OOTP 26 Master Changelist

[Baconi]

Originally Posted by WhiskyTango

Roster/AI/Engine

• Updated internal ratings scale upper limits (now ~600 max, instead of 550)
• Greatly improved fan interest and fan loyalty logic, and the fan reaction email now corresponds more accurately to the actual reaction.
• Updated minor league AI roster management, to be more aggressive at releasing blocking players, and to pay more attention to minor league placement for top talents
• Updated players, so that players have an explicit velocity to grow towards as they develop, and use that for projecting potential ratings
• Updated player creation/development, to give more variety and profiles to players.
• Players created with more varied ratings
• Player development will follow some alternate development paths
• Improved splits ratings among players
• Improved players crashing in current/potential ratings around age 24-25
• Added IBB modifier, league totals adjusted to not include IBB in calculations
• Updated internal engine with many adjustments - stealing rates, bunting rates, error rates, much much more

All good changes, but as of OOTP25 AI GMs and Assistant GMs still cut blue-chip prospects. That won't change for 26. If anything is a game-killer it's that. I don't always catch them in time before they've been signed by someone else. Otherwise, I have to go into Commissioner mode and edit them back into the organization that cut them.

Well "Updated minor league AI roster management, to be more aggressive at releasing blocking players, and to pay more attention to minor league placement for top talents" indicates that they're attempting to rectify this for 26. I've also been frustrated with AI handling of prospects in the past and would like to see what Beta players have been noticing in this regard.

[BaseballMan]

Would it be possible to include the starting pitchers for the National Association, American Assoication, Union Association, Players League and Federal league in the Historical Lineups?

I use the data from retrosheet but it does take a while to pick each starter for every game during that time period in a sim.
The National League starters work great and after 1872 the historical
transactions work great.
The transactions are getting more and more accurate.

[WhiskyTango]

Originally Posted by Baconi

Well "Updated minor league AI roster management, to be more aggressive at releasing blocking players, and to pay more attention to minor league placement for top talents" indicates that they're attempting to rectify this for 26. I've also been frustrated with AI handling of prospects in the past and would like to see what Beta players have been noticing in this regard.

Well, let's hope. But when it manages all other roster moves adequately, more or less, it seems to be a deeper issue than merely failing to recognize player ability. Seems more a logic issue.

[Matt Arnold]

We're always aiming to improve the AI, and hopefully we've continued to make forward strides this year. Teams are more aggressive this year at pruning out some of the less valuable minor leaguers, in an effort to keep those spots open for the better prospects to not get caught up and dropped. We'll keep an eye on all of that, and continue to improve. We wanted to take a special focus on minor leaguers this year because we do know that's been something people have pointed out in the past.

[Socali]

Originally Posted by highandoutside

Awesome list! Can't wait to order the game as soon as I am done with my current season.

One tiny, small request: is there any chance you can add "Average Game Score" for starting pitchers? (Currently, you can find the Bill James Game Score for each game, but an average would be great, too.) I know it is not a perfect stat, but it is fun to get a general sense of a starting pitcher's effectiveness via this stat. No big deal, but I thought I'd ask.

I've requested this in the past. Crickets (until I saw your post).

[pstrickert]

Originally Posted by BaseballMan

Would it be possible to include the starting pitchers for the National Association, American Assoication, Union Association, Players League and Federal league in the Historical Lineups?

I use the data from retrosheet but it does take a while to pick each starter for every game during that time period in a sim.
The National League starters work great and after 1872 the historical
transactions work great.
The transactions are getting more and more accurate.

I believe the historical lineups file contains the SPs for the NA, AA, UA, PL, and FL (1915 but not 1914 for some reason).

[BaseballMan]

Originally Posted by pstrickert

I believe the historical lineups file contains the SPs for the NA, AA, UA, PL, and FL (1915 but not 1914 for some reason).

I hope you're right but im just seeing it start in 1876.
I thought it had the 1871 because all the starts were matching but then
i remembered there were only 1 pitcher to a team.

[fredbeene]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

We're always aiming to improve the AI, and hopefully we've continued to make forward strides this year. Teams are more aggressive this year at pruning out some of the less valuable minor leaguers, in an effort to keep those spots open for the better prospects to not get caught up and dropped. We'll keep an eye on all of that, and continue to improve. We wanted to take a special focus on minor leaguers this year because we do know that's been something people have pointed out in the past.

I have always been confused on the overall AI. Shouldn't the AI very from org to org? I think as it is now, the AI reacts the same for all teams, with minor variations for lineup changes and strategies.
Or is the AI random where some orgs are better overall and some worse or just have different tendencies?

I would have more fun with historical what ifs with fog of war.

[Markakis2014]

I may have missed this, but will the draft changes finally add the option to have a draft bonus cap, like the real MLB?

[IRockThs]

Is there any indication of what the "alternate development paths" are for players to follow? Trying to figure out what they are before I hire a new scout.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by IRockThs

Is there any indication of what the "alternate development paths" are for players to follow? Trying to figure out what they are before I hire a new scout.

They are not "visible" alternate paths. But moreso that the development this year has more uniqueness and personalization to players. So you may have players that only develop their power later in their careers, or notice some players develop their stuff way ahead of their control and movement, and have to wait for those pieces to catch up, or other changes like that.

[robedits]

Lukas or Matt: please let us know when the 2024 historical lineups/trades are "fixed" and uploaded to Steam's OOTP26....for us OOTP26 owners who want to replay 2024 season with these features. Thank you very much.

[Rain King]

Originally Posted by robedits

Lukas or Matt: please let us know when the 2024 historical lineups/trades are "fixed" and uploaded to Steam's OOTP26....for us OOTP26 owners who want to replay 2024 season with these features. Thank you very much.

Anytime they release a patch, the changelist will be included.

[Bulldawgz24]

Regarding the development lab is that mostly for players that have not reached their full potential? It seems like anyone has a chance to learn a new fielding position, but for example improving gap power, would I only do that for prospects that show potential in actually improving that stat?

[kq76]

Could someone rephrase the change in tools vs ability feature for me? I've read it multiple times, but I just can't understand it.

Adjusted the Favours Ability vs Favours Tools scouts, so that scouts who favour ability will track a player’s normal development curve better, while scouts who favour tools will show improved ratings for players who might be prone to talent changes or to unusual development

Maybe I need to go tested for something, but while I understand what each of those words means individually, together I just don't get it. Is it saying scouts who favour ability will like players who will probably develop on a more predictable path while scouts who favour tools will more like players whose paths are tough to predict? And is that really all that different from what we had before?

[Matt Arnold]

The list has been updated with the changes from 26.2.50.

[warneke]

Why can't we start a historical league earlier than a day before the season starts, if we can now do that for a "standard" game? At least early enough to hold Spring Training?

[Pdubya64]

Originally Posted by kq76

Could someone rephrase the change in tools vs ability feature for me? I've read it multiple times, but I just can't understand it.

Maybe I need to go tested for something, but while I understand what each of those words means individually, together I just don't get it. Is it saying scouts who favour ability will like players who will probably develop on a more predictable path while scouts who favour tools will more like players whose paths are tough to predict? And is that really all that different from what we had before?

kq76:
I am not sure if the Ability scouts were working the way they intended prior to '26.
As far as deciphering the phrase I think it is this which isn't much different than your take:

Ability scouts have a better chance to predict what a prospect's core (normal) path of development will be based on their ratings.

Tools scouts have a better chance to predict that a prospect is more capable talent-wise to experience 'outlier' events (talent changes and unusual development) while growing as a player.

As a result, each is weaker at the opposite Ability/Tools end of the spectrum; so the Very High Ability scout has the hardest time predicting or "seeing" a prospect's outlier chances, whereas the Very High Tools scout has the hardest time predicting a prospect's normal development or core.
I would think given good coaching a prospect's hidden traits or potential can/will develop, you just may not anticipate it when researching them but that is a guess.


That's as far as my analysis takes me. You might flag down Will Beh for a better alternative definition.

[adittam]

We just migrated a long-term online historical league (random player debut) from OOTP 25 to 26. Looking at pitchers' ratings across the league, it feels like a majority of pitchers' visible ratings decreased with the migration. Similarly, it feels like many hitters' power ratings went up at the same time (although, not quite as widespread as the pitchers' ratings changing). The high frequency of these changes at the exact same time we changed game versions feel like a product of the game version migration, not normal offseason player talent movement. Is there a known reason we're seeing this? Or is it coincidental player talent progression/regression?

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by adittam

We just migrated a long-term online historical league (random player debut) from OOTP 25 to 26. Looking at pitchers' ratings across the league, it feels like a majority of pitchers' visible ratings decreased with the migration. Similarly, it feels like many hitters' power ratings went up at the same time (although, not quite as widespread as the pitchers' ratings changing). The high frequency of these changes at the exact same time we changed game versions feel like a product of the game version migration, not normal offseason player talent movement. Is there a known reason we're seeing this? Or is it coincidental player talent progression/regression?

When you migrate versions, everyone gets re-scouted as one point. Also note that the internal map to your ratings scale may shift a little, so you may notice some player overall values shifting.