OOTP 19

[lungs]

Downloaded and installed....

Only played one game with the improved 3D. Definitely a big step up. Still some quirkiness. But overall I'm impressed after playing one game.

[RainMaker]

Can you install if you ordered through Steam? I just ordered today so maybe that's the issue.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Can you install if you ordered through Steam? I just ordered today so maybe that's the issue.

Pretty sure Steam buyers will be on the 22nd

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Can you install if you ordered through Steam? I just ordered today so maybe that's the issue.

No.. you have to purchase directly from OOTP developments. Steam releases on the 22nd.

If you want to play TODAY, then you need to buy direct. I think that also ends today as far as getting to play it by ordering (not sure).

I went the Steam route as well for the first time as I think it's best to wait for the release day patch and probably even better for an updated roster (if you use real MLB) a few weeks or so after the real season kicks off.

The early release is great though as they fix a lot of the bugs and even make improvements most of the time by the release day.

[IlliniCub]

The 3d certainly looks better, but a lot of the same old quirks are there. Balls clearly beating runners to infield cutoff man with no attempt at a play being made. Player thrown out by a 3b from deep left field. Hopefully some of this gets ironed out during this version. Haven't had too much of a chance to dig deep in anything else yet.

[lungs]

I've played four games so far.....

-Infield animations and plays are much improved. I've yet to see the slow roller out to second base that the catcher goes and fields while the runner proceeds to get lead in his legs allowing the catcher to throw him out. The hits through the infield are much better.

- Outfield needs some work. A lot of hits where the outfielder seemingly gets there and under it only to let it drop for a hit. I know sometimes outfielders let up and let balls drop but not when they've been camped under it.

- I still know when things like the above mentioned outfield hits are going to be hits. The baserunners take off and don't stop. If they could fix this, it would add some suspense to those close plays that could go either way.

-When I look back to how 3D has evolved in the past three versions, it's come a long way. Last year was a big improvement in ball flight angles. And now we have players instead of pawns! I've gone from an exclusive fast sim player to playing out all my games.

Keep in mind I'm only playing the final beta version.

On the sim side, I converted my historical replay 1993 (now in 1994) game. All the shitty players that had proven that they sucked over a decent sample size were on waivers when I hit finish day for the first time. Last year's game was keeping guys with ERAs over 7 and K:BB ratios of like 1:2 on the team and getting significant amount of playing time. They all got dumped in 19 immediately.

[IlliniCub]

I'm really liking what I'm seeing in the player usage and lineup AI after importing my old league. I'll have to test more but I'm thinking I'm seeing considerable improvement in the AI.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

No.. you have to purchase directly from OOTP developments. Steam releases on the 22nd.

If you want to play TODAY, then you need to buy direct. I think that also ends today as far as getting to play it by ordering (not sure).

I went the Steam route as well for the first time as I think it's best to wait for the release day patch and probably even better for an updated roster (if you use real MLB) a few weeks or so after the real season kicks off.

The early release is great though as they fix a lot of the bugs and even make improvements most of the time by the release day.

No biggie. Would just cause me to play instead of work. Look forward to playing it this weekend.

[MizzouRah]

Be sure to go into the bugs forum to report those 3d issues. They have been good at fixing those throughout the year.

Sounds like it's made a big leap, which is good to hear. Last year's game, I could definitely tell most plays before they would complete as I just became used to the animations, which did have some wonky ones. I was worried it was just going to be a graphic update, sounds like they have cleaned up/added to it.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

No biggie. Would just cause me to play instead of work. Look forward to playing it this weekend.

Me too.. haha.. I have a big weekend of soccer refereeing so I'm hoping for rain.

[BYU 14]

As mentioned, still some quirks in the animations at times, but man, what a GIANT step forward. The in game experience is as a immersive as I have encountered in a sports sim, and it is just a joy to watch the games play out. Even little stuff, like firing the ball around the horn after a strikeout. Very impressed!

[korme]

Originally Posted by IlliniCub

I'm really liking what I'm seeing in the player usage and lineup AI after importing my old league. I'll have to test more but I'm thinking I'm seeing considerable improvement in the AI.

Curious, could you elaborate?

[nilodor]

If you buy it through OOTP can you also install it on steam later?

[Ramzavail]

no.

[Ramzavail]

well, technically yes, but you will not have a steam code. You can have steam use any "non steam" game, but you wont get any achievements, etc.

[Young Drachma]

This thread is tempting.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

I mean, the 3d is ok for what it is. It is still very rudimentary. Its a modern day microleague and very functional, but stunning? no.

I haven't played the game in awhile, even though I buy every new version. Maybe its because I now have a touch screen computer and apparently some very fat fingers, but I just don't remember the game being so click heavy?

For example, I play stats only so during the draft, I click on the scouting page, and I then might click on career stats and fielding stats to get a better sense of the player and then unless I am misunderstanding how to do it, theres no way to just close the player page. If I look at three pages on that player page, then I have to click the back button three separate times to get back to the draft screen.

Following my team on the scores page so I can see the players of the day and the rest of the scores is a pain too. After I click complete day, it automatically goes to the next day before I can see the scores and I have to click back to get to the scores page.

During the free agency period, after I put in bids to players. I will get a personal message that takes me to the personal message screen, to get an update, but I don't think the main free agency screen is one click away from that? Could be wrong.

Anyway, in general, I do like the game, I have played it for years. Lately, for some reason the UI quirks have burnt me out on it a little bit.

[IlliniCub]

To elaborate, I'm just finding that the AI seems to be doing a better job of roster selection and lineup selection, as well as matchup choices within games. This is all small sample size so far at this point, but I'm seeing less things on the surface that make me scratch my head.

[MizzouRah]

I'll get it installed via Steam on Thursday and hopefully mother nature gives us rain on Friday and Saturday so soccer is rained out.

I plan on MLB QS with Cardinals, which is typical for me, but this year I think I'm going to erase all the history and go from 2018.

All the other text sims I play have no league history and I kind of like using real players but letting the league build from there.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by IlliniCub

To elaborate, I'm just finding that the AI seems to be doing a better job of roster selection and lineup selection, as well as matchup choices within games. This is all small sample size so far at this point, but I'm seeing less things on the surface that make me scratch my head.

This is good news. One of my gripes was feeling I had a pretty big advantage from a managers standpoint over the AI. That'll always be the case but closing that gap should help a lot.

Does the game handle expansion properly? I've been interested in just starting with an expansion team and curious if they do it the same way MLB does it. But the game doesn't seem to really follow real life rules.

Kind of irks me because that is a fun aspect of a sim and they're wasting their time adding soccer tournaments in instead of that.

[RainMaker]

Couple questions:

1) Does the game still have a draft class of real players the first year that is overpowered and thus leaves future draft classes real weak to even out?

2) Does the AI still make terrible trades with itself just for the sake of trading?

Perhaps most importanlty

3) Does the AI spend just to spend causing it to do ridiculous stuff? Last year it would sign players, then release them right away and sign other players because it felt it needed to reach a certain budget.

[MizzouRah]

Finally fired it up today.

The new interface is top notch, love the tabs! I've been wanting that addition and it's finally there! Everything just looks really good, crisp, clean and using maximum text size on my new 32" monitor is icing on the cake.

Played one game and lost 7-3 to the Mets, love the new 3D guys running around. For some reason the text still doesn't match up all the time with the play, maybe there is some setting I can adjust?

Think I'll also enlarge the players a bit and maybe even go with a bigger baseball to see it a bit better.

[MrBug708]

Don't care about playing the games. A lot of other stuff seems smooth though. Even donated money to a players charity. And Puig wanted to choke out Adam Libatore. Not sure how real it is, the Braves won it all in 2018

[Young Drachma]

I wonder if it'll convince me to stop simming basketball seasons incessantly. Probably will pick it up tomorrow.

[SirFozzie]

Still some wonkiness with basic baseball rules

Tied 3-3 after the top of the sixth, but my SP is done, and the guy in the bullpen is ready, so I make the switch while I'm still batting in the bottom of the sixth .

We go on to score 9 that frame, and the pitcher I brought on to start the seventh gets the win, and shouldn't have.

[dcg12]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Still some wonkiness with basic baseball rules

Tied 3-3 after the top of the sixth, but my SP is done, and the guy in the bullpen is ready, so I make the switch while I'm still batting in the bottom of the sixth .

We go on to score 9 that frame, and the pitcher I brought on to start the seventh gets the win, and shouldn't have.

You say you made the switch while you were batting in the bottom of the sixth. If your pitchers bat and you pinch hit then yes its wrong but if you actually dragged a new pitcher into the pitching slot before the top of the seventh then the game got it right within the confines of its logic. you technically put a new pitcher in before you took the lead. This wouldn't happen in real life but the game is literal

[MrBug708]

Saw a check swing strike 3 in the first game I played out

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Saw a check swing strike 3 in the first game I played out

Having Ozuna in LF has been great watching him make diving catches, jumping up and robbing HR's/doubles, etc.. you can tell who your strong defensive players are just by watching a game.

[MrBug708]

I did see a fielder get to the spot where the ball landed way before the ball got there and it still went for a double

[hollmt]

If you are playing out a game, can you save progress, close out and come back at a later time to finish the game or do you have to finish the game you started?

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I did see a fielder get to the spot where the ball landed way before the ball got there and it still went for a double

Me too.. just make sure to report those in the thread in the bug forums. I need to submit a few of mine.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by hollmt

If you are playing out a game, can you save progress, close out and come back at a later time to finish the game or do you have to finish the game you started?

I believe you can save and come back.. at work right now so I can't check.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by dcg12

You say you made the switch while you were batting in the bottom of the sixth. If your pitchers bat and you pinch hit then yes its wrong but if you actually dragged a new pitcher into the pitching slot before the top of the seventh then the game got it right within the confines of its logic. you technically put a new pitcher in before you took the lead. This wouldn't happen in real life but the game is literal

This is right. I used to do this to cheat and get some extra saves for my closer.

[Ramzavail]

I need the bullpen button back!

[EagleFan]

lol, one of my players was just diagnosed with "Fell through the barn roof" and will be out for 8 weeks. Luckily it's the off season so no time missed. Just thought it was a funny statement... was diagnosed with... Wonder what kind of tests the doctors did to figure that out.

[EagleFan]

Early impression but really liking the new changes. Well done.

[bulletsponge]

seeing the stupid long contracts on Detroit and Miami's books makes me wonder what they were thinking when they offered these contracts?

[RainMaker]

For all the good about the game, they still ignore basic stuff to add nonsensical crap from board members.

Game still can't handle 3-way tiebreakers. Still does expansion really poorly. But I can promote and relegate teams which exists nowhere in the world. And I can setup an FA Cup because I guess soccer does it?

[korme]

Why is expansion done poorly? How better else would you like it?

[MrBug708]

Has anyone ever gotten a decent trade offer? Here, let me offer you my 3 star 3B because he has 20 in gap, because 3 stars is better than your 2.5 3B. But I also have to give my 5* SP prospect and my second best MR.

[MrBug708]

I also don't understand the end of year score. I had a 386 score, which wasn't very good. Why can't it be 1-100?

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Has anyone ever gotten a decent trade offer? Here, let me offer you my 3 star 3B because he has 20 in gap, because 3 stars is better than your 2.5 3B. But I also have to give my 5* SP prospect and my second best MR.

I just finished my last season in v18 , imported to 19, and am in the off-season Dec. 18th. It's a week before rule V. It's 2032, I'm the Cubs coming off world series win over the White Sox. I've received good offers and made a trade that was very fair. 24 yr old SP with 40/55 (20 - 80 scale by 5's) and a 45\45 30 yr old 2b for a 20/55 3b prospect that looks to be my 3b in about 2 yrs.

Before that I was offered a 55\55 1b with power for a 45\45 current sp and a 20\55 prospect sp that may or may not make it.

Also a 25 yr old 50/60 1b (7-7-5-4-7 on the 2-8 scale) for a lights out 70/70 setup man and the 20/55 3b prospect I just got from the White Sox. My current 1b is not rated high but produces good stats so I think the AI perceives a weakness that to me isn't there. I do want to keep the 3b prospect as in about 2 seasons I think I'll need him. However, even though I don't need this 1b being offered I'm so tempted to take him. He is going to be an elite hitter with good enough power at 5. With his contact and avoid K's ability I think that 5 power will pan out to ~25 hrs. Top it off he is "durable" think 155+ games and 600 + ABs and this guy is a dream. Did I mention he has high work ethic? Only downfall is a low leader, so what I have plenty of leadership. Typing this has me almost convinced I can't turn this down even though it will make a logjam at 1b and leave a potential hole at 3b in a couple of years.

[fortheglory]

Originally Posted by Sweed

I just finished my last season in v18 , imported to 19, and am in the off-season Dec. 18th. It's a week before rule V. It's 2032, I'm the Cubs coming off world series win over the White Sox. I've received good offers and made a trade that was very fair. 24 yr old SP with 40/55 (20 - 80 scale by 5's) and a 45\45 30 yr old 2b for a 20/55 3b prospect that looks to be my 3b in about 2 yrs.

Before that I was offered a 55\55 1b with power for a 45\45 current sp and a 20\55 prospect sp that may or may not make it.

Also a 25 yr old 50/60 1b (7-7-5-4-7 on the 2-8 scale) for a lights out 70/70 setup man and the 20/55 3b prospect I just got from the White Sox. My current 1b is not rated high but produces good stats so I think the AI perceives a weakness that to me isn't there. I do want to keep the 3b prospect as in about 2 seasons I think I'll need him. However, even though I don't need this 1b being offered I'm so tempted to take him. He is going to be an elite hitter with good enough power at 5. With his contact and avoid K's ability I think that 5 power will pan out to ~25 hrs. Top it off he is "durable" think 155+ games and 600 + ABs and this guy is a dream. Did I mention he has high work ethic? Only downfall is a low leader, so what I have plenty of leadership. Typing this has me almost convinced I can't turn this down even though it will make a logjam at 1b and leave a potential hole at 3b in a couple of years.

Is this using the d fault difficulty?

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by fortheglory

Is this using the d fault difficulty?

Difficulty: Average
Preference: Neutral

I think that is default but then I started this game in v4 and have imported to each new one making changes over the years so, could be wrong.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by korme

Why is expansion done poorly? How better else would you like it?

It doesn't mimic the MLB system which allows you to protect a certain number of players per round.

For instance in real life, Round one allows the 2 expansion teams to draft 14 players each from the unprotected list which was 15 players per team. Only one player could be drafted per team in that round. The next round is the same except teams can add 3 more protections.

Now in OOTP there are no rounds and teams simply protect a number of players.

But let's say that's hard to program in and they only really could do the basics. I'm fine with that. But the AI for protecting players and drafting is abysmal.

Just a few of the many examples in a sim:

- Cubs leave Kyle Hendricks, a top of the rotation starting pitcher with team control for a couple more years unprotected. They did protect the aging Ben Zobrist who's deal is probably considered bad at this point. As well as Jason Heyward who might have one of the worst contracts in baseball.

- White Sox protect 33-year old journeyman reliever Joakim Soria over the #30 prospect in the game Michael Kopech. The White Sox focus is set to rebuild.

- Tampa protecting Carlos Gomez over Blake Snell.

The AI doesn't take into account contracts when it comes to protecting players. They don't take into account the team's focus. And they don't take into account age or team control. The AI behind it seems really simplistic and they clearly don't intend you to play out as an expansion team.

I mean this is fine if it wasn't for the fact that we have stupid promotion/relegation and FA Cups built-in the game. Just more soccer shit while overlooking basic real life baseball functionality.

[RainMaker]

Also doesn't look like the recent CBA changes to draft pick compensation are in the game either. Kind of an important part if you're trying to be a baseball simulation.

[EagleFan]

There is a difference between a baseball simulation and an MLB business simulation.

[RainMaker]

Well that stuff actually takes place in real life baseball whlie promotion and relegation does not.

[MizzouRah]

Started as GM of the Cardinals.. couple of months in and I have 3 SP's out, two for the season but we are still wild card material. Our ace, Martinez is one of my SP's out for the season.. sucks.

The owner wants me to resign Waino.. but he wants $14 mil for 4 years.. uh no.. think I'll pass. I did lock up Ozuna for another two seasons at 11 mil/yr.

We needed a closer badly so with Yadi signed for 3 more years, we trade prospect C Carson Kelly to the Orioles for CL Brad Brach. The Orioles are in serious rebuild mode and have one of the worst records in the league.

Hopefully as we start to get healthy again we can keep pitching as well as we have so far. Alex Reyes has been good in AAA since his season ending surgery last year, so I might call him up after the AS break. We won't catch the Cubs but hopefully can stay around for a WC berth.

[RainMaker]

How's the trade AI this year? Because that actually seems like a realistic trade. Kelly is a top-100 prospect and Bach is an elite reliever rental.

Wondering if that's you manually doing it or if they're doing a better job.