by fixedair » 19 Jul 2017, 01:22 I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and experiences with Manutoo's game, Tennis Elbow Manager. (I do have several versions of Tennis Elbow as well, and I have played them. Alas, my joystick is in iffy shape at the moment- and my manual dexterity, never that good in the first place, is even more suspect nowadays.
)As a buyer and fan of TE, I think I heard about TEM pretty much as soon as it came out, and I found myself buying it right away. Through the years, I've started several outings of the game, attempted to coach more than one player at a time- and, occasionally, even finishing a game or two.
While I tend to learn better by doing, my first game is proof of how beneficial it can be to actually read the rule book for a game. Initially baffled by my player's seeming inability to win a tournament- and completely confused about what to do with this “experience” I kept seeing on his character sheet- I settled on a compromise: I could replay one match per tournament. (Yes, I realize that qualifies as cheating- bear with me.) With that, I suddenly found my player was more competent on court; I think he ended up winning 32 major titles.
I was probably more than two-thirds of the way through his career when I realized how to use experience points (XP for short). <sigh>
Since then, I've been able to use XP the right way. I've had lots of fun along the way, and have managed to experience (no pun intended) my share of success in the game.
In one game, I found myself managing four players simultaneously. My primary player was a US Open finalist; along the way, I coached another player in that same game to the Wimbledon final, a third to the Australian semis, and #4 to several (admittedly lesser) titles.
I took a stab at coaching on the women's tour as well. While I can't recall a lot about that game (or even if I finished it yet), I do remember seeing her succeed, especially at the French Open.
In my current game, I have reached the final year for my primary (and in this game, sole- I've found that multiple coaching is not a strength for me) player. I've thought about posting my results here (having been entertained my similar postings in the past), but I'm not sure how much interest there would be. (Especially since I'm playing this current game at the Club level. When I start a new one, I'll at least try one of the more difficult difficulty settings.)
For the record, I absolutely love the concept behind TEM. I've been a fan of tennis now for over 25 years, and while I'll never consider myself an expert at the game, I know enough to enjoy watching a set or five.
As I stated previously, I have attempted coaching more than one player at a time... and found myself completely exhausted by the process.
While I don't rule it out in the future, TEM is a source of relaxation for me- so for now, one player is more than enough for me to handle. I have tried coaching players through doubles, and have managed some success there, too. As often happens with real life, though, I prefer sticking to singles matches. (Unsurprisingly, my singles-focused players tend to have more success.)
So far, each of my main players has been a Puncher. (Similar to a power baseliner, but with some added options to finish a point.) I may try a different style in my next game, though I haven't decided yet for sure.
As there is a thread devoted to suggestions for the game (as its future successor, TEM2)- with many of the thoughts I would probably have already listed/offered- I won't list any here. The one thing about the game that I'm singularly... not as crazy about?
Injuries- or rather, specific injuries.
While I think most injuries WOULD stop a player from continuing, I can't help but roll my eyes when my player gets stopped due to a blister. (Given some players' history, I'm on the fence when it comes to “gastric problem” as well.) I freely admit that I will replay matches ended by a blister without hesitation. (If I had any kind of a bonus in play, I start the replay without it.)
Hopefully, to each his own- no?
So, anyway... that's me. Anyone else?
