[ThePride87]

Originally Posted by jimmysthebestcop

The entire GM part of the game is its biggest weakness. It is completely flat, static, boring and lifeless. It has been exactly the same for at least 5 versions.

Coaching, Stories, Chemistry, personality/traits, owner goals, finances, fans all of these have been implemented at its most basic form that its either stale or borderline broken. The complete lack of any sort of mechanic to interact with the league structure. Yes you can do any customizing you want with commish mode or god mode but there are no actual game mechanics to get anything done. Again this leads to a lifeless league.

Player personalities are completely static. As pointed out by other forum members in threads. Once a player was labeled as such and such they have stayed that way ever single version. I could use the Byrce Harper example he is the complete opposite of every trait he has in OOTP since becoming a Philly.

But everything in the GM world is static. The human player has no real impact on anything. Take Motosport Manager the human can influence traits of its characters and even have a basic league voting mechanics to enable change on the league level. And all personnel have their own traits/personality so they feel unique. And there are maybe 1 or 2 dozen total traits. OOTP the traits/personality are extremely limited. They need more flavor. All of them don't even need to make a significant impact to player performance. But it does make the characters stand out.

Someone mentioned stadiums above me. Again this made no sense to me. Modders have been making stadiums fine for years. Now there is a tool for all players. Ok that is cool. But there are no game mechanics behind it. It doesn't effect budget, fans, or the organization. I much rather have had mechanics built into the game first than a 3D creating tool. It didn't stop the modders not having a tool. Game mechanics are everything but they are repeatedly overlooked.

Don't get me wrong I love the game or wouldn't be here. But from year to year it often ends in frustration and disappointing. Because as good as ootp is as managing playing out games and crunching numbers to be either realistic or fictional, it is still completely void of any life or dynamics in the GM part of the game.

My long term goal would be for a human to be able to start opening day and play x number of years. And even if they were to restart with the same exact team back on the original opening day the game would play out completely unique, each play through would be unique. Because the world would be dynamic. Of course there be an options to uncheck all of this for people that just enjoy crunching of the numbers.

From ootp 18 to 21 the game plays out almost identical when you are the gm. Maybe player names, ratings and stat lines change. But the overall game experience is 100% the same. Some quality of life has gotten better. But the essence has remained unchanged.

Dynamics like this is whats sets a good sports game label a part from a good game overall label. OOTP for sure top baseball games and even a top 5 sports game. But if I put it in the general video game category I am not even sure if it cracks my top 100. And I still put at least 200 hours into it each year.

And to make matters worst. We know nothing of the direction for the series. We won't here about OOTP 22 until next year. We don't know the vision or scope of future games.

Is ootp just concerned with baseball and number crunching? Do they care about the gm experience? Do they care about the video game experience or just being the most realistic baseball number cruncher? Do they want their universe alive, dynamic and entertaining? Or is the most important item the realistic data simulation of season to season play?

Cause right now it's mix signals. There are video game elements in ootp like the aforementioned stories, traits, chemistry etc. But nothing has been refreshed in years. If there is no interest in leading the game that way at least tell the fanbase. Then I could just move on from ootp at least. I would know its not the game for me.

But as long as these elements exist then I have to hope for their betterment and keep bringing up where ootp lacks in these areas. At least until I just get so disappointed that I leave the series.

I like criticism like this....this is very constructive vs what someone like myself would do. This kind of post can be helpful to a developer who is willing to listen. I agree, being a fan of team-construction and the challenges that come with being a GM, I would like a lot of the things you listed.