Baseball Mogul Frequently Asked Questions

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Feature Help

If you are confused about how a feature works in Baseball Mogul, click the Help button on the appropriate screen, or use the 'Help' menu.

If that doesn't answer your question, check the updated help files.

Q: I originally downloaded Baseball Mogul from Sports Mogul. My hard drive has crashed and I need to re-download the game. How can I do this?

A: Please read the download FAQ for information regarding downloading and installation.

Q: After I install the 9.12 upgrade, Baseball Mogul won't run and I get a "missing file" error.

A: There is a bug in Version 9.12 when applied directly to the boxed version sold at retail. You can fix this bug by downloading Version 9.14 (double-click on this file after you have downloaded it to install the upgrade).

If you are still getting a "missing file" error message, you can fix this by downloading the missing file. Copy this file to c:\Program Files\Sports Mogul\Baseball 2007\Skins\SportsMogul\News\Calendar\sim.bmp. (If you installed Baseball Mogul 2007 to a different folder, use that folder instead).

Q: How do I know where Baseball Mogul is installed?

Open Baseball Mogul and select "Open Game Folder..." from the Help Menu.

Q: I can't buy Baseball Mogul.

A: Our ordering system, for both Baseball Mogul and Football Mogul, requires that you have cookies enabled on your machine (this lets your web browser remember information from one page to the next).

To enable cookies:

Internet Explorer 6

Click on Tools in the top toolbar, click on Internet Options in the drop down box, click on the Privacy tab, and select the Medium setting using the slider control.

Internet Explorer 5

Click on Tools in the top toolbar, click on Internet Options in the drop down box, click on the Security tab, select the Internet globe and then click on the Custom Level button. Scroll down the list to Cookies and select Enable for both options available.

Internet Explorer 4

Click on View in the top toolbar, click on Internet Options in the drop down box, click on the Advanced tab, scroll down the list to Security and select 'Always accept cookies'.

Netscape Communicator

Click on Edit in the top toolbar, click on Preferences in the drop down box, click on Advanced in the category window and then select Accept all cookies.

Q: I bought the new version and installed it, but it looks like I am still running the demo version.

A: Unfortunately, you ARE still running the demo version. There is a bug with InstallShield that doesn't install the full game over the demo. You need to do the following (in this order):

Uninstall Baseball Mogul (from Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs)
Uninstall any Baseball Mogul Demo Versions
Reinstall Baseball Mogul

We're sorry for the inconvenience. The good news is that InstallShield does NOT erase saved game files when uninstalling. We are searching for a solution that will prevent this in the future.

Q: I bought the new version and installed it, but it looks like I am still running the demo version.

A: Unfortunately, you ARE still running the demo version. There is a bug with InstallShield that doesn't install the full game over the demo. You need to do the following (in this order):

Uninstall Baseball Mogul (from Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs)
Uninstall any Baseball Mogul Demo Versions
Reinstall Baseball Mogul

We're sorry for the inconvenience. The good news is that InstallShield does NOT erase saved game files when uninstalling. We are searching for a solution that will prevent this in the future.

Q: How do I transfer saved game files between computers?

A: The saved game files are stored in files with the ".mog" extension in the same folder as BB2K7.exe.

By default, this is c:\program files\sports mogul\baseball 2007\

In Baseball Mogul 2005 and later, you can automatically open the Baseball Mogul folder by selecting 'Open Game Folder' from the Help Menu.

(To find out which version you have, select 'About Baseball Mogul' from the Help Menu).

Q: Where do I find a player database with updated rosters and/or salaries?

A: This is the thread for any new updates and discussion of the creation of new player databases:

http://www.sportsmogul.com/vbulletin2/forumdisplay.php3?s=&forumid=1395

Most new roster updates are created by other Baseball Mogul users who use the editing tools supplied with Baseball Mogul. These files are generally supplied as a .mog or .dat file.

You can create your own roster update by Resuming a .mog file, turning on Commissioner Mode (under Tools -> Options), editing player information, then saving the game file.

Once you have created or downloaded a new .mog or .dat file, rename the file to 'Universe.dat' (writing over your current Universe.dat file in the Baseball Mogul directory). Then, to use this database when you start the game, select 'Don't Load Stats' from the initial dialog box.

Q: I get an error message when I try to install the Demo. It tells me that it can't find the file instmsia.exe or instmsiw.exe. What does this mean?

A: Microsoft updated their installation program after they released Windows 98. Our demo requires that you have the updated installer. We do not include it in the download, because it doubles the size of the download, and because most users have already installed the latest Windows installer.

If you get this error message, you can download a free upgrade file, and run it to update your Windows installer. Then run the Baseball Mogul 2005 Demo Installer again, and it should work.

You can read more about the installer at the Microsoft website:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q305496

Here are links to a 1.4 MB download. PLEASE NOTE: This software is created and provided by Microsoft, and Sports Mogul Inc. cannot guarantee its effectiveness or compatibility with your computer.

If you have Windows 95/98/Me download this:
http://www.sportsmogul.com/demo/instmsia.exe

If you have Windows NT 4.x download this:
http://www.sportsmogul.com/demo/instmsiw.exe

After downloading, run the program. Then re-run the Baseball Mogul Demo installer.

Q: I am unable to get the installer to work properly. Is there another way to install the game?

A: Please read the download FAQ for information regarding downloading and installation.

Q: I can run Baseball Mogul, but it is unplayable because the screen looks weird.

A: Many of the graphics settings for Baseball Mogul are stored in a file called Mogfame.dat in the the Basball Mogul directory. Delete this file to reset your graphics settings.

Q: How do grades in Baseball Mogul 2004 convert to numerical ratings in later versions of Baseball Mogul?

A: The A-F ratings have been changed to a 50-100 system, to improve accuracy and sorting:

98 = A+
95 = A
92 = A-
88 = B+
85 = B
82 = B-
78 = C+
75 = C
72 = C-
68 = D+
65 = D
62 = D-
55 = F

Most ratings are graded from 50-100 for major-league quality talent. Unlike the other ratings, Endurance can be as low as 10. This is because Endurance is also an approximation of the number of pitches the pitcher can throw in one game before losing effectiveness. So a pitcher with a 75 Endurance can throw about 75 pitches before losing some effectiveness. He may still be effective on his 85th pitch, but he will be tiring.

Q: Baseball Mogul plays a round-robin to resolve a three-way tie for the playoffs. Is this right?

A: In a word: no. Major League Baseball uses a one-game playoff to resolve three-way ties, with the loser going home. In Baseball Mogul, I chose to implement a round robin because it is more fair to the teams involved. Jayson Stark and many MLB GM's agree with my view on the subject (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark/grumblings/767892.html). Nevertheless, we may change this code to the official MLB format at some point in the future.

Q: Can I print Scouting Reports?

A: You can't print scouting reports. However, there is a handy little feature where you can copy a page of data to the clipboard, then paste to something like Microsoft Excel and print from there.

Follow these steps:

1. Select Team --> Roster
2. Select the Team or League you want to display
3. Click 'Column Headings' to select which stats you want to show
4. Right click anywhere inside the player list and choose 'Copy Players To Clipboard'
5. Open an application like Microsoft Excel and select 'Paste'

Q: How does Baseball Mogul load data from the Lahman Baseball Database?

A: Here's how Baseball Mogul creates player databases:

For years BEFORE the current season (e.g. pre-2006), Baseball Mogul looks in the Lahman Baseball Database to find where each player was at the start of that season. It then loads all career stats leading up to that season.

Because the season hadn't been played at the time we shipped the game, the Lahman Database doesn't include any stats for the current season (2006). Therefore, when starting in 2006:

1. Baseball Mogul loads the 2005 stats and puts players on the team they were with at the END of the 2005 season.

2. Then, to accomodate off-season transactions, Baseball Mogul loads a file called Rosters.csv from 'Players/Input' folder. If a player's name is listed for a team, he is moved to that team.

If a player is on the wrong team, you can edit the Rosters.csv file and Mogul will do the work of moving the players (also, you can share this Rosters.csv with others without the trouble of editing the Lahman data or creating a new Universe.dat file).

Please visit this forum for updated discussions about player databases.

Q: In historical seasons, Baseball Mogul loads fewer real life rookies the closer I get to the current season. This means that in 2004 or 2005, there are a large number of fake players in the Amateur Draft. Why is this?

A: Baseball Mogul loads real-life rookies in the year that they turned 18, approximating the age at which most players enter the Amateur Draft (we chose age 18 because we currently don't have access to real-life draft data).

Many of the players that turned 18 in recent years (e.g. 2003, 2004, 2005) aren't yet in the majors. Since we only have stats for players with major league experience, that leaves us without enough players to fill the Amateur Draft.

Therefore, Baseball Mogul needs to create fictional players to fill in the gaps. The closer it is to the current season, the more fictional players are needed to fill the draft pool.

Q: Are you currently working on Hockey Mogul or Basketball Mogul?

A: After we release Baseball Mogul 2008 (in March, 2007) our highest priorities are (in order):

Update Baseball Mogul Online with a new database and new features.
Release patches and updates as needed for Baseball Mogul 2008.
Complete Football Mogul 2008 for launch around August, 2007.
Develop Basketball Mogul.
Develop College Football Mogul.
Develop College Basketball Mogul.
Develop Hockey Mogul.

The above list is subject to change.

Q: I have a great idea for a new game! What do you recommend?

A: I have been making computer games since the 1970s, and professionally for the last 13 years. My first recommendation is to not waste much time pitching an "idea" to game companies. They have more ideas than they know what to do with. What they want to see are game prototypes or demos, and an experienced team that can bring the game to completion.

If your game is similar in scope to something like the first Baseball Mogul (i.e. a development budget of $75,000 or less), you should find a way to get the game up and running on your own, and probably self-publishing (like we did with our first version).

If your game idea needs a larger budget, you should probably get some game industry experience and contacts first. Gamasutra is a good place to start.

This site basically reiterates the above advice about selling your game idea, but in more depth.

Baseball Mogul Frequently Asked Questions

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Features

Player Data / Rosters / Draft

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