How Does OOTP Compare....

CapQb54 · 03-29-2016, 12:03 AM

...with Diamond Mind Baseball or Dave Koch Action Baseball? I'm a fan of historical replays, using actual lineups, starting pitchers, transactions, etc. DMB and Action BB are very conducive to that sort of gameplay. Can the same be said for OOTP, or is this more of a "you be the GM and build your own league, team, etc.? Just trying to get a better sense of OOTP's major strengths. Thanks......

Pirates · 03-29-2016, 12:37 AM

The baseball games you mentioned are not bad games. You really can't compare them to this game. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Those games let you sim any year you want, so it's basically a yearly sim game.

This game lets you run an entire major league team from year to year. Personal decisions you make this year affect the following years personal.

If your goal is just to sim 1 year, pick any of those games, they will do the job. But if you want to see how your favorite team would have done over a certain period of time then you have to take this game.
No other baseball game that you can buy does any where close to what this game can do. You have over 130 years worth of players to choose from. This is not a sim 1 year game, finish, then load the following year, finish, etc...
Plus you all history from 1876 to present is included with this game.

The Wolf · 03-29-2016, 12:41 AM

OOTP is the finest baseball simulation in the world. That statement is not even arguable.

joestros · 03-29-2016, 12:56 AM

Hi Cap. DMB vet here. I have tried OOTP twice the past few years, including OOTP 17, and I have not found a way to set up a custom sized league using real players. OOTP is definitely more geared towards career leagues that evolve over the years. I find it too overwhelming to set up a seemingly simple custom sized league using real players and real stats. I think you can sim single replays of a single past season using real teams and players, but if you want to customize team names and league size I think you are out of luck.

Pirates · 03-29-2016, 01:09 AM

I'm not real sure on what the above post is trying to say.
But game is as accurate as it gets, you can set it up to use historical line-ups and historical transactions. Players get traded or whatever on the same day it happened in real life.

Note: If your not a big baseball fan and don't quite understand the rules of baseball, such as the rule 5, waving players, option years this game can be a bit overwhelming at first, I was lucky since I have followed baseball for nearly 50 years and the only thing I needed to learn was how to navigate through the program.

The Wolf · 03-29-2016, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joestros

Hi Cap. DMB vet here. I have tried OOTP twice the past few years, including OOTP 17, and I have not found a way to set up a custom sized league using real players. OOTP is definitely more geared towards career leagues that evolve over the years. I find it too overwhelming to set up a seemingly simple custom sized league using real players and real stats. I think you can sim single replays of a single past season using real teams and players, but if you want to customize team names and league size I think you are out of luck.

This is utter nonsense! You can totally do all of that, and quite easily.

The Wolf · 03-29-2016, 02:15 AM

Out of the Park Developments Online Manuals

TribeFanInNC · 03-29-2016, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapQb54

...with Diamond Mind Baseball or Dave Koch Action Baseball? I'm a fan of historical replays, using actual lineups, starting pitchers, transactions, etc. DMB and Action BB are very conducive to that sort of gameplay. Can the same be said for OOTP, or is this more of a "you be the GM and build your own league, team, etc.? Just trying to get a better sense of OOTP's major strengths. Thanks......

So, as some have said, OOTP is not the same game as Diamond Mind. However, you can do most of the same things. You can play strict historical replays using actual lineups and transactions. There is a full database of all the players from every season (not just the seasons you buy). OOTP v17 even comes with real historical minor leagues, something Diamond Mind doesn't have.

TribeFanInNC · 03-29-2016, 09:23 AM

(Sorry, I had a meeting and had to cut my thoughts short. To Continue....)

OOTP is a more complete game than DMB. It is more intended to be a GM simulation than a strict replay game like DMB or Strat-o-Matic. It does have a lot more going on (minor leagues, financials, personnel, rules, etc...) - if you choose to use it.

Which leads me to what I think is the greatest strength of OOTP - flexibility and customization. It can do replays like DMB, but that is basically its most stripped down form. You can choose to add in these other GM factors if you want or leave them out if you want. You can make custom hats and uniforms or not. You can play modern MLB or historical or 100% fictional. You can have a co-ed zombie league based in Ghana if you want. What happens in your league is completely up to you.

Once you try it and get past the initial league setup, you'll never go back.

joestros · 03-29-2016, 10:06 AM

I apologize if my message was misleading, Simulating a past season using a real league structure is possible. What I cannot for the life of me figure out is how to setup a customized league size (12 teams for example), with customized league and division names, using real players. A lot of folks who play DMB and Strat participate in a those types of draft leagues.

eriqjaffe · 03-29-2016, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joestros

I apologize if my message was misleading, Simulating a past season using a real league structure is possible. What I cannot for the life of me figure out is how to setup a customized league size (12 teams for example), with customized league and division names, using real players. A lot of folks who play DMB and Strat participate in a those types of draft leagues.

While there isn't a one-click method of doing that, it's been something you can do in OOTP forever. While there are threads around here with more detailed instructions, the steps in a nutshell are as follows:

1) Set up a modern MLB league.
2) League Settings - > Functions -> Schedule Fantasy Draft
3) Edit the league structure, moving and renaming teams to fit, and regenerate the schedule. You might need to repeat this step with the minor leagues as well.

Syd Thrift · 03-29-2016, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joestros

I apologize if my message was misleading, Simulating a past season using a real league structure is possible. What I cannot for the life of me figure out is how to setup a customized league size (12 teams for example), with customized league and division names, using real players. A lot of folks who play DMB and Strat participate in a those types of draft leagues.

You can definitely do this as well; indeed, there are lots and lots of leagues that do this. You have to go in to the League Structure tool to add/remove teams and then regen the schedule or import a new one, but yes, this can most certainly be done.

eriqjaffe · 03-29-2016, 10:21 AM

A more detailed set of instructions, since I accidentally double-posted...

Set up a modern MLB league.
League Settings - > Functions -> Schedule Fantasy Draft. This'll dump all the players to a draft pool and schedule a draft.
Edit the league structure, moving and renaming teams to fit, and regenerate the schedule (note that OOTP is notoriously poor at scheduling leagues with an odd number of teams). You may have to manually change the logos and uniforms if that's important to you.
Delete each minor league and recreate the levels you want (if any). This will eliminate "extra" minor league teams and ensure that the minor league structures match the major league structures. You might need to regenerate schedules for the minors, although I don't think you will.
Hold your draft.

Painmantle · 03-29-2016, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

A more detailed set of instructions, since I accidentally double-posted...

Set up a modern MLB league.
League Settings - > Functions -> Schedule Fantasy Draft. This'll dump all the players to a draft pool and schedule a draft.
Edit the league structure, moving and renaming teams to fit, and regenerate the schedule (note that OOTP is notoriously poor at scheduling leagues with an odd number of teams). You may have to manually change the logos and uniforms if that's important to you.
Delete each minor league and recreate the levels you want (if any). This will eliminate "extra" minor league teams and ensure that the minor league structures match the major league structures. You might need to regenerate schedules for the minors, although I don't think you will.
Hold your draft.

This Works nicely for that endeavor. Granted the league talent would be totally stacked

swampdragon · 03-29-2016, 12:09 PM

I think the game is the best for historical replays that it has ever been. You have lineups and transactions going back to 1901. Playing out the games is enjoyable. I think the pbp is close to being a match for industry standard Diamond Mind, and, unlike Diamond Mind, it's still being worked on and gets better every year.. The statistical output for a replay is also improving, and I think it's now as good as the other two. Since OOTP is designed for career replays, it does that better than anyone. You can get a career line included on your game screen, so you'll know when Willie Keeler is approaching the 3000 hit milestone, see Willie Keeler get that 3000th hit in-game, and get a news article for the event for your history. And all those seasons come with the game rather than being sold separately.

The new historical minors feature brings an entirely new dimension to the game. It takes more work than the majors, but armed with a copy of the Sporting News, you can now replay minor league seasons as well with as many lineups and transactions as you're willing to dig out of the archives. You can't do that with any other game.

I'm a veteran of all three games. If you want to know about particular features, ask away. I've been doing this long enough to be able to optimize the settings for a straight replay. Because most people here don't play out all of the games, and the game has a GM element not found in the others, OOTP doesn't have the same reputation as a straight replay game as the other two you mentioned have. It should.

The Wolf · 03-29-2016, 06:09 PM

Thanks, guys!

jeffself · 03-29-2016, 06:30 PM

I'm a newbie coming from DMB myself. I still consider DMB the gold standard of replay. But OOTP is much more pleasing to the eye. And I ran through a season on OOTP 16 last year. I'm not a fan of the whole franchise thing. Didn't care at all about minor leagues or contract negotiations.

I'm hoping to find a way that OOTP can replace how I play DMB. Either season replays or creating my own league of players (real, no interest in fictional players). And I don't have any interest in those real players generating career stats either. I'm a one season guy. So here is what I want when I create the following leagues:

All-time great players league
--------------------------------------
1. Create my own team names
2. Draft real players from a historical database.
3. Turn off everything related to contracts, minor leagues, career modes

Fantasy-style league using previous seasons stats
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Create my own teams
2. Use player data from previous season
3. Turn off everything related to contracts, minor leagues, career modes

Are these possible? How easy are they to setup?

Pirates · 03-29-2016, 06:45 PM

Yes and Yes

All-Time they have a quick start but I don't agree with the players and ratings.
To many inconsistencies. Now this can be corrected.
If you want to choose all the players you believe should be eligible for the draft you can, this will take some time to add each player. But everything you listed is possible.

Fantasy would be real easy. Import a year, clear team rosters, then make any or all of the changes you listed.

joestros · 03-30-2016, 01:16 AM

Hi Jeff. I am with you on the type of league. The only other thing I want is for the game to keep career records, like the DMB Encyclopedia. Not career stats that are used to determine the outcome, just historical records.

jeffself · 03-30-2016, 08:18 AM

Like I said before, I tried OOTP 15 and play it out of the box using the full ownership stuff like contract negotiations, minor leagues, managing, general manager stuff. Too overwhelming for me. I just wanted to manage games.

But I will try and play it this year like I would DMB. One of the first things I want to do is create a tournament of the top 64 teams of all-time. Play a 154 game schedule between 2 teams. Winner advances.

Does OOTP have some sort of season adjusted ratings? For instance, a team that scored 1000 runs in 2003 may, in fact, be a worse offense than a team that scored 800 runs in 1968. Another example, a batter who hits 54 home runs in 2003 versus a player who hits 40 home runs in 1968. Does OOTP have season adjustments for these situations?

03-29-2016, 12:03 AM	#1
CapQb54 Bat Boy Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 2	How Does OOTP Compare.... ...with Diamond Mind Baseball or Dave Koch Action Baseball? I'm a fan of historical replays, using actual lineups, starting pitchers, transactions, etc. DMB and Action BB are very conducive to that sort of gameplay. Can the same be said for OOTP, or is this more of a "you be the GM and build your own league, team, etc.? Just trying to get a better sense of OOTP's major strengths. Thanks......

03-29-2016, 12:37 AM	#2
Pirates Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 371	The baseball games you mentioned are not bad games. You really can't compare them to this game. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Those games let you sim any year you want, so it's basically a yearly sim game. This game lets you run an entire major league team from year to year. Personal decisions you make this year affect the following years personal. If your goal is just to sim 1 year, pick any of those games, they will do the job. But if you want to see how your favorite team would have done over a certain period of time then you have to take this game. No other baseball game that you can buy does any where close to what this game can do. You have over 130 years worth of players to choose from. This is not a sim 1 year game, finish, then load the following year, finish, etc... Plus you all history from 1876 to present is included with this game. Last edited by Pirates; 03-29-2016 at 12:45 AM.

03-29-2016, 10:21 AM	#13
eriqjaffe Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Under The Christmas Fish Posts: 7,484	A more detailed set of instructions, since I accidentally double-posted... Set up a modern MLB league. League Settings - > Functions -> Schedule Fantasy Draft. This'll dump all the players to a draft pool and schedule a draft. Edit the league structure, moving and renaming teams to fit, and regenerate the schedule (note that OOTP is notoriously poor at scheduling leagues with an odd number of teams). You may have to manually change the logos and uniforms if that's important to you. Delete each minor league and recreate the levels you want (if any). This will eliminate "extra" minor league teams and ensure that the minor league structures match the major league structures. You might need to regenerate schedules for the minors, although I don't think you will. Hold your draft. __________________ Last edited by eriqjaffe; 03-29-2016 at 10:29 AM.

03-29-2016, 12:09 PM	#15
swampdragon Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Lonely Mountain Posts: 2,509	I think the game is the best for historical replays that it has ever been. You have lineups and transactions going back to 1901. Playing out the games is enjoyable. I think the pbp is close to being a match for industry standard Diamond Mind, and, unlike Diamond Mind, it's still being worked on and gets better every year.. The statistical output for a replay is also improving, and I think it's now as good as the other two. Since OOTP is designed for career replays, it does that better than anyone. You can get a career line included on your game screen, so you'll know when Willie Keeler is approaching the 3000 hit milestone, see Willie Keeler get that 3000th hit in-game, and get a news article for the event for your history. And all those seasons come with the game rather than being sold separately. The new historical minors feature brings an entirely new dimension to the game. It takes more work than the majors, but armed with a copy of the Sporting News, you can now replay minor league seasons as well with as many lineups and transactions as you're willing to dig out of the archives. You can't do that with any other game. I'm a veteran of all three games. If you want to know about particular features, ask away. I've been doing this long enough to be able to optimize the settings for a straight replay. Because most people here don't play out all of the games, and the game has a GM element not found in the others, OOTP doesn't have the same reputation as a straight replay game as the other two you mentioned have. It should. __________________ “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies." -- C.S. Lewis Last edited by swampdragon; 03-29-2016 at 12:16 PM.

03-29-2016, 06:45 PM	#18
Pirates Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 371	Yes and Yes All-Time they have a quick start but I don't agree with the players and ratings. To many inconsistencies. Now this can be corrected. If you want to choose all the players you believe should be eligible for the draft you can, this will take some time to add each player. But everything you listed is possible. Fantasy would be real easy. Import a year, clear team rosters, then make any or all of the changes you listed. Last edited by Pirates; 03-29-2016 at 06:46 PM.

03-29-2016, 12:56 AM	#4
joestros Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 77	Hi Cap. DMB vet here. I have tried OOTP twice the past few years, including OOTP 17, and I have not found a way to set up a custom sized league using real players. OOTP is definitely more geared towards career leagues that evolve over the years. I find it too overwhelming to set up a seemingly simple custom sized league using real players and real stats. I think you can sim single replays of a single past season using real teams and players, but if you want to customize team names and league size I think you are out of luck.

03-29-2016, 01:09 AM	#5
Pirates Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 371	I'm not real sure on what the above post is trying to say. But game is as accurate as it gets, you can set it up to use historical line-ups and historical transactions. Players get traded or whatever on the same day it happened in real life. Note: If your not a big baseball fan and don't quite understand the rules of baseball, such as the rule 5, waving players, option years this game can be a bit overwhelming at first, I was lucky since I have followed baseball for nearly 50 years and the only thing I needed to learn was how to navigate through the program.

03-29-2016, 09:23 AM	#9
TribeFanInNC Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 4,019	(Sorry, I had a meeting and had to cut my thoughts short. To Continue....) OOTP is a more complete game than DMB. It is more intended to be a GM simulation than a strict replay game like DMB or Strat-o-Matic. It does have a lot more going on (minor leagues, financials, personnel, rules, etc...) - if you choose to use it. Which leads me to what I think is the greatest strength of OOTP - flexibility and customization. It can do replays like DMB, but that is basically its most stripped down form. You can choose to add in these other GM factors if you want or leave them out if you want. You can make custom hats and uniforms or not. You can play modern MLB or historical or 100% fictional. You can have a co-ed zombie league based in Ghana if you want. What happens in your league is completely up to you. Once you try it and get past the initial league setup, you'll never go back.

03-29-2016, 10:06 AM	#10
joestros Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 77	I apologize if my message was misleading, Simulating a past season using a real league structure is possible. What I cannot for the life of me figure out is how to setup a customized league size (12 teams for example), with customized league and division names, using real players. A lot of folks who play DMB and Strat participate in a those types of draft leagues.

03-29-2016, 06:30 PM	#17
jeffself Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 14	I'm a newbie coming from DMB myself. I still consider DMB the gold standard of replay. But OOTP is much more pleasing to the eye. And I ran through a season on OOTP 16 last year. I'm not a fan of the whole franchise thing. Didn't care at all about minor leagues or contract negotiations. I'm hoping to find a way that OOTP can replace how I play DMB. Either season replays or creating my own league of players (real, no interest in fictional players). And I don't have any interest in those real players generating career stats either. I'm a one season guy. So here is what I want when I create the following leagues: All-time great players league -------------------------------------- 1. Create my own team names 2. Draft real players from a historical database. 3. Turn off everything related to contracts, minor leagues, career modes Fantasy-style league using previous seasons stats ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Create my own teams 2. Use player data from previous season 3. Turn off everything related to contracts, minor leagues, career modes Are these possible? How easy are they to setup?

03-30-2016, 01:16 AM	#19
joestros Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 77	Hi Jeff. I am with you on the type of league. The only other thing I want is for the game to keep career records, like the DMB Encyclopedia. Not career stats that are used to determine the outcome, just historical records.

03-30-2016, 08:18 AM	#20
jeffself Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 14	Definitely ready to give this a shot this year Like I said before, I tried OOTP 15 and play it out of the box using the full ownership stuff like contract negotiations, minor leagues, managing, general manager stuff. Too overwhelming for me. I just wanted to manage games. But I will try and play it this year like I would DMB. One of the first things I want to do is create a tournament of the top 64 teams of all-time. Play a 154 game schedule between 2 teams. Winner advances. Does OOTP have some sort of season adjusted ratings? For instance, a team that scored 1000 runs in 2003 may, in fact, be a worse offense than a team that scored 800 runs in 1968. Another example, a batter who hits 54 home runs in 2003 versus a player who hits 40 home runs in 1968. Does OOTP have season adjustments for these situations?