First OOTP 9 Screenshots!!

[Ambermonk]

Markus, can you give us the status on the new OOTP manual? Thanks.

[jarmenia]

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

I don't think Markus expected so many people to respond negatively, but I, too, think it's an odd change. I mean, when I look at top prospects, I don't want to know who was the best at the start of the year, I want to know who is the best now. I mean, I can see why some would rather have information like that restricted, but I don't really like it. It's as if actual ratings were to be hidden in all cases - sure, it make it more realistic, but it's a lot less fun for some people.

But since the scouts won't update their ratings as often, the list wouldn't change as often anyway.

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by jarmenia

But since the scouts won't update their ratings as often, the list wouldn't change as often anyway.

There's the option to play with scouts off - I always use that option, I dislike the scouting system. My understanding is that currently, with ratings off, let's say the top prospect suddenly goes bust, he immediately gets removed from the top prospects list. And, I'd like to still be able to see it that way, to see who the top prospects are at any given time. I like to see, when I have a player who gets huge talent boosts, where he now ranks. I like to see recent draftees being incorporated in the list right after the draft. The list is dynamic when you play without scouts - I don't know how it is with them enabled, though.

[CalvinHobbes]

The way Baseball America does it is they post a top 100 prospects list and then each week give a who's hot, who's not update. Something like that would be awesome.

[conception]

Originally Posted by bababui

Looks nice but I like the Top 100 list to reflect the best prospects at the moment. Doing it once a year takes a little fun out of the game and will greatly reduce people using the feature.

I really disagree. This is so much more realistic and while it makes the list a little less easy to use to find the best young players at a given time, the fact that it doesn't change constantly makes it much more interesting, realistic, and cool. Props to Markus on this because I have been promoting these changes and hoping they were included.

I think its going to be a lot of fun at midseason to look at a top prospects list from the start of the year and keep track of the guys who are panning out and the ones who have busted. The current top prospects list just doesn't contain that same amount of fun.

[conception]

Originally Posted by CalvinHobbes

The way Baseball America does it is they post a top 100 prospects list and then each week give a who's hot, who's not update. Something like that would be awesome.

That does sound neat, although it is somewhat redundant with player of the week.

[tripli00]

Like the look of the changes - simpler scouting to set up (I like due to being too micro management lazy) and the top 100 is so much more realistic. Can you imagine trading for one of the top ten and finding he had slipped by 20 odd places?

Like Being a real GM!!

[Who Killed Kenny?]

Originally Posted by tripli00

Like the look of the changes - simpler scouting to set up (I like due to being too micro management lazy) and the top 100 is so much more realistic. Can you imagine trading for one of the top ten and finding he had slipped by 20 odd places?

Like Being a real GM!!

Of course if you better had scouted that player before trading for him. I applaud these changes as well. Although its nice to know where your prospects stand at any time, I think it should be done by one of your own scouts not BA.

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by endgame

Are we having the "is the game getting dumbed down" conversation again?

Just asking some questions if that's okay.

[kq76]

Yikes! The interface actually looks like a huge step backward. Maybe it isn't, but it sure seems that way at first impression. It looks like it's from the 20th century.

I do love seeing the scouting reports and especially that they're kept over the years. Awesome!

The new scouting system I don't know about yet, but at least it's different. It could be great.

I'm not a fan of the skin. Pink, for real? Aurelious must have been watching too much Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or something.

Still, it's good to see the screenies so thanks.

EDIT: What's most conspicuously missing is no mention of any change in the pitching model.

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by kq76

Yikes! The interface actually looks like a huge step backward. Maybe it isn't, but it sure seems that way at first impression. It looks like it's from the 20th century.

I do love seeing the scouting reports and especially that they're kept over the years. Awesome!

The new scouting system I don't know about yet, but at least it's different. It could be great.

I'm not a fan of the skin. Pink, for real? Aurelious must have been watching too much Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or something.

Still, it's good to see the screenies so thanks.

EDIT: What's most conspicuously missing is no mention of any change in the pitching model.

These are my initial impressions as well...I hope with the classic skin it will look like it does in version 8. I think it does look like a step backwards. I too have some reservations about scouting, but we'll see I guess. Just from the shots, it almost looks like Markus is trying to go for the look and feel of the older OOTP versions, rather than maintain what I considered to be a very sleek and slick looking interface. Plus I hope everything is still hyperlinked.

[Qrusher14242]

yeah i hope we can still have the OOTP blue skin, much better on the eyes. There seems to be a lot more white in this skin than before.

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by kq76

EDIT: What's most conspicuously missing is no mention of any change in the pitching model.

While this would be a huge factor for me, as I think the pitching model is the greatest weakness in the current version, I don't remember Markus mentioning anything about any changes in that department.

From Markus' list of updates, and these screenshots, this looks more like an update than a new version, in my opinion.

[Cooleyvol]

I hope the green/wood skin is included. The new skin does nothing for me.

[Long_Long_Name]

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

I hope the green/wood skin is included. The new skin does nothing for me.

I, too, hope that the old ones are available as well. I can't stand the green/wood one, so I imagine how annoying it could be for someone who doesn't like the new skin to be stuck with it.

[Raidergoo]

Originally Posted by Qrusher14242

yeah i hope we can still have the OOTP blue skin, much better on the eyes. There seems to be a lot more white in this skin than before.

I am using the blue skin for OOTP 9 testing.

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

I hope the green/wood skin is included. The new skin does nothing for me.

I will answer that in 4 to 6 hours.

[kq76]

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

While this would be a huge factor for me, as I think the pitching model is the greatest weakness in the current version, I don't remember Markus mentioning anything about any changes in that department.

From Markus' list of updates, and these screenshots, this looks more like an update than a new version, in my opinion.

I don't remember where exactly, but I remember Markus at least seemed to hint that he'd try to revamp the pitching model. Whether there's enough time to really get it right for release is a whole different matter, but if he wants a big selling point I'd say that'd be one for sure.

Well, I'd also love to see the financial system revamped, but I think there's more hope for the pitching model seeing as how more people seem interested in it.

However, for the sake of the many who bring them up, I guess I'd rather see work be done on fixing as many bugs as possible. It's hard to sell bug fixes though.

EDIT: Note that with the newer versions I've spent the vast majority of my time with the game just playing with the uniforms and logos so that's why I say "I guess" to the above about the bug fixes.

[zekester91]

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

I will answer that in 4 to 6 hours.

It takes 4 to 6 hours to change skins??? Maybe this is a step backwards.

[conception]

Originally Posted by kq76

Yikes! The interface actually looks like a huge step backward. Maybe it isn't, but it sure seems that way at first impression. It looks like it's from the 20th century.

I do love seeing the scouting reports and especially that they're kept over the years. Awesome!

The new scouting system I don't know about yet, but at least it's different. It could be great.

I'm not a fan of the skin. Pink, for real? Aurelious must have been watching too much Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or something.

Still, it's good to see the screenies so thanks.

EDIT: What's most conspicuously missing is no mention of any change in the pitching model.

I don't mind the new skin, it seems quite nice to me. It does seem a little more sterile, like a good webpage, than actually like a game, but I kind of like that. The current skins are so "nice" that sometimes they are distracting from the information I actually want to see. I guess I like a more minimalist approach but I can understand why people thing differently. That's why I hope we have options.

Another thing that I like is, from what I can tell, team colors are used in the text and such. I like that, anything that makes a team page seem unique is good.

[Sweed]

White backgrounds on player cards look ok in the screen shots. My guess is they look better in game then the screen shots show. FM 2008 also went with white backgrounds on their player cards this year and the screen shots, like these, were just ok but when seen in game they looked much better. With that in mind I like the new look.

Scouting..
Love having the text reports back. Am curious as to how it will all work though. PSUColonel had some good questions about the timing of the reports ie are they always up to date, are we now back to only one scout (the director)?

If we only have the scouting director how will that work when importing from v2007\8? Will the game only import your head scout and leave all other personnel behind? Or will all scouts import with those that were not head scouts becoming free agents on the market?

Top 100. Put me on the list that likes the change to make it static. Just my opinion and wouldn't be against having the option to do it both ways.

Will of course be pre-ordering.