Happy Thursday! And welcome to another edition of Tabletop Sports Weekly.
The first case of business will deal with the distribution of the newsletter. When I re-started this project after the hiatus, I decided to go to a bi-weekly format, unless I really had something to say, or there were just a diluge of postings. I missed last week's "deadline" due to my employer sending me out of state. In the future, you should get an issue every other week, toward the end of the week. I'm really making no guarantees on a day, because I don't necessarily know what day I'll have the time to sit at the computer and compose the newsletter. Some weeks, it might be Thursday. Other weeks it may be Sunday. In other words, I'm not going to put any pressure on myself for a hard deadline. I really enjoy doing this. But, in the grand scheme of things, the priority of the newsletter is behind a few other things that I have going on.
Now that I have that out of the way, I had several requests from the last newsletter to give a bit of background on myself. I guess it really hadn't dawned on me how many folks were new to the newsletter. So, for some of you that have subscribed over the past 4 years, this is probably "old news" and quite boring. Just bear with me! :
My name is Jeff Downey. I'm 33 years old and am the father of two sons (Tony age 9 and Chris age 7). I have a wonderful wife, Candace, whom I've been married to for 12 years. We reside in a really small town in southern Indiana called Winslow. I was born and raised in Anderson, Indiana. I moved to Frankfort, Indiana when my wife and I were married. I spent 11 years in Frankfort, before moving to Winslow last August.
I work for Hewlett-Packard in Indianapolis, Indiana, and have been employed there for the past 9 years. I also attend classes at Oakland City University, as well as the Southern Baptist Seminary Extension in the "field" of Pastoral Ministry.
In 2000 I took the reins from Jim Gordon and began this publication. Jim had published Sports Game Digest for over 3 years. In May of 2000, I took over publication, changed the name at Jim's request, and picked up where he left off. This four-year journey has been like a roller coaster ride at times, and I've taken two extended periods away from the newsletter, the first sabattical I removed myself from the hobby altogether.
In 2002 I decided to build a website to house many of the games and innovations that members of this list, as well as members of the various forums, had created. The intent was to put everything in one location so it was easy for everyone in the hobby to share their work. Actually, that is a bit of a misnomer. I've had a website dedicated to the hobby since 1999. However, the tabletop-sports.com that you see now, really took form in 2002.
The website has surpassed every expectation that I could have dreamed up. When I started the current site, I would average 300 regular visitors a day, and the monthly data transfer would be 3-5 GB's. Last month alone saw 800,000 hits and 50,000 unique IP's served, along with 96.8 gigs of data transferred. While that's not in the ballpark of many major sites. That's pretty darned good for a gaming website. Let alone a niche site dealing with tabletop sports games!
My passion for tabletop sports games started at a very early age. As soon as I was old enough to read, my dad had purchased a few sports games for me. Games like: Whitman's Baseball, Basketball and Football offerings, Cadaco's All-Star Baseball and All-Pro Football. I also had several electronic sports games that I would use to play with my baseball cards.
It wasn't until I was 11 years old though, that I came to know what many of us consider as tabletop sports games today. That was when I purchased my first Strat-O-Matic baseball game. I bought one of the introductory games that were sold at Kay-bee toys for $10. The game came with six teams from 1980. I had the Pirates, Braves, Cubs, Yankees, Astros, and Giants. I played the game with those six teams for the better part of two years. I literally rolled hundreds of games and went through several notebooks during that span of time. I knew there were complete seasons as well as other card sets available from the game company. But, at age 11 and 12, $20 was a lot like $20,000 to my finances! So, I was pretty content with my six team draft league.
In 1983 and 1984 I was mowing yards in the summer so I had more income. I had saved enough money to order 8 National League teams for Strat, as well as a subscription to Strat-O-Matic review. I had also purchased Strat's Basketball game which was really my first foray into a statistical based game other than a baseball game. More importantly in this time period though, I discovered Street and Smith's publications as well as The Sporting News' annuals. From those publications I discovered that there were other tabletop sports games, besides Strat-O-Matic! And while I couldn't afford any of them, I was a brochure ordering fool! I looked forward to the mail every single day during that period of my life. I would study the brochures for hours, and try to figure out how the games were actually played.
My all-time favorite brochures I received during that time were from Big League Game Company. They would send a news paper style catalog as well as a sample of All Sports Digest. I would spend hours and hours reading and re-reading both. I also ran into a company called Valgames that sent a great catalog as well as another sample gaming newsletter. I was truly in gaming heaven! I used to dream of being able to play Big League Manager. The way the copy was written in the advertising, it seemed to me to be the ultimate baseball game. But, at the time it was $34.95 so I never bought it. :
I did purchase Real Life Basketball from Valgames, as it was affordable and contained hundreds of teams from the just played college and pro seasons. I remember when it first arrived, I was greatly disappointed. The game came in a folder, and essentially contained a bunch of bad photocopies. The FAC deck was on cardstock, but had to be cut with scissors, and didn't quite lineup that well. The rules were again, poor photocopies with a lot handwriting in the "margins" for updates etc. Since I had forked over what was a lot of money to me at the time, I cut out the cards, and struggled through the rules. What I discovered was a WONDERFUL game. I played many, many, pro and college games. In fact, Real Life Basketball accompanied me everywhere I went. I'd play in the back seat of the car on trips, play in hotel rooms on vacation, and even in a church when my Mom was attending a women's study group! I kept and played RLB fanatically up until I moved from my parent's house. I was devastated when I went back to get it, and my parents had already cleaned out my room!
When I was older and working in the real world, I was able to purchase games like: Statis Pro Baseball and Basketball, Strat-O-Matic Football, George Brett's Baseball Game, Championship Baseball, and a couple of complete baseball seasons for Strat.
From the time period of say 1990-1997, I completely got away from tabletop gaming. For one, I discovered computer games, and for another, money was really tight, and my wife wasn't sold on board games! ;)
In 1997, with a good job, and the discovery of Jim Gordon, Ebay, and Delphi (which was called something else then) I got back into tabletop gaming in a big way. I've reacquired a lot of the games from my childhood. I've discovered a lot of games that I didn't know existed, and I was finally able to acquire my child hood dream game, Big League Manager. Too bad it didn't meet those child hood expectations!
So, that's my history in a nutshell. Hopefully, at least some of you are still awake!
Ok, now to the present…
Yesterday, I received MLB SportsClix, and I'll admit I think this game may have what it takes to last. The gameplay is both fun and fairly realistic. I absolutely love the figures. While I know it makes the game pretty expensive, the figures are a very nice touch for me. I really think this one might catch on.
My table gaming the past couple of weeks has been limited to Wrestling's Finest and Strat Baseball. I took Strat and the 2003 cards with me on my trip to Omaha. I've been using Mark Miller's fantastic auto-stat to keep score. I still really love Strat Baseball…LOL.
A lot of the past 3 weeks, I've spent on refining my own games. I have two games ready for primetime, as I'll discuss a bit later. As well as my detailed boxing and wrestling games which are almost ready for prime time. I've worked on the boxing game now for at least 3 years. I hope that the research time creating a fight record database, and watching hours and hours tape shows in the final product.
Ok, now for the news that I've thought long and hard about, as well as bounced off several people that I have a great deal of respect for in the hobby. The games that I have created, as well as the games I'm working on I'm going to offer for sale. I realize this decision isn't going to sit well with some of you, and I understand and respect that. However, I have to do something to subsidize the cost of the website. At the current rate, I'm going to have to make some tough choices concerning the site. It was easy enough for me to manage financially when it was a small and growing site. But, when the monthly cost of the site approaches my car payment, I have to do something. At the current rate of expansion, it's soon going to get out of reach for me to continue.
I've tried a couple of different approaches to subsidize the cost. I put up some advertising for a day, and that was met with a large outcry, so I removed it. I suppose that I could constantly beg and plead for donations, but soon that act would get tired. I could become a subscription based service like Strat World, but that also doesn't sit real well with me. So, I've decided to sell games. I think that is the most painless way for everyone involved.
I don't want anyone to read into this the wrong way. I'm not going to pull the plug on the website regardless. I may have to limit downloads or something of that nature. But, the site will stick around. I may also look into advertising again, whether it's well received or not. But, we'll try this solution first.
I'll have a separate announcement on the games. I don't want to put them here in the TSW today.
Ok, sorry to close on such a cloudy note. But, hopefully, the rest of the posts will improe the mood! :
I'll see everyone in two weeks!
-Jeff Downey
www.tabletop-sports.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Don H:
I've always thought that Negamgo Baseball was a neat game for young people and
it just needed some upgrading. The concept was good but it got to much extra
stuff thrown in. For a Quick and exciting game that was easy to scoresheet
while playing; it was great.
Now does it exist anywhere and and any info would
be welcome. Don H at philcobooks@mchsi.com
(ed- You can still get Negamco from Big League Game Company as well as Dave Parsons. Dave is probably your best bet, as he was considerably cheaper last time I checked. You can contact Dave at sirrock@ruralnet.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Bob Jinkerson:
Jeff it is so good to have the TSW back in my Inbox again! I look forward
to getting it!
In answer to your question, I remain a champion of the Negamco Baseball
Game. It was the first baseball sim I ever bought and I still maintain that
it is very accurate. The better players and teams will win out in the long
run and it is easy to rate players yourself. I would now have to rate ASG a
close second since I have managed to get a copy within the past year, thanks
to my friend George Gerney who was one of the creators and designers. This
game "feels" more like real baseball than any I have ever played. I wish I
had more time to play lots of games with it and really get a sense of its
accuracy. I will.......someday. The pitcher-batter interaction is
beautiful. But I remain a huge Negamco fan. Of the other games I own, I
would rank them this way: Strat, Statis-Pro, APBA, Extra Innings and
Program IV. Triple Play is the only computer game I own and its fine for a
fun game to play on the PC.
Welcome bak!
Bob Jinkerson
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Ken Binkley:
Welcome back! You were sorely missed, and as a networking consultant I can
certainly identify with your mail server issues.
Pertaining to your questions for next weeks newsletter:
1. My favorite baseball game hands down was AH Statis-Pro Baseball. It
played quickly and created comprehensive statistics that, when the game was
used as designed, closely matched real life performances. I will admit to
not having played since the last big strike, my interest in the game falling
with my interest in the sport. Any baseball people even *hearing* all the
fans who think like me?
2. The game I would like to see modeled fully isn't a game but a sport:
NASCAR. Sure, we can find driving games for PCs and gaming machines, and I
have NASCAR Grandstand, which uses charts and dice rolls to simulate races
on the desktop. But what I'd like to see is a focus on team management, from
the crew chief to the team owner. Getting the driver in a position to win in
the first place is the part of the sport that intrigues me.
Again, welcome back!, and I look forward to seeing TSW in my inbox each
week!
Ken Binkley
Ionia, MI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Kirk Hoffman:
1. My favorite baseball game has always been Strat-O-Matic simply because
I've never tried anything else. I've been playing SOM since 1977 and have
watched it evolve over the years. Being a lifelong Cub fan I'm really
looking forward to replaying the 2003 season.
2. I would like to see a good tabletop auto racing game. I've played a few
but none has really enthralled me. I'd like to create a game that has cards
for each individual driver where the ratings on the cards are based on some
sort of pure performance number. That way, if the player so desired, he
would be able to race Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his NASCAR Chevy against Michael
Schumacher's F1 Ferrari and get an honest assessment of how well each would
do. The numbers on the card could be adjusted based on the type of track
they're on. Using the Earnhardt/Schumacher example, Jr.s numbers would be
standard on an oval while he would get but subtractions when he was on a
road course. Schumachers Ferrari would be better on road courses, but would
have trouble sustaining high speeds for long periods of time and would
suffer serious breakdowns if he tried to race NASCAR distances (500 miles)
as opposed to Grand Prix distances (200 miles).
Just a thought, but if a racing game came with cards for NASCAR, IRL,
CART, F1, LeMans, etc. it would make for some real fun. The problem with
the tabletop auto racing games I've seen is that they are all geared to a
specific series. If a game was created that had all the major series a lot
more people could enjoy it.
Just my .02 cents worth.
Kirk Hoffman
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From John Muhoberac:
Give some biographic facts on who you are . I'm 58 and a former teacher , now writer, degreed.Question 1--- I enjoy Apba baseball - with the cards for one season or one team.Statis-Pro by Jim Barnes is a great one game or series. Apba feels easy and covers history. Statis-Pro allowed one to have and impact.Question 2--This is a harder question but there has never been an enjoyable football game. Thanks for asking. I've played most games since I was 10 -- 1955. Yes, I'm computer-literate but prefer hands-on play.
John Muhoberac
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Gary Brown:
Welcome back Jeff & TSW!
Responding to your starter topics....
>1. Now that spring is almost here, what is your favorite baseball game and why?
>
>
Replay Baseball... It best meets my preferences for smooth playability
and depth of detail in one package.
>2. What game would you like to see that currently isn't modeled on the tabletop, or is currently modeled poorly?
>
I think hockey could use a fresh approach, but I'm not saying that games
like Face Off and Strat are poor representations of the sport. I think
it would be neat to have a hockey game based on scoring chances rather
than actual shots on goal. Such a game would allow you to generate
situational highlights of a game without getting too bogged down in
minutiae (line changes, fatigue...). Maybe that game is out there
already and I haven't found it yet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Pat Mullany:
> 1. Now that spring is almost here, what is your favorite baseball game and
why?
Replay Baseball. It has a wonderful baseball feel to it an is extremely
accurate and easy to play. It is, as others have said, what the APBA master
game should have been.
> 2. What game would you like to see that currently isn't modeled on the
tabletop, or is currently modeled poorly?
APBA. Basic or Master. It has basically, except for the Master game
addition, NEVER been upgraded or improved. The basic game can play so
wonderful with the add-ons, innovations, that gamers have created. Plus, I
have SO many seasons for the game.
Pat Mullany
PS I got the newsletter (e-mail) twice.
(ed- Yes, that was my fault. It should be corrected now)
From BaseballCactus:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Favorite Basbeball game
Sports Illustrated All Time All-Stars
Why?
Color charts, easy to learn and play, and included many of my favorite players.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Kevin Hennessy:
I will try to get a quick comment in on the prompt for favorite baseball
games and why:
I am a strat player dating back to 1965 and played in a great face-to-face
draft league here in the Twin Cities metro area for about 10 years. When I
got married more time that spoken for than the league would allow.
For years I never even thought of looking at other games, but when the Twins
won the World Series in 1991 I got interested in what other games might play
like. I had tried Extra Innings and the intrigue turned me into a
collector.
Over the past 10+ my favorite game has been Clubhouse Baseball. Certainly
not for its statistical accuracy, but more for its sense of play. I used to
love games as a kid that could take me into a world that the game created
(rather than just recreating reality to a T). Otherwise I couldn't have
replayed the NBA playoffs with Research Games basketball (and its
college-like final scores) every day after school in 8th grade!
I am not too particular about the engine (+/- or 50/50) as the results will
tend to be the same, but I do like the illusion (and I do mean illusion with
most games, I doubt that anyone has actually done a long-term stat study of
ballpark statistics with a board game. If they have, I would love to see
it!). I am just convinced that where a game is played makes a big
difference, so I am hung up on that aspect now.
I have also enjoyed Ballpark (except it is tough to play solitaire and I
think there need to be more results than 50), and the APBA Master Game with
Michael Morgan's ballpark cards (but the pitching just isn't individual
enough). I just can't seem to get the time to try in depth the Downing's
game, Box Seat Baseball, but it continues to look very intriguing, and they
are always improving it in what appears to be great ways.
That's enough from me. It is good the see the digest in my e-mail box among
the poopload of spam I am having to deal with!
Kevin Hennessy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Troy Desrosiers:
Hey, I'm just happy to see it finally published! I
kinda figured there were tek probs when I didn't get
any issues after I'd submitted my name and e-mail
address, so I'm OK with the delay! :)
To the questions:
1) My fave baseball game is still Strat. Part of that
is because it's the only one I actually have (tabletop
version, 1989 cards). I've been thinking of ordering
their special Hall of Fame set for a while now, but
other expenses beckoned.
2) I admit there aren't many sports not covered. I
wouldn't mind seeing an Arena Football game, though. I
am also patiently waiting for Keith Avallone
(PLAAY.com) to get COLD SNAP Canadian Football up and
running! (I'm a Canuck who loves my football!) Rodeo
would be interesting (Keith's been thinking of that
one too).
Thanks for getting TSW up, I look forward to more!
---troy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Randy Cox:
> 1. Now that spring is almost here, what is your favorite baseball
> game and why?
No surprise here--Sports Illustrated All-Time All-Star Baseball is my
hands-down favorite. It's important to note that I list the ATAS
edition. Truth be told, I never liked the individual seasons, and
that's true of any tabletop game. I just never really enjoyed playing
with a poor player or two (or 8) in my lineup.
But I always enjoyed SI Baseball because the flow seemed most realistic
to me. Pitcher winds and pitches, batter usually has a chance to hit.
And the results are right there on the player's chart--no flipping all
over creation and looking at other charts to figure out what happened.
Bliss.
> 2. What game would you like to see that currently isn't modeled on
> the tabletop, or is currently modeled poorly?
I'd love to find a streamlined basketball game that isn't a "quick
play" game. I've yet to find a very short, but nonetheless statistic
based, basketball game that generated realistic stats at the end of the
game. March Madness is fun and probably the best basketball game out
there, as it has enough rooting in stats but keeps away from trying to
do too much.
I don't care at all for solitaire games, so MM works great for me. But
if there were an equally quick game that two players could sit down and
play that had just a tiny bit more statistical realism (don't need
player-on-player matchups or anything that deep), I'd probably enjoy
it.
Randy Cox
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Ray Dunlap:
I'm still an APBA Basic Game player. I do use the Master Game boards for
the "Rare" plays, and I've done a few enhancements to the basic game, but
I've been playing it since 1964 and it still works for me!
Ray Dunlap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Bill Hild:
great questions...i'll take a stab at them.
first of all, baseball sims. i've been an apba player for over 30 years, so that game would always be my first choice. i kind of like negamco baseball also, but i wish that batter walks entered into the equation. that way, people like eddie yost and max bishop would be better represented. not to mention ted williams and rickey henderson. apba could really use the additional pitching grades of "e" and "f". they would be just like grade "d" pitchers, but grade "e" would also give up a single on play result 12, and grade f would give up a single on play results 12 and 35. to balance this out, maybe grade "a" and higher would reduce play results 1, 2, and 6 to a single on a die roll---maybe grade "a" would reduce on a roll of 1, grade "a&c" on a 1 or 2, and grade "a&b" on a roll of 1,2,or 3. just kind of thinking out loud.
as far as a sim i'd like to see, how about something based on the kumite---the full-contact tournament conducted in secret in hong kong. (see the movie blood sport). you could include some of the greatest martial artists of all time, like bruce lee, chuck norris, jan claude van damme, steven segal, and so on.
i myself am in the middle of comming up with a quick-play version of ledgend of boxing. kind of borrowing some ideas from the title bout quick play version that i heavily revised. no real progress as of yet. just some thoughts rolling in my head.
all-time olympic track and field would be interesting too. maybe there's one out there already that i'm not aware of.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Jeff Turner:
Here are my answers:
1) Pursue the Pennant/Dynasty League Baseball
2) College basketball or football
thanks,
Jeff Turner
turnerstorm@att.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Pat Premo:
Jeff,
Glad to see that you are up and running again. I received TWO e-mails of this issue to the same address -- not sure if everyone did, but wanted to let you know so you can purge one of my addresses. :)
As you may know, Gary Stishan (of APBA Saddle Racing fame) has agreed to computerize all of my Fast-Action Games, even those that are out-of-print (except for They're Off!). Fast-Action Horse Racing is scheduled for release on March 1. This game will run on Windows 98 and up; it MIGHT run on Windows 95 but we are not positive. Cost will be $32 postpaid. I have also completely updated and revised my Fast-Action Horse Racing Board game (new edition has been out for about 6 months) -- over 4,300 horses are now included. New aspects include racing Mules and the ability to have "Fantasy Races" with different breeds to truly determine the greatest race horse of all time!! (Kind of like mixing weight classes in boxing to determine the greatest fighter, pound for pound, ever!). Board game now costs $30 ppd. Buy BOTH the board game and the computer game for $54 ppd. Priority mail is $4 extra per order. New York State residents must add 8.25% sales tax on the total amount of an order, including postage.
Interested fans can contact me at ppremo@eznet.net (also a new address -- I was getting 500 spams a DAY and had to do something!).
Take care and please keep in touch.
Pat
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Glen Hirshberg:
Hi Jeff--
First of all, I was delighted to find a new newsletter in my in-box. I've
missed it very much, and am happy to see it up and running again. I thought
you had just disappeared, for whatever reason.
Below is an e-mail I sent you a couple months ago, but which, given your
server problems, you may never have received. It's a question about your
quick-play college football game.
Meanwhile as to your two newsletter questions...
Have to think about the baseball game question. I've always come back to
Strat, somehow, but I just got Replay, and am eager to try that out this
spring, having heard so many wonderful things.
Meanwhile, there is definitely a sport I would like to see freshly
represented on the tabletop, and that, believe it or not, is World Cup
Skiing. Lambourne games gave this a pretty good shot five years or so ago.
Intriguing game engine and concept. But there were just too many dice rolls
and chart flips, in the end, which made the game slow--a fatal flaw, given
the subject--and also, there have been no updated ratings since 1999. An
obscure desire, perhaps...but I'd love to see a development.
Anyway, here's my question about JTD football. And again, welcome back:
Excited to try your new game. I really like the chance to play with such a
wide variety of teams.
Question, though. Having downloaded, I can't seem to find the "playing
chart" to adjust the score that is mentioned in the rules. Am I missing
something?
Thanks for your help. Looking forward to trying out the game.
Glen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also from Glen:
Hi Jeff--
Yeah, okay, hadn't checked the site before that last e-mail I sent you. I
see the review of the Owzat games World Cup Skiing, which I assume is the
fancier version of the Lambourne game from a few years ago. Perhaps the
color-coded charts and things will help speed up the game.
Still would love to see some new ratings for current skiiers. Any of your
sitemembers up to the task?
GH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From DonH:
I've always thought that Negamgo Baseball was a neat game for young people and
it just needed some upgrading. The concept was good but it got to much extra
stuff thrown in. For a Quick and exciting game that was easy to scoresheet
while playing; it was great. Now does it exist anywhere and and any info would
be welcome. Don H at philcobooks@mchsi.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Don Zapo:
Great to see a newsletter devoted to sports games. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I just found your site on the Internet. Look forward to more newsletters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(End of TSW)
