So what MIGHT OOTPBB22 have to offer ?

[BusterKing]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

Those are mostly from 3d intersection issues. We trace the ball, and then you have to check every wall segment to see if the ball hits it. But like, sometimes the math rounds wrong and the ball basically finds a seam in the wall. Or we make a wrong assumption (ie. The previous bounce came at a weird angle so we don't expect it should be able to hit a wall segment but it does). 3d physics just gets weird at times, so hard to plan for them all, especially since every stadium has its own setup.

I must ask, would a new updated 3D engine do a better job? Seems like the one you are using is limited in what it can do.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by BusterKing

I must ask, would a new updated 3D engine do a better job? Seems like the one you are using is limited in what it can do.

I mean, no, because the engine is highly customized to our setup. Okay, maybe in time it would do a better job, but it's not like you just drop in a new engine without a metric ton of work.

[Boomcoach]

As a player who plays almost exclusively as GM, I will admit that, for myself, the in game graphics don't matter much.

More than anything else, what I would like to see is the ability to take the historical player pool from a particular year and dump it into a fictional league setup.

I recently created a Alternate Universe where, after the 1995 strike, MLB crashed out and was replaced by 4 regional leagues with an Association playoff.

The only way I could figure out to do it was to create an historical 1996 game, add my fictional leagues to it, then delete all the fictional teams, go in and delete the resulting free agent pool, then move the MLB and AA teams to the leagues I had created.

It would be great to be able to create a fictional setup and have the option to populate with players from a particular year rather than the fictional players.

[Harry Hibbs]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

No worries

To tag on a little more, take the sample play mentioned before - single to right, runner from third base scores, runner from first base runs to third base, throw, safe.

For this play, okay, single to RF - how hard is the ball hit to RF? Line drive vs Flyball singles look very different. The game also determines where on the field the ball lands. But now, the RF isn't in the same spot on every play, so if he's shading right or left that impacts things. And obviously if you have Ichiro playing RF or have decided to use David Ortiz there for an inning, they're going to move very differently to pick up the ball.

Then for the runner, you have to figure out if he's taking a big lead and running on contact, or does he have to stay back a little bit in case the ball gets caught? Again, Ichiro on the basepaths vs Ortiz are going to run very differently.

And then you add in the throw. Is it a direct throw, or through a cutoff man? How hard is the guy throwing to the base?

And the biggest points of all of this is that while we can and do calculate all these factors, everything actually moves really fast on a play. Like, if I add in a half second delay between when the fielder picks up the ball and when he starts the throw, it turns into the case where it looks like he holds the ball forever. And it's an incredibly hard balancing act since you want the ball to travel at roughly normal speeds, and the player to travel at roughly normal speeds. And there are some limitations to how things are designed, so you have to figure out if you need to speed up the runner or slow down the ball, since you can't really do both at the same time just because there's too many factors at play. And then you have to be careful that you don't change your mind to speed up the throw, but forget to change when the animation starts for the guy's throw.


That's only some of the challenges on the plays. Mostly it just ends up being a case where it's incredibly hard to balance ball speed vs runner speeds. And in the end, there's basically a limit to what sort of delays or how much you can slow down or speed up players or hits for things to still look mostly realistic. Make the balls go too fast and you end up with those infield groundballs that go to the outfield. Make them go too slow and suddenly your player has to look like Ortiz running to be thrown out on a groundball.


We'll keep making advances, and we will continue to improve things. If anyone thinks for a moment that I'm 100% happy with every 3d play we have, I'm definitely not. But we're also a small team, so it's always that balancing act of how we spend our time. Hopefully we'll keep giving everyone enough to keep coming back every year

FWIW I think you are light years ahead of where you started with 3D. Most games that I play out these days, I'm rarely bothered by the remaining quirks in the animations.

At its essence, a text based simulator requires imagination to supplement the 'storyline'. For me, the animations are now good enough, most of the time, to both compliment and enhance the text, such that the storyline is now extremely compelling. Hence I'm playing out all my team's games in 3D now (I have no interest in things like 'simming' out a whole season in a week, but that's not to say you can't have a lot of fun doing that kind of thing. OOTP gives you plenty of choices which is great!).

Everything about OOTP21 makes it the best edition to date IMO, and since you offer the ability to import save games into each new version, it makes it pretty hard NOT to keep coming back each year

[pholmer]

Although I'm happy with the current player animations, a few versions ago the players were represented by pawns, no arms, no legs. I loved it when the team won a pennant or the World Series, the little pawns would move out onto the field and jump up and down. (How they did that without legs I don't know.) Anyway, it always gave me a laugh.

[pauwoo]

My annual contribution to the OOTP Developments kitty is the easiest purchasing decision I make. It’s way better than the Earl Weaver Baseball game I played on my Dad’s Amiga as a lad.

The customization options and community contributions to uniforms, schedules, quickstarts, and all the dynasties I follow help make it a ton of fun too.

[Déjà Bru]

No knock on OOTPB 21 whatsoever but OOTPB 22 is going to have to try really hard to get me to dip my toe once more.

Eugene has me beat by three versions, I believe. I have bought every one since I started in 2006 (under another alias).

It's just that I tire of the constant upgrading and the frequent (though very much appreciated) patches. It seems most of my time with OOTPB is spent in this manner, with not enough actual play time.

Just as I am getting into one version that has been fully patched and ready to go, it's time for the next. At that time, one or more things happen: 1) I love the new features, but 2) The graphics have changed and I no longer like the way the game looks (I love OOTPB 21 in this regard), or 3) One of the new features prompts me to start yet another league.

I have had scores of leagues. The longest-lived was 15 years, IIRC.

Again, no knock on OOTPB. Far from it.

It's just that I want to get off of this merry-go-round in order to concentrate on playing the game that I love.

[mytreds]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

No knock on OOTPB 21 whatsoever but OOTPB 22 is going to have to try really hard to get me to dip my toe once more.

Eugene has me beat by three versions, I believe. I have bought every one since I started in 2006 (under another alias).

It's just that I tire of the constant upgrading and the frequent (though very much appreciated) patches. It seems most of my time with OOTPB is spent in this manner, with not enough actual play time.

Just as I am getting into one version that has been fully patched and ready to go, it's time for the next. At that time, one or more things happen: 1) I love the new features, but 2) The graphics have changed and I no longer like the way the game looks (I love OOTPB 21 in this regard), or 3) One of the new features prompts me to start yet another league.

I have had scores of leagues. The longest-lived was 15 years, IIRC.

Again, no knock on OOTPB. Far from it.

It's just that I want to get off of this merry-go-round in order to concentrate on playing the game that I love.

Well said

[ALB123]

To each their own. When I see a patch has been released, I'm giddy like a kid on Christmas. In fact, this being my first version of OOTP, when we haven't had a patch for a little while I get bummed out. LOL

[BigRed75]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

More than anything else, what I would like to see is the ability to take the historical player pool from a particular year and dump it into a fictional league setup.

I recently created a Alternate Universe where, after the 1995 strike, MLB crashed out and was replaced by 4 regional leagues with an Association playoff.

The only way I could figure out to do it was to create an historical 1996 game, add my fictional leagues to it, then delete all the fictional teams, go in and delete the resulting free agent pool, then move the MLB and AA teams to the leagues I had created.

It would be great to be able to create a fictional setup and have the option to populate with players from a particular year rather than the fictional players.

Underrated post

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

As a player who plays almost exclusively as GM, I will admit that, for myself, the in game graphics don't matter much.

More than anything else, what I would like to see is the ability to take the historical player pool from a particular year and dump it into a fictional league setup.

I recently created a Alternate Universe where, after the 1995 strike, MLB crashed out and was replaced by 4 regional leagues with an Association playoff.

The only way I could figure out to do it was to create an historical 1996 game, add my fictional leagues to it, then delete all the fictional teams, go in and delete the resulting free agent pool, then move the MLB and AA teams to the leagues I had created.

It would be great to be able to create a fictional setup and have the option to populate with players from a particular year rather than the fictional players.

This would be a dream come true. My biggest roadblock when it comes to doing this is my inability to find a way to erase all history. Erasing history is easy enough, but the minute I finish a season, players that missed the season I began in, will start to import and when they do, they arrive with all their career stats. When this happens a leagues history is all messed up. If someone could show me a way to do this, I would be so happy.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

No knock on OOTPB 21 whatsoever but OOTPB 22 is going to have to try really hard to get me to dip my toe once more.

Eugene has me beat by three versions, I believe. I have bought every one since I started in 2006 (under another alias).

It's just that I tire of the constant upgrading and the frequent (though very much appreciated) patches. It seems most of my time with OOTPB is spent in this manner, with not enough actual play time.

Just as I am getting into one version that has been fully patched and ready to go, it's time for the next. At that time, one or more things happen: 1) I love the new features, but 2) The graphics have changed and I no longer like the way the game looks (I love OOTPB 21 in this regard), or 3) One of the new features prompts me to start yet another league.

I have had scores of leagues. The longest-lived was 15 years, IIRC.

Again, no knock on OOTPB. Far from it.

It's just that I want to get off of this merry-go-round in order to concentrate on playing the game that I love.

And if you're like me, when OOTP22 comes out you might not preorder, but you won't make it till the 2nd week of release, before you're buying it. I absolutely despised OOTP17 and 18. Swore I was done buying. This forum is OOTP's best advertising tool. Once all the cool kids get the game, I want to be a cool kid too.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by David Watts

And if you're like me, when OOTP22 comes out you might not preorder, but you won't make it till the 2nd week of release, before you're buying it. I absolutely despised OOTP17 and 18. Swore I was done buying. This forum is OOTP's best advertising tool. Once all the cool kids get the game, I want to be a cool kid too.

You said it, brother.

It's like being a hamster in a wheel!

[Qrusher14242]

Originally Posted by BusterKing

There are 3D improvements but not enough imo. Maybe assign more people or more time for fixes. They seem to make some fixes while introducing new faulty animations for some plays. Like the foul balls in the infield are awful to watch now.

Yes, i've seen a lot of strange foul balls being caught now. Like, the ball bends at an unnatural angle and somehow a fielder speeds over to catch it. I can't remember seeing a foul ball that wasn't caught.

[Rain King]

Probably something like 95% of the features OOTP adds in can be used in ongoing leagues (i.e. you don't have to start over) so I don't really see where you are coming from with that point of view.

[hfield007]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

Obligatory

The animations are (sometimes poor) representations of the play.

You can make a better one. Imagine that the player dropped, juggled, kicked or otherwise muffed the play.

Be creative

this is important to remember. the plays are not decided by the animations at all. it is one thing to get frustrated with the animation, however it doesnt have a bearing on what is actually happening.

[Hooray Saturday]

Originally Posted by Qrusher14242

Yes, i've seen a lot of strange foul balls being caught now. Like, the ball bends at an unnatural angle and somehow a fielder speeds over to catch it. I can't remember seeing a foul ball that wasn't caught.

play pitch-by-pitch mode and you will see plenty of foul balls that don't get caught!

[Reed]

Originally Posted by David Watts

This would be a dream come true. My biggest roadblock when it comes to doing this is my inability to find a way to erase all history. Erasing history is easy enough, but the minute I finish a season, players that missed the season I began in, will start to import and when they do, they arrive with all their career stats. When this happens a leagues history is all messed up. If someone could show me a way to do this, I would be so happy.

Are you really erasing "all" history. IE all 7 or 8 tabs in league functions on bottom left side.
What I do. Start league about 7 years prior to the time you want you want your league to start. Fast SIM to spring of when you want league to start. THEN go to league functions and erase league, career, service time, and the other 4 or 5 tabs in that area. If you erase just league history but not career stats, then players that missed your start year in real life will show up later with the stats they accumulated previously becoming incorporated into your leagues history.
At least this works for me. I start my leagues in 1901 but I was frustrated with players that missed the 1901 showing up in 1903, 1904 etc. with their real stats prior to 1901 showing up as stats in my league. Since I started the above, no longer have that problem.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Reed

Are you really erasing "all" history. IE all 7 or 8 tabs in league functions on bottom left side.
What I do. Start league about 7 years prior to the time you want you want your league to start. Fast SIM to spring of when you want league to start. THEN go to league functions and erase league, career, service time, and the other 4 or 5 tabs in that area. If you erase just league history but not career stats, then players that missed your start year in real life will show up later with the stats they accumulated previously becoming incorporated into your leagues history.
At least this works for me. I start my leagues in 1901 but I was frustrated with players that missed the 1901 showing up in 1903, 1904 etc. with their real stats prior to 1901 showing up as stats in my league. Since I started the above, no longer have that problem.

I think I tried the 7 year deal and still ended up with an unwanted surprise along the way when someone returned with all their real life stats.. That being said, I will at some point try it again. If I remember I started the league up in 1940 and didn't try playing until 1947.

[Boomcoach]

I largely enjoy OOTP as it stands. My only beef is one I posted a little while back. I bought OOTP early this year because I wanted to give PT a try from the starting date and I was also hoping to play my Reds game by game from Opening Day. Obviously, the second part failed for no fault of the game designers. I have already tired of PT and will not worry about it next year.

This is the first version that I purchased at release, rather than waiting for the late season sale and I may return to that, unless the Reds have a team that makes me want to venture back in early.