OOTP: Just started and quickly lost

tbradley · 05-31-2020, 04:01 PM

Well, I just bought the game, took a pass at getting started and am hopelessly clueless on how to proceed. Is there any simple way to get started? There are so many settings right off the bat that get oneself hopelessly in the ditch. There has got to be a simple process to begin to play. My first thought, I wish I hadn't purchased this.

ablobj · 05-31-2020, 04:22 PM

Have you checked out the online manual?

CBeisbol · 05-31-2020, 04:49 PM

Or online tutorials

https://youtu.be/o1jFOUVo2YI

Everybody started somewhere

Lots of people started with the earlier versions, which were, I imagine, simpler.

I first started with 19.
I tried a couple times around version 14 or 15. And, like you, thought that it was too much. So I continued playing a competitor baseball sim.

Eventually, I gave OOTP another go.
And here I am.

The simplest way to get started is probably to do a quick start league. They are pretty much all set up, you just take control of a team then go

andyhdz · 05-31-2020, 07:23 PM

Patience grasshopper. I wish there was a beginner's mode in ootp or tutorial for you guys. I admit it is very daunting at first but hang in there and soon you'll be losing and not feeling bad about it.

TomVeal · 05-31-2020, 07:43 PM

The secret to learning the game (at least, it worked for me) is to start by concentrating on just a few things. Load a quickstart, pick a team. Run it for a while without worrying too much about minor leagues and the like. The AI can handle them. Just set pitching staffs and lineups, and call up replacements when guys are injured. It should become intuitive fairly quickly.

too_on_too_out · 05-31-2020, 07:58 PM

You want to REALLY learn about this game? Do this: dream up a vast fictional baseball universe. Then build it, league by league, majors, minors, feeders (oh, you've got to add feeders, both highschool and college, you'll love those). Get it so you spend about a week of free time on building your creation. Then just click the play button. Your education will come at you like a tsunami. Oh, be sure to load up all the teams of all the leagues first with stuff like logos and stadium images and customized stadium dimensions and weather, then don't forget player names. Go to the world.xml file to edit that to get the names you want etc. You got finances and drafts and schedules to do too. Get it all done. A week of free time minimum and your entire weekend, from sun up to sun down. Make it so your wife is a little annoyed, that really adds to the excitement. But remember, it will all be worth it when you click the play button and start simming in real time (or 10x or 300x. I use 10x myself)!!

Then, oh grasshopper, you OOTP education will TRULY begin.

andyhdz · 05-31-2020, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by too_on_too_out

You want to REALLY learn about this game? Do this: dream up a vast fictional baseball universe. Then build it, league by league, majors, minors, feeders (oh, you've got to add feeders, both highschool and college, you'll love those). Get it so you spend about a week of free time on building your creation. Then just click the play button. Your education will come at you like a tsunami. Oh, be sure to load up all the teams of all the leagues first with stuff like logos and stadium images and customized stadium dimensions and weather, then don't forget player names. Go to the world.xml file to edit that to get the names you want etc. You got finances and drafts and schedules to do too. Get it all done. A week of free time minimum and your entire weekend, from sun up to sun down. Make it so your wife is a little annoyed, that really adds to the excitement. But remember, it will all be worth it when you click the play button and start simming in real time (or 10x or 300x. I use 10x myself)!!

Then, oh grasshopper, you OOTP education will TRULY begin.

You know you have a problem when you stay up late with the computer on and dark lights all over hoping your wife doesn't get up and catch you.....fixing that one last custom team logo before you force yourself to bed.

Gerry58 · 06-01-2020, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbradley

Well, I just bought the game, took a pass at getting started and am hopelessly clueless on how to proceed. Is there any simple way to get started? There are so many settings right off the bat that get oneself hopelessly in the ditch. There has got to be a simple process to begin to play. My first thought, I wish I hadn't purchased this.

Go in the Manager options menu and delegate everything to your assistants. Autoplay the games and watch the messages check the stats and so on. Then you'll get to the point where you can get control of the team managing the strategies and setting the lineups

quillenl · 06-01-2020, 06:17 AM

Based on your post history, it sounds like you wanted the game for a pretty specific purpose.

Check this board here:
https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...lay.php?f=3638

Describe what you are looking to do as you have in your previous posts and someone just may put together a quickstart for you. You are basically looking for a historical replay league. Ensure you let them know what season you would like to start at.

too_on_too_out · 06-01-2020, 09:11 AM

And of course it depends on your personality type. If you are the type that jumps in before really looking then you wouldn't likely be in the forums asking this question. You'd be too busy thrashing about in the engine room. My personal method for learning is called 'churn and burn', in which you just start churning out the leagues and when they collapse for whatever reason you just start over with a new one. You might not like that. Am not sure I do. So, the recommendations above would seem to fit you. Start out small, watch the game manage for a while, start with a prebuilt game you can easily set up and play. Plenty of information there to help.

micropterus58 · 06-01-2020, 12:59 PM

My suggestion is to simplify what you do. OOTP can be a very complex game that you spend hours just setting your league and team up and analyzing every aspect. The game can also be simplified so many can enjoy it. Play in Commissioner mode so you can modify settings. Start with a fictional league with 16-20 teams in two leagues. The winners of each league play each other in the World Series. MLB was played this way from 1901-1968. Use a reserve roster with about 12-15 players. Use this for injuries or if a player is not performing well. Turn off financials, set injuries to very low or disable, turn off trades, disable league evolution. Let the bench coaches manage the pitching staff and lineups and defense. All you have to do is start a game. Play in one pitch mode. Watch the game as a fan and observe and learn. When you are ready you can begin to get more in depth. Manage the pitchers and lineups. Make the in-game decisions. Transfer players to and from the reserve roster. Later on turn injuries or trades. I have never turned financials on. I play like I'm the owner, commissioner, GM and manager all rolled up in to one. I don't care about trade restrictions and rule 5 drafts. LOL For me it's not that I don't understand all the complexities, I don't enjoy them. The beauty of OOTP is that you can play and enjoy it however you like. It's your fictional league, do what you want. You can always start over if you really mess up or want to change things.

actionjackson · 06-01-2020, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by too_on_too_out

And of course it depends on your personality type. If you are the type that jumps in before really looking then you wouldn't likely be in the forums asking this question. You'd be too busy thrashing about in the engine room. My personal method for learning is called 'churn and burn', in which you just start churning out the leagues and when they collapse for whatever reason you just start over with a new one. You might not like that. Am not sure I do. So, the recommendations above would seem to fit you. Start out small, watch the game manage for a while, start with a prebuilt game you can easily set up and play. Plenty of information there to help.

"Churn and burn" eh? I like it! I also did a ton of it with my first ever version (OOTPX). Start with settings...Notice that settings aren't giving me what I want, or that I've messed up otherwise somewhere...Stop...Restart...Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Eventually, after banging my head against the wall a few hundred times (pretty much the entire development cycle), I had my settings, could set a game up in about five minutes to my exact preferences, and would go on from there to find my preferred way of playing when Markus brought it into the game (Thanks dood!!!): Historical Random Debut.

I eventually made Quickstarts, so that setting up has become a breeze, and I get to start with the same players. I would assume the subsequent amateur drafts will differ, but all the players are assigned to their teams. Settings, schedule, ballpark edits, weather edits, logos, uniforms, ballcaps. Everything is ready to go. Total turnkey operation.

tbradley, you'll get there. It just takes a lot of persistence. Right now, you're in nursery school/kindergarten (maybe even pre-school). You can't possibly know as much as you'll know when you become an OOTP Rhodes Scholar. You have to go through all the steps first. One step up, two steps back etc. The nice thing is that it won't take you nearly as long to master this game, as it does to go from pre-schooler to Rhodes Scholar IRL. It'll get easier eventually. Trust us.

Besides, there isn't a better baseball sim out there. This is it, so you might as well immerse yourself in it, and enjoy the ride.

There's no dress rehearsal in life. You get one shot, and one shot only. In OOTP, if things get away from what you want, or you "make a mistake", you just hit the restart button, and you're back to the beginning, armed with a little more knowledge and wisdom of the ins and outs of this game.

too_on_too_out · 06-02-2020, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by actionjackson

"Churn and burn" eh? I like it! I also did a ton of it with my first ever version (OOTPX). Start with settings...Notice that settings aren't giving me what I want, or that I've messed up otherwise somewhere...Stop...Restart...Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Eventually, after banging my head against the wall a few hundred times (pretty much the entire development cycle), I had my settings, could set a game up in about five minutes to my exact preferences, and would go on from there to find my preferred way of playing when Markus brought it into the game (Thanks dood!!!): Historical Random Debut.

I eventually made Quickstarts, so that setting up has become a breeze, and I get to start with the same players. I would assume the subsequent amateur drafts will differ, but all the players are assigned to their teams. Settings, schedule, ballpark edits, weather edits, logos, uniforms, ballcaps. Everything is ready to go. Total turnkey operation.

tbradley, you'll get there. It just takes a lot of persistence. Right now, you're in nursery school/kindergarten (maybe even pre-school). You can't possibly know as much as you'll know when you become an OOTP Rhodes Scholar. You have to go through all the steps first. One step up, two steps back etc. The nice thing is that it won't take you nearly as long to master this game, as it does to go from pre-schooler to Rhodes Scholar IRL. It'll get easier eventually. Trust us.

Besides, there isn't a better baseball sim out there. This is it, so you might as well immerse yourself in it, and enjoy the ride.

There's no dress rehearsal in life. You get one shot, and one shot only. In OOTP, if things get away from what you want, or you "make a mistake", you just hit the restart button, and you're back to the beginning, armed with a little more knowledge and wisdom of the ins and outs of this game.

Quickstarts, or even just templates. Taking the time and patience to set up a template can help with experimenting because you don't have to remake everything from scratch once you find some things that work for you.

KikiVincent · 06-04-2020, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by too_on_too_out

You want to REALLY learn about this game? Do this: dream up a vast fictional baseball universe. Then build it, league by league, majors, minors, feeders (oh, you've got to add feeders, both highschool and college, you'll love those). Get it so you spend about a week of free time on building your creation. Then just click the play button. Your education will come at you like a tsunami. Oh, be sure to load up all the teams of all the leagues first with stuff like logos and stadium images and customized stadium dimensions and weather, then don't forget player names. Go to the world.xml file to edit that to get the names you want etc. You got finances and drafts and schedules to do too. Get it all done. A week of free time minimum and your entire weekend, from sun up to sun down. Make it so your wife is a little annoyed, that really adds to the excitement. But remember, it will all be worth it when you click the play button and start simming in real time (or 10x or 300x. I use 10x myself)!!

Then, oh grasshopper, you OOTP education will TRULY begin.

Epic. LMAO, but it's true.

Bobbyraz49 · 06-04-2020, 04:56 PM

As a newbie , my suggestions....
Start a league using current roster.
Play as GM and manager.
Hopefully you have the "F" keys on your keyboard. I don't.
Leave the camera settings as they are
Enjoy the process of learning this sim.
Have fun
And most importantly......ask questions on this forum. The fine folks here are simply amazing.
Not that I know all the answers, but you can PM me for any assistance that may help you.

05-31-2020, 04:01 PM	#1
tbradley Bat Boy Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 5	OOTP: Just started and quickly lost Well, I just bought the game, took a pass at getting started and am hopelessly clueless on how to proceed. Is there any simple way to get started? There are so many settings right off the bat that get oneself hopelessly in the ditch. There has got to be a simple process to begin to play. My first thought, I wish I hadn't purchased this.

05-31-2020, 07:23 PM	#4
andyhdz All Star Starter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Fresno, CA by way of Texas Posts: 1,754	Patience grasshopper. I wish there was a beginner's mode in ootp or tutorial for you guys. I admit it is very daunting at first but hang in there and soon you'll be losing and not feeling bad about it. __________________ *************************************** It's your game. Play it how you like it. ***************************************

05-31-2020, 07:58 PM	#6
too_on_too_out Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 199	You want to REALLY learn about this game? Do this: dream up a vast fictional baseball universe. Then build it, league by league, majors, minors, feeders (oh, you've got to add feeders, both highschool and college, you'll love those). Get it so you spend about a week of free time on building your creation. Then just click the play button. Your education will come at you like a tsunami. Oh, be sure to load up all the teams of all the leagues first with stuff like logos and stadium images and customized stadium dimensions and weather, then don't forget player names. Go to the world.xml file to edit that to get the names you want etc. You got finances and drafts and schedules to do too. Get it all done. A week of free time minimum and your entire weekend, from sun up to sun down. Make it so your wife is a little annoyed, that really adds to the excitement. But remember, it will all be worth it when you click the play button and start simming in real time (or 10x or 300x. I use 10x myself)!! Then, oh grasshopper, you OOTP education will TRULY begin. __________________ "Have you seen the new New Jersey jersey?" ("¿Has visto el nuevo Nuevo Jersey jersey, por favor?") "Who's Al?" ("¿Quien es 'El Al', por favor?")

06-01-2020, 06:17 AM	#9
quillenl All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 581	Based on your post history, it sounds like you wanted the game for a pretty specific purpose. Check this board here: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...lay.php?f=3638 Describe what you are looking to do as you have in your previous posts and someone just may put together a quickstart for you. You are basically looking for a historical replay league. Ensure you let them know what season you would like to start at. __________________

06-01-2020, 09:11 AM	#10
too_on_too_out Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 199	And of course it depends on your personality type. If you are the type that jumps in before really looking then you wouldn't likely be in the forums asking this question. You'd be too busy thrashing about in the engine room. My personal method for learning is called 'churn and burn', in which you just start churning out the leagues and when they collapse for whatever reason you just start over with a new one. You might not like that. Am not sure I do. So, the recommendations above would seem to fit you. Start out small, watch the game manage for a while, start with a prebuilt game you can easily set up and play. Plenty of information there to help. __________________ "Have you seen the new New Jersey jersey?" ("¿Has visto el nuevo Nuevo Jersey jersey, por favor?") "Who's Al?" ("¿Quien es 'El Al', por favor?")

05-31-2020, 04:22 PM	#2
ablobj Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 162	Have you checked out the online manual?

05-31-2020, 04:49 PM	#3
CBeisbol Banned Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Ban land in 3...2... Posts: 2,943	Or online tutorials https://youtu.be/o1jFOUVo2YI Everybody started somewhere Lots of people started with the earlier versions, which were, I imagine, simpler. I first started with 19. I tried a couple times around version 14 or 15. And, like you, thought that it was too much. So I continued playing a competitor baseball sim. Eventually, I gave OOTP another go. And here I am. The simplest way to get started is probably to do a quick start league. They are pretty much all set up, you just take control of a team then go

05-31-2020, 07:43 PM	#5
TomVeal All Star Starter Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Spanaway, Washington Posts: 1,257	The secret to learning the game (at least, it worked for me) is to start by concentrating on just a few things. Load a quickstart, pick a team. Run it for a while without worrying too much about minor leagues and the like. The AI can handle them. Just set pitching staffs and lineups, and call up replacements when guys are injured. It should become intuitive fairly quickly.

06-01-2020, 12:59 PM	#11
micropterus58 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,259	My suggestion is to simplify what you do. OOTP can be a very complex game that you spend hours just setting your league and team up and analyzing every aspect. The game can also be simplified so many can enjoy it. Play in Commissioner mode so you can modify settings. Start with a fictional league with 16-20 teams in two leagues. The winners of each league play each other in the World Series. MLB was played this way from 1901-1968. Use a reserve roster with about 12-15 players. Use this for injuries or if a player is not performing well. Turn off financials, set injuries to very low or disable, turn off trades, disable league evolution. Let the bench coaches manage the pitching staff and lineups and defense. All you have to do is start a game. Play in one pitch mode. Watch the game as a fan and observe and learn. When you are ready you can begin to get more in depth. Manage the pitchers and lineups. Make the in-game decisions. Transfer players to and from the reserve roster. Later on turn injuries or trades. I have never turned financials on. I play like I'm the owner, commissioner, GM and manager all rolled up in to one. I don't care about trade restrictions and rule 5 drafts. LOL For me it's not that I don't understand all the complexities, I don't enjoy them. The beauty of OOTP is that you can play and enjoy it however you like. It's your fictional league, do what you want. You can always start over if you really mess up or want to change things.

06-04-2020, 04:56 PM	#15
Bobbyraz49 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 958	As a newbie , my suggestions.... Start a league using current roster. Play as GM and manager. Hopefully you have the "F" keys on your keyboard. I don't. Leave the camera settings as they are Enjoy the process of learning this sim. Have fun And most importantly......ask questions on this forum. The fine folks here are simply amazing. Not that I know all the answers, but you can PM me for any assistance that may help you.