Out of the Park Baseball 15 Announced!

[Ceej]

Historical League Improvements sound like something I'd been hoping to see for a while Getting historical teams from different eras to play each other head-to-head was possible in previous editions, of course, but took more effort than it felt like it should have.

[kq76]

It's probably been said already, but I love the Jays-like split letter font choice! Obvious bias aside, it's awesome.

[SeaBear]

Originally Posted by kq76

It's probably been said already, but I love the Jays-like split letter font choice! Obvious bias aside, it's awesome.

And the iOS 7 - like aesthetics that is so popular these days. All the more better if the in game UI has the same theme.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by oldtimey

I'm hearing about a lot of additions and it all sounds great. But what about G A M E P L A Y? I stopped playing OOTP because it's presentation of an MLB baseball game was not acceptable and not at the level of other games I have experienced. I personally don't care about negotiating with free agents, the Rule 5 draft or trying to scout the next Ichiro during the *** season. If OOTP 15 isn't improved when it comes to the nine innings between the lines, I will keep my money. I know the addition of 3d graphics with ball-flight will improve the visual appeal, but I'm talking about improved play-by-play season interaction, properly implemented warmup/bullpen drama (ingame and day-to-day) and much improved strategic AI by the computer manager before and during games. This game's reputation has always been in it's ability to appeal to whatever whim its owner would fancy. I might be in the minority, to say the least, but I like to create my baseball history one season, one game, one inning, one pitch at a time. If there is no evidence of upgrades in the ingame presentation, then OOTP 15 ain't for me.

I'd like to hear more details on this, please PM me. I personally feel OOTP's in-game representation (including PbP and the AI) is far better than any other baseball sim on the market. But still, it can always be improved

[David Watts]

Any chance that the problems with expanding a long running 1 subleague league into a 2 subleague league will get fixed? Right now making this type of change makes a mess of the leagues champions history. I also seen another poster point out that it has an effect on some other league history aspects.

[ToLucky1985]

Markus,

Thanks for all your and the teams hard work.

Very excited to see the *** options. Hope they include:

-Ability to limit length of game to 12 innings and possibly end in a tie.
-Between ichi-gun and ni-gun a uniform number may only be used once. No two players in the 70 man orginization have the same number.
-Ability to schedule three all-star games, just like ***.
-Foreign players who play 10 years in *** no longer count against the foreigner limit. I think it is still 10 years.
-The interl-league games are also part of an in season tournament. Trophy and yen given to team with the best record. This option isn't really important to me, but I thought I'd put it in.

And finally - thanks again. Love OOTP and will be preordering.

[tomwolf2008]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

From my point of view they also need to have the respective leagues' actual playoff formats and roster rules...

Well, I'm going to assume that roster rule won't be that hard to code so this part should not have too much problem.

Now the playoff rule, I think it'll be not exactly the same rule. I don't know if OOTP can do a best of 6 series (as in summit series of ***), or ties (which also allowed in *** playoff), or extra inning rule (as used in KBO). I would like Markus to elaborate on these parts as well. I would gladly to be proved wrong but I don't think these exact rule will be in OOTP 15

[nutt]

Originally Posted by RchW

This cracked me up. Heroin has nothing on OOTP.

Even though I have never done any hardcore drugs in my life, I'm an avid drinker.

I can say I have lost countless hours of sleep since I discovered OOTP in 2010.

[hfield007]

Originally Posted by VanillaGorilla

"OOTP...It's my life and it's my wife."

R. I. P. LR

I wish I could like this multiple times.

[The Game]

Originally Posted by ToLucky1985

Markus,

Thanks for all your and the teams hard work.

Very excited to see the *** options. Hope they include:

-Ability to limit length of game to 12 innings and possibly end in a tie.
-Between ichi-gun and ni-gun a uniform number may only be used once. No two players in the 70 man orginization have the same number.
-Ability to schedule three all-star games, just like ***.
-Foreign players who play 10 years in *** no longer count against the foreigner limit. I think it is still 10 years.
-The interl-league games are also part of an in season tournament. Trophy and yen given to team with the best record. This option isn't really important to me, but I thought I'd put it in.

And finally - thanks again. Love OOTP and will be preordering.

I had no clue about any of these in the real ***, but as someone who has the *** in 3 different leagues I 2nd this.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

Hate to break it to you, but you're playing the wrong game if you don't care about that stuff. OOTP is a managerial sim first; that's why the focus is on the managerial elements.

That said, I'm sure there will be improvements in-game; there's always blanket AI improvements in every new release/patch.

Well, he is playing the right game for what he wants. There are many aspects to managing, such as General Manager, who worries about all those rule 5, FA, etc etc things.

Then there's the field manager, who worries about what goes on between the white lines. I believe this is what the OP is referring to, and this certainly is the right game for that.

You don't have to do the GM stuff to play OOTP, and you don't have to like rule 5 drafts, signing FA's, etc etc to like baseball and OOTP. Before OOTP came along I loved baseball just as much as I do now, but I didn't care much about GM stuff. All I cared about was what happened on the field.

This is the right game for the OP.

[MarkInCincy]

I am really looking forward to this release, all the new features revealed so far sound good/great.

The waiting for the reveal as of now still secret features is going to be fun/nerveracking. One of the fetures I REALLY want is to take the exported ratings csv's, manipulate them and be able to import them back into the game. The possibilites are endless. I could easily/create a lg of all average players, make a team avg in every rating except one rating at some high #, another team avg at all but use a different rating at a high #, etc.

[struggles_mightily]

Originally Posted by WestyQld2

Now that Japan, Korea & Taiwan all have real players (fantastic addition, will spend countless hours), I can start begging for the addition of the Australian Baseball League with real players?

Thanks Markus

The ABL draws in players from other leagues on a temporary basis, right (as well as having Australian players who only play in the ABL)? Modelling the ABL correctly, would, I think, be part of a new approach in which teams can be under contract to, or a part of, multiple teams simultaneously. This would allow for an easier route towards not only the ABL, but international competition, accurate winter leagues, the AFL, the Cape Cod league even, etc..

Also, don't want to derail or create a backlash, but was the weird SuperBowl PS (esp. the needless italicisation of 'game')... suggestive to anyone?

[MikeS21]

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

*Pre-Ordered again (This makes 4th or 5th time).

*Can't wait for Release Day! Looking forward to tweaking rosters and player ratings, and trading away my least favorite players. (Hey, I don't knock how you play your game! lol!)

*I do wish there was some way to turn off the daily three-time limit on shopping players for trades. I never saw the point of the limit. Is that even a real life rule?

*Interested in the new 3D stuff. I hope someone could post some nifty tutorials so those of us less computer savy can figure out how to use them.

*Speaking of tutorials, it would be cool to see how folks use the player editor or the league editor to tweak various settings and show the in-game effects of changing settings. The manual is not always clear as to what settings do (It seems to assume that the reader is more knowledgeable). For example, under the "Trading Preference" setting, what setting do you choose if you want to trade an expensive veteran for prospects? In other words, how do you get other GM's to offer you prospects when you shop veteran players? One issue with the online manual is that screen shots don't always match the current version of the game.

[BusterKing]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

I'd like to hear more details on this, please PM me. I personally feel OOTP's in-game representation (including PbP and the AI) is far better than any other baseball sim on the market. But still, it can always be improved

Well handled Markus

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by MarkInCincy

I am really looking forward to this release, all the new features revealed so far sound good/great.

The waiting for the reveal as of now still secret features is going to be fun/nerveracking. One of the fetures I REALLY want is to take the exported ratings csv's, manipulate them and be able to import them back into the game. The possibilites are endless. I could easily/create a lg of all average players, make a team avg in every rating except one rating at some high #, another team avg at all but use a different rating at a high #, etc.

You can already do this with the exported roster.txt files. Just change the extension to .csv, open them and edit ratings to your heart's content. You don't even need to change the format back to .txt before you import

[akw4572]

Pre-ordered as always. Looking forward to the release. Glad for the new 3D ball flight, I think that's overdue for an overhaul. Excited for the game's future. Hope the Mac versions stay and are better supported.

[Tyler87898]

I really hope there is a "copy trade proposal" button or something where I don't have to keep dragging all my players on to my "offered players" section every time I switch teams that I want to trade with.

[struggles_mightily]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

Hate to break it to you, but you're playing the wrong game if you don't care about that stuff. OOTP is a managerial sim first; that's why the focus is on the managerial elements.

Sort of sympathetic to what you're saying, and not sure that it makes sense to distinguish between 'gameplay' and 'management elements' (for many people, myself included, more accurate managerial responsibilities, including the esoteric stuff, is a big part of immersion, and so gameplay).

But it's been a long time since it really made sense to see OOTP as being geared only to one sort of experience, and the sort of experiences it can provide have diversified through versions. There was a time when people would get moaned at (by me, amongst others) for wanting OOTP to be like Strat -- now with real-life rosters, recalc and real transactions, OOTP can function like that. At one time OOTP was only intended to simulate MLB/American-type environments; 15 more than ever will be able to replicate or generate entire baseball worlds. As graphics and animation become more a part of OOTP, we will have to fight the good fight against people who want another type of narrow experience and think that graphics/animation shouldn't feature in OOTP (we've already had these debates in more hypothetical registers in the past).

I was always worried that OOTP would suffer for trying to be all things to all people, but I guess I underestimated Markus, etc.. Now I want to see it be as ambitious as possible in as many directions as possible.

[MarkInCincy]

Originally Posted by lukasberger

You can already do this with the exported roster.txt files. Just change the extension to .csv, open them and edit ratings to your heart's content. You don't even need to change the format back to .txt before you import

Thanks, I had never looked at the rosters txt files, I assumed all they had was players, team and level in them, never thought of them having ratings in them. You made my weekend !!!!!! (thats actually kinda sad/dorky)