Quick OOTP 20 update!

[swoboda]

I'd like to be able to see if the AI has any relievers warming up in the bullpen the way the old LaRussa game did.

[wallewalls]

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

The scouting system had a lot of this years ago, but it was taken out due to an overwhelming desire from the community to simplify the scouting process. Personally, I felt like I was spending way too much time making sure my scouts were actually doing things and less time focusing on my actual team.

Yeah i don't particularly like having to manage my scouts instead of managing the team as it is usually a time consuming, tedious exercise when done in video games. For example, in the EA NHL series this year they added something similar to their franchise mode where you have to manually assign your scouts to uncover a portion of the league at a time. It sounds like a good concept until you actually have to do it, where you have to go through their clogged, slow and buggy menus so many times throughout a season to the point where I just turned the feature off altogether. You can put it on auto, but then the AI does such a terrible job doing it so you're stuck either way. I'm all for realism, I want the game to be as realistic as possible but something like this I just don't think works well in a video game, where you spend more time micromanaging than actually managing. Especially when I'm really tracking my players performances day after day, it takes me awhile to get through a season in the first place, that this would just add a longer time requirement.

[zerfer]

Im in as a guy named Finn. Unless he got caught in a double play, in which case he is out

[fredbeene]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

I can name a major one: a comprehensive playoff customization system which not only is able to recreate all the playoff formats currently used by real-world leagues* but also allows a huge range of fictional, user-created formats.

I have such a system mostly worked out. I'll hopefully get it written up and pitched to Matt & co. later this week.


*For several of the real-world leagues included in OOTP, their actual playoff formats cannot be recreated at present and have to be simplified/fictionalized.

I want an 11 game world series option with 1-2 doubleheader day.
that is decisive champion : )

[fredbeene]

Originally Posted by Westheim

I struggle to come up with many things that the standard game lacks that you really, really needs.

Maybe named umpires, so you can get worked up right at the start screen for the game. Oh no, it's that cuck behind home plate again...! Your league's version of Angel Hernandez ...!

Of course there could be a lot more done with the business / accounting / marketing side of your baseball team. The moral dilemma of deciding between putting a hard liquor product on the outfield fence, or rather Bob's Kitchen Place, who only pays half as much.

Dunno. I am struggling to come up with much.

My request is simple:
Replay historical leagues should each year have all the correct
LOGOS
JERSEYS
BALLPARKS
Coaches
Mgr
GM
etc

You can have the ability to change if you like.

[fredbeene]

Originally Posted by endgame

Only moments ago, I had an exchange that reminded me of the need in my personal style of play: solo fictional. It may have no bearing or even a detriment to other styles of play, but I'm certain it would be optional.

Does anyone think the game should provide the opportunity for more interaction, both voluntary and compulsory- as goes responses -with the game, its personnel, maybe financial or scouting advisors, the scouts themselves? I'd be grateful for the addition of more elements that make the solo experience less solitary.

While the text engine would require massive contributions, one specific area I've been interested in is coach perspectives and input. A pitching coach's particular comment on any pitcher, or a hitting coach's 'scout' of a specific hitter, not just as an assessment of existing skills, but a projection regarding the player's role in the organization. For instance, "Gaden's contact has improved over the last few months, and I see that continuing. Let me keep him in AAA for a while longer." An option might follow to 'lock' the player, or you might subsequently shortlist, etc...

I don't mind at all if the game requires something of me.

I am confused why there is no documentation on the cagetories in enlish.xml for pbp, messages etc.
I don't understand why there are not customizable files we can all create and share.

The whole sharing of mods needs tender loving care.....we all put so much into this, yet trying to find something takes hours of frustration.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by fredbeene

I am confused why there is no documentation on the cagetories in enlish.xml for pbp, messages etc.

I don't understand why there are not customizable files we can all create and share.



The whole sharing of mods needs tender loving care.....we all put so much into this, yet trying to find something takes hours of frustration.

I just recently posted excel docs in the mods subforum with the text categories and such

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by wallewalls

Yeah i don't particularly like having to manage my scouts instead of managing the team as it is usually a time consuming, tedious exercise when done in video games. For example, in the EA NHL series this year they added something similar to their franchise mode where you have to manually assign your scouts to uncover a portion of the league at a time. It sounds like a good concept until you actually have to do it, where you have to go through their clogged, slow and buggy menus so many times throughout a season to the point where I just turned the feature off altogether. You can put it on auto, but then the AI does such a terrible job doing it so you're stuck either way. I'm all for realism, I want the game to be as realistic as possible but something like this I just don't think works well in a video game, where you spend more time micromanaging than actually managing. Especially when I'm really tracking my players performances day after day, it takes me awhile to get through a season in the first place, that this would just add a longer time requirement.

I agree. I always think back to the old NCAA Football game from EA Sports. It was great for a few years where the gameplay and recruiting were both really solid. But then they expanded the recruiting to make it more in-depth and it turned into hours of work to do your weekly recruiting just to get to the games on each weekend. It was painstaking to go through. It didn't help the franchise that the gameplay took a turn for the worse at the same time, too.

[NCBeachBum]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

Hey guys,

now is the time of year when we usually announce the new version and start the pre-order process. This year we will handle it a bit differently, we will announce the game around the start of Spring Training games and hence will have a much shorter pre-order period (eSellerate only). We are still shooting for a pre-Opening Day release on all channels (Steam, Origin, eSellerate, MacOS AppStore).

So, expect the official announcement about our 20th(!) Anniversary Release in 4-5 weeks.

I still can't believe we've been around for 20 years now...

Cheers,
Markus

21 years, since 6.5 also filled a year, right?

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by fredbeene

My request is simple:
Replay historical leagues should each year have all the correct
LOGOS
JERSEYS
BALLPARKS
Coaches
Mgr
GM
etc

You can have the ability to change if you like.

I think there are licensing issues that may make prevent OOTP from shipping the game with historical logos & jerseys, although they can be added fairly easily as an add-on.

3D Ballparks are pretty time-consuming (and I know, as I've made some), but you can already get most historical parks from the mods forum. Admittedly, it's a manual process to get the 3d models to show in-game.

I know that you'd prefer it to all be automatic (and I can certainly understand that), but at least it's mostly possible with a fairly small amount of work.

[highandoutside]

Originally Posted by swoboda

I'd like to be able to see if the AI has any relievers warming up in the bullpen the way the old LaRussa game did.

I understand this sentiment, but I really don't want anything that weakens the AI manager. The AI already mismanages its bullpen so much that you need to increase the roster size of its teams just to prevent it from having chronically tired relievers.

Overall, I just want to see more and more energy put into making a more competitive AI in all aspects, but especially GM. CPU still gives away terrible contracts to free agents. High revenue teams end up stacked with 33 to 36 yr old injury prone formerly good players with huge contracts.

[itsmb8]

Originally Posted by highandoutside

I understand this sentiment, but I really don't want anything that weakens the AI manager. The AI already mismanages its bullpen so much that you need to increase the roster size of its teams just to prevent it from having chronically tired relievers.

Overall, I just want to see more and more energy put into making a more competitive AI in all aspects, but especially GM. CPU still gives away terrible contracts to free agents. High revenue teams end up stacked with 33 to 36 yr old injury prone formerly good players with huge contracts.

Then they should fix the logic on those to make the AI more competitive. Seeing what reliever the other team is warming up is something that is always available in baseball, and its pretty shocking that thats not something we can do in OOTP.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by Westheim

I struggle to come up with many things that the standard game lacks that you really, really needs.

Maybe named umpires, so you can get worked up right at the start screen for the game. Oh no, it's that cuck behind home plate again...! Your league's version of Angel Hernandez ...!

Of course there could be a lot more done with the business / accounting / marketing side of your baseball team. The moral dilemma of deciding between putting a hard liquor product on the outfield fence, or rather Bob's Kitchen Place, who only pays half as much.

Dunno. I am struggling to come up with much.

There are many "small" things that we can still do, mainly improvements to already existing features, but in a nutshell you are correct. However, there is one single feature that is still on our to-do list for a future version (OOTP 21 or 22) which will be huge, but it is a massive undertaking and requires us to hire more talent... fortunately, because of the success of Perfect Team, we will be able to do just that

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by endgame

Only moments ago, I had an exchange that reminded me of the need in my personal style of play: solo fictional. It may have no bearing or even a detriment to other styles of play, but I'm certain it would be optional.

Does anyone think the game should provide the opportunity for more interaction, both voluntary and compulsory- as goes responses -with the game, its personnel, maybe financial or scouting advisors, the scouts themselves? I'd be grateful for the addition of more elements that make the solo experience less solitary.

While the text engine would require massive contributions, one specific area I've been interested in is coach perspectives and input. A pitching coach's particular comment on any pitcher, or a hitting coach's 'scout' of a specific hitter, not just as an assessment of existing skills, but a projection regarding the player's role in the organization. For instance, "Gaden's contact has improved over the last few months, and I see that continuing. Let me keep him in AAA for a while longer." An option might follow to 'lock' the player, or you might subsequently shortlist, etc...

I don't mind at all if the game requires something of me.

Yes, these interactive parts and improvements to scouting are on our to-do list as well... but these count as improvements to already existing features rather than something "brand new" that qualifies as a back-of-the-box feature.

[LK3185]

As an incoming new player (that's struggling along with demo of 18') I do wonder how many improvements can be made to the base game before you put so much into it, people need gaming PCs just to run it.

Not saying the game should have limitations but I don't think you want to price out customers either.

[Reed]

Here is a suggestion THAT WOULD improve historical play. (I made this suggestion in the suggestion thread also but it might get more love over here.).

For historical play—in addition to the weaken/adjust hitters/pitchers, have an option to also have a usage penalty if players exceed their real life plate appearances or innings pitched by xx% (10, 20, or 30% as determined by commissioner). If player exceeds that amount, then their rating will revert to replacement level.
This would improve historical play.

[low]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

...However, there is one single feature that is still on our to-do list for a future version (OOTP 21 or 22) which will be huge, but it is a massive undertaking and requires us to hire more talent... fortunately, because of the success of Perfect Team, we will be able to do just that

Give us a hint?

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

There are many "small" things that we can still do, mainly improvements to already existing features, but in a nutshell you are correct. However, there is one single feature that is still on our to-do list for a future version (OOTP 21 or 22) which will be huge, but it is a massive undertaking and requires us to hire more talent... fortunately, because of the success of Perfect Team, we will be able to do just that

Built in espresso bar?

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

Built in espresso bar?

I'm guessing it's a OOTP stadium creator tool.

[jeffw3000]

Originally Posted by David Watts

I'm guessing it's a OOTP stadium creator tool.

That is mt guess as well.