone enjoys the game.

Id like to point out that one of the reasons you might be enjoying the online game so much is that a number of people fought and for reasons I sometimes cant figure out, continue to fight to improve it.

Id also like to point out that some women/people couldn't care less that they have the right to vote, they support our leaders no matter the situation and are content with how things are.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that point of view.

When I first came here I too would buy my teams and plan my strategy based on what the site said, only to find the strategy I thought I was planning I wasn't planning at all.

Just to add yet another perspective:

I am an educated, tested and trained CPA. In my job I am required, by law, to seek and find the information needed to form an opinion on financial matters. If the client refuses, hides or deceives me, or the information that I seek, I am required to DROP the client. I am required to tell them why and then bye bye baby. No way do you stay with them.

What do I do here at SOM where they are trying (knowingly or not) to hide or deceive me on the way the game engine operates? I need to know, in it's entirety, how the game engine works before I can make a judgement on which players will perform best for my team. SOM makes it hard to justify spending money here.

Does anyone else feel this way, or am I leaning towards being too skeptical, as an accountant, to think differently?

The forum is for opinions. I would hope no one is overly afraid to speak up and say what
they feel.

Even though you may feel some of these or your opinions are extreme or being shouted down
(maybe I am reading too much into it), I agree with you on the majority -- even though I am one
of the ranters on the other threads. I might not totally disagree with the ones I seem at odds
with at this point, some of it would depend on the details. But I try to make clear that I express
only my own opinions, post it and see if it resonates or not.

There have been some good features brought on board since the transition. They should be
recognized. Even by those who choose to focus on their overall state of discontent.

But if you don't speak up, nobody knows. So I applaud you for adding your opinion(s).

dwightskino21 wrote:Just to add yet another perspective:

I am an educated, tested and trained CPA. In my job I am required, by law, to seek and find the information needed to form an opinion on financial matters. If the client refuses, hides or deceives me, or the information that I seek, I am required to DROP the client. I am required to tell them why and then bye bye baby. No way do you stay with them.

What do I do here at SOM where they are trying (knowingly or not) to hide or deceive me on the way the game engine operates? I need to know, in it's entirety, how the game engine works before I can make a judgement on which players will perform best for my team. SOM makes it hard to justify spending money here.

Does anyone else feel this way, or am I leaning towards being too skeptical, as an accountant, to think differently?

I'm with Salty, but this point isn't valid. Most games do no show the entire engine, as it makes it to susceptible to cheats. Strat has stated many times they won't show all their code. They show more of what is happening compared to all the other online games I play (well now that they show the rolls in the PBP). The game itself is 10x better than ATG1/2001.

Now all games should improve over a decade, and this one has. That doesn't mean it should ever settle, as there are still many things A) broken, B) never implemented that are sorely needed and C) just good upgrades.

Problem is none of A, B or C were done yet, which is where people like Salty and I continue to speak up.

And to argue Salty's point further, where did all those upgrades come from? It was from us, the community, making suggestions and asking again and again and again until they were implemented.

All those extra setting for each pitcher/hitter: came from the community
waiver: community idea
weighted waivers: again from the community
Seeing the rolls: from the community
Turning on normalization: found out it was on (after TSN said it wasn't) and got upset enough to force them to turn it off: the community.
Better bullpen controls: Begged for and finally put in by Bernie, again as we asked for it for many many seasons.

But hey, go ahead and don't say anything. All those changes "Strat" has made just came from them and none of it from the people who "whine" on these boards right?

When I first came here I too would buy my teams and plan my strategy based on what the site said, only to find the strategy I thought I was planning I wasn't planning at all.

That really boils down to the core of everything I have been saying, except it took me a lot more words.

I would agree the game is much better than when 2001 was launched. I remember in those days we did not even have L/R stat displays. I remember asking for it and getting the response it was a bad idea because my opponents might not want me knowing how my hitters were doing against L/R pitching or they might not want me knowing how their team was doing against LH or RH pitching. It was only because many many people posted on the boards asking for the same thing they came around and gave us that. As Salty and Nev have pointed out same can be said for may of the other features those just joining the game now might take for granted.

So while I may occasionally disagree, or challenge/question them on specific things I appreciate their willingness to speak up about needed improvements.

I too like the game or I would not still be playing after more than a decade. But since I am not on the payroll am not obligated to give the kind of 100% glowing endorsement of the initial perspective here. As a paying customer I feel free to express both what I like and what I think needs improvement.

4. I have no interest in "looking behind the curtain" to see what features are turned off or turned on.

For those who do not care what features are on or off you would not have to read that part of the rules or any part of the rules for that matter. But that does not change the fact the information should be there for all including those who do care.

7. Strat has treated me fairly. I get what I pay for and will continue to play and support this venture.

I am happy for you. But I have not always had that same experience of being treated fairly.

pwootten wrote:I've played Strat for six years. Not sure if that makes me an old-timer

You are an old-timer, but that has more to do with the number of rings we could count if we cut you in half, not how long you've been playing SOM...

pwootten wrote:I'm not going to criticize the opinions of others. I just want to let folks know how I feel.

Well, don't expect that courtesy to be returned LOL

pwootten wrote:2. I've made some great friends here, most playing the 70's game, but a few here in ATG and the current sets.

Agree completely, the community and friends here keep me playing. I get my full fix from the CDROM game, I play here because of the friends I've made and continue to make.

pwootten wrote:4. I have no interest in "looking behind the curtain" to see what features are turned off or turned on.

I think for the purpose of a level playing field, all the rule settings should be posted and easily accessible. Having said that, the furor lately is over some settings that are relatively minor and I wouldn't be drafting my teams differently based on them. With the thousands of leagues I've simmed, the settings being discussed have limited impact.

pwootten wrote:6. If John Garcia is Bernie, Hal Richman, or Sherman Cooper is of no concern to me.

I actually think Bernie is Jimmy Hoffa

pwootten wrote:Oh yes, one more:
8. Rob Latorre is TERRIBLE at this game!

Um, that's hurtful, I am much better than terrible, I consider myself MEDIOCRE thank you very much

This thread takes me back a few years and reminds me of a company I once worked for.
Company was doing everything wrong and ticking off the shareholders to the point lawsuits were being filed.

Since some of us who worked there also owned stock in the company a coworker went out on a stock discussion board. They found a poster who frequently posted there about how great the company was and how they believed the stock was about to take off and price soar upward. We joked that that user sounded exactly like our CEO at the time. We were all certain the CEO had created a fake account on this stock discussion board pretending to be a happy stock owner hoping to influence the disgruntled stock owners not to sell and sucker potential buyers in to buying.

Valen wrote:We were all certain the CEO had created a fake account on this stock discussion board pretending to be a happy stock owner hoping to influence the disgruntled stock owners not to sell and sucker potential buyers in to buying.

HEY PAUL!

Valen just promoted you to CEO of SOM, or he outed you as being Hal Richman in disguise. How did you keep this from us for so long???