Doesn't anyone get tired of every team having the same players?

[JudP]

Hope it is OK to vent a liitle more on Perfect Team... Criticisms are welcome.
Pick any Diamond team and they almost all have the same pitching staff,,, and many have the same hitters. I have played countless teams now that pitch Johnson/Koufax/Spahn/Maddux/Rixey. What happened to all the other great pitchers in the player cards? Did their skills just evaporate? It seems the OOTP gods really don't follow player abilities at all and just annoint certain players that everyone needs to get. I is not only annoying, but makes me wonder if this game is worth playing anymore. There is no suspenser, andf very little thought process.
Supposedly this is somewhat based on major league baseball, but hitters that had incredible careers cant seem to play up to their numberts, and the answer you balways get is that they never faced pitchers of this calibre. Really???? Many of them faced better. And if that logic was true, then why do mediocre hitters hit these so called great pitchers? Because they are the annointed playersd for this year?
If you look at a players card and note the year tyhe card is based on, go check the players stats for that year. You'll find that a piotcher that rarely walked anoyone that year is now walking everyone. Its beyond ludicfrous.
This game would be so much more interesting if there were more4 players that pertformed to their numbers and every team didnt have the same players.
I understandf some people just enjoy getting all the same players... but I think it would be great to face different pitchers and batters, creating a market for a wider variety of players.
This game could be so much better with a variety of different teams that used the abilities of various pl;ayers to build a real perfect team.

[Charley575]

I think the biggest problem is that 100 is not really 100.There are so many cards rated 100 that are terrible and others that are like comic book super heroes. Basically any Live card plays 15-20 points below stated OVR. Non-Live 100s are a whole universe within the larger universe of cards where there are CERTAIN 100s that everybody needs to get and you can pretty much only get them if you are VERY lucky or willing to drop BIG $ on the game, which... fair enough I guess but I agree with your assessment that beyond a certain point the fun factor drops off significantly.

I think the only reason these kinds of games are free to play is just to fill in the pool of active users to create an in game economy that makes it fun to play for the much smaller pool of people who have the money and the dedication to chase these truly "Perfect" cards and get to the top of the mountain so they can have bragging rights over other similar minded users, most of whom they will never actually meet. Then the next year the whole thing starts over from step 1.

Whatever.

Personally, as a no/minimal money player I have managed to build 3 teams up to be competitive at Silver. I win the Silver league and then the same roster gets annihilated at Gold the next week. Back down to Silver. Lather, rinse, repeat.

[daves]

I prefer the peak cards gone. Yeah all Diamond teams are about the same. The only difference are those that have millions for the HOF cards?

[professor ape]

It’s January. Pretty much everyone in Diamond and Perfect is going to have the bulk of the top cards. At that point it is just a matter of time before the collective settles on which cards make up the best roster. If a few stronger cards are introduced, then it is just a matter of time that they work their way into the bulk of the rosters. It is inevitable.
Regarding the cards not reflecting reality, that is true but you have to remember that this is a card game sitting on top of a baseball simulation. You just have to go with it.

[Hertston]

Well, at least I only use three of those in my rotation .

TBH, not really, as I don't pay much attention to who others are fielding any more. There is nothing to be gained looking out for players you might want to acquire when I already know who they are and I can't afford them.

[jeffstified]

The game needs additional elements that would enable different rosters to be competitive. For example, certain players play better with other players. Javy Lopez was a great catcher. But, he and Maddux didn't get along, so Eddie Perez was Maddux's personal catcher. If Maddux had to pitch to Lopez, it wasn't like he was terrible, just maybe not quite as good.

Other ideas I've seen are adding coaching and stadium cards. They would help with building winning teams with different styles, therefore different players. Power hitters at Coors Field, speedsters at Polo Grounds. Coaches would improve certain players, be neutral to others and even degrade performance for some.

[TwanLX2000]

Honestly, unless people are playing diamond tournaments or buying perfect packs (and most of us can’t afford those), I’m not sure why the “too many 100 cards” criticism greatly diminishes the game. When I get a card that I don’t need or can’t use, it’s a question of whether I’d rather collect 4K or 20K for that quick sell, so they’re welcome to throw me a Live Acuna as often as they want.

I know that we want all of the cards to offer some sort of usefulness, but it’s not reasonable to expect thousands of players not to play the better card given their personal opportunity, whether a 63, an 85, or a supercharged 100. The creep has to be a difficult thing to plan in advance and keep people engaged, because at some point those who’ve opened hundreds of packs over the better part of a year are going to reap the benefits of playing the cards that earn the best results. I’m not sure what the PT team can do to discourage any of us from doing that. Creating diversity for the sake of diversity (with similar ratings on every card) would only lead to a gridlock of competition with no room for improvement. It would essentially become a card trading platform, since there’s be no other incentive for whales to make purchases.

Aside from Roger Clemens for obvious reasons, there’s not a single player on my roster that isn’t a HOFer. In response to the argument that some of the players competed against better, I don’t think any player in history has ever played a full 162 games against 25 HOFers. It’s statistically impossible for Ted Williams to hit .400 and the HOF pitchers to continue to put up their career ERAs, peak or no peak. I think we can legitimately argue whether hitting “avoid K” or pitching control should be the end all / be all of a card’s usefulness, but the outcomes at the higher levels of the game would be the same, regardless of the numerical scale or what label is placed on the meta players.

I get irrationally frustrated or emotional about this game almost weekly, so I get where everyone is coming from, particularly on the weeks that I take 120 loss beatings because I’m the only team not playing the same five pitchers. I try to prepare myself for the inevitable by having a logical understanding of where I’m at in comparison to the competition, because getting upset that Frank Thomas is an inferior hitter to Roger Connor on the game isn’t helping my team get better.

(Did you know that the Big Hurt walked 138 times during his first full season in the bigs? That’s insane!)

[Kushiel]

I have asked for stadium cards to ease the cheese metas and allow other strategies, hence other players every season of PT. There has not been an acknowledgement yet that any Dev actually read those. I know they read it but they stay away from those kind of recommendations it seems.

[professor ape]

Originally Posted by Kushiel

I have asked for stadium cards to ease the cheese metas and allow other strategies, hence other players every season of PT. There has not been an acknowledgement yet that any Dev actually read those. I know they read it but they stay away from those kind of recommendations it seems.

Stadium and manager cards were my two thoughts some time ago. Stadium cards would replace the free nerfing of our ballparks. However, I’m not sold on this as many real life parks are much more extreme than the current boundaries that are allowed. This could actually cause more problems than it would create benefits.

I am more intrigued by the idea of manager cards. Different managers would nerf the players in different ways. The default manager would have no impact. You could then have varying impact from different managers which would be acquired as cards just like the players. If you got Whitey Herzog then he might give your players a +3 bump in base stealing and base running, and a +2 in pitchers control. Earl Weaver could give batters a +3 power, +2 defense, and +3 stamina. I like this because it could add a bit of variety to teams with similar lineups.

[JudP]

Originally Posted by Charley575

I think the biggest problem is that 100 is not really 100.There are so many cards rated 100 that are terrible and others that are like comic book super heroes. Basically any Live card plays 15-20 points below stated OVR. Non-Live 100s are a whole universe within the larger universe of cards where there are CERTAIN 100s that everybody needs to get and you can pretty much only get them if you are VERY lucky or willing to drop BIG $ on the game, which... fair enough I guess but I agree with your assessment that beyond a certain point the fun factor drops off significantly.

I think the only reason these kinds of games are free to play is just to fill in the pool of active users to create an in game economy that makes it fun to play for the much smaller pool of people who have the money and the dedication to chase these truly "Perfect" cards and get to the top of the mountain so they can have bragging rights over other similar minded users, most of whom they will never actually meet. Then the next year the whole thing starts over from step 1.

Whatever.

Personally, as a no/minimal money player I have managed to build 3 teams up to be competitive at Silver. I win the Silver league and then the same roster gets annihilated at Gold the next week. Back down to Silver. Lather, rinse, repeat.

You made some really great comments and I agree with lots of your assessments.
I feel that if they wanted people to try and spend a little more they wouldn't block you out of ever moving up. It's interesting how you can build a team with speed, power and defense (according to their player numbers) and then that team loses to teams with no balance but that own the "chosen" players. It makes me not want to spend a nickel more on this game but just compete at a lower level. I think they shoot themselves in the foot by not having more players play to their category ratings.
But thanks so much for your insight!!!

[JudP]

Originally Posted by professor ape

It’s January. Pretty much everyone in Diamond and Perfect is going to have the bulk of the top cards. At that point it is just a matter of time before the collective settles on which cards make up the best roster. If a few stronger cards are introduced, then it is just a matter of time that they work their way into the bulk of the rosters. It is inevitable.
Regarding the cards not reflecting reality, that is true but you have to remember that this is a card game sitting on top of a baseball simulation. You just have to go with it.

It is a card game. You are correct there. But the simulation should bear some resemblance to the ratings put on the cards and the abilities of those players. Don't get me wrong; Koufax and Johnson were great pitchers. But there are lots of great pitchers in the hall of fame, and just anointing a few cards each year takes value from the other cards and makes it seem like nobody rating these players ever saw a baseball game. I'm just finding the game to be getting awfully boring very fast. I imagine that as things open up and we all get out more that this game will not be of much interest to me.

[JudP]

Originally Posted by daves

I prefer the peak cards gone. Yeah all Diamond teams are about the same. The only difference are those that have millions for the HOF cards?

Thank you for responding.

[JudP]

Originally Posted by Hertston

Well, at least I only use three of those in my rotation .

TBH, not really, as I don't pay much attention to who others are fielding any more. There is nothing to be gained looking out for players you might want to acquire when I already know who they are and I can't afford them.

Thanks for the chuckle!! Good luck.

[JudP]

I get irrationally frustrated or emotional about this game almost weekly, so I get where everyone is coming from, particularly on the weeks that I take 120 loss beatings because I’m the only team not playing the same five pitchers. I try to prepare myself for the inevitable by having a logical understanding of where I’m at in comparison to the competition, because getting upset that Frank Thomas is an inferior hitter to Roger Connor on the game isn’t helping my team get better."

Its that frustration that I am certain drives players to not even check their teams when they reach the Diamond level, or tank the teams so you don't have to go back there again. It is beyond boring to face the same five pitchers every game.

[JudP]

Originally Posted by Kushiel

I have asked for stadium cards to ease the cheese metas and allow other strategies, hence other players every season of PT. There has not been an acknowledgement yet that any Dev actually read those. I know they read it but they stay away from those kind of recommendations it seems.

Funny you mention stadiums as I have seen stadiums with huge walls and others with the walls so far away that nobody could hit over them. How would stadium cards work?

[HRBaker]

The basic problem of Perfect Team for those of us looking for more of a "baseball game" is one that can't be fixed. Namely, everyone has access to the same players. In the real world, There's only one of each player - so you never see what you see in Perfect Team - Tris Speaker playing CF for 25 of 30 teams in the league. This is also why you eventually see 6 versions of a player - the last of which are "superman" cards.

That said, I do have a suggestion that would make things a lot better - but I doubt the OOTP team would be willing to make such a change.

Instead of "making up" more and more powerful cards as the year progresses, resulting in a flood of 100s ranging from mediocre to gods, fix each available card to a specific player year and his associated stats for that year. No more "fictional scenarios", no more "players of the month", no more "special editions" no more "franchise heros", etc. etc. etc.

Simply a card for each player for each of the best seasons of his career - released from worst to best. THAT way, there would be more variation in rosters and lineups. One person would play Tris Speaker in 1916 with his .386/.470/502 stat line and someone else would play his 1912 card because that's the best card they had.

I think the game would be a lot more challenging in the sense of mixing and matching players represented by the best years in their careers rather than competing for "superman" cards.

PS: By the way, yes, I would like to see stadium cards added to the mix.

[bailey]

Originally Posted by HRBaker

Simply a card for each player for each of the best seasons of his career - released from worst to best. THAT way, there would be more variation in rosters and lineups. One person would play Tris Speaker in 1916 with his .386/.470/502 stat line and someone else would play his 1912 card because of his 1919 card because that's the best he had.

I had this idea a while ago, but I was thinking if you bought Tris Speaker his first season with your team reflected his real life rookie season, then then next week it reflected his real life 2nd season and so on until the end and then it would start over. In order to advance his career you would have to play him 502 PA**. So, you couldn't hide his bad years on the inactive list. Nor could you sell this one and buy a new one to start over; it would pick up where the old one left off. That way, there would be more variety of rosters and there would be strategy and planning for when Tris Speaker would have the most impact on your team.

**There's an obvious flaw, but the remedy would take too long to explain.

[professor ape]

Originally Posted by HRBaker

The basic problem of Perfect Team for those of us looking for more of a "baseball game" is one that can't be fixed. Namely, everyone has access to the same players. In the real world, There's only one of each player - so you never see what you see in Perfect Team - Tris Speaker playing CF for 25 of 30 teams in the league. This is also why you eventually see 6 versions of a player - the last of which are "superman" cards.

That said, I do have a suggestion that would make things a lot better - but I doubt the OOTP team would be willing to make such a change.

Instead of "making up" more and more powerful cards as the year progresses, resulting in a flood of 100s ranging from mediocre to gods, fix each available card to a specific player year and his associated stats for that year. No more "fictional scenarios", no more "players of the month", no more "special editions" no more "franchise heros", etc. etc. etc.

Simply a card for each player for each of the best seasons of his career - released from worst to best. THAT way, there would be more variation in rosters and lineups. One person would play Tris Speaker in 1916 with his .386/.470/502 stat line and someone else would play his 1912 card because of his 1919 card because that's the best he had.

I think the game would be a lot more challenging in the sense of mixing and matching players represented by the best years in their careers rather than competing for "superman" cards.

PS: By the way, yes, I would like to see stadium cards added to the mix.

The main issue here is that the Special Editions, FH, and other feature cards create a good bit of the excitement through the season. The other issue is that your suggestion would just create a different set of cards that the collective determines are the optimum roster. You can have whatever labels you want on them, there will be a group of cards that are “the best” at any given time.

Regarding the stadium cards, many real stadiums are more extreme than that the game currently allows. I’m quite sure they would cause more problems than they solve. I’ve become more of a believer in the idea of manager cards.

[Fabtron7]

Many players, for sure most that play in the upper levels, feel this way. For whatever reason the power ramp was far more extreme this yeah than in previous cycles. In PT21 you had cards like 100 Tris that played from day one to the end and even some diamond cards (gasp) that played at the highest levels right up to the end. this cycle I think the last day-1 (packable) perfects to be used at the higher levels were Ned Hanlon and maybe Tim McCarver… and that was many months ago at this point.

I’m hoping to see many things tweaked in PT23, but card balance (both in their strength and when they’re released in the cycle) is probably the biggest one.

[rburgh]

Would be to have 4 or 5 cards at each position (and 20 or 30 SP and relievers) that are roughly as good at the top tier. Then mixing and matching skills to provide a lineup that complements each other and a pitching staff that has multiple looks would require even the whales to tinker.


And the top end cards would be available via different routes - some available from packs, some from missions, some from tournaments. That way, whatever your preferred method of play, you would have a chance.


But it doesn't matter that much, to me, right now. My teams are all in the silver/gold loop with no way out since there is no liquidity in the AH right now.



That's another fix they should have, every hour they should go through the AH and put in one of every pack-available card not currently for sale, on a 24 hour open ended bid from the minimum. That way, you would always have a chance to buy the card you need for a mission. And the open ended auction would probably help them generate more PP sales, which would make them more money.