Any tips for a total newbie?

[Qeltar]

Quick backstory: started playing The Show a few months ago, have considered using Franchise mode there but I am having fun playing RTTS and I've read about issues with that mode. Also, I am going to be traveling this summer and I am not taking the PS/4 with me. I have a Surface Pro and thought OOTP might be a good way to enjoy what I am told is an excellent baseball management mode and "scratch the baseball itch" while on the road.

I haven't bought it yet, but I plan to. However, when I look at it, it seems incredibly complex. Is this the sort of thing where I can just dive in and the game will guide me and it all works out? Or are there any things I should know to avoid making mistakes I'll regret and having to start over multiple times?

I'm assuming the general concept is "pick a team and build it to greatness as the GM" but don't know anything beyond that.

Any tips much appreciated. Thanks!

[WaitTilNextYear]

If you want a simple, pick-up and play type of game that you can dabble in for a short while, this is probably not your jam. I also wouldn't consider it the type of game where the game "will guide you and everything will work out." The amount of depth and options is incredible and deep. It will take you several hours just to get the hang of it. You'll also have a lot of questions that you'll only be able to answer by trying it out. Might not be your cup of tea if you want something really simple and quick to play here and there.

[Qeltar]

Thanks for the reply. No, I get that this isn't a simple "pick-up" type game. Not expecting arcade mode or simplicity, that's not what I meant. I like the complexity and am willing to sit down for sessions that take some time.

I'm just wondering how to get started. Sounds like I'll just have to muddle through.

[KBLover]

Try not to do too much at once. Focus on a certain aspect at a time. Like if you want to focus on scouting and scouting budget. Try to hone in on that and see what you like to do. Think about what you want to do - like if you want to get the upper hand on what's going on at the majors, say for trades or scouting your opponents, try to make that happen using the scouting system.

That would teach you about picking a head scout, setting budget, setting how you allocate that budget, how to scout players and read the scouting reports on a player over time.

Things like that might help you break down the game into chunks that you can grab hold of easier.

But, the best way is to experiment and see what happens and what you can do to your team and why it happened. Take it slow and look in detail. It can look like chaos but there's often a reason or a system to it (sometimes it is just chaos, just like real life).

[Qeltar]

Thanks.

Sounds like I need to just dive in, accept that I will likely mess up my first try, and restart later if I want to once I know more.

[KBLover]

Yep, in fact, I would just make some "throwaway" leagues just for that purpose. Just use them to try certain things/settings.

[Qeltar]

Thanks.

I read somewhere that you can start as a GM or as a manager or even a coach.. is this a 'career mode' type deal? Or do you choose to (for example) start as a hitting coach and then stay there or something?

Another dumb question. If I want to GM an entire franchise and want to start with current rosters, I assume there are MiLB players who will develop according to an algorithm. After a few years does the game just generate new random players to replace them? I'd assume so. How well does it do this? The Show makes very weird random players.

[NoDakHusker]

The game is built for career mode play. You can either be a GM or a Manager, or you can assume both roles and control everything. There isn't an option to be a hitting or pitching coach, though(unless I'm missing something I haven't seen before).

The game does generate players as you move forward in time. There isn't a limit to how long your career lasts, so if you play long enough, you can reach a point where all real players have retired and the league is filled with entirely fictional players in the future.
OOTP offers a lot of options over how the game generates these players. You can control player development and aging rates, what countries they might be generated from, ratings modifiers, etc.

I don't really mess with those ratings, because I think the game does a good job with player creation. Though I do make it so players age slightly slower than the game's default setting. OOTP has a lot of options and customization, it can be quite overwhelming at first. If there's something you don't like about how the game plays, there's a good chance it has a setting that you can change to your liking.