Has the 3D Animation Improved?

[Eugene Church]

Would love you comments on the 3D animation improvements in OOTP25.

I play a very simple game... no financials, no GM, no management... I just ignore the flaws that are still in the management part of the game and the financials.

I just create a league and watch it play out... i am very happey with OOTP ... the game plays out my league with realistic stats for the era I play and has done so accurately for many, many versions... Very happy with that part of the game.

3D is about the only thing I am concerned with.

Have they gotten rid of the few glitches in the animation... weird foul balls near home plate, third, and first base... have they stop outfielders running through fences... ball going through fences.

Have they improved the camera views so they flow well from screen to screen?... have they perfected the dynamic action camera views?

I have never used the action cameras... they just don't work well IMO... much prefer long shots rather than close-up views.

I wish they would create basic default cameras that would show each play smoothly and use the action camera... it seems to be they could do this... just keep it simple and don't try to do anything fancy.

Couldn't the animators do this? Am I asking for the impossible?

Camera 1:
Give me a good shot of the mound and the batter.

Camera 2
Show where the ball is hit in a wide view.

Camera 3:
Then smoothly zoom in and show the end of the play... that would make me happy... I don't need as much camera customnizations that they give me... camera views are much too complex for a computer illiterate like me.

Just keep it simple and I would be overjoyed.

[kcstengelsr]

I just played a 3D game on the day of release today 3/15/24 using the out of the box settings and put it on YouTube (Braves at Rays exhibition):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al2A...el=kcstengelsr

I have become a fan of OOTP 3D games over the years and my first impression is of smoother ball flights and smoother player animations this year but I did change my in game animation speed from default to slow. As you can see in my video, I like to tinker with the looks and sounds of 3D games like changing the cam angles, changing game sounds to game sounds plus text to speech, and fiddling with widget and labels.
I intend to eventually add my own custom sounds and custom cam angles to the various ballparks along with the mod signage via micropetrus. I suppose that I could easily import my sounds and cameras of the ballparks from what I had done with OOTP24.
In sum, at first look the 3D game appears smoother with OOTP25.

[sdw1000]

To me, it's still doing dumb things. It might be 'smoother' but it's still doing odd ball things like the runner getting to the bag before the ball and being called out. I have only played out 1 game but I am sure I'll see more. The ball projectory on pop up/ foul outs always annoyed me. If I see more, I'll post them.

[zappa1]

I like it. I think they are getting better and better with the animations.

[turdfurgeson]

Originally Posted by kcstengelsr

I just played a 3D game on the day of release today 3/15/24 using the out of the box settings and put it on YouTube (Braves at Rays exhibition):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al2A...el=kcstengelsr

I have become a fan of OOTP 3D games over the years and my first impression is of smoother ball flights and smoother player animations this year but I did change my in game animation speed from default to slow. As you can see in my video, I like to tinker with the looks and sounds of 3D games like changing the cam angles, changing game sounds to game sounds plus text to speech, and fiddling with widget and labels.
I intend to eventually add my own custom sounds and custom cam angles to the various ballparks along with the mod signage via micropetrus. I suppose that I could easily import my sounds and cameras of the ballparks from what I had done with OOTP24.
In sum, at first look the 3D game appears smoother with OOTP25.

Thanks for the video, nice to watch while I am waiting for the download. I skipped last year but still play the version before.
Animation seems like a large jump to me, but I remember back when these boards were hopping with threads arguing about including animations or not around 2006.
I would like them more if the animation screen was static and the widgets were adjustable on each margin of the screen instead of everything dissapearing.

[RonCey10]

I am interested in the retro filters that was promoted in the OOTP 25 video. Has anyone tried it in a game?

[kcstengelsr]

Cey,

That YouTube video I link above features lots of changes of game settings with some of the new filters shown part of the time.

[Swiffle]

Originally Posted by RonCey10

I am interested in the retro filters that was promoted in the OOTP 25 video. Has anyone tried it in a game?

I did see the menu option and quickly looked over each one, there was more than were shown in the trailers. I did like how the TV with desaturated color looked. The black and white filter also looked good, although I probably wouldn't use it.

As for the original topic, the animations are slightly better. Getting thrown out at second no longer looks like you're out by a mile every time. Plays to first are still a bit awkward looking, with either the pitcher or first baseman in to make a play, then pausing or flipping the ball weirdly. Double to deep center still makes your center fielder look lazy out there.

Things got a bit better when I tweaked the camera settings, increasing camera movement speed and quickening the camera cuts. Dynamic cameras did a better job following the play than I could ever get them to do in OOTP 24. Still not ideal though, and I didn't try it on modded 3D parks yet.

[middleson]

Disappointed to see the outfielder is still running into the stands chasing the homerun and it is disconcerting to see the first baseman throwing out the runner at first base when the pitcher is only halfway to first base.

[zappa1]

Originally Posted by middleson

Disappointed to see the outfielder is still running into the stands chasing the homerun and it is disconcerting to see the first baseman throwing out the runner at first base when the pitcher is only halfway to first base.

That's called leading the pitcher. Perhaps you've heard of it. Nobody waits until the pitcher gets to first base to throw him the ball.

[SidHickenbottom]

One thing I've noticed as that little loopers that barely clear the infield are harder to predict, meaning you don't know for sure if the ball will slip past the fielder until it happens. Previously, the pattern was obvious off the bat.

[Guthrien]

They're definitely improved though not without any odd moments. The 1st baseman stretch is usually pretty nice and it just flows smoother in general with infield action.

I actually like the filters quite a bit, when i saw the stills I thought it was an odd superfluous extra but they're actually a lot of fun. Watching a saturated television type screen gave me some flashbacks haha.

[Eugene Church]

Thanks to all of you for your observations.

Much appreciate it.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by kcstengelsr

I just played a 3D game on the day of release today 3/15/24 using the out of the box settings and put it on YouTube (Braves at Rays exhibition):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al2A...el=kcstengelsr

I have become a fan of OOTP 3D games over the years and my first impression is of smoother ball flights and smoother player animations this year but I did change my in game animation speed from default to slow. As you can see in my video, I like to tinker with the looks and sounds of 3D games like changing the cam angles, changing game sounds to game sounds plus text to speech, and fiddling with widget and labels.
I intend to eventually add my own custom sounds and custom cam angles to the various ballparks along with the mod signage via micropetrus. I suppose that I could easily import my sounds and cameras of the ballparks from what I had done with OOTP24.
In sum, at first look the 3D game appears smoother with OOTP25.

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to post the game.

[Trek2300]

I listened to an interview on a Podcast where a developer of Football Manager explained why there would be the occasional odd-looking play during the graphical gameplay of the soccer match. The simulation programming of course will be different between soccer and baseball, but the explanation may apply here as well.

Basically, what we see on the screen is the program trying to interpret the simulation as best as it can. The simulation occurs milliseconds before what we see on screen and the game then attempts to graphically show what happened. I have a feeling that it could be similar in OOTP.

[RonCey10]

Originally Posted by kcstengelsr

Cey,

That YouTube video I link above features lots of changes of game settings with some of the new filters shown part of the time.

Thanks. I saw the different filters the game has. The futuristic and crayon filters are really bizarre. The other filters are awesome.

[kcstengelsr]

I have a second OOTP25 3D exhibition game of the Royals at the Giants just loaded on Youtube but this time I added some custom features to give an idea of how a 3D game of OOTP25 might look and sound with a little effort.
1. In Commissioner Mode I manually adjusted the 26 man rosters for both teams to reflect those shown at Fangraphs this morning (3/16/24).
2. I used the Oracle custom signage by paulloukes in the micropterus58 thread found in the Mods. Maybe paulloukes will eventually update the photos shown on the scoreboard but I used what is available.
3. In OOTP24 I created unique custom sounds for each of the MLB parks and I placed my Oracle sounds file into the OOTP25 ballpark. My custom sounds are better with larger crowds compared to exhibition games but you might notice the seventh inning stretch being unique and the faint boat fog horn custom sound as the teams leave the field.
4. All parks are a little different and I found that best results happen when you have special cameras for each of the MLB parks. I created 26 cam views just for Oracle and many are used in this YouTube game. I imported those from my Oracle OOTP24 oracle_park.ootp3d into Oracle 25.

I am still learning more of the new features of the OOTP25 3D game. The sky and weather changes are a nice touch. Oracle in 3D has never looked better.

OOTP25 Royals at Giants exhibition at Oracle with custom add-on features at YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcsl...el=kcstengelsr

Footnote
This is my 200th YouTube video of OOTP Baseball. They go back a few years and if you compare OOTP25 3D to earlier additions I think you will agree that the newest version is the best yet.

[congokurtz]

My first takes on the 3D animation is it's definitely improved, at least when playing a standard game with the new stadiums. Dynamic action camera cuts seem a lot better and players movements and throws seem more realistic. There are still some camera cut aways that bother me, especially with plays at the plate. But I do like some of the new diving, jumping, stumbling catch graphics. A cool one is where the outfielder leaps for a ball at the fence that is just out of his reach. Which leads me to ask, is there a play where an outfielder robs a HR at the fence? I have yet to see that.

Where I'm still having a problem with the 3D graphics is on the historical side using Silvam's parks. Having the dynamic action camera and follow ball on is not that playable for me. It could be I need to spend more time editing the camera views. If anyone has any suggestions on that I'm all ears.

[BusterKing]

Originally Posted by sdw1000

To me, it's still doing dumb things. It might be 'smoother' but it's still doing odd ball things like the runner getting to the bag before the ball and being called out.

Ya, that's been there forever, You would think they would catch that if they played the game.

[paulloukes]

Great Video..... Here are Oracle Updates to Scoreboards. Free Agent Frenzy with Soler AND Chapman. Enjoy!!

Originally Posted by kcstengelsr

I have a second OOTP25 3D exhibition game of the Royals at the Giants just loaded on Youtube but this time I added some custom features to give an idea of how a 3D game of OOTP25 might look and sound with a little effort.
1. In Commissioner Mode I manually adjusted the 26 man rosters for both teams to reflect those shown at Fangraphs this morning (3/16/24).
2. I used the Oracle custom signage by paulloukes in the micropterus58 thread found in the Mods. Maybe paulloukes will eventually update the photos shown on the scoreboard but I used what is available.
3. In OOTP24 I created unique custom sounds for each of the MLB parks and I placed my Oracle sounds file into the OOTP25 ballpark. My custom sounds are better with larger crowds compared to exhibition games but you might notice the seventh inning stretch being unique and the faint boat fog horn custom sound as the teams leave the field.
4. All parks are a little different and I found that best results happen when you have special cameras for each of the MLB parks. I created 26 cam views just for Oracle and many are used in this YouTube game. I imported those from my Oracle OOTP24 oracle_park.ootp3d into Oracle 25.

I am still learning more of the new features of the OOTP25 3D game. The sky and weather changes are a nice touch. Oracle in 3D has never looked better.

OOTP25 Royals at Giants exhibition at Oracle with custom add-on features at YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcsl...el=kcstengelsr

Footnote
This is my 200th YouTube video of OOTP Baseball. They go back a few years and if you compare OOTP25 3D to earlier additions I think you will agree that the newest version is the best yet.