What Do I Need To Know?

[BlueToo]

Hi!

This game looks interesting. One question for now...

How much should I know about baseball before getting a game like this?

Thanks!

[sporr]

You probably only have to know the basics. Like anything, the basics are good enough to get involved, you'll learn a lot more as you play and have more detailed questions.

[Deitrus]

Originally Posted by BlueToo

Hi!

This game looks interesting. One question for now...

How much should I know about baseball before getting a game like this?

Thanks!

Let me tell you something. I am a first time OOTP owner and this game has changed my perception on baseball. Although I was a baseball fan when I was younger, I disliked baseball when I was older. I still knew what baseball was all about but I never follwed up on rules, stats, ect. I can tell you that since I have owned this sim (I bought OOTP6 about 4 months ago), I have begun to watch baseball, went to games, and I have learned a whole lot. This sim is awesome. It may even teach you a few things. I for one need better training in managing a team because right now in my league I am 13-55.

[Twelvefield]

You may want to get a copy of OOTPB 5 before buying this game, if you are a total rookie. Why? OOTPB 5 has a finished manual, OOTPB 6 has a manual that is still in pre-existance. 5's manual may not snwer all of your version 6 questions, but it might help you get a handle on the game.

[KurtBevacqua]

Originally Posted by Twelvefield

You may want to get a copy of OOTPB 5 before buying this game, if you are a total rookie. Why? OOTPB 5 has a finished manual, OOTPB 6 has a manual that is still in pre-existance. 5's manual may not snwer all of your version 6 questions, but it might help you get a handle on the game.

Try this link and it can send you to a place to download the manual for free

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ad.php?t=14205

[Dan Theman]

Well, I wouldn't buy OOTP5 just for the manual, but you can always download the manual on its own. Much of what was in 5 is also in 6 in one form or another.

What I'd know before starting to play:

*The basics of the game of baseball. Balls, strikes, hits, outs - the nuts and bolts, so to speak.
*What makes a good player and what doesn't. Power, speed, defense, pitching control, velocity & movement, etc..
*A general feel for roles on a team - pitchers who start games, pitchers who come in later. What a pinch hitter, pinch runner, and designated hitter are used for.
*An understanding of why there are minor leagues and a rough idea of how to use them (as training grounds)

I think everything else is gravy, and can be turned on or off to make the game more or less complex.

[BlueToo]

Originally Posted by Dan Theman

What I'd know before starting to play:

*The basics of the game of baseball. Balls, strikes, hits, outs - the nuts and bolts, so to speak.
*What makes a good player and what doesn't. Power, speed, defense, pitching control, velocity & movement, etc..
*A general feel for roles on a team - pitchers who start games, pitchers who come in later. What a pinch hitter, pinch runner, and designated hitter are used for.
*An understanding of why there are minor leagues and a rough idea of how to use them (as training grounds)

I think I know the VERY basics, but not alot about the details. Any recommendation on how to learn more about everything you mentioned?

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by BlueToo

I think I know the VERY basics, but not alot about the details. Any recommendation on how to learn more about everything you mentioned?

It takes a while to get good at it.... after screwing myself over in Toronto (an being fired) I went on to a successful career with the Giants.

You probably will have a couple of losing seasons, especially if you pick a harder team to play.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by BlueToo

I think I know the VERY basics, but not alot about the details. Any recommendation on how to learn more about everything you mentioned?

Actually, this game could help you learn. You could check out books on baseball, but the game is a hands-on way to learn.

It wouldn't hurt to start watching some games on TV (or in person). You'll pick things up as you go.

[Dan Theman]

Originally Posted by BlueToo

I think I know the VERY basics, but not alot about the details. Any recommendation on how to learn more about everything you mentioned?

Well, it depends how much time/money/effort you'd like to put into it. Nearly anyone here would be more than happy to help - including myself - but reading about isn't quite the same as experiencing it for yourself. A few options (among many) are:

1) If you have a spare $20 (after buying this game, of course ), one option you may have would be to purchase another game called "Backyard Baseball 2005" by Humongous Entertainment ('04 and '03 may both still be available for an even cheaper price). Yes, this is a game geared more towards kids, but I'd be the first to admit the guilty pleasure of playing the game (I wait until my son is asleep so that there aren't any witnesses). It's very fun, and the 2005 version has an excellent baseball tutorial. It mimics baseball basics with enough "realism" and teaches you different team strategies as it goes. You'll get into the swing of things in very little time and have fun while doing it. I highly recommend this game.

2) You can look over various websites ranging from MLB.com to Baseball Almanac, and even this forum and you can gleam quite a bit of knowledge that way. The benefit to this is that you don't have to lie to a clerk by saying that you're buying a kid's game for someone other than yourself, and you'll also get much more sophisticated knowlege. The drawback is that it's not very cohesive, and you'll be more likely to stumble upon debates more than anything concrete.

3) The "ask and you shall receive" method is a tried and true model. Ask us questions about what you don't know and would like to learn, and don't ask about things that you aren't concerned about. This way you can pace your own learning of the game, although as I mentioned earlier, this doesn't quite give you the same appreciation as some kind of active learning might.

4) Seeing as you're relatively new to the game and may come from a place where it's not very popular, this option may not work out very well, but ... you can always join a game with some of your friends. It's probably best if you're all around the same skill level, but it can be fun no matter what. As you play, you'll find things you wish you were better at, things which you're already good at, and you'll be able to figure out exactly what makes a good team and what doesn't. It won't teach you time-honored traditions and strategies, but it will give you a great feel for how you might run a team.

A tiny little bit of overall advice/info is that because there's so much variation in baseball and what styles teams use, you'll likely be able to play this game and find at least some measure of success because you'll wind up growing into your own style (and changing it as you go).

I hope we've all been of some help, here. Let us know if you have any questions.

[Twelvefield]

"The Idiot's Guide to Baseball" is another bargain-bin book with an unfortunate title. It was written (very well!) by Johnny Bench. This is a good reference.

A really good way to learn about baseball in general is to play OOTPB. You will definitely screw a lot of things up, but you will also learn a lot, too. Chances are, you will learn a lot of positives about baseball before you "hit the wall" with the limitations of the game engine. OOTPB does have its flaws, but I can't think of another computer game that has so much real baseball in it. The only other problem with OOTPB is that if you find that you really don't like it at all, I have no idea how you would get your money back. Of course, I've never had this problem -- I've had OOTPB on my hard drive for quite a few years now.

[UngratefulDead]

Originally Posted by Dan Theman

If you have a spare $20 (after buying this game, of course ), one option you may have would be to purchase another game called "Backyard Baseball 2005" by Humongous Entertainment ('04 and '03 may both still be available for an even cheaper price). Yes, this is a game geared more towards kids, but I'd be the first to admit the guilty pleasure of playing the game (I wait until my son is asleep so that there aren't any witnesses). It's very fun, and the 2005 version has an excellent baseball tutorial. It mimics baseball basics with enough "realism" and teaches you different team strategies as it goes. You'll get into the swing of things in very little time and have fun while doing it. I highly recommend this game.

Heh.. I love that game..

[Ford Prefect]

I had Backyard 03 i guess, i loved the Big Unit in there with his "Next" comment after Strike 3

I also think the Johnny Bench Book is real good and even better if you are a Reds Fan (go Reds). After that i recommend Tim McCarver's Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans it is a Book for Advanced Fans you need some understanding of the Game but it shows a new way to watch a Game.

[Long_Long_Name]

I think that once you handle the basics (how the game is played), the biggest challenge may be to decide who you want to put on your team. Are doubles important? How do I know if a pitcher is good or not? Evaluating players (and the understanding of statistics and their respective importance) is probably the next step. Glossaries can probably help you with that, and so will books, but careful not to start with sabermetrics, which are in-depth analysis of baseball statistics, because they are very abstract and are more meaningful if you have understood the basics first.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I had Backyard 03 i guess, i loved the Big Unit in there with his "Next" comment after Strike 3

I also think the Johnny Bench Book is real good and even better if you are a Reds Fan (go Reds). After that i recommend Tim McCarver's Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans it is a Book for Advanced Fans you need some understanding of the Game but it shows a new way to watch a Game.

Tim McCarver can write? Holy crap, he can't even manage a competent broadcast and he wrote a book?! Ya know, I really don't think I want to watch baseball in the same way McCarver watches it.

[ctorg]

The more you know about baseball, the more you can do with this game. If you know very little, there's only so much you can do. But you can actually use the game as a tool for getting to know the sport better, as I did with Earl Weaver Baseball and Strat-O-Matic many years back. Many of the options will seem baffling at first, but in time you'll understand them.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by JDOldSchool

Tim McCarver can write? Holy crap, he can't even manage a competent broadcast and he wrote a book?! Ya know, I really don't think I want to watch baseball in the same way McCarver watches it.

LOL you dont have to thats why so many books out there read you like.

[jnshmoo]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

LOL you dont have to thats why so many books out there read you like.

What?

[phenom]

<--- madly searches for his Jibberish-English dictionary to decipher FP's post

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by phenom

<--- madly searches for his Jibberish-English dictionary to decipher FP's post

I think that may have been his impression of Tim McCarver trying to explain something... Or maybe that's how McCarver's book reads.