Introducing: Drive for the Pennant mode

[Haiku]

I like it. I wish all features were implemented as options in the regular mode as well. For example, jumping into action is a very nice feature I would like to have in regular mode. It gives a certain feel that I can influence the outcome of the games without needing to play them out in full. Some may find other features, like the simplified trading system interesting. Please make it happen. It adds so much variability to playing the game that it’s a shame it can only be used for a season.

[Chomps]

I am not impressed with this mode. I am playing as the Nationals, and the first game of the season vs. the Reds, I jumped into the game in the 9th Inning. CJ Abrams was in the game as a DH. It is this kind of nonsense that makes me not want to play this game.

[Braden]

I have the 2024 players in a separate folder but there is no way to select that folder and force an update for all player photos as you can do in a "regular" game.

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by Chomps

I am not impressed with this mode. I am playing as the Nationals, and the first game of the season vs. the Reds, I jumped into the game in the 9th Inning. CJ Abrams was in the game as a DH. It is this kind of nonsense that makes me not want to play this game.

You do realize you can set your own lineups and depth charts, right?

[Chomps]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

You do realize you can set your own lineups and depth charts, right?

Yes, but why is the AI doing this nonsense? I can only imagine what is going on with AI controlled teams.

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by Chomps

Yes, but why is the AI doing this nonsense? I can only imagine what is going on with AI controlled teams.

It's all based on the ratings of him and whoever else is on the roster. Just jumped in as the Nationals. This is who they have on the Opening Day roster at short. He's a way better defender then Abrams, so it makes sense Abrams would DH. Included Abrams too for comparison in their defense.

[Brad K]

The promise of the DH was that we could see aging stars with bad knees play a few extra years. The type of guys who who hit 4th or 5th or 6th. That sure turned out to be wrong.

There's a "did you know" that pops up in OOTP occasionally about the first time both teams in a game batted their DH 9th. Every time I see it I just laugh. I don't use the DH in my OOTP saves.

[stevezog1]

I usually sim 2024 and take over a team in 2025, so I like the idea of this mode. I can play out the season without getting too involved and then take over a team or stay with my team after the season so I'm giving it a try.

I see some minor issues that are making the mode not as much fun as could be.

First, the trades the asst gm bring to you are even worse than the typical offers you get in the standard game. And they want you to throw in your best player to finish the trade and get that 2.5 star minor league 28 year old. He's just an Aaron Judge away!

Second, I'm playing as the Yankees and in every game, home or away, the crowd is dressed in red. I'm playing the Rays, neither team has any red in their stuff, but most of the crowd is wearing red. That is NEVER the case in a regular game, standard or historic.

Also, I can't change the Yankees' road uni from having names on the back in this mode, but I can in a standard game.

Other than these things, the mode seems ok so far.

[robc]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

It only currently works for the 2024 season, you start a new game and it will play through the season.

We may look to expand it to work in a live start setup, possibly, that's on the list of options. And then going forward, certainly we can consider other setups that might interest people, either fictional, historical, or otherwise.

If it worked for historical seasons I would probably give it a try. It could be a fun way to play a historical season without devoting a lot of time since I don't play a lot of BB.

[Braden]

Is there any particular, and/or good reason that some of park files have been changed from .png and/or webp file to .ktx?

Is just that you don't want modders to easily change signage to more realistic or something else?

[Braden]

Since there a lot of non-critical things like photos, parks, views, save game, etc. this thing is not fun. It is annoying as hell.

[Walter Alston]

I would like to control depth charts. I can always auto them if I want to, but why can't I decide how often a backup plays? I just lost a game because AI decided my lefty backup 3B should start every 5th game against LHP. I have a very good, rested, right-handed hitting 3B who languished on the bench while my lefty backup 3B went 0-5 in a game we lost in extra innings. wtaf?

[Walter Alston]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

You do realize you can set your own lineups and depth charts, right?

Uh, no, I don't believe I can set my own depth charts. If I can, please tell me how.

[Matt Arnold]

Currently depth charts are handled by the AI in the mode.

[Haiku]

I like most of the features, but I would have preferred if any one of them were optional in the regular game mode. For example, I enjoy being thrown into action during games, but I would like to set my own depth chart and handle trades myself. I understand the idea behind the new mode, but I find it too restrictive and lacking in customization. If everything were optional, that would be awesome. Also, I would like a career mode, not just a single season.

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by Walter Alston

Uh, no, I don't believe I can set my own depth charts. If I can, please tell me how.

I was wrong, lineups can be set. Depth charts seem to auto-fill. The initial issue was Nassim Nunez at short instead of Abrams (DH), but the user could have moved Abrams from DH to SS

[Braden]

Is there going to be an update to this anytime soon that will address some of the issues/comments/suggestions?

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by Braden

Is there going to be an update to this anytime soon that will address some of the issues/comments/suggestions?

We'll have some fixes and changes, and certainly will take in all the suggestions. I will say it's probably unlikely that we would open up too much of more advanced setup options and features, as the mode is still intended as an easier way to get in and play out the current season.

[Braden]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

We'll have some fixes and changes, and certainly will take in all the suggestions. I will say it's probably unlikely that we would open up too much of more advanced setup options and features, as the mode is still intended as an easier way to get in and play out the current season.

Making more options available would sure improve playability!

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

We'll have some fixes and changes, and certainly will take in all the suggestions. I will say it's probably unlikely that we would open up too much of more advanced setup options and features, as the mode is still intended as an easier way to get in and play out the current season.

Will the fielding ratings issue be fixed anytime soon? Right now if you play random debut using the combo of recalc and development, the vast majority of modern player will have their fielding ratings tank at or around the age of 32, if they are out recalc. I ran a test a few weeks back using OOTP24. This was not an issue when playing OOTP24, It's new to 25. Oh and when I ran my test using OOTP24, I used the higher adjust/weaken settings Garlon recommended when 25 was released. Those higher settings did nothing to make fielding ratings crash.

It's now August.