2018-05-22 08:14:02

Greetings to all fellow blind, or visually impared gamers!

I hope it's not against the rule to recommend games in this forum.
(in case I am still wrong, a Moderator can freely close this thread)

The game I wish to recommend this time is: WBL (The Web Boxing League)

Normally, the main reason of recommending it is not the fact, that this game has become my favorite one round a year ago, and I keep spending the most of my, (vast) spare time with it, but the following reasons:

1. The game is a fully text-based browser MMO, with a very user friendly, and very accessable interface, so it is very easy to play for us, screen-reader users.
There are already a few members of our community playing WBL, but the most successful managers of them are Boombastic and myself, (sorry for the boosting), we both have won quite a lots of regional titles already, (our fighters have become champions in their home region), I have won a world title even already, (so had a world-champion fighter), while Boombastic has managed to win a regional title with an unbeaten fighter, which is also a very impressive achievement.

2. It is a boxing-manager genre game, but one which requires indeed lots of hard brainwork, starting with scouting your fighter's next opponents, creating, editing, adjusting fight-plans for them, deciding for strategies and tactics to apply for them to use, which can include a huge amount of conditions for each single round, then, when the time comes, watch, aka read the commentary of the fight, and find out how your fighter has performed, by learning from your mistakes, constantly correcting, adjusting, upgrading, improving your old fight-plans, and making new, even better, more efficient ones, all depending on your, and opponent's fighter build and strategies used...this grants one an intensive daily brain-excercise, plus a great entertainment of course.
Those who like planning strategies, tactics, and then watch how those have performed...will definitely enjoy this game a lot!

3. The game has a constantly active, moderate size community, (round 60 or so regular players, aka managers), and all of them are very friendly, mature adults, who are always glad to help one out, give him hints, advices, answer his questions and issues, listen to, and consider his ideas and applies, so generally tolerant and helpful people, who more than welcome new managers, and do their very best to help them progress and succeed in the game.
And I don't mean only the Moderators here, but the whole WBL-community.
So, the player-interaction, and communication is constantly very active in WBL, even without a classic chatroom, new topics, discussions keep being started in its forums, comments made in its so called "press-release rooms" quite frequently, so that one can spend just as much time communicating with people there, than playing the game itself.


So all those of you, who like occasional brain-excercise involving lots of planning, strategy, tactics, opponent-estimating, predicting his moves, while trying to pull unexpected ones on them, (yeah, just like in chess), plus, wish to become a part of an constantly active, very friendly, tolerant, and helpful community of mature adults, don't hesitate, try out WBL by all means!

(personally I have become so much addicted to it, that I have almost no time for any other games anymore, ever since I joined WBL)

2018-05-22 12:26:58

How is MMA Tycoon and Box2Glory these days?
Box2Glory sounds particularly more interesting because it handles things with better realism as to how things are in real boxing.
I like the commentary of MMA Tycoon, I just wish the mobile tactics planning thing was more accessible, could never get that to work.
Does anybody know a good browser Wrestling game? The Wrestling Game is... not very good because everything such as upgrades etc seems a bit too instant gratification for my liking. Commentary is great, but the game focuses too heavily on matches... where's the story-based stuff of wrestling? Nobody cares about that stuff in that game.
Give me a wrestling manager perhaps, not a mindless PVP kill fest. Or fight fest, whichever you prefer.
As for WEBL, I've been off and on with it. I'm not particularly fond of the way fight plans work.

2018-05-22 15:41:58

Orin, I have tried both games you mentioned, but found them much less accessable than WBL, plus, I found certain elements, like certain sliders in them, which my NVDA just couldn't handle right.

As a great fan of manager-games, and strategic, tactical, planning, brain-excercising games in general, I do feel sorry for being unable to play them, (at least unable to play them properly, due the mentioned issues), but that unpleasent experience of mine with them is all I can tell you, and it is the reason, why I have chosen WBL to become my favorite, primary free-time entertainment. (instead one of them)
(besides, I couldn't find any more suitable manager-game to my expectations so far, and honestly, I am not searching for one actively anymore either, WBL just has everything I was hoping for, it features all of the most important elements which matter to me in its genre)

2018-05-22 15:53:42

But I totally understand your point, our tastes and expectations are different, I, as a competitive spirit gamer, primarily oriented to compete with an active community of people, seek probably quite different types of games than you, who prefers games with a background story, and predefined quests, tasks, missions to complete in order to progress in them.

2018-05-22 16:09:58

I agree with Caccio,

This game is the best accessible sports manager sim out there,   if you are prepared to put the time in to learn all the facets of the game it will be most rewarding.

For 15 years now since I have lost my sight I have been looking for a football manager sim and still nothing, WEBL is the only browser game I have found to be easy to navigate with a screen reader.

If anyone has any other sports strategy games that are easy to navigate please let us know,   anything from horse racing to rugby, as long as its accessible I am willing to have a go at anything.

2018-05-23 03:13:33

I second this!
Totally sharing the view of Shrike, alias Boombastic in WBL, I also hoped, and still hope for further, accessable enough manager games, which can be easily played with screen-reader, without wasting a hell of time while trying to navigate between all the options, settings, submenus, like in case of certain football managers, which I really regret having simply no nerves to play, due the just mentioned issue.
And I am also interested in all types of manager games, but with the priority of football, and horse racing ones.
(by football I mean soccer, just to clarify, in case Shrike was referring to american football, aka rugby, or superbowl, however it's originally called)

2018-05-23 08:04:18

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm not sure I'll like the game, since I love story, quests etc. But I wouldn't know before having given the game a try. So I'll give it a try in the nearest future.

Best regards SLJ.
Feel free to contact me privately if you have something in mind. If you do so, then please send me a mail instead of using the private message on the forum, since I don't check those very often.
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2018-05-23 11:52:41

Actually, we can say that WBL has quests too, and even a background story, it's only a matter of view and interpretation:
You create totally new, beginner, rookie fighters, and their, actually your quest is to make their progress a successful one, make them become 1st regional champions, then get them promoted into the contenders division, (which is something like a super-league of champions in the game), then progress, advance there too, all the way to the greatest title and honor of them all, the world champion title!
Each fighters career, wins, losses, long term successes, achievements, or failures can be considered for their individual story...and normally a part of your own story as well, as their manager.

Not to mention the quite regularily organized invitational tournaments, of many different types, whose winners get also rewarded with titles! (but of a different type of course)

All those achieved titles are constantly shown next to your name, (which is your gym's name in fact), so whenever, wherever other managers see (read) your gym's name, they will also encounter all your titles along with it.
(they are pretty good boosting-material I guess, LOL)

2018-05-23 12:15:32

I did look at the game site and instructions, but unfortunately I have the same problem as I usually do with sports management games, namely because I don't really have an interest in the sport in question, the game itself with its plethora of technical details and boxing terms is just not one I feel I can really get into since my knowledge of boxing sort of stopped at Balrog from streetfighter big_smile.

this is why I prefer games with quests and exploration and an actual world with npcs and such, rather than ones which rely on  interest and knowledge in a given sport.

I have asked the other moderators if someone would add WEBL to the database, since I believe Aaron has played it and I don't really feel qualified to write about the game, though if nobody else comes up with this I might need to give it a try myself anyway.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2018-05-23 19:49:25

Yes Dark, I strongly suggest the game to be added to the database, for if there exists a really screen-reader friendly interface, then WBL has sure got it.
I can access every single part of it in seconds, literarily.

Btw the game has also a certain role-playing element, since every single fighter of ours are actually "characters", with their different built, styles, strategies, and in those so called "press-releases", where they make comments as themselves, so actually "in character", they can even have their own chosen "personality", meaning their own communication-style.
At least that is how I often play the game, assigning a personality to each of my fighters, especially to those more successful ones, since...as I mentioned, the game is far from being easy, it does require hell of brainwork and planning, so you can "rest assured", that the most of the fighters you create, (especially as a still inexperienced manager), will not reach even the regional finals, so their carreers will end quite sorrowful, which can be considered, (IC), as their personal tragedy...while on the other hand greater successes, like winning titles, finals, or beating very tough opponents can be considered for their amazing achievements, the top of their career, or their "golden age".

So yes, this element of each single fighter of mine having his ups and downs, moments of fame, glory, triumph, disappointment, aggravation, and downfall is what makes, in fact,  WBL a type of role-playing game to me.

2018-05-24 13:44:08

I think Caccio would be the perfect person here to write a description for the database Dark.

The game has a very steep learning curve, in particular when creating advanced fight plans.

When I first saw an example I actually thought it was programming code, but if you are prepared to invest time and effort it can be quite rewarding.

You don't have to be a boxing fan to enjoy this game although it would obviously help, its more based on strategy and a good grasp of maths, percentages in particular.

Beware though, if you get into this game you will lose hours every day to it, its so addictive once you get familiar  with the games odd fight simulator.

2018-05-24 15:20:08

hello,
do we know a game like a football manager type, i sometimes play this game and i really enjoy it.

2018-05-24 16:20:50

I was gonna try this until math came into it. I hate math and I suck at math, but it sounds very interesting.

Facts with Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun, and Dax
End racism
End division
Become united

2018-05-25 00:16:29

shrike wrote:

For 15 years now since I have lost my sight I have been looking for a football manager sim and still nothing, WEBL is the only browser game I have found to be easy to navigate with a screen reader.

If anyone has any other sports strategy games that are easy to navigate please let us know,   anything from horse racing to rugby, as long as its accessible I am willing to have a go at anything.

have you tried OSM, online soccer manager?

good day
togira
sorry for my bad english

2018-05-25 08:18:58 (edited by Caccio72 2018-05-25 08:31:10)

LOL guys, don't let that maths-mentioning post frighten you, I suck at maths real heavily, and have still no problem with constructing efficient fight-plans in WBL.
Actually I prefer to use my planning/strategic/tactical abilities, plus my intuition, sense  for opponent-predicting, to replace my...errr...lacking mathematical knowledge, in fact I barely know the sheer basics of it.
)to tell you the truth, I always hated mathematics, , and still can't stand it)
As I mentioned, the game has many things in common with chess...which can, luckily, be played on a professional level, without any significant mathematical knowledge at all.

2018-05-26 01:14:41

I may look into WEBL again. I admit, I used to play it. Heck, it was a post by me that recommended it to you on a thread about sports managers lol.

As for horse racing, There's always TrackKing. Seems to be the better of all of the web ones.

2018-05-26 14:56:25

Yeah, I remember trying out Track King...I probably had some accessability issue with it, since I have given up playing it very soon...but if you say it is the most accessable one, I might try it again!

And yes, now I remember, it was really you, who recommended WBL to me, along with 2 other similar games, many thanks for it again!

2018-05-26 18:34:01

Ah, now I remember...the race-videos!
I had no problem running them, but...there is no verbal commentary, and without a way for me to actually follow the race...it's no fun at all.
Or is there still a way to do so, and it's only me who couldn't find it?

2018-05-27 13:38:42

Hi there caccio72, karate25 here. That's pretty cool that you play webl, so do I. My biggest guy, Frank Genson is winning matches pretty well right now, although he's not always knocking his opponents down all the time which I don't like. I'd like to get him a few more knock outs. Maybe you could give me some pointers on how to set up good fight plans and how to build good boxers? Frank's about 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighs about 310 pounds or so the last time I checked, and I sure didn't mean to make him quite that big or tall. Have a wonderful day and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

2018-05-27 17:08:50

Hi Karate25!

When playing WBL, you should be aware of the 3 most important elements in it:

1. Fighter build.
When creating new fighters, it's of crucial importance how you allocate their attributes.
There exist quite a few fighter-types in WBL, so you should decide for one, and allocate your fighter's attributes accordingly.
By attributes I don't mean only strength, speed, agility, conditioning, but height, "build", (ranged from very light to very heavy), KP, alias knockout punch, and cut-resistence.
You can either determine the values for all there attributes manually, or simply chose a predefined fighter-type, (fighting-style), from the list on the fighter-creation page, and let the attributes be distributed automatically, to fit your chosen type/style.
(for new, inexperienced managers, this last option is recommended)

2. Fight-plans.
With clever, skillfully enough constructed fight-plan, even not so well built fighters can win lots of fights.
However, since I don't know your fighter's build, I cannot give you any advices or suggestions.
In order to be able to do so, I will have to know your fighter's exact build, aka the allocation of his attributes.
In your case, if you wish to go for knocking your opponents out, you were supposed to give your heavy-weight fighter some KP ability, back when you have created him.
There are also more fighter-types, and fighting-styles, which include knockout power, and apply strategies focused on going for a KO, but again, to recommend any of those to you, I will have to know your fighter's total build, not only his height or weight.
Just for an example, a 7.1 feet tall heavy-weight fighter, which is the tallest limit in the game, can weight over 300 pounds, and in that case he should rely more on his KP, we call that type a flasher...however, he may weight only a bit over 200 pounds, use no KP at all, not even strength much, but try to win fights with his speed and agility, fighters like those are called sissies.
(normally, the 2 quite opposite fighter-types I just mentioned, are only the "upper and lower limits", there are many fighter-types and fighting-styles between them, which you should decide for when creating your fighters, and when writing, or choosing their fight-plans)

3. Scouting your next opponent, and his gym, aka his manager
It is also of a vital importance, to try to find out as more as you can, before each fight of your fighters, about his next, incoming opponent, and his manager.
Watching previous, more recent fights of your opponent, and also some other fights of his manager, in similar situations, with similarily built fighters, will greately help you determine, not only your opponent's build, (aka the most likely allocation of his attributes), but also the styles, the strategies he likes to use the most.
You can estimate, which styles he most frequently uses against fighters similar to yours, and you can plan, construct your own fight-plan accordingly.
Note: Normally, in cases of experienced, active managers, this is no guarantee, since they will occasionally, or even often change their styles, strategies, in order to confuse, or outsmart their opponents, to "catch them unprepared", but there are quite a lot of less active, "semi-active", or even inactive managers in WBL, not to mention the totally inactive gyms, with their managers retired long time ago, or those so called "bot gyms", merely maintained by the moderators, in a sheer order to provide a large enough competition, and to make the starting phase easier for new players...so against all such opponents, scouting is of a deciding importance.
It is also very important in case of active opponents as well, even if it's no guarantee of the style/strategy they will apply, it will still reveal their most common tendencies, and, what is more important, give a clue about the build of his fighter, your opponent, aka the allocation of his attributes, knowing which is also of a big help when deciding for a fight-plan against him.

2018-05-27 18:29:24

I would also like to add,  for new players try and stick to 1 fighter style build until you either stay with it for your whole career or ditch it completely in favour of a different approach.

The reason I say this is because if say you create sluggers, sissys and flashers at the same time, trying to learn fight strategies can become confusing because each style is unique.  I did this very thing and got disillusioned very quickly.

You can't go knocking out opponents unless your fighter was created with the kp stat in mind.

2018-05-27 21:36:38

hmm, this sounds like I'm going to have to seriously think about my strategy from here on. I've hired several guys from the discarded fighters section at random. Sounds like I shouldn't have done that, and it also sounds as though I'm just going to have to let the system pick out my attributes for me by selecting one of the fighter types like what ultimately happened with Frank. Thanks so much for the advice guys and I'll keep you posted. This is fun. 3 of us guys playing a game we all like and enjoy and sharing advice nicely with one another. This is what this forum ought to be more like.

2018-05-28 03:54:19 (edited by Caccio72 2018-05-28 03:58:18)

Yupp, picking up discarded fighters was not a very good idea, especially for a new manager.
After all, there is a reason, why the very most of those fighters got discarded...mostly either a poor build, or attribute-point (AP) losses, due the accumulated damage the fighter has already taken.
So those discarded fighters are, already initially, in a disadvantage to their opponents...again, at least in the most of the cases.
(unless you get lucky to find a real well built, and so far "uninjured" fighter among the discards, who got discarded, for example, after his manager quit the game, or left it for a longer time)

Active managers normally don't discard their good fighters, they sometimes agree to transfer them between each-other, or eventually gift them to someone...but simply discarding a fighter, who still has nice chances for a successful future...that would be a quite foolish waste.

2018-05-28 15:52:30

I think what I'm going to have to do is just to scrap all of my guys and start from scratch and this time just select one of the prebuilt configurations just as you suggest and do it that way and just build my gym up that way rather than taking in discarded fighters. Still, all in all this is a very fun game.

2018-05-29 00:36:57

Yes, that sounds like a wise choice.
Just note, even when you will let the fighter-creator recommend you the best builds for your chosen fighter-type, height, build (ranged from very light to very heavy), and cut resistence should be chosen manually, otherwise even that way you may end with pretty...errr...oddly built fighters.

Just an example to explain this:
Let's say you wish to create a flasher, but you miss setting height and build.
Since each time you run it, the fighter-creator is set to some totally random attributes, it may be set to 5feet height, and very light build.
So, when you instruct it to make you a flasher, REMEMBER, it will not change those values!
It does change, and adjust all attributes, EXCEPT height, build, and cut-resistence.
This means, it will actually create a 5feet tall, (or in fact short), and very light built "flasher" for you, who, with such a build, will be of no use to you, and will most likely keep losing his fights, no matter how clever fight-plans you will assign to him.

Advice:
With each predefined fighter-type, the fighter-creator also suggests you the ideal, aka the best build.
As long you won't forget to set the build to the suggested one, you shouldn't be afraid of creating a useless punching-bag, even if you forget to adjust the fighter's height.
After all, a flasher CAN be 5 feet short, (or even less, I have one of those), but in order to be efficient enough, he MUST be of a very heavy build!
Of course, unlike 7.1 feet tall gigants, such a flasher will not compete in heavy-weights, but in a much lower than an average one, but, due his very heavy build, he will still possess all the attribute-values, and advantages his type requires.
(normally in case you let the creator determine all his other attributes automatically, untill you will learn to create even better built fighters by yourself)