** Don't Need No Armor Upgrade - Doug Brunet **

There are a thousand types of people in the world. Those who play Strat-O-Matic, and nine hundred and ninety-nine who don’t. And within the first group, like me, there are those who play the baseball game. Of all the sports delivered to us on the platform of Strat-O-Matic, baseball has to be the most complete and comprehensive for the obvious reason that it is baseball. Cricket would do as well, but the game company would need to create a market in India. Wow, imagine what Chris Gayle’s card would look like. Probably something comparable to what we’re expecting for Bryce Harper’s card. Anyway, I digress. Boy, that didn’t take long. I apologize for that. Cricket, geez, welcome to my brain.

While we are surrounded with the fast paced worlds of graphically driven, reaction sensitive video games, we prefer to reside in a world of careful analysis and deliberate conception. We don’t progress in levels presented to us through increasingly intricate challenges that require the procurement of advanced mechanical advantages like weapons or better tires. We don’t go on scripted quests, nor are we coerced into joining a guild in order to survive. For us, an armor upgrade is making a trade or using a draft pick to get a ‘1’ at shortstop. Therein lies the comparison and the difference.

While Strat-O-Matic has its’ basic, advanced, and super-advanced versions that can be effectively described as levels, we all compete at the same level in terms of what level we choose to play at. One can assume that most, if not all, of us that subscribe to this newsletter are playing at the super-advanced level. That is, however, irrelevant to the subject. It’s not about levels. It’s about leverage. We look within the game for ways to leverage potential against probability.

Strat-O-Matic baseball has grown to such an extent that relative knowledge of baseball translates to increased ability to maximize competitive strategy. The finer points of baseball are well represented in our favorite diversion. In fact, as much as it is an obvious advantage to be mathematically inclined because of probabilities and randomly generated results, it’s not necessarily required in order to compete in a league environment or in tournaments. Indeed, the random element that drives Strat-O-Matic does enough to level the playing field to enable those with a less cerebral approach to enjoy and succeed at playing the game without an elevated aptitude towards mathematics. And that, in my opinion, is a wonderful thing. All fans of baseball get to have the same fun playing regardless of individual inclination. I feel that that is what sets this game apart from others.

As I’m sure there are exceptions, it seems to me that the more you know about baseball the better you are able to compete with other Strat players. As long as you understand what averages are and what the game ratings represent, you can hold your own. Anyone who has been on either side of a game winning base hit off a 1-2 Si*1, lo 2-20 knows exactly what happened. That result is pretty much as far away from probable as can be. But, these things happen when you play our game. They happen in real life. There’s only so much you can do mathematically to enhance your safeguards or increase your chances of success. The dice and split cards always have the last word.

Of course, as in any game, we look for an edge. Insightful calculation and knowledge of players are the only means to gain that edge. This speaks more to the draft league format than any other. The pure mathematician has the inside track on building a winner from any card set. For whatever reason, the cards can be put together in a fashion that what appears to be less overcomes what seems to be more when put in the hands, or mind, of a proficient mathematician. However, this can be offset in the long term by the talent knowledgeable. Knowing what to expect in the future is not found in analyzing cards, it’s in knowing the game of baseball and the players who play it. And the real fun of it is, whether you are gifted as the former, insightful as the latter, a combination of both, or neither, there’s much to be gained for any baseball fan to get involved.

This is a game that teaches while providing a particular value of entertainment. If your exposure to the game, baseball or Strat, is not as extensive as others you encounter within our community, don’t be deterred. Be determined. Get involved. Interact with your game mates. Those around you and the game of Strat-O-Matic will, by default, elevate your knowledge in all aspects.

Given that, there is the beauty of statistics that baseball gives us, and so the same is offered through Strat-O-Matic. A boon of a bonus to those of us who enjoy the aspect of analyzing statistics, the peripheral information generated for us beyond the game engine is as an ocean is to a sailor. And just as deep as to a treasure seeker. By way of how we manipulate the players and interpret how we should strategize, the package of statistics created gives us a diversified view to compare the reality of baseball versus our recreations. There is little else like it.

Baseball, unlike most of our major sports, is not limited by time. Although it is a team sport, it isolates its’ players in their respective positions. We get to explore the manager/general manager experience and sate an appetite for stats to an extent that keeps us adhered to the game all year long, all life long.

If you need to experience quick reward for bursts of effort, get a game console and respond to the provided stimuli. If your interest in competition is of a purely logical nature, take up chess. If you want an adrenaline rush in its’ basest form, play poker. If you just want to get everything right, do crosswords or Sudoku. If you like to solve mysteries, there are games in all media for that, too.

If you want varying degrees of everything, play in a Strat-O-Matic baseball league.