Virtual Sumo - the most realistic sumo strategy game on the web?

[VirtualSumo]

Well, that's our aim and we hope that with the help and involvement of members of SumoForum.net we can make this a reality.

https://virtualsumo4.wixsite.com/game

The game is totally free.  The idea is that as a stable master you build your own stable of virtual rikishi, direct their training, manage their weight and determine their ring tactics.

There is honbasho every month, with a bout a day, so plenty of time to select your tactics once you have sussed your opponent.  Plus there and lots to do inbetween including deciding on draft picks.

You start off with someone among the Maegashira ranks - or if you are quick, you do.  They are going fast!

The top two divisions are based on real rikishi, so if you have a favourite please sign up quick and snap him up before someone else does.

The feedback we have had has been brilliant but a couple have people have said they found it alot to read.  Don't worry, you dont have to read everything at once, teh important thing is to register and make your initial selection.  Playing will become clear and easy once you've done this!

Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Thanks for your interest:

https://virtualsumo4.wixsite.com/game

 

 

[Unkonoyama]

I went ahead and signed up since the concept looks interesting, the initial set-up is easy and straightforward.  There is a lot of material to read through, haven't had a chance yet but hopefully later today.

[PawnSums]

but when do i recruit new rikishi?

[VirtualSumo]

New rikishi are recruited after honbasho when the stable rankings are calculated. This happens every month.

If you have specified your selection(s) using the relevant form, these will be allocated if available.  If they have been taken, or if you have not specified a preference then a random rikishi will be allocated to your stable.

[VirtualSumo]

Thanks to all of you who have viewed the site and especially those of you who have registered.

Its the first moshiai of the year today and entries accepted before 12 noon (uk time).

Plenty of top names still available for those who want to join:

The latest news is here (from where you can go to the home page):

https://virtualsumo4.wixsite.com/game/news

 

[VirtualSumo]

Honbasho starts on Sunday but still time to select your initial stable leader from the following list and start playing Virtual Sumo at: https://virtualsumo4.wixsite.com/game

ID	Name	Rank	Age	Height	Weight
11	Ichinojo	Maegashira (1w)	24.5	192.0	210.7
12	Yoshikaze	Maegashira (2e)	35.8	177.0	141.3
13	Kotoshogiku	Maegashira (2w)	33.8	180.0	179.7
14	Chiyotairyu	Maegashira (3e)	29.7	180.0	198.8
15	Tochinoshin	Maegashira (3e)	30.3	192.0	177.6
17	Arawashi	Maegashira (4w)	31.5	186.0	140.9
18	Okinoumi	Maegashira (5e)	32.5	190.0	165.7
20	Takarafuji	Maegashira (6e)	30.3	185.0	168.1
22	Chiyoshoma	Maegashira (7e)	26.5	183.0	136.4
23	Chiyonokuni	Maegashira (7w)	27.5	182.0	145.7
24	Tochiozan	Maegashira (8e)	30.8	186.0	155.5
25	Kaisei	Maegashira (8w)	31.0	195.0	205.3
26	Shohozan	Maegashira (9e)	33.8	178.0	143.7
27	Chiyomaru	Maegashira (10e)	26.7	178.0	194.6
30	Kotoyuki	Maegashira (11e)	26.8	176.0	180.4
31	Daishomaru	Maegashira (11w)	26.5	174.0	157.9
32	Sokokurai	Maegashira (12e)	34.0	186.0	146.4
34	Takekaze	Maegashira (13e)	38.5	172.0	152.3
35	Daieisho	Maegashira (13w)	24.2	182.0	160.8
37	Yutakayama	Maegashira (14w)	24.3	186.0	183.2
38	Ishiura	Maegashira (15e)	28.0	174.0	116.4
39	Nishikigi	Maegashira (15w)	27.5	185.0	173.2
40	Ryuden	Maegashira (16e)	27.8	189.0	150.0
42	Daiamami	Maegashira (17e)	25.0	185.0	183.7

[Pandaazuma]

Looks like an interesting project. I suspect however that with the glut of sumo games already available, especially ones that are very easy to understand and play, this may be a hard sell to many. Also, with the Superbanzuke and World Championship/Masters well established, many (not all, by any means) players will choose the games that contribute to that before any others.

That said...it is always good to see new games popping up.

Edited January 12, 2018 by Pandaazuma

[VirtualSumo]

Well what a honbasho so far!  I'm loving it!  I'm really drawn to the tactics - which is what inspired the Virtual Sumo game.  Could you instruct Ichinojo to a Gold Star win!?

He deserved that.  He was close against Hakuho and before that faced (a super impressive) Goeido, who is pretty much unbeatable in a first week.  Tomorrow he is paired with Kakuryu!  Thats the 4 highest ranking rikishi in the first 4 days.  If he comes out 2-2 it would be an incredible performance from a young lad of just 24 and he would have to be taken as a very serious contender given that the next 11 days are going to seem A LOT easier.  Seems to me he has really thought through his tactics.  He can come over as a bit half hearted but the truth is that once you start moving 215kg in a hurry, its hard to change plan.  He's holding his position rather than going all out for an intense attack and playing to his unmovable size.  I thought it may be laziness or a mistake when I saw he run his weight UP since November but I was wrong, its looking the right thing to have done.

Virtual Sumo hands over these sort of decisions to you as the Stable Master.  If you were managing Ichinojo would you have the cool to push his weight up and instruct him to hold back on the tachiai?  If you think you can make these sort of calls, give Virtual Sumo a try:

https://virtualsumo4.wixsite.com/game

 

[Gurowake]

I categorically decided not to look much further due to the click-bait title of this post.  Are you not aware that any headline that asks a yes/no question is always answered best with "no"?  I don't know for sure because I haven't really looked into this game much, any non-prediction game that runs up against a honbasho is going to get buried.  If you want to run a simulation/strategy game with its own tournaments and want sumo gamers to play, you'd be better off running them whenever there *isn't* a tournament.

[VirtualSumo]

Thanks for taking the trouble to post Gurowake, amd I appreciate your advice.  Virtual Sumo will run outside of honbasho, indeed I hope that is one of the positives a strategy game can offer during the 6 week wait between Grand Tournaments.  Of course I agree that a game like Virtual Sumo, which is pretty complex, isn't

A) going to be to everyone's taste or

B) going to find many new players during honbasho, when not many have got spare sumo time on top of their prediction committments. 

Thats fine.  I'm just a guy with a bit of spare time who loves sumo and wondering about and playing with the tactics in this great sport.  I'd love for more people to play my game but I accept it will happen slowly.  Also the game is totally new and I'm learning as I do it.

As for the title of the thread, I think you are right again.  I didnt spend any time thinking about it.  I've no training in marketing!  I vaguely remember thinking it might provoke someone into pointing to another sumo strategy game that I havent been able to find - but reading it again it does sound like an arrogant "click bait" claim and I wont continue with this thread other than to reply to any further posts. 

Ill try and think of something else as a thread title that still sets Virtual Sumo apart from all the prediction based games since I do think there will be many who share my interest in tactics and attempts to answer "what if..." 

Enjoy the rest of the basho!

[Jakusotsu]

I gave it a try but I won't bother to play along anymore. It's too much like last century's chess-by-mail for my taste. The most bothersome part is having to manually fill out the whole entry form for each move, apart from not even knowing what's actually happening.