Suggestions: Game Engine / Player Modeling and Development

[battists]

This suggestion thread is designed to collect suggestions for the next version of OOTP, on the following topic:

Game Engine / Player Modeling and Development

Includes
- Suggestions related to the game engine, including the pitching model, how the game simulates the real world, the rating system, player development etc.

Excludes
- Non-game engine stuff

Instructions
We will use this thread to collect suggestions on the above topic. Later on, we hope to present this information back to the community in a way that would allow you to vote and prioritize certain features.

If you would like to participate, here are the rules!

1. Only 1 suggestion per post.
2. Suggestions must be on-topic for the thread.
3. Constructive, non-inflammatory suggestions only.
4. No comments on others' suggestions are necessary. That means, we don't need 15 posts in the thread saying "Great idea!" or "I agree!"
5. Please don't link to other forum threads as your way of making suggestions. ("My suggestion can be found HERE.") If it's important enough to you that you want it in this thread, then it should be important enough to put it in the format I've asked for here!
6. You can certainly post suggestions that conflict with or build upon earlier suggestions.
7. Mockups are welcomed, they really help Markus see what you're interested in accomplishing.

Format for Suggestions

Suggestion
What is your suggestion? Be as specific as possible; include the screen you're talking about, if applicable.

Reason
Why do you think this is important? If this is to correct what you perceive as a problem in OOTP 2007, what is that problem? Be as specific as possible.

Priority
In your opinion, how important is this suggestion?
High (MUST have), Medium (should have), Low (nice to have))


Handy Cut-and-Paste Suggestion Form:

Suggestion


Reason


Priority


Thanks for participating!

Steve

[JerryArr]

Suggestion
Players with high stealing ability ratings should have higher SB%'s

Reason
Too many good base stealers seem to be under the 75% "benchmark".

Priority
Medium High

[JerryArr]

Suggestion
The return of Interrupt Sim for Feat X (No hitter, Career HR #500, chance for HR #4 in a game, etc)

Reason
It was fun in 6.5, and would be interesting for online sims and historical players alike. Can also have an option for just team games.

Priority
High

[Muzamba]

Originally Posted by JerryArr

Suggestion
The return of Interrupt Sim for Feat X (No hitter, Career HR #500, chance for HR #4 in a game, etc)

Reason
It was fun in 6.5, and would be interesting for online sims and historical players alike. Can also have an option for just team games.

Priority
High

Some possible triggers:

• Pitcher is about to throw a no-hitter/perfect game (within 3 outs)
• Player is about to tie/set a major single-game record (next AB)
• Player is about to tie/set a major single-season record (next AB)
• Player is about to tie/set a major career record (next AB)
• Player is about to reach a Hall of Fame qualifying milestone (next AB)
• Team is about to clinch a playoff berth (within 3 outs)
• Team is about to clinch a playoff series win (within 3 outs)
• Team is about to tie/set a major single-season record (within 3 outs or next AB)

I'd also like to see an option to just go ahead and show me when one of these events happens. In other words, send me a message saying "Jay Smith just sat the MLB record for HRs in a single season. View Play-By-Play? Yes/No"

=============
I added this set of possible triggers with JerryArr's suggestion to make one big one.
-raidergoo

[jmolony3]

<hr style="color: rgb(59, 75, 127);" size="1"> <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> Suggestion
Allow the major league club to direct the development of minor league talent. ie if a player is a SS but the major league club has that filled. Then push the minor league club to use the player in other positions that might be needed, like 3b or 2b. this would be a check box and allow up to 3 alternate positions to be trained. this could be used to convert a started to reliever or the reverse. This could be limited by initiating a designation of ML prospect.
this is something beyond the 40 man rosters where you believe the player may make it to the major leagues. maybe 40 players per team but only players with minor league contracts would be eligible.

I posted this in AI but i realized it really belongs here instead.

Reason
This can be done manually but with 6 minor league teams it is tedious to try and accomplish. i also believe that the Major league teams have this influence today to direct their prospects development.

Priority
Low but it would be nice.

[injury log]

Suggestion

Re jmolony's suggestion above, I think it would be enough if, in addition to the 'set position' feature, there was a 'force position' feature for each player, which, if set, would force the AI to use the player in the designated role when possible.

Reason

It's difficult, when leaving minor or major league depth charts/rotations under AI control, to force a player to be used in a desired role. Indeed the only way to do so is to manually edit all depth charts.

Priority

Medium.

[bobm64]

Suggestion

Allow the DH to play the field and that team lose the DH for the entire game, forcing the pitcher to hit in the lineup

Reason

To be in-line with current Baseball rules

Priority

High - So that the game is rule compliant with the DH rule.

Thanks

[cnield]

Suggestion
Fix the developmental model so that young SP with great MLB stats don't have sudden and very severe drops in potential. I've seen this happen many times.

Reason
It makes no sense.

Priority
High

[CBL-Commish]

Suggestion

Change how triples and inside the park homers are modeled to incorporate field dimensions, and tweak triples so that speed and gap power adequately reflect real life.

Reason

Triples and ITPHRs are highly dependent on dimensions. Currently ITPHRs are modeled according to modern major league baseball - they're exceptionally rare, and usually involve someone falling down or getting injured. In earlier eras, and in parks with dimensions greater than are common today, ITPHRs were a significant percentage of total homers, sometimes a majority.

Triples are also greatly effected by fence distance. While the triple park factor works fairly well, it seems that fast line drive hitters in huge parks still rarely approach 20 triples a season.

If you design a park in OOTP that is 525 feet all around with a 1.000 HR factor you'll get a lot of 550 ft homers, and about two ITPHRs a season. This is obviously 180 degrees out from what would actually happen - many ITPHRs, and maybe one or two 530 ft homers a year.

Priority

High. ITPHRs are not even close to being historically correct as the game is currently designed, and the effect of very large parks in modern conditions is also essentially broken.

[Mattymo]

Related to CBL-Commish's post above...

Suggestion
Get rid of "park factors" alltogether and base them on dimensions, maybe "elevation" and weather in that city.

Reason
Because that's how it is in real life. You don't build a stadium that has a "1.05 HR factor for lefty's" you just build a stadium with certain dimensions. And things like foul territory directly affect batting average's, etc.

Priority
Medium...I've always found this to be a problem in OOTP. I enjoy "building" funky stadiums, but it doesn't quite work when you have to change the factors too.

[Raidergoo]

Suggestion
Functional developmental Arizona Fall leagues

Reason
Because what OOTP 2006 did with these is useless. Let's get this into working order to model baseball more accurately

Priority
HIGH

[Who Killed Kenny?]

Suggestion
Give some young players abilities in both pitching and hitting. Many High School and College players often pitch and play the field. Someone like Rick Ankiel and Brook Kieschnick and the great Babe Ruth should have ability to do both even at a higher level. I think the game should create these players and play them both ways. Perhaps in the minors they start pitching or playing the field exclusively and their ratings in the other category go down, but I think some ability for many players is warrented.

Reason
To closely mirror real life. This is frustrating in the feeder leagues when players get injured and there is not enough pitchers. An infielder should have some ability and not throw 70mph fastballs and bean 5 batters and throw 6 wild pitchers. It doesnt seem realistic.

Priority
High

[injury log]

Agree with the above comment, and want to add:

Suggestion

Create some fictional players who are able to play both the infield and the outfield reasonably competently, and some catchers who have at least a chance of playing a reasonable third base, etc. There are a small number now who could be bad but not awful, but none who could be good at two positions (OF/IF, C/IF, or C/OF).

Reason

Because some real life players can do it (Brandon Inge, Ryan Freel, Biggio, Surhoff). I like most aspects of fictional player creation and development (at least as far as results are concerned), but fielding isn't right.

Priority

High.

[battists]

Suggestion
Implement a screen that charts a player's changes in ratings and potential over time.

(A little bit tricky, when you factor in scouts - which scouts' ratings do you use? If you have thoughts on this, PM me, and I'll flesh this out.)

Getch did a ratings tracker of some kind, I believe.

Reason
Far too difficult to track player development and drops/boosts in talent right now.

Priority

Medium

[Stu]

Originally Posted by battists

Suggestion
Implement a screen that charts a player's changes in ratings and potential over time.

(A little bit tricky, when you factor in scouts - which scouts' ratings do you use? If you have thoughts on this, PM me, and I'll flesh this out.)

Getch did a ratings tracker of some kind, I believe.

Reason
Far too difficult to track player development and drops/boosts in talent right now.

Priority

Medium

If ctorg's idea for a "Scouting Director" is implemented (which I LOVE, in case you didn't know ), you wouldn't need to worry about which scout you were looking at.

It seems like this screen could just be a simple line graph. I also think past scouting reports should be saved as well (see my suggestion in the Scouting thread) that show the raw numbers as well.

[kroney37]

Suggestion
Having pitch selection/velocity linked with other parts of the game, i.e. having knuckleballers have typically lower control and be easier to steal off of, having typically higher endurance

Reason
Having players like the Niekro brothers as a double-edged sword - easy to steal of of and with more wild pitches/passed balls, but having higher endurance

Priority
Low (Unless you're a knuckleball fan like me)

[kroney37]

Suggestion
Fix the 'avoid K' import problem - when importing (at least from Lahman) too many players have an avoid K rating of 20/20.

Reason
Realism - it is an obvious mistake in the importing process.

Priority
Medium-Low

[kroney37]

Suggestion
Track pickoffs - for pitchers, possibly for catchers.

Reason
Realism.

Priority
Low.

[Mattingly06]

Suggestion
Keep players in the minors longer and make them earn a callup

Reason
Realism. The current engine in OOTP 2007 doesn't replicate minor league numbers very well. I've had a number of players that had subpar minor league stats go on to have successful major league careers. In real life he would earn his callup and perform well in the minors first. I think the solution might be simple- keep them in the minors for a longer period of time.

Priority
Medium

[battists]

Suggestion
Add back mail notifications when a player in the minor leagues has obtained a rating at a new position.

This could be an XML message. With conditions, we could write a bunch of different options based on the rating. So, if they're a 20 out of 20, we could write something like,

"Hey boss, just wanted to let you know that Marquis Holdstrum has been a revelation at 2B at AA Winnepesauke. He's scooping up everything that gets thrown at him. We never expected him to be this fluid, but he could be a fixture at this spot if we need him to be."

Or whatever.

Reason
When you're trying to train a player at a new position in the minor leagues, it's helpful to know when the player is finally making some progress. Much easier than constantly checking every player, and the more minor leagues you have, the worse this is.

Priority
Low