The crack of the bat, the
roar of the crowd, a white baseball streaking toward the fences against a clear
blue sky – ah, the joys of baseball.
The good folks at Netamin
had an idea that could well revolutionize the way baseball games are looked at
and played on the PC. Ultimate Baseball Online is sort of like a massively
multiplayer role-playing game, but instead of fighting off monsters, you are
battling pitchers. Instead of defending castles or keeps, you are trying to keep
the ball in the park against some of the big sluggers currently residing in the
beta of the title.
Yes, this is a game that is
in beta, and yes, it has a lot of bugs and issues that prohibit it from being a
realistic and smoothly flowing game. But the core is there, and in time –
hopefully – the other elements will also be there. If all that comes to
fruition, expect UBO to be an incredible online sports experience.
For those interested, the
game can be downloaded at
http://www.ultimatebaseballonline.com.
The game mechanics are a
little rough, but rather than dwell on the lag and other issues that can
interrupt the game play, let’s instead look at what the game offers. You begin
by downloading the game and registering for an account. Then you go into the
character set-up screen and create a ballplayer. No real Major League Baseball
uniforms or teams exist, and while leagues will be available in the future, for
now you can either practice with your avatars of indulge in pick-up games. More
on that in a moment.
Your avatar has certain
traits that can be worked up. As you play, you can earn experience points, which
can be allocated toward improving skills – like run speed, your catching area,
arm strength, power, et cetera. You also advance in levels and earn points that
can be allocated in certain areas. For example: you get your avatar to level 2
and earn a point to spend. You can spend it in the pitching area (if you are a
pitcher and want to make your range of pitches – which increase as you bolster
the skills – more effective, you can invest there), or say in the batting area.
The batting area is broken into nine zones and you can increase your power zones
up to a maximum of 15 skill points per zone. You will not be able to become the
consummate hitter in every zone.
Avatars can be male or
female, and you can customize them to a certain degree and put your name on the
back of the jersey. Once you have your avatar, time to head for the field or to
batting practice.
The game uses a combination
of mouse and keyboard controls. To bat, you position the mouse cursor where the
ball will enter the hitting zone, and left click to swing. Right click allows
you to adjust the amount of power you wish to use. The more power, the more
precise the swing must be. The less power you use, the wider the cursor target
area. If you manage to hit the ball, you use the keyboard to run the bases.
Fielding is a different
proposition. You use the keyboard to move your avatar, and then hold left click
on the mouse to catch the ball. Release the left mouse button, use the keyboard
to target where the throw is going, and then power up your throw with the left
mouse button. Unfortunately, this takes time to do and if the base runner has any
speed, a routine infield grounder won’t result in an out at first base about
half the time.
Players can play any
position on the field, but if you have a pitcher that is getting shelled, too
bad. So far the game has no option to replace a pitcher. And should your pitcher
lag, or otherwise drop, it’s game over.
Ultimate Baseball Online has
some grand plans for the future of the game, but this is a title that is rather
raw in places at the moment. The community is made up of a finite amount of
players, and you generally see the same faces in game after game. The chatter on
the screen can get a little rough, and though there is a chat filter in place,
players can get around it easily enough.
The game has some rather
silly fan banter, a redundant ‘tomahawk’ theme and that tired ‘charge’ musical
encouragement. Graphically, the environments do look a little like colored
concrete, but the animation is rather good at this juncture.
UBO has the potential to
take the genre in an amazing direction, and to be a terrific game experience. It
has a lot of issues to work through, but that is why it is in beta. But right,
while still growing, this is an addictive game experience that eats up the hours
quickly. UBO has the core elements in place, now it needs tweaking to transform
it from a good idea to an amazing online gaming experience.
