Patch #2 - New Features

[CMH]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

That's not needed... you have real scouting reports of every player in OOTP 9, and they get updated automatically every couple of months.

And since players no longer have sudden talent drops, having a report update more than every couple of months is not necessary.

I see how you think Markus.

[ScottPoseSnag]

I've got say, that is what makes this game so amazing. With just about any other game, if you had a complaint about the game, or something you thought could be better, you had to wait a year to see if they would possibly fix the problem, if they even acknowledged there was one, and then there would inevitably be something else that would bother you. Here, the developer reads feedback in real time and then "Voila" there is a new option to address it. Amazing.

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by Larry Mahnken

Put all of your money down on Da' Tara in the Belmont!!!! You'll thank me, man who lives a month in the past!!!

Give the Wolf-man a break!! He's probably just groggy after going for days without sleep while playing OOTP!!! And who among us hasn't forgotten to tear off a calendar page every once in a while? Heck, I get the YEAR wrong every so often!!!!!

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

You can select the accuracy of the scouting engine, ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high)

I'm assuming there will be a relationship between the quality of scout, the scouting budget, and the accuracy adjustment mentioned above. So if you have a not-so good scout and an average scouting budget but set the accuracy as 5 (very high), you'd still get some iffy results, right? Better than you'd get now maybe, but not always dependable. Ability of the scout and size of budget would still be the biggest factor in accuracy of the scouting reports. Am I on the right track there? And by the way, which IS the most important factor right now? Will an average scout with a maxed-out budget outperform a great scout with an average or low budget?

Also, would the scouting accuracy adjustment help in the inaugural draft? Would you want to set the togle to Very High for the draft and then lower it to Average if you like the uncertainty of scouting as portrayed in the game currently? Or will something else be done to improve the quality of the scouting reports in that first big draft? It seems too much of a guessing game now, considering that you're drafting players in their 20's and 30's. These aren't high-school kids with no history behind them.

Finally, any chance of ever getting an option for having contracts assigned to players BEFORE the inaugural draft? You could still find yourself overpaying for a fading star or getting an up-and-comer cheap, but this would add some interest in drafting to a salary cap or controlling market size. I've never liked the idea of simming 40 years or whatever before taking control of my team.

[Kelric]

Here's a small suggestion that makes sense (in my mind, at least). With the yearly scouting reports on player cards currently showing the current results, then past results in order from oldest to newest... wouldn't it make more sense to show the newest report at the top and the oldest at the bottom? That way we see current, then the one from the start of the current year, then last year's, the year before... and so on.

[Larry Mahnken]

I would very much like to be able to edit no-trade clauses and bonus clauses in player contracts.

[Ian Collins]

Hello Markus,

What I really miss - from long days with an old baseball game - is music, particularly that grand old song: "Take me back to the Ballgame". It would be great if you could include this in the future upgrade.

To avoid copyright issues, why not record it yourself? And to be really different you could record it in German.

Heck... this game is so good we would all learn the words and sing along with you at the bottom of the seventh.

All together now.........

Führen Sie mich zum Kugelspiel aus,
Führen Sie mich mit der Masse aus.
Kaufen Sie mich irgendwelche Erdnüsse und Crackersteckfassung,
Ich interessiere mich nicht, wenn ich nie zurück erhalte,
Lassen Sie mich wurzeln, zu wurzeln, für das Heimteam zu wurzeln,
wenn sie es nicht sind eine Schande gewinnen.
Für es ist ein, zwei, drei Schläge, Sie sind heraus,
an der alten Kugel game.

Way to go !!....................

Ian

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by Dagrims

Mid-July is only two weeks away.

Whew. That's the kind of first-cup-of-coffee in the morning mistakes I LIKE to make.

[Sweed]

On the new 1-5 scouting accuracy scale what value equals what we are using now? 1 and we can only move to a more accurate scouts? Or 3 and we can move up or down from what we have now?

[battists]

Originally Posted by Sweed

On the new 1-5 scouting accuracy scale what value equals what we are using now? 1 and we can only move to a more accurate scouts? Or 3 and we can move up or down from what we have now?

Since this hasn't actually been coded yet, I'm just tilting at windmills here, but I would guess that what we have now is "3".

[SittingDuck]

Originally Posted by Sweed

On the new 1-5 scouting accuracy scale what value equals what we are using now? 1 and we can only move to a more accurate scouts? Or 3 and we can move up or down from what we have now?

I would seriously hope that '3' is equivalent of what the game is using as a standard right now, as far as this new feature (which I totally applaud).

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by Larry Mahnken

Put all of your money down on Da' Tara in the Belmont!!!! You'll thank me, man who lives a month in the past!!!

Before I've downed two cups of coffee in the morning I'm not really awake. It could be any month or year.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by SittingDuck

I would seriously hope that '3' is equivalent of what the game is using as a standard right now, as far as this new feature (which I totally applaud).

Yep, it's right in the middle now...

[Giants44]

exciting news. I loved the new scouting spec, but still ended up turning it off when my highly paid, highly rated scout couldn't seem to tell the hall of fame talent from the drunk outside the stadium.

[Curtis]

Originally Posted by BoHill

Markus, please try to include the following changes to the game screen in the next patch:

1) Please include hitter type (Normal, Spray, or Pull) on the actual game screen batter's info by putting at least a N, S, or P somewhere in the AT Bat box, perhaps just to the right of the batter's name.

2) Please add at least Shift Right and Shift Left to the game screen Outfield selection options for obvious reasons, along with the added coding to make these choices effective against power pull hitters.

These are two great suggestions, but they might be so difficult to code that they'd have to wait for the major update.

Originally Posted by ScottPoseSnag

I've got say, that is what makes this game so amazing. With just about any other game, if you had a complaint about the game, or something you thought could be better, you had to wait a year to see if they would possibly fix the problem, if they even acknowledged there was one, and then there would inevitably be something else that would bother you. Here, the developer reads feedback in real time and then "Voila" there is a new option to address it. Amazing.

Actually, Emmanuelle, the designer of Tennis Elbow (an ATP tour game) and Tennis Elbow Manager (a tennis management sim) does the same thing, and no one who posts on the Mana Games forum seems to think it's unusual. It's certainly a service you don't get from everyone, but neither is it unique.

Originally Posted by spitfire

Finally, any chance of ever getting an option for having contracts assigned to players BEFORE the inaugural draft? You could still find yourself overpaying for a fading star or getting an up-and-comer cheap, but this would add some interest in drafting to a salary cap or controlling market size. I've never liked the idea of simming 40 years or whatever before taking control of my team.

This is also a great idea, but again might prove difficult to code. As an alternative, your inaugural draft could be for the rights to negotiate for (say) two weeks with a player before he becomes a free agent. Maybe everyone drafted from the 24th to the 40th round will sign for the minimum and anyone after the 40th will settle for a minor league contract.

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by Curtis

This is also a great idea, but again might prove difficult to code.

Difficult for an ordinary programmer perhaps, but we're talking about Markus here!!! This man can do anything!!!!! [Insert donkey-love image here .....] But seriously folks ..... PITA doesn't mean impossible. I fully expect that one day Markus will find ways to do some of these things. Who knows, on some great day at some far off time, I may even be able to move my Single A manager directly to Double A!!!! The sky's the limit!!!!!!!

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by spitfire

[Insert donkey-love image here .....]

Too much information.

WAY too much information.

[Curtis]

Originally Posted by spitfire

Who knows, on some great day at some far off time, I may even be able to move my Single A manager directly to Double A!!!!

Well, now you're just losing touch with reality.

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Too much information.

WAY too much information.

I was referring to a cute picture posted in another thread of a woman kissing a donkey. It was posted after someone gave rather effusive compliments to Markus, if you get the drift. Apparently the pic hasn't attained iconic status on the forum yet ......

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by Curtis

Well, now you're just losing touch with reality.

I'm afraid that happened years ago!!! Reality is now a place I visit once in a while but try to spend as little time in as possible. We have kind of an agreement .... I don't bother it and it don't bother me .....