We're back! TPB 2005 thoughts

MizzouRah · 11-02-2004, 08:08 PM

Now that we're back, who has TPB 2005? I have a dynasty thread here: http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum...read.php?t=845

So far, I'm loving this game.

Todd

The_herd · 11-02-2004, 08:17 PM

Really solid game. The trade AI is nice. Player development seems nice. Stats are good. I really haven't found a weak part of the game yet.

The_herd · 11-02-2004, 08:18 PM

Dola

And I hated the last version. So this is quite a surprise

Ben E Lou · 11-02-2004, 08:23 PM

I'm not really an NBA Fan, but based on what I've heard so far, it looks like I'll be buying this one in the next day or so, especially considering the fact that my wife is going to be out of town from tomorrow through Sunday, the Falcons are off, and the Dawgs are playing Kentucky on Saturday.

lynchjm24 · 11-02-2004, 08:24 PM

I never played the last one, but this one is quite impressive.

jbmagic · 11-02-2004, 08:36 PM

very impresss with this basketball sim game

Eagle458 · 11-02-2004, 08:38 PM

My back is killing me. I just played 7 hours straight.
Fun game.

MizzouRah · 11-02-2004, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle458

My back is killing me. I just played 7 hours straight.
Fun game.

LOL!

I have played this game so much in the last week. Hats off to Gary and the beta team. Aren't the graphics stunning?

Todd

Icy · 11-03-2004, 08:16 AM

Great game, a big improvement over TPB2003 that i only played for afew weeks. Are you guys going to join any online leage? i just applied today at one.
Mybe time also to start a FOFC TPB2k5 online league?

condors · 11-03-2004, 08:52 AM

i thought the first one was pretty fun simming a season at a time

this one i tend to play every second of every game

wish i had more time to play it right now

FBPro · 11-03-2004, 09:18 AM

I'm kinda in the boat w/ Skydog, not an NBA fan and just wonder if it is worth the $$ to get it if I'm not. Any non-NBA fans who have the game care to enlighten?

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 09:51 AM

Thanks for the nice response guys - I just want to echo a few sentiments here...

Whether you loved, hated or fell somewhere in between on TPB 2003 throw it out the window and try the demo. The game was completely rebuilt with a MUCH MUCH better GUI and alot of new features. The game really is night and day between 03.

Whether you love or hate the NBA give it a try - most people who hate the NBA hate it for the reason of they think the players are a bunch of greedy thugs or whining brats. The game doesn't give off that side of the NBA. There is an NBA roster pack made by a forum member if you want or you can play with the fictional players. Believe me, the fictional world is very detailed in this game because there were logos, banners, jerseys and home courts all designed specifically for each fictional team. There are many people already who have told me they are not NBA fans but love this game (Todd being one of those I believe)

The only thing I ask for anyone who isn't an NBA fan but is a fan of sports games is think about CM/FM. How many people can't stand soccer here but to them CM/FM is wildly addictive because its just a great game and whether you like soccer or not you can get into it? I think the same can be said for TPB 2005. Its not at the level CM/FM is yet - no way - CM/FM is the king of the text sports sims but I am seeing it have a similar affect on people who dislike the NBA.

The demo lets you play the first 100 days of a season and its free. IMO, the only harm in checking out the demo is that you run the risk of becoming very intrigued by it and may not be able to resist the urge to purchase it

Coffee Warlord · 11-03-2004, 12:47 PM

Heh. Good thing TPB doesn't give off the whiny brat side of the NBA. Otherwise my masterful prying of Allen Iverson out of Philly into Chicago wouldn't have worked out as well as it did.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-03-2004, 06:00 PM

Hmmm.. I wanted something new to try now that I'm done studying. I'm going out celebrating tonight (plus Friday and Saturday night) but I will have to try this sometime in the next few days

dubb93 · 11-03-2004, 08:05 PM

Got some questions about this game after just downloading and "looking" at the demo.

THere are several greyish buttons in the game that I can't read what is written on them. Anyway to fix this?

I see there are prospects from college, high school, and overseas. Anyway to go indepth and scout these guys? If so is there actually a big time risk/reward with high school players. IE having to wait 7-8 years in some instances to see any kind of worthwhile play from that high school senior you took #1, while that college senior that went #16 steps in and drops 15 a game. Is this general rule of thumb in the game?

If that one problem is addressed and the 2nd question answered favorably I would gladly pay for the game when the real rosters get their kinks worked out.

BTW this is former FOFCer Troll, my old account won't work for some reason.

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 08:17 PM

If you didnt reboot your computer that might explain things being hard to read or buttons that have no text on them and the like.

Yes, you get scouting reports on the guys prior to the draft and you can invite up to 15 at that time for an individual workout where you get even more information about the player prior to the draft.

Yes, there is big risk/reward with high school players and very young Int'l players. Most of them you will draft as projects and hope for the best while occassionally there will be the young'un that's ready to go right away (like LeBron, Carmello, Amare...) And yes, the kids who come out of college generally are more ready to contribute earlier than the high school kids although their potential is rarely anything close to that of the high school kids.

Whether players reach their potential is a totally different story. Players are not guaranteed to hit their potential, they do not develop at a linear rate and they develop during the season as well as in the offseason so there is absoultely no way to predict how far a player will develop (or even if he wont be a total bust) or how fast he will develop. You just have to wait and see just like in real life

Thanks for trying the demo BTW

The_herd · 11-03-2004, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubb93

I see there are prospects from college, high school, and overseas. Anyway to go indepth and scout these guys? If so is there actually a big time risk/reward with high school players. IE having to wait 7-8 years in some instances to see any kind of worthwhile play from that high school senior you took #1, while that college senior that went #16 steps in and drops 15 a game. Is this general rule of thumb in the game?

Prior to the draft you get 15 players to invite for a workout. Thats the only way to really scout the draft eligible players.

High School players definately take a while to develop, in general. For example, Using Memphis I had the #5 and number #12 pick in the draft. I used the #5 pick on what appeared to be an excellent SG that was 22 years old. With the #12 pick I rolled the dice on a High School PF that my scouts thought had some nice potential. After the Summer League games I went in to check their ratings and potential and the SG was rated 3 current and 4.5 potential. The PF was rated 1 current and 5 potential. So the SG was ready to play from day 1 and played quite well that season, while the PF really struggled. He did show signs of his potential. He had a 30 point game at the end of the season, but still ended up averaging less than 5 a game.

I've also seen some of the high schoolers play reasonably well as rookies. The player development in this game is nearly spot on. The NBA draft has become a crap shoot in recent years and TPB does a great job of recreating it. Two other High School big men I was interested went just before the PF I selected and they didn't end up panning out at all. A combination of luck and good scouting.

The_herd · 11-03-2004, 08:23 PM

Damn I type slow.

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 08:28 PM

Hey, nice work on the scouting there - looks like you did a good job avoiding the guys who appear to be junk (unless they're just slow bloomers and your guy just had one freakish night

)

You'll find out in a couple of seasons I guess

The_herd · 11-03-2004, 08:41 PM

Garry, I did manage to find a bug or something that at least needs looked at. When playing the game in 2D I saw text that read, "Glenn Robinson is looking to make a pass."

MizzouRah · 11-03-2004, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FBPro

I'm kinda in the boat w/ Skydog, not an NBA fan and just wonder if it is worth the $$ to get it if I'm not. Any non-NBA fans who have the game care to enlighten?

I can't stand the NBA, it's definitly on the bottom of my sports list (right behind curling

)

..but, playing a purely fictional league, the game has been great and I'm really immersed in the game. The default setup is EXCELLENT, in fact the logos and such rank right up there with IHOF helmets.

Give the demo a shot, it's free.

Edit: The interface is nicely done as well.

Todd

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_herd

Garry, I did manage to find a bug or something that at least needs looked at. When playing the game in 2D I saw text that read, "Glenn Robinson is looking to make a pass."

roffle - yup that's definitely a bug. I don't know what happened to the end of that text line. It should have read "Glenn Robinson is looking to make a pass to himself"

I will get that fixed in the 1st patch

Pumpy Tudors · 11-03-2004, 10:32 PM

Todd (or anyone else, really), any tips on helping get immersed in a fictional league? I plan to play "pure GM" mode (meaning that I won't coach or set depth charts), but I want suggestions on a good way to get to know my players. Help?

jbmagic · 11-03-2004, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Todd (or anyone else, really), any tips on helping get immersed in a fictional league? I plan to play "pure GM" mode (meaning that I won't coach or set depth charts), but I want suggestions on a good way to get to know my players. Help?

watch every game and start with a small league size.
also look at box scores, stats, etc

Crapshoot · 11-03-2004, 10:53 PM

Im not sure how a text sim developer suggesting that all NBA players etc are thugs is good for his business.. but on a side note, it definitely seems like this is worth a shot. Gary- does the game start at the beginning of a season (As in, can I go through a draft) or at the end of the "previous" one ? the 100 day Demo is nice, but if I cant simulate basic FA or the draft, it seems to take away from one of the major selling points.

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 11:07 PM

I didn't suggest all NBA players are thugs - I said thats a common view of people who dislike the NBA.

"most people who hate the NBA hate it for the reason of they think the players are a bunch of greedy thugs or whining brats"

I actually think the NBA doesn't have any more problems than any other sports league with their athletes and personally, I like the NBA. I think it has great diversity in the league as now you've got players from not only all of America but also from every other continent and I'm very pleased my Pistons won the championship last season - it was great to see team basketball mean something once again.

Anyhow, you can either start the season on day 1 with the first game of the season or you can start with a fantasy draft and then the season. Either way in the demo you do not get to experience the offseason although chances are if you like what you see in the 1st 100 days you're going to be pleased with everything else. So far I have heard nothing but good things about the demo and haven't heard anyone complain that the demo was cool but then the offseason part wasn't so hot.

Crapshoot · 11-03-2004, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Gorski

I didn't suggest all NBA players are thugs - I said thats a common view of people who dislike the NBA.

"most people who hate the NBA hate it for the reason of they think the players are a bunch of greedy thugs or whining brats"

I actually think the NBA doesn't have any more problems than any other sports league with their athletes and personally, I like the NBA. I think it has great diversity in the league as now you've got players from not only all of America but also from every other continent and I'm very pleased my Pistons won the championship last season - it was great to see team basketball mean something once again.

Anyhow, you can either start the season on day 1 with the first game of the season or you can start with a fantasy draft and then the season. Either way in the demo you do not get to experience the offseason although chances are if you like what you see in the 1st 100 days you're going to be pleased with everything else. So far I have heard nothing but good things about the demo and haven't heard anyone complain that the demo was cool but then the offseason part wasn't so hot.

Hmm - I forgot you were a Detroit fan.. interesting -and ya, I misread your first point- my mistake.

Also, my question was with the offseason. To take this off point- you played a fair amount of text sims before you coded one- doesnt it seem likely that the average text sim fan is as interested in the off-season, and thus would love to have a game start right at the end of the old season as opposed to the start of a new one ? Genuinely curious- I think this may have been the one thing TPF aced, and Im wondering what the general consensus on this is. Is it a coding issue ?

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 11:30 PM

No, it was a management decision to let the gamer play 100 days of a season as many times as he wants as opposed to letting him play the entire game for like 3 days.

We had a lot of complaints about people not getting enough time with the demo last year so we changed it up this year and people seem to like the fact they can take their time and really get into the portion they can play because they don't have to rush through - granted they can't play the offseason but it couldn't go both ways.

Either we had to limit the demo to a certain portion of the game and give them unlimited time or keep the time limit and let them play any part of the game then but only give them a few days to play it and hope that it was enough time for them to evaluate it.

MizzouRah · 11-03-2004, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Todd (or anyone else, really), any tips on helping get immersed in a fictional league? I plan to play "pure GM" mode (meaning that I won't coach or set depth charts), but I want suggestions on a good way to get to know my players. Help?

PT,

I'm on "pure GM" mode as well. Start with a fantasy draft, then spend some time on the interface, getting around, etc... I watch all my games, which gives me a good idea on who does what for my team as well as seeing what the other teams have in terms of player ability in the league. Of course writing a dynasty helps the "immersion" level as well.

The good thing about bball is there are only 12 players on your team to get acquainted with.

Todd

Gary Gorski · 11-03-2004, 11:53 PM

Yeah, if you want a look into the immersion factor (especially of a self-proclaimed non NBA fan) I highly recommend reading Todd's dynasty report at the grey dog forums. Its very well done (see his link at the top of this thread)

Zippo · 11-04-2004, 12:41 AM

MizzouRah's dynasty rocks!

Pumpy Tudors · 11-04-2004, 01:33 AM

It's 12:30am down here in the bayou, and I'm trying to decide whether to go to sleep or buy this game and jump into my own career. I'll definitely buy, but I guess I should wait until tomorrow when I can afford the time. I think I'll get very caught up in this game. Before yesterday, I was looking forward to Friday's poker night and Saturday's Tulane football game. Now I'll still attend both, but I'll be thinking about TPB most of the time. Eek! I also picked the wrong weekend to start geocaching. I think I'd better to go bed before I keep myself up all night.

TLK · 11-04-2004, 02:06 AM

downloaded the demo, and was extremely impreesed.... I'll be buying this weekend....

ShaqFu · 11-04-2004, 02:50 AM

Is this like Season Ticket Basketball. I purchased that with Season Ticket Football and Season Ticket Baseball. I liked the basketball and baseball games, hated the football. I would like to find another basketball game like Season Ticket.

Danny · 11-04-2004, 03:46 AM

Season ticket basketball is a cd version of fast break pro basketball by heavyreign.

To find out if you like Total Pro Basketball, you can give our demo a try.

Ben E Lou · 11-04-2004, 06:15 AM

FIRST SUGGESTION FOR GARY: Mouse-over help for ratings.

I just started a fantasy draft, and spent 3-4 minutes looking to try to find what the ratings meant. I couldn't find it anywhere in the manual. It took a while to think to click on a player card, then discern the abbreviations from there. Even then, I'm having to click back and forth to remember what everything means.

Also, an explanation for what the ratings do should be in the manual. Just a quick, "Discipline has an impact on how many fouls they commit, and whether or not they take bad shots", or something like that, is very much needed. As it stands right now, I am left to guess what the abstract ratings such as "discipline" and "court intelligence" impact.

Finally, it is confusng what "scoring" means, when the player is already rated for inside and outside shooting.

A little help on these ratings, please?

Icy · 11-04-2004, 06:32 AM

Agree with you Skydog, onmouseovers would be great and also more detailed info on the manual about rattings.

Danny · 11-04-2004, 06:59 AM

Scoring is the player's ability to create shots for himself. Field goal inside and outside is the percentage of shots they will hit. So you might have a big center rated as a 55% for field goal inside, but if his scoring is a 3, he will have trouble creating shots and getting good looks.

Discipline has to do with picking up fouls. Low discipline is more likely to commit fouls and so on. Court Intelligence I will leave to Gary.

I also agree that this should probably be in the manual or at least in a FAQ on this forum.

Ben E Lou · 11-04-2004, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Drickman

Scoring is the player's ability to create shots for himself. Field goal inside and outside is the percentage of shots they will hit. So you might have a big center rated as a 55% for field goal inside, but if his scoring is a 3, he will have trouble creating shots and getting good looks.

Discipline has to do with picking up fouls. Low discipline is more likely to commit fouls and so on. Court Intelligence I will leave to Gary.

I also agree that this should probably be in the manual or at least in a FAQ on this forum.

Thanks Danny!

--Ben

Danny · 11-04-2004, 07:10 AM

No problem, I pasted from Grey Dog, so for those who didn't see it, I meant in a FAQ over at GDS, not here

.

Icy · 11-04-2004, 08:27 AM

Thanks Danny, i should have read it at greydog FAQ as i frecuent the forums too.
About Court intelligence, i suposse it's related to how good is the player seing good pass chances to unmarked team mates, how good is him finding the best path to score etc, something like "creativity and talent" talking on Championship Manager (FM now) attributes.

Cap Ologist · 11-04-2004, 09:09 AM

I downloaded the demo and I'm checking it out. The one thing that I've noticed that kind of bugs me is scrolling through players. I started with a fantasy draft and was looking for a center when I noticed it. I sorted them by inside scoring and was trying to use the next and previous arrows on the player card but they didn't work the way I was expecting. Even though I had deselected every position but center I started scrolling through every player and not just the ones who remained undrafted. This is very annoying to me. I'd like to be able to scroll through them in the order that I've sorted them. Is this something that can be fixed easily?

dubb93 · 11-04-2004, 11:11 AM

Purchased the game and started one as the Cavs. See 1 minor bug/error to me. In the 2nd game of the season Illgauskas went down for the season. I was then able to trade him, even though he's in the final year of his contract AND out for the season. Granted the trade was for Grant Hill, but he's been healthy so far this year and is dropping 15 and 6.

Not totally sure this is a stupid trade technically, but to me it was dumb for the magic.

Pumpy Tudors · 11-04-2004, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubb93

Purchased the game and started one as the Cavs. See 1 minor bug/error to me. In the 2nd game of the season Illgauskas went down for the season. I was then able to trade him, even though he's in the final year of his contract AND out for the season. Granted the trade was for Grant Hill, but he's been healthy so far this year and is dropping 15 and 6.

Not totally sure this is a stupid trade technically, but to me it was dumb for the magic.

I don't know Grant Hill's contract, but I'm going to assume that he's not in his final year. Given that, I think it's a great trade for the Magic. Obviously, Grant Hill has had major injury issues, so I wouldn't expect him to be durable. Why continue to eat his contract? They can take on Ilgauskas, put him on the injured list, and then they have extra cap room next year. I don't know how many of the salary cap rules are written into TPB, but there may be enough to make me say that Orlando did a hell of a job in clearing up salary cap issues. Of course, if Hill is also in the final year of his contract, then the whole trade doesn't make any sense to me.

I don't know how much you follow the real NBA, but there were several teams trying to get their hands on Terrell Brandon last year. Brandon was seriously injured, and everyone was 99% sure that he'd never play again. That's exactly why people wanted him. His salary (plus the salaries of any players traded away for him) would essentially become cap space for 2004-05.

dubb93 · 11-04-2004, 12:01 PM

Well I started over to what else I could get for Illgauskas and made attempts for Jason Kidd, and Paul Pierce.

I offered Illgaukas, Eric Snow, Dajaun Wagner, and 2 1st Round picks for Jason Kidd and the Nets turned it down unwilling to trade a franchise player without getting one in return. I ended up getting Antawn Jamison in a deal that involved 5 players. Illgauskas and Dajuan Wagner for Antawn Jamison, Brenden Haywood and Juan Dixon.

So far just messing around with trades has been fun.

Gary Gorski · 11-04-2004, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I don't know Grant Hill's contract, but I'm going to assume that he's not in his final year. Given that, I think it's a great trade for the Magic. Obviously, Grant Hill has had major injury issues, so I wouldn't expect him to be durable. Why continue to eat his contract? They can take on Ilgauskas, put him on the injured list, and then they have extra cap room next year. I don't know how many of the salary cap rules are written into TPB, but there may be enough to make me say that Orlando did a hell of a job in clearing up salary cap issues. Of course, if Hill is also in the final year of his contract, then the whole trade doesn't make any sense to me.

Great analysis PT - I don't believe Hill is in his contract year either. Don't forget this other factor - Ilgauskas in his contract year so while they might take him just to clear out the cap room for the offseason, they also may want him because now they possess his bird rights and can resign him to a max deal - Ilgauskas is a pretty decent center in a league where centers are few and far between. So the Magic can go either way and the chance of Hill staying healthy for the entire season is slim to none. IMO, that was brilliant move by the CPU Orlando GM and they are setup to either be able to drop a load of money on some guy in the offsesason or can resign Ilgauskas to a long term deal - either way next season they will end up with something they had no shot in hell of having by having Grant Hill on the roster.

Coffee Warlord · 11-04-2004, 12:08 PM

By the way, as a little hint for folks, in case anyone hasn't caught it.

I am fairly certain you get MUCH better trade deals if you start gunning for disgruntled players on other teams. (Of course, they may have their own problems, but I've stolen away some fairly decent players without sacrificing my top guys)

Gary Gorski · 11-04-2004, 12:13 PM

Yes CW, you do - its a risk/reward. The computer AI doesn't want the hassle of this guy being disgruntled and bringing down the rest of the team and playing worse because he's unhappy so they will "discount" him to unload him - great for you....so long as YOU can do a better job of keeping the malcontent happy. If he's just as unhappy in your organization you're either going to have to placate his wants like playing time at the expense of someone else or you're going to have to try and move him.

Oh yeah, the computer AI isn't dumb - it knows that if you have a disgruntled player that you're trying to peddle him off and just like it will take a discounted value if they are the ones with the unhappy player the AI will not offer you "fair" value for your guy cause it knows its got you over a barrel

Eaglesfan27 · 11-04-2004, 12:21 PM

Darn it... I planned on catching up on some other games today during my breaks.. but now I find myself compelled to download the demo and check it out

Subby · 11-04-2004, 12:25 PM

How is the multiplayer function working out for folks?

11-02-2004, 08:17 PM	#2
The_herd College Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Fort Lackland, Texas (San Antonio)	Really solid game. The trade AI is nice. Player development seems nice. Stats are good. I really haven't found a weak part of the game yet. __________________ Oakland Raiders: HFL's 1970 AC West Champs

11-02-2004, 08:18 PM	#3
The_herd College Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Fort Lackland, Texas (San Antonio)	Dola And I hated the last version. So this is quite a surprise __________________ Oakland Raiders: HFL's 1970 AC West Champs

11-02-2004, 08:23 PM	#4
Ben E Lou Morgado's Favorite Forum Fascist Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Greensboro, NC	I'm not really an NBA Fan, but based on what I've heard so far, it looks like I'll be buying this one in the next day or so, especially considering the fact that my wife is going to be out of town from tomorrow through Sunday, the Falcons are off, and the Dawgs are playing Kentucky on Saturday. __________________ The media don't understand the kinds of problems and pressures 54 million come wit'!

11-03-2004, 08:16 AM	#9
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	Great game, a big improvement over TPB2003 that i only played for afew weeks. Are you guys going to join any online leage? i just applied today at one. Mybe time also to start a FOFC TPB2k5 online league? __________________

11-03-2004, 09:18 AM	#11
FBPro College Starter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: SE	I'm kinda in the boat w/ Skydog, not an NBA fan and just wonder if it is worth the $$ to get it if I'm not. Any non-NBA fans who have the game care to enlighten? __________________ GM RayCo Raiders-est. 2004-2012 Charter member of the IHOF-RayCo GM GM Tennessee Titans PFL 2011-2014 GM Tennessee Titans FOWL 2020-2025

11-02-2004, 08:24 PM	#5
lynchjm24 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hartford	I never played the last one, but this one is quite impressive.

11-02-2004, 08:36 PM	#6
jbmagic Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2004	very impresss with this basketball sim game

11-02-2004, 08:38 PM	#7
Eagle458 n00b Join Date: Mar 2004	My back is killing me. I just played 7 hours straight. Fun game.

11-03-2004, 08:52 AM	#10
condors College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	i thought the first one was pretty fun simming a season at a time this one i tend to play every second of every game wish i had more time to play it right now

11-03-2004, 09:51 AM	#12
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	Thanks for the nice response guys - I just want to echo a few sentiments here... Whether you loved, hated or fell somewhere in between on TPB 2003 throw it out the window and try the demo. The game was completely rebuilt with a MUCH MUCH better GUI and alot of new features. The game really is night and day between 03. Whether you love or hate the NBA give it a try - most people who hate the NBA hate it for the reason of they think the players are a bunch of greedy thugs or whining brats. The game doesn't give off that side of the NBA. There is an NBA roster pack made by a forum member if you want or you can play with the fictional players. Believe me, the fictional world is very detailed in this game because there were logos, banners, jerseys and home courts all designed specifically for each fictional team. There are many people already who have told me they are not NBA fans but love this game (Todd being one of those I believe) The only thing I ask for anyone who isn't an NBA fan but is a fan of sports games is think about CM/FM. How many people can't stand soccer here but to them CM/FM is wildly addictive because its just a great game and whether you like soccer or not you can get into it? I think the same can be said for TPB 2005. Its not at the level CM/FM is yet - no way - CM/FM is the king of the text sports sims but I am seeing it have a similar affect on people who dislike the NBA. The demo lets you play the first 100 days of a season and its free. IMO, the only harm in checking out the demo is that you run the risk of becoming very intrigued by it and may not be able to resist the urge to purchase it __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

11-03-2004, 12:47 PM	#13
Coffee Warlord Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs	Heh. Good thing TPB doesn't give off the whiny brat side of the NBA. Otherwise my masterful prying of Allen Iverson out of Philly into Chicago wouldn't have worked out as well as it did.

11-03-2004, 06:00 PM	#14
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Hmmm.. I wanted something new to try now that I'm done studying. I'm going out celebrating tonight (plus Friday and Saturday night) but I will have to try this sometime in the next few days __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

11-03-2004, 08:05 PM	#15
dubb93 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004	Got some questions about this game after just downloading and "looking" at the demo. THere are several greyish buttons in the game that I can't read what is written on them. Anyway to fix this? I see there are prospects from college, high school, and overseas. Anyway to go indepth and scout these guys? If so is there actually a big time risk/reward with high school players. IE having to wait 7-8 years in some instances to see any kind of worthwhile play from that high school senior you took #1, while that college senior that went #16 steps in and drops 15 a game. Is this general rule of thumb in the game? If that one problem is addressed and the 2nd question answered favorably I would gladly pay for the game when the real rosters get their kinks worked out. BTW this is former FOFCer Troll, my old account won't work for some reason.

11-03-2004, 08:17 PM	#16
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	If you didnt reboot your computer that might explain things being hard to read or buttons that have no text on them and the like. Yes, you get scouting reports on the guys prior to the draft and you can invite up to 15 at that time for an individual workout where you get even more information about the player prior to the draft. Yes, there is big risk/reward with high school players and very young Int'l players. Most of them you will draft as projects and hope for the best while occassionally there will be the young'un that's ready to go right away (like LeBron, Carmello, Amare...) And yes, the kids who come out of college generally are more ready to contribute earlier than the high school kids although their potential is rarely anything close to that of the high school kids. Whether players reach their potential is a totally different story. Players are not guaranteed to hit their potential, they do not develop at a linear rate and they develop during the season as well as in the offseason so there is absoultely no way to predict how far a player will develop (or even if he wont be a total bust) or how fast he will develop. You just have to wait and see just like in real life Thanks for trying the demo BTW __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

11-03-2004, 08:23 PM	#18
The_herd College Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Fort Lackland, Texas (San Antonio)	Damn I type slow. __________________ Oakland Raiders: HFL's 1970 AC West Champs

11-03-2004, 08:28 PM	#19
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	Hey, nice work on the scouting there - looks like you did a good job avoiding the guys who appear to be junk (unless they're just slow bloomers and your guy just had one freakish night ) You'll find out in a couple of seasons I guess __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

11-03-2004, 08:41 PM	#20
The_herd College Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Fort Lackland, Texas (San Antonio)	Garry, I did manage to find a bug or something that at least needs looked at. When playing the game in 2D I saw text that read, "Glenn Robinson is looking to make a pass." __________________ Oakland Raiders: HFL's 1970 AC West Champs

11-03-2004, 10:32 PM	#23
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	Todd (or anyone else, really), any tips on helping get immersed in a fictional league? I plan to play "pure GM" mode (meaning that I won't coach or set depth charts), but I want suggestions on a good way to get to know my players. Help? __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

11-03-2004, 10:53 PM	#25
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Im not sure how a text sim developer suggesting that all NBA players etc are thugs is good for his business.. but on a side note, it definitely seems like this is worth a shot. Gary- does the game start at the beginning of a season (As in, can I go through a draft) or at the end of the "previous" one ? the 100 day Demo is nice, but if I cant simulate basic FA or the draft, it seems to take away from one of the major selling points.

11-03-2004, 11:07 PM	#26
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	I didn't suggest all NBA players are thugs - I said thats a common view of people who dislike the NBA. "most people who hate the NBA hate it for the reason of they think the players are a bunch of greedy thugs or whining brats" I actually think the NBA doesn't have any more problems than any other sports league with their athletes and personally, I like the NBA. I think it has great diversity in the league as now you've got players from not only all of America but also from every other continent and I'm very pleased my Pistons won the championship last season - it was great to see team basketball mean something once again. Anyhow, you can either start the season on day 1 with the first game of the season or you can start with a fantasy draft and then the season. Either way in the demo you do not get to experience the offseason although chances are if you like what you see in the 1st 100 days you're going to be pleased with everything else. So far I have heard nothing but good things about the demo and haven't heard anyone complain that the demo was cool but then the offseason part wasn't so hot. __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

11-03-2004, 11:30 PM	#28
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	No, it was a management decision to let the gamer play 100 days of a season as many times as he wants as opposed to letting him play the entire game for like 3 days. We had a lot of complaints about people not getting enough time with the demo last year so we changed it up this year and people seem to like the fact they can take their time and really get into the portion they can play because they don't have to rush through - granted they can't play the offseason but it couldn't go both ways. Either we had to limit the demo to a certain portion of the game and give them unlimited time or keep the time limit and let them play any part of the game then but only give them a few days to play it and hope that it was enough time for them to evaluate it. __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

11-03-2004, 11:53 PM	#30
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	Yeah, if you want a look into the immersion factor (especially of a self-proclaimed non NBA fan) I highly recommend reading Todd's dynasty report at the grey dog forums. Its very well done (see his link at the top of this thread) __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

11-04-2004, 12:41 AM	#31
Zippo High School JV Join Date: Jan 2004	MizzouRah's dynasty rocks!

11-04-2004, 01:33 AM	#32
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	It's 12:30am down here in the bayou, and I'm trying to decide whether to go to sleep or buy this game and jump into my own career. I'll definitely buy, but I guess I should wait until tomorrow when I can afford the time. I think I'll get very caught up in this game. Before yesterday, I was looking forward to Friday's poker night and Saturday's Tulane football game. Now I'll still attend both, but I'll be thinking about TPB most of the time. Eek! I also picked the wrong weekend to start geocaching. I think I'd better to go bed before I keep myself up all night. __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor. Last edited by Pumpy Tudors : 11-04-2004 at 01:34 AM.

11-04-2004, 02:06 AM	#33
TLK Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Allen Park, MI	downloaded the demo, and was extremely impreesed.... I'll be buying this weekend....

11-04-2004, 02:50 AM	#34
ShaqFu H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: South Florida	Is this like Season Ticket Basketball. I purchased that with Season Ticket Football and Season Ticket Baseball. I liked the basketball and baseball games, hated the football. I would like to find another basketball game like Season Ticket.

11-04-2004, 03:46 AM	#35
Danny Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	Season ticket basketball is a cd version of fast break pro basketball by heavyreign. To find out if you like Total Pro Basketball, you can give our demo a try. Last edited by Danny : 11-04-2004 at 03:46 AM.

11-04-2004, 06:15 AM	#36
Ben E Lou Morgado's Favorite Forum Fascist Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Greensboro, NC	FIRST SUGGESTION FOR GARY: Mouse-over help for ratings. I just started a fantasy draft, and spent 3-4 minutes looking to try to find what the ratings meant. I couldn't find it anywhere in the manual. It took a while to think to click on a player card, then discern the abbreviations from there. Even then, I'm having to click back and forth to remember what everything means. Also, an explanation for what the ratings do should be in the manual. Just a quick, "Discipline has an impact on how many fouls they commit, and whether or not they take bad shots", or something like that, is very much needed. As it stands right now, I am left to guess what the abstract ratings such as "discipline" and "court intelligence" impact. Finally, it is confusng what "scoring" means, when the player is already rated for inside and outside shooting. A little help on these ratings, please? __________________ The media don't understand the kinds of problems and pressures 54 million come wit'!

11-04-2004, 06:32 AM	#37
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	Agree with you Skydog, onmouseovers would be great and also more detailed info on the manual about rattings. __________________

11-04-2004, 06:59 AM	#38
Danny Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	Scoring is the player's ability to create shots for himself. Field goal inside and outside is the percentage of shots they will hit. So you might have a big center rated as a 55% for field goal inside, but if his scoring is a 3, he will have trouble creating shots and getting good looks. Discipline has to do with picking up fouls. Low discipline is more likely to commit fouls and so on. Court Intelligence I will leave to Gary. I also agree that this should probably be in the manual or at least in a FAQ on this forum.

11-04-2004, 07:10 AM	#40
Danny Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	No problem, I pasted from Grey Dog, so for those who didn't see it, I meant in a FAQ over at GDS, not here .

11-04-2004, 08:27 AM	#41
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	Thanks Danny, i should have read it at greydog FAQ as i frecuent the forums too. About Court intelligence, i suposse it's related to how good is the player seing good pass chances to unmarked team mates, how good is him finding the best path to score etc, something like "creativity and talent" talking on Championship Manager (FM now) attributes. __________________

11-04-2004, 09:09 AM	#42
Cap Ologist College Prospect Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Flower Mound, TX	I downloaded the demo and I'm checking it out. The one thing that I've noticed that kind of bugs me is scrolling through players. I started with a fantasy draft and was looking for a center when I noticed it. I sorted them by inside scoring and was trying to use the next and previous arrows on the player card but they didn't work the way I was expecting. Even though I had deselected every position but center I started scrolling through every player and not just the ones who remained undrafted. This is very annoying to me. I'd like to be able to scroll through them in the order that I've sorted them. Is this something that can be fixed easily?

11-04-2004, 11:11 AM	#43
dubb93 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004	Purchased the game and started one as the Cavs. See 1 minor bug/error to me. In the 2nd game of the season Illgauskas went down for the season. I was then able to trade him, even though he's in the final year of his contract AND out for the season. Granted the trade was for Grant Hill, but he's been healthy so far this year and is dropping 15 and 6. Not totally sure this is a stupid trade technically, but to me it was dumb for the magic.

11-04-2004, 12:01 PM	#45
dubb93 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004	Well I started over to what else I could get for Illgauskas and made attempts for Jason Kidd, and Paul Pierce. I offered Illgaukas, Eric Snow, Dajaun Wagner, and 2 1st Round picks for Jason Kidd and the Nets turned it down unwilling to trade a franchise player without getting one in return. I ended up getting Antawn Jamison in a deal that involved 5 players. Illgauskas and Dajuan Wagner for Antawn Jamison, Brenden Haywood and Juan Dixon. So far just messing around with trades has been fun.