BASEBALL PATCH EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
New Graphical Interface Leads Off
Support for Individual Pitcher-Hitting
Cards,
Team-League Logos and New Blogger Format
Also in Lineup
See important note about system requirements at the bottom of this
article
By Glenn Guzzo
There are computer-game patches and there is Strat-O-Matic’s Version 12 patch.
The v12
patch released April 16 does more than fix problems. It does more than satisfy
the hunger for a vivid new interface, promised in conjunction with Strat-O-Matic’s
adaptation to Microsoft’s new
The v12 patch also contains several previously unannounced bonus features that should brighten game screens and gamer experiences.
These goodies permit gamers to add team and league logos, displayed in the lower right of the main League Manager screen when either the team or league is selected.
They provide the ability to create blogs in the new Google format, or to retain existing blogs in the old format prior to Google’s acquisition of blogger.com.
Most exciting for some gamers who have long begged for this, the new goodies include support for individual pitcher-hitting cards.
The logos and pitcher cards are not included with the game. They will come from the user community, which is already active in these areas. A wide selection of free add-ons should be accessible almost immediately.
[See the separate article on how to get and use the pitcher-hitting cards.]
The new interface changes Strat-O-Matic from a text interface to a graphical one. While the essential elements – ballpark display, scoreboards, play-by-play areas, etc. – remain familiar, they appear in new, eye-pleasing color with several important display differences.
For one, the screen layout is designed and less customizable. However, the design includes places for all the old visual features in neat display – orderly and extremely easy to read. As before, undesired visual features may be toggled off.
The display now accommodates the ballpark information for that game – ballpark name, weather condition, ballpark home run and single chances, plus double and triple adjustments.
A new animation-adjustment feature permits gamers to re-locate where the batter and pitcher animation appears for each ballpark. In the past, slightly different perspectives in ballpark photos could show the players off-center in relation to the pitching mound or home plate.
The new card-image display solves the old screen-clutter that occurred when using card images. Now, the images appear whenever you want them just by moving your mouse to the top right of the screen. They disappear from the screen when you move the mouse away. No clicks required.
Assuming all displays are active, picture this combination of rectangles on your game screen:
The typical Windows toolbar (but in nicer display) runs the full width of the screen.
Beneath that, top left: The ballpark photo occupies most of the available space. Your choice of scoreboards (large or small, plus out-of-town scoreboard) displays at the top of the ballpark photo. The ballpark information described above is an unobtrusive box at the bottom right of the ballpark photo.
Beneath the ballpark photo, lower left: Photos (if you have imported them) of the active pitcher and batter bookend a wide play-by-play box.
Top right: The three Strat-O-Matic dice are in the “hot box.” This is where the mouse moves to display the card images directly below.
When the card images are not on display, we see these elements instead:
n Immediately beneath the dice “hot box,” the button-palette strategy options (left) and the pie chart showing batter success chances (right).
n Below that, stats: Full-season actual stats, current-game stats and season-to-date replay stats.
n Below that, the full 9-man lineup of the team at bat in match-up format (basic stats, L-R-S batter info, balance rating and +/- net match-up vs. current pitcher).
n Below that, buttons to toggle info for each team’s lineup, bench and bullpen – plus a button that will display the currently displayed lineup’s clutch batting averages.
These features are available only
with the new interface. And the new interface requires Windows XP Home or Pro
editions, Windows 2000 or
However, Strat-O-Matic emphasizes in its help file that this is the last year it plans to support older Window's Operating systems (such as Win '98, '95 and ME). Microsoft itself has dropped support for those systems, SOM notes, and it is following suit.
“This year we support older OS’s with the older game (CDROMBB.EXE), however we are dropping that support as of next year. Starting next year you will need to be at XP or above to run our game,” the help file alerts.