Couple Questions
 

So I have been fiddling around with OOTP 13 on my computer and iOOTP12 on my phone for the last month or so and have a few questions...I apologize if these have been covered in other threads:

1) Do players actually get better and worse?
2) How reliable is the "potential" rating with regard to player development?

I have a few leagues started, and am just kind of taking a look at this kind of stuff.

Also, if I am a Fictional League type guy, what is the advantage of OOTP14. I am not worried about new rosters...is it just the features that everyone is looking forward to or is there a real reason to upgrade?

Regards,
Christopher

Yes, players develop and decline naturally, but not predictable, as in real life. You have some control over how the majority mature and age with overall settings, but there is enough variability to make things interesting and realistic.

The potential rating is as reliable as the level of your scouting organization. With a good scout, and with luck, potential ratings can be quite accurate. If scouting is turned off, then ratings are absolutely accurate.

But get this: Even a 100% accurate potential rating does NOT mean the player develops into this potential! A number of factors, besides random luck, factor in such as player work ethic and intelligence, quality of coaching, and how much money you invest in your player development program.

I play fictionally and I can tell you that I enjoy OOTPB immensely. That is the advantage of OOTPB, not just OOTPB 14. What I usually do is start with a MLB format, flush out and delete real players, stock rosters with fictional players, release them all, and have an inaugural draft. And away I go!

So, the question remains, should you upgrade to OOTPB 14? What I would do is play 13 for the next couple of weeks and see how much you like the game. Then go to the announcement thread* in the 14 forum here, look at the newsletters, and make up your mind.

Each new version has been enough of an enticement to me to pay for it. 14 will be no exception.

EDIT: *Actually, the "Road to Release" threads in that forum are more useful in this regard.

Thanks!
 

I figured the player development was a setting or something. I have been messing around, very casually, for the last 1-2 months. I have both versions, like I said, and to be completely honest kind of enjoy the iPhone application more than I do the full version available to computer. I think the difficult aspect of the game is the lack of direction, you are pretty much cut loose and can do whatever....but that is also it best part.

Shortly after I purchased OOTPB 13, I was researching online and a lot of people seemed to enjoy Football Manager. I am not running a state-of-the-art PC, so I decided to hop on eBay and grab an older version of the game for something like $12. I installed it and found that the direction that you have in FM is almost too much...it's almost like a turn based strategy game where you make your moves and then hit continue (that's actually exactly what it is). I just really need to spend some time in OOTPB 13 and really get a feeling for the game, and to understand the interface a lot better.

Does anyone have any cool spreadsheets that they use to predict players, teams, etc?

-Chris

Heh, for one, I just got done answering a guy in this thread: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...readsheet.html

'