Strat-O-Matic Baseball 2020

Overview

League, Team, and Player Management

The game comes with the ability to replay the most recent Major League Baseball season, using the actual schedule, and "cards" for all players with meaningful playing time. New leagues can also be created by copying and pasting players onto new teams, or by running a draft.

Strat-O-Matic has the right to use player names, but not team franchise names. So, for example, the Seattle Mariners will originally appear as the "Sailors". However, franchise names can be changed by the user. Users can also add player pictures, as well as links to player web pages, for example the player's stat page at ESPN.com.

Players can run online leagues. A cloud storage interface allows users to import and export game results and computer manager files (see below). And existing rosters can be exported into an online draft, and the results of that draft can then be imported back into the game.

Playing Games

Games can be played either against a computer manager or head-to-head. Head-to-head players can either connect directly to opponents, or meet in a "lobby".

Computer Manager File

If playing in an online league, games are normally played either head-to-head, or one manager will send a "computer manager" file to their opponent. This file contains the lineups and strategy that the manager wishes their opponent to use on behalf of their team.

In-Game

A Strat-O-Matic game simulates the experience of managing a Major League Baseball team. Each side chooses a starting pitcher and a lineup. Once the game begins, they can choose to bunt, steal bases, change pitchers, etc. as in any baseball game.

User have the option of several different "entry modes":

• Manual entry: This mode is primarily useful for Strat-O-Matic board game players who are only using the computer game for statkeeping. The user enters the result of every plate appearance, presumably after having rolled it in the board game.
• Dice mode: This mode is primarily useful for those who may want to take advantage of other features of the computer game, but who are also familiar with the board game. Users can "roll the dice" with the mouse, and are informed of the board game-derived mechanics by which the results are determined.
• Regulator: Similar to more graphically oriented baseball games, this mode, unlike the others, depicts the trajectory of the pitch being thrown to the batter. Results are based not only on the player's real-life performance, but on the timing and placement of the user's "swing" (using mouse input).
• Preswing Play by Play: This mode is primarily useful for those who have no connection to the board game. The action is depicted as if being called by a "play-by-play" announcer, with no mention of board game mechanics. Users have further options to specify the detail of the play-by-play commentary.

Statistics

As expected for a game targeted towards fans of baseball statistics, Strat-O-Matic can produce a large number of different statistical reports. Some of these stat reports are designed for Strat-O-Matic board game players, explaining the simulation results in terms of board game mechanics. Others are replications of traditional baseball stat reports.