Out of the Park Baseball and Text Sims

OOTP is basically Mogul on steroids. A lot of steroids. You can play the game however you want, historical players, modern players, fictional players, a mix of both. You can also customize the entire game to your liking and there are more stats and add-ons than you'll ever be able to use.

Mogul is a fun enough game, but if you're looking for something deeper with more immersion, give OOTP a shot.

 

OOTP is much, much more in-depth. (Caveat: I played the circa 2008 to 2010 version of both.) For example, Mogul doesn't normally give you five full levels of minor league squads, whereas OOTP you're managing rosters and DLs for Low A to the majors, if you want to. That's on top of all of the stuff in Mogul, like general strategy, ticket prices and finances, negotiating contracts and trades, etc. (EDIT: For a taste of the time difference, it generally took me about an hour or two to "play" a season in Mogul, with a "stop if anyone gets injured" contingency. The same play style for OOTP, and I was lucky if I finished a season in a night.)

Anyone else ever play Baseball Mogul Online? I was in that for years and years, until it closed down. Again, it wasn't full-out management, but I found it to be a nice mix of casual and hardcore elements. I think some fans re-opened it a couple years ago, but I haven't really had the time to investigate, since I segued more into fantasy baseball when Mogul Online went down.

 

I've been in two Diamond Mind leagues for years.

Getting tired of them more. Preferring fantasy baseball to the sims.

 

I had to quit playing (and buying) OOTP because it was taking up too much of my time. Yes, I'm a dork though.

Also, Microbaseball.com shows up as an ad on this page for me.

 

OOTP is pretty damn great, but I've only played OOTP 8, aka, the free version available on their website.

 

Agree with all of the above. I haven't played either game in about 4-5 years now due to spending most of my free time doing research, but as much as I liked Mogul, I liked OOTP that much more.

My favorite customization in OOTP was adding photos of historical stadiums (and players, at one point) and playing games at the old ballparks. Tons of fun. Highly recommended.

 

Used to play Football Manager/Championship Manager (soccer sim) years ago. It would eat up 8 hour chunks of the day very easily. Never got totally addicted. But I had the feeling of losing all control to the game, so I quit.

 

Bumping this since the new version of OOTP came out this week and it is another excellent release (www.ootpdevelopments.com).

I've also gotten into the Action PC Sports (www.dksports.com) single-season replay sims. The football game is excellent and so is basketball. I just purchased baseball and have been playing it more than OOTP. I never thought I'd get into single-season replay types of games, but the Action PC games have me hooked. The realism and strategic depth keeps you on your toes.

Finally, the latest version of Fast Break Basketball (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/fbb/) ate up a lot of my free time this winter. This is another career sim and it comes with all the rosters and seasons in the history of basketball for free. I started with my Minnesota Timberwolves, re-drafted the entire league, and played to the current day. I ended up with Michael Jordan on my team, but could only manage one title. My theory is Jordan drank too much Grain Belt at Twin Cities watering holes and got fat.

 

I played OOTP 11. I loved it, but the game is way too immersive. I don't really want to be thinking about the line-up of the Fort Wayne TinCaps on a daily basis. Or scouting pretend high school and college baseball players for months on end.

And if you let the computer do it your team sucked.

 

I've got the new OOTP version but I have some work projects to finish before I jump into it.

I also understand they are coming out with a pro football version of the game some time in the next year or so. Looking forward to that.

 

Years ago I used to have tons of fun playing Stat-O-Matic, ABPA, the old SI All-Star Baseball game, and even moving into the computer era, Tony LaRussa Baseball used to be fun.

(I loved to set up games like the '27 Yankees vs. the '94 Tigers in the Polo Grounds with a 60 mph wind blowing out to center).

Basically I was just looking around for a sim game where I could play BASEBALL GAMES on the computer (ideally, being able to access all-time player stats and adjust home parks).

On another board I frequent a whole load of people raved about OOTP so I broke down and downloaded OOTP13.

It took me a day or two to even figure out how to play an 'exhibition game.'

I played the Yankees all-time all-stars vs. the Tigers all-time all-stars in an exhibition game dated Jan. 2 in Comerica Park (I didn't really understand how to adjust game conditions).

Of course the computer filled in game conditions as 16F with a 25-mph wind blowing out to center.

The Tigers won 6-4 when Bill Freehan, who I had inserted in the lineup for starter Lance Parrish, hit a 2-run walkoff shot off of Marino Rivera.

One fun moment came in the top of the ninth when I had Jack Morris dust off Babe Ruth.


The thing is -- as yet -- I really have no interest in salary negotiations, farm teams, contract talks, trades, etc etc., I just want to manage the baseball games. I don't have the time/interest necessary to do the whole GM deal with contracts, trades, drafts, etc etc.

 

I've spent way too much of my life logged into Eastside Hockey Manager and, far before it, Hockey League Simulator 2. I'd love to try a little baseball or football sometime.