Newbie Over here. Please Help me out.

[James2]

I have always been interested in OOTP but never played it before. I downloaded the trial today and I am overwhelmed to say the least. I have no idea whats going on half the time while I'm attempting to run a team. any suggestions for a new guy? Thanks.

[RchW]

Give more info. Are you knowledgeable about baseball or not. That will determine what you need to be told.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by James2

I have always been interested in OOTP but never played it before. I downloaded the trial today and I am overwhelmed to say the least. I have no idea whats going on half the time while I'm attempting to run a team. any suggestions for a new guy? Thanks.

I'll let Rich answer the specifics. I'll just point you in two directions:

Out of the Park Baseball: Videos & Tutorials

Out of the Park Baseball Manual

[buffalo_pete]

Fellow n00b here. Read the manual that Deja Bru linked. Read it front to back, with the game open, following along and clicking into the screens you're reading about.

I realize that "RTFM" is a kinda dick answer, but this game is so vast. I'm fairly knowledgeable about baseball but new to OOTP, and I had a heck of a time getting into it. I scrapped my first five or six attempts, and you should expect to do the same.

Another good tip is that for pretty much any action you can take in the game, you can also let the manager or coaches do it for you. Use this as a learning tool; let the manager set you up and then look at what it did and try to figure out why it did it like that.

I'm still pretty green (although I hope to be able to keep my latest save, that'd be a good step) but the more I figure it out the more I like it. I just went straight in and bought the full version, and even though I don't know what I'm doing half the time I still really like it and feel like it was money well spent. Good luck!

[James2]

Originally Posted by RchW

Give more info. Are you knowledgeable about baseball or not. That will determine what you need to be told.

I'm a diehard fan and played the game my entire life. I think its just the interface that is confusing me for the most part as i am trying to get more familiar with it. I'm only really used to console baseball games and this is a step up from that.

As for questions I wanted to do a small test run league so i created a historical one and when I went to delete it a message popped up saying that I couldn't because it was my only league. Furthermore I'm only really into the GM aspects when it comes to managing a team so what would be some good settings to start up with? I appreciate the willingness to help me thanks

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I'll let Rich answer the specifics. I'll just point you in two directions:

Out of the Park Baseball: Videos & Tutorials

Out of the Park Baseball Manual

Originally Posted by buffalo_pete

I realize that "RTFM" is a kinda dick answer, but this game is so vast.

Originally Posted by James2

I'm a diehard fan and played the game my entire life. I think its just the interface that is confusing me for the most part as i am trying to get more familiar with it. I'm only really used to console baseball games and this is a step up from that.

As for questions I wanted to do a small test run league so i created a historical one and when I went to delete it a message popped up saying that I couldn't because it was my only league. Furthermore I'm only really into the GM aspects when it comes to managing a team so what would be some good settings to start up with? I appreciate the willingness to help me thanks

Maybe I'm cranky tonight, but if you think you are going to get more familiar with this game by asking random questions instead of taking the time to use such valuable tools as viewing those videos and at least skimming the manual, you got a long row to hoe. At the risk of being a "dickhead," to paraphrase buffalo_pete (who I realize was actually supporting my suggestion), you really should start there and THEN come back with questions. I wasn't trying to give just a pat answer.

Ok, that said:

1. No, you cannot delete the only game that you have started. If you don't like that one, start another one and then go back to that screen and delete the first one.
2. Here's another seemingly pat answer. Your best bet would be to set the controls so that your AI manager does everything. Sim day to day and observe what goes on. Then, gradually, take over the controls starting with the ones you feel more comfortable with; on the field or in the front office.

By all means, come back with questions. The other guys are not as cranky as me, and I'm usually mellow. Just don't look for shortcuts, because there aren't any.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by James2

I'm a diehard fan and played the game my entire life. I think its just the interface that is confusing me for the most part as i am trying to get more familiar with it. I'm only really used to console baseball games and this is a step up from that.

OOTP definitely has a learning curve, there's a lot of depth and complexity to it. If you can manage to hang in there you'll start picking things up. I'd suggest keeping things really simple in your first few leagues.

If you're running into a particular problem, try to be specific about what you did, what happened, and what you had wanted to do. It helps in trying to point you back into the right direction.

[James2]

Thanks for all the help guys I appreciate it.

[The Wolf]

Once you get it figured out OOTP is the only game in town.

[GiantYankee]

Start with a small league, maybe 8 teams and no minors until you get the hang of it.

[Le Grande Orange]

One thing James2's post says to me is that OOTP could still be doing more to make the game easier for newcomers to pick up and start playing.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

One thing James2's post says to me is that OOTP could still be doing more to make the game easier for newcomers to pick up and start playing.

Yeah, and I should not have been so cranky.

[James2]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Yeah, and I should not have been so cranky.

Don't worry about it you didn't strike me as cranky. you got your points across and they helped me.

[Honorable_Pawn]

Originally Posted by James2

I have always been interested in OOTP but never played it before. I downloaded the trial today and I am overwhelmed to say the least. I have no idea whats going on half the time while I'm attempting to run a team. any suggestions for a new guy? Thanks.

Mi la cosa numero uno is to never sim too much at once.

Along those lines, KI highly suggest using the live simulator when simming out games at a speed that you can follow at least who hit what and when. Equally important: If you cannot tell me who is in first place in every single division in your league and which teams are in striking distance of the wildcard off the top of your head then you are simming too fast.

Do not be in such a big hurry to blow through 100 seasons. For what? Enjoy every single moment and cherish the league as it comes to life. Develop back stories in your mind. Follow key players on other teams. Rename a couple of draftees every year to something that you will recognize. Don't sign every single free agent and trade for every single "best player." Role play a little. Try to approach it as if it were a real problem and you must come up with realistic solutions. Never be a talent monger. So what if you win 15 divisions titles in a row. Ugghhh. I would hate to be cursed with the type of personality that has to win every single season. For me...I'm glad Casey struck out.

If you starting speeding through seasons all you are really doing is generating numbers. That you could do in microsoft excel.

Anyway, Slow is better.

That's my suggestion.

[Honorable_Pawn]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

One thing James2's post says to me is that OOTP could still be doing more to make the game easier for newcomers to pick up and start playing.

I wish there was an anti-thanks button.

[jmknpk2]

I believe the reason that OOTP is so difficult to learn is because it models real life baseball, with many options and complexities (as was noted earlier). OOTP baseball is the closest thing you will find to real life. And there are so many customizations possible and ways to play, that each user can have a completely different experience. This results in a lot of confusing details for a newcomer to wade through.

I would recommend sticking with OOTP and learning gradually. The way I learned was by making many mistakes. Each time I made a mistake, I started over, but learned a lesson for all my future leagues.

There are lesser games (Baseball Mogul and Diamond Mind Baseball). They are much easier to learn. They are good games for their niche. When I say "lesser", I mean that they do much, much, much, less than all that OOTP offers. I played both Baseball Mogul and Diamond Mind Baseball, but got bored. Once I picked up OOTP, I never got bored. There is always more that I want to do, more that I want to learn, more different types of ways to play that I have not yet tried, more special leagues I want to set up, online leagues to explore,...