So I'll explain the issue I have with these games. #1 - they are waaaay too easy to exploit... which honestly is fine, because there's something kind of fun about being a god-like GM. The bigger issue is that they just aren't that engrossing.
Here's the problem...
There are only 5 starting spots in the NBA. What ends up happening is I end up with arguably the 5 best players in the entire league. Then my bench is made up of 4-5 players who probably could be allstars elsewhere. I end up feeling bad for the digital players. Lol. Here's why.
#1 - I could have the greatest player of all time... a dude who could be averaging 37 points a night. But since he's sharing the starting lineup with 4 other superstars, he ends up averaging 22 a night throughout his entire career. I feel bad about stunting their individual historical significance. It's silly, but I end up feeling bad about it... other players end up winning the MVP simply because these digital guys teammates who are too [dang] good.
#2 - The players on my bench... I stunt their entire career. In several instances of playing games like DDSPB or this, I end up having dudes on my bench who average 5-15 minutes a night... who I eventually let go to another team and they win MVP. It's just kind of silly. I'm ruining their entire career by giving them bench warmer minutes behind 5 other superstars. Eventually, I just lose interest and stop playing.
I think that's the reason why I love "Out of the Park Baseball" so much despite the fact that I hate baseball. Besides the fact that it's just (by far) the greatest text based sports simulation of all time... it's also just the nature of baseball.
#1 - If I have a 1st baseman who is hitting .350 with 61 home runs and a 1.05 OPS, it doesn't really effect the individual statistical performances of the other 8 batters. It eliminates the issue I had with the NBA games where I stunt the historical significance of my star players by having them play together. I could have a SS, 3rd baseman, RF, etc... all chasing history and all breaking records. Likewise, with pitchers... if I have a starter with a 1.79 ERA winning 25+ games a season, it doesn't really impact the other 4 starters.
#2 - There are 9 hitters + 5 starting pitchers... more digital guys I can get invested into. As opposed to 5 basketball players all competing with each other's stats. Yes, there are still instances where I have a stud guy stuck as a relief pitcher or a stud hitter not getting enough at bats, but it's not as bad as the MVP candidate playing 15 minutes a night in the NBA game. I typically resolve it in the baseball game by letting the superstar players flee for big money when they get past the age of 35... freeing up space for the young guns.
THen just in general... Out of the Park Baseball is insanely engrossing. Here's some reasons.
#1 - All the stats of every single player who ever played the game is already built into the game. YOu can see the records and historical stats throughout the entire history of the game. You can pull up the season-by-season stats of any single player who ever played. That makes it extremely fun to compare your guys to the legends... "Woah, this guy is better than Nolan Ryan was!" or "holy crap, this hitter is on pace to break all of Barry Bond's records".
#2 - The league evolves. Rules change over time. Teams move cities. It's also fairly realistic in regards to financials and market size. It's a bit harder to turn the Pirates into a winner when compared to the Yankees and their massive budgets.
#3 - I love the fact that the computer-generated unique faces actually age. So for instance, I've had a situation where I've drafted/signed a 15 year old prospect. I stick him in my minors... over the years I watch as he moves up the ranks from Single A to Double A to Triple A... he shows up on various "top prospects' recruits from my scouting director and the "media"... Eventually I promote him to the majors. He turns into an allstar... he dominates... he becomes one of the most popular players in the league. He signs an insanely lucrative contract or two. Eventually he ages into an aging vet. He breaks records (the media writes articles about it). He retires. He gets inducted in the hall of fame. Eventually becomes a coach... he moves up the coach ranks. Wins a world series as a coach... eventually retires in his 70s. All the while, you can see the same face age from 15 years old to 70s... it's really fun.
#4 - Just the overall depth of the game. When i first played, I found it odd that none of my prospects were developing into stars. I came to realize that the issue was that my scouting director wasn't very good and the info he was giving me was inaccurate. I loved that. Once, I turned the Pirates into a dominant dynasty. When I got bored, I fled for Chicago. The Pirates fell apart. Years later when the Pirates were back to being irrelevant, I saw a computer-generated article (one of countless you can read) talking about a top free agent and which teams he was considering signing. It mentioned he was considering signing with the Pirates despite the fact they stunk, because of their "great history"... referring to the era where I turned them into a dynasty. I thought that was incredible.
I've played that game 100+ seasons just watching the league evolve, watching my young guys develop into stars, win awards, make the hall of fame, etc... comparing my best players ever. It's just a ton of fun. I've yet to see an NBA game come anywhere close to replicating how fun that game is.
http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/out-of-the-park-baseball/index.php
Topic: Fun NBA GM online simulation game (Read 27539 times)