Graphical results instead of text results Topic

Okay, I'm sure there will be alot of people ripping this idea, but I think it would be really cool.  Here it is:

Optionally, when you click the link to read your play by play, it opens a flash program that runs like a movie.  Each at bat (or each pitch) is shown in a little animated box with the box score on one side and the text play by play below it.   I'm imaging a different animation for each result.  So, a home run that barely clears the wall has a different animation than a monster shot into the second deck.  After a stikeout it shows a closeup of your pitcher celebrating with a fist pump.  A stolen base switches to a close up of the slide and tag attempt.  An intentional walk shows an animation of the catcher standing to the side and taking the ball.  You get the idea. 

From a programming standpoint, all it is doing is translating the results into a flash animation.  This would NOT be you playing the game live, just a more enjoyable way of reading/watching the results. 

It would be nice to get the actual player's face on each body, but that might be asking a bit much.

By the way, I've done some flash programming, and this really would not be that hard to pull off, since the the main engine already produces the results into what I assume is a probably an SQL database.


7/25/2010 2:09 PM
While I agree that this would be cool, it would also be asking WIS to put a LOT of effort into a feature that adds nothing useful to the game itself.  I'd rather have them spend their time and effort on meaningful additions/improvements to the game rather than trivial "video game" like interfaces.
7/25/2010 2:45 PM
That does sound cool, but the development might be too crazy and would probably raise the cost.  I would just like to see something like and extended play-by-play with the pitch sequence for each at bat.
7/25/2010 7:59 PM
Posted by mikeschless on 7/25/2010 7:59:00 PM (view original):
That does sound cool, but the development might be too crazy and would probably raise the cost.  I would just like to see something like and extended play-by-play with the pitch sequence for each at bat.
This would require more of a change than anything else suggested in this forum. Currently, the game engine does not simulate on a pitch-by-pitch basis, so unless you wanted the "pitch sequence" to be 100% window dressing, this suggestion would require a complete engine overhaul.
7/25/2010 8:29 PM
Posted by tecwrg on 7/25/2010 2:45:00 PM (view original):
While I agree that this would be cool, it would also be asking WIS to put a LOT of effort into a feature that adds nothing useful to the game itself.  I'd rather have them spend their time and effort on meaningful additions/improvements to the game rather than trivial "video game" like interfaces.
I respect your opinion, but I don't see it that way.  Anything that can make the game more fun will lead to more new enrollment and more existing player retention, which I would find very useful.  For WIS this is a business and their bottom line is making money by getting people to play and stay.  Look at it this way, WIS already has invested in the creation of the game.  The cost of maintaining and managing the game is a set value, regardless of enrollment numbers to some extent.  So for every new player they add that is pretty much straight profit.  More profit equals more excess funds to invest in game improvements.  So, there are alot of good ideas on this board for ways to make the game better, but at the end of the day without increasing player enrollment and retention WIS may not have the financial leeway to implement those improvements.   Chicken or the egg problem.  Invest in ways to make the game better and hope for increased profits as a result, or wait for increased profits and then implement improvements.  If I was running the company I would start with the ideas that create the most direct and immediate results first, take that increased enrollment money and then invest in the more nuanced and meaningful improvements.

I also don't think it would require as much programming effort as you think.  Programming a flash program that only translates the already produced output into an very simple animation is programming 101.  It is nothing compared to the actual creation, management, display, and storage of the output, which the main game engine already does.  Plus for people that don't like it and like reading simple line by line text play by play, it would be a totally optional way to view your results.
7/26/2010 3:54 PM
Here's all I know- the last sports website I was a part of that shifted from text to graphics was closed within a year.
7/26/2010 4:10 PM
apollo, offer to write the code for them.  See what they say.
7/26/2010 4:51 PM

You know I might play around a bit with it.  Problem is I don't have the tags or access to the their database so all I could do would be a framework.

7/26/2010 8:33 PM
Text website = ease of use on phones, dial up, sneaking a peek in the office.

Good idea as a different game, but not to change this game. You'd lose a lot of the established customers.
7/27/2010 11:18 AM

Totally optional way of viewing results...

Toned down version would just  be an overhead view of the diamond a la MLB.com live.

7/27/2010 11:46 AM
Seems like an immense amount of work for an optional bell/whistle.
7/27/2010 1:51 PM
Posted by deathinahole on 7/27/2010 11:18:00 AM (view original):
Text website = ease of use on phones, dial up, sneaking a peek in the office.

Good idea as a different game, but not to change this game. You'd lose a lot of the established customers.
As much as it pains me, this is a HUGE point.  Good call, death.
7/27/2010 11:58 PM
Posted by iain on 7/27/2010 11:58:00 PM (view original):
Posted by deathinahole on 7/27/2010 11:18:00 AM (view original):
Text website = ease of use on phones, dial up, sneaking a peek in the office.

Good idea as a different game, but not to change this game. You'd lose a lot of the established customers.
As much as it pains me, this is a HUGE point.  Good call, death.

You would lose customers over an optional way to view results...one that anyone who didn't like could simply completely ignore and look at results the same way they always have?   I'm either really obtuse or you aren't making any sense whatsoever.

7/28/2010 1:40 AM
My point was that considering the probable percentage of WIS (and HBD in particular) users who play at work (like I'm doing now) having graphics you have to turn off would be a problem, since unless you're the boss... you probably have someone who doesn't think HBD is a good use of company resources, and pitchers pumping their fists on your screen will only draw more attention to what you're doing (or not doing). The faces on player cards have probably gotten people in trouble enough as it is.

If it's just an option that most people will turn off (for reasons noted above), then it's a huge waste of programmers' time. I'd rather they actually do things to improve the game.

This is akin to asking for better team symbols. WFC?
7/28/2010 9:12 AM
Posted by apollo7 on 7/28/2010 1:40:00 AM (view original):
Posted by iain on 7/27/2010 11:58:00 PM (view original):
Posted by deathinahole on 7/27/2010 11:18:00 AM (view original):
Text website = ease of use on phones, dial up, sneaking a peek in the office.

Good idea as a different game, but not to change this game. You'd lose a lot of the established customers.
As much as it pains me, this is a HUGE point.  Good call, death.

You would lose customers over an optional way to view results...one that anyone who didn't like could simply completely ignore and look at results the same way they always have?   I'm either really obtuse or you aren't making any sense whatsoever.

You obviously do not live in a rural area.

To get to the point where you say "ignore it" would mean that I wouldn't bother with it.
7/28/2010 10:06 AM
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