Introducing: Drive for the Pennant mode
 

With the next update, we'll launch the first look at the new Drive for the Pennant mode. We apologize for the delay in getting it out, but we're excited to be able to have it available now to use. For the moment we will consider it as a beta version - we do feel the mode is complete as it stands, but there may still be issues you experience while playing.

This mode is meant to get you in and playing through the current MLB season. It gives you a focused view to manage your team - it delegates depth charts, bullpen depth, minor league management, etc... to your assistant GM, to keep you focused on the key parts of managing your team. Many displays are hidden or simplified in attempt to keep you focused on the main part of your mission.

For new players, it gives a quick and easy way to get into the game and to play through. For veteran players, it's a way to play through the current MLB season in a quick way, to experience all the thrills of the season without some of the complexities of the game. We certainly know that the mode will not appeal to all users, but we think that it provides a new way to play that fans new and old should be able to enjoy.

The biggest difference to the regular mode of play is that as you play through the season, the game will jump you into the action as you go through the season. As you sim through, if your team is in a crucial situation, the game will pause and put you into the action to make the key decision, and then finish the game to see how it plays out. Do you stick with your starter or switch to the bullpen? Do you pinch hit late in a key spot? Can you hold on to that slim lead late? Can your team close out the shutout? You do not have to complete the games, but it lets you get in on some key decision points through the season as you navigate.

The game controls are simple - the manager home page acts as a home base with suggestions and allowing some general decision making, and you simply use the continue button to advance through the season. It will go through a few days at a time until the next key action you need to take - whether being thrown into a game situation, or decide what to do with an injury, or how to react to a trade offer. As you progress, you also have a momentum meter which will fluctuate depending on your team's success as well as how you handle the game situations, which could give you the boost you need for that stretch run.

Once you have completed the season, whether successfully with a trophy, making it through the playoffs, or falling short, you may choose to continue the game afterwards as a regular game, resuming full controls, in either regular or challenge mode. Or you can go back and start up a new drive with another team, and see how your luck fares.

While in Drive for the Pennant mode, the game will play as a Challenge Mode game, meaning that while playing the game, you can earn packs for your Perfect Team game if you are signed in. There are new Steam Achievements to be earned at the end for the completing the run - successfully or not! with each MLB team.

Overall, the mode should be a way to get you into the action in playing out the season. You do not have to play out every game you are prompted for, but it should be a fun way to put you into the key strategic choices you need to make, while letting the AGM and coaching staff handle more of the work for you. It's meant to be a casual way to play through the current MLB season without all of the complexity of the base game. Somewhat of a twist on challenge mode, to give you the challenge and focus on the current season.

The trading model is also different from the base game. You will get more offers through the season, or you may initiate trades through some of the shop player options, or through a new trading for needs section, where you can search for a specific postition and need, and get multiple offers back. By default the regular trading view is not enabled, but this new method should give you some reasonable offers you may consider through the year.

As always, we will welcome suggestions on what parts of the mode you enjoy, and what parts you would like to see improved. We think this will be a fun new way to play the game, give you a different look and feel to the regular play modes, and provide a fresh, new experience to continue enjoying Out of the Park Baseball.

The OOTP Developments Team

Q+A about the mode:

Q. When will the new Steam Achievements appear?
A. We will release them early next week, once the update is fully live. You can still earn normal in-game achievements if you are logged in, but the "end of season" achievement for the mode won't appear until after.

Q. Do I earn both Challenge Mode and Drive for the Pennant packs in PT?
A. You will earn from both modes, but Drive for the Pennant achievements are tracked on the same counter as other challenge mode games. If you earn a pack from playing in Challenge Mode, the same delay before the next reward will happen if you switch to playing Drive for the Pennant mode, or vice versa.

Q. Some teams have, uhh, some challenges in competing for a playoff spot. Is it still worth playing as them?
A. Sure! You never know what might happen in the season. You still earn an achievement for completing the season, whether you make the playoffs or not. Maybe you want to use it as the foundation of a new save. Or it may just be fun to see how well you can do.

Q. Can I play this as a live start?
A. Currently, no. The mode only begins in the pre-season. But that is still an option we may add in the future.

Q. Why am I never thrown into a game? Why am I constantly being forced to play out games?
A. We are obviously still aiming to balance how many times you are given the option. Some teams may naturally have more than others. Some situations (extra inning games, close games, etc...) lend themselves to more times you may get put into the decision seat.

Q. Why was I not put into a game [here]?
A. While some situations lend themselves more than others, we do still try to balance how many times you are thrown in total. The game will attempt to adjust - if you were just put in to play out the last game, you will be less likely to be given the option again in your next game. Or on the flipside, if it has been a while, you may be put into a slightly less critical situation.

Q. How do trades work?
A. There are effectively 3 ways that your team can handle trades.
First, you will be given certain trade offers from other teams as you play. They will show up on your manager home page. You may reject them (or any sim away will auto-reject the trade). Some may be essentially complete as they stand and you will only be given the option to accept or not. Others may have one or more players from your team to add in to try to complete the deal.
Second, you may use the "shop player" functionality to shop for individual players or multi-player packages. Similar to above, in these cases you are only given the option to accept or not, you cannot negotiate for more.
Third, on the trade page, you may define a specific need (ie. average Second Baseman, making less than 8.5m), and you may use the search feature on that page. That should produce multiple trade offers that you can evaluate on your manager home page. You have a limited amount of searches per day you can use, and you may get different offers for the same search. The search will generally pull from your prospect list or players on your trading block. If you would like to gear trades towards trading a certain player on your team away, you can use the trading block before running the search.

I hope we can do the same thing in custom and historical saves

"you may choose to continue the game afterwards as a regular game, resuming full controls, in either regular or challenge mode. Or you can go back and start up a new drive with another team"

Can we continue the following year in the same Drive for the Pennant mode, I don't see that option.

No, it says it will become a normal controlled sim. You can choose if it is in challenge mode or just a normal game. If you want to keep playing in Pennant mode you would need to start a new game once your first season is done, if that is what you are trying to figure out.

Yes, that's what I read also, just wondering why we can't continue the following seasons in Pennant mode and hoping to have a response from a dev.

It's meant as a single season mode, you play through the first year en route to the playoffs.

With so many people asking for ridiculous details it's nice to see some people with a positive view toward a simpler way to play.

Say, for curiosity, I am still playing OOTP 25 next year. Markus said that Pennant Drive works in conjunction with the "current MLB season." Will I be able to use Pennant Drive mode in OOTP 25 with the 2025 season?

EDIT: Maybe I am reading too much into that reference to the current MLB season because Matt did mention "The mode only begins in the pre-season" which to me seems like a normal game beginning, not a Live Start.

So my guess, and my hope, is that Pennant Drive will continue to work next year in OOTP 25 but with 2024 rosters. That would be satisfactory to me.

EDIT 2: And if THAT is the case, would Pennant Drive work for a fictional set up? For, that would be MORE than satisfactory to me! ;)

Seems to me people could more or less continue if they would delegate most of the decisions to the Assistant GM and stop the sim once a week to look around to see if there's anything they want to do.

Sound
 

How do you turn off sound in this mode?

I just completed a season with the San Francisco Giants, but received a Steam achievement for the Seattle Mariners.

I guess I will have my answers as soon as they release the update on Steam.

It only currently works for the 2024 season, you start a new game and it will play through the season.

We may look to expand it to work in a live start setup, possibly, that's on the list of options. And then going forward, certainly we can consider other setups that might interest people, either fictional, historical, or otherwise.

If you want to disable in-game sound, you will get jumped into the game and then can go back to the options to disable the sound (or edit any other in-game options). Unfortunately we don't immediately get a pre-game screen.

Thanks, some of the achievements were uploaded out of order. We have corrected that - you may notice the achievement name you completed has updated, or you may need to complete again as San Fran to get that one.

Thanks, Matt. Put me on the list of interested people, particularly for fictional play. It sounds like a great way for new players, or even experienced folks who just want to take a brief dip once in a while, to get their feet wet.

Can there be an option to just have the Assistant GM reset the roster when rehab is done?

I am finding this version slower.

Is there Drive for the Pennant options?

Park option
 

I started the Pennant mode but didn't get very far. I want to change view option for the park there is no option, that I can find, to view, change and/or modify the park. Where is the option to make changes to the park?