Play by Play needs to be tweaked!

[Jeff Olsen]

Especially since there are plans to add in-game management next year, as Clay has said.

#1 problem: force outs rarely happen when watching a game. Ground balls should never result with the batter getting put out and the runner remaining on first! This should only happen with fly balls. One of four things should happen with a grounder: The runner advances to second and the batter is put out at first. The runner is forced out at second and the batter is safe at first. Both are put out in a double play. One or both end up safe due to an error. The most common event now by far is the batter being put out and the runner remaining on first. This should not be happening!

#2 problem: too bland. It reminds me of the PbP in a 20-year-old Commodore 64 game that was written by a New Jersey schoolteacher. What we need is a PbP with personality, one that evokes listening to a game on the radio, one that's one part Red Barber, one part Mel Allen, and one part Harry Caray. Incorporate nicknames and the top 10 league leaders while flowing better than the PbP in OOTP (OOTP has way too many "but"s and "too"s).

#3 problem: injuries. They need to be reworked so they happen while viewing a game.

An example of what I'd like to see:


Wecome to opening day at Yankee Stadium! 54,818 are on hand to watch the Red Sox play the Yankees. 41-year-old Randy Johnson gets the start today. Last season, Big Unit had an ERA of 2.60, good enough for second place, and his 290 strikeouts led the league.

Johnny Damon leads off for Boston. He batted .304 last sason and his 123 runs was second in the league.
Damon digs in...and here comes the first pitch of the season.
It's a hot smash right at the Shortstop!
Jeter scoops it up...fires to first, retiring the centerfielder.

That brings up Edgar Renteria.
Johnson winds up and lets it go.
There's a slow roller toward Third.
A-Rod charges it...scoops it up...and decides not to risk a throw. Renteria is safe at first on an infield single.

Here comes the #3 hitter, Manny Ramirez. His 43 homers and .613 slugging average led the league last season.
Big Unit delivers...it's a hit and run! Ramirez swings...he tagged a ground ball up the middle. That could be trouble!
Jeter dives...and spears it! No time to get Renteria at Second so Jeter throws to First. Ramirez is out on a perfectly executed hit and run.

The cleanup hitter comes to the plate. David Ortiz finished second in homers last year with 41 and his 47 doubles was good enough for third.
Here's the offer from Johnson.
It's a long fly ball to deep center field!
Williams is chasing...he races back...back...back...and makes a running catch at the warning track! But he can't stop! Williams crashes into the wall...that's gonna leave a mark...but did he hold on? Yes he did! That's out number three. Wow!

Jeter leads off for the bottom half of the inning.
We just got word from the Yankees' clubhouse: Bernie Williams will be out for a couple of days with a bruised shoulder.
What's different between this and OOTP? OOTP wouldn't mention performance from the previous season. When it does mention league leaders, it says things like "He's first in batting average, second in homers too, and second in doubles too!". It also has things like "he steps on second for out number one. But they cannot turn the double play but they get the one." Who talks like that? Germans who aren't quite fluent in English? ;)

[ohms_law]

These are still great suggestions.

The one caveat that I have is that if there is increased vocabulary in the play by play, it will sound like a German speaking broken English. There's really no way around that with a computer program. Well, very little anyway.

[Jeff Olsen]

The one caveat that I have is that if there is increased vocabulary in the play by play, it will sound like a German speaking broken English. There's really no way around that with a computer program. Well, very little anyway.
What I wrote above is pretty much what Radio Baseball would look like if it used current rosters, and that game is over 20 years old.

[ohms_law]

Still, all I'm saying is not to expect that level of perfection for a while. Keep in mind that games like Radio Baseball had such good descriptive text output because they were forced to. Adding that sort of detail to Mogul's play-by-play would be great, but we also need to be aware of the potential cost in bloat and speed.

I do hope for more descriptive play-by-play though.

[Jeff Olsen]

Adding that sort of detail to Mogul's play-by-play would be great, but we also need to be aware of the potential cost in bloat and speed.Make it an option. "Extended PbP On" or something like that.

[disposablehero]

heh, its the exact opposite request at the OOTP forums, ie. less intricate PbP, results only PbP mode, etc.

[JayC]

Make it an option.
I'd sure hope so. I'd hate to have to read through all that stuff about players' stats. I'd hate to have to read through the alleged details of how the play developed a little less, but basically I prefer it the way it is.

[ohms_law]

The option could be something like, simulating or playing in play by play mode at the General Manager setting gives you what we've got now, Manager or Player mode gives you the enhanced description. That sort of thing.

[Robert]

I have a small suggestion. I've suggested this before.

In Play-by-play mode. I'd like to see when a Hitter is at the plate. It shows a dialog similar to T.V.

Like, now, it shows the name. His abilities (contact, power, etc) 2006 vs Righties (or lefties) then it shows his abilities in hitting certain pitches + or -.

I wish we could edit these. I'd like the option to add Game stats and yearly stats.

Like 1-2 HR and Avg .270 HR 13 RBI 55. In seperate boxes. I know you can very well see it on the right. But I'd like to see that when each hitter comes up. Instead of switching Game stats and Year stats. It's too much of a hassle, and with that, it's nice and neat, makes me feel I'm watching a game, or when I'm playing I can see both at once for that hitter.