New to OOTP22 - Few Inquiries for Help

[maddux31!]

Hello,

I am brand new to OOTP. I was very active with the MVPMod Community for many years and then had to step away due to work, family, and life.

With the playoffs this year I was introduced to OOTP and decided to give it a try.


It is very refreshing to see such an active and vibrant community dedicated to baseball.

Since purchasing the game I have been trying to just get the hang of the layout and screens and I cannot say how impressive the depths that it goes to. It is truly a baseball lovers dream!

If someone would not mind helping me with just a couple of quick questions I would be very grateful as I have such limited time to dig for some of these it would help me out tremendously.

1. Being brand new to this game and format what would be the "must have" mods to enhance the game even more?

2. I have searched for a player portrait pack for the 2021 season but have only been able to find 2020 and earlier? Is there a player portrait pack for 2021?

3. There at least appears to be a pretty decent learning curve for modding the game and setting it up for the best experience. What are some of the "must do" tips and advice you could offer?


I am new and I do appreciate any help and support that you can offer to help get me off on the right path. I am very glad I decided to get OOTP after hearing about it for years. So far it has lived up to the hype and look forward to being a part of your community.

Thank you!
Maddux

[maddux31!]

If anyone could offer some guidance I would appreciate it. I do not mean to spam the boards or break any etiquette with my questions. If so, please advise so that I don't do so in the future.

Just looking for some tips and guidance to start off the game with.

Thank you for your time, it's appreciated!

[Bobfather]

Try here: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...lay.php?f=3693

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by maddux31!

If anyone could offer some guidance I would appreciate it. I do not mean to spam the boards or break any etiquette with my questions. If so, please advise so that I don't do so in the future.

Just looking for some tips and guidance to start off the game with.

Thank you for your time, it's appreciated!

Welcome aboard! Literally, in this case.

If you can just expand upon the way you see yourself playing the game (historical / fictional / playing out games / simming - that sort of thing, as well as some of your personal preferences) it will give us a better idea on how and where to guide you.

G

[Bobbyraz49]

Well... I play every game as GM and manager. I play one pitch mode and REALLY enjoy this game/sim. I love how realistic it feels. It took me 11 seasons to win the W.S. as the Brewers.
Yes... there is a steep learning curve. But worth every effort to figure things out.
I'd suggest starting with the just completed season and learn from there. I am currently in the 2033 season. MLB added 2 teams, one in each league. I never touch any game sliders. Any specific questions...PM me. I am no expert but would be willing to assist you.
Patience is the key here.
And as far as the forums go..... OUTSTANDING !!!!! So many great people helped me dive deeper into 21 and 22.
Best wishes....Bob

[maddux31!]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it!

I am looking to manage and GM for the Major League club and play with a franchise mindset with the current MLB season (2021). I hope that this helps to answer the questions posed.

My own personal preferences is to have the most realistic experience possible - preferred if possible current player portraits for 2021 and realistic gameplay and management.

Hat tip to BobbyRaz49, Luckymann, and Bobfather.

[The Game]

I suggest starting small as this game can be overwhelming for a bit if you immerse yourself into a giant league.


The best mods depend on how you intend to play the game. If you plan on playing current then a modern uniform pack, which includes historical jerseys and logos. The stadium sound pack is great for any way you want to play. The stadium ads are great at least for your home park.


My must have mods
1. Silvams historical logo/uniform

2. Silvams/Adions historical parks
3. Most jerseys from low.
4. Almost anything txranger makes
5. Stadium sounds
6. various custom jerseys and parks for my main teams
7. landdownst/ skunkle FG set
i am sure there are more.


i play a league that is a mix of fictional meets historical. i have historical MLB 1999 with 4 custom leagues.

[Rain King]

I would recommend playing the game as it is out of the box at first. Trying to figure out mods/custom settings is going to be difficult until you have a good feel for the game.

Try the MLB quickstart and some historical seasons if that interests you and then dig into the forums here that correspond with your favorite aspects of the once you've played for a little while.

[luckymann]

Game pretty much summed it up as far as the mods go.

And RainKing is right, take it slow. Muck about a bit for a while. Feel your way around the different game styles. Take notes. Ask questions. Soon enough you'll be all over it.

[MikeS369]

A couple of mods I highly recommend are the Ballcap Creator and the Jersey Creator. A must have if you like to create your own teams.

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=246811

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=247172

[Pelican]

Everybody comes to OOTP with a different gaming background. Mine includes Strat-o-Magic cards back in the Sixties, then APBA card game, into APBA computer game. OOTP allows me to replay some of the same seasons, but with way more realism and factors influencing performance. So I was eager to dive into some past seasons, and to compare the enhanced experience of being a GM and dealing with contracts and trades, as well as managing and working on strategy. Lately I even started a 1966 Season replay, because that was my first experience with card replay (at 14, mind you). I mention all this because while the rosters were familiar, the depth of the game made it an entirely new challenge.

[maddux31!]

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply and for offering your experience to help.

I will keep playing around and getting more familiar and comfortable with the game and go from there.

As a side - is there a portrait pack for the 2021 season? I have seen it for 2020. Enjoy your day and weekend!

Looking forward to being a part of the community!

[Bobbyraz49]

So which team did you pick to become GM/manager ?

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by maddux31!

1. Being brand new to this game and format what would be the "must have" mods to enhance the game even more?

Unlike a lot of computer games, there are no mods that change the way OOTP is played. So, for instance, you won't be able to mod the game so that it takes four strikes for a strikeout. At most, you can modify the league totals to cut down the number of strikeouts. Instead, OOTP's mods are more aimed at the "look and feel" of the game. And that means that the "must have" mods for one person aren't those for another. It all depends on how you want your game to look and feel.

If you want your game to play differently (say, for example, you want to boost home runs league-wide), then that's not something you'll get from a mod. Rather, you will want to look at changing your settings. If that's something you might be interested in, there are a bunch of threads dedicated to that topic. And, of course, there's a forum here for new players to ask questions about the game. You'll find this to be a very helpful and welcoming community.

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by Rain King

I would recommend playing the game as it is out of the box at first. Trying to figure out mods/custom settings is going to be difficult until you have a good feel for the game.

Try the MLB quickstart and some historical seasons if that interests you and then dig into the forums here that correspond with your favorite aspects of the once you've played for a little while.

I agree. There are a lot of things that look really complicated, but often the gamer can just let the AI take over for some of those decisions. You don't know how to set up pitching rotations or lineups? Let your coaches do it. You don't know if a trade offer is fair? Ask your GM. You don't know who to pick in the draft? Just press a button and get a recommendation. For the newcomer, it's sometimes best just to let the AI make those decisions while becoming familiar with the game's mechanics.

As an aside, I find that some of the most confusing parts of OOTP are actually incorporated directly from malor-league baseball's rules. Waivers, for instance, always trip me up, but that's not OOTP's fault. Those are MLB's rules.

[Eugene Church]

Rain King and luckyman gave you some good advice... so did Joe from Chicago.

I only play fictional leagues... the game may have improved on it, but years ago, I was disappointed in Tom Seaver, Joe DiMaggio and other great players under-performing... so I switched to fictional players, that I don't know... they can't disappoint me.

In the early years (10-15 years ago) I did not like the Minor League stats results, so I stopped using the Minors... I would just use an active roster and got my new players from the reserve roster... it may not be that way any longer... the minor-league stats may be realistic now.

So I know nothing about MLB.
I would keep my game small in number of leagues and teams to cover... you want to be able to learn your players and teams... that is the key to immersion for me.

I have one league with 64 teams with 8 eight-team divisions... I have played 71 seasons in 12 real years...that is way too many to keep track of and administer it... I love the league, but it has become just "labor"... it used to be a "labor of love"... I wish I had just stayed with 2 six-team divisions that I started with.

I sim the regular season and then play out each playoff game in the one-pitch mode.

To save time and a lot of work for me, I recently decided to let AI control everything... and I will just watch it play out and report it in a dynasty league on the OOTP Dynasty Forum.

I want to reach 100 seasons with my Islandian Pro Alliance and then retire it... I am 81... and I need to get busy and play the IPA more quickly so I can take that off my bucket list.

If you want to get really immersed in a league, create a dynasty league on the OOTP Dynasty Forum and cover it.

You can check out my large fictional league... it is the Islandian Pro Alliance on the OOTP Dynasty Forum.

I also have a small league... just 2 twelve-team divisions... I just play a short season... 12 games played on weekends... no playoffs... sort of a semi-pro league like they had in the 1940s and 50s... town-ball leagues... 15-man rosters... no minors... just a reserve roster of 10 players..

I really love this small league.. you can check it out on the Dynasty Forum... it is called the South Island League.

Should you choose to use fictional teams, go to the Mods Forum and download some really great logos, jerseys and caps there.

It really helps if you have a distinct stadium for each team in your leagues... graphics are 50% of the game enjoyment for me... it is really crucial to me... check out the OOTP Stadiums Forum.

For my fictional league teams, I just pick teams already created by the great graphics gurus like txranger, knuckler, low, Lawn Loaf, No Pepper cephasjames and many others... both of my leagues have some fine graphics... you can get some great graphics on the OOTP Mods Forum.

Get good graphics for your teams... if you play real MLB teams, there should be an abundance of really great logos, jerseys and caps... current and historical... be sure to use graphics... it is a great way to create a real ballpark atmosphere should you play out your games... there also create a good look if you just sim out your games.

I get the impression you are going to play the current MLB season.
Will you sim games or play them out?

Just go in and sim a quickstart season and watch it unfold... play out some games... I use the one-pitch mode... the pitch-by-pitch takes too much time for me... but, hey, you might like it.

The great thing about OOTP is you can play it your way... nothing is set in stone.

Just do what Rain King, luckyman and Joe from Chicago recommended.

Sorry for being so long-winded.

Hope this helps.



..

[PSUColonel]

If you need help with logos for any team contained within the game I can likely help you. I have them ALL. Basically the same goes for uniforms...I might be missing one or two here and there but those are usually one year travel type teams found in Indy ball...or a recently promoted or relegated European team I don't have everything for.

[maddux31!]

Thank you, everyone for the great insight and tips.

JoeFromChicago I should clarify - I am not wanting to mod the game to alter the game of baseball at all. The type of mods I was referring to were more graphical and for enhancement.

Meaning, is there a mod for real player portraits? Is there a graphics enhancement mod for the gameplay itself? Those types of things is more of what I mean and I should have clarified better.

Lastly, I play OOTP on my home Mac and another Mac through Steam. I did this since it was my understanding by purchasing the Steam version it would allow me to continue my saved game on either of the computers. This hasn't been the case so far.

Has anyone had any experience with this or know who to contact regarding this feature? I have asked in discussion boards for OOTP on Steam but it is fairly dead there.

Worse case, could someone give me the saved game file name and location and I guess I could always copy the saved game and email it to myself? Not ideal, but would make it work if need be.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I am very glad to be a part of this great community. Albeit, I do not have the time I would like to be posting and reading I will do my best when able.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones!

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by maddux31!

Thank you, everyone for the great insight and tips.

JoeFromChicago I should clarify - I am not wanting to mod the game to alter the game of baseball at all. The type of mods I was referring to were more graphical and for enhancement.

Meaning, is there a mod for real player portraits? Is there a graphics enhancement mod for the gameplay itself? Those types of things is more of what I mean and I should have clarified better.

I might be the worst person to ask that question I don't put a lot of effort into changing the look and feel of the game. I play mostly single-season historical replays these days, so if Christy Mathewson is wearing a SF Giants uniform and has a ZZ Top beard I really don't care as long as his stats are accurate. I'm pretty sure there are portrait packs for most recent seasons - you should check here. Likewise, there are lots of packs of uniforms, logos, and stadiums. You can look through the mods forum for examples.

Originally Posted by maddux31!

Lastly, I play OOTP on my home Mac and another Mac through Steam. I did this since it was my understanding by purchasing the Steam version it would allow me to continue my saved game on either of the computers. This hasn't been the case so far.

Has anyone had any experience with this or know who to contact regarding this feature? I have asked in discussion boards for OOTP on Steam but it is fairly dead there.

Yeah, I'd recommend sticking with the forums here rather than the forums on Steam. There are members here who also spend time on Steam, but this community was already well-established when Steam came along, so this is where all the action is

As for your specific concerns, again I'm not the person to ask. I don't play OOTP on Steam, so I'm not sure whether saved games can be accessed through multiple computers.

[Matt Arnold]

Steam Cloud Saves are not supported. If you wanted to play the game on both computers, you would have to manually transfer it between the two (or set it up to save on dropbox or something like that that you could sync between the two).