What is the best baseball SIM series

[Flasch186]

which one?

I have both Baseball Mogul and OOTP6 and I cant decide.

[maximus]

IMO its hands down OOTP with PS a close second and BM a far...far third.

[cartman]

My vote is for the old Front Page Sports series.

[MJ4H]

Where is FPS Baseball Pro option

[Cuckoo]

I think it's clearly OOTP. That's certainly no offense to the others, but despite its issues, OOTP is further along in my opinion.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by maximus

IMO its hands down OOTP with PS a close second

Don't the phrases "hands down" and "close second" contradict one another?

[MJ4H]

I wouldnt think so. One can be a clear first (which is how i interpret "hands down" -- maybe it means something i didnt think it meant) and still have something else be a close second.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Don't the phrases "hands down" and "close second" contradict one another?

Not really.

[Flasch186]

so the OOTP has that patch to be 6.5?

[QuikSand]

Guess I'm learning my thing for today. I would always use "hands down" as synonymous with "by a wide margin" or "very clearly." I don't see room for a "close second" in that usage... but perhaps I've used the phrase too narrowly.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Guess I'm learning my thing for today. I would always use "hands down" as synonymous with "by a wide margin" or "very clearly." I don't see room for a "close second" in that usage... but perhaps I've used the phrase too narrowly.

FWIW Quik, I would agree with you...

But hey, what do I know, I'm just a stoopid Frenchman...

[maximus]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Guess I'm learning my thing for today. I would always use "hands down" as synonymous with "by a wide margin" or "very clearly." I don't see room for a "close second" in that usage... but perhaps I've used the phrase too narrowly.

I understand where you are coming from. Yeah, by "hands down" I meant that OOTP, having the staying power and overall engine it uses, is the better choice but PS being a close second meaning that it does have some features that I really like, ect. and with a few more sim engine tweaks it could some day match or over take OOTP. Again, this was what I meant. Maybe the majority of people use "hands down" the way you do (a wide margin spread) but hands down to me (in this case) that overall its the better choice right now.

[MizzouRah]

Out of the Park, but I do have fun with Puresim and BB Mogul.

OOTP is so deep statwise and with 6.5 looming, could move even further apart from the other two sims mentioned.


Todd

[jbmagic]

ok who voted for baseball Mogul. come out and post that you did.

i like OOTP#1, Puresim #2, Baseball mogul #3

i wonder if puresim new update 8.2 is any good. anybody that have the game. a review will be great on 8.2

[Zippo]

OOTP.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

ok who voted for baseball Mogul. come out and post that you did.

It was me. I've had great fun with the early BMs, such as BM98 and 2000. It was Mogul which got me started in text sims PC games (I used to play strat-o-matic before). BM also led me to FOF and to this place. For all these reasons, and also because the poll is about series and not an individual game, I voted for Mogul.

On the other hand, I never really played Puresim, and even though I played a lot of OOTP, I never really enjoyed it as much as BM. Especially the last one, OOTP6, I couldn't get into it at all...

So there!

[st.cronin]

None of the above.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

None of the above.

So your choice is...?

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

So your choice is...?

DMB, even without career play.

[condors]

another vote for dmb here

[Young Drachma]

Front Page Sports Baseball

[st.cronin]

btw

if dmb had solid career play, I think I would pay 500 dollars for it.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

btw

if dmb had solid career play, I think I would pay 500 dollars for it.

What is DMB? I never hear of it.

EDIT: Answered my own question (Diamond Mind Baseball)

[Bubba Wheels]

What made Front Page Sports Baseball unique was that it had a physics program that modeled the flight of the ball off of the bat, theoretically making every contact between bat and ball unique and mirroring real life. Factor in weather and stadium conditions and that made it pretty special. Never heard anyone since even wanting to do this.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

btw

if dmb had solid career play, I think I would pay 500 dollars for it.

seconded.

[sovereignstar]

I liked Baseball Pro as much as the next guy, but saying that it's the "best baseball sim series" is a fucking joke. This shouldn't be an era-relative comparison.

No salaries, a joke of a minor league system, no platoon lineups, etcetera. The list just goes on and on. I loved the game, but it doesn't belong here. I didn't pay too much attention to the High Heat series ever, but it probably deserves to be in here before Baseball Pro. It was fun from '93 to '98, let's just leave it at that.

[Bubba Wheels]

Well, on my part just pointing out a feature that I would like to see updated and today. Not saying the game itself was the best, though personally if I could ever get it to work on my computer I would probably play it quite a bit. Individual players had "bio-rhythms" that created hot and cold streaks for them.

[Suicane75]

I would still be playing baseball pro over any other sim out there if the players didnt get regenerated. Everything else i could work around and enjoy the living frig out of.

[MJ4H]

It depends on what things are important to you in a baseball sim. Apparently, you would be very surprised to learn that none of the things you listed bother me in the slightest. In fact, I PREFER there be no financial system (I hate having to doodle with that crap. If I wanted to play with money I would play Capitalism). So, in my book, FPS is still the best. It really is ok with me that you disagree, as I realize you have different priorities for your baseball sims.

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

It depends on what things are important to you in a baseball sim. Apparently, you would be very surprised to learn that none of the things you listed bother me in the slightest. In fact, I PREFER there be no financial system (I hate having to doodle with that crap. If I wanted to play with money I would play Capitalism). So, in my book, FPS is still the best. It really is ok with me that you disagree, as I realize you have different priorities for your baseball sims.

That's cool. Can I ask what do you like in a sim then? I remember having to use a bunch of modifier files created by other games. The ammy draft had to be tweaked and even that didn't help that much. Most of the pb.ini(s) were brutual, whether it be for the MLB leagues or fictional ones. Just a lot of stuff that didn't work right.

[MJ4H]

Well being able to see my players in action is a big plus for me (so the realistic physics engine is huge for me). I understand there are problems with the game, but it is also very flexible with editing ratings to compensate and the pb.ini allowed for even more flexibility. The flexibility combined with good graphic representation of the action is what makes it the best. I loved to play games in manage mode and see the action unfold.

[Bubba Wheels]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

That's cool. Can I ask what do you like in a sim then? I remember having to use a bunch of modifier files created by other games. The ammy draft had to be tweaked and even that didn't help that much. Most of the pb.ini(s) were brutual, whether it be for the MLB leagues or fictional ones. Just a lot of stuff that didn't work right.

Which version are you speaking of? There were three version, I think, skipping one year and ending in 98...which had scads of 3rd party programmers and flourished on the web for quite awhile. Its death is still painful.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/frontpagesportsbp98/

[JonInMiddleGA]

I guess it depends on how you define "best".

Going by the one I enjoyed the most, that's FPS without hesitation.
Mogul is probably pushing OOTP for 2nd at this point, with PureSim not really feeling like more than an "incomplete" for me so far (in terms of what I've done with it, not the game itself).

[MJ4H]

Well, I don't interpret "best" to mean "closest to MLB because I hate MLB. So that may be where I differ from most. That's why its better to not have finances. They get in the way. In my baseball universe that I want simulated, there wouldn't be salaries.

The point of this is just to remind people that "best" doesn't have to mean "closest to MLB." It certainly is not for me. That's more like "worst."

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by Bubba Wheels

Which version are you speaking of? There were three version, I think, skipping one year and ending in 98...which had scads of 3rd party programmers and flourished on the web for quite awhile. Its death is still painful.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/frontpagesportsbp98/

I owned '94 and '98. I also owned Football Pro and Football Pro '98. I had a marvelous time with Football Pro '98, but the game doesn't even hold a candle to any of the FOF versions.

[MizzouRah]

Best "ever" to me was High Heat 2000. In fact, I still have that puppy. With all the mods and a manage only tune file I created myself.. I played that baseball game more than FPS Baseball Pro '96.

Right now? (and I don't like to compare graphical games vs text games) so OOTP for text sims and MVP 2005 for consoles.

Todd

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

Well, I don't interpret "best" to mean "closest to MLB because I hate MLB. So that may be where I differ from most. That's why its better to not have finances. They get in the way. In my baseball universe that I want simulated, there wouldn't be salaries.

The point of this is just to remind people that "best" doesn't have to mean "closest to MLB." It certainly is not for me. That's more like "worst."

If I'm not mistaken all of the above games offer customizable and fictional leagues. They also offer the ability to modify stats and I believe that financials can be turned off in some, if not all of those games.

[sovereignstar]

The game was pretty, liked the music, the interface was cool. That's just not enough for me to forget the advances and the better work that is done on the games made today.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

If I'm not mistaken all of the above games offer customizable and fictional leagues. They also offer the ability to modify stats and I believe that financials can be turned off in some, if not all of those games.

You are not mistaken. However none of them have the ability to see your players in action with realistic physics models. As I said earlier, that is the big one for me. I only mentioned the other stuff because you said that makes it not a candidate for the best.

[ThunderingHERD]

Graphical: High Heat. Text: OOTP.

[KG Erwin]

Hi, guys. I voted for Pure Sim for several reasons. Shaun Sullivan is a very dedicated designer who asks for on gamer input & testing to improve his game, and he does listen to us. This type of interactive design appeals to me very much, considering my experience in the world of wargaming with Matrix Games' Steel Panthers:World at War, which I have contributed to.

That being said, I think that Pure Sim is a fantastic work-in-progress, and while still regarded as an underdog, is slowly scratching its way to the top of the heap. He took a leap of faith by making the game shareware, and to express my belief in what he was doing, I invested my money in buying the game. I do not regret my decision.

[DMN]

I strongly agree with KG Erwin and like him I voted for PureSim. I play OOTP and will be interested to see what the new 6.5 update brings but overall I like PureSim the most. I believe Shaun is doing all he can to make this the best available sim in the market. Does it currently include every feature I would like to see?? no it does not. But it is a work in progress and with more support and sales the game will be hard to beat within another version or two. Plus Shaun is VERY responsive, on top of issues as they come up and more than willing to listen and implement things asked for by his testers and fan base.

If you have not tried the game you are missing out!! OOTP is a nice game and is more advanced in some ways but they won't have a new version apparently until Spring of 2006 at the earliest. With that delay PureSim can take over the market.

DMN

[ThunderingHERD]

Who linked this thread to a Puresim forum?

[John Galt]

I voted for BM which a few months ago I would have thought impossible. I've already spent more time playing the most recent BM version (despite its flaws) than all the OOTP versions combined. That counts for a lot for me. And I'm a single-player only guy, so most of OOTP's advantages are lost for me. So, I choose the game with a much better interface, ease of starting and stopping (something important to my schedule), and overall "fun" factor. And on those grounds, BM is a "hands down" winner for me.