OOTP 2006 Patch 1.0.3 released!

[Markus Heinsohn]

We are proud to announce that we have just released the final patch for OOTP 2006!

It was a long and sometimes rocky road from the release of the game to the current state it's in, but we think the game is now in very good shape as we have added numerous new features, tweaked various aspects and fixed all reported problems of OOTP 2006. As usual, this patch does include all changes & fixes introduced by previous patches!

DOWNLOAD OOTP 2006 1.0.3 PATCH

This is supposed to be the last patch before we focus on developing next year's version, OOTP 2007. It will build on the great foundation that OOTP 2006 is now and introduce a lot of innovative and fun features.

If you have not purchased OOTP 2006 yet, we ask you to try the updated demo versions for both the PC and Macintosh Computers. You can download the demos here:

DOWNLOAD OOTP 2006 Try & Buy Version

Let us explain some of the new features & tweaks:

- We have added AI lineup selection options to the game setup, traditional and sabermetric. While 'sabermetric' is the way OOTP has always worked (AI is focusing on L/R split ratings only), the 'traditional' approach tries to mirror real life lineups selection, where managers take the overall offensive ability into account more instead of solely relying on lefty/righty split statistics.

- We have improved the interface of the game, adding all league reports into a sub menu within the main league menu, and adding the team schedule to the tabs of the team screens. Also, when skipping through player profiles in a list, right-clicking now takes you directly back to the player list.

- Tiebreakers have been added to leagues that do not have playoffs at the end of the regular season.

- A few more email messages have been added, informing the manager about staff members leaving or players who are retiring after the season.

- We have greatly improved the roster AI, the player aging & development, closer usage AI and team financials AI. This results in a more challenging playing experience.

- We have enhanced the in-game screen, adding more info and improving the default ballpark image.



The fictional player pictures you see on that screenshot have been generated by the wonderful third-party utility FaceTool, which you can find here. FaceTool creates fictional photos for your OOTP 2006 universe, and even updates the uniforms once players change teams!

For other great OOTP add-ons, like roster sets, player photo packs or database utilities, please visit the OOTP 2006 Mod forums.

Here is the complete list of features & tweaks in OOTP 2006 version 1.0.3:

* Added a "Offer all minor league free agents minor league contract extensions" function to the teams' possible free agent screen
* Added player overall and potential rating to player profile screen
* Added all league reports into a submenu within the league main menu
* Added "Schedule" to the tabs of the team screens
* Added an info message that informs managers if staff members are leaving the team after the season
* Added an info message that informs managers when players retire
* Added AI lineup selection options to the game setup, traditional (weighting overall ratings/stats more than splits) and sabermetric (depending solely on split ratings/stats)
* Added a "clear schedule" function to the schedule editor
* Improved player development & aging algorithms
* Improved roster management AI
* Improved both the broadcast and webcast game screens
* Coaches & scouts may now refuse 'demotion' to minor league jobs
* Commissioners may now retire or unretire players manually
* When promoting a player to the active roster, he is automatically added to the 40-man roster if there is room
* Players with a major league contract who are on DFA and no longer on the 40-man roster and cleared waivers may now be assigned to the minor leagues
* Added the option to only display qualifiers in the sortable player list within the league statistics screen
* Improved importing of historical stealing ratings
* Tweaked development of market size, fan loyalty and fan interest
* Fixed allstar game date editing
* Fixed rescheduling of allstar game problem
* Fixed coaches causing staff expenses when leaving the team
* The "force trade" option now handles waiver trades properly
* Fixed several play-by-play issues
* Tweaked contract values earned through salary arbitration
* Improved AI in terms of a salary cap
* Fixed HTML bug on team leaderboards report
* The "Download league files" menu button will now be shown for commishes, too
* Tweaked injury system, increasing the amount of day-to-day injuries
* Removed protection of traded draft picks
* Fixed Mac problems with online leagues
* Tweaked closer usage in order to give them a few more innings pitched
* Tiebreakers now occur in leagues without playoffs as well
* #2023 - Fixed minor league contract extensions
* #2288 - Fixed holds recording in played out games
* #2414 - Fixed amateur draft scheduling problems when importing real schedules
* #2427 - Fixed display of fielding stats in player lists
* #2430 - Erasing the service time now resets option years properly
* #2446 - Fixed improper use of quotes bug in teams.csv dump
* #2451 - Stats leader team now identified in top 5 players boxes
* #2465 - CSV output uses comma now, change delimiter in /data/config/app (sqldump_csv_delimiter) if needed
* #2469 - Added error message HTML page for "missing" files
* #2487 - Schedule in reports doesn't display ASG from wrong league
* #2505 - Fixed potential ratings link on team page
* #2512 - Team fielding report shows passed balls now
* #2525 - Corrected number of reports in CSV export screen
* #2528 - Removed needless fields from human managers data dump
* #2530 & 2531 - CSV data dump headers are comma separated now, too
* #2535 - Removed needless tables from data dump; fixed league_events bug

Enjoy the game!

Markus Heinsohn

[MizzouRah]

Been playing the demo and so far I'm liking it quite a bit. Many improvements appear to have been made.

So far, so good!

Might pick this one up this weekend and finally end my 6.51 career.

[GoldenEagle]

Was anyhting ever done about managing minor league teams? Can GMs sign minor league free agents on their own?

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

Was anyhting ever done about managing minor league teams? Can GMs sign minor league free agents on their own?

No, the idea is that you are not the minor league GM, but rather the manager, so you cannot sign players and have to work with what is given you in order to earn better job offers.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Been playing the demo and so far I'm liking it quite a bit. Many improvements appear to have been made.

So far, so good!

Might pick this one up this weekend and finally end my 6.51 career.

That good news Todd.

Can't wait for the weekend to try the demo out.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

No, the idea is that you are not the minor league GM, but rather the manager, so you cannot sign players and have to work with what is given you in order to earn better job offers.

I think what he was more indirectly asking is, are you going to get hamstrung managing a minor league team when three starting pitchers get hurt? Is the parent club going to provide relief, or are you forced to just make do?

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I think what he was more indirectly asking is, are you going to get hamstrung managing a minor league team when three starting pitchers get hurt? Is the parent club going to provide relief, or are you forced to just make do?

Just out of curiosity - what happens now in real life when this situation occurs?

Is the response different if it happens to an AAA affiliate as opposed to an A affiliate?

I'd really like to know more about how minor league teams manage their rosters when there's a parent club who gets priority attention.

[GoldenEagle]

I do not want to be a minor league manager, I want to be a minor league GM. Here is what a minor league GM does:

-He can sign free agents to fill out his roster when needed. These players are propery of the big club and can be moved around as needed.
-Request that a player be sent up from a lower league or called down from a higher league. Again, this helps to fill out the roster.

I know it is probably to late for this version but I would see this added for the next version.

[Cuckoo]

This is probably a stupid question that has been answered many times, but I glanced (quickly) over on the OOTP forums and didn't see the answer.

If I tried the demo way back on the initial release, will I be able to try the new patched demo? I remember for the first major patch there was some sort of reset available, I think.

Anyone know anything about this?

[AgustusM]

FYI for those who may have fled OOTP after its less then stellar release, this new version is MUCH improved and once you get use to the new interface (which I hated at first, but love now) this is a very solid game.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'll be sure to try the demo tonight. I have a feeling that I'm really going to want this game. Grr. It seems like I always want too many games between July and October. The rest of the year is relatively slow for me, but I always get amped about games in summer and early fall.

Hopefully, the demo will keep me happy for a while.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I'll be sure to try the demo tonight. I have a feeling that I'm really going to want this game. Grr. It seems like I always want too many games between July and October. The rest of the year is relatively slow for me, but I always get amped about games in summer and early fall.

Hopefully, the demo will keep me happy for a while.

I'm in the same boat. I really like how this game plays now and the wealth of information is unreal. I just hope I don't find a bunch of issues from 6.51 like Troy and others have found.. I hope it's cleaned up.

FWIW, I'm probably one of the few who really likes the scoreboard font.

[lighthousekeeper]

Am I the only one who experiences the problem where when your playing out your games, the game pauses like 1-2 seconds after every pitch? It makes playing out games extremely frustrating for me to the point of making it unenjoyable - but it just may be a sign that I need to get a better PC.

[sabotai]

Guys.

How could you let the developer of the game beat you to posting news about the game? You guys are slipping.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

Am I the only one who experiences the problem where when your playing out your games, the game pauses like 1-2 seconds after every pitch? It makes playing out games extremely frustrating for me to the point of making it unenjoyable - but it just may be a sign that I need to get a better PC.

Did this just start with 1.03? I haven't downloaded 1.03 yet, but I play out my games on 1.02 and have never noticed such a thing.

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

Did this just start with 1.03? I haven't downloaded 1.03 yet, but I play out my games on 1.02 and have never noticed such a thing.

No I've experienced this with 1.00 and 1.02 (haven't downloaded 1.0.3 yet). I guess it's just another sign that my PC's too old.

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I do not want to be a minor league manager, I want to be a minor league GM. Here is what a minor league GM does:

-He can sign free agents to fill out his roster when needed. These players are propery of the big club and can be moved around as needed.
-Request that a player be sent up from a lower league or called down from a higher league. Again, this helps to fill out the roster.

I know it is probably to late for this version but I would see this added for the next version.

I hate to say it, but a minor league general manager does none of those things. I interned under the "General Manager" of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA Affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies) and the general manager is mainly involved with day to day activities (making sure the turf is ok and handling promotional stuff).

The farm team has absolutely no say in parent club matter. None.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by RedKingGold

I hate to say it, but a minor league general manager does none of those things. I interned under the "General Manager" of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA Affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies) and the general manager is mainly involved with day to day activities (making sure the turf is ok and handling promotional stuff).

The farm team has absolutely no say in parent club matter. None.

Didn't everyone knew that? The exception would be an independent club or the way it was in the real old days.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

No, the idea is that you are not the minor league GM, but rather the manager, so you cannot sign players and have to work with what is given you in order to earn better job offers.

Then this game is like FM and more focused at the manager level and not the GM. I kind of like the GM stuff.

[Fouts]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Then this game is like FM and more focused at the manager level and not the GM. I kind of like the GM stuff.

You are the GM at the major league level.

[Mountain]

There is an option when you are playing out the game where you can turn off the delay in between plays I think this eliminates the one or two second pause.

[MizzouRah]

I think I'm going to finally purchase this game. It's nice to see Markus here and SI has done a great job with news and patches, imo.

I'm sure some goofy AI things are still around, but after playing the demo at length the past two days, I think it's time to retire 6.51.

I think I'm going purely fictional as well to eliminate any pre-conceived real player evaluations. I also think by starting at say, the AAA level should help immerse me in my league.

Facegen is one awesome tool!!!!!

[Young Drachma]

You can have an independent minor league club in an affiliated minor league and operate that club as a GM, if all you want to do is play in the minors and then sell of your players to the highest MLB bidder or something.

I've done it and the game makes it work fine.