Out of the Park Baseball

If you love baseball, it is absolutely a must have. On the surface, it is just a baseball simulation, but the mind-boggling level of customization and depth keeps me coming back every year.

You can make in-game decisions just like a manager and control your pitchers' strategies pitch-to-pitch (pitch away, pitch to contact, walk, etc) and how your batters approach each swing (take, swing away, bunt, hit and run,etc).

You can be as hands on as your want to be. You can micromanage every decision on the field and off, build a roster and sim, or something in between.

There is a steep learning curve initially because the level of depth is so overwhelming, but you can have the AI run most of the franchise for you until you get the hang of it.

And the minor league rosters are, to my knowledge, fully up to date with accurate ratings and scouting assessments for all of the players.

You even have fairly accurate international rosters. For example, I have OOTP 17 and I can go to the Japanese leagues and see how Shohei Ohtani is doing. Then I can try and bid for his rights or participate in the bidding war if he declares as an international FA.

The opposing AI can also be turned way up so that you can't cheese trades and stuff like that.

ETA: TLDR if you like baseball, buy this shite

I do miss actually controlling the players a la The Show sometimes, but the depth of franchise mode is so much more rewarding.

Throw in hundreds of historical teams and rosters, full league customization (think creating a relegation system like the Premier League), random events (nothing like gearing up for a late playoff push to see a news alert that my star pitcher is out 2-3 weeks because he cut himself chopping peppers ) and the only limit is your imagination.

I've heard OOTP 18 has improved the in-game presentation as well. Now there are 3D renderings of stadiums and players no longer look like little AIM icons running across the field lol

Good game. You can build a full minor league system, start in any year going back to 1901, use historic expansions and relocations or create your own, etc.

I have one of the free (older) versions. My only beef is the computer makes dumb trades between AI controlled teams, but the newer versions allow you to import real life transaction logs (which you can edit first).

Only reason I haven't bought 18 is I don't have enough free time to play. If I did have more free time I would do a number of alternate history scenarios:

- No NL contraction in 1900, Western League becomes a major league in its original cities.

- No 1919 Series fix. Red Sox trade Ruth to the White Sox for Shoeless Joe. Baseball integrates early thanks to no Landis.

- Tom Yawkey gets suspicious of the cozy relationship bwtween Roy Mack and Arnold Johnson. He votes to approve the sale of the A's to the Philadelphia syndicate. Philly is still a two-team city.

- Robert Moses chokes to death on a hotdog. Or Mayor Wagner wins the 1956 Senate election and Abe "Hit Sign, Win Suit" Stark becomes mayor. O'Malley gets his Dodger Dome.

- The Pirates wisely plan for the future in the early 1990s by trading players in their contract year (Bonilla to the Yankees in 1991, Bonds to the Angels and Drabek to the Rangers in 1992). Can be for prospects or players not yet in a contract year. Team stays competitive.

I highly recommend it.

For me the joy was in creating my own teams.

Dramatic walk-off dong in MLB 18, mates

Is that a prison league baseball simulation from the future?

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Out of the Park Baseball
Anyone have experience with this game and do you recommend it?

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Haven't read through the thread yet, sorry for the old bump, but this is the GOAT sports simluation, hands down.

I don't even like baseball but this sim is untouchable. I've played in one online league since 2010, real time. We're in I believe our 46th season.

The game is great, super customizeable.

Best baseball game on the market...bar none.