Tag Archives: OOTP Baseball

Breaking OOTP, Episode 1: PITCHERS vs. HITTERS

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When my previous computer died, I lost the International Baseball Competition. I will try again next year. I might still have the original starting files to go on, and if I can find them, I will put them up so that you can do the IBC.

However, from the ashes of the 2015 IBC, there has risen…

BREAKING OOTP!

Yes, Out of the Park Baseball tasks me, so I must have it! I will force it to do things that it was not made to do, things that mankind was not meant to see simulated. Some will answer questions, some will settle scores, and some will push Out Of The Park Baseball to it’s very limits, to see if I can literally cause the game engine to beg for mercy.

(And, yes, this is basically Breaking Madden in OOTP form, you have a problem with that? Oh, and CLICK PICTURES TO MAKE THEM BIGGER.)

TODAY:

PITCHERS

vs.

HITTERS

Yes, for all time, the pitchers have waged war with those at the plate. But now, it is time to finally settle it once and for all, as a team made up entirely of pitchers will play a team made entirely up of hitters. And at the end of the day, ONLY ONE SHALL BE LEFT STANDING…. AFTER THE JUMP:

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Tomorrow: @OOTPBaseball International Baseball Competition returns!

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Tomorrow, the International Baseball Competition returns. Now, I’ve fallen a bit behind, so it’ll be a bit of a different format than in previous installments, but it’ll be here, and that’s all that matters! See you tomorrow!

 

Looking at the new stuff that will be in OOTP ’16

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It’s coming again. Out Of The Park Baseball. Are you hyped? Because I’m hyped. Oh, sure, they didn’t pick any of my suggestions for their tagline, but the one they did pick is pretty good. And, what’s more, OOTP 2016 is coming and it already is looking like a big leap over even the improvements that OOTP 2015 brought.

Because, for the first time in quite awhile (if ever), it’ll be officially licensed. Yes, Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball are officially licensing the latest OOTP games, due out in March. That means that instead of having to import logos and stadiums, etc, it’ll all come pre-packaged (although, of course, we’ll still be able to make our own if we want). What’s more, it definitely gives OOTP more clout and officialness- in fact, it’s mobile version will be renamed “MLB Manager”. That will expand it’s reach to more people, bringing OOTP head Markus Heinsohn one step closer to world domination.

Some other things I’m excited for:

  • More leagues! They are adding the Australian League and Independent Leagues in both America and Japan! I love the global scope of OOTP and glad to see it’s default settings continue to grow.
  • Team Owners are more realistic: apparently now instead of simple “win now” or “win later” things, the owners will have both long-term and short-term goals and from the look of what the press release says they might not always make sense (for example, signing a star to a long contract, which as we’ve seen in the real world can be a total disaster).
  • Better finance and coaching systems. They are, of course, completely separate from each other, but I’m combing them because I’m looking forward to seeing more about them. The finance system apparently will be much bigger and involve season ticket sales, etc, while the personnel and coaches will now have personalities and the like. I’m interested.
  • Changes to team strategies, playoff news coverage and the 3D modelling. I’m especially looking forward to the last of these- OOTP 15’s modelling was a good first step but definitely had room for improvement. Fingers crossed it delivers! That fact that they’ve confirmed they will have the 30 MLB stadiums in from the start makes me very optimistic.
  • Little things like rainout rescheduling, different currencies (Yen, Pesos, Euros, etc.), improved HoF and All-Star Voting, etc. etc.

I, of course, will write more about the latest OOTP as more info becomes available.

Note: While I received no compensation for writing this preview, in the past I have received complimentary copies of “Out of The Park Baseball” from it’s developers.

My Suggestions for Out Of The Park Developments Tagline

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As you know, I’m a big fan of Out of the Park Baseball. In fact, I purposely have to keep myself from playing it unless I really, really want to, because otherwise I’ll end up getting lost in it and never emerging for about a week and a half. I’m currently two months OOTP-sober, for example, but I think I might have a relapse soon.

Oh, I got a bit off track there.

Anyway, the developers of Out Of The Park, OOTP Developments, are now running a contest for what their tagline should be for their games (they are increasingly diversifying their portfolio and are adding a football game to the baseball and hockey games they already have). Y’know, like “It’s In The Game”. The winner gets $100 gift card, free copies of all of their games next year, and, presumably, bragging rights for all eternity. I mean, if I win, I’m totally putting it on my resume.

I, of course, had some suggestions. After checking to make sure sharing them won’t disqualify me, here they are:

OOTP Developments: Imagination and Victory
OOTP Developments: Imagine Victory
OOTP Developments: Dream of Victory
OOTP Developments: Dream It. Win It.
OOTP Developments: Beyond Fantasy, Beyond Reality
OOTP Developments: For When Paradox Isn’t Addictive Enough
OOTP Developments: Just One More Season
OOTP Developments: On Grass, On Turf, On Ice, On Your Computing Device!
OOTP Developments: More Than Mere Games
OOTP Developments: The Games Go On
OOTP Developments: Your Team, Your League, Your World
OOTP Developments: Where The Game Never Ends
OOTP Developments: Make The Crowd Go Wild
OOTP Developments: Just Imagine…

Personally, “Imagination and Victory” is my favorite, as it sums up the two best things about OOTP games: coming up with big or neat worlds or scenarios to play in, and winning in them. I even googled a Latin translation of it (Imaginatio Atque Victoria) in case they want to make it sound all profound.  The “For When Paradox Isn’t Addictive Enough” is a joking reference to Paradox Interactive, a game company that makes grand strategy games like Crusader Kings and Hearts of Iron that, like OOTP, can perhaps best be described as addictive drugs in video game form.

Anyway, if you want to try and beat me (and everyone else) in this contest, you can check out the rules and get the e-mail address to apply to here. Good luck, and if you somehow grab one of the above suggestions and they pick you to win for some reason instead of me, I expect half of the winnings.

REVIEW: Out of the Park Baseball 2014

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Prologue:

(Note: If you want the review, just go to the jump)

September 8, 2015. Another lost season for the Buffalo Upstatesmen, the long-time butt of jokes in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Association of the Unified North American League. 38 games out of first, over 24 games out of the Wild Card. They were going to, barring some sort of 0-for-the-rest-of-the-season streak, finally finish with fewer than 100 losses, the first time in god-knows-when, but, still, a lost season. All that was left now was to avoid having the worst record in the league and maybe give some of the young guns some good September-callup experience.

Now, they were in the top of the 10th, tied 5-5 against the Atlanta Georgians. At one point, they’d held a 5-2 lead, but then a 3-run homer by Barry Davis off Bryan Absher tied it up. If there was one thing that the Upstatesmen had going for them, though, it was their bullpen, so the team’s skipper was hopeful. Jorge Apodaca, the star reliever of the Upstatesmen who’s stamina on the mound was good enough where he had been used as a starter once or twice, now was going to begin his second inning. Just in case, Shawn Gardner had begun warming up in the ‘pen.

The inning didn’t start well- Juan Martinez got to first on an infield hit and then was replaced by the speedier Jorge Gonzalez, who’d been rated as a 20-20 threat on the basepaths by the scouting department. Thankfully, Zachary Jenkins then had a weak flyout. Next came a pinch-hitter for the pitcher-spot (which had moved up to the 6-slot earlier in the game on a double switch): Gabriel Garcia. An okay hitter, batting .280 on the year with four homers.

He wouldn’t do anything, however. On the first pitch, Gonzalez stole second. Immediately, Apodaca was ordered to walk Garcia to set up a double play. Now up to the plate came Jorge Lujan, a September call-up. The first pitch was a strike… and Gonzalez stole third without a throw. For a second, Buffalo’s skipper considered walking Lujan to set up a force at any base. But he had faith in Apodaca, and he was rewarded with the strikeout.

2 outs, men at the corners. The light-hitting Juan Lopez coming up. Apodaca wouldn’t let him reach base- he struck him out.

To the bottom of the 11th they went, facing righty Jorge Rodriguez: Jeff Cochran flew out, pinch-hitter Bill Hatcher grounded out. Up came Bruce Cunningham. Once the number two prospect in the league, he’d been disappointing during his previous stints in the bigs. This was his third September call-up, and he’d yet to get a permanent position.

Whack! The ball chopped on the ground, past the second baseman, and into right. A man was now on with two out. Walt McKay was now coming to the plate. Like Cunningham, McKay was a top prospect who had had trouble in the big leagues, although his ability to hit righties had kept him with a constant position ever since he had been drafted. There would be no heroism here, however, as he grounded out to end the 11th inning.

Shawn Gardner came in for the top of the twelfth, along with Hayden Caswell, the ordinary 2nd Baseman, who was being brought in as a defensive replacement. Gardner worked around a leadoff single, and to the bottom of the 12th the game went. Cornell Goodwin grounded out, but then Vicente Candelaria, the slow-moving slugger from Massachusetts, somehow got on with an infield hit, and was pinch-hit for by Mike Dunn. Ricardo Gonzalez, the hard-hitting Puerto Rican 3B, stepped to the plate… and fanned. Bryan Castle didn’t fare much better.

Gardner pitched a scoreless top of the 13th. Meanwhile, some of the starters ran out to the bullpen. Collin Perry came out to pitch for the Georgians, and promptly walked Hayden Caswell. Cochran would line out and then Christian Martin- pinch-hitting for Gardner- grounded out (moving Caswell to second), but Bruce Cunningham flew out, ending the inning.

Eugene O’Neal pitched a scoreless top of the inning, and then the bottom half started promisingly, as McKay doubled. The Georgians intentionally walked Cornell Goodwin, and then came Mike Dunn, who had earlier pinch-run for Candelaria. The skipper for the Upstatesmen regretted the move, as he could have used the big bat that had hit 25 home runs so far this year. Thankfully, he had another bat on the bench: Manuel Leon, a big slugger they’d found doing well in the Venezuelan League and had given a shot… and had not been disappointed, at least at the plate: with 18 HRs this year despite a pitiful .238 batting average.

He shot the ball on the ground through the box and into the outfield. The speedy McKay was waved home, but the good arm of centerfielder Jorge Ortiz was ready. It was a close play, a slide, a gasp going through the stadium….

and then the Umpire’s call: OUT!

The Upstatesmen had gambled, trying to get a final victory… but had failed. At least for now. Ricardo Gonzalez came to the plate, with two men still on and one out. He too, hit a sharp grounder, but unlike Leon, his ball wouldn’t find the outfield, as the Atlanta 2B snagged it and got him at first. There were now two men in scoring position, but now there were two outs. Brian Castle stepped to the plate… and popped out.

Out of the bullpen now came Jack Hoffman, a crummy starter with an okay cutter but not much else. Two years ago, he’d lost 21 games. The hope, the manager for the Upstatesmen had, was that maybe he could go an inning before he was pinch-hit for in the bottom half.

In a minor miracle, Hoffman just gave up one hit, and the game went into the bottom of the 15th tied. Not like it mattered, as the Upstatesmen went down 1-2-3. Jack Bray, a lefty picked up from St. Louis earlier in the year, worked a scoreless top of the 16th.. but, once again, the Upstatesmen couldn’t capitalize.

Ty “Tank” Edwards, a long-reliever who also was the Upstatesmen 5th starter on weeks when the starting rotation was being hit by injuries. He sent down the Georgians one-two-three. To the bottom of the 17th the game went. Leon struck out, Gonzalez walked, and then up came Brian Castle, who quickly worked a 2-1 count.

AND THEN HE FOUND A GOOD FASTBALL!

The ball flew deep, deep into the night to right-center… and over the fence! The Upstatesmen had won it 7-5 in 17 innings!

….

(JUMP)

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