OK, here are some initial impressions.
I decided to start with the Phils, as I wanted to ease into the game and figured that I'd be keeping most of their players.
I don't have a huge problem with the interface. It can be a bit of a pain to have to go from one menu to another, but they are laid out in a list on the left of the screen so jumping from one to another is a matter of hitting a couple of buttons. I actually like the menu-tree type view they use for it.
GM AI seems OK to me for the most part. There have been big names moving around, but a lot of the trades and free agent signings seem to have a lot to do with player salaries as well as abilities. Players who had a good year and are up for renewal are going to ask for more cash, and if you can't (or won't) pay it then you need to trade them or let them ride off into free agency. I negotiated a lot to try to keep Jamie Moyer on my team, but I just wasn't willing to pay his terms ($13 million plus a $9 million signing bonus), so off he went. Like the real Phils I also let Pat Burrell go, as he was asking $18 million (he ended up getting $17M from the Twins). IGN mentions that the GM's of other teams seem to all act the same, only with different budgets, I'll have to see how that plays out over the long run.
Options during a game are pretty standard stuff, although still not as detailed as Baseball Mogul (which I have on PC). I can't seem to do a double switch which sucks. Also, I would prefer a true one-pitch mode instead of having to see every pitch thrown (although it's still fast). Even so games play quick and you can pump the speed up to 2x.
At work last night I read the review in Game Informer Magazine (called Lame Informer by us Gamestop folk). It made me wonder what game the guy was playing as he was completely wrong on a couple of things. Par for the course for that crap-rag though.
Overall it's about what I expected. Certain things could be better, others are good as they are. If you aren't a fan of management games then you need to steer clear, but if you are then it's a pretty good game to flop on the couch and see if you can build a great team.
First MLB Front Office Review
Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady
Thanks for the early impressions - I'm still on the fence with this one, but thinking about getting it to play a different kind of baseball text sim. BB Mogul is probably my favorite current baseball text sim, if only because it offers an engaging pitch-by-pitch mode that lets you do something other than sitting and watching things happen during the game. Yeah, I know it's not totally managerial in that respect, but it's fun for me. It's similar to how FPS Baseball Pro was easy to play with a mouse and keyboard - you could settle into playing on a laptop sans gamepad and still control players on the field fairly well.
Anyway, though the impressions I've read so far haven't really swayed me away from FOM2k9, I'll probably hold out until I'm a bit more certain that someone can find a way to mod the PC version to allow for the use of custom / expansion teams (OOTP really shines in the customization area). I noted that there is a "Fantasy" draft option, which could be good enough to tide me over until the modders crack open the team databases in the game.
Anyway, though the impressions I've read so far haven't really swayed me away from FOM2k9, I'll probably hold out until I'm a bit more certain that someone can find a way to mod the PC version to allow for the use of custom / expansion teams (OOTP really shines in the customization area). I noted that there is a "Fantasy" draft option, which could be good enough to tide me over until the modders crack open the team databases in the game.
-
AJColossal
- Starting 5
- Posts: 882
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Chicago
I've read a lot of potential issues here and there, but the one that stood out to me was the sim engine. Things like no team hitting below .290, most team ERAs in the 5's, stuff like that. Granted, very few games ever get this right, but it'd be nice if it was within some realm of possibility.
What are you guys seeing with stats when you sim a season?
What are you guys seeing with stats when you sim a season?
I'm going slow with my game so far, but maybe I'll just sim a whole season and not save it to see how the stats play out.
One thing that really irks me is that you cannot adjust your lineup right before a game, it has to be done before hand at your main lineup screen. So any changes you make are permanent and you can't adjust on a game by game basis.
Also, it would be nice to have the pitchers roles listed in the bullpen screen, as it is they are all listed as "P". It would be better if you could see who your middle and long relievers are right there until you get a chance to know the new guys.
One thing that really irks me is that you cannot adjust your lineup right before a game, it has to be done before hand at your main lineup screen. So any changes you make are permanent and you can't adjust on a game by game basis.
Also, it would be nice to have the pitchers roles listed in the bullpen screen, as it is they are all listed as "P". It would be better if you could see who your middle and long relievers are right there until you get a chance to know the new guys.
2319!
Gamertag: "Gurantsu"
Gamertag: "Gurantsu"
OK, there is a double switch option in the game. It can be accessed from the defensive sub option, which only appears when your team takes the field.
The only problem is, when you pinch hit for the pitcher, the game forces you to remove the position player before your team takes the field for the next inning. So by the time you get to where you can choose to make a double switch, you've already pulled the position player you want to keep out of the game. Makes you wonder who tests these things sometimes.
I'm still having fun with it, so I'm hoping some of these little things will be fixed in a patch. It's all about the long-haul, so it's cool to sit down and rattle off a whole series where you would play only one game before in a regular console baseball game. I'm getting through most games in around 15 minutes.
The only problem is, when you pinch hit for the pitcher, the game forces you to remove the position player before your team takes the field for the next inning. So by the time you get to where you can choose to make a double switch, you've already pulled the position player you want to keep out of the game. Makes you wonder who tests these things sometimes.
I'm still having fun with it, so I'm hoping some of these little things will be fixed in a patch. It's all about the long-haul, so it's cool to sit down and rattle off a whole series where you would play only one game before in a regular console baseball game. I'm getting through most games in around 15 minutes.
2319!
Gamertag: "Gurantsu"
Gamertag: "Gurantsu"
OK, here is my biggest beef in the game. I took the Phillies and by the beginning of June I'm 18 games behind the Mets. Now, if this were due strictly to my terrible GM/manager skills I would be fine with it. But it seems to me the problems are with the stats.
You see, your GM can level up, like a baseball version of D&D. Part of the leveling process is to upgrade your coaches. So even though I took over the reigning champions, the coaches were brought up from a local volunteer little league team, thus lowering all of my players stats accordingly. So the Phils are all around bad, can't hit, can't pitch, can't catch. I've read some of the 2K forums and this is a problem no matter what team you start with. You'd think that even if you brought in a whole new staff as a GM you would at least bring in guys with some skills.
The problem is that this was a design decision. If I wanted to start out with a poor team I would take my beloved Pirates. To add to the mess, since your team is terrible, you don't get many experience points, so can't level up your guy. I haven't made enough to level up yet.
I know that Head Coach did a similar thing, but it didn't effect your team to the extent that it does here. It has WAY too much influence on the field.
It's a real shame because you can see that there is a cool game in there somewhere. But all of the little bugs are adding up and starting to make me not want to waste my time with it. My son loves it though, so we still play it.
My recommendation is don't touch it with a ten-foot pole, unless a patch is released.
You see, your GM can level up, like a baseball version of D&D. Part of the leveling process is to upgrade your coaches. So even though I took over the reigning champions, the coaches were brought up from a local volunteer little league team, thus lowering all of my players stats accordingly. So the Phils are all around bad, can't hit, can't pitch, can't catch. I've read some of the 2K forums and this is a problem no matter what team you start with. You'd think that even if you brought in a whole new staff as a GM you would at least bring in guys with some skills.
The problem is that this was a design decision. If I wanted to start out with a poor team I would take my beloved Pirates. To add to the mess, since your team is terrible, you don't get many experience points, so can't level up your guy. I haven't made enough to level up yet.
I know that Head Coach did a similar thing, but it didn't effect your team to the extent that it does here. It has WAY too much influence on the field.
It's a real shame because you can see that there is a cool game in there somewhere. But all of the little bugs are adding up and starting to make me not want to waste my time with it. My son loves it though, so we still play it.
My recommendation is don't touch it with a ten-foot pole, unless a patch is released.
2319!
Gamertag: "Gurantsu"
Gamertag: "Gurantsu"
That's a shame, because if implemented properly, I think that "leveling up" your manager in the game could be fun. Since you are limited to managing MLB teams only, 2k really should patch this issue.Gurantsu wrote:You see, your GM can level up, like a baseball version of D&D. Part of the leveling process is to upgrade your coaches. So even though I took over the reigning champions, the coaches were brought up from a local volunteer little league team, thus lowering all of my players stats accordingly. So the Phils are all around bad, can't hit, can't pitch, can't catch. I've read some of the 2K forums and this is a problem no matter what team you start with. You'd think that even if you brought in a whole new staff as a GM you would at least bring in guys with some skills.
The problem is that this was a design decision. If I wanted to start out with a poor team I would take my beloved Pirates. To add to the mess, since your team is terrible, you don't get many experience points, so can't level up your guy. I haven't made enough to level up yet.
I know that Head Coach did a similar thing, but it didn't effect your team to the extent that it does here. It has WAY too much influence on the field.
If FOM 2k9 allowed you to start your career in the minors with crap stats and work your way up into a MLB job, that would probably be appealing to me.
Since you start with a MLB franchise right away in the game, the stats should be FAR less of a factor than the talent you have on the field and the strategies you implement. Rather than being more immersive, the flawed implementation of the design apparently makes it seem more like a game based on MLB management than a realistic management sim.