Monday, March 28, 2016

PunkRockPaint - Star Wars Galactic Greats Set

(Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/dyyWxcqtkyE)

What I present to you today is one of the greatest custom card sets I have ever seen. And now, I own a set! These are the Galactic Greats Card Set from PunkRockPaint (aka Travis Peterson). Holy smokes, these things are fantastic!

It's not just the cards, though. The entire packaging screams of 1977 Kenner Star Wars action figures! The hanger card is styled perfectly and beautifully. The back includes fun tidbits and a special appearance by that ever-frustrating toy, Boba Fett with "shooting" missile - yeah, you know the one that DIDN'T shoot because kids might choke on it!?

The cards are made of great card stock, featuring each of the 30 MLB teams represented as a Star Wars reference. On the back are hand-drawn "Galactic Greats" comics with wonderfully referenced captions.

These really are that good! (Click images to see larger views)

 

 

 

 

 


Now, if you've scrolled down this far, you are about to be told a secret... Sshhh... I actually ordered TWO of these packs!! Why is that a secret? Because I am giving away one of the packs during a future free agent draft!! That's right, *YOU* could win! Now, I haven't decided if I am doing the pack as one "card" or if I am going to separate them out and let folks pick the individual card(s) they'd like to draft - either way, this will be open to *ALL* readers, even if you aren't yet a manager in the PAD Circus 2016! Stay tuned for details. If you have a preference - whole pack or individual cards, feel free to comment below. I'll think about which direction to take.

Friday, March 25, 2016

OOTP 17 - Cool Changes, Fun as ever!


I received a code to check out the latest offering of OOPT17. I believe my version is still in beta (or something similar).

Those familiar with the OOTP franchise will recognize features from previous versions, though some menus have been moved and/or consolidated, so it may take a little bit of getting used to where things are now in 17. That aside, the game has made some cool improvements that stand out to me for sure.

The main thing that jumped out at me were the team-oriented banners:

When you select a team from the drop-down menu, the banner across the top changes to match the team's primary color and the menus change to reflect the secondary color. This is a HUGE help visually when you are navigating between teams frequently. Even if you aren't, it's a nice touch.

I love the updates to the 3d stadiums as well:


The rendering gives a cool, "you are there" feeling to the game that was started last year but has really been elevated in this version. My understanding is that they are still working on the modeling and will continue to release updates as more stadiums get the improved 3d treatment.


A few of the things I really like: The scoreboard in the left corner, the info in the right corner, and the play-by-play box in the center. The whole layout, really, gives you the feeling that you are watching the game live on your screen.

I did manage to crash the database once, but I think that was my fault. I had started a new game and exited before finishing the set-up. I think I confused the system. Oops!

I also had a heck of a time getting the game to record for YouTube. Once recording kept jumping because it didn't like sitting there without changing. That is, on menu screens, etc where nothing on-screen changed, my recording software thought I was looking at loading screens. That's a flaw in my software, not the game. When I tried recording again, the game got way out of sync with the voice-over I did. I'm not sure what was happening there.

Several times, not while recording, but just while playing, the mouse seemed to get "lost" and did not match up with menu locations on the screen. So, I would point to the "File" button, but the mouse thought it was higher or lower than the button so it would not let me click. I don't know if that is a resolution issue, a "beta" issue, or if that is a glitch in the game. I did resolve it by forcing the game to full-screen. Once in full-screen, the weird mouse alignment issues went away.

It also seemed that the Steam overlay interfered with the game. It's like the overlay made the game slow down at times and/or get jumpy. I am blaming the overlay because it seemed to be worse when I took screenshots or hit Shift-Tab (a Steam overlay function). Not really the game's fault, but something that might need to be checked.

Aside from those weird quirks, the game is fantastic! I loved creating an exhibition World Series between the 1979 Pirates vs the 1948 Indians. I also had a blast creating a game using the greatest players in team franchise history. This pitted greats like Reggie Jackson against Bob Feller and Babe Ruth vs Randy Johnson. I mean, really, does it get any better than that!? That is exactly the kind of thing I like about baseball simulations and OOTP17 delivers.

There may be no crying in baseball, but seeing some of the greats of days gone by take on the greats of today may very well bring a tear of joy to your eye.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Get Ready To Pack Break!!

Look here, folks! What you see is the first shipment of goodies for the PAD Circus daily break! As you can see, we have lots of variety including ample non-baseball cards that will be busyed open and divvied up!!

At last check, the Marlins had no manager. So, all Marlins cards and all non-baseball cards will be offered up in werkly free agent drafts! 

Free agent drafts are open to ALL my readers! So, if you missed out on the team selections, you still have plenty of opportunities to score some cardboard this season!

We will fire things up officially this weekend!! Wahoo!! 


Monday, March 21, 2016

PAD Circus Pack Preview!!

It's Spring break in my neck of the woods, and we are hanging out shopping, etc. What better way to spend some money than buy some ToysRUs 2016 packs! So, here is a Pre-Season Preview Pack!!


These will be given to their appropriate managers! Wahoo!! Cannot wait to get started!

Thursday, March 10, 2016

PAD Circus Team Selection Update

Hey, everyone! Sorry it has been a while since I've posted an update here. Below, you will find the current team assignments. Notice we still have some open slots. As of 6:49a Central on 03/10/2016, these teams are still available:

  • Colorado Rockies
  • Miami Marlins
  • Minnesota Twins
  • Tampa Bay Rays
Remember, these are first come, first served. You can leave a comment on this post or you can go back to the original post. I'll keep an eye on both and watch for timestamps.

Also remember, only 1 team per manager until the deadline. :-) (My apologies for omitting that bit as a reminder originally)

I can't wait to start busting open packs!


Arizona Diamondbacks (ALEC)
Atlanta Braves (Boston Braves) (JAFRONIUS)
Baltimore Orioles (PEDERSEJ)
Boston Red Sox (Boston Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, Bees, Somersets, Americans) (T&S)
Chicago Cubs (MARK A)
Chicago White Sox (White Stockings) (DOMINIC FDNY)
Cincinnati Reds (Redlegs) (NACHOS GRANDE)
Cleveland Indians (Blues, Spiders, Naps) (TRIBECARDS/ENAMEL RODS)
Colorado Rockies (INFIELD FLY RULE)
Detroit Tigers (RYAN G)
Houston Astros (Colt .45's) (RAZ)
Kansas City Royals (VENTURA COUNTY ROYALS)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (CA Angels, Anaheim Angels, LA Angels) (ANGELSINORDER)
Los Angeles Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn Robins, Brooklyn Superbas) (NIGHT OWL)
Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins)
Milwaukee Brewers (JACKSONVILLE JOBU)
Minnesota Twins (GCRL)
Montreal Expos (1969-2004) (SCOTT CRAWFORD ON CARDS)
New York Mets (BUCKSTORECARDS)
New York Yankees (Highlanders) (BOROSNY)
Oakland A's (Phila A's, KC A's) (DAYF)
Philadelphia Phillies (DAWGBONES)
Pittsburgh Pirates (BRIAN C)
San Diego Padres (MARCUS)
San Francisco Giants (New York Giants) (ARPSMITH)
Seattle Mariners (Seattle Pilots) (COOL BREEZE)
St. Louis Cardinals (Browns) (WILSON)
Tampa Bay Rays (Devil Rays) (TSHENSON)
Texas Rangers (PLAY AT THE PLATE)
Toronto Blue Jays (HOCKEYKAZI)
Washington Nationals (Senators) (CAPTKIRK42)

Cool #OOTP Tourney for OOTP 2017!

Out of the Park Developments announces “16 in ’16: Baseball’s Tournament of Champions”, the definitive simulation to determine MLB’s all-time greatest team

Powered by a prestigious Selection Committee of world-renowned baseball writers and the unique Historical Series feature available only in Out of the Park Baseball 17

Tournament will be broadcast live on Twitch with select games from March 24th through the Championship Series on April 14th


Out of the Park Developments, an official licensee of MLB.com, MiLB.com, and the MLBPA, today announced “16 in ’16: Baseball’s Tournament of Champions.” This unique competition will determine which Major League Baseball team truly is the greatest of all time, thanks to the new Out of the Park Baseball 17 Historical Series feature and the game’s powerful simulation engine that has delighted baseball fans for the past seventeen seasons.

In order to stage this ultimate competition, a prestigious OOTP Selection Committee was created to determine the 16 teams that qualify above all others throughout history. The OOTP Selection Committee features highly-respected baseball writers, commentators, former players, and digital media personalities, including:

  • Tim Kurkjian - ESPN
  • Neil Paine – FiveThirtyEight
  • Mark Simon – ESPN
  • Brian Kenny – MLB Network
  • Ken Hirdt – Elias Sports Bureau
  • Rob Tracy – Elias Sports Bureau
  • CJ Nitkowski – MLB Analyst
  • Kat Bailey – Hit The Pass/US Gamer
  • Gus Ramsey – Committee Chairman

The OOTP Selection Committee chose the first twelve seeds of the tournament via blind submissions of their top 20 all-time team selections. These seeds will be announced live on Twitch.tv/ootpdevelopments on Wednesday, March 9th at 9 PM ET. The Out of the Park Baseball community will then have the opportunity to vote for the “Last Four In” from the remaining teams via survey from March 10th through March 15th. The final tournament seedings, pairings, and schedules for all 16 teams will be announced live on Twitch.tv/ootpdevelopments on Wednesday, March 16th at 9 PM ET.

The “16 in ‘16” tournament will feature 7-game series for every tournament matchup. The competition will run from March 24th through April 14th, with select matchups broadcast live on Out of the Park’s Twitch channel, including the final series in its entirety.

In addition to using Out of the Park Baseball 17’s powerful, industry-leading simulation engine, the new Historical Series feature allows each of the series to play out in an entirely authentic manner – not just a number-crunching simulation. Over the course of a series, player fatigue, pitching matchups, and game-specific strategies will ensure an unprecedented level of accuracy. Elimination games will be managed differently than series openers, for example, and Game 7s will be “all hands on deck!”

To further add to the intrigue, the unique Historical Series feature allows the teams to play in a fashion that represents a selected year/era. This calculates the player ratings (normalized against each team’s specific year and then adjusted to the era) and sets up the league totals as well as the strategy settings, including rotation size and strategic tendencies. So, when you have the 1927 Yankees play against the 1996 Braves and select 1927 as the era, the Braves team will behave and perform as if it was 1927 as well. Home teams will have the “Home Era” advantage in the 16 in ’16 Tournament!

OOTP 17 will launch worldwide on March 22, 2016, and can be pre-ordered through this link:


About Out of the Park Developments

Out of the Park Developments is the developer of the award-winning OOTP and MLB Manager series of baseball management simulations, Franchise Hockey Manager, and Beyond the Sideline Football. German-based OOTP Developments was founded by Markus Heinsohn and Andreas Raht in 1999. OOTP Developments has consistently produced games that have met with critical acclaim, including winning Metacritic's coveted "Game of the Year" for the 2007 edition of OOTP, which remains the second highest-rated PC game on Metacritic of all time. Further information on the company and its games is available from the OOTP Developments website, http://www.ootpdevelopments.com

About MLB.com

Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball’s Internet operations, MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and internet company of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official league site, MLB.com,and each of the 30 individual Club sites to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the Internet. MLB.com offers fans the most complete baseball information and interactivity across computers and mobile devices, including up-to-date statistics, game previews and summaries, extensive historical information, online ticket sales, baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games, live full-game video streaming and in-progress and on-demand highlights, live and archived audio broadcasts, Gameday pitch-by-pitch application, Statcast tracking technology, around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming, complete blogging capabilities, console and mobile video games and the award-winning At Bat and Ballpark mobile applications. MLBAM powers more live events across the Internet than any other company in the world.

Major League Baseball Players Association

The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com ) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and the Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players. Follow: @MLB_Players; @MLBPAClubhouse; @MLBPlayersTrust