A Dissection (forgive me, Markus)

Pineywoods OOTPer · 02-09-2015, 12:04 PM

Well, we are approaching the midpoint of the OOTP pre-order season, and having dusted off the password book and re-read my login info for here (yes, it has been quite a while)...I wanted to dissect the statement from Markus and company about OOTP 16 and give my point of view on it. For sake of argument, we are going to use red to state my views on it.

Here are the new and revamped features you'll find in OOTP 16. As in past years, more surprise features will be added as we get closer to shipping.

New and revamped, every year I read this with excitement and I am satisfied every year. Not expecting anything less.

2015 Opening Day Rosters

Our brand new 2015 roster sets include all Opening Day MLB rosters, as well as the complete minor league system down to the rookie leagues. All major league (and certain minor league) player ratings are based on Baseball Prospectus' industry-leading player forecasting system, PECOTA. The thousands of remaining minor league players are carefully rated by hand by our established research team.
Will San Diego's offseason frenzy pay dividends? Is this finally the year the Blue Jays return to the top of the American League East? Find out for yourself!

Always love how things are rated. Tells me that the decision science majors, I mean statisticians, will always have something to gain useful employment with. San Diego always seems to be in some frenzy, not always positive. Toronto can conquer the evil Yankees and Red Sox finally emerge as the AL East Champions.

New International and Independent Leagues Added

Last year, we introduced 7 international leagues in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Cuba, Italy and The Netherlands. This year, we added the Australian Baseball League to that list, along with several independent leagues in the US and Japan. All of those leagues feature real rosters, of course, with countless hours of work invested in researching realistic bio info, statistics and ratings for thousands of real players.

Last year's intro of the international leagues was awesome. New leagues...EVEN BETTER!!

New Team Owner Goals

Real-life GMs may not want smarter owners, but we think you'll appreciate your new team owner, who won't just tell you to go out there and win as many games as you can. Now he'll give you short- and long-term goals, which may include: winning the World Series within X seasons; fixing a certain weakness on your roster; extending the contract of a star player; and much more. Your ability to meet those goals not only decides if you'll be fired but also determines if your contract will be extended at a higher salary, which is another new feature this year.

Smarter owners? Oh no...but I like this...for they might finally figure out how to think like we do. Then again...let's see.

Improved Team Finances and Reporting

We have redesigned large chunks of the team finance system, including new season ticket sales, a team finances screen based on widgets, a new accounting screen, and much more. You'll be better at the money-related part of your job than ever before. On top of that, we have recoded and improved the entire AI related to finances, resulting in more realistic player contracts and negotiations and more stable long-term team finances.

As an accounting minor at a local university, I am intrigued to see how this goes. More realistic?? Hope that doesn't mean more costly. Stability? We need that.

Completely Redesigned Manager and Coaches System

One of our favorite new features this year is the redesigned coaching model. Managers and coaches now have certain personalities and special skills or preferences, which will result in plenty of interesting choices. Do you want the manager of your team (if you decide to play GM-only) to be an easy-going stathead, or do you need a veteran hard-nosed manager who is able to cope with the disgruntled players in the clubhouse? Do you want a pitching coach who is an expert in working with power pitchers, or is your staff based more on control artists who could benefit from a coach who knows how to work with finesse pitchers?

Coaches with personality?? Oh my, this will be interesting. Does that mean we will have a coach come out in the middle of the game to state his case and if it doesn't go his way, he will kick sand into the umpire or pull out second base and throw it into the outfield?

Recoded Team Strategy System

You spoke and we listened: We agreed that setting your team's in-game strategy was a tedious task, so we've completely redesigned that part of the game. Now you can quickly set your preferred strategies and move on to more important matters. Beware, though: If you play GM-only, you'll find that some managers won't let you dictate certain strategies.

Honestly, this is one of the hardest areas for me to use on OOTP. This will be worth a try and then some. But hmmm...since when does the manager tell his boss what to do? Stroke of the pen, Coach and you;re outta here.

Better Playoff Coverage

The race for playoff berths is the most exciting part of every baseball season, so we added a new Pennant Chase screen that displays the strength of the remaining schedule and the chance for each team to make the playoffs. We also improved the related news coverage. Who will win it all?

Looking forward to this.

Improved 3D Ball Flight

Last year we introduced support for 3D stadiums and realistic 3D ball flight, which was a big step-up for the series. OOTP 16 improves on that 3D presentation and includes great-looking 3D models of all 30 MLB ballparks.

I know this has always some potential. Hope this keeps getting better.

Much More

Of course, that's not all. Every year we offer many smaller features, and OOTP 16 is no exception. It includes:

New play modes (Manager only, GM only, and GM + Manager), so you can decide exactly how you'd like to run your team

Hmmm....tempting.

An improved simulation engine that incorporates the latest research and trends, such as infield shifts and pitcher usage

Improved from near perfection?? Can't get any better.

Rainouts with automatic rescheduling, adding the realism that comes with rain-shortened and cancelled games. Is your bullpen strong enough to handle those late-season double-headers?

Good. This will be a wonderful add-on. My modern bullpens however have always struggled with the double-headers. Hopefully they can do better now.

Better in-game sound

"no way...No way....NO WAY!!! Did you see what Markus did now?"

An enhanced interface, such as a player info pop-up when resting the mouse pointer over a button which links to a player, or automatic syncing between lineups and depth charts when making changes to either of them.

Interesting. Ranks up there with the cat that just flew by and crashed into the wall. I like the auto-syncing.

A great new Find-A-Player feature: Define certain criteria (ratings, stats, salary etc.) and find exactly the player you were looking for

Nice. Will come in handy.

Recoded All-Star Game features with real voting (including online league support)

Very curious to see how that goes.

Realistic OOTP Hall of Fame selection process, including simulated voting and new stats like JAWS, HoF Standards, Black & Grey Ink Tests

Woohoo....more voting, more options, more good stuff. Now we need to get a way to blacklist players from the HOF, like Mr. Pete Rose, since he is already in one HOF for getting his head slammed hard onto the floor...er....mat.

More player awards, for example Most Valuable Player, Playoff Series MVPs, best hitters by position and Reliever of the Year

This will be nice.

Better playoff history tracking, including career playoff stats for all real players in the database and playoff leaderboards

Damn. This will be a very welcome set of features.

Alternate currencies (Euro, Pounds Sterling, Yen, etc.)

Good. Will like to see how my Iraqi Baseball league handles finally paying their players in dinars.

The option to define background pictures for teams and leagues

Interesting. This will get those commissioners who want to be original the chance to really do so.

Overall, this sounds like we are going to get that 1.00 like Nadia did at the 1976 Olympics. Perfection but no way to display it properly.

So one question left for Markus and team...

Do you need anymore beta testers??

Padreman · 02-09-2015, 03:20 PM

I hope the "no way. No way" guy still in the game

PSUColonel · 02-09-2015, 04:36 PM

nevermind

Padreman · 02-09-2015, 04:55 PM

Just say it

Déjà Bru · 02-09-2015, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

nevermind

Yes, what's on your mind, Colonel?

PSUColonel · 02-09-2015, 11:05 PM

I answered my own question...that's all

02-09-2015, 12:04 PM	#1
Pineywoods OOTPer All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: White Oak, Texas Posts: 721	A Dissection (forgive me, Markus) Well, we are approaching the midpoint of the OOTP pre-order season, and having dusted off the password book and re-read my login info for here (yes, it has been quite a while)...I wanted to dissect the statement from Markus and company about OOTP 16 and give my point of view on it. For sake of argument, we are going to use red to state my views on it. Here are the new and revamped features you'll find in OOTP 16. As in past years, more surprise features will be added as we get closer to shipping. New and revamped, every year I read this with excitement and I am satisfied every year. Not expecting anything less. 2015 Opening Day Rosters Our brand new 2015 roster sets include all Opening Day MLB rosters, as well as the complete minor league system down to the rookie leagues. All major league (and certain minor league) player ratings are based on Baseball Prospectus' industry-leading player forecasting system, PECOTA. The thousands of remaining minor league players are carefully rated by hand by our established research team. Will San Diego's offseason frenzy pay dividends? Is this finally the year the Blue Jays return to the top of the American League East? Find out for yourself! Always love how things are rated. Tells me that the decision science majors, I mean statisticians, will always have something to gain useful employment with. San Diego always seems to be in some frenzy, not always positive. Toronto can conquer the evil Yankees and Red Sox finally emerge as the AL East Champions. New International and Independent Leagues Added Last year, we introduced 7 international leagues in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Cuba, Italy and The Netherlands. This year, we added the Australian Baseball League to that list, along with several independent leagues in the US and Japan. All of those leagues feature real rosters, of course, with countless hours of work invested in researching realistic bio info, statistics and ratings for thousands of real players. Last year's intro of the international leagues was awesome. New leagues...EVEN BETTER!! New Team Owner Goals Real-life GMs may not want smarter owners, but we think you'll appreciate your new team owner, who won't just tell you to go out there and win as many games as you can. Now he'll give you short- and long-term goals, which may include: winning the World Series within X seasons; fixing a certain weakness on your roster; extending the contract of a star player; and much more. Your ability to meet those goals not only decides if you'll be fired but also determines if your contract will be extended at a higher salary, which is another new feature this year. Smarter owners? Oh no...but I like this...for they might finally figure out how to think like we do. Then again...let's see. Improved Team Finances and Reporting We have redesigned large chunks of the team finance system, including new season ticket sales, a team finances screen based on widgets, a new accounting screen, and much more. You'll be better at the money-related part of your job than ever before. On top of that, we have recoded and improved the entire AI related to finances, resulting in more realistic player contracts and negotiations and more stable long-term team finances. As an accounting minor at a local university, I am intrigued to see how this goes. More realistic?? Hope that doesn't mean more costly. Stability? We need that. Completely Redesigned Manager and Coaches System One of our favorite new features this year is the redesigned coaching model. Managers and coaches now have certain personalities and special skills or preferences, which will result in plenty of interesting choices. Do you want the manager of your team (if you decide to play GM-only) to be an easy-going stathead, or do you need a veteran hard-nosed manager who is able to cope with the disgruntled players in the clubhouse? Do you want a pitching coach who is an expert in working with power pitchers, or is your staff based more on control artists who could benefit from a coach who knows how to work with finesse pitchers? Coaches with personality?? Oh my, this will be interesting. Does that mean we will have a coach come out in the middle of the game to state his case and if it doesn't go his way, he will kick sand into the umpire or pull out second base and throw it into the outfield? Recoded Team Strategy System You spoke and we listened: We agreed that setting your team's in-game strategy was a tedious task, so we've completely redesigned that part of the game. Now you can quickly set your preferred strategies and move on to more important matters. Beware, though: If you play GM-only, you'll find that some managers won't let you dictate certain strategies. Honestly, this is one of the hardest areas for me to use on OOTP. This will be worth a try and then some. But hmmm...since when does the manager tell his boss what to do? Stroke of the pen, Coach and you;re outta here. Better Playoff Coverage The race for playoff berths is the most exciting part of every baseball season, so we added a new Pennant Chase screen that displays the strength of the remaining schedule and the chance for each team to make the playoffs. We also improved the related news coverage. Who will win it all? Looking forward to this. Improved 3D Ball Flight Last year we introduced support for 3D stadiums and realistic 3D ball flight, which was a big step-up for the series. OOTP 16 improves on that 3D presentation and includes great-looking 3D models of all 30 MLB ballparks. I know this has always some potential. Hope this keeps getting better. Much More Of course, that's not all. Every year we offer many smaller features, and OOTP 16 is no exception. It includes: New play modes (Manager only, GM only, and GM + Manager), so you can decide exactly how you'd like to run your team Hmmm....tempting. An improved simulation engine that incorporates the latest research and trends, such as infield shifts and pitcher usage Improved from near perfection?? Can't get any better. Rainouts with automatic rescheduling, adding the realism that comes with rain-shortened and cancelled games. Is your bullpen strong enough to handle those late-season double-headers? Good. This will be a wonderful add-on. My modern bullpens however have always struggled with the double-headers. Hopefully they can do better now. Better in-game sound "no way...No way....NO WAY!!! Did you see what Markus did now?" An enhanced interface, such as a player info pop-up when resting the mouse pointer over a button which links to a player, or automatic syncing between lineups and depth charts when making changes to either of them. Interesting. Ranks up there with the cat that just flew by and crashed into the wall. I like the auto-syncing. A great new Find-A-Player feature: Define certain criteria (ratings, stats, salary etc.) and find exactly the player you were looking for Nice. Will come in handy. Recoded All-Star Game features with real voting (including online league support) Very curious to see how that goes. Realistic OOTP Hall of Fame selection process, including simulated voting and new stats like JAWS, HoF Standards, Black & Grey Ink Tests Woohoo....more voting, more options, more good stuff. Now we need to get a way to blacklist players from the HOF, like Mr. Pete Rose, since he is already in one HOF for getting his head slammed hard onto the floor...er....mat. More player awards, for example Most Valuable Player, Playoff Series MVPs, best hitters by position and Reliever of the Year This will be nice. Better playoff history tracking, including career playoff stats for all real players in the database and playoff leaderboards Damn. This will be a very welcome set of features. Alternate currencies (Euro, Pounds Sterling, Yen, etc.) Good. Will like to see how my Iraqi Baseball league handles finally paying their players in dinars. The option to define background pictures for teams and leagues Interesting. This will get those commissioners who want to be original the chance to really do so. Overall, this sounds like we are going to get that 1.00 like Nadia did at the 1976 Olympics. Perfection but no way to display it properly. So one question left for Markus and team... Do you need anymore beta testers?? __________________ The Pineywoods OOTPer Senior Office Manager, 13th Circle of Heck.

02-09-2015, 03:20 PM	#2
Padreman Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2013 Location: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (formally San Diego, CA.) Posts: 4,138	I hope the "no way. No way" guy still in the game __________________ Chargers= Despicable Traitors

02-09-2015, 04:36 PM	#3
PSUColonel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 13,104	nevermind Last edited by PSUColonel; 02-09-2015 at 04:46 PM.

02-09-2015, 04:55 PM	#4
Padreman Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2013 Location: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (formally San Diego, CA.) Posts: 4,138	Just say it __________________ Chargers= Despicable Traitors

02-09-2015, 11:05 PM	#6
PSUColonel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 13,104	I answered my own question...that's all