Summary of All Ideas

crackpott · 02-25-2003, 12:47 AM

Guys, keep in mind it'll take me a while to get them all summarized. When I have some free time, I'll keep working backwards, while adding new stuff. But just for a general idea of what i'm doing, I might as well at least start the list...

--------------------------------

What I want to have happen is post all the ideas. In order to show support, you can either go to the thread itself for the idea (which will be linked) and go into depth, or merely in a reply state the number of the idea, and then just "strongly agree" "agree" "impartial" "disagree" "strongly disagree". Keep in mind that you should be considering the amount of time it will take to code these things, and that it will take time away from other things (economists call this "opportunity cost"

). Also, if ideas are added, please just edit your post with your opinion, as opposed to reposting to keep this thread reasonable. I feel this not only is a way to summarize ideas, but show the administration their users opinions all summarized neatly. Anyway, here are the ideas I've got so far.

1. Players going into the hall of fame with a team
Initial posting: February 19th, 2003
I think this one is pretty self explanatory. In real life, a player will go in as a member of a certain team. In OOTP currently, he simply goes into the hall what I call "capless". More info can be seen in <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24591">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Doesn't look too difficult. The hardest part would be creating an algorithm to determine which team the player would go in with. Something that factors in stats, world series, and just general winning years would have to be come up with. 

2. In-Game Expansion
Initial posting: February 19th, 2003
Currently, if an individual wished to expand his league by any number of teams, he would have to go through a painstaking process outlined in the FAQ <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5494">here.</a> It has been proposed that the game should do this all itself as part of an "expansion" feature. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24600">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Seems pretty complex. It would save many a lot of trouble, but is it worth the hassle of coding, which if it is as complicated as I envision, would take away time from other things?

3. Team-Split Statistics
Initial posting: February 21st, 2003
In the major leagues, stats are collected by team played for, whereas in OOTP, it will simply show you the yearly total. It is proposed that this be changed. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24789">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Sounds like something Markus could likely get done in a matter of minutes if it generated the support, although it would make the size of the data blow up, hindering online leagues and those with slow computers

Scott's Addendum: Actually this involves some restructuring of the database, and is more substantial then just taking a matter of minutes.

4. Customizable League and Division Structures for historical play
Initial posting: February 21st, 2003
This is a bad summary since I don't play historical leagues, but I believe the goal is to be able to edit the league structures in past years to see how things would play out. If someone knows better, please correct me.

The actual idea can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24789">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: No clue. I'm not going to guess on something that I don't have any idea how much effort it would be.

5. Trainers/Medical Staff in OOTP
Initial posting: February 24th, 2003
Medical staff can affect many things on a team. From a team getting screwed (see Mike Sirotka) to a team making it to the world series (Giants), the health of a team can have a profound affect on performance. More can be read in <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25079">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Seems reasonable, although not something that would be done in a patch. It seems like something of mediocre difficulty that could be added on to the scouts/coaches in V5.

6. Support for Mac computers
Initial posting: February 18th, 2003
Quite simply, the ability to run OOTP on a mac. It can be discussed at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24448">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: A seperate Mac version? Freakin' impossible. It would seem like that would take a lot of time away from improving the product for future versions. If it is referring to having it work on Virtual PC, I'm not sure how much additional coding that would require, so I'll stay out of that one.

Scott's Adendum: Markus posted last summer that there wasn't an "Eliscence"-like system available for Mac's which was hampering the efforts.

7. Customizable Roster Size
Initial posting: February 18th, 2003
As OOTP is played right now, rosters are set at a maximum of 25 people for April-August and 40 in September. It has been proposed that this be something that is editable in the league options for any leagues that elect NOT to follow major league rules, and for special cicumstances. You can read up on this proposal at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24468">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It certainly seems to be generating a lot of support, and it sounds like something that can be very easily implemented, as it can already be done in the 3rd party player editor. The fact that it was put into that leads me to believe that it is something the .400 team can add to the game with relative ease.

8. Players unavailable due to reasons other than Injury
Initial posting: February 17th, 2003
I'm combining a recent thread <A

HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24468">shown here</a> with another idea that's been floated around numerous times. The thread calls for players being unavailable for seasons during wartime, which seems like an addition to the frequently called upon idea of player suspensions. Although they can be added in the injury file, it seems odd to see your player hurt himself with a suspension, and you can put them on the DL. "Official" suspensions would fix that.

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Seems like just a minor tweak to me in addition to the injury engine. Something where if a player is kicked out of a game, it will determine first if there IS a suspension, and then what type/how long. Seems like a nice addition.

9. Tweaking the "Argue with Umpire"
Initial posting: N/A
Just an idea of mine. No real thread for it. As it stands right now, arguing with the umpire is... well, pointless. Some suggest that it should "pump up" your team. My suggestion is a little different. I think the option to argue should occur when a player is arguing with the umpire, and you then have the option to go in there and argue for him. What would the value of this be? Well, the player MIGHT have gotten tossed, and ultimately you might too. Basically you'd be sacrificing yourself for the player. I know if my star player was getting into a disagreement, I'd rather let the computer take over managing and keep him in the game then put some scrub in and have me continue. Others feel differently, thus why I think it could actually be an interesting twist on the arguing.

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: I would think this would be very easy. Just a combining of two things already in the game.

10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections
Initial posting: February 25th, 2003
Right now, if you're unsure of who to draft, you can allow the computer to pick for you, which is very handy. However, sometimes people have certain strategies which just disagree with certain players. By allowing the computer to pick, you're taking a crap shoot and hoping you don't get one of these types of players. It has been proposed that a "confirm selection" window is added, so you can decline the pick that your scout recommends instead of just praying for the best

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It sounds pretty damn easy, if you ask me. A mere popup confirming selection? Those seem to be everywhere within many games, including OOTP (ie. Are you sure you want to reset, release, draft or whatever). Adding it to computer pick seems like a logical extention.

11. Fan Favourites
Initial posting: February 3rd, 2003
Don't question my spelling, if you check an actual English dictionary, it's correct.

Anyway, the concept behind this is that each player gets "favourite points" based on certain achievements. In this sense, players become fan favourites, and trading the player would lead to a lowering in fan loyalty. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22934">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It sounds like pure calculations, therefore not impossible. It seems that there would just need to be a cumulative total that is kept track of as certain milestones are reached, and if that player is traded, the total is subtracted from fan loyalty.

statfreak · 02-25-2003, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by crackpott

3. Team-Split Statistics
Initial posting: February 21st, 2003
In the major leagues, stats are collected by team played for, whereas in OOTP, it will simply show you the yearly total. It is proposed that this be changed. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24789">this thread.</a>

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Sounds like something Markus could likely get done in a matter of minutes if it generated the support

Markus said in another thread (which, admitedly, I am too tired to search for right now) that implementing this would blow up (ie, increase) the dat files too much for it to be a viable option at this time.

I'll try to find the link for his exact reply.

Good idea on compiling this and outstanding list so far.

Thanks.

crackpott · 02-25-2003, 12:57 AM

Thanks, I fixed that. For future comments about my blunders, can everyone PM me so that this thread doesn't get enormous?

crackpott · 02-25-2003, 12:59 AM

It will all get added with time. PM's!!!

statfreak · 02-25-2003, 01:12 AM

1. Players going into the hall of fame with a team - impartial, don't see the value of this.

2. In-Game Expansion - disagree, would be very complex and most likely wouldn't satisfy everyone.

3. Team-Split Statistics - agree, would love to see, but given the programming and inflated database size, don't think it is feasible.

4. Customizable League and Division Structures for historical play - disagree, this can be said about numerous items, but OOTP is not a replay simulation, but a baseball simulation. If you want to replay MLB, do the work.

5. Trainers/Medical Staff in OOTP - strongly disagree, unless it is an option that can be turned on/off. Then, impartial.

6. Support for Mac computers - Impartial, but would rather have Markus focus on Inside the Park.

Le Grande Orange · 02-25-2003, 04:01 AM

4. Customizable League and Division Structures for historical play.

What is most wanted here is:

1) The ability to add and later remove a 2nd league from a file. Currently the only way to do this is via some workarounds. Seems to me being able to add and remove the 2nd league from a file would also offer a lot of possibilities to non-historical simmers as well, in terms of how they want their leagues to grow or shrink. Beiong able to add and remove a 3rd league would be ideal, but is not necessary. Just getting a 2nd league in and out would be great.

2) The ability to have 12 teams (or more) teams in one division. The limit currently is 10. Again, there is a workaround for a 12 team, one division league (just use two 6 team divisions but with a proper one division schedule). It should be noted that this workaround is easier in OOTP5, thanks to being able to turn off the playoffs for any given year.

From what I understand, a 12 team division is possible now, but it causes headaches for Markus when it comes to importing leagues from OOTP4. Not sure why that is technically, but that is what he has posted so I'm inclined to believe him. Since backward compatibility with previous versions is important, the 10 team limit to divisions will probably be around until OOTP6 at least.

7. Customizable Roster Sizes

Yes, this would be fantastic. It would allow historical simmers to more closely match MLB's past restrictions, while giving non-historical simmers a lot of room to experiment and try out different things.

statfreak · 02-25-2003, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Le Grande Orange
7. Customizable Roster Sizes

Yes, this would be fantastic. It would allow historical simmers to more closely match MLB's past restrictions, while giving non-historical simmers a lot of room to experiment and try out different things.

Strongly Agree - besides head-to-head play over the internet, this is the one idea I'd like to have implemented.

Modern Relic · 02-25-2003, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crackpott

10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections

I wholeheartedly agree with this idea. I'm stunned that it hasn't been proposed before now.

Kevin · 02-26-2003, 09:09 AM

Of course favourites is correct, eh?

crackpott · 02-26-2003, 10:47 PM

I don't think this is going to work out too well due to a 10,000 character limit.

That and me being at my busiest of the year until March 13th... then i'm free to do whatever. In the meantime I'll try to think of a more effective system.

Hubertdd1 · 02-27-2003, 09:59 PM

These are the ones I want that you listed in order that I want it in too!

11. Fan Favourites - This would be humongous
1. Players going into the hall of fame with a team - Want badly
5. Trainers/Medical Staff in OOTP - This would be great
10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections
2. In-Game Expansion - It would be nice

Also I would like to see an option to scout around an online league through the eyes of your scout.

greenwood · 03-03-2003, 10:11 PM

Here are a couple of other suggestions:

1. Sim to date (day before trading deadline as an example)

2. For simming multiple seasons - have the ability to set variables for importing rookies, importing original team, and the path.

Go Tribe · 03-04-2003, 11:49 AM

- the 'disagree with pc draft choice' could be made really nice with a "pc suggestion" button that shows who the pc would pick for you.

what i'd LOVE to see is the ability to do drafting strategies ala Pure Sim - that would REALLY add to the game

baseballbob · 03-07-2003, 09:44 PM

Two particular suggestions currently in the list of eleven have caught my attention:

1. Player popularity. I think this is a FANTASTIC idea.

It seems that player popularity in real life MLB plays many roles in team finance, stadium attendance, contract considerations, national television contracts, award voting results, and all star balloting.

There have been times when some young and inexperienced MLB teams have played very well (at or near the top of the division in the early part of the year, for example), but due to not having any big name players the attendance numbers (though elevated due to performance) were not 'off the charts' as one would expect for a similarly performing team with all of the Theme Park Player characteristics of the Yankees.

Actually, it also seems to me that one 'first step' for rebuilding a team with ailing financials and season performance is not only to focus on developing future players, but perhaps also to buy some 'names' who may be past their prime as it pertains to performance, but who could give a greater sense of identity to the team and give the local fans someone identifiable to cheer for while the minor league players develop. (besides the other function of such veterans in offering guidance to the young players....perhaps leadership of this type is already in the game engine? It seems that it probably is)

Even when Roger Clemens isn't pitching well...and even if not pitching for the Yankees...his mere existence in a game would seem to increase attendance. Similarly, a Mark McGwire playing for a St. Louis team already out of the playoffs would still draw fans based on his popularity.

Also, if there is a relationship between fan attendance and player popularity, then it would seem that players (the superstars like Jeter who covers the magazines and the TV commercials) would know that the 'entertainment factor' of their image also contributes to team financials. Team merchandise would also be higher in sales where popluar players exist.

One further note is if there were categories ascribed to various ranges of popularity ratings that the attainment of 'Legendary' status by a player that was drafted, nursed along, believed in, persuaded to remain via contract extensions, etc. would be quite a gratifying goal to attain and is something that can be experienced during that player's carreer.

A player such as Koufax or Fydrich who, for whatever reason had their careers cut short could become Hall of Fame eligible...or at least recognized in an Almanac listing of players who attained status of 'legendary' during their careers despite not having an opportunity to produce career sized numbers which are, as far as I can so far see, the criteria used for induction considerations.

Managers and coaches and "teams as a whole" could also be preserved in the Almanac in a similar way via 'popularity status'.

Also possible here is the existence of a record for 'youngest player to attain legendary status'.

One challenge to the formulation of an algorithmic design for 'popularity' seems to me to be the phenomenon (which has seemed to not be all that uncommon in MLB) of a player performing very well, putting up very good numbers, and yet receiving very little recognition or popularity.

Events 'off the field' could affect popularity such as controversial statements made to the press...a player acting on his 'non-loyalty' and leaving behind his home crowd for a bigger contract...home crowds could 'ride' a player after a big flub or a big strikeout leading to 'pressure handling' considerations for the player in question.

The possibilities just seem to go on and on.

I really like what player persona characteristics the game already has. And, they seem a great framework for implementing player popularity.

Big market/small market teams...fan loyalty considerations: these things would seem a natural part of an algorithm for how much a player (manager) could be in the 'dog-house' of a hometown crowd. With player popularity it may be possible to better approximate the atmosphere of 'The Bronx Zoo' that gives Yankee Stadium a significant part of its personality.

As to off-the-field controversies: players could be given ratings of 'controversy vulnerability'. Some players just seem to have personalities (Billy Martin)...that...well...need I say more?

Of course, even bad publicity can be better than no publicity at all. Perhaps there could be ratings for both fame and popularity since it seems that the two are quite independent of one another (Bud Selig, George Steinbrenner and that guy who used to be the Braves' closer (his name escapes me....but he's the one who would sprint onto the field... are the first examples that come to mind.)

At a player's attainment of status just below legendary (or just some other status depending on how it worked out) the player could become a 'household nickname'. By this I mean that to mention "The Bird" or "Sweet Lou" or "Gibby" or "Barry" or "Junior" (perhaps regional only nickname would fall under this one: Donnie in New York is very identifiable) or "Rocket", etc.

At the attainment of 'familiar nickname' popularity, the human player could be prompted to choose a famous nickname for his player...i envision this to simply be a text box and could be a decision that could be deferred by the human user to be returned to for the 'knighting with a nickname' at a later time: i.e. when he has thought of one

. Of course, there IS already the option to give nicknames to each and every player. But, to give nicknames to each player is, to me, sometimes daunting. I don't know how to go into depth just now as to why it would be more fun to have special MLB-wide 'known' nicknames than to simply have a standard nickname entry location, but it seems to me that it would be a lot of fun and add greater distinction to key players.

....there could be a list of suggestions offered by the computer but that could be very difficult to generate appropriately...although some built in generic offerings that could be ascribed to computer team players could also be determined....such nicknames would need to be 'unique' to the league so once a nickname was chosen it must go to only that player.

Another possibility is that the ascribing of an actual nickname is optional....and simply having the player achieve a rating of 'household nickname' would suffice for producing the effect I've been describing.

Another popularity application is that of minor league veterans being willing to 'stick it out' another year due to their popularity with the home crowd. Would it also be realistic to consider something like in the movie Bull Durham? where the leadership of a minor league veteran could affect the overall performance of a minor league team. I know this last idea is a bit picky and micro-small and therefore probably not such a great idea....but, well,...i had fun mentioning it LOL

Well, that's the number 1 of the 2 things that really caught my attention of the 11 item summary of considered developments. As this has turned into a post of epic length I'll just close this one out for now and make a separate one for the other topic.

Thanks,
Kevin
walksincircles73@yahoo.com

baseballbob · 03-07-2003, 09:47 PM

John Rocker.
That's the former Braves' pitcher I was trying to remember when writing the last post.

baseballbob · 03-07-2003, 10:08 PM

Rather than inspire one's team (something which would seem to provoke debate from the baseball statistics purists as to what degree this effect would really exist) might I suggest the almost undeniable "crowd effect" that an argument with an umpire would bring?

Then, for sizable crowds, it does seem to me that crowds could indirectly affect the players' performance (again, this is probably a debatable effect for baseball stats purists, but, my experience as a fan of MLB has been that crowd noise can and does sometimes have an impact on players...

It would then seem, however, that an attribute of a player such as 'ability to perform under pressure' would then become important for consideration....which is, of course, something that could improve for a player with experience....(and have to start in a reduced state for a player playing in the post-season or World Series for the first time since it is a different kind of experience...thus, teams experienced in the post-season could benefit from that experience as it seems that teams have in MLB through the years.

Despite the professionalism of MLB players, it seems to me that a very boistrous crowd (and there could be a rating for the stadium in consideration as to how it handles crowd noise...the Metrodome, for example, has a certain fame for its noise levels in the post-season) would have a very natural impact on player physiological reactions to various events. This seems an intrinsic part of our humanity and can often be a very determining force for what players go on to excellence and which otherwise talented players languish in mediocrity.

Crowd noise could also contribute to botched plays....could lead to a pitcher 'not being settled down' also...even if the cheering is for his own team.

Such crowd noise considerations would only be applicable for near capacity crowds, so stadium attendance would take on yet another depth of impact to the franchise.

Another thing I just thought of is that a player might opt to go to another team in the following situation:
the team is performing well, but due to low attendence (Expos), his popularity growth is restricted. Thus, not only in search of money but also fame, a player goes to another team.

The Yankees seem to experience this phenomenon on quite a large scale: playing for the Yankees means more than just winning or money to a player....it also means instant fame!

Thus, the famousness/popularity potential of a team could influence player decisions with regards to contracts.....
A player could be 'ultra-loyal', yet, if disliked by the home crowd or otherwise unrecognized for his contributions, he might choose to take his loyalty somewhere that it can be appreciated.

Thanks again,
Kevin
(by the way, ootp5 is my first ootp experience and I'm loving every minute of it! Fantastic job with the game!)
walksincircles73@yahoo.com

hobbs166 · 03-19-2003, 02:44 AM

if this is in the game i must be blind.it would be nice to have an option to turn off pbp and just play and get results of the batter and the next one up and so on.it would also neat to throw in union meetings that could affect the league and season.

Modern Relic · 03-25-2003, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crackpott
Guys, keep in mind it'll take me a while to get them all summarized. When I have some free time, I'll keep working backwards, while adding new stuff. But just for a general idea of what i'm doing, I might as well at least start the list...

--------------------------------

What I want to have happen is post all the ideas. In order to show support, you can either go to the thread itself for the idea (which will be linked) and go into depth, or merely in a reply state the number of the idea, and then just "strongly agree" "agree" "impartial" "disagree" "strongly disagree". Keep in mind that you should be considering the amount of time it will take to code these things, and that it will take time away from other things (economists call this "opportunity cost" ). Also, if ideas are added, please just edit your post with your opinion, as opposed to reposting to keep this thread reasonable. I feel this not only is a way to summarize ideas, but show the administration their users opinions all summarized neatly. Anyway, here are the ideas I've got so far.

10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections
Initial posting: February 25th, 2003
Right now, if you're unsure of who to draft, you can allow the computer to pick for you, which is very handy. However, sometimes people have certain strategies which just disagree with certain players. By allowing the computer to pick, you're taking a crap shoot and hoping you don't get one of these types of players. It has been proposed that a "confirm selection" window is added, so you can decline the pick that your scout recommends instead of just praying for the best

Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It sounds pretty damn easy, if you ask me. A mere popup confirming selection? Those seem to be everywhere within many games, including OOTP (ie. Are you sure you want to reset, release, draft or whatever). Adding it to computer pick seems like a logical extention.

Just wanted to bump this idea. It didn't make the last patch and it just seems too simple to leave out.

DiversionX · 03-27-2003, 04:23 PM

Here's a suggestion for ya:

The ability to import from other baseball sim games. I've been trying to export from Mogul and import to OOTP for a while now and I just can't quite get it right. Anyone out there have any success?

BleacherBum · 04-02-2003, 02:31 AM

10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections

Good idea posted earlier to turn this into a suggestion pop-up. Now if that's easy enough, why not put the top 2 or 3 suggestions in the box. I would expect my scout to give me a couple of choices if I asked his opinion.

02-25-2003, 12:47 AM	#1
crackpott Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,961	Summary of All Ideas Guys, keep in mind it'll take me a while to get them all summarized. When I have some free time, I'll keep working backwards, while adding new stuff. But just for a general idea of what i'm doing, I might as well at least start the list... -------------------------------- What I want to have happen is post all the ideas. In order to show support, you can either go to the thread itself for the idea (which will be linked) and go into depth, or merely in a reply state the number of the idea, and then just "strongly agree" "agree" "impartial" "disagree" "strongly disagree". Keep in mind that you should be considering the amount of time it will take to code these things, and that it will take time away from other things (economists call this "opportunity cost" ). Also, if ideas are added, please just edit your post with your opinion, as opposed to reposting to keep this thread reasonable. I feel this not only is a way to summarize ideas, but show the administration their users opinions all summarized neatly. Anyway, here are the ideas I've got so far. <font size=4>1. <b>Players going into the hall of fame with a team</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 19th, 2003</i> I think this one is pretty self explanatory. In real life, a player will go in as a member of a certain team. In OOTP currently, he simply goes into the hall what I call "capless". More info can be seen in <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24591">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Doesn't look too difficult. The hardest part would be creating an algorithm to determine which team the player would go in with. Something that factors in stats, world series, and just general winning years would have to be come up with. </i> <font size=4>2. <b>In-Game Expansion</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 19th, 2003</i> Currently, if an individual wished to expand his league by any number of teams, he would have to go through a painstaking process outlined in the FAQ <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5494">here.</a> It has been proposed that the game should do this all itself as part of an "expansion" feature. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24600">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Seems pretty complex. It would save many a lot of trouble, but is it worth the hassle of coding, which if it is as complicated as I envision, would take away time from other things?</i> <font size=4>3. <b>Team-Split Statistics</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 21st, 2003</i> In the major leagues, stats are collected by team played for, whereas in OOTP, it will simply show you the yearly total. It is proposed that this be changed. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24789">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Sounds like something Markus could likely get done in a matter of minutes if it generated the support, although it would make the size of the data blow up, hindering online leagues and those with slow computers</i> <i>Scott's Addendum: Actually this involves some restructuring of the database, and is more substantial then just taking a matter of minutes.</i> <font size=4>4. <b>Customizable League and Division Structures for historical play</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 21st, 2003</i> This is a bad summary since I don't play historical leagues, but I believe the goal is to be able to edit the league structures in past years to see how things would play out. If someone knows better, please correct me. The actual idea can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24789">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: No clue. I'm not going to guess on something that I don't have any idea how much effort it would be.</i> <font size=4>5. <b>Trainers/Medical Staff in OOTP</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 24th, 2003</i> Medical staff can affect many things on a team. From a team getting screwed (see Mike Sirotka) to a team making it to the world series (Giants), the health of a team can have a profound affect on performance. More can be read in <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25079">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Seems reasonable, although not something that would be done in a patch. It seems like something of mediocre difficulty that could be added on to the scouts/coaches in V5.</i> <font size=4>6. <b>Support for Mac computers</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 18th, 2003</i> Quite simply, the ability to run OOTP on a mac. It can be discussed at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24448">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: A seperate Mac version? Freakin' impossible. It would seem like that would take a lot of time away from improving the product for future versions. If it is referring to having it work on Virtual PC, I'm not sure how much additional coding that would require, so I'll stay out of that one.</i> <i>Scott's Adendum: Markus posted last summer that there wasn't an "Eliscence"-like system available for Mac's which was hampering the efforts.</i> <font size=4>7. <b>Customizable Roster Size</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 18th, 2003</i> As OOTP is played right now, rosters are set at a maximum of 25 people for April-August and 40 in September. It has been proposed that this be something that is editable in the league options for any leagues that elect NOT to follow major league rules, and for special cicumstances. You can read up on this proposal at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24468">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It certainly seems to be generating a lot of support, and it sounds like something that can be very easily implemented, as it can already be done in the 3rd party player editor. The fact that it was put into that leads me to believe that it is something the .400 team can add to the game with relative ease.</i> <font size=4>8. <b>Players unavailable due to reasons other than Injury</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 17th, 2003</i> I'm combining a recent thread <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24468">shown here</a> with another idea that's been floated around numerous times. The thread calls for players being unavailable for seasons during wartime, which seems like an addition to the frequently called upon idea of player suspensions. Although they can be added in the injury file, it seems odd to see your player hurt himself with a suspension, and you can put them on the DL. "Official" suspensions would fix that. <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: Seems like just a minor tweak to me in addition to the injury engine. Something where if a player is kicked out of a game, it will determine first if there IS a suspension, and then what type/how long. Seems like a nice addition.</i> <font size=4>9. <b>Tweaking the "Argue with Umpire"</font></b> <i>Initial posting: N/A</i> Just an idea of mine. No real thread for it. As it stands right now, arguing with the umpire is... well, pointless. Some suggest that it should "pump up" your team. My suggestion is a little different. I think the option to argue should occur when a player is arguing with the umpire, and you then have the option to go in there and argue for him. What would the value of this be? Well, the player MIGHT have gotten tossed, and ultimately you might too. Basically you'd be sacrificing yourself for the player. I know if my star player was getting into a disagreement, I'd rather let the computer take over managing and keep him in the game then put some scrub in and have me continue. Others feel differently, thus why I think it could actually be an interesting twist on the arguing. <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: I would think this would be very easy. Just a combining of two things already in the game.</i> <font size=4>10. <b>Option to disagree with computer draft selections</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 25th, 2003</i> Right now, if you're unsure of who to draft, you can allow the computer to pick for you, which is very handy. However, sometimes people have certain strategies which just disagree with certain players. By allowing the computer to pick, you're taking a crap shoot and hoping you don't get one of these types of players. It has been proposed that a "confirm selection" window is added, so you can decline the pick that your scout recommends instead of just praying for the best <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It sounds pretty damn easy, if you ask me. A mere popup confirming selection? Those seem to be everywhere within many games, including OOTP (ie. Are you sure you want to reset, release, draft or whatever). Adding it to computer pick seems like a logical extention.</i> <font size=4>11. <b>Fan Favourites</font></b> <i>Initial posting: February 3rd, 2003</i> Don't question my spelling, if you check an actual English dictionary, it's correct. Anyway, the concept behind this is that each player gets "favourite points" based on certain achievements. In this sense, players become fan favourites, and trading the player would lead to a lowering in fan loyalty. More can be read at <A HREF="http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22934">this thread.</a> <i>Crackpott's opinion on feasability: It sounds like pure calculations, therefore not impossible. It seems that there would just need to be a cumulative total that is kept track of as certain milestones are reached, and if that player is traded, the total is subtracted from fan loyalty.</i> __________________ Abandoned Planet - Check it out. The photos don't suck anymore. Last edited by crackpott; 02-25-2003 at 11:32 PM.

02-25-2003, 12:57 AM	#3
crackpott Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,961	Thanks, I fixed that. For future comments about my blunders, can everyone PM me so that this thread doesn't get enormous? __________________ Abandoned Planet - Check it out. The photos don't suck anymore.

02-25-2003, 12:59 AM	#4
crackpott Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,961	It will all get added with time. PM's!!! __________________ Abandoned Planet - Check it out. The photos don't suck anymore.

02-25-2003, 01:12 AM	#5
statfreak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 2,434	1. Players going into the hall of fame with a team - impartial, don't see the value of this. 2. In-Game Expansion - disagree, would be very complex and most likely wouldn't satisfy everyone. 3. Team-Split Statistics - agree, would love to see, but given the programming and inflated database size, don't think it is feasible. 4. Customizable League and Division Structures for historical play - disagree, this can be said about numerous items, but OOTP is not a replay simulation, but a baseball simulation. If you want to replay MLB, do the work. 5. Trainers/Medical Staff in OOTP - strongly disagree, unless it is an option that can be turned on/off. Then, impartial. 6. Support for Mac computers - Impartial, but would rather have Markus focus on Inside the Park. __________________ Roll out the barrel!

02-25-2003, 04:01 AM	#6
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Up There Posts: 15,644	4. Customizable League and Division Structures for historical play. What is most wanted here is: 1) The ability to add and later remove a 2nd league from a file. Currently the only way to do this is via some workarounds. Seems to me being able to add and remove the 2nd league from a file would also offer a lot of possibilities to non-historical simmers as well, in terms of how they want their leagues to grow or shrink. Beiong able to add and remove a 3rd league would be ideal, but is not necessary. Just getting a 2nd league in and out would be great. 2) The ability to have 12 teams (or more) teams in one division. The limit currently is 10. Again, there is a workaround for a 12 team, one division league (just use two 6 team divisions but with a proper one division schedule). It should be noted that this workaround is easier in OOTP5, thanks to being able to turn off the playoffs for any given year. From what I understand, a 12 team division is possible now, but it causes headaches for Markus when it comes to importing leagues from OOTP4. Not sure why that is technically, but that is what he has posted so I'm inclined to believe him. Since backward compatibility with previous versions is important, the 10 team limit to divisions will probably be around until OOTP6 at least. 7. Customizable Roster Sizes Yes, this would be fantastic. It would allow historical simmers to more closely match MLB's past restrictions, while giving non-historical simmers a lot of room to experiment and try out different things. Last edited by Le Grande Orange; 02-25-2003 at 04:03 AM.

02-26-2003, 09:09 AM	#9
Kevin All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 503	Of course favourites is correct, eh? __________________ It seems more like today than it did all day yesterday.

02-26-2003, 10:47 PM	#10
crackpott Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,961	I don't think this is going to work out too well due to a 10,000 character limit. That and me being at my busiest of the year until March 13th... then i'm free to do whatever. In the meantime I'll try to think of a more effective system. __________________ Abandoned Planet - Check it out. The photos don't suck anymore.

02-27-2003, 09:59 PM	#11
Hubertdd1 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 194	These are the ones I want that you listed in order that I want it in too! <p>11. Fan Favourites - This would be humongous <p>1. Players going into the hall of fame with a team - Want badly <P>5. Trainers/Medical Staff in OOTP - This would be great <p>10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections <P>2. In-Game Expansion - It would be nice Also I would like to see an option to scout around an online league through the eyes of your scout.

03-03-2003, 10:11 PM	#12
greenwood Minors (Single A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 67	Here are a couple of other suggestions: 1. Sim to date (day before trading deadline as an example) 2. For simming multiple seasons - have the ability to set variables for importing rookies, importing original team, and the path.

03-04-2003, 11:49 AM	#13
Go Tribe All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,534 Infractions: 1/0 (0)	- the 'disagree with pc draft choice' could be made really nice with a "pc suggestion" button that shows who the pc would pick for you. what i'd LOVE to see is the ability to do drafting strategies ala Pure Sim - that would REALLY add to the game

03-07-2003, 09:44 PM	#14
baseballbob Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 101	fan favourites Two particular suggestions currently in the list of eleven have caught my attention: 1. Player popularity. I think this is a FANTASTIC idea. It seems that player popularity in real life MLB plays many roles in team finance, stadium attendance, contract considerations, national television contracts, award voting results, and all star balloting. There have been times when some young and inexperienced MLB teams have played very well (at or near the top of the division in the early part of the year, for example), but due to not having any big name players the attendance numbers (though elevated due to performance) were not 'off the charts' as one would expect for a similarly performing team with all of the Theme Park Player characteristics of the Yankees. Actually, it also seems to me that one 'first step' for rebuilding a team with ailing financials and season performance is not only to focus on developing future players, but perhaps also to buy some 'names' who may be past their prime as it pertains to performance, but who could give a greater sense of identity to the team and give the local fans someone identifiable to cheer for while the minor league players develop. (besides the other function of such veterans in offering guidance to the young players....perhaps leadership of this type is already in the game engine? It seems that it probably is) Even when Roger Clemens isn't pitching well...and even if not pitching for the Yankees...his mere existence in a game would seem to increase attendance. Similarly, a Mark McGwire playing for a St. Louis team already out of the playoffs would still draw fans based on his popularity. Also, if there is a relationship between fan attendance and player popularity, then it would seem that players (the superstars like Jeter who covers the magazines and the TV commercials) would know that the 'entertainment factor' of their image also contributes to team financials. Team merchandise would also be higher in sales where popluar players exist. One further note is if there were categories ascribed to various ranges of popularity ratings that the attainment of 'Legendary' status by a player that was drafted, nursed along, believed in, persuaded to remain via contract extensions, etc. would be quite a gratifying goal to attain and is something that can be experienced during that player's carreer. A player such as Koufax or Fydrich who, for whatever reason had their careers cut short could become Hall of Fame eligible...or at least recognized in an Almanac listing of players who attained status of 'legendary' during their careers despite not having an opportunity to produce career sized numbers which are, as far as I can so far see, the criteria used for induction considerations. Managers and coaches and "teams as a whole" could also be preserved in the Almanac in a similar way via 'popularity status'. Also possible here is the existence of a record for 'youngest player to attain legendary status'. One challenge to the formulation of an algorithmic design for 'popularity' seems to me to be the phenomenon (which has seemed to not be all that uncommon in MLB) of a player performing very well, putting up very good numbers, and yet receiving very little recognition or popularity. Events 'off the field' could affect popularity such as controversial statements made to the press...a player acting on his 'non-loyalty' and leaving behind his home crowd for a bigger contract...home crowds could 'ride' a player after a big flub or a big strikeout leading to 'pressure handling' considerations for the player in question. The possibilities just seem to go on and on. I really like what player persona characteristics the game already has. And, they seem a great framework for implementing player popularity. Big market/small market teams...fan loyalty considerations: these things would seem a natural part of an algorithm for how much a player (manager) could be in the 'dog-house' of a hometown crowd. With player popularity it may be possible to better approximate the atmosphere of 'The Bronx Zoo' that gives Yankee Stadium a significant part of its personality. As to off-the-field controversies: players could be given ratings of 'controversy vulnerability'. Some players just seem to have personalities (Billy Martin)...that...well...need I say more? Of course, even bad publicity can be better than no publicity at all. Perhaps there could be ratings for both fame and popularity since it seems that the two are quite independent of one another (Bud Selig, George Steinbrenner and that guy who used to be the Braves' closer (his name escapes me....but he's the one who would sprint onto the field... are the first examples that come to mind.) At a player's attainment of status just below legendary (or just some other status depending on how it worked out) the player could become a 'household nickname'. By this I mean that to mention "The Bird" or "Sweet Lou" or "Gibby" or "Barry" or "Junior" (perhaps regional only nickname would fall under this one: Donnie in New York is very identifiable) or "Rocket", etc. At the attainment of 'familiar nickname' popularity, the human player could be prompted to choose a famous nickname for his player...i envision this to simply be a text box and could be a decision that could be deferred by the human user to be returned to for the 'knighting with a nickname' at a later time: i.e. when he has thought of one . Of course, there IS already the option to give nicknames to each and every player. But, to give nicknames to each player is, to me, sometimes daunting. I don't know how to go into depth just now as to why it would be more fun to have special MLB-wide 'known' nicknames than to simply have a standard nickname entry location, but it seems to me that it would be a lot of fun and add greater distinction to key players. ....there could be a list of suggestions offered by the computer but that could be very difficult to generate appropriately...although some built in generic offerings that could be ascribed to computer team players could also be determined....such nicknames would need to be 'unique' to the league so once a nickname was chosen it must go to only that player. Another possibility is that the ascribing of an actual nickname is optional....and simply having the player achieve a rating of 'household nickname' would suffice for producing the effect I've been describing. Another popularity application is that of minor league veterans being willing to 'stick it out' another year due to their popularity with the home crowd. Would it also be realistic to consider something like in the movie Bull Durham? where the leadership of a minor league veteran could affect the overall performance of a minor league team. I know this last idea is a bit picky and micro-small and therefore probably not such a great idea....but, well,...i had fun mentioning it LOL Well, that's the number 1 of the 2 things that really caught my attention of the 11 item summary of considered developments. As this has turned into a post of epic length I'll just close this one out for now and make a separate one for the other topic. Thanks, Kevin walksincircles73@yahoo.com

03-07-2003, 09:47 PM	#15
baseballbob Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 101	pitcher's name John Rocker. That's the former Braves' pitcher I was trying to remember when writing the last post.

03-07-2003, 10:08 PM	#16
baseballbob Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 101	Umpires and more on popularity Rather than inspire one's team (something which would seem to provoke debate from the baseball statistics purists as to what degree this effect would really exist) might I suggest the almost undeniable "crowd effect" that an argument with an umpire would bring? Then, for sizable crowds, it does seem to me that crowds could indirectly affect the players' performance (again, this is probably a debatable effect for baseball stats purists, but, my experience as a fan of MLB has been that crowd noise can and does sometimes have an impact on players... It would then seem, however, that an attribute of a player such as 'ability to perform under pressure' would then become important for consideration....which is, of course, something that could improve for a player with experience....(and have to start in a reduced state for a player playing in the post-season or World Series for the first time since it is a different kind of experience...thus, teams experienced in the post-season could benefit from that experience as it seems that teams have in MLB through the years. Despite the professionalism of MLB players, it seems to me that a very boistrous crowd (and there could be a rating for the stadium in consideration as to how it handles crowd noise...the Metrodome, for example, has a certain fame for its noise levels in the post-season) would have a very natural impact on player physiological reactions to various events. This seems an intrinsic part of our humanity and can often be a very determining force for what players go on to excellence and which otherwise talented players languish in mediocrity. Crowd noise could also contribute to botched plays....could lead to a pitcher 'not being settled down' also...even if the cheering is for his own team. Such crowd noise considerations would only be applicable for near capacity crowds, so stadium attendance would take on yet another depth of impact to the franchise. Another thing I just thought of is that a player might opt to go to another team in the following situation: the team is performing well, but due to low attendence (Expos), his popularity growth is restricted. Thus, not only in search of money but also fame, a player goes to another team. The Yankees seem to experience this phenomenon on quite a large scale: playing for the Yankees means more than just winning or money to a player....it also means instant fame! Thus, the famousness/popularity potential of a team could influence player decisions with regards to contracts..... A player could be 'ultra-loyal', yet, if disliked by the home crowd or otherwise unrecognized for his contributions, he might choose to take his loyalty somewhere that it can be appreciated. Thanks again, Kevin (by the way, ootp5 is my first ootp experience and I'm loving every minute of it! Fantastic job with the game!) walksincircles73@yahoo.com

03-19-2003, 02:44 AM	#17
hobbs166 Bat Boy Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: rockport,wv Posts: 1	if this is in the game i must be blind.it would be nice to have an option to turn off pbp and just play and get results of the batter and the next one up and so on.it would also neat to throw in union meetings that could affect the league and season.

03-27-2003, 04:23 PM	#19
DiversionX Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 148	Here's a suggestion for ya: The ability to import from other baseball sim games. I've been trying to export from Mogul and import to OOTP for a while now and I just can't quite get it right. Anyone out there have any success? __________________ For the owners, BY the owners - the BIG Baseball League http://www.big-baseball.com ******************************

04-02-2003, 02:31 AM	#20
BleacherBum All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 672	10. Option to disagree with computer draft selections Good idea posted earlier to turn this into a suggestion pop-up. Now if that's easy enough, why not put the top 2 or 3 suggestions in the box. I would expect my scout to give me a couple of choices if I asked his opinion. __________________ Right Field Sucks!