BTS: Frequently Asked Questions

[Winfling]

Finally all the years I paid for OOTP in hope to finance a football game are paying of

I read the whole thread and are thrilled about the game.

I have one question: when will we (as a GM) start our career in the game? will there be a chance to start the game as a GM right after the final/superbowl? I mean in most games the GM starts his career right before the preseason games or the season games and I always hated that. as a new GM or HC you will always sign in January and try to build a team via draft and free agency and prepare for your first season. No owner would hire his GM in July or August (well, maybe Daniel Snyder would ).

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Winfling

Finally all the years I paid for OOTP in hope to finance a football game are paying of

I read the whole thread and are thrilled about the game.

I have one question: when will we (as a GM) start our career in the game? will there be a chance to start the game as a GM right after the final/superbowl? I mean in most games the GM starts his career right before the preseason games or the season games and I always hated that. as a new GM or HC you will always sign in January and try to build a team via draft and free agency and prepare for your first season. No owner would hire his GM in July or August (well, maybe Daniel Snyder would ).

The ideal start time would be somewhere around this time of year. So just after the Superbowl.

[Francis Cole]

When the game starts will probably be just before the HOF game. It's certainly not going to be before the draft, as that goes into historic leagues which will not be for V1

[Spharv2]

I have a simple question. When we're playing out games, will we have (in game, or the ability to flip to a different page) a scoreboard for other games? So for those times when you're fighting for a playoff spot but don't control your own destiny, you'll be able to check up on the scores of the other games. It certainly adds to the tension of a game when you can look and see that other team you need to lose is trailing by 2 in the fourth quarter.

[Francis Cole]

Good idea!

[goalieump413]

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

When the game starts will probably be just before the HOF game. It's certainly not going to be before the draft, as that goes into historic leagues which will not be for V1

Is this to facilitate a fixed starting point in V1? I ask because I was wondering if all the player/roster/organization info is fixed in place to start with, and not customizable.

[Francis Cole]

Is this to facilitate a fixed starting point in V1?

Basically yes.

I ask because I was wondering if all the player/roster/organization info is fixed in place to start with, and not customizable.

I think it depends on which bits you mean specifically.

I think we've been clear that customization will not be as extensive as you find in OOTP15, and I think that is to be expected as it is only BTS1! - not to mention the intrinsic differences between Baseball and Football, and the differences between how the sports are modeled in their respective games.

However there will still be some bits the user can customize/change though, as has been detailed in other posts (league structure, team names etc).

Thanks for your question.

[r0nster]

I didnt see it posted but wondered since we be playing multiple seasons with version one then moving to version 2 when that comes around. Will we be able to import our league into the next version as like OOTP???

[Francis Cole]

To be decided. Probably will depend on what the new features are for V2 if we can easily convert a V1 save game into a V2 one.

[eriqjaffe]

I don't remember seeing this mentioned, but will we be able to dump everybody to a pool and perform a fantasy draft?

[rpriske]

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

To be decided. Probably will depend on what the new features are for V2 if we can easily convert a V1 save game into a V2 one.

I would think this would be crucial.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

When the game starts will probably be just before the HOF game. It's certainly not going to be before the draft, as that goes into historic leagues which will not be for V1

Not sure I see the connection.

For fictional leagues it would be far better to allow the league to start as early as possible. Allow the user to sign free agents (or have an inaugural draft, if the user prefers), then progress to the initial amateur draft, then to training camp, preseason games, and then on to the regular season. Get the user involved in the building of their fictional club right from the start.

For leagues based on the actual NFL, then starting in the preseason period for the first season makes sense since the roster for each club is a known element and the user can then make their own choice as to who makes the final cut for opening day. An alternative is to have the opening day roster version available so users can jump to the regular season and focus on playing out the regular season with those real-life rosters if they so choose.

Basically, what I'm suggesting is that when a league starts should depend on the type of league it is. Fictional leagues should start at a different point from current-day NFL leagues (which should probably have two different opening points of their own), and historical leagues (whenever implemented) should likewise have their own league starting point that best fits it.

Fictional, current-day, and historical leagues are all different entities, with different focuses, so it'd be best to not try to shoehorn all these into the same starting point for a league's inaugural season.

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by rpriske

I would think this would be crucial.

I'd be willing to put up with having no import function for the first couple of versions, but this kind of backwards compatibility is a massive selling point for OOTPD and needs to eventually make it into the game. I wouldn't have purchased every version of OOTP Baseball since V10 if it would have meant having to restart my leagues every year.

[Righty Groove]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

I'd be willing to put up with having no import function for the first couple of versions, but this kind of backwards compatibility is a massive selling point for OOTPD and needs to eventually make it into the game. I wouldn't have purchased every version of OOTP Baseball since V10 if it would have meant having to restart my leagues every year.

I wholeheartedly agree. But at the same time, I've always wondered... Does this 'need' for backwards compatibility hold back the game's development? As in, does it make for a more difficult, or sometimes impossible implementation of certain features?

Not a rhetorical question, I really don't know.

Nevertheless, that ability alone to import saved games into new game version makes OOTP better then Football Manager for me.

[colourmebrad]

I've been waiting for this for about a decade! Seems every other time one of the indy devs announces a football game it nevers sees the light of day, but this being tied to OOTP's team, I BELIEVE! I'm excited, to say the least.

Originally Posted by ripwalk

Lastly, a suggestion .. I forget where I read it, but mention that the Facegen would be pictures of players with helmets on, but without a face guard.. Why?? That sounds incredibly awkward looking. Why not just have the Facegen pictures be players with their jersey on, no helmets at all, as players are when they are intro-ed in NFL games?

Agreed that when I read that it definitely sounded like it would look super awkward. If FaceGen hair is a nightmare, I'd rather a baseball hat than a weirdo helmet.

Originally Posted by farmkidD2

...will the GM/Coach be able to set up a gameplan to heavily stop the run at all costs, or key a specific running back or double team a specific WR? Or on offense, create a gameplan around a specific player? Maybe this is incorporated via a practice schedule where the coach highlights various aspects of the game(like discipline or forcing turnovers or tackling).

As someone who's been using Madden as a (really shoddy) GM sim for years, being able to have strategic control like this would be a tremendously enjoyable feature!

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

When the game starts will probably be just before the HOF game. It's certainly not going to be before the draft, as that goes into historic leagues which will not be for V1

Will we have the ability to start the league with all teams CPU controlled and sim to the end of the first Super Bowl and take over a team right after?

Will we have the ability to quick-sim entire seasons (or, even better, multiple seasons) to build up a history in a fictional league?

Will the Health Map allow for long term injuries that take a while to get back to 100% from? i.e. a player gets an ACL injury, comes back the next season but isn't really the same player until the season after that.

Will the GM AI react to things going on in the league? For instance, let's say a CPU controlled team is in a division with 2 or 3 strong QBs, will the CPU GM go after pass rushers and cornerbacks? Will we see CPU GMs 'copycat' the strategies of Super Bowl winners?

I am very pleased to hear your sound strategy of limiting the scope for v1. I'll be following your progress keenly!

brad

[Mr. Baseball]

Please don't do helmets in the FaceGen. On no website are players wearing helmets for team-pictures. ESPN, Yahoo Sports, NFL.Com, they're all just headshots. Do the same with BTS.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Mr. Baseball

Please don't do helmets in the FaceGen. On no website are players wearing helmets for team-pictures. ESPN, Yahoo Sports, NFL.Com, they're all just headshots. Do the same with BTS.

They can't, because the licensed version of FaceGen they have for BTS (and OOTP and FHM) doesn't support hair (that costs quite a bit extra). So they have to have some sort of headgear on the player. Which means it's either a baseball cap or a helmet.

[TGH-Adfabre]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

I'd be willing to put up with having no import function for the first couple of versions, but this kind of backwards compatibility is a massive selling point for OOTPD and needs to eventually make it into the game. I wouldn't have purchased every version of OOTP Baseball since V10 if it would have meant having to restart my leagues every year.

Especially for online leagues.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

They can't, because the licensed version of FaceGen they have for BTS (and OOTP and FHM) doesn't support hair (that costs quite a bit extra). So they have to have some sort of headgear on the player. Which means it's either a baseball cap or a helmet.

Shall we start passing the hat for a BTS hair fund??

[Raidergoo]

Originally Posted by ripwalk

Shall we start passing the hat for a BTS hair fund??

If I recall the price, you'll need a hat that would fit the Statue of Liberty.