OOTP 9 vs 6.5

[CatKnight]

I know this (or similar) debates have been waged a thousand times before, and I don't really want to trigger a battle. I'm trying to determine which is right for ME.

I grabbed OOTP 8. I liked its customability and detailed stats (especially VORP) I also liked its overall sense of game balance and some of the depth.

Other parts of said depth I could do without - scouting for example (which I know is changed in OOTP 9). Also, most critically, the game ran very, very slow...and far worse if you included the minor leagues. My computer's a few years behind the tech curve and you can tell.

Also, in many ways it was TOO complex. I'm a BM veteran. I'm not personally interested in fighting my way through several menu screens just to see who's doing well - and I find 500 page manuals intimidating to put it mildly.

I've heard 6.5 is much simpler than 8 (and therefore I assume 9). What do you 'lose' in the bargain? Can it still handle historical seasons or was that an 8 add on? (I seem to recall having to d/l the Lahman db for 8.) I've read references to a Cato database: What is it, and is it required?

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[edm]

6.5 can do historical leagues. however, it may not support the newest lahman database so you may need to find an older version of the database. It's difficult to say how different the interface is compared to ootp8 until it's released. Also, it's been a while since I've played 6.5, but there are some features that were not yet in the game back then that are now. one that comes to mind is the ability to hold an expansion draft. if that's important to you.

Personally, bells and whistles aside, I would go with the new version for the AI improvements alone. I imagine the advancements in AI from v6.5 to ootp9 are pretty big. Yeah, it's not it's not as simple as BM and may seem a little daunting at first, but most of the games advanced features can be toggled on/off to make the gameplay as deep or as simple as you like. I personally turn scouting and coaches off for example. Other options, like the 40-man roster, waivers, rule 5 draft, etc., can also be disabled. You can also make your league as big or small as you want. If you just want to run the majors with one minor league level you can do that. Just take your time with it and if you have any questions post them in this board. The people here are very helpful.

[OldFatGuy]

Originally Posted by edm

Yeah, it's not it's not as simple as BM and may seem a little daunting at first....

There's the understatement of the year. I hadn't purchased a basball sim in years and found BM on a shelf in Best Buy last year and gave it a shot. I was playing my first season, and more or less understanding and enjoying it, the DAY I bought it.

I migrated here late last year and purchased 2007. I dibbled, I dabbled, I read the freaking manual, I dibbled, I dabbled. And I'm telling you it took me WEEKS just to get an understanding of WHERE stuff was. I would find a screen, look over its information, then an hour later want that screen again, and it would take me 2 hours to find it.

I gave up, I read the manual again, I tried again. I am now comfortable, I LOVE the game, I love its options, and can now not even imagine why it took me so long to find screens back then. It seems simple now.

But, oh boy, at first its a BIG BITE out of a BIG APPLE that one must take to get comfortable. However, I can say without hesitation it was well worth the effort. Plus, most people are smarter than I, and almost all are more computer savvy than I, so I can easily say I would recommend giving it a try as it won't take others as long to get comfortable. And from the latest newsletter about OOTP 9, I would ramp up that recommendation. If you're willing to put in the time it takes to learn this thing, you'll be well rewarded. (Funny, I seem to remember 1998 Yankees telling me something like that last year when I was bitching about how hard it was to learn this game. )

[gocubsgo]

So what you are saying is that you can teach and Oldfatguy new tricks? I would agree that there is a huge difference from OOTP 6.5 and if you have noe experience with that game then just wait and get the new version on the 18th. I think a lot of us oldies became so attached to the progression of OOTP that when things were radically changed it was a major change for those of us who could maneuver in the earlier versions in our sleep. 6.5 will whet your appetite but i think OOTP 9 will be like an 8 course meal, just give yourself some time.

[1998 Yankees]

I've become convinced by this thread that they ought to take OOTP 6.5, spruce it up a bit, and sell it as OOTP Lite. Seriously, not kidding around (for a change).

OFG is too modest; I'm sure most of us from 6.5 days struggled to learn 2006-2007-8 and will continue to struggle keeping up with 9 and beyond. Frankly, if I don't play the game for a while then start up a saved league again (as I just did), I have to sit down for an hour or three to 1) refresh myself on screens, procedures, options, and settings, and 2) see who the heck these guys are that I am looking at (this time, though, I had left myself a primer on who's who and what's happening ). I can only imagine what OOTP looks like now to some folks coming in "off the street," so to speak.

I think an OOTP Lite based on 6.5 would be great for people who want a simpler gaming experience that is between arcade style and present day OOTP. This is no aspersion along the lines of "most people are smarter than I, and almost all are more computer savvy than I" . Rather, it would be for people who want a taste of baseball text simulation and who may not have the time nor the inclination to get into it any further. I think OOTP Lite would be a winner.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by CatKnight

I know this (or similar) debates have been waged a thousand times before, and I don't really want to trigger a battle. I'm trying to determine which is right for ME.

I grabbed OOTP 8. I liked its customability and detailed stats (especially VORP) I also liked its overall sense of game balance and some of the depth.

Other parts of said depth I could do without - scouting for example (which I know is changed in OOTP 9). Also, most critically, the game ran very, very slow...and far worse if you included the minor leagues. My computer's a few years behind the tech curve and you can tell.

Also, in many ways it was TOO complex. I'm a BM veteran. I'm not personally interested in fighting my way through several menu screens just to see who's doing well - and I find 500 page manuals intimidating to put it mildly.

I've heard 6.5 is much simpler than 8 (and therefore I assume 9). What do you 'lose' in the bargain? Can it still handle historical seasons or was that an 8 add on? (I seem to recall having to d/l the Lahman db for 8.) I've read references to a Cato database: What is it, and is it required?

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

You can disable Scouting in league setup.

[venusbaseball]

Will you be able to import 6.5 leagues and if so, what information is imported?

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by CatKnight

I've read references to a Cato database: What is it, and is it required?

Catobase was a third-party add-on to the OOTP 5/6x series which created a more detailed league history than the game did by itself (see here for an example.

The downside was that generating Catobase output wasn't the most reliable process, crashes weren't uncommon, and were often difficult (if not impossible) to recover from. To add to it, Cato (the program's creator) pretty much disappeared from the community with no notice, so getting support became very difficult.

A few of us began to discuss creating an open-source version of Catobase around the time that OOTP2006 was in development, but it turned out that just about all of Catobase's functionality has been incorporated natively into OOTP's history functions.

If you want to play OOTP6.5, Catobase is absolutely not necessary, although it is pretty cool when it works.

[The Wolf]

As of next week, 6.5 will be four entire versions back. Why isn't it freeware yet?

[ulrichsson]

Originally Posted by 1998 Yankees

I think an OOTP Lite based on 6.5 would be great for people who want a simpler gaming experience that is between arcade style and present day OOTP. This is no aspersion along the lines of "most people are smarter than I, and almost all are more computer savvy than I" . Rather, it would be for people who want a taste of baseball text simulation and who may not have the time nor the inclination to get into it any further. I think OOTP Lite would be a winner.

I totally agree here. I did not buy 2006 or 8 and never played 2007. I'm willing to give 9 a chance, but I'm still playing 6.5 and will continue if 2007 is too complex for me.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by ulrichsson

I totally agree here. I did not buy 2006 or 8 and never played 2007. I'm willing to give 9 a chance, but I'm still playing 6.5 and will continue if 2007 is too complex for me.

Thanks. I was wondering if anybody would pick up on my suggestion. I hope management does as well.

[astatguy]

I'm in three active 6.5 leagues, all of which have discussed moving to a newer version at some point, but never have. I've purchased every version, but still only play 6.5. Like Oldfatguy I find I need training every time I play one of the newer versions, even after having played for a couple of weeks.

I'll buy OOTP9 for a couple of reasons. First, maybe they got it right this time and online leagues will flock to it. Second, I want to support OOTP Developments. None of my leagues are even discussing moving to OOTP9, and that's a change.

[Hoolegan]

Originally Posted by 1998 Yankees

I've become convinced by this thread that they ought to take OOTP 6.5, spruce it up a bit, and sell it as OOTP Lite. Seriously, not kidding around (for a change).

I tend to agree. 6.5 with Face Gen would be great for starters.

I've grown to like OOTP 8 but I miss the ease of moving around the old interface.

[Save_Me]

6.5 will always be the best