Considering buying the game

[Buck Beach]

Any feedback on the learning curve of this game and the time dedication. Getting slower and slower mentally.

[LetsPlay2]

Hey Buck Beach, Welcome !!

Any feedback on the learning curve of this game and the time dedication. Getting slower and slower mentally.

Just read some of The Locker posts and check out the dedication. This game has a little learning curve but it is very indepth without frying the brain !!!!! [:)]

Have a look around !

Again Welcome and enjoy !!

[BaseballNoob]

I fully endorse this game. It's like digital heroin.

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: BaseballNoob

It's like digital heroin.

LOL. I'm not sure if I can endorse that description, but I often find myself staying up way too late, thinking to myself, "just ONE more game, and then I'll stop." Finish game, repeat rationalization.

[Buck Beach]

If possible give me an example of your game playing style. For instance what level of control, season , number of teams, actual teams and rosters or drafted. I previously owned APBA (or is it ABPA) table top, computer SOM and Baseball Mogul (that I never loaded). Not looking for a comparison but just throwing them out for informational purposes.

[KG Erwin]

BuckBeach, how old are you? Some of us are in our 50s, and we have no memory of certain historical eras. In Pure-Sim, you can transport yourself to a different time. That's how I play. The old classic ballparks (Ebbets, Forbes, Crosley etc) still exist, and long-gone players still play in them.

To get a fuller description of what this game can and can't do, just look at the Locker Reports. Some folks sim out seasons. Others, like me, pick a team and play out each game. The rosters can be differing sizes, going from 35 to 60 players (within certain restrictions).

There is one important caveat when using real players --- they may or may not perform similar to their historical counterparts. PS uses a relativistic ratings system derived from the Lahman Player database. A suspension of belief IS required -- no two seasons will come out exactly the same. This is an important point. This is NOT an APBA-style replication, by any means.

Many factors come into play, including environmental ones such as the ballparks and the weather conditions. This is a humanistic-oriented game, NOT designed to be played in a strict stat-geek vacuum.

Go for it, man. Take advantage of the half-price sale. I don't think you'd be disappointed.

[Buck Beach]

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

BuckBeach, how old are you? Some of us are in our 50s, and we have no memory of certain historical eras. In Pure-Sim, you can transport yourself to a different time. That's how I play. The old classic ballparks (Ebbets, Forbes, Crosley etc) still exist, and long-gone players still play in them.

I'll be 65 early December. I was an avid West Coast fan of the Cincinnati Red legs (any body remember them. How about Big Klu, F. Robinson, Wally Post, Johnny Temple, Roy McMillan, and I can name the rest of the squad from memory BUT DON'T ASK ME ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPEN YESTERDAY) from the mid-1950's through their 1970's hey days who were by then back to their original name. the Reds. God did I love them. Now (and I am very serious), I couldn't tell you one team members name. Later I liked the Padres but again now I can't tell you one name.

I think I'll take your advice and buy in. However, one more question. With SOM there were ump-teen additional purchase items. Is this the case with this game?

[donkuchi19]

Shaun often writes updates but they are offered for free as patches. There are a few fansites that offer add ons such as real stadium packs, real player pictures, and other add ons. None of these are charged for though.

[Bustoff]

Wow. The terms "digital heroin" and "stat-geek vacuum" both used in the same thread. I think I'll have to print this one out and tape it to the wall. [;)]

Welcome to the board, Buck. There's a pretty cool community out at http://puresimmers.ning.com/...check it out.

Maybe this is a topic for another thread, but I have noticed that the age demographic for PureSim users seems to be skewed waaaaaay toward the early 40's and beyond. While there are quite a few "youngsters" in the crowd, PS's base seems to be mostly boomers and near-boomers. Why is this? Not that I'm complaining, mind you...I am pushing 60 pretty hard myself. Just curious.

[Buck Beach]

ORIGINAL: Bustoff
Maybe this is a topic for another thread, but I have noticed that the age demographic for PureSim users seems to be skewed waaaaaay toward the early 40's and beyond. While there are quite a few "youngsters" in the crowd, PS's base seems to be mostly boomers and near-boomers. Why is this? Not that I'm complaining, mind you...I am pushing 60 pretty hard myself. Just curious.

Maybe we come from an era that a kid could actually afford the "hobby" if you will. I used to hop a bus in suburbs of San Diego and go downtown where I could see the Pacific Coast League -San Diego Padres play for 50 cents. Occasionally we were treated to a major league non-season game for the same price. I remember going down with my dad to see the New York Giants play the Cleveland Indians in the spring after they had played each other in the 1954 World Series. I knew every single players name position and stats. I subscribed to the Sporting News for the entire year to keep up-to-date on, not only the season, but the off season trades. Each year I would have a 6 inch stack of that hard slab of gum that came with the Topp's Baseball cards trying to put together all the teams. I finally figured out I could buy the entire set for right at $13.00.

Here is another thought. Baseball was so very different then and I miss it. Eight Teams in two leagues and prior to West Coast migration and abandonment of Baseball rich tradition cities. The best team of the National played the best of the American League in the World Series not a round robin basketball type tournament for the World Champion. No DH making the game more interesting from a strategy viewpoint. No inter-league seasonal play, and that alone made the World Series more interesting.

Also back then before, Curt Flood, many players spent most of their careers with one or two teams and the teams improved themselves by shrewed trades or cultivating players through their farm teams. Present system of buying your way to a championship with free agents, while great (and just BTW) for the players it helped kill baseball for me.

I could go on but I am nostalgically rambling.

Please, I'm not looking for an argument or a debate on the merits of then and now. It is what it is and there is no going back. You had to ask.[;)]

[BaseballNoob]

I'm only 39 and loved baseball as a kid, during the mid to late '70s and early '80s. But even I feel that it's not the same game now as it was then, and really don't have a lot of interest in real world baseball any more. The final nail in the coffin for me was when they added interleague play. The concept just doesn't fit in with what the World Series is supposed to be about.

[donkuchi19]

39 here as well. I have always been a diehard Indians fan. I do feel though that it is much different from when I was a kid. I used to be able to go the old Cleveland Stadium and buy a ticket for like $4 or 5$ bucks and then move up to the front row by the end of the game. (The Indians really did suck bad back then which made it easier since there were only a couple of thousand people there anyways) Today, I just can't see spending $200 to take my family to go see a bunch of millionaires play a game that I would much rather be playing myself. If it were not for the Aluminum bat, I would probably watch more college baseball the way I watch college football and basketball. Those are getting ruined though now as well with the players using it as a minor league system and leaving school at the first opportunity to make it big. They then get paid millions of dollars to act like they are entititled to be jerks to everyone. (not all players but enough of them to make me sick of it)

[Frido1207]

edit

[Bustoff]

Forgive me if I wax nostalgic for a bit here myself. I too remember when it was a game first and a business second. I grew up in St. Louis, and my mother was a stone crazy Cardinals fan. For years, nearly every week all summer long she would take my brother and me--and sometimes a whole posse of our friends--to see the Redbirds play in the old, old Busch Stadium. With just the three of us, it cost Mom maybe 10 bucks for tickets, snacks, etc. Not exactly pocket change in the late 50s-early 60s, but we got our money's worth much more so than you can get now by spending 20 times that much. It was a game, that's all it was.

A few weeks ago I found a bulky envelope buried back in a desk drawer. In it were literally dozens of ticket stubs from games I had attended, with the score written on the back (the Cardinals hardly ever lost games when I was there). God, what a trip that was sorting through them! You can see one--from 1962--out at my Community site.

I think you may be on it, Buck...those who remember the "good old days" of baseball--it's a horrible cliche, but I can't think of a better one--can use PS to return to those days. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Put me in, Coach. I'm ready to play!

[KG Erwin]

I've written a few blog posts on the PS Ning page about my interest in the pre-1960 era. Oddly, though, I didn't become a serious MLB fan until I was in my late 20s (circa 1985).

[Buck Beach]

Well I put down the money and bought the game a two days ago. Sale went through and they charged my credit card, gave me my Order and Serial Number and told me to push the button to begin downloading. Pushed it and my download program Internet Download gave me a start. Pushed start and got a message that "the server replies you don't have permissions to download file HTTP/1.1403 Forbidden" Looked around for solutions and enabled all cookies, deleted existing cookies, disabled my Firewall and Virus programs. Still nothing. One of the chiefs (David Heath I think) mentioned in one of his posts that AOL has a problem but I was using Explorer already. He also referred to a free Download program I hadn't used so I downloaded it set it up and tried again. Guess what same result Forbidden.

I sent off emails and I have yet to get a response. Not off to a good start[:@]

[KG Erwin]

Buck Beach, I just PM'ed one of the Matrix admins on your behalf. We'll get this fixed for you.

Check your security settings on your PC. Is some virus scan you have installed blocking the download? Disable that security stuff before you try to d/l the game.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Buck Beach
Well I put down the money and bought the game a two days ago. Sale went through and they charged my credit card, gave me my Order and Serial Number and told me to push the button to begin downloading. Pushed it and my download program Internet Download gave me a start. Pushed start and got a message that "the server replies you don't have permissions to download file HTTP/1.1403 Forbidden" Looked around for solutions and enabled all cookies, deleted existing cookies, disabled my Firewall and Virus programs. Still nothing. One of the chiefs (David Heath I think) mentioned in one of his posts that AOL has a problem but I was using Explorer already. He also referred to a free Download program I hadn't used so I downloaded it set it up and tried again. Guess what same result Forbidden.

I sent off emails and I have yet to get a response. Not off to a good start[:@]

Hi Buck,

Please e-mail me at erikr@matrixgames.com and also support@matrixgames.com with your order number and we'll see if we can figure out what's going on. It sounds like you've already turned off most of the things that could interfere, but let's talk and see what we can figure out.

Regards,

- Erik

[Buck Beach]

Thank you for your assistance and placing me in contact with Erik. Even before I had a chance to email him I receive some more instruction from Matrix support and it help. I am in the process of downloading (on dial up) now.

Thanks again.

[Buck Beach]

Thanks Erik but it looks like the problem is solved after more detailed instructions from Matrix Support as to hoe to use "right click and target as" instead of the download button.
I appreciate your fast response in your efforts to help me.