Baseball Mogul 2007 Feature Poll

[SkyDog]

As per Clay's request. Comment away, gents.

[SkyDog]

For me, the #1 new feature I'd request is an "Almanac" of some sort--an automated yearly output (preferably HTML) of all of the stats, leader boards, etc. of your league. The best I've seen is the CatoBase for OOTP, which looks like this: http://ngbl.exoverge.com/UAL/catobase/index.html

If stats output at the level of catobase could be added to Mogul 2007, and the current feature set refined to work well (FA signing AI tightened up, player personalities making a little more sense, etc.), it would make it worth the price of purchase for me without any other features.

After an almanac, I'd list them in the following order:

1. Enhanced Injury Engine (the ability to play hurt, e.g. "he's at 85%" etc.)--Would greatly help realism. As things stand currently, not nearly enough guys are playing 158-162 games, and one reason is that they can't play hurt.

2. More severe personality effects (e.g. "clubhouse poison") --This, along with a little more logical definition to the personalities (no more guys who are "Serious but silly", for example), would be very nice.

3. Player-of-the-month (week, game) awards--Would add a little more flavor to things.

Also, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PUT RBI NEXT TO HR ON THE PLAYER CARD, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!! There's virtually nowhere, other than Mogul, that you'll see baseball stats done any other way.

[SkyDog]

One more...

"Bidding" for free agents against the AI.--Rather than immediately being able to sign a guy, enter your bid, and AI teams enter bids, too

[boomboom]

isnt drag and drop included in 2k6?

[boomboom]

an auto-sort lock feature is a must.


basically, when somebody gets hurt, i have already put my minor league player in a certain order, then the stupid CPU ruins all my work i did...4 example: like a 80+ player in A ball instead of AAA. I would love to see this feature....

i think that a check box next to the players would be the best...

or even just a major league roster autosort only, and then a minor league autosort button.

[Clay Dreslough]

Originally posted by SkyDog
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PUT RBI NEXT TO HR ON THE PLAYER CARD, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!! There's virtually nowhere, other than Mogul, that you'll see baseball stats done any other way.

Here's the current order:
"Year","G","AB","H","AVG","2B","3B","HR","BB","K", "SB","CS","SH","R","RBI","OBP","SLG"

How about this (virtually identical to ESPN.com):

"Year","G","AB","R","H","2B","3B","HR","RBI","BB","K", "SB","CS","SH","AVG","OBP","SLG"

Clay

[SkyDog]

Originally posted by Clay Dreslough
Here's the current order:
"Year","G","AB","H","AVG","2B","3B","HR","BB","K", "SB","CS","SH","R","RBI","OBP","SLG"

How about this (virtually identical to ESPN.com):

"Year","G","AB","R","H","2B","3B","HR","RBI","BB","K", "SB","CS","SH","AVG","OBP","SLG"

Clay Yes!!! That's how virtually every baseball card I had as a boy was laid out (except that OBP and SLG weren't there in those days), and a much more standard way of doing it. I just checked, and that is also pretty much identical to Baseball Reference, too.

[21C]

Please add:

Team Stats Output - the ability to display, sort and print a range of team stats ( not just through the standings screen ). Like below.


Tm R/G R G AB H 2B 3B HR BB SO BA OBP SLG SB CS OPS+
+---+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
STL 5.28 855 162 5555 1544 319 24 214 548 1085 .278 .344 .460 111 47 116
SFG 5.25 850 162 5546 1500 314 33 183 705 874 .270 .357 .438 43 23 109
PHI 5.19 840 162 5643 1505 303 23 215 645 1133 .267 .345 .443 100 27 107
COL 5.14 833 162 5577 1531 331 34 202 568 1181 .275 .345 .455 44 33 96
ATL 4.96 803 162 5570 1503 304 37 178 587 1158 .270 .343 .434 86 32 106
HOU 4.96 803 162 5468 1458 294 36 187 590 999 .267 .342 .436 89 30 106
CHC 4.87 789 162 5628 1508 308 29 235 489 1080 .268 .328 .458 66 28 102
SDP 4.74 768 162 5573 1521 304 32 139 566 910 .273 .342 .414 52 25 108
LAD 4.70 761 162 5542 1450 226 30 203 536 1092 .262 .332 .423 102 41 104
CIN 4.63 750 162 5518 1380 287 28 194 599 1335 .250 .331 .418 77 25 106
FLA 4.43 718 162 5486 1447 275 32 148 499 968 .264 .329 .406 96 43 99
NYM 4.22 684 162 5532 1376 289 20 185 512 1159 .249 .317 .409 107 23 92
PIT 4.22 680 161 5483 1428 267 39 142 415 1066 .260 .321 .401 63 40 94
MIL 3.94 634 161 5483 1358 295 32 135 540 1312 .248 .321 .387 138 40 92
MON 3.92 635 162 5474 1361 276 27 151 496 925 .249 .313 .392 109 38 90
ARI 3.80 615 162 5544 1401 295 38 135 441 1022 .253 .310 .393 53 32 84
+---+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
Tot 4.64 12018 2590 88622 23271 4687 494 2846 8736 17299 .263 .329 .423 1336 527

Tm R/G RA G ERA IP H H/G BB BB/G HR SO CG SHO SV ERA+
+---+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+-----+----+---+---+---+
ATL 4.12 668 162 3.74 1450 1475 9.1 523 3.2 154 1025 4 13 48 115
STL 4.07 659 162 3.75 1453 1378 8.5 440 2.7 169 1041 4 12 57 112
CHC 4.10 665 162 3.81 1465 1363 8.4 545 3.4 169 1346 3 6 42 118
LAD 4.22 684 162 4.01 1453 1386 8.6 521 3.2 178 1066 2 6 51 103
SDP 4.35 705 162 4.03 1441 1460 9.0 422 2.6 184 1079 3 8 44 100
HOU 4.31 698 162 4.05 1443 1416 8.7 525 3.2 174 1282 2 13 47 106
NYM 4.51 731 162 4.09 1449 1452 9.0 592 3.7 156 977 2 6 31 104
FLA 4.32 700 162 4.10 1439 1395 8.6 513 3.2 166 1116 6 14 53 100
MIL 4.70 757 161 4.24 1442 1440 8.9 476 3.0 164 1098 6 10 42 97
PIT 4.62 744 161 4.29 1428 1451 9.0 576 3.6 149 1079 3 8 46 96
SFG 4.75 770 162 4.29 1457 1481 9.1 548 3.4 161 1020 8 8 46 102
MON 4.75 769 162 4.33 1447 1477 9.1 582 3.6 191 1032 11 11 31 96
PHI 4.82 781 162 4.45 1462 1488 9.2 502 3.1 214 1070 4 5 43 98
ARI 5.55 899 162 4.98 1436 1480 9.1 668 4.1 197 1153 5 6 33 89
CIN 5.60 907 162 5.19 1443 1595 9.8 572 3.5 236 992 5 8 47 77
COL 5.70 923 162 5.54 1435 1634 10.1 697 4.3 198 947 3 2 36 91
+---+-----+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+-----+----+---+---+---+
TOT 4.64 12060 2590 4.30 23146 23371 9.0 8702 3.4 2860 17323 71 136 697

[LankfordFanClub]

Clay, could you make the RBI move an option on the player's cards? I'm used to it being where it is in Mogul.

[liveandletdie]

Editable Vital Stats - I seriously want to make all of the players vital stats editable too. It bugs me seeing all these rookies in 2005 with the same random information.

Advanced Hall Of Fame (induct players from before your game started) - This is a MUST! The game should be able to pick hall of famers from earlier years other then never being put in. (players in 2005 like Wade Boggs, Roger Maris, David Cone, Rickey Henderson etc.)

The Lahman Id as Picture Id - Change the picture files from the first 10 letters of their name to their lahman id number, so the Mark Mclemores, Luis Gonzalez's etc. have different pictures

Advanced Expansion - Have the power to control when teams expand or move or make it random. This means making your or expansions. Also being able to play with the team.

Possible 4 Divisions - this would be nice, but not necessary.

More awards/milestones - Beat so and so in the top ten homerun hitters, 1st game, last game, Silver Slugger, Triple Crown, #1 hitting catcher ever to present, perhaps even the Roberto Clemente and Hutch awards too.

General Manager Scouting Report - How cool would it be to have your manegering skills scouted? Also same with the computer GMs.

MOST IMPORTANT

Waivers System - we BADLY need a waivers system. Computer controlled teams constantly put 80+ overall players in the minor league. There perfectly good players and could be used greatly by smaller teams.

Rule 5 Draft So we don't have the problem of these 27 year old rookies staying in the same minor league system for 10 years!

40 Man Roster - So we don't have to bring up these guys in Single - A who are some of our best prospects whenever someone gets injured, just put someone in the 40 man on the team.

[SFSteveG]

The waivers system and rule V draft are necessary.

I'd like to see Japanese players pop up in the FA pool from time to time. With Japanese stats too. I'd also like to see players go to the Japanese leagues and come back or undrafted players go there and show up later instead of dissapearing


Almost forgot; how about 2 A ball clubs. Most MLB teams have 3 and it's often the level where a guy either makes it or not. The ability to not put all of your hope into one guy at the A level would be great. This would probably work well with the Auto-sort minors function.

[hawkeye3200]

Something I'd like to see is to have the Team>History window display a team's entire history, instead of just the years that you've played. It'd make it seem more like your team is part of the franchise's history, instead of being isolated from the past.

[robinhoodnik]

1 Separate the major and minor auto sort
2 I'd love stadium improvements Building a new Fenway just to boost revenue kills me.
3 Three way trades while I hadn't thought of it before, would be lots of fun.
4 Manager signings is a really good one. Season Ticket Baseball had it, it seemed like a good idea. (I found that game too difficult to monkey with to be worth the trouble to play.)
5 Revenue sharing yes. Salary cap only as an option.
6 Computer controlled commish as an option.
7 Computer Owner as an option.
8 Free agent bidding as an option.With some sort of market indicator, if you get in a bidding war it'd be useful to be able to see what other players have signed for.
9 Other #1 How 'bout September call ups?
10 Other #2 More space for stats on the leaderboard. I hate only being able to see two to four stats at a time. I'd like at least Wins, K's, ERA, Saves, and AVG.,HR,RBI,AND Hits, to be on the screen at the same time.

[robinhoodnik]

Other #3 Luxury tax would be good and could be used as a way to prevent star stacking.

[boomboom]

Originally posted by LankfordFanClub
Clay, could you make the RBI move an option on the player's cards? I'm used to it being where it is in Mogul.

i like the old way too....

[SFSteveG]

I totally got used to the old way and it's really difficult now. I prefer the way it's been done on Mogul to the actual way anyway.

[goyanks225]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
I totally got used to the old way and it's really difficult now. I prefer the way it's been done on Mogul to the actual way anyway.

Me too, I prefer it the old way.

[Razor Shines]

One thing I'm like top see added to the Hall of Fame: "caps"...have the game specify which team's cap a player wears to the HOF, and list that next to their name.

[DrDoom]

Here are some of the things Doom would like to see in 2K7 listed in no particular order.

Interactive Play-By-Play (e.g. choose when to pinch hit, sacrifice, steal, bring in relievers etc.)
-I would love to be able to manage important games via play-by-play. I also think that the addition of play-by-play would increase the Baseball Mogul audience.

Platoon splits (lefty/righty stats and lefty/righty lineups)
-I just want the ability to set the lineups more than anything. I know that some might think setting two lineups is a hassle but quite honestly, since Baseball Mogul now takes platoon differentials into consideration, I would rather set two lineups a few times than one lineup many times.

Separate majors/minors Auto-Sort buttons
-A definite must have for 2K7.

Player Hot Streaks. More Morale Depth + More severe personality effects (e.g. "clubhouse poison")
-One of my favorite new features in 2K6 is the players’ personality traits. I think they bring something unique to Baseball Mogul over other baseball text simulations and I feel that improving or enhancing the personality traits can only be a good thing.

Computer-controlled commissioner (vetoes cash-only trades, disallows team movement, etc.)
-Could be used to prevent players from taking advantage of holes in the AI as far as trades are concerned.

"Almanac" (automated yearly HTML output of all of stats, standings and leaders)
-An almanac like SkyDog described would be an awesome edition to Baseball Mogul. The CatoBase is one of the things that I admire about OOTP.

Other (Improved AI)
-The AI in Baseball Mogul is still weak in my opinion. The addition of player personalities and team chemistry have made it a little more challenging for me but I think that’s only because I take them seriously. I still think the problem with the AI lies in its predictability and, therefore, I don’t think that building a perfect AI that never makes mistakes or putting a handicap on the human controlled team is the solution. I wouldn’t mind seeing something like GM personalities assigned to each computer controlled team where they all have their own unique strategy to building the perfect team. To keep things interesting and unpredictable, you could also have the GM personalities change from time to time to simulate GM hiring’s and firing’s.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by DrDoom
Other (Improved AI)
-The AI in Baseball Mogul is still weak in my opinion. The addition of player personalities and team chemistry have made it a little more challenging for me but I think that’s only because I take them seriously. I still think the problem with the AI lies in its predictability and, therefore, I don’t think that building a perfect AI that never makes mistakes or putting a handicap on the human controlled team is the solution. I wouldn’t mind seeing something like GM personalities assigned to each computer controlled team where they all have their own unique strategy to building the perfect team. To keep things interesting and unpredictable, you could also have the GM personalities change from time to time to simulate GM hiring’s and firing’s.

I like this a lot. It would be nice to see a GM who prefers a running team give up good HR hitting prospects for a base stealer or a GM who prefers power pitchers.

[robinhoodnik]

I agree with razorshines about the HOF. I'd like to see which team a player was most associated with during thier career.

[moonman]

1. doubleheaders
2. voted for "waivers", but only because people have said it would stop the AI signing people who belong in the majors and sticking them in the minors. other ways of stopping that are fine with me.
3. can i vote for "move the pitcher's slot in the batting order" twice?

[Jeff Olsen]

Originally posted by liveandletdie
The Lahman Id as Picture Id - Change the picture files from the first 10 letters of their name to their lahman id number, so the Mark Mclemores, Luis Gonzalez's etc. have different picturesThe game has been able to load pictures with the Lahman ID since Lahman was added in 2K4. The apparent problem with 2K6 is that it will also look for similar IDs.

In other words, if you only have a picture for one Luis Gonzalez and it has his Lahman ID, it will also display for the one without a picture but there would be no problem if you had a picture for both.

[Jeff Olsen]

Originally posted by DrDoom
Platoon splits (lefty/righty stats and lefty/righty lineups)
-I just want the ability to set the lineups more than anything. I know that some might think setting two lineups is a hassle but quite honestly, since Baseball Mogul now takes platoon differentials into consideration, I would rather set two lineups a few times than one lineup many times. I'd like to see the addition of DH/Non-DH lineups before we get L/R lineups.

[SFSteveG]

I like setting both a L/R for DH and non-DH. You could always just auto-sort.

[liveandletdie]

Be sure to vote for waiver wire! It was put in late, so some people didn't get a chance to vote for it! We DESPERATELY need this!

[hawkeye3200]

Re: Player Hot Streaks, it'd be nice if you could add "Last Month", "Last Week", and "Last Half-Season" to the drop-down dealy in the Lineup window that says "This Year", "Last Year", "AAA" and so on. So we could see how players have performed recently...

Maybe even add "Playoffs" and "Spring Training" to make for fast, easy decisions about who should bat where.

[rshackelford]

I like most of these ideas, but the one thing is that I would like to see these as "options" one of the things I like about BBM2k6 is that it isnt OOTP and I can get into quickly. I like Dooms idea of Managerial stratagies, how cool would it be to tweak lineups and whatnot to play against the next team, or to have rivalries where even players that arent to happy on your team pick it up because they want to crush the guys on the other team,

[Jeff Olsen]

See my comments about play by play in this thread: http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=360012#post360012.

[robinhoodnik]

Waiver wire please.

[liveandletdie]

The only things that matter to me in this game anymore is the Rule V Draft, the waiver wire, and the 40 man roster...maybe the platoon lefty righties too...sure..i'll join the bandwagon.

[rollsroyce11991]

Originally posted by liveandletdie
The only things that matter to me in this game anymore is the Rule V Draft, the waiver wire, and the 40 man roster...maybe the platoon lefty righties too...sure..i'll join the bandwagon.
everything live said and manager hire/firing and a way to manager games through play by play and I would pay 100 dollars for 2k7!

[robinhoodnik]

Just for the **** of it............ Winter ball in beautiful Mexico. Send your top few prospects for a fee and see how they do.

[robinhoodnik]

Why does the poll list of questions keep on growing after people have already voted? Seems like an odd way to a poll.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
Waiver wire please.

2nd

[Clay Dreslough]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
Why does the poll list of questions keep on growing after people have already voted? Seems like an odd way to a poll.

It is odd, but I want to make sure as many suggestions get added now without removing votes of those that already voted.

By the time we finalize the list, there should be over 100 votes, so the most popular features should bubble up either way.

Clay

[hawkeye3200]

How 'bout you just add everything in the poll to 2K7? :D

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
Just for the **** of it............ Winter ball in beautiful Mexico. Send your top few prospects for a fee and see how they do.

How about seeing this simply as a player option. They just take it if they want and there's some sort of prompt telling you. Also, How about an Arizona Fall League. It's kinda like an All-Star league that teams send their best AAA and AA players to to get more experience. They play about 40 games in October and November

This league should be kinda like 4A I think because of the nature of it and should really help the development of good prospects.

[zhongv1979]

I will say 40-man roster, waiver system, rule V draft are very important for game balance, also offer arbitration to free agent to-bes.

It's also preferrable to add another single A level. Could be like AAA, AA, HA, LA, R...

[robinhoodnik]

I usually play as the Red Sox so the waiver wire really doesn't affect me too much but I often rebuild teams like the Browns or the Expos (I've never been able to get a world series appearance out of the Milwaukee Brewers though.). It is frustrating to see players in AAA that shouldn't be when you need 'em.

[robinhoodnik]

Or maybe you could pay for extra minor league teams out of a list of unassociated teams with varying degrees of quality, and location could affect the players availibility. If say, the Red Sox want Joe Somebody to fill in at first for John Doe for three days while his hangnail heals he cannot get from Alaska to Massachusetts in time for todays game so you have to make do with John Smith who is the backup catcher, at first until Somebody shows up.

[SFSteveG]

Most Independant league teams near me are owned by municipalities. Most of them are also either relatively average A clubs to rather poor R clubs. Anything higher and most players would either have been drafted or could sign a minor league contract and play on a AA club.

[boomboom]

Originally posted by Clay Dreslough
Here's the current order:
"Year","G","AB","H","AVG","2B","3B","HR","BB","K", "SB","CS","SH","R","RBI","OBP","SLG"

How about this (virtually identical to ESPN.com):

"Year","G","AB","R","H","2B","3B","HR","RBI","BB","K", "SB","CS","SH","AVG","OBP","SLG"

Clay

i actually dont like this....looking at the scouting report, that for years, i have had stats in a certain order....

at the same time, having a uniform policy(for lack of better words) is better...but i do like the old way of having stats.

[DrDoom]

Originally posted by boomboom
i actually dont like this....looking at the scouting report, that for years, i have had stats in a certain order....

at the same time, having a uniform policy(for lack of better words) is better...but i do like the old way of having stats.

Perhaps the ability to edit the column headings, like in all of the other dialogs, would solve this.

[BigBubba]

They should add Minor League All-Time Records if they add career totals for the minors. Can see who the best almost Major League player was or if your old-timers still got it. Well minor league got it anyway.

[hawkeye3200]

Originally posted by DrDoom
Perhaps the ability to edit the column headings, like in all of the other dialogs, would solve this.

That's a good solution. Make it totally customizable. The new setup gives me a headache... :(

[SFSteveG]

I'm thinking drag and drop.

[boomboom]

2 things I would love to see in Mogul 2k7.

Is a Auto-sort lock, and Yearly/Career team Leaderboard

Auto-Sort Lock-

If you have a checkbox next to a players name, in the lineup/pitching dialog box.

If the box is checked, then when you click auto-sort, every player whos box isnt checked will not move as it does now...for Players whos box is checked. THey spot in the order/ minors will not change....

The #1 reason for this is it will make the minors easier to manage. Every time you auto sort a team, becuase of a injury. The minors gets all messed up. After you put so much time in putting players in the right level of the minors... I have had 70 rated players who should be in AAA when I push (AS) they go into Rookie Ball....really frusterating.

Yearly/Career Team Leaderboard.

Exactly what the title is. ^^^^

[anaveragecow]

auto sort is a great idea. Its a hassle switching players around or having the computer auto sort then having to change them all back when the player isnt injured anymore.

It would also work if you could set your backups before playing,
then the game automatically inserts them into the lineup. it would be cool also if they had an organizational board (like in MVP Baseball 2005) where you could rate the best players in your orgainization by position. It would also make it easier to manage the minors.

[21C]

Current top 6 - at time of posting

Bidding for free agents against the AI (no immediate signings) 33
Waiver Wire 29
Enhanced Injury Engine (the ability to play hurt, e.g. "he's at 85%" etc.) 28
Three-way trades 28
Separate majors/minors Auto-Sort buttons 28
Stadium improvements (e.g. luxury suites, additional seats) 27

[BigBubba]

I was thinking maybe a Bank Loan feature for those Low Budget teams that may slip into minor debt other then firing everyone they could get a "loan" and maybe get back on track. Not the biggest feature but would be a neat option

[anaveragecow]

cool idea but i dont think real teams can get a loan like that. However it would be a really great option if you wanted to be a low income team like the Devil Rays. Plus it would nice to have if you ever went into debt.

If there ever was a feature like that you should have to pay the loan back(with interest) just to make things interesting.

[boomboom]

maybe something like dept charts.....like in OOTP.

[BigBubba]

Originally posted by anaveragecow
cool idea but i dont think real teams can get a loan like that. However it would be a really great option if you wanted to be a low income team like the Devil Rays. Plus it would nice to have if you ever went into debt.

If there ever was a feature like that you should have to pay the loan back(with interest) just to make things interesting.

If memory serves me correctly I believe the Arizona Diamondbacks had to take out a bank loan to pay the salary of their World Series team. I may be wrong though.

I also think that having games rain out and double headers would be neat. Not a big interest but a neat idea.

[LetsGoOakland]

Two things:

-For the "Manager Signings/Firings" - what about pitching coach & hitting coach (some effect on overall hitting/pitching? the style of play? moral?)

-How about new newspaper articles? Stuff like if someone breaks an all time record it becomes news? Or a section where the player can go to a section to see ONLY the news related to him? Or to seperate the news just by trades? Overall - lets call it an "Update to the Newspaper System"

Thanks!!

~W

[BigBubba]

Originally posted by LetsGoOakland

-How about new newspaper articles? Stuff like if someone breaks an all time record it becomes news? Or a section where the player can go to a section to see ONLY the news related to him? Or to seperate the news just by trades? Overall - lets call it an "Update to the Newspaper System"

Thanks!!

~W

You can already show only stories for your team only or only injuiry stories. But I do like the all-time record idea

[liveandletdie]

Originally posted by LetsGoOakland
Two things:

-For the "Manager Signings/Firings" - what about pitching coach & hitting coach (some effect on overall hitting/pitching? the style of play? moral?)

-How about new newspaper articles? Stuff like if someone breaks an all time record it becomes news? Or a section where the player can go to a section to see ONLY the news related to him? Or to seperate the news just by trades? Overall - lets call it an "Update to the Newspaper System"

Thanks!!

~W

sounds like a new section in the scouting report to me! A news section for the individual player.

[Jeff Olsen]

Originally posted by liveandletdie
sounds like a new section in the scouting report to me! A news section for the individual player. Or a new category in the Transaction log.

[Steiny]

Originally posted by anaveragecow
cool idea but i dont think real teams can get a loan like that.

Sure they can. They get them from institutions called 'banks.' The Pittsburgh Pirates operations of the 1980's were almost entirely from what is now PNC Bank and the Major League Baseball Central Fund.

[Steiny]

Clay, there's one thing that with every version of BBM I've seen which I've hoped that you would implement. Alas, it hasn't happened yet.

It's so simple to do, but for some reason it has gone unnoticed.

Clay, in the Budget -> Expenses screen, could you please for the love of all that's holy allow us to just text-enter the amounts for Farm System, Scouting and Medical? Those damned up/down buttons have used up more of my time than I care to admit to!

Do this and I'll buy 2K7. Twice. :D

[Steiny]

Originally posted by BigBubba
If memory serves me correctly I believe the Arizona Diamondbacks had to take out a bank loan to pay the salary of their World Series team. I may be wrong though.

This is correct. In fact, Colangelo recently had to give up control of the team to outside investors just so they could raise cash to make the payments. Guess that's why the D-Backs of today aren't considered contenders.

[moonman]

Originally posted by Steiny
Clay, in the Budget -> Expenses screen, could you please for the love of all that's holy allow us to just text-enter the amounts for Farm System, Scouting and Medical?

second

[Steiny]

Moon? You from Youngstown? Cool. I was born there and grew up in Hubbard.

Go Penguins!

[moonman]

since college, yes. originally from PA. small world, huh?

[Jim M-L]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
I'd like to see Japanese players pop up in the FA pool from time to time. With Japanese stats too. I'd also like to see players go to the Japanese leagues and come back or undrafted players go there and show up later instead of dissapearing

Something like this would be nice, don't just have undrafteds disappear forever.

ALSO, absolutely must have either Interactive Play-by-Play and/or ability to Fire Manager (at least as options). If that idiot pinch hits for my slugger with winning runs on-base, or puts in defensive replacements in a close game again - when I have SPECIFICALLY TOLD HIM NOT TO (via Strategies Dialog) - I will not only fire him but fire AT him:mad: !

I think it is awsome that BBM is soliciting ideas for improvements.:D !

Thanks
J M-L

[Jim M-L]

Originally posted by rollsroyce11991
everything live said and manager hire/firing and a way to manager games through play by play and I would pay 100 dollars for 2k7!
Ditto for me! Well maybe not [I]$100[I]

{Also hope you're right about the 2005 WS };)

[Jim M-L]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
How about seeing this simply as a player option. They just take it if they want and there's some sort of prompt telling you. Also, How about an Arizona Fall League. It's kinda like an All-Star league that teams send their best AAA and AA players to to get more experience. They play about 40 games in October and November
I really like this idea...

How about at Season end, when you are deciding what players to resign or let go to FA, why not have check box option on minor leaguers - say you can only select 20 or something - or just those on 40-man roster (add my vote to that idea) to send to 'extra season' or 'winter ball' to improve ratings (even better if you could specify to work on 'defense' or 'eye'). Player could even decline (based on personality 'profile') but you could not then select a replacement but just loose that spot on 'winter ball roster'. Have AI generate stats and when player shows up for Spring Training, you can view stats and see if player has improved, or not.

I've always wanted to have a way to direct or have a player to improve there skills in the off-season. This happens all the time in reality. Some really bulk up (just look at Barry Bond's transformation through a rigorous training regimen).;)

[Jim M-L]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
9 Other #1 How 'bout September call ups?
Another awsome idea ....:D

[Jim M-L]

Sorry for the multiple posts but I really like this game and the string of feature improvements from year-to-year moves BBM toward my conception of the perfect Baseball simulation. The above suggestions from the poll would nearly realize such perfection (at least from a managarial-enthusiast angle). If only this game had a kick-*** rock soundtrack and Home Run Derby like my High Heat Baseball game :p :rolleyes: !

Anyways, a 40-man roster with a Rule V draft would be a priority request. Also tops on my list would be a Waiver Wire, especially after the July 31st Trading Deadline. Lastly, on the GM side of things, Dooms' AI improvement idea re: 'specialized GM's' is tremendous! It would really add realism & variation to have GM's (and even managers) with their own quirks & preferences.

From a player development aspect, the Depth Chart idea (I can't remember who's) is great and with the separate 'auto-sort' suggestion for Major/minor leagues could make organization/development management more efficient. The other idea re: 2 'A' teams & so on could maybe be a Budget option; if you can afford it. Add it as an 'Expenses' and/or 'Farm System' dialog option. 'Course, the extra salaries for the extra players would really add big bucks on your budget too. Probably only a few teams could afford it in the end anyway (****/darn Yankees) :(

What would really round BBM out as my perfect Baseball game is more (or total!:cool: ) managarial control during the game. The interactive play-by-play is my A#1, Top-of-the-List suggested feature. My current manager sucks and won't listen to me:mad: ! Subs & stuff would be fine as a minimum, but setting plays and situational hitting would be terrific! (H&R's, R&H's, aggresive running, etc.)

Finally, an interesting feature, as was earlier suggested by someone(?), would be the AI Commish that could nix franchise moves, and trades involving more than $1mil cash - which I think is MLB's current rule. I always thought BBM made it too easy (& tempting) to just purchase a player for $20mil if you couldn't work out a reasonable trade. I'm not sure what other stuff you would have the Commisioner do, but having it as an Option would be nice.

Thanks again for the opportunity to give feedback and suggestions on features. I am looking forward to BBM2007 already!:D

[anaveragecow]

all great ideas. i think another great feature (thats probably already been said but i didnt see it)would be more effect on personality. happiness should effect play(happy players play better and visa versa). right now the personality/best friends make almost no difference. maybe a player could even demand a trade.

[robinhoodnik]

After reading a lot of posts it seems to me that another feature maybe as an option should be salaries and stats auto adjusting to reflect the era. Many posts gripe about one or the other being too far off of the real stats and $. I agree that it's a pain to stop what you're doing and repeatedly tinker with sliders and settings. So maybe this could be adressed in a future patch. I know that I would really appreciate it.:)

[BubbaDrew]

I've got an idea.

How about Negro League players enter the league?

Example:

When you start the game, if you are playing in the past, like historical rookies, you can click a box enabling Negro League players to be in the draft as well. It'd be a little work obviously for Clay to look up when they'd have been 18, but i think it'd be fun to see the major leagues with the likes of Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Etc. I think it'd be a great addition to the game.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by BubbaDrew
I've got an idea.

How about Negro League players enter the league?

Example:

When you start the game, if you are playing in the past, like historical rookies, you can click a box enabling Negro League players to be in the draft as well. It'd be a little work obviously for Clay to look up when they'd have been 18, but i think it'd be fun to see the major leagues with the likes of Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Etc. I think it'd be a great addition to the game.

Any of the Negro League players that played in the MLB already enter the draft when they are 18.

[Jeff Olsen]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
Any of the Negro League players that played in the MLB already enter the draft when they are 18. And accurate stats aren't available for the Negro Leagues.

[BubbaDrew]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
Any of the Negro League players that played in the MLB already enter the draft when they are 18.

I meant the ones that didn't play in the majors.

[robinhoodnik]

Awesome idea about the Negro Leagues. There are alot of stats available for many players and I have read articles with projections for white and black players if they had played together. I cannot remember where, maybe an old issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly. Fascinating reading if you can find it.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by BubbaDrew
I meant the ones that didn't play in the majors.

I kinda figured you meant that and I'd like to see it. I was just noting the fact that some who had major league time are already in there for full careers.

[goyanks225]

I'd like to see some sort of feature where you can "star" players on your roster. I don't know how many of you have Gmail, but with it, you can "star" e-mails so that a star shows up next to it so you know which ones are important or you need etc. I'd like to do that to players on my team so I can keep track of all the prospects I care about and distinguish them from all the others.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by goyanks225
I'd like to see some sort of feature where you can "star" players on your roster. I don't know how many of you have Gmail, but with it, you can "star" e-mails so that a star shows up next to it so you know which ones are important or you need etc. I'd like to do that to players on my team so I can keep track of all the prospects I care about and distinguish them from all the others.

I have gmail and like it too;) Anyway, maybe highlighting would be better. Staring might not be able to put in as graphically easily, especially if the player-lock is added.

[BigBubba]

How about seperate windows all together for minor leagues then you can field the minor league roster you want with out worring about them playing one older guy more then the others. But also have it so you dont need to have a completed roster because I usually only carry 5 guys in each minor league system anyway but for pitching it would be nice to train a SP to be a SP and a RP or CL to be a RP or CL. or maybe develope position players into utility players by starting them at a bunch of positions in the minors.

[Jim M-L]

Originally posted by BigBubba
maybe develope position players into utility players by starting them at a bunch of positions in the minors.

This would sure be a nice option.

[goyanks225]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
I have gmail and like it too;) Anyway, maybe highlighting would be better. Staring might not be able to put in as graphically easily, especially if the player-lock is added.

Either one sounds good to me. But you're probably right, highlighting's probably easier.

[BigBubba]

I am thinking of two features.

I know one was almost put in already and that is the sale of souvenirs. There is a pic for why not make it avalible.

The other is one that can help boost low attendence, and that is a new slider in the budget area for stadium giveaways i think is the best word for it. Anyway a budget of how much money to put into stuff (bobbleheads, cards, bats, gloves, ect...) to give to the fans and it could be the more money you pump into it can boost your attendence.

[boomboom]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
Staring might not be able to put in as graphically easily, especially if the player-lock is added.

I would love to have a player lock...pretty much the auto-sort feature is useless without it. It just messes your roster up.

[galaril]

Customer support for this game, which has been around for years sucks in my opinionGo ahead flame if you want but they really have to get a better system maybe a more active site administrator I don't know who even does it now. I would have no problem paying 40 or even 50 bucks for this game if it stepped up to the plate but as is well........ never mind.

[SFSteveG]

Frankly I think you get more than your money's worth as it is.

[robinhoodnik]

Agreed I feel like I get an excellent deal every year.

[goyanks225]

I don't think that, in any way, we're saying that we don't get an excellent deal every year for this game. Personally, I'd be willing to pay twice as much as we do for this game! All we're trying to do is help Clay improve this game for the future, because "nothing is perfect." If we didn't think we got a good deal for this game, chances are we may not buy it. I love this game and it's my favorite game of all-time. I've played every version of it since the original in 1998, and I plan on continuing to play it.

[dps]

One thing I'd like to see, and am surprised hasn't been mentioned, is the ability to offer a signing bonus in contract negotiations.

[boomboom]

Originally posted by dps
One thing I'd like to see, and am surprised hasn't been mentioned, is the ability to offer a signing bonus in contract negotiations.

A signing bonus cant be apart of a contract, if it is, it would be part of the main contract. Only the NFL, and I believe the NBA allow this, but not the MLB.......

[Bret]

Sorry if it's already been mentioned:

When moving players around in the Minor Leagues, I frequently find myself wishing I could edit the criteria used by Auto-Sort. For example, I would like to have the option of Auto-Sorting all newly drafted HS players to Rookie league for a minimum of x number of games or innings.

Auto-Sort Lock combined with editable Auto-Sort criteria could make managing league assignments and player development even more interesting and less of a chore.

Bret

[boomboom]

Originally posted by Bret
Sorry if it's already been mentioned:

Auto-Sort Lock combined with editable Auto-Sort criteria could make managing league assignments and player development even more interesting and less of a chore.

Bret

I totally agree with your Bret, and hope this does get implemented, in 2k6 patch, and not wait till 2k7.

[robinhoodnik]

Maybe the occasional player could approach your team wanting to go to the home town like Griffey and Bonds, or want to play for a chance at a ring / go out on a winner?

[robinhoodnik]

Or Owner, GM, and Manager options. Buying and selling teams would also be really cool kinda like a tycoon game. You could start out owning any team you want and try to make it to the majors or just play plain old BBM. Railroad Tycoon 2 is a good illustration of how the basics of this could be set up.

[BigBubba]

I was thinking maybe Team All-Time Records. could be displayed like the Transaction page just a list with the stat catagories and the leaders name with numbers.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by BigBubba
I was thinking maybe Team All-Time Records. could be displayed like the Transaction page just a list with the stat catagories and the leaders name with numbers.

That sounds good. I don't think this could be imported from the lahman database but I'm sure it could be implemented for seasons played.

[SFSteveG]

A manager mode might be fun if interactive play-by-play is added next year. Basically you'd only be the manager and that's it. You wouldn't control any of the finances just the players as an actual manager does. Maybe varying degrees of influence as some managers do in real life.

The only way I think this would be entertaining though would be if a 40-Man Roster, Pitch-by-pitch interaction, More severe personality effects, Triple Plays, Double Switches, Editable Number of Pitchers Per Team and Roster Sizes, Platoon splits, and Waivers were inserted as well.

Does this seem like something top be used inside the current engine?

[dolfanar]

Use a Pitcher as a Position Player or Vice Versa

+ Pitcher AND batter predicted stats for every player

[adam]

my wish list:

1) Everything in there now to work properly. This game has so many logical holes in it now.

2) Roster composition issues..allow you to have 9, 10 or 11 pitchers...set up platoons, etc.

3) Double-switches/reasonable AI managerial and roster moves.

4) a moderation of salary requests, particularly pre-1947 (no tv) and pre-1975 (no free agency) to allow the game to work financially.

5) expansion drafts that work, and that a human can participate in.

6) the ability to expand your park without building a new one

7) no trading of draft picks for one year. This is a MLB rule, and it'd make the game much more difficult.

8) NO fictional rookies in a historical game. There are enough players to make the database, and the fictional players mess it up badly.

9) Better stats to fix the zero home run leagues, or the zero strikeout leagues in the past. Tweaking of the data inside would fix this.

10) Read Bill James again. Use what he teaches in the game. Heck, sign him up if you can afford it :)

[liveandletdie]

Originally posted by adam
[B]
8) NO fictional rookies in a historical game. There are enough players to make the database, and the fictional players mess it up badly./B]

Actually, the reason they put the fictional rookies into the historical seasons is because they didnt have enough players for those given years. What I do think should be done though is make all the fictional players added in not very good.

[liveandletdie]

Forgot to mention. One feature i would really like to see in here is a realistic hall of fame. To be able to add an average of 2 players a year, and actually have a voting thing. Instead of already saying there inducted when they retire.

[Jeff Olsen]

Hey, I like not having to wait ten years after retirement to see if my favorite players make it. Other than that, it would be nice to have more realistic Hall of Fame inductions and something like a Veterans Committee as well.

[liveandletdie]

But technically, they don't make the hall of fame, they're just in there before there actual induction, which is kind of dumb. Sure we say that some players are hall of fame bound, but never actually say a sure thing before it actually happens. And sometimes, they never make it

[robinhoodnik]

Maybe a list in the "News" section of where the potential HOF candidates are at in the voting. Could a tab be added to the corner of the Headlines page in the same to simulate turning the page to make it easier to peruse the Baseball Mogul Times? I'd like to see the News dropdown utilized more and made faster to use. Possibly tabs on the side of the paper to facilitate switching sections quickly. You know, like a real newspaper make it familiar and VERY convenient to use. Everything centralized and at your fingertips.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
Maybe a list in the "News" section of where the potential HOF candidates are at in the voting. Could a tab be added to the corner of the Headlines page in the same to simulate turning the page to make it easier to peruse the Baseball Mogul Times? I'd like to see the News dropdown utilized more and made faster to use. Possibly tabs on the side of the paper to facilitate switching sections quickly. You know, like a real newspaper make it familiar and VERY convenient to use. Everything centralized and at your fingertips.

I'm diggin' this cause it would kinda help keep realism in the game and allow you to follow your retired players instead of them just retiring and entering.

[robinhoodnik]

Also pleassssseeeee show which team the HOF bound are most associated with. At least a city name and league designation. Maybe an in game Cooperstown. You could browse all hall of famers here. Make it a bit different than the standard player cards. Maybe something like a real HOF plaque. In the case of a tie similar #'s and years with different teams (259 hr. with team A and 260 hr. with team B) The tie would go to the human controlled team.

[robinhoodnik]

Also maybe as a goof, while you are following players to the hall some silly info on what they are doing now like " Carl Yastrzemski is carving religous statues out of jell-o in Vatican City and has 92% of the votes needed this year".:D

[hawkeye3200]

That's not goofy at all. And it is quite disrespectful to the Jellosian monks of Bangladesh...

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by hawkeye3200
That's not goofy at all. And it is quite disrespectful to the Jellosian monks of Bangladesh...

God! Everyone knows the Jellosian monks live on the snowy peaks of the mountians of Thailand. Jeeze!

[bauerpower]

I'm surprised after play strat-0-matic and OOTP for many years how little I miss choosing when to change pitchers or to call for the hit and run. I don't miss the left vs righty matchups at all. However, after having played a few seasons now, there is one thing that just has to be added in BM2007. It is so dissappointing to have my favorite player retire and then his screen disappear off the face of the earth. The only evidence that he ever existed was if he shows up on the all-time leader board and you can see his name if he happened to be in the top 10 in one of the categories. But then you cannot click on him and bring up his report, for it has been erased. Imagine not being able to look back and see what Willie Mays' batting average was in 1962, or how many homeruns Babe Ruth hit in 1929. Baseball is all about being able to look back and see the stats for any player in any year. I don't know if these records are deleted to save space on our hard drives or not, but to me I don't care.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by bauerpower
I'm surprised after play strat-0-matic and OOTP for many years how little I miss choosing when to change pitchers or to call for the hit and run. I don't miss the left vs righty matchups at all. However, after having played a few seasons now, there is one thing that just has to be added in BM2007. It is so dissappointing to have my favorite player retire and then his screen disappear off the face of the earth. The only evidence that he ever existed was if he shows up on the all-time leader board and you can see his name if he happened to be in the top 10 in one of the categories. But then you cannot click on him and bring up his report, for it has been erased. Imagine not being able to look back and see what Willie Mays' batting average was in 1962, or how many homeruns Babe Ruth hit in 1929. Baseball is all about being able to look back and see the stats for any player in any year. I don't know if these records are deleted to save space on our hard drives or not, but to me I don't care.

I really think it would be a nice option to be able to save all retiered players scouting reports. Something less like saving the reports for leaders like HR, save, .avg, .ect.

[robinhoodnik]

I would like exact contract expiration dates. I hate signing a one year extension in July that is only a pay raise for the rest of the current year. Two year contracts are often more expensive than the one year variety and not a good idea in this game with a 40 year old.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
I would like exact contract expiration dates. I hate signing a one year extension in July that is only a pay raise for the rest of the current year. Two year contracts are often more expensive than the one year variety and not a good idea in this game with a 40 year old.

The trick here is to not do that. Of course they'll take the pay raise this year.

[robinhoodnik]

What I mean is if I sign a player for 1 year in July I would like it to be a 1 year extension not just a pay raise. If a guy is having an off year I'd like to try and take advantage of that with a real 1 year extension not a 3 month pay cut or raise.

[Electricbassguy]

Inflation would be VERY easy to do. All we need is the inflation rate/CPI stuff, plus maybe baseball salaries changing themselves outside of inflation

[robinhoodnik]

After seeing it in another sim game, I would like to have the interactive play-by-play feature, it's better than I thought it would be. Please make sure it works right before releasing it though if it takes an extra version or two so be it.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by robinhoodnik
After seeing it in another sim game, I would like to have the interactive play-by-play feature, it's better than I thought it would be. Please make sure it works right before releasing it though if it takes an extra version or two so be it.

I think that there are a few too many things to put in/fix to put interactive play-by-play in the game anytime soon. If 2k7 was more of a bug fix and improvement oriented version I'd be more than happy.

2 or 3 years sounds like a good timetable for this but there are better things for Mogul specifically to offer to attract a unique community instead of try to draw from one in wich it is already far behind in.

[robinhoodnik]

Yeah, lots of good ideas. I hope that Clay can tighten bbm up too before adding anything too radical. 2006 is quite a jump ahead in itself.

[snabbit888]

This is obviously something that to me would be a little add-on that wouldn't crush me by any means if it weren't there, but it would be cool... how about the potential of rain delays/rain outs? Could effect stuff like how far a pitcher could go in a game if he was all warmed up, pitched 2 innings, and then there was an hour rain delay. Also, the potential for a game to be rained out, and then have a double header later. Nothing I'd die without, but thought I'd toss it out there.

[Electricbassguy]

More ideas:

I think that you should talk to retiring players... they should announce whether they plan to retire and perhaps a good year will change their minds, maybe as the owner you can keep them around if you get them starting...

Plus, an ability to select what HOF are looking for. I think it needs more relievers. I had a guy with 650 saves or so and about 3 Cy Youngs, he didn't make it...

I want real HOF voting

plus random events such as bannings or porn/playbots shoots found out by the media

[seanpatin]

I think there should be suspensions for fighting... and for more modern times' sake, (could just add-in like an injury) steroid use suspensions

[rshackelford]

When I first started playing BBM a couple of years ago one of my favorite features was the headlines section. Now you dont even need to scan through it you can just go to the transactions area and see all the no hitters are hit for the cycles at once. There needs to be an update to the headlines section...and zombie teams.

[Electricbassguy]

I think there should be random players taking steroids. suddenly your 85 contact 75 power guy turns into 90-85

and then you have to wonder: pills or improvement?

[ladawson]

Feature to actually run an expansion draft, using the real expansion rules, would be AWESOME . The computer would protect 15 players on each team, protecting 3 more every time a player is selected with a maxiumum of losing 3 players. The player would then select his/her 40 man roster.

[SFSteveG]

How about the ability to add a 3rd league and'or a fourth division.

[robinhoodnik]

I second Sfsteves idea

[dolfanar]

I like that idea too. Not crucial, but very, very cool. The playoff format would be pretty different for 3 leagues though...

[hawkeye3200]

Yes, it would be nice to have the ability to add extra divisions, or make 4 wild card teams instead of 2, or have fewer than 140 games in a season if the player chooses.

I think this is what "editable league structure" in the poll refers to. So if the top ten or so features are added for next year, this will be in 2K7 too...

[SFSteveG]

I just brought it up because it was mentioned in another thread.

[BigBubba]

How about having the amatuer draft mid-season like in real life. Might help with all of the force retiring from the flood of non-drafted people.

[SFSteveG]

Originally posted by BigBubba
How about having the amatuer draft mid-season like in real life. Might help with all of the force retiring from the flood of non-drafted people.

I'd like to see this with a new screen where you can see all of the undrafted players. This could also be the same as like a pre-draft player watch. I'm a lot more into that though so it may not be a big feature to everyone.

[mgsports]

How about Wavier Trades?
How about teams relocating if they can't get a new Stadium or minor league team/stadium contract runs out?
How about cities applying for Expansion to join MLB?
How about design somebody for assignment?
How about having the minor leagues Playable?

[BigBubba]

How about using the Access Database (.mdb) version of the Lahman database to make it easier to add, edit or remove players stats ect.....

[Clay Dreslough]

Pitch Ratings Poll (http://forum.sportsmogul.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=389794#post389794)

[Chipper_Jones]

I voted for "inflation" ...

[Jeff Olsen]

New idea for historic careers: incorporate a "HoF eligible but not yet inducted" roster like what's already in for careers stared in 2005 but works no matter where we start.

[robinhoodnik]

Maybe a list in the "News" section of where the potential HOF candidates are at in the voting. Could a tab be added to the corner of the Headlines page in the same to simulate turning the page to make it easier to peruse the Baseball Mogul Times? I'd like to see the News dropdown utilized more and made faster to use. Possibly tabs on the side of the paper to facilitate switching sections quickly. You know, like a real newspaper make it familiar and VERY convenient to use. Everything centralized and at your fingertips.

This and also on page 8 a few more ideas on the subject. Glad to see others want this too. :cool:

[ScorpioPrimus]

Features I would like to include:

1. Variable GM/manager tendencies on the computer teams, so that one manager prefers to build a pitching team, another prefers home run sluggers, and a third looks for speedy little slap hitters who can manufacture runs on artificial turf. Similarly, I'd like to see more variation in trends in "future years" -- maybe have decades where a variation on the "dead ball era" returns, and hitting for average or base-running is valued more than home runs. (Perhaps it is better now, as I have only played about 30 seasons, but in BBM2004, the teams were so "homer-centric" that by 2050 Hank Aaron's place in the record book was about 15th, and dozens of players routinely had 55-60 HR seasons throughout their career.)

2. Rule changes/expansion/realignment/franchise shifts become pop-up options for the historical year they are introduced, so I can vote as a GM to block interleague play, or realigning into three divisions, and so on. Similarly, I would like an option added for "future years", so that (to use an example) the computer would query me in 2012 whether I wanted to add expansion franchises in Charlotte & Las Vegas, or if I wanted to allow Tampa Bay to move their team to San Antonio, or something. (And perhaps not only game code that allowed for continued expansion, but contraction as well.)

3. Adjustable roster assignments: I would prefer to carry more position players, as I rarely use all of my pitching staff, so I would like to be able to drop a pitcher for another batter. Related to that, the option to change the rotation size would be nice, so I can use a four-man rotation if I wish.

4. I really would like to see the automatic retirement at 45 done away with, and perhaps replace it with either retirement when overall ability drops below 50, or when a player has no major league appearances for a year, or something ability related. In my experience, most players have already retired by 45 anyway, but for that rare once in a lifetime Iron Man who is still going strong, let him play!

5. A lot of the other options being discussed, such as the Rule 5 draft, waiver wire, expansion of the morale factor, etc: please make these toggle options, so I can choose what to keep & what to set aside. Not everyone is enamored with the same features, after all.

[Outsider]

I would like to see a page with the league scores.
Seperately playoff stats.

[BigBubba]

One feature I just thought of would be an additon to the biography page or maybe a HOF page. That lists their awards and any or maybe only the major catagories they were leading when they retired like Homeruns or hits ect....

[Bgsexy66]

Something that could be cool is maybe in the Biography Page list the Players Favorite Team and the team the Player hates/dislikes. This would be pretty cool to see.

[GSpencer]

Overall, I am very happy with the game, but there are a few things that would make the game more lifelike:

- Trading Block - A feature where you can place the players you are willing to trade on the "block", along with what you are looking to receive in return. That way, the CPU can offer you realistic trades, instead of ridiculous deals.

- Lockable Auto-Sort - Maybe an auto-sort that doesn't affect set parts of your lineup. For example, I had a guy with a contact rating of 96 and a power rating of 65 be sent down and replaced with a guy who had a 65 contact and a 90 power (whom I didn't want as a leadoff guy).

- Stadiums - This isn't really a big deal, but does the game take into account features such as the Green Monster? Or are all stadiums programmed to have 5 foot walls around the outfield? At Fenway, with 310 down the left field line and with 5 foot walls, you are asking for trouble.

- Pitcher as Position Player - That would be fun.

- Interactive Play-By-Play - This would be the best feature in the new Baseball Mogul as you can control yourself how you'd want a playoff game to go, for example.

Hopefully one or more of the ideas in the poll could go into affect, but if they didn't, I certainly wouldn't complain.

Keep up the great work, Clay.

[dolfanar]

Overall, I am very happy with the game, but there are a few things that would make the game more lifelike:

- Trading Block - A feature where you can place the players you are willing to trade on the "block", along with what you are looking to receive in return. That way, the CPU can offer you realistic trades, instead of ridiculous deals.

- Stadiums - This isn't really a big deal, but does the game take into account features such as the Green Monster? Or are all stadiums programmed to have 5 foot walls around the outfield? At Fenway, with 310 down the left field line and with 5 foot walls, you are asking for trouble.

Both already in the game

[GSpencer]

Both already in the game

I should have been more clear...

I like the trading block they give you, but it would be cool to have an option to select which players you are willing to trade (sort of like a rumor mill?) and put them "on the block", so to speak. That way, other teams will see that you are willing to trade those players, and then they can offer you something realistic in return. Basically, it's like giving the CPU their own trading block feature.

The stadium thing was just a general question. I was just wondering if the game took into account the Green Monster and everything. In play-by-play, it shows the dimensions symmetrical.

[QHowes]

Just a suggestion; What about a new engine for generating news headlines. Instead of reading the same articles with different scores, make it new and interesting to read. This is probably not an easy task...With my limited knowlege of computer programming I certainly coundnt do it :confused:

[BigBubba]

How about the use of team logos (with ability to change) and use of Stadium logos (with ability to change)

[Rand]

Just a suggestion; What about a new engine for generating news headlines. Instead of reading the same articles with different scores, make it new and interesting to read. This is probably not an easy task...With my limited knowlege of computer programming I certainly coundnt do it :confused:

No, it's easy. First it randomly imports one of a group of canned article templates, then it generates fills in player names to fit the template, and finally it adjusts the team and player stats to fit what the article says. So all they really need is more templates. Of course that also means more rigged games, but you have around a 50/50 chance of it being rigged in your favor.

You didn't think BBM ran real sims, looked for interesting results in real games, and then wrote articles about them? :eek:

[Clay Dreslough]

No, it's easy. First it randomly imports one of a group of canned article templates, then it generates fills in player names to fit the template, and finally it adjusts the team and player stats to fit what the article says. So all they really need is more templates. Of course that also means more rigged games, but you have around a 50/50 chance of it being rigged in your favor.

You didn't think BBM ran real sims, looked for interesting results in real games, and then wrote articles about them? :eek:

I'm not sure if this is a joke or not. So excuse me if I'm missing the point.

Mogul doesn't rig any games. We run the sim, look for interesting results (e.g. 10+ strikeouts, 3+ homers, change in the standings) and then write a story about it.

Clay

[Clay Dreslough]

So the articles are made from SENTENCE templates, not entire news story templates. It's easy to add to these templates. In fact if you have sentences you'd like to see, just post them and/or e-mail them and I'll include them (this in fact would be a good new thread IMHO).

The harder part is looking for new interesting things. If you write sentences about how the Angels defense turned 5 double plays, or Manny Ramirez won the game with a walk-off homer in the 11th, or the Yankees stranded 17 runners, then we have to write some more code that looks through the game recaps for these kinds of events.

Clay

[Rand]

I'm not sure if this is a joke or not. So excuse me if I'm missing the point....
Clay

It was half joking, and don't worry yourself about points. Anyone who has ever watched in horror as the 83 win wildcard team with a BA of .236 and ERA of 4.22, wipes out everything in it's path on the way to the WC, knows that random results is BBM's stock in trade. May the AI gods so favor my 5-1 underdog team in it's coming WS bid.


The harder part is looking for new interesting things.
Clay

Some interesting new things might include teams moving to a new city or building a new stadium, something I'm surprised still isn't done. Even renovations, adding seats, improving sight lines, et al. That's news. So is raising ticket prices, or lowering them.

Some other things I don't see, or don't see much of, would include: a string of innings or appearances without giving up a HR (one reliever in my league didn't give up a single homer all season in 78 games and 93 innings of setup work and not a word about that made the news), ten or more strikeouts in a game (that's still a milestone), consecutive hitless ABs, same for homer-less with power hitters. Babe Ruth in his prime not hitting a homer for five games in a row is as much news as him hitting three in one game. And these should be stand alone headlines, not a factoid buried in a story about the game's outcome.

The trick is to think like it's your home town newspaper, not USA Today which only gives a broad overview of everything that's happening. You've gotten closer to that, but you're not quite there yet.

You also have fan favorites now, so almost anything that they do, or don't do, is news. If they go three for four with 6 RBIs (which you have covered), or go hitless for the second day in a row. If a guy steals three bases in a game, or steals his tenth without getting caught, that's news to home team fans.

I doubt you have code in place for spectacular defensive plays (I'd hope I'm wring about that, but), so no help there, but you do have some defensive occurrences that would be news worthy.

Maybe a catcher threw out a man attempting to steal third (it must happen), or threw out four attempted steals in one game. Maybe an outfielder threw out a runner at home, or third, or even second (as also has to happen once in a while). Or one player made three errors. That's a headline even over the W-L. Can't Fieldmuch bobbles three in Knights loss to the Round Robins.

There are also RBIs that counter errors, or errors that counter RBIs. As in a line like Can't Fieldmuch made up for his second inning error, which allowed a runner to score, by belting a two run homer run in the seventh.

Then there's the relievers section. You show starter's success, but how about Catfish Hunter slams the door on Yankees? Or Hoyt Wilhelm gets 25th save of the season?

As a long time (and ex) Met fan, I can tell you that most of the team "news" I grew up reading was about Bud Harrelson digging one out of the hole, Tom Seaver (Gooden) getting 12 Ks, Ron Swododa making a diving catch, etc. And those things were on the front of the sports section no matter who won, as they still are today in cities where the team isn't going to break .500 let alone win the WC.

[SFSteveG]

There are a few defensive lines I'd liek to see like when an OF turns a DP which is usually newsworthy. Also, a reliever going 3+ innings off the bench such as "SP was knocked out after 2 innings giving up 6 runs but RP stopped the bleeding with 5 shutout innings" or the like.

[swamilee]

I would really like to participate in the expansion draft. Now that would be cool. I could build my own team when it expands.

I agree with the waivers, rule v etc.

This game is for the true baseball geek!!!

[Chipper_Jones]

So the articles are made from SENTENCE templates, not entire news story templates. It's easy to add to these templates. In fact if you have sentences you'd like to see, just post them and/or e-mail them and I'll include them (this in fact would be a good new thread IMHO).

The harder part is looking for new interesting things. If you write sentences about how the Angels defense turned 5 double plays, or Manny Ramirez won the game with a walk-off homer in the 11th, or the Yankees stranded 17 runners, then we have to write some more code that looks through the game recaps for these kinds of events.

Clay

Things I'd like to see:

Jimmy Ray hit for the cycle in his game against Cleveland tonight ...

Nobody stops Bo Ryder! The veteran pitcher threw for his tenth no hitter tonight, smoking every Yankee bat he saw ...

Johnny Walker hit his 500th homerun tonight! The 32 year old has hit .324 over his career, and could be the best slugger in baseball!

With a four homer game against Cleveland, Johnny Walker slams his way into a tie for the homerun crown! He now has 54 four-baggers, tied with Boston's Buck Strickland, with just ten games left in the season ...

- - -

Then you could have rumors and occasional features ...

Dave Fenwick has spent the last fifteen years in Boston's minor league system, and is considering retiring before ever playing in the majors ...

With more then 300 wins under his belt, 44 year old Mick Liger has few regrets in a long major league career. He plans to retire this season after 24 years in the majors.

- - -

Then if you add firings to the game ...

Cleveland's been struggling this year, with a miserable 45-100 record to date. And team owner [insert our name here, you already have it typed in] says if the team can't reach 60 wins by the end of the season he will be hunting for a new GM ...

- - -

And what about major player injuries? If a 38 year old has an ACL tear in late August, the articles in the paper should be talking potential retirement! If a guy gets his first start at 17 and slugs his way to 400 homers by 25, there should be articles saying "Player X is currently on track for Y homers and could retire now as a hall of fame player ..." etc.

Just stuff that makes it more fun to check this stuff out ;) But the key is that now that we have milestone notes in player cards, there needs to be some kind of article written wihen a player reaches a key milestone (hitting or pitching).

[BigBubba]

This one just came to mind but how about adding an Indepentant league (IND) or even Japan (JAP) either one would work. Then any player in free agency plays there and stats would be posted like the AAA, AA, A, R . This way it will force the young rookies that have been fired to play and maybe improve or finally force the vets to retire. Either way players will not waste away in free agency.

[SFSteveG]

This one just came to mind but how about adding an Indepentant league (IND) or even Japan (JAP) either one would work. Then any player in free agency plays there and stats would be posted like the AAA, AA, A, R . This way it will force the young rookies that have been fired to play and maybe improve or finally force the vets to retire. Either way players will not waste away in free agency.
This would also be a great way of eliminating the annoying little mediocre players disappearing.

[daves]

To be able to edit the schedule, league format, playoff series length, and number of playoff teams would be very beneficial!

[robinhoodnik]

I just got another idea! This would compliment the fan favorite and make it a more relevant and measureable thing. A team chemistry rating. You could actually see that say, Gary Sheffield has a negative effect on a team where Derek Jeter would be a plus.

[Blinkbizkit21]

This game really needs a few things in order to be great. BBM2K6 was a big step forward, we need to continue that move forward with these things.

1. 40 and 25 Man Rosters, Waiver Wire, Designated for Assignment, Minor League Options for callup and send downs, Complete Waiver Rules (Revocable and Irrevocable Waivers, August 31 Waiver Trade Deadline)

2. Rule 5 Draft in all its glory.

3. A better version of the DL, where there is a seperate DL list with a 15 day, 60 day DL and when you place a player on the 15 day dl you can call up another player and when a player is on the 60 day DL, they are removed from the 40 man roster so you can add another.

4. Enhanced arbitration. Every Free Agent can be offered binding arbitration from the team they are potentially leaving. If the player accepts they go into binding arbitration and are awarded a 1 year deal. If the player declines, the team may recieve draft pick compensation depending on the rating of the player.

5. Draft Pick Compensation.

6. Team Chemistry, and for those stadiums and teams failing to draw in alot of fans, how about promotion nights, like bobblehead night, or reduced ticket price night to draw more attention.

7. The ability to get a player to waive their no trade clause (whether it be some additional money, or some talking to over time)

8. Better methods of signing free agents. Free agents shouldnt sign right away when you give them an offer. Teams should all submit their offers and the player decides which offer is their best. It shouldn't really be first come first serve.

9. If this game is going to have coaches included, have a way to have players that are old and on the verge of retirement be able to be kept on as coaches, or offered a contract as a coach. This would be a GREAT thing to do if coaches were included.

10. PLEASE make the trade offers by the AI better. This would really really really help this game out.

Other tidbits-Make OBP a searchable item, Naming Rights money for stadium names, players asking for a trade from a team, ability to renegotiate contracts before the last year of the deal

[killebrewfan]

I would like a more historical game. I usually start with the 1961 Minnesota Twins and have to trade Killebrew, Allison and others to stay out of the red.
So, we need to turn off free agaency, have the reserve clause. If a player wants more money and Calvin Griffith gives a take it of leave the player happiness might drop, or he retires. Sometime around 1975 the free agent era starts.

There is a model for what we are talking about called Ultimate Soccer Manager by Sierra games, it has been out of print since 2000. It had all the bells and whistles we want, build your own stadium, getting money from the city to build, a deeper neogation models. I had one player that I stalled so long, when I was finally ready to give a new contract he refused and went on the List. I tried to resign hinm and he refuse to ever play for Roma again. I suggest to Clay in an email to get a copy of Ultimate Soccer Manager and check it out...thats's where the next generation of Mogul needs to go.

If it's a hockey sim, don't forget the Wolrd Hockey Assoc. of the 70's. That would be interesting...a player signing war between leagues.

[Bgsexy66]

I would like to see an injury clause put into the contract negotiations. Basically it would reduce a players contract if the injury reduces player ratings, or if the player misses any significant time. This is something that would control huge contracts and help out small market teams if implemented. I'm not sure how hard this would be to implement, but it would be a nice improvement to Baseball Mogul and Baseball Mogul Online. Maybe in commish mode you could set it to a percentage reduced to contracts in BBMO? :D



Bgsexy66

[henry296]

I would like to see an injury clause put into the contract negotiations. Basically it would reduce a players contract if the injury reduces player ratings, or if the player misses any significant time. This is something that would control huge contracts and help out small market teams if implemented. I'm not sure how hard this would be to implement, but it would be a nice improvement to Baseball Mogul and Baseball Mogul Online. Maybe in commish mode you could set it to a percentage reduced to contracts in BBMO? :D





Bgsexy66

Do you know of any real life players who have such a clause? That is one of the risks of long term contracts.

However, teams do have some of the contracts covered by insurance like in the case of Albert Belle, is that what you mean?

[Bgsexy66]

Do you know of any real life players who have such a clause? That is one of the risks of long term contracts.

However, teams do have some of the contracts covered by insurance like in the case of Albert Belle, is that what you mean?
I believe that is what it was, but I think Randy Johnson also has that in his contract also?

[forbes]

I would like to see an injury clause put into the contract negotiations. Basically it would reduce a players contract if the injury reduces player ratings, or if the player misses any significant time. This is something that would control huge contracts and help out small market teams if implemented. I'm not sure how hard this would be to implement, but it would be a nice improvement to Baseball Mogul and Baseball Mogul Online. Maybe in commish mode you could set it to a percentage reduced to contracts in BBMO? :D



Bgsexy66

I don't think this actually exists in real life. There are however performance clasues, ie so many plate appearances, saves, games played, etc. This could potentially be used to reduce the risk of high injury risk players.

[Kotov]

It could be an interesting additions to be able to include draft picks in trade proposals.
I'm no programmer, but this function should not be too difficult to implement in the game.

[Kotov]

I'd like to see this function implemented in Baseball Mogul: the possibility to simulate a game between teams of different eras. For example, what would be the result of a game between the 1993 Expos and the 1980 Yankees?

I don't know if this idea has already been discussed in the forum, but it could be a great addition to the game.

[Farsight]

enhanced play-by-play mode where I can manage my team would be HUGE for me. Free-agent bidding would be big as well - it's currently way too easy to pick and choose your roster.

interface improvements would be next on my list... being able to choose the displayed columns on the lineup/rotation screens, a Morale column (this is REALLY important to making morale feel like part of the game)... basically, I don't want to have to go through players one at a time EVER when making basic decisions or looking for an overview...

A message when an injured player (DL) is healthy, and a warning when your team is headed for financial ruin (and perhaps a "grace period" before the whole team is sold off) would be nice as well.

The last big item for my enjoyment would be if we could make trading block lists that are persistent, so AI players will tend to offer deals that follow those lists. Each player could be tagged as Normal (like now), On-The-Block (AI tends to make offers for these players), and Untradeable (AI never makes offers for these players). The AI could also use these tags, since it already seems to use similar rules internally. Lastly, we could set a Primary/Secondary "Need" (like the AI already does - "Need a starter", etc), that the AI would tailor deals towards. A new league-wide Trading Block screen could summarize the Block/Needs of all teams, to make trade planning MUCH easier.

My general rule is: any time I -have- to manually go through every team/player in order to make a basic decision, something's wrong. :)

Looking forward to the next version!

[Edge]

What a propect report like feature. A top 100 overall prospects and more detailed team by team rankings.

[homer2931]

1. Compensation for free agents
2. 40 man roster rules, with rule 5 draft
3. Clauses in contracts (i.e. vodiding the contract after X days on DL, bonuses for reaching X plate apearances)
4. Better trading block feature. I can put players on my trading block and get offers for them, and search other teams trading blocks
5. My favorite team to run is Colorado, I'd like to be able to start in 1993, but be able to do the expansion draft myself.
6. Teams like Oakland and Boston and LAopperate in the "moneyball" style

[homer2931]

I don't think this actually exists in real life. There are however performance clasues, ie so many plate appearances, saves, games played, etc. This could potentially be used to reduce the risk of high injury risk players.

Jaret Wirhgt has a clause where after 75 days on the DL, the 3rd year becomes void.

[Bgsexy66]

Another thing I'd like to see is that the Farm, Scouting, and Medical expenses having more of an effect on the game in general. I would like to see less injuries if the medical staff is ranked highly, and I'd also like to see more superstar players when the scouting and farm expenses are ranked higher. You get the point. I mean look at the Braves scouting and farm has helped that team win and win with rookies this year.

[end.theme]

1. Team Records. A window that displays the all-time team records in each statistical category. Ie home runs, wins, rbi's. by whom and what year.

2. If anyone remembers collecting topps baseball cards as a kid, when you looked at the stats on the back, a player who led the league in a category had his stat in bold and italicized. if he was tied with another play it would also have an asterik. I'd like to see that in the player stats view.

:)

[petrel]

Here's the summary of the voting so far - I did this for people going blind trying to read that poll:

Bidding for free agents against the AI (no immediate signings) 94 votes
Waiver Wire 91 votes
Manager Signings/Firings 86 votes
Separate majors/minors Auto-Sort buttons 80 votes
Three-way trades 79 votes
Backloaded Contracts (e.g. $3M in 2005, $4M in 2006, etc.) 78 votes
Enhanced Injury Engine (the ability to play hurt, e.g. "he's at 85%" etc.) 76 votes
Rule 5 Draft 73 votes
Realistic 40-Man Roster Rules 71 votes
Player Hot Streaks. More Morale Depth. 70 votes
Player-of-the-month (week, game) awards 70 votes
Stadium improvements (e.g. luxury suites, additional seats) 69 votes
Team Rivalries (with bean balls, brawls, and related news stories) 68 votes
Incentive Clauses 66 votes
Editable Number of Pitchers Per Team and Roster Sizes 65 votes
'Player Lock' button (specifies players that AREN'T affected by Auto-Sort) 65 votes
Editable League Structure, Interleague Play, and Playoffs 64 votes
Platoon splits (lefty/righty stats and lefty/righty lineups) 63 votes
Interactive Play-By-Play (e.g. choose when to pinch hit, sacrifice, steal, bring in relievers etc.)
62 votes
Expanded revenue options (merchandise, concessions, media contracts etc.) 61 votes
Ability to set DH and non-DH Lineups 60 votes
"Almanac" (automated yearly HTML output of all of stats, standings and leaders) 58 votes
More severe personality effects (e.g. "clubhouse poison") 58 votes
Enhanced Play-By-Play: Triple Plays, Double Switches, Taking a Base on Defensive Indifference, Ejections, etc.
57 votes
Inflation (e.g. Babe Ruth earning $100,000 NOT $10,000,000) 56 votes
Salary Caps and Revenue Sharing 55 votes
Computer-controlled owner (that sets your budget and/or fires you for poor performance)
54 votes
Use a Pitcher as a Position Player or Vice Versa 53 votes
Minor-league TOTALS in Scouting Report 51 votes
Playoff TOTALS in Scouting Report 46 votes
Computer-controlled commissioner (vetoes cash-only trades, disallows team movement, etc.)
43 votes
'History' Dialog lists all franchise years (not just the ones you controlled the team) 41 votes
'Team Options' Slider for Percentage of Games to start Alternate Starters 40 votes
Schedule Editor 36 votes
Improved Sim Engine for Deadball Era (pre-1920) 34 votes
Ability to Move Pitcher's Slot to any Position in the Batting Order 33 votes
Auto-Sort Button for Strategies 31 votes
Team Stats Output - the ability to display, sort and print a range of team stats (not just in Standings)
31 votes
Other [non-lefty/right] split stats (home/away, day/night, runners-in-scoring-position, month-by-month)
28 votes
Saveable Roster Dialog configurations 27 votes
Pitch-by-pitch interaction (e.g. choose which pitch to throw to what location in what count; as batter, guess pitches)
25 votes
New Screen and Dialog background artwork 23 votes
Full minor league teams (with their own schedules and box scores)
22 votes
Improved HTML output for running leagues 19 votes
Other 3 votes

-Pet

[Surefire]

I thought of something.

I'd recommend a "Play until trading deadline" option. This way, instead of going month-to-month or half a season, we can play right up to the last day of the trading deadline, and then can decide if a trade is warranted depending on our team's record and standings.

[Clay Dreslough]

I thought of something.

I'd recommend a "Play until trading deadline" option. This way, instead of going month-to-month or half a season, we can play right up to the last day of the trading deadline, and then can decide if a trade is warranted depending on our team's record and standings.

I could replace 'Play Half Season' with that option.

[Bgsexy66]

I could replace 'Play Half Season' with that option.
I think this would be a better option.

[goyanks225]

I think this would be a better option.

Me too.

As to the whole interactive play-by-play issue, I, for one, would much rather have other smaller features that make your power as a GM more realistic (that is what the game is supposed to be about). This includes things like a 25 and 40 man roster, waivers, bidding on free agents, and an actual 15 and 60 day DL.

[GSpencer]

I believe that all of the above would be excellent, but most are not possible, especially given the fact that Clay cannot devote 100% of his life to working on these.

I don't have the slightest idea on what it takes to create a game, so if I am wrong, please correct me, but some of the items mentioned in the poll seem minor and almost cosmetic. For example, adding a "lock" button so that auto-sort doesn't mess everything up doesn't seem like such a hard thing to add. Again, correct me if I'm wrong about that. That's why I didn't vote for that, as I feel that Clay should devote his time to major additions and upgrades to the game, such as, perhaps, an interactive play-by-play.

[Surefire]

I'm a newbie, and I apologize in advance if this has already been discussed, or if I simply don't know the way to do it.

I'd like a way to view a pitchers throwing arm, i.e. if they are left or right handed without having to look at their BIO. Likewise, I'd like a way to view a hitters bat (left, right, or switch) and arm (left or right) without looking in the bio. IMO, this info should be right on their stats page, and also have a column by their ratings. Just IMO, YMMV

If there is a way to do this, please let me know.

[Clay Dreslough]

If there is a way to do this, please let me know.

There isn't. But this info will be prominent in BB2k7.

[Surefire]

I could replace 'Play Half Season' with that option.

I think that is a great idea.

[Surefire]

One other thought of a change I'd like:

How about the rare, occasional player that is SO GOOD and dominates the league that they are rated with a peak of OVER 100--maybe max them out at 110 or 125? And when they reach their peak, their overall goes over 100--to 110 or 125? Right now, so many players reach 100, but nobody REALLY stands out. I think it would be nice to see occasional players truly dominate (like maybe one or two players every decade gets a rating of over 100).


Also, I'd like to see slightly more players come out of the draft rated at 90+ overall. The Albert Pujols, Mark Priors, etc type players that dominate the first year they come into the bigs....

[Bgsexy66]

Also, I'd like to see slightly more players come out of the draft rated at 90+ overall. The Albert Pujols, Mark Priors, etc type players that dominate the first year they come into the bigs....
You can. it's in the rookies file. all you have to do is change the settings and you can get an Albert Pujols or Mark Prior.

[Surefire]

Could someone indicate which rookies file (I found at least two), the folder hiearchy, and exactly what to set so I don't ruin anything?

[Bgsexy66]

Could someone indicate which rookies file (I found at least two), the folder hiearchy, and exactly what to set so I don't ruin anything?
Open both of them up. the one your looking for has numbers next to the positions. 100 rating is normal so if you set above 100 you'll have more and more superstars.

[Surefire]

Thought of another feature for future editions.

A way to set any given year, decade, or century for style of play (perhaps the user tells the GUI what years you want your setting to apply to).

For example, us pitching fans could set it for a "dead ball" era.

Those that want normal balance could set it for "normal" era.

Those that want Coors Field like numbers could set it for "live ball" era.

Maybe there is already this feature currently, but so far I don't know about it?

[ScorpioPrimus]

One feature I would like added is, in the "find player" section, I would like to be able to distinguish between starting pitchers & relievers. I have not been able to figure out a way to search quickly & easily for relief pitching when needed.

There have been more than a few years, that due to the results of trades, draft options, and injuries, I have been short-handed in my relief corps and had to convert promising starters at the minor league level into bullpen fodder in the major leagues. I'd much rather make the key trade that brings me a reliable setup man than downgrade a potential starter to reliever.

[goyanks225]

One feature I would like added is, in the "find player" section, I would like to be able to distinguish between starting pitchers & relievers. I have not been able to figure out a way to search quickly & easily for relief pitching when needed.

There have been more than a few years, that due to the results of trades, draft options, and injuries, I have been short-handed in my relief corps and had to convert promising starters at the minor league level into bullpen fodder in the major leagues. I'd much rather make the key trade that brings me a reliable setup man than downgrade a potential starter to reliever.

Also, as weird as it sounds, to have an "At least" category for looking at an age. If I'm looking to trade for a veteral at the trade deadline, I want to be able to say "At least 35", or something like that.

[justplainJ]

I'd like to see Japanese players pop up in the FA pool from time to time. With Japanese stats too. I'd also like to see players go to the Japanese leagues and come back or undrafted players go there and show up later instead of dissapearing

Definitely. However, the 40 Man roster, rule 5 draft, and a waiver system should be the highest priorities.

[JimmyMac]

I'd just like to caution of adding too many features often proves to make a product faulty and added complexity deters and makes a product difficult to use.

[brooklynlou]

Wow. Hefty list of potential features. All I can say to the majority of them is "Yes please".

In the other category: Some relatively simple stuff I would like to see

1. Shortcut Keys: for Play Week and Play Until

2. Extra Summary Pages

2.1 Needs Summary page. Something that tells you in summary form what the GM hint button tells you when you click on it for the various teams. For example Mets - Need Releivers, 2nd Baseman - Have extra Starters. Also something expressing the level of that need. Right now if I have a player I wish to sell, I click on the Balance Cash button to see which team is willing to give me the most for the player in question. Usally the team willing to offer me the most will give me the best chance of getting something useful in return.

2.1 Contract Window - A simple summary page listing all the contracts, options, durations therof of the players on your team (and others)

2.2 Depth Chart - See MVP Baseball 2005. Basically a nice picture of the baseball diamond listing all the players that one has available per position (for Major and Minor league teams).

3. Play by Play window. Right now its on its own seperate screen. Just having it in a seperate window where you can easily pick the team you want to look at makes it more useful.

4. Set CPU offer trades to off in default. The CPU never offers good trades. The Needs summary would be a better service.

5. Insurance. Mentioned in earlier post as a fix to the player drop issue. On signing, team can buy insurance policy on player for the duration of the contract. Policy cannot exceed 75% of the value of the deal. Player gets injured, the team gets the insurance money for the duration of the injury. That way the player is not dropped but kept, thus thinning out the free agent bloated pool. The lower a player's health, the higher the premiums. Once the player reaches a certain health level, he is uninsurable.

This would also allow one to 'game the insurance'. Similar to what the Mets did to Mo Vaugn in the Kevin Appier deal. Since Mo Vaugn's contract was alot less that Appier's, once Vaugn got reinjured and the policy kicked in, the Mets were making a profit by Vaugn staying home. Also would give the players the tough decision of whether to try to give a super contract to a Vladimir Guerero (insurance be damned) or try to wheedle out as many contingencies as possible.

6. Generic Player. Obviously the prospects that one tracks are meant to be the big to middle prospects that people know about. The roster in no way shows the entire breadth of the farm system. Create a series of Generic Players in each position that can then be used as fill in by the team in case of injury. They are the faceless no-names that come and go.

Create types. Set them to 65 pts and they should be 2 tool players. i.e. They should a 70 in 2 of the 6 (contact, power, eye, speed, range, fielding) the rest are set to 50.

[GSpencer]

I was just day-dreaming and I thought of this. How about Non-Roster Invitees to Spring Training? You know all of those pitchers that are on the free-agent list that have no chance of being signed to a major league contract? Well, you could invite them to Spring Training, and if they make the team, then that's great.

For example, I wanted to sign a speedster to one of my teams. However, I had to sign them to a major league deal (and as it turns out, I had to stash him away in the minors because I didn't think he was cut out for the team). Just an idea!

[Surefire]

Another feature I thought of: the abilility to use a 4 man rotation if one wants to.

[ScorpioPrimus]

One more "nice to have" feature, to list for Hall of Fame players: list if they set single season or career records, either in the "Transactions" page as a milestone, or on the "Biography" page. One of my players in the 2030s & 40s retired holding first or second in almost every major career offensive category, yet one would have to do a painstaking search to prove it. It would be nice to turn to his HOF page and read "Retired as major league's career leader in hits, runs, RBIs, home runs, ..." and so on.

I repeat, it would also be nice if the newspaper made a big deal out of records chases and milestones. In the real world these things matter.

[Jeff Olsen]

Another feature I thought of: the abilility to use a 4 man rotation if one wants to.This is what the "Start on Short Rest" slider is for. Move it to one end and you get a 5-man rotation. Move it to the other end and you get a 4-rotation, with the fifth man becoming a second alternate starter.

[Surefire]

Another stat that I'd like tracked is shutouts. While the AI sometimes gives career shutouts in articles, there doesn't appear to be a way to track them year to year.


Shutouts are to me an indicator of how dominant a pitcher is, as its very hard to throw a complete game and give up zero runs.

[Surefire]

Overall and Peak ratings should be listed when you go Team | Pitching... or Team | Lineup...

This would allow me to move players to different levels without clicking on each player.

[SFSteveG]

Overall and Peak ratings should be listed when you go Team | Pitching... or Team | Lineup...

This would allow me to move players to different levels without clicking on each player.
I totally agree with that. It's in BMO so why not here?

[goldwater9]

A small suggestion: the ability to move around players from within the roster dialogue (and perhaps even the ability to move into the trading, find player, or free agent, and negotiation/arbitration dialogues from the same screen). The biggest drawback to the game, in my opinion, is the necessity to open up new dialogues constantly. The roster dialogue is great for getting a birds-eye view of your team, but it's annoying to have to open up a new window in order to re-order the lineup, move players to the minors or between farm teams, etc. If you could do everything from one screen, this would improve the game play greatly I think.

[Surefire]

^Agrees with Goldwater9....

[cartman00000001]

I would like to know when a player is slumping..something like player x is in a 2-20 slump.

[Bgsexy66]

Something that I would like to see would be utility players. I mean a guy like John Mabry can play multiple positions and can field the positions pretty well. I have seen this done in other games, but it is something I would like to see in Baseball Mogul.

[Surefire]

I would like to know when a player is slumping..something like player x is in a 2-20 slump.

or conversely, when a player is hot...

[cartman00000001]

or conversely, when a player is hot...

yes, exactly.

[pedromfan]

or allowing user to create own stats to show up on scouting reports. sometimes i like to toy around with players' stats and it would be easier if i didn't have to remember to download the team's stats after every two seasons or else input each player's data manually. if there's a way to do it in 2k6, let me know, because i haven't found it yet.

[HoustonGM]

I'd like to see an option when negotiating trades with the computer to see what the team will offer for waht you want to trade to them. The "counter offer" option only adds players to your side of the deal, even if you're just offering 1 player to them for 0, it should work both ways.

[HoustonGM]

Something that I would like to see would be utility players. I mean a guy like John Mabry can play multiple positions and can field the positions pretty well. I have seen this done in other games, but it is something I would like to see in Baseball Mogul.

This should be easy to implement. You give the option to add multiple positions to each player, and a different rating for each position.

[Clay Dreslough]

Something that I would like to see would be utility players. I mean a guy like John Mabry can play multiple positions and can field the positions pretty well. I have seen this done in other games, but it is something I would like to see in Baseball Mogul.

We actually already have this in the engine. Every non-pitcher is rated defensively at all 8 positions.

Guys that can play 2 positions well are shown as 2B/SS for example on the Defense Dialog.

Utility Infielders are shown as IF. Outfielders as OF.

So I guess we just need to improve the interface so you can see all 8 sets of ratings if you want.

[Scatman91122]

I would like to see the ability to have three and four team trades.

[HoustonGM]

We actually already have this in the engine. Every non-pitcher is rated defensively at all 8 positions.

Guys that can play 2 positions well are shown as 2B/SS for example on the Defense Dialog.

Utility Infielders are shown as IF. Outfielders as OF.

So I guess we just need to improve the interface so you can see all 8 sets of ratings if you want.

It doesnt ever seem like the auto-sort sorts players that are listed as 2B/SS into their secondary position, only the position listed on the scouting report.

[Bgsexy66]

We actually already have this in the engine. Every non-pitcher is rated defensively at all 8 positions.

Guys that can play 2 positions well are shown as 2B/SS for example on the Defense Dialog.

Utility Infielders are shown as IF. Outfielders as OF.

So I guess we just need to improve the interface so you can see all 8 sets of ratings if you want.
I think it would be better. I disklike how when I put a player at another position his ratings always go down, but when they are put back into their best position their defensive skills always go down and become useless fielders. When this happens I either make them a DH or trade them away.

[Bgsexy66]

It doesnt ever seem like the auto-sort sorts players that are listed as 2B/SS into their secondary position, only the position listed on the scouting report.
yeah I always have the same problem. I see I have a fairly good replacement who has the IF tag with a 78++ rating, but I auto sort and when I look it replaced the injured guy with a 2B with a 68+ rating.

[cartman00000001]

I think it would be better. I disklike how when I put a player at another position his ratings always go down, but when they are put back into their best position their defensive skills always go down and become useless fielders. When this happens I either make them a DH or trade them away.

they should have some kind of a Robin Yount clause in there. Even if they change positions, there should be some guys who are really good athletes, be able to excel at another position.

[Bgsexy66]

they should have some kind of a Robin Yount clause in there. Even if they change positions, there should be some guys who are really good athletes, be able to excel at another position.
I think this would be a good addition to the game, but my thing is the Utility Players becoming super ineffective at fielding when thats why they are being used in the first place (to fill up a spot) where there is an injury or some other kind of problems.

[cartman00000001]

I think this would be a good addition to the game, but my thing is the Utility Players becoming super ineffective at fielding when thats why they are being used in the first place (to fill up a spot) where there is an injury or some other kind of problems.

kinda like a Lou Merloni? Pretty good at 3 or 4 positions...hit a little...get you 150 AB.

[Bgsexy66]

kinda like a Lou Merloni? Pretty good at 3 or 4 positions...hit a little...get you 150 AB.
yes exactly

[Bgsexy66]

imo the game is setup to avoid Utility guys and use pure position players over utility players. this bites because in most cases i have to manually put the if/of players into the position i need them at instead of them automatically being used.

[cartman00000001]

imo the game is setup to avoid Utility guys and use pure position players over utility players. this bites because in most cases i have to manually put the if/of players into the position i need them at instead of them automatically being used.


so, how about something like a depth chart? Like in football.

[Bgsexy66]

so, how about something like a depth chart? Like in football.
Yeah that would be nice, but i mean you would have to give it a baseball touch though.

[HoustonGM]

Yeah that would be nice, but i mean you would have to give it a baseball touch though.

Depth Charts are easily implementeed in baseball. On ESPN.com, every team page has a depth chart (though i dont think it's been updated since opening day lol), and depth charts were even implemented in World Series baseball 2003 for XBOX and whatever other consoles its on.

[Bgsexy66]

Depth Charts are easily implementeed in baseball. On ESPN.com, every team page has a depth chart (though i dont think it's been updated since opening day lol), and depth charts were even implemented in World Series baseball 2003 for XBOX and whatever other consoles its on.
although it might take too much time to implement. I mean doing the depth charts for all the players.

[cartman00000001]

although it might take too much time to implement. I mean doing the depth charts for all the players.

na, a depth chart for positions. Like Manny Ramirez takes a day off (which is often) who plays for him? I think Clay could throw this in in no time.

[HoustonGM]

Yea, that's the depth chart I was talking about.

[lvann4x]

Knowing how a player has performed over his last 10 games for position players and last 5-10 appearances for pitchers would be great.

[HoustonGM]

i'd like to see invidiual player strategies, instead of setting strategies for the whole team. for example, i have a speedy player. bbm now will make him steal more often than a non-speedy player, but if i want him to steal A LOT more, i'd have to move the steal strategy slider up, but this also risks me attempting steals with non-fast players and getting them caught. i'd like to individually set strategies. say, i want the fast player to steal a lot more, and then i'd set my slow players to steal VERY little. OOTP has something like this. It'd be a good addition toBBM

[cartman00000001]

i'd like to see invidiual player strategies, instead of setting strategies for the whole team. for example, i have a speedy player. bbm now will make him steal more often than a non-speedy player, but if i want him to steal A LOT more, i'd have to move the steal strategy slider up, but this also risks me attempting steals with non-fast players and getting them caught. i'd like to individually set strategies. say, i want the fast player to steal a lot more, and then i'd set my slow players to steal VERY little. OOTP has something like this. It'd be a good addition toBBM

ooo...I like that. Sounds good.

[HoustonGM]

Also, in the History window, it'd be nice if it showed you what place you got even if you made the playoffs. Like if you won the ALDS, 1st ALDS Winner or 2nd ALDS Winner, this can help track streaks like the Braves current streak of 14 Division titles.


ALSO: In a player's biography, list the amount of each type of "title" they won (Strike outs, home runs, batting, etc). This makes it easier than having to count in the transactions page.

[mooseman74]

Not sure if this has been mentioned....didn't have time to read this entire thread all the way through.....but would it be possible to have cities bid on where a team moves? What I mean is if you choose to move your team....click a "move team" button and like on the trading block screen a list of bidding cities show up....and each offers different incentives (cash, types of stadiums/features etc...). Might not be possible but thought I'd suggest it.

[HoustonGM]

Not sure if this has been mentioned....didn't have time to read this entire thread all the way through.....but would it be possible to have cities bid on where a team moves? What I mean is if you choose to move your team....click a "move team" button and like on the trading block screen a list of bidding cities show up....and each offers different incentives (cash, types of stadiums/features etc...). Might not be possible but thought I'd suggest it.

That's a cool idea! Adds realism I Think.

Also, I'm not sure if this is in 2006 since i haven't tried it (i know it is for historical sims), but the expansion draft. In 2006, if I add a team to the league, does it automatically conduct an expansion draft like it does in the historical sims? if not, that might also be a good idea.

[HoustonGM]

One more thing, in the appropriate news page, announce if a player breaks a record. For example, if somebody hits his 74th homer of the season (this of course assuming you're starting after Bonds hit 73), announce "Broke single season HR record." Same goes for career records. If a player hits his 756th homer, announce "Broke career HR record."

Also, a cool feature would be at the end of every season, have a list of players that retired that season, and keep that list til the end of next season, so if you want you can review a player's scouting report and career stats one last time

Edit 2: This may be able to be fixed with a patch, but probably isn't worth it, but in the History section, expansion teams get stats of 0 for every year you played taht they were not in. The averages then are skewed. It's 2004 and Arizona has an average record of 14-26, because they have like 18 years of 0-0 records


Edit3: The team stats that you can view in the standings screen, make them sortable.

Edit4: One small addition to the scouting report that might be cool is a 162-game average for every stat, and a career high line for each stat.

[Bgsexy66]

Something else that has been bothering me for a while is that fact that Medical, Scouting, and Farm Budgets don't have more of an impact on the game. I think this is crucial for the game becuase whats the point of having them if they don't help create more superstars when they are getting more money to do so. A cool little addition could be that with medical being payed more that a player regains health ratings after his injuries are behind him.

[Bgsexy66]

Just out of curiousity Clay I was wondering how many of the top features were going to be implemented, so that we can all drool over the new additions to BBM 2K7?? :D :cool:

[DrDoom]

Clay,

Based on the way Baseball Mogul is currently coded, how difficult would it be for you guys to code in a plugin feature like the one in puresim? If it is something that could be done without too much effort, I think that it would be a great addition to Baseball Mogul.

[HoustonGM]

i see: Manager Signings/Firings in the poll. I think this could be expanded to also include pitching and batting coaches, which would have an effect on their respective group of players.

Also, following hit streaks might be cool.

[daves]

Single season player and team records is a must! It would be nice to know if a player broke the home run record, stolen base, ERA or some other single season record. It would also be nice to know your team had the highest winning percentage in history or the highest single season batting average, etc.

[goyanks225]

What about an option on the Standings screen for Record vs. NL teams, or Record vs. AL East, or Record vs. Red Sox. Something like that?

[SFSteveG]

Here's an idea. GET AN INTERN! I'm sure there's a programing student somewhere that would love to do an internship with you guys and you sure could use some extra help.

[Lunch]

Media Interaction

I'd like to see the media having a bigger role in the game.

Also like to see individual players being more pro-active. Stating openly how unhappy they feel and this perhaps having a knock-on effect with the team, temporarily lowering the morale of certain players - then the story makes it into a news report.

[Lunch]

Also would like to see some delay in time between a player being signed and when they are ready to start a game for you.

[petrel]

Some of the features I'd like to see:

Suspensions: A player gets into trouble of some kind -- on the field, trouble with the law, with drugs, and gets suspended for X number of days. This could include suspensions for steroids. (A little syringe could be added next to the smileys of players who juice.)

Deaths: Occasionally, players die during the season (Willard Herschburger is the only in-season suicide for the 1940 Reds) or in the off season (the deaths of Steve Olin and Tim Crews in 1993 during a boating accident in the Cleveland Indians spring-training season).

A partial list can be found here at

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/list_gone_too_soon.shtml

The second might be too much to ask, but it would be great to see suspensions...or fines!!

--Pet

[HoustonGM]

One other thing, I think this has been mentioned before, but it'd be nice to rate each player for fielding each position. So, give each player like a slider or something for each person in the edit player screen, and if the player does not play that position, you'd turn the slider to 0, and then say for a utility infielder, make his outfields 0, catcher 0, and then rate his ability at each infield position.

Also, more realistic playoffs. Playoff rosters should be implemented, and they can only be editted in between series. I see far too many players making their major league debut in the playoffs, and by far too many I mean I've definitely seen 2, and i'm sure theres more, but thats still more than 0. Has that ever happened? Major league debut in playoffs?

[SFSteveG]

Also, more realistic playoffs. Playoff rosters should be implemented, and they can only be editted in between series. I see far too many players making their major league debut in the playoffs, and by far too many I mean I've definitely seen 2, and i'm sure theres more, but thats still more than 0. Has that ever happened? Major league debut in playoffs?
A player can make their MLB debut in the playoffs if a player is injured. It's just like any other player replacing someone on a roster.

[Bgsexy66]

A player can make their MLB debut in the playoffs if a player is injured. It's just like any other player replacing someone on a roster.
yeah, but they can't show up until the next series takes place.

[SFSteveG]

yeah, but they can't show up until the next series takes place.
Well I didn't think I needed to clarify. :rolleyes:

[Bgsexy66]

Well I didn't think I needed to clarify. :rolleyes:
lol you didn't, but I did. :eek:

[SFSteveG]

lol you didn't, but I did. :eek:
You're such an *** :D

[TwinswillWin]

Mainly what I would like to see is better PBP. The interactive PBP is a great idea and adds hours of fun to the game. Right now the PBP is dull, boring and not worth looking at. I suggest letting some of the message boarders suggest some PBP phrases, that way they can get into the game.

[immetoo]

the more of these that are implemented the better, but lefty/righty stats, manager firings and in-game control are things that I waould like to see.

[ScorpioPrimus]

I realize it's a minor matter compared to the many many improvements people want in BBM '07,but I would like the matter of pitcher/batter conversion looked at, so that we can realistically play the early days of baseball where players like Babe Ruth & Joe Wood started as pitchers & became batters.
(Or in the case of Joe Wood, try to see if he winds up having a Hall of Fame career as a pitcher if he keeps from being injured.)

[SFSteveG]

Well here's my opinion. In order of importance;

1. Bidding for free agents against the AI (no immediate signings)
The most unfair advantage you have is being able to sign anybody immediately after the playoffs. No team should be able to sign everybody. This should also help to make the free agents available come March more important as the people still buying now really need someone.

2. 'Player Lock' button (specifies players that AREN'T affected by Auto-Sort)
This is the primary reason I don't use Autosort. Sometimes I want a LF playing RF or a SS at 3B but the AI insists on playing a horrible player natural player in the position.

3. Realistic 40-Man Roster Rules
This might be the toughest but I think it's important to gameplay.

4. Editable Number of Pitchers Per Team and Roster Sizes
Different teams have different needs. If you have an extra quality pitcher but a poor bench then why wouldn't you change some things around. The flexability is I think one of the most crucial factors in realistic gameplay.

5. Ability to Move Pitcher's Slot to any Position in the Batting Order
A lot of people want this and I'm one of them. It would just be nice to be able to put a better hitter in before you get to the no. 1 hitter and so forth.

And here are the rest in no particular order;
*Auto-Sort Button for Strategies; there are just too many things to change every season. Checking all your starters endurance ratings or looking how well all your starters or bench players run makes the game too lunky sometimes. BBM is focused on speed and this would help quite a bit.

*Separate majors/minors Auto-Sort buttons; This seems unimportant if players can be locked in position but can still help to streamline play.

*Use a Pitcher as a Position Player or Vice Versa

*Minor-league TOTALS in Scouting Report

*Playoff TOTALS in Scouting Report

*Ability to set DH and non-DH Lineups

*Rule 5 Draft

*Incentive Clauses

*Salary Caps and Revenue Sharing

[HoustonGM]

One thing that might be cool but definitely not necessary, have a chart on each players scouting rpeort somewhere showing how many times in season/career they've batted at each position in the lineup.