National Pastime Next Generation

NPNG+

NPNG+ is an updated version of the original NPNG system. The two games are a lot alike. However, NPNG+ makes it much easier to play because there is a lot less math for you to do. But the benefits that the original provided are all preserved for you in one form or another. Here are some of the new features in NPNG+:  

 

  • Pitchers are given a PHR rating when facing both right handed and left handed batters. If you are playing NPNG+ in “Combined” mode and not paying attention to which side of the plate the batter is swinging from, there is also a “Combined” PHR rating for the pitcher. This rating will keep some long balls in the park for pitchers who don't give up many home runs but allows the "wind to blow out" occasionally against pitcher who serve up a gopher ball more often. 
  •    
  • The pitcher’s PHR rating AND the Park Factors have been combined into the boards to allow these features to yield accurate results without a re-roll of the dice. 
  •    
  • The Base Number column has been removed from the boards. Those plays that were affected by the Base Number in the original NPNG are now determined in other ways. Normally a play result is determined in just one or two dice rolls. I believe there are only two instances that could cause a third re-roll. One is optional to you. The other I can’t help. Please read on …

  • The Hit by Pitch plays have been removed from Play Result Numbers (PRN) 15 thru 23. Those numbers are still assigned to each player in a similar way as was done in the past. However, at your option, you can use a Fielding Distribution Chart that will scramble those plays throughout the lineup. This is one of the plays that will require a third dice roll if you decide to use the feature. (1) You roll a Dice Roll Number (DRN) of 53. (Other DRN’s can trigger this of course.) You decided at the beginning of your season that you wanted to take advantage of the Fielding Distribution Chart. You pull out the chart and (2) roll the dice again. You take that DRN to the Chart and find the final PRN 15 thru 23 for the play. You still have one more dice roll (3) to determine if an error was made by the fielder. Again, this feature is optional and you can just use the original PRN on the first dice roll and check for the error. The NPNG+ User Manual further describes this. 
  •  
  • Updated Pitching Grades! This one is exciting! Base Numbers have been removed from the boards (as stated above). This innovation to the Pitcher Grades changes the Grades.  The Grades are now expressed in Dice Roll Numbers instead of a + or - grade or a letter grade. There are still three sets of Grades for each pitcher -- versus a Right-handed batter, versus a Left-handed batter or at your option just use the versus Combined hitters (no distinguishing between sides of the plate). There are still control and strikeout ratings per type of hitter and a control and strikeout rating when played in “Combined Mode”. As stated above, there is also a PHR rating for each pitcher facing all three situations: versus RHB, versus LHB or versus the Combined hitters. 
  •  
  • On Play Result Numbers (PRN) 7 thru 10c, you will sometimes see that those plays have an "H" and an "O" row next to them. ONLY on those plays does the new Pitching Grades come into play. It makes no difference which possible hit number it is. It doesn't matter whether it is a 7, 8, 9 or whatever. On those PRN's with the "H" and "O" which came from the Player Card's firstcolumn only, re-roll and check the Pitcher's Grade. If the re-roll is HIGHER than the Pitcher's Grade, use the "H" column -- it's a Hit. If the re-roll is LESS THAN or EQUAL TO the Pitcher's Grade, use the "O" column -- it's an out. More on this in the NPNG+ User Manual.     

  • An Unusual Play Randomizer Chart is offered as an option to randomize PRN’s 36 - 42.   
  •  
  • The size of the Player cards has been reduced. You can now print nine players per sheet. When the size of the cards is reduced like this, something had to go. The line that gave the player's birth date and birth place seemed like the logical place to cut. There wasn't room to print the Pitcher Combined Ratings nor the Stamina Ratings without severe crowding. A separate report is available for each season that offers these ratings -- available on the web at all times. One other thing ... If a player happened to be a pitcher AND a catcher in the same season, his WP rating and his PB rating can be located at the bottom of the roster sheet.

(Park Factor charts, lineup sheets, Unusual Play Radomizer Charts etc have been pulled out of the season files and made available in a separate section.)