The thing I would most like to see in OOTP 16

ToTheBackstop · 08-26-2014, 11:44 PM

There's been a lot of terrific suggestions and ideas posted in this forum for various new features, and I'd certainly love to see many of these make the final cut. However, if I could only pick one improvement for OOTP 16, it would be to address the way the AI deals with game-winning run scenarios. It seems there are some (glaring, imo) cases where the AI just doesn't properly deal with scenarios where the game-winning run is heading home.

Here's an example. (Screencap below.) Bottom of the 12th, tie game, runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 out. Batter grounds a single into right field, slow lead runner heads for home. My Gold Glove RF with a cannon arm (95 on the 100 scale) fires home to attempt to cut down the winning run and keep the game alive. I lean forward in anticipation, breathlessly awaiting the dramatic play at the plate -- this is baseball at its best! -- and .... the throw gets cut off(!!!!!!) and thrown to 3rd. As we know, in OOTP if a throw to home is cut off, this is effectively conceding the run -- if an out is recorded at third, it never happens before the baserunner crosses the plate. Now, there are certainly lots of instances where a team will concede the go-ahead run, but there is no way that a team will concede the winning run.

(As it turns out, the cut off throw nailed the trailing runner for the out. "Yay," I thought glumly as I imagined the winning team celebrating their walkoff win while doubled-over in laughter at the boneheaded cutoff man.)

Another example -- sorry, I don't have the game log for this. Bottom of the 9th, tie game, bases loaded, 1 out. Batter hits a grounder to second. The second baseman tosses to first for the 2nd out as the winning run trots in. Sorry, but this is never happening. The fielder is going to either try to cut down the winning run at home (esp. if playing in), or is going to try to go for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play (esp. if playing deep). If they can't turn the double play and wind up with the winning run scoring on a FC4-6, that's credible, but there is no way that the defensive team is going to field the ground ball and just throw to first. (Obviously, going for a 4-3-2 double play is extremely unlikely.) Even if the grounder is hit deep in the hole such that a double play is impossible, the throw is never going to first -- the throw will go home, even if it's basically a late, no-hope throw.

The current way the AI handles these game situations seems to be reasonable when we're dealing with a potential go-ahead run, but not for bottom-of-the-9th/extra inning scenarios where the run would be the game winner, and I find it really jarring. Fortunately I've only had this occur during regular season games so far; it'd be really painful to see a championship game turn on a play unfolding like this. I'd love to see the AI beefed up in OOTP16 for cases like this such that it can distinguish between go-ahead runs and game-winning runs.

08-26-2014, 11:44 PM	#1
ToTheBackstop Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 151	The thing I would most like to see in OOTP 16 There's been a lot of terrific suggestions and ideas posted in this forum for various new features, and I'd certainly love to see many of these make the final cut. However, if I could only pick one improvement for OOTP 16, it would be to address the way the AI deals with game-winning run scenarios. It seems there are some (glaring, imo) cases where the AI just doesn't properly deal with scenarios where the game-winning run is heading home. Here's an example. (Screencap below.) Bottom of the 12th, tie game, runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 out. Batter grounds a single into right field, slow lead runner heads for home. My Gold Glove RF with a cannon arm (95 on the 100 scale) fires home to attempt to cut down the winning run and keep the game alive. I lean forward in anticipation, breathlessly awaiting the dramatic play at the plate -- this is baseball at its best! -- and .... the throw gets cut off(!!!!!!) and thrown to 3rd. As we know, in OOTP if a throw to home is cut off, this is effectively conceding the run -- if an out is recorded at third, it never happens before the baserunner crosses the plate. Now, there are certainly lots of instances where a team will concede the go-ahead run, but there is no way that a team will concede the winning run. (As it turns out, the cut off throw nailed the trailing runner for the out. "Yay," I thought glumly as I imagined the winning team celebrating their walkoff win while doubled-over in laughter at the boneheaded cutoff man.) Another example -- sorry, I don't have the game log for this. Bottom of the 9th, tie game, bases loaded, 1 out. Batter hits a grounder to second. The second baseman tosses to first for the 2nd out as the winning run trots in. Sorry, but this is never happening. The fielder is going to either try to cut down the winning run at home (esp. if playing in), or is going to try to go for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play (esp. if playing deep). If they can't turn the double play and wind up with the winning run scoring on a FC4-6, that's credible, but there is no way that the defensive team is going to field the ground ball and just throw to first. (Obviously, going for a 4-3-2 double play is extremely unlikely.) Even if the grounder is hit deep in the hole such that a double play is impossible, the throw is never going to first -- the throw will go home, even if it's basically a late, no-hope throw. The current way the AI handles these game situations seems to be reasonable when we're dealing with a potential go-ahead run, but not for bottom-of-the-9th/extra inning scenarios where the run would be the game winner, and I find it really jarring. Fortunately I've only had this occur during regular season games so far; it'd be really painful to see a championship game turn on a play unfolding like this. I'd love to see the AI beefed up in OOTP16 for cases like this such that it can distinguish between go-ahead runs and game-winning runs. Attached Images