Whats good about OOTP

[Dagrims]

Originally Posted by Marc Duffy

I'm interested in hearing, in your own words - a couple of sentences that would tell me (or any other person that never had played the game) whats good about OOTP

It's allowed my father and me the opportunity to rekindle our love of baseball simulation career leagues, even while living 1,000 miles apart. I talk with him more often than usual since we each took two teams in a 16-team league, letting the computer run the others.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Hageneezz

A very important feature of the game for me is the way you can customize the game,make your own leagues etc...

This is the biggest thing for me as well — customization.

I like being able to completely indulge my imagination when it comes to creating a league. If I wanted to create a trans-Atlantic baseball league consisting of, say, ten teams in North America and ten in Europe, I could do that.

I also like being able to create historical leagues as well, using the real players from the past in either recreating past seasons or trying out hypothetical "what if" scenarios.

It's the lack of customization for creating fictional and historical leagues which keeps me away from EHM and FM. It's the same reason I stayed away from FOF. I just do not like being locked into only recreating the set-up of the current hockey/football (soccer)/football world. I still maintain that all the aforementioned games could pull in new fans if they were given fictional and/or historical capabilities not unlike what OOTP can do.

I'm sure there are plenty of hockey fans who would love to recreate some of the classic seasons from the NHL's past in some future version of EHM, for example ...

[canadiancreed]

It's the lack of customization for creating fictional and historical leagues which keeps me away from EHM and FM. I just do not like being locked into only recreating the set-up of the current hockey/football world. It's the same reason I stayed away from FOF. I still maintain that all the aforementioned games could pull in new fans if they were given fictional and/or historical capabilities not unlike what OOTP can do.

I'm sure there are plenty of hockey fans who would love to recreate some of the classic seasons from the NHL's pastin some future version of EHM, for example ...

Amen brother. Amen

[Legion of DOOM]

If compare OOTP to over SI games, it's good because:

For me #1 . In OOTP absent ugly 2d game engine which destroy all fun in FM.
I'm play in Championship Manager from version 92/93 and when SI begin develop 2d match engine the game almost make no improvements from year to year. SI only fix bugs and glitches of previous versions.

#2. User friendly GUI. I like all baseball stats is placed on one page. Compare to EAsports and SI products (You need open 10 pages to look an all players stats and records).

#3. Customization

#4. OOTP is simly the BEST!!!

[Marc Duffy]

Originally Posted by Legion of DOOM

If compare OOTP to over SI games, it's good because:

For me #1 . In OOTP absent ugly 2d game engine which destroy all fun in FM.
I'm play in Championship Manager from version 92/93 and when SI begin develop 2d match engine the game almost make no improvements from year to year. SI only fix bugs and glitches of previous versions.

#2. User friendly GUI. I like all baseball stats is placed on one page. Compare to EAsports and SI products (You need open 10 pages to look an all players stats and records).

#3. Customization

#4. OOTP is simly the BEST!!!

Well, apart from this not being an SI Vs FM Vs OOTP thread, you do actually talk rubbish in point 1. SI does not only fix bugs and glitches from previous versions, we also spend an amazing amount of time creating new features (mainly at the request of our community). Just look at the list for Worldwide Soccer Manager 2006 (Football Manager 2006).

Point 2 : In FM, you have one major page of the players profile for all his stats and records.

Apart from that, thanks for your input on points 3 and 4. Noted

[CHCfan]

Originally Posted by Marc Duffy

Well, apart from this not being an SI Vs FM Vs OOTP thread, you do actually talk rubbish in point 1. SI does not only fix bugs and glitches from previous versions, we also spend an amazing amount of time creating new features (mainly at the request of our community). Just look at the list for Worldwide Soccer Manager 2006 (Football Manager 2006).

Point 2 : In FM, you have one major page of the players profile for all his stats and records.

Apart from that, thanks for your input on points 3 and 4. Noted

lol "rubbish" sorry

Anyway, I like the feeling of being a "character" in my baseball world. I am the GM/Manager. I actually mention this because OOTP could do better in this regard, it's not necessarily what makes it great. I think the media interaction that SI might encourage will help this feature. And maybe a stricter sense of what your "character" does would help. For example, if I'm the GM, it's not my job to set lineups and organize promotions . . .

[Hotblack Desiato]

I will echo other comments and say the customisation. Being able to jump into any moment in MLB history (well, in the 20th century, at least), or creating a fictional league with practically any setup you like. The "universe" concept in v7 is very exciting to me, to have leagues within leagues.

[Jason]

If I had to describe OOTP to someone who knows nothing about the game, I would say the great thing about it is that it's not a graphics enhanced game where you have to actually hit the ball. The mental factor of this game and having to figure out the variables of running a franchise are the hallmarks that make this game stand head and shoulders above the rest.

The customization allows you to increase or decrease difficulty depending on your skill level or desire to face a challenge.

[sporr]

As has already been said, the best thing about OOTP is that it allows you to customize your league in nearly every aspect. You can edit players, schedules, teams, league rules, etc. This truly gives each user the opportunity to set up a league just as they want to.

[Jonzard]

Realism.

[Dargone]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

I love the way the game generates realistic stats that conform to baseball reality, while still allowing the player to create his (or her) own baseball universe in virtually every way - adding leagues, teams, logos, and photos, creating online leagues or letting the player simply sit back and let things unfold in "god mode," and recreating any era from baseball history.

My feelings exactly...

[BravesSince66]

Best: Allows for historical imports from the Lahman database so you can compare different teams and players from different eras. You can experience the Dead Ball Era or the Steriod Era - either way. You can pitch Warren Spahn against Babe Ruth - the 1927 Yankees against the 1998 Yankees (with a bit of import work). Tremendous value and flexibility for the historical baseball fan - as for those who prefer a fictional approach. Admittedly you won't get stats-based type results but most of the time the engine gives you "reasonable" results that feel completely realistic.

Worst: The in-game features. Actually managing an individual game is not very spectacular. Pitcher fatigue is not as sophisticated as it should be as far as managing an entire staff through the course of a season. Also, handling historical league expansion is a bit cumbersome.

Overall, OOTP is the best baseball sim value on the market today. Hopefully, you guys can make it even better!

Thanks for asking.

[kq76]

customizability - without it I probably wouldn't have even tried the game, honestly, the biggest thing I was looking for was the ability to create my own universe
online leagues - without them I probably would have gotten bored with the game and left, even with insane house rules solo isn't enough of a challenge and AI moves are too frustrating to accept
community - without it I probably would have gotten bored with online leagues and left, usually gaming communities don't survive long without new versions of the game, but I think this one could, at least for a good while, and I think that says a great deal
database - CommishJoe's Exporter is good, but I'd really really like a suped-up version that included absolutely everything the game has so we can do even more with utilities
personality - reading about players' specific distinctly human characteristics really brings the game to life, I just wish there was a lot more of it
development - I love following the progression of my players, especially the young ones, I just wish OOTP had the option of keeping a log of ratings development for each player so we could look back and see how the players progressed over his career ratings-wise and not just level and stat-wise
continuity - the ability to import leagues from previous versions is critically important for multiplayer leagues and a number of solo players (not really for myself), I'm certain there are countless people out there who just wouldn't get the latest and greatest version if they couldn't continue on with their existing leagues

[Vris]

Biggest things for me:

1)Fictional aspect. Being able to start with a fresh landscape however I want with all the options, and not being forced to use the major league setup is really big to me.

2)History. I love going back through the almanacs and picking out a year and reliving the pennant race or record watch. Teams in my league now have curses and famous faces and goats. Watching a team overcome the ghosts of before to finally win that elusive championship is just so much fun.

3)Customization. I can do whatever I want however I want. There is no limit to how I can set up my league.


There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to in OOTPBM. Being able to control multiple universes at once is going to be huge.

[Gastric ReFlux]

Yeah, fictional is huge.

[DAL 9000]

Originally Posted by Gastric ReFlux

Yeah, fictional is huge.

Ditto.

[Eugene Church]

OOTPB gives me the opportunity to create my own baseball world and get realistic results. It also gives me lots of options to create my own baseball world and lots of options to play out games. I can use real players or fictional players or a combination of the two.

It is a wonderful game.

I hope OOTPB 2006 will take the game to an even higher level.

I will be sorely disappointed, if it doesn't, since you will have had a year and a half to put it together. And have all of the resources and experience of SI to do it.

[Legion of DOOM]

Originally Posted by Marc Duffy

Well, apart from this not being an SI Vs FM Vs OOTP thread, you do actually talk rubbish in point 1. SI does not only fix bugs and glitches from previous versions, we also spend an amazing amount of time creating new features (mainly at the request of our community). Just look at the list for Worldwide Soccer Manager 2006 (Football Manager 2006).

Point 2 : In FM, you have one major page of the players profile for all his stats and records.

Apart from that, thanks for your input on points 3 and 4. Noted

No offence, Mark. IMHO, developer made a HUGE and GOOD work but in wrong direction. I know what community demand 2d or 3d gamed engine. And beetween "text sims" and "realistic 2d or 3d engine" i choose second. I see 2d engines, 3d engines but never realistic. FM become better from version t o version. No doubt FM and OOTP now the best sims in football and baseball. And I hope what OOTP and FM will go together to best sims not only on the market (in the time of exclusive licensing it is not very difficult) but regarding gamers expectation.

For point 2. I know about one page. But I need to switch beetwen stats(parameters). Overall/Contract/Training etc. Similar in OOTP. But baseball have a tone of stats and only 4 pages per one player, soccer have less stats and more pages. Sorry for my bad English, mayby i can't explain what I mean.

Look at fresh example. Official Football Manager Magazine, Issue 3 in November 2004.Article Future:OOTP. Last page huge screenshot "Major league baseball transaction". Look at picture. Player position, name and Nationality/Height/Weight/Bats/Throws whats all. And lots of free space. In "age" column can lodge the 6 or 7 digit number. why? Same in over. I'm not blind and i'm play not 320x240 desktop resolution. Use small fonts, place 15 not 5 stat on one page. Change GUI. What i mean in point 2.

[Dan Theman]

Out of the Park Baseball gives you the opportunity to grab a mouse & keyboard and relive every moment that you've ever had debating with friends over what trades your local team should or shouldn't make, whether a free agent was worth the big bucks, and to finally prove to yourself and anyone else in your league that you've got what it takes to be a big-shot in the baseball world.

[Big Six]

I think a quick summary of the ways in which I've enjoyed OOTP will say it all.

1. I've played a single major league season, serving as GM/manager of a single team in 2002 and making all personnel moves, as well as managing at least one game of every series.

2. I've used manager mode to recreate the career of a fictional manager in a fictional baseball universe, beginning in 1901.

3. I've inserted a fictional player into the "real" world of MLB, beginning in 1904. This is a career universe that I've currently been enjoying for two and a half years. I've since added two other fictional players and about 20 Negro Leaguers.

4. I'm the GM for teams in two online leagues using fictional players and teams, one which uses full financials, etc., and one that doesn't.

5. I've created my own completely fictional baseball universe with twelve teams, starting play in 1960.

OOTP has made it possible for me to enjoy computer baseball simulation in many ways. It's not the only game I play, either on the computer or on the tabletop, but it's the one I spend the most time with.