Out of the Park 13 Review

[DustinT]

The best baseball game available gets better, thanks to some smart improvements.

I’ll skip the typical introductions and get right to the point: If you’ve played Out of the Park in prior years, you should buy OOTP 13. If you like text sims, you should by OOTP 13. If you’ve never heard of OOTP, but love baseball (and own a PC), you should really consider buying OOTP 13.

It’s really that simple. OOTP 13 represents the current pinnacle of text and baseball sims, and is a game nearly all baseball fans will enjoy.

Read More - OOTP 13 Review

[ey215]

Re: Out of the Park 13 Review

Nice review!

I have to say, OOTP 13 is a huge jump from 12 and I just can't seem to put it down. I've been playing OOTP way too long (I honestly don't remember which was my first version) and this is by far the best version ever. I've never been able to get into historical leagues, but the random debut feature has me hooked.

I have to agree with the reviewer if you love baseball and have a PC you really should try this one out.

[Tolstoy]

Man I wish there was a college football game like this.

[CPRoark]

Just to clarify somethIng from the review... I was unable to force any of the new interactive storylines. They are presimably random, and in three years of simming I didn't hit one. They look interesting, I just didn't have the chance to see them in action.

[Vechi8]

Who needs to play fantasy baseball when you have OOTP!! Tha game is a beast and if you love numbers and stats and contracts and scouting, and coaching and general management (you get the idea) this is for you!! Some of you may have played, I think it was by Avalon Hill??, on the Commodore 64 baseball Sim and how awesome that was. This game finally matches the fun factor that I had with that game.

[ey215]

Re: Out of the Park 13 Review

Just to clarify somethIng from the review... I was unable to force any of the new interactive storylines. They are presimably random, and in three years of simming I didn't hit one. They look interesting, I just didn't have the chance to see them in action.

From what I've read over at the OOTP boards they are meant to be pretty rare.

[thevaliantx]

Let's be honest here. Anyone that's played more than of the OOTP series in the past knows that this edition was more about changing the way things look in the interface. I hear some say that the player development model has gotten better, but if you hit the OOTP forums you find that not to be the case.

I'm glad the reviewer mentioned the possibility of having more animations than the ball moving. The reality is that it's not going to happen. I disagree with the reviewer's notion that any added animations would be a bonus and not a necessity. Markus WAS going to have someone code 2D animations into OOTP 13, but it didn't happen. Why? Because too many folks on the OOTP forums trashed the idea and suggested that OOTP 13 would be nothing more than another console game if it it had any more animations. OOTP players, in general, hate the idea of having animations in OOTP. How did Markus manage to avoid the issue of not having animations in this version? By claiming that his ... uh ... other programmer had other obligations and didn't have the time to make the 2D engine.

[orion523]

Re: Out of the Park 13 Review

I've been playing OOTP since OOTP 8, and it is without a doubt the finest baseball game on the market. Yes even better than The Show. What it lacks in graphical prowess, it more than makes up for in depth, realism, and immersion. There is not another baseball sim like it.

[ey215]

Re: Out of the Park 13 Review

Let's be honest here. Anyone that's played more than of the OOTP series in the past knows that this edition was more about changing the way things look in the interface. I hear some say that the player development model has gotten better, but if you hit the OOTP forums you find that not to be the case.

I'm glad the reviewer mentioned the possibility of having more animations than the ball moving. The reality is that it's not going to happen. I disagree with the reviewer's notion that any added animations would be a bonus and not a necessity. Markus WAS going to have someone code 2D animations into OOTP 13, but it didn't happen. Why? Because too many folks on the OOTP forums trashed the idea and suggested that OOTP 13 would be nothing more than another console game if it it had any more animations. OOTP players, in general, hate the idea of having animations in OOTP. How did Markus manage to avoid the issue of not having animations in this version? By claiming that his ... uh ... other programmer had other obligations and didn't have the time to make the 2D engine.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be arguing that 2D animations are a necessity. I completely disagree. I've been playing text based sports games since MicroLeague baseball back on my Apple IIgs and have messed around in most of the genres (even pro wrestling).

I wasn't crazy about the idea of an animation engine when they put it into FM, but it has worked out well. I just don't think it would add enormously to the OOTP experience. The difference between the two games essentially is that in a game like soccer it's good to get a visual representation of where your players are on the pitch and how various tactics interact with the opposing team. Baseball is not a sport that really needs that.

Would I take a 2D engine? Sure. Is it a necessity? Not at all, and I'd rather the OOTP team spends valuable time and resources on other things.

[Jukeman]

Re: Out of the Park 13 Review

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be arguing that 2D animations are a necessity. I completely disagree. I've been playing text based sports games since MicroLeague baseball back on my Apple IIgs and have messed around in most of the genres (even pro wrestling).

I wasn't crazy about the idea of an animation engine when they put it into FM, but it has worked out well. I just don't think it would add enormously to the OOTP experience. The difference between the two games essentially is that in a game like soccer it's good to get a visual representation of where your players are on the pitch and how various tactics interact with the opposing team. Baseball is not a sport that really needs that.

Would I take a 2D engine? Sure. Is it a necessity? Not at all, and I'd rather the OOTP team spends valuable time and resources on other things.

Its def not a necessity but it will be a big bonus even if it was just 2d models running the bases and fielders moving towards the ball (ball animated better)

Graphics could be a plus, look at what facegens bring.

But I love the play by play text and it so detailed compare to other pbp text I've seen, it sucks me in with suspense so It really doesn't matter if they add some kind of graphics.

I was marking out when my team was in a 10th inning battle at home against the D'Backs.

Our lead off hitter for the inning gets a base hit, which was then followed by another base hit as our guy on 1st gambled his way to 3rd on a fly ball that dropped in for a single.

Next at-bats was a fly out followed by a strike out.

Pitcher up, so I called for a pinch hitter. Pinch hitter down on the count 0-2 with two foul balls.

But the 3rd pitch was a wild pitch that hit the backdrop which ended up bringing in the winning run for a 5-4 victory!

[thevaliantx]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be arguing that 2D animations are a necessity. I completely disagree. I've been playing text based sports games since MicroLeague baseball back on my Apple IIgs and have messed around in most of the genres (even pro wrestling).

I wasn't crazy about the idea of an animation engine when they put it into FM, but it has worked out well. I just don't think it would add enormously to the OOTP experience. The difference between the two games essentially is that in a game like soccer it's good to get a visual representation of where your players are on the pitch and how various tactics interact with the opposing team. Baseball is not a sport that really needs that.

Would I take a 2D engine? Sure. Is it a necessity? Not at all, and I'd rather the OOTP team spends valuable time and resources on other things.

Yeah, you're wrong. I never said that 2D animations are a necessity. I implied, correctly so, that there is a segment of the OOTP community that wants SOME SORT of animation (beyond a silly looking ball that just glides in a linear path across the screen), and that Markus (lead developer of the OOTP series) caved because posters on the OOTP forum that have thousands upon thousands of posts cried that it's not a necessity. Look, you can try and spin it any way you want, but this is not about what's a necessity and what isn't. It's about what the gamers WANT. You may not want 2D animations, and that's perfectly fine, but whether you want something or not does not by definition make something a necessity, or not.

I must chuckle at your assertion that soccer is so much more complex than baseball that it needs animations. Looks to me like it's a case of you wanting animations in your favorite game, but that its not okay if someone wants animations in their favorite game. Correct me if I'm wrong.

As far as how the OOTP spends their "valuable time", I believe that would be up to Markus & Gang. At this point, especially at the rate that MLB: The Show is going, Markus might want to evaluate whether redesigning the interface adding the ability to hold a a 500 team league (slight exaggeration there, but not off by much) are the sorts of things that are going to keep the OOTP series going strong. Reading the comments on the OOTP forums, playing MLB: The Show this year (it's a HUGE improvement over last year), and looking back at all my years of baseball gaming experience and my knowledge of the sport, I'd say that things don't look so rosy for OOTP. Yes, I've bought the last five versions of OOTP so I know what I'm talking about. ;-)

[ey215]

Re: Out of the Park 13 Review

Yeah, you're wrong. I never said that 2D animations are a necessity. I implied, correctly so, that there is a segment of the OOTP community that wants SOME SORT of animation (beyond a silly looking ball that just glides in a linear path across the screen), and that Markus (lead developer of the OOTP series) caved because posters on the OOTP forum that have thousands upon thousands of posts cried that it's not a necessity. Look, you can try and spin it any way you want, but this is not about what's a necessity and what isn't. It's about what the gamers WANT. You may not want 2D animations, and that's perfectly fine, but whether you want something or not does not by definition make something a necessity, or not.

Ok, you weren't saying it's a necessity. That's fine, I guess I misread the post. Also, no it's not what "the" gamer want, it's what "some" gamers want, let's not blow this out of proportion. Game development is all about priorities. There are other things that I'd rather see fixed, but hey to each their own.

I must chuckle at your assertion that soccer is so much more complex than baseball that it needs animations. Looks to me like it's a case of you wanting animations in your favorite game, but that its not okay if someone wants animations in their favorite game. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I didn't make that assertion, I actually really enjoyed CM/FM before even the basic circle engine, much less the 3D one. The point I was making is that in a sport like soccer (or for that matter football, basketball, or any sport where you have players in fairly constant movement) some type of graphics engine is more important than a sport like baseball where fundamentally a ground ball to short involves the pitcher, batter, shortstop and first baseman all making routine repetitive moves. It's actually a large reason that baseball translates to radio better than any other sport.

As far as how the OOTP spends their "valuable time", I believe that would be up to Markus & Gang. At this point, especially at the rate that MLB: The Show is going, Markus might want to evaluate whether redesigning the interface adding the ability to hold a a 500 team league (slight exaggeration there, but not off by much) are the sorts of things that are going to keep the OOTP series going strong. Reading the comments on the OOTP forums, playing MLB: The Show this year (it's a HUGE improvement over last year), and looking back at all my years of baseball gaming experience and my knowledge of the sport, I'd say that things don't look so rosy for OOTP. Yes, I've bought the last five versions of OOTP so I know what I'm talking about. ;-)

I'll have to disagree here, the markets for the The Show or 2k, while intersecting some are fairly different and with 13 by far being the best version of OOTP yet, and with more mainstream interest in the statistical side of baseball that the future of OOTP looks very bright.

I will say it again, when Markus & Co decide that it is a priority I'm fine with a graphics engine in the game. I just don't think we're at that point yet. With that being said, with the big improvements this year it's getting close to the point that we're more likely to see a graphics engine in the next couple of versions than ever before.

[thevaliantx]

Ok, you weren't saying it's a necessity. That's fine, I guess I misread the post. Also, no it's not what "the" gamer want, it's what "some" gamers want, let's not blow this out of proportion. Game development is all about priorities. There are other things that I'd rather see fixed, but hey to each their own.



I didn't make that assertion, I actually really enjoyed CM/FM before even the basic circle engine, much less the 3D one. The point I was making is that in a sport like soccer (or for that matter football, basketball, or any sport where you have players in fairly constant movement) some type of graphics engine is more important than a sport like baseball where fundamentally a ground ball to short involves the pitcher, batter, shortstop and first baseman all making routine repetitive moves. It's actually a large reason that baseball translates to radio better than any other sport.



I'll have to disagree here, the markets for the The Show or 2k, while intersecting some are fairly different and with 13 by far being the best version of OOTP yet, and with more mainstream interest in the statistical side of baseball that the future of OOTP looks very bright.

I will say it again, when Markus & Co decide that it is a priority I'm fine with a graphics engine in the game. I just don't think we're at that point yet. With that being said, with the big improvements this year it's getting close to the point that we're more likely to see a graphics engine in the next couple of versions than ever before.

I'm trying to take you seriously, but I just can't. It's not a priority, in your opinion, that 2D animations make their way into the OOTP series as of current, but you will be happy if Markus puts them in. Which is it?

I've been following sports for MANY years, and I've listened to many games of football, basketball and baseball over the radio, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it is the talking mouthpiece (and his knowledge of said sport) that determines whether something happening on the field (or court) translates to radio broadcast or not.

Exactly what "big improvements" in OOTP 13 do you see, that warrants adding animations into the game? Yet another makeover of the bazillion buttons and textual links to click doesn't qualify.

Gamers DO want 2D animations in OOTP, not all of them, of course.

[injury log]

Let's be honest here. Anyone that's played more than of the OOTP series in the past knows that this edition was more about changing the way things look in the interface. I hear some say that the player development model has gotten better, but if you hit the OOTP forums you find that not to be the case.

I'm glad the reviewer mentioned the possibility of having more animations than the ball moving. The reality is that it's not going to happen. I disagree with the reviewer's notion that any added animations would be a bonus and not a necessity. Markus WAS going to have someone code 2D animations into OOTP 13, but it didn't happen. Why? Because too many folks on the OOTP forums trashed the idea and suggested that OOTP 13 would be nothing more than another console game if it it had any more animations. OOTP players, in general, hate the idea of having animations in OOTP. How did Markus manage to avoid the issue of not having animations in this version? By claiming that his ... uh ... other programmer had other obligations and didn't have the time to make the 2D engine.

I volunteer as an OOTP beta tester, and what thevaliantx says above is a complete fabrication. Improving in-game animations is a high priority for the game's developers, but is also a complicated coding task. It was intended to be a major feature for this version of the game, but only if it was possible to do it properly. Real life obstacles intervened, and for that reason alone, priorities shifted for this version. The opinions of people on the OOTP forums had absolutely nothing to do with it.

And the player development model saw some significant changes this version, and the changes are obvious, so I don't know what the first paragraph of your post means. In the Amateur Draft, it is no longer the case that many High School pitchers are 2-pitch relievers. Most High School draftees now have at least some chance to develop into starting pitchers.

It's entirely fair to criticize OOTP, and in a game as complex as OOTP is, there will always be flaws. But I find it pretty disgusting to simply make things up and use your invented version of reality as the basis of your criticisms, especially on a public forum where many people won't be aware of what is true and what is not. If you were attacking McDonalds or Coca Cola, that would be one thing, but OOTP is a small business that needs all the sales it can get just to get by year after year. It shouldn't have to contend with people lying about the game on public forums.

[injury log]

I volunteer as an OOTP beta tester, and what thevaliantx says above is a complete fabrication. Improving in-game animations is a high priority for the game's developers, but is also a complicated coding task. It was intended to be a major feature for this version of the game, but only if it was possible to do it properly. Real life obstacles intervened, and for that reason alone, priorities shifted for this version. The opinions of people on the OOTP forums had absolutely nothing to do with it.

And the player development model saw some significant changes this version, and the changes are obvious, so I don't know what the first paragraph of your post means. In the Amateur Draft, it is no longer the case that many High School pitchers are 2-pitch relievers. Most High School draftees now have at least some chance to develop into starting pitchers.

It's entirely fair to criticize OOTP, and in a game as complex as OOTP is, there will always be flaws. But I find it pretty disgusting to simply make things up and use your invented version of reality as the basis of your criticisms, especially on a public forum where many people won't be aware of what is true and what is not. If you were attacking McDonalds or Coca Cola, that would be one thing, but OOTP is a small business that needs all the sales it can get just to get by year after year. It shouldn't have to contend with people lying about the game on public forums.