- You may click on the links within the text below to view screenshots. These are merely screenshots that have been manipulated using a graphics editor. No game code was altered.
- I used OOTP4 as the basis for this project. That's because I originally started this last spring before OOTP5 was released. However, I have only now had the opportunity to come back and finish up. I have since purchased Version 5, but decided it would be a waste of time to start the process over again. Obviously, a handful of the ideas I've mentioned have already been implemented, but I haven't had the time to get too involved in playing OOTP5 as of late. Therefore, I'm not sure which of these features are already in the game.
- The color scheme is one that I developed by changing several files in the Graphics folder. I've done this because I have poor eyesight and prefer viewing light colored text over a dark background. I did notice that it is now easier to change the "skins" in OOTP5, so thanks!
- Just a matter of semantics... I describe most of the new features below with words like "is" and "will" instead of "could" and "should". Call it wishful thinking or incorrect grammar, but that's just how I did it. Please remember that these are just suggestions. I am in no way associated with OOTP and, to my knowledge, most of these features have not yet been confirmed for OOTP6.
- You will also notice several inconsistencies in the screenshots. Theoretically, I am trying to show examples of screens from different leagues. Granted, it might be easier to comprehend if everything was uniform, but I decided it would be more effective to give varying perspectives.
- I 'm one of those guys who likes to either act as a team's G.M., building my team through trades and free agency, and letting the actual games sim in the background. I also enjoy creating an entire baseball "universe", setting all the teams to "Computer", and just sitting back and watching it all unfold. I rarely play out the individual games (except for opening day, crucial games, and postseason games.) Because I'm mostly into the front office part of the game and not so much the "on-field" goings on, many of the suggestions I've made below will reflect that tendency. I'm sure there are plentny of you who will think that many of my ideas are a bit too much and would prefer more improvements in the game engine itself. Ultimately, I feel all of our needs can be served. The key is having the option to turn on and off as many functions in the game as possible. Also, the more customizable the game is, the easier it will be to play it the way you want to play it.
- Also, I am not in any online leagues, so I don't know much about that aspect of the game. However, I believe most of the features I've added could be implemented into an online league system. In fact, I know many of them would actually be quite beneficial to online leagues. Nonetheless, I admit I haven't considered them in my design concept.
- I'm open to opinions, suggestions, criticisms, or whatever else you'd like to toss my way. So please feel free to post your responses on the OOTP message board. I am always looking for good ideas to add into my "vision" of OOTP.
- I will likely be adding new ideas as I think of them (and maybe even a few new screenshots, if there are enough changes on a specific screen.)
- Finally, I want to take this opportunity to praise Markus and the entire OOTP team on what I know many of you will agree is one of the best computer games ever developed and, hands down, the best sports simulation program! I am thoroughly respectful of Markus' vision for OOTP and merely offer these suggestions to help see what is already an exceptional product achieve its full potential.
The main thing I would like to see for future versions of OOTP is more "personality" in the game. I want all the players and coaches to have their own individual traits, not just on the field, but off it as well. Speaking of which, I would like to see more things taking place off of the playing field. We know in real life, players are shaped by the things that happen to them away from the ballpark. So these things should be more prominent in the game.
It would be very difficult to sit here and tell you every little thing I can think of that could be added. Instead, I'm just going to show you the screenshots and point out the new items I've envisioned. Note that in most instances, I have only written about the new or changed features.
Anyway... Enjoy!
( * - Newly created screen)
PLAYER CARD
Current Team - The team the player plays for.
Position - This has been moved to make seeing the player's position easier.
Assess Fine - If you are the player's Field Manager or General Manager, you may fine him by clicking this button and filling in a dollar amount. The maximum allowable fine will be shown in the pop-up box. This amount cannot exceed 1/20 of his yearly salary. (NOTE: This function should be used sparingly as excessive fines may result in the player demanding a trade or not re-signing with your team when he becomes a free agent.)
GENERAL:
Hometown - When the Editor is turned on, you enter both the name of the player's hometown and its latitude/longitude coordinates. This will allow the free agency AI to determine whether a player may want to play closer to his hometown.
Country - Any player from the United States must read "USA". This will allow for the possibility of a "USA vs. World" All Star Game or Futures Game format. It will also help determine the percentage of players from various countries.
College - This is mainly just for additional information, although it may be used in game play-by-play and news stories.
Agent - The player's agent. (See "Edit Agents" below.)
EXPERIENCE:
Years in League - Keeps track of how many years the player has been in the majors. This is important for determining when players become eligible for the "10/5" no-trade clause (10 years in the league and 5 with the same club.)
Years w/Same Team - see above
Options Remaining - For use with the waivers system, this shows how many more times the player may be demoted to the minors without having to pass through waivers.
CHARACTER:
Fan Favorite - These are players who have high personality ratings or are perennial stars in the league. Fan favorites may be more likely to be voted to the All Star Team and can influence fan interest in their team. (It will therefore be harder to trade them without hurting their team's attendance.)
Personality Rating - This is one of the key additions. A player's personality rating can be anywhere from 5 to 1. A player with a "5" personality rating is a model citizen. He never gets into trouble and can sometimes be a fan favorite, even if his stats aren't the greatest. A player with a "1" rating may be considered a "clubhouse cancer". He will be most likely to get into fights, serve suspensions for off-field troubles, alienate fans and teammates, and have contract disputes. (Note: In later versions of OOTP, it might be interesting to break the personality rating down into specific categories. For instance, attitude towards the media, officiating, teammates, management, the front office, the fans, society, etc.)
CONTENTMENT:
Playing Time - How content the player is with the amount of playing time he has been getting.
Contract - How content he is with his current contract situation.
Team - How happy the player is with how the team is playing or the overall direction of the team.
Off-Field - How happy he is with his life off the playing field. This may be negatively effected by such things as injuries, death in the family, other family problems, or legal troubles. It can also be positively effected by the birth of a child, marriage, or other random events.
Status - This is the player's overall attitude, depending on the above factors combined. He may be happy, just OK, bummed, demanding a trade, ready to call it quits.
FREE AGENCY PREFENCES: This is how important certain factors are in determing what team the player wants to play for on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being least important.
Loyalty - Remaining with the same team
Winning - Being on a contending team
Money - Getting a lot of money in his contract
Security - Getting a long contract and/or a no-trade clause
Playing Time - Having the opportunity to start on a regular basis
Close to Home - Playing on a team in or near his hometown (This is determined by comparing the lat./long. of a player's hometown to that of the team he is considering playing for. If the team is within, say, 10 degrees of his hometown either direction, he may want to play there more.)
Familiarity - Playing with other players or for managers/coaches he has played with before, provided he was happy with the former team (The more ex-teammates and former staff are on the team, the more likely he may sign with them.)
Personal Glory - Having "star status" on the team (This could mean either playing for a team without many other stars or a team with a lot of stars that will make him look even better.)
Market Size - Being in a large market
Tradition - Playing for a team that has a winning reputation. (Unlike the "Winning" factor, this means a team has a history of winning over a long period of time. It may also include teams that have consistently high fan loyalty.)
Current Signability - How good of a chance your team has at signing or re-signing this player, depending on the above information.
FAMILY IN LEAGUE: This is just a place to keep track of who else the player may be related to (fathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, or sons) that are also playing in the league or have already retired from the league.
CONTRACT:
Clause - A player may have either None, a Full No-Trade Clause, a Partial No-Trade Clause, or a Limited No-Trade Clause. A Full NTC means he cannot be traded to any other team, unless he gives his permission (This is either negotiated into his contract or happens automatically once a player reaches 10/5 status.) A Partial NTC means the player must choose, after the contract has been accepted, 5 teams to which he may be traded. He may not be traded to any other team. A Ltd. NTC means the player must choose 5 teams to which he may NOT be traded. He may be traded to any other team not on the list. (NOTE: If a player has a Prtl. or Ltd. NTC, the 5 teams will be listed below.)
Offer Extension (Button) - You will be able to offer an extension to a player much earlier than you currently can. Preferably, you may start making offers in the spring before he is arbitration eligible. This way, if an extension cannot be worked out, you may attempt to trade the player.
Offer Arbitration (Button) - When a player becomes eligible for salary arbitration, it may be offered to him here. The player may either demand arbitration or the team may offer it if a contract settlement cannot be reached with the player after multiple attempts.
SCOUTING REPORT / CAREER HISTORY: These boxes should be placed side-by-side, so they are both visible at once. The Career History should include major league firsts, promotions/demotions, trades, major injuries and suspensions, awards, and milestones. All of these events should be placed in a bulleted list for easy reading.
RETIRED PLAYER CARD * - When a player retires, the tag "(Ret.)" will be added after his name. Also, his card changes to show different information than on his "active" card. This includes the following changes...
GENERAL:
Age Retired - Shows the age at which the player retired, so we don't see old-timers with an age of 134 anymore.
Primary Position - This is the position at which the player played the most games during his career.
Other Positions - Lists all other positions at which the player played at least one game during his career.
EXPERINCE:
Rookie Season - The year he was promoted to the majors.
Longest Tenure - The team for which the player played the longest
Other Teams - Lists all other teams the player played for during his career.
PERSONAL RECORDS: Lists the player's personal bests during his career.
AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The number of times the player won specific awards is listed.
CAREER STATS: The player's career stats are shown here, as there are no other pages on a retired player's card.
MANAGER CARD * - All managers and coaches have their own card, which is similar to a player's card, with the following exceptions...
POSITION: Whether he is currently a Field Manager, Hitting Coach, Pitching Coach, 1B Coach, 3B Coach, Bench Coach, AAA Minors Manager, AA Minors Manager, or A Minors Manager.
PERSONAL DATA: This includes all general info, include his personality rating.
EXPERIENCE: In addition to years in league and with same team, this includes the number of years he has served as each of the above positions. It also says whether or not he was ever a player. (It is generally believed former players make better managers and coaches.)
EJECTIONS: The number of times he has been ejected during a game during the current and previous seasons, as well as his entire career. (This is useful in determining how involved he is in the game or, on the other side of the coin, whether he is too much of a hot-head.)
MANAGERIAL TENDENCIES: These have simply been moved from the Team Setup page.
SKILLS: This will help determine how effective he will be in certain capacities within the organization.
FREE AGENCY PREFERNCES:
Challenge - Whether he likes the idea of taking on a young or unproven team.
CONTRACT:
Re-Assign (Button) - Re-assign him to another position within the organization.
Release - Fire him.
LEAGUE SETUP
LEAGUE OPTIONS:
Association Name - This allows you to name the entire league instead of having the league named whatever the .lge file name is.
Association Abbreviation - This will appear most of the time in the game.
Association Logo-File - The logo will appear in various places.
Commissioner - This is just a space to show your commissioner's name.
Starting Year - This is the year your league starts in.
Difficulty Level - May be set to either Novice, Intermediate, or Expert (or Rookie, Veteran, Hall of Famer, using baseball vernacular.) Normal basically plays the same way the game currently plays. In Novice Mode, trades and free agent signings are easier (more clues and hints are given.) On the Transactions screen, arrows indicate whether a player is ready to be promoted to the majors, instead of just between A, AA, and AAA. It is also just plain easier to win. In Expert Mode, there are no hints, clues, or arrows, and all aspects of the game are more challenging.
Business Mode - If this is enabled, once you start the game, you may only make changes to the league structure, ballparks, and your team name and location at the "Winter Meetings" (See below.) All of these changes will require a league-wide vote in order to be approved.
Waivers System - This copies MLB's waiver system for such things as player options, salary arbitration, and the Rule V Draft. There will also be a Waiver Wire (see below) where players may be claimed.
Arbitration - If Waivers System is enabled, this function may either remain enabled by default or may be disabled to allow for player options and the waiver wire only.
Draft Pick Trading - Allows for draft picks to be traded between teams.
Off-Field Incidents - If enabled, players will miss games for such things as illness, injuries suffered off the playing field, and family issues.
Suspensions - If this function is enabled and Off-Field Incidents is disabled, players will only be suspended for events occuring on the playing field, such as fighting, arguing with the ump, throwing at the batter (pitchers only), charging the mound (batters only), and cheating. If Off-Field Incidents is enabled, they will be suspended for things like violating team or league rules, criticizing management, insulting the fans, substance abuse, and criminal activity.
Weather - This allows weather conditions to factor into the game. It effects things like wind speed/direction and rain delays.
OTHER SETTINGS / NAMES:
Roster Size - This includes two numbers; the number of players on the regular and postseason rosters and the number of players allowed for late-season (September) call-ups from the minors.
League Logo File - These logos will be used for the All Star Game and for various news stories.
LEAGUE TOTALS / ERA SETTINGS:
Historical Accuracy Setup - Automatically sets certain aspects of your league to reflect the way it was in MLB during the current year. (This will be explained in greater detail below.)
SEARCH FOR PLAYERS:
Show All Players in League - Every player currently in your league can be found here. Click the name to see their card.
Show All Managers/Coaches - All Field Managers, 1B/3B/Bench Coaches, and Minors Managers in your league. Their names may also be clicked to view their card.
Show All Front Office Personnel - All General Managers, Scouting Directors, and Team Trainers in your league. (NOTE: Because these positions have no "cards", the names are not clickable.)
EDITORS: Includes 5 new editors: Edit Awards, Edit All Star Game, Edit Injuries, Edit Umpires, and Edit Player Origins. (Each will be explained further below.)
LEAGUE-WIDE PROCEDURES: Ratings System will be relocated to this section.
No. of Options Years - If Waivers System is enable, this sets the number of years a player may be "optioned" to the minors before having to clear waivers.
EDIT SCHEDULE - All options will be displayed along the left side of this page, regardless of the day being edited.
Games Vs. Division and Games Vs. League - Sets the number of games a team plays against division rivals, as well as those played against teams in other divisions within the same league.
Interleague Games - Sets the total number of games to be played against teams in the opposite league. (NOTE: This should allow for an odd number of teams in each league, if necessary.)
Doubleheaders - Allows for doubleheaders to be scheduled to make up for rain-outs and other reasons.
Date and Year - This allows you to set the current date and year you want it to be in your league. (NOTE: This will probably have to be lockable for Online Leagues.)
"Important Dates" - This section allows you to set the date you want each specified event to occur. Certain events specify the length of the event in terms of days, which are shown in parentheses. (Any event without a corresponding number of days is a single-day event.) Some events must remain in chronological order (e.g. The regular season must occur before playoffs), while others needn't be (e.g. The amateur draft can take place at any time.) Because this would be too complex to explain, the ability to schedule erroneously will have to be prevented within the game itself. This means you will be unable to enter, for example, the End of Season date as June 13 and the Season Preview date as September 27. (NOTE: Other than Offseason Begins, Regular Season, and End of Season, all events listed may be given a date of "0" and will therefore not occur at all.)
"Games" - The right 2/3 of the screen contains all the games scheduled for the day shown. "Games of the Week" (see below) will also be designated with a red star. Doubleheaders will also be pointed out.
EDIT BALLPARKS - Added fields include the year the stadium was built, it's condition, an amenities rating (an overall rating of the quality of the park's services, extras, and atmosphere), the altitude of the park (since balls carry further and players become more easily fatigued at higher elevations), the number of seats per level, number of luxury boxes, and number of parking spaces. (NOTE: If you are in "Business Mode", you will not be able to make changes to your park without proposing this action from your Front Office area. See below for more details.)
EDIT LEAGUE STRUCTURE - The only new feature here is the Expansion Draft Setup button (see details below.)
EDIT PLAYOFFS * - This box allows you to customize various aspects of your league's playoffs.
No. of Teams and No. of Rounds - You may have any even number of teams between 2 and 64 make the playoffs. (NOTE: The number of rounds in the playoffs will depend on the total number of playoff teams (i.e. If there are only 2 teams in the playoffs, there will only be 1 round.)
Seeding Format - This can be set to one of 5 different formats: The Division Winners Only format will automatically reset the number of playoff teams to the total number of divisions in the league. They will then be seeded by record. The Wild Card format will first seed the winners of each of the league's divisions, in order of record. All remaining teams will be considered "wild cards" and be seeded after the division winners, in order of record. The Wild Card (No Round 1 Division Opponents) format simply modifies the Wild Card format so that intradivision rivals cannot meet during the first round. The Best Record format seeds all the teams in the league by record, regardless of division. The Tournament format seeds all playoff teams in both leagues by record. A Round-Robin format will also be an option.
Series Length (by Round - These set the length of each individual round.
Championship Home Field Advantage - This determines who gets HFA in the championship series. It can be set to one of 4 options: Team with Best Record, All Star Game Winner (not available if ASG is set to USA vs. World format), it can Rotate Between Leagues each year, or it can take place on a Neutral Field.
EDIT HALL OF FAME CRITERIA - Additions include Stolen Bases in the batting category, Strikeouts in the pitching category, a defensive category, and a managing category. You may also decide how many years must pass after retirement before a player may be inducted.
EDIT AWARDS * - This allows you to name the most valuable player, the best batter, the best hitter, the best rookie, best reliever, best fielders by position, comeback player of the year, postseason MVP, All Star Game MVP, best manager, and best G.M,. You may also decide whether each award covers both leagues together or each individual league.
EDIT ALL STAR GAME OPTIONS *
Starters/Reserves/Starting Pitchers Selected By - Determines who chooses each part of the ASG roster. If set to "Computer", the game's AI chooses. If set to "Human", you choose. If set to "Human (Manager)", you may only choose if the team you are managing goes to the championship series (although the computer will choose the opposing team.)
Show Fan Favoritism - If selected, players listed as "Fan Favorites" will tend to get higher consideration than other players, even if their stats are marginally worse than another player's.
Format - Can be set to either "Interleague" or "USA Vs. World". In the latter format, only players with "USA" listed as their country will be eligible for the US team, while all other players will be eligible for the World team.
Futures Game and Futures Format - If selected, an "all star game" will be played among the best minor leaguers. The format can either be "Interleague" or "USA Vs. World".
Home Run Derby - If selected, a Home Run Derby will take place, following the same format as the one preceding MLB's All Star Game. It will play out much like a regular game, with play-by-play.
Home Run Derby Participants - The total number of players who will participate. (If this number is set to 8, for instance, the 8 players who currently have the most Homeruns from the ASG rosters will take part.)
Roster Size - The total number of players on each team's roster.
Representation - This can be set to either "Best Players" or "All Teams Represented". If the latter is selected, at least one player from each team in the league will be placed on the roster (unless the entire roster is selected by you.)
Substitutions - May be set to either "Regular Game Strategy" or "Showcase Talent". If the former is selected, substitutions are only made when necessary. If the latter is selected, an attempt will be made to play as many players on the roster as possible.
Pitcher Use - You may either have 5 starting pitchers and 4-5 middle relievers be selected to each roster or have 8-9 SP selected along with one MR.
Managers - May either be the managers of the previous season's championship series teams, the managers with the current best records, randomly chosen managers, or this may be set to Human. ( NOTE: If this option is set to "Human", the "Opposing Manager" button will appear, requiring you to decide who the other team's manager should be from among the previous 3 choices.)
Location - The game can be played at either a Neutral Field (which must be specified from the ballpark list, so you should have one created for this purpose), a Random location, or it may Rotate Between Leagues from year to year.
EDIT INJURIES * - The injuries.txt file will be replaced by an in-game editor. There will be 16 different .txt files, each containing the names of injuries that may occur as a result of the corresponding activity. For example, the RTB_inj.txt file will contain a list of injuries that can take place while a player is running the bases, along with the severity of the injury, and the minimum, maximum, and average number of days he could miss as a result. Because of this change, an injury may appear in multiple files. There will also be a Suspensions file, which will contain the reason for suspension, the min., max., and avg. number of games (not days) penalized, and the min., max., and avg. amount of fines assessed. A Miscellaneous Off-Field Incidents folder may contain an unlimited number of files, each of which lists possible injuries resulting from a specific incident. (For example, the folder might include a file called "run over by a bus.txt" that will have a list of injuries that might be caused by getting run over by a bus.) There is also a "Personal Leave" file which lists events such as Birth of Child (no more than once per season), Death in Family (which will also effect any close relatives in the league), and Family Emergency. It also contains the min./max./avg. days missed. On the Edit Injuries screen itself, you may name the corresponding .txt file, decide who is susceptible to the injury (batter, pitcher, fielder, or any player), set the average number of times the activity results in an injury during a year, and set the maximum number of players that can be effected by a specific incident. (NOTE: Injuries, Off-Field Incidents, Suspensions, and Personal Leave can effective a player's Off-Field Contentment rating. It should also be noted that if a player dies, any game taking place immediately after will be postponed.)
EDIT UMPIRES * - Umpires in the game will now have their own unique identities. They are chosen randomly, so you will have no control over who's officiating each game. You will not know who your umps will be until you start your game. On this screen, you can look at and edit their information. In addition to his age and total number of years in the league, each ump is rated by his "Eye" (how good he is at seeing a close play or judging balls and strikes), "Skill" (how well he knows the rules of the game), and "Temper" (how easily he is provoked to eject a player or manager from a game.) (NOTE: Typically, a younger and less experienced ump will have less skill than an older one, but a better eye.)
EDIT AGENTS * - All players will now have agents and will be listed on this page. You will be able to view their age/experience, how many clients they currently have, and how tough they are in negotiations. If you are a General Manager, you need to maintain a good working relationship with your player's agents, especially if they represent multiple players on your team. Players will periodically switch agents, especially if they feel they didn't get the best deal in their previous contract.
EDIT PLAYER ORIGINS * - This page will allow you to determine the ethnic make-up of your league. Instead of the current Names, LNames, and ANames files, you will now have up to 12 different pairs of .txt files that contain names. This way, you can have individual files for Anglo-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanics, Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese, or whatever other nationality you wish to include. You can even have a file with "old-time" names. On the Edit Origins page, you have rows for 24 different countries. You first label the Country Name and then decide what percentage of newly-generated fictional players in the league should come from each country. The "+/-" buttons previously used in the game's Spring Training section will help those of us who are mathematically challenged to accurately adjust percentages. (NOTE: The percentage may be set to "*1" for multiple countries. This means all countries with *1 under percentage will collectively represent 1% of the league's players.) After adjusting percentages, you must then decide what percentage of players from that specific country will have a certain kind of name. (For instance, USA constitutes 40% of the league. Let's say 48% of the names will come from Pack 1, which will be Anglo-American names. About 17% will have African-American names. Another 14% will have Hispanic names, and so on.) For those who don't know accurate player demographics or simply don't want to go throuth all this trouble, there are "Demographics by Era" buttons. Just press the decade you want and the screen will default to the accurate settings for that period.
HISTORICAL ACCURACY SETUP * - Here you can set your league to look the same way MLB did during the currently displayed year. This includes the League Rules and Procedures, League Structure, Ballparks, Finances (including player salaries), and Player Demographics (e.g. There were few foreign players before the 50's.)
EXPANSION SETUP * - From the League Structure page, you can add expansion teams. Instructions will be provided on how to add new teams and you will have options as to how the expansion will take place.
Roster-Stocking Method - You can either do this manually or hold an expansion draft.
No. of Players to Draft - This will depend on the total number of new teams being added. If you are adding 2 teams, 60 is probably a good number to draft. (You can fill your minors later will fictional players.)
No. of Exposed Players Per Team - This is the number of players from each organization that must be made available for the draft.
No. of Players to Pull Back Per Pick - Once an expansion team has picked one of the 8 unprotected players from a team, they may "pull back" a certain number of players from the list (usually 1 or 2) so they may not be drafted in future rounds. Each time another player is picked from the team, another player or players may be pulled back.
Maximum Players Claimed Per Team - This is the maximum number of players that an expansion team may draft from each organization.
New Teams Begin Play - New teams can either begin play in the upcoming season or wait until the following season.
Start Farm System 1 Year Early - If "Begin Play" is set to "Next Season", the new team may start its farm system during the upcoming season. If this is selected, the team's minor league affiliates will be stocked with fictional players, who will play against other minor league teams.
Auto-Fill Minors With Fictional Players - This option generates fictional players for the new team's farm system.
EXPANSION DRAFT * - This screen appears whenever an Expansion Draft has been scheduled. There are two different kinds of Expansion Draft screens; One is from the perspective of the expansion team that is drafting, the other is from the point of view of an existing team. Both screens include a list of exposed players, their current team, their salary, and their current stats. However, the expansion team's screen looks and acts just like the game's current Amateur Draft screen. Existing teams' screens contain a drag and drop box where all of their unprotected players are listed. Any time a new team selects one of their players, the existing team gets to drag and drop a player or players from the unprotected list into the "Pull-Back" box.
TEAM SETUP
INFO SETUP:
City - The city where the team plays. (The Arizona Diamondbacks, for example, will have the Team Name "Arizona", the Nickname "Diamondbacks", and the City name "Phoenix, AZ".
Lat/Long - These are the city's latitude and longitude coordinates. (This is used to determine whether a team is close to a player's hometown during free agency.)
A Affiliates - There will now be 3 A-level minor league teams per organization, so more young players will have the chance to play.
Top 3 Rivalries - When these 3 teams visit, attendance goes up and tensions on the field run higher than usual.
CONTROL OPTIONS: This section allows you to take control of any of four aspects of a team's management. Each position can be set to either "Computer", "Human", or "Shadow". If the job is set to "Computer" it will be performed automatically, according to any preset tendencies. If you set any of these jobs to "Human", it becomes your job. Therefore, you may enter your name and the game will create a new identity for you. If you are the team's Field Manager, you will have your own Manager Card, which you may edit to reflect your own personal info. If you are in "Shadow" mode, you assume the identity of an existing person. (If you want to take over the persona of Joe Torre, for instance, you would go to the Yankees Team Setup page and set Field Manager control to Shadow. You will inherit his job and his existing stats. As long as you remain in Shadow mode, you will be accumulating stats for Joe. If and when you decide to switch the Yankees' Field Manager back to Computer, Joe will inherit your history and continue on from where you left off. You may control any combination you like. (So if you only want to handle the finances and on-field decisions, you can set Owner and Field Manager to Human and set General Manager and Minors Control to Computer.)
Owner(s) Name - The name of the individual(s) or corporation that owns the team, or your name if you are the team's owner.
Owner Spending - How much the owner is willing to spend money on the team. A rating of "Very High" means the owner is very extravagant and will gladly spend money on the team. A rating of "Very Low" means the owner is a total cheapskate and is likely to make the G.M. adhere to a very tight budget.
Owner Interference - How meddlesome an owner is with personnel decisions. A rating of "Very High" means the owner will barrage their G.M. with emails, insisting that trades be made, players be signed, salaries be slashed, and management be fired. A rating of "Very Low" means the owner generally leaves the G.M. alone to do his job as he sees fit. The more passionate the owner is, the easier it for you to draw his ire and get yourself fired. However, they will usually do whatever it takes to try and win a championship, so your chances of winning it all are better with this kind of owner. (NOTE: Owners will only interact with you via email, so you should pay attention to your mailbox.)
General Manager - If you set "General Manager" to Human, you control all personnel decisions (trades, free agency, promoting from minors to the bigs, etc.)
Field Manager - Controls the team during games (substitutions, strategy, etc.)
Minors Control - Responsible for overseeing player movement within the organization's farm system. (NOTE: There is no option for "shadowing" in Minors Control, nor is there a space for a name.)
Cap-File and Uni-File - This is just to give your team more character, although it would be interesting if the cap could be formatted to automatically appear atop the head of a player in their player pic. Perhaps a uniform set of player pics can eventually be developed that would allow for this.
TRANSACTIONS - This page will be redesigned to show all 25 players on the active roster at once, 3 different A-level teams, a 15-day, 30-day, and 90-day DL, and minor league players on the 40-man roster. (The 40-man roster is needed to figure Rule V draft-eligible players and may also determine which players are automatically called up in September.) The page will also show the number of option years a player has remaining, which players are Rule V draftees (and must therefore remain on the major league roster the entire season), which players are serving suspensions and for how many games, and which players are currently unhappy. (NOTE: There should be a prompt to "Save Changes" any time you exit this page. This will allow for tinkering without having each move reported on the Transactions Log.)
RULE V DRAFT * - This will follow the same general format as the Amateur Draft, but using the procedures and guidelines of MLB's Rule Five Draft.
SIGN FREE AGENTS - There will be 3 additional screens available atop the Free Agents list. (NOTE: All screens will include a "Scout Recommendation" button, which will rank the list of players according to your team Scouting Director's opinion.)
Prior Contract - Shows the player's age and experience, his previous team, the amount and length of his previous contract and whether he had a No Trade Clause, and why his he is now a free agent (Either an extension was not offered, one was offered but he rejected it, he was released from the team.)
Attributes - Shows whether the player is a fan favorite, his personality, leadership, clutch, and consistency ratings, his injury rating (how easily injured he is), his off-field contentment, his health (injured, day-to-day, or ok), the number of days he spent on the DL during the previous season, and the number of days he has spent on the DL during his entire major league career.
Preferences - Shows how important each of the factors previously described under "Player Card" above are to the player. It also shows if the player has a preference for one league over the other (if he is older player, defensive liability, or a pitcher, he may want to play in a league which uses a designated hitter.) The 3 teams he would most like to play for are listed too.
SIGN MANAGEMENT - Displays each team's General Manager, Field Manager, Scouting Director, Trainer, Hitting/Pitching/1B/3B/Bench Coaches, AAA/AA and 3 A Managers. (NOTE: The Scouting Director is now only in charge of the Amateur Draft, deciding whether a player is ready to be promoted within the minor league system, making recommendations, and preparing scouting reports. The Team Trainer is in charge of helping players to avoid injury and illness.) The 1B, 3B, and Bench Coaches have little direct effect on the team (other than baserunning.) However, they are all candidates to replace the Field Manager if he is ejected from a game or fired during midseason. (NOTE: Minors Managers cannot replace an ejected Field Manager during a game.) There are now 4 screens for the different types of jobs: General Manager, Scouting Director, Team Trainer, and Managers/Coaches. All have the "Recommendation" feature, which is roughly equivelant to that of an average scout.
MANAGERS/COACHES: Includes 3 sub-categories...
Skills - Shows how good the candidate is at Management (leading a team), Hitting instruction, Pitching instruction, Coaching (basically, assisting the Field Manager), and Development (grooming young players in the minors.)
Experience - Shows the candidate's age, previous job (Field Manager, Hitting Coach, Pitching Coach, Coach [1B/3B/Bench], or Minors Manager), the reason he left that position (Fired, not offered an extension, or was a free agent.) his team's record during the last year he served in that position, his career record as a Field Manager, and his total years as a Field Manager, Hitting Coach, Pitching Coach, Coach, and Minors Manager.
Preferences - Shows how important each of the factors previously described under "Manager Card" above are to the candidate. It also lists his preferred team and position.
GENERAL MANAGER: Includes 2 sub-categories...
Skills / Experience - Shows his age and years of experience, previous team, record during his last year with that team, his career record, how good he is at making trades, how good he is at negotiating contracts with existing players and free agents, and how good he is at knowing when to promote a minor league to the big leagues.
Preferences - Shows all the same preferences as Managers/Coaches, plus Control (how important it is for him to have ultimate authority over personnel decisions) and Budget (how important it is to have a big budget to work with.)
SCOUTING DIRECTOR: The only category here is "Attributes". This includes age and experience, his preference for money and for security, and his ability to scout hitting and pitching, and how good he is at drafting amateurs. (By the way, I do realize the irony in being able to use the "Scout Recommendation" function to recommend a Scouting Director, since this is the guy who theoretically does this job. So we'll just say it's some other wise guy in the organization making this recommendation... ok?)
TEAM TRAINER: Also includes just the "Attributes" category. Age, experience, and money and security preferences are shown. Also shown are the candidate's skills in regulating health and nutrition (which lowers their risk of illness, diseases, and psychological problems), strength training (which results in players hitting more homeruns), and conditioning (which makes players more durable and less fatigued.)
TRADE OFFER - In addition to having a new layout, this screen has several new features. First, up to 8 players may now be traded per team. Second, draft picks may be traded (if Draft Pick Trading has been enabled from the League Setup Page.) Third, cash may now be traded. (This option may be used to "pay part of a player's salary" or to simply balance out a trade.) Fourth, a third team may now be involved in a proposed trade. Fifth, the offering team must now click the "Submit Proposal" button before the receiving team will respond. (This makes it harder to cheat, since you can no longer see the minimum it will take before they "bite".) And sixth, you may now click the "View Trading Block" button to see a complete list of players in the league that are being dangled as trade bait.
TRADE OFFER (ROSTER WINDOW) - This is the list from which you "Add Players" during a Trade Proposal. The only changes here are the highlighting of players with No Trade Clauses that prohibit them from being traded to the selected team with a blue background. Plus, you may add a manager/coach or a "player to be named later" to the list. If a "player to be named later" is part of a trade, the offering team must submit a suitable player within 30 days of the trade (by clicking "Add Player", selecting the player, and clicking the "Submit Proposal" button.) If a player cannot be agreed upon after that time, the computer AI will automatically give the receiving team what it deems to be fair compensation from the offering team. Also, when a third team has been involved, players who are not yet officially on a team, but are being packaged for the third team, will have an asterisk next to their name. (This distinguishes them from players who are currently on the team's roster.)
WAIVER WIRE * - Since having the waiver wire run every 3 days as it does in MLB would probably be too time-consuming, it will only run at the end of each week in OOTP. Any player who has been placed on waivers during the previous week will show up in a list that shows his current team, salary, and stats. If you wish to claim a player on the list, right-click to put in a claim on him. When you are ready, run waivers by clicking the button. If he makes it through waivers unclaimed by a team beneath you, he is yours. (His current team may also remove him from waivers if they are beneath you, provided it is the first time the team has placed him on waivers. If it's his second time on the wire, they can't pull him back.) You will also be given the chance to do the same with your own players. Once waivers have been run, you may repeat the process if you want to claim another player. (NOTE: The player's entire salary for the current year will be added to your payroll.)
ARBITRATION OFFER * - This is the same version of the Player Card that pops up if you are offering an extension. However, unlike an extension offer, an arbitration offer means that whatever you offer in this window will be considered your final proposal for the arbitration hearing. (Extension proposals may be still be offered up until the end of the current season, though.)
ARBITRATION HEARING * - This window is displayed on the day arbitration hearings are scheduled. The player's proposal is shown along with the team's proposal. When the "Submit Arbitration Case" button is clicked, the arbiter's decision is displayed. He may award the player any amount in between the player's proposal and the team's proposal, depending on how much he thinks is deserved. Whatever the amount is will be the player's salary for the upcoming season. If a contract extension is now ironed out before the end of the season, the player will become a free agent.
SUSPENSION / FINE NOTIFICATION * - If you are the General Manager of a team, an email will be sent to you if one or more of your players, manager, or coaches have been suspended. You will be notified of the name of the player(s), the reason for the suspension, the duration in games of the suspension, and the amount of any fines assessed. You may either accept the suspension by doing nothing more or you may appeal the suspension by clicking the "Appeal Suspension" button. You will immediately be told whether the suspension has been upheld, reduced,or overturned. Your chance of having a suspension reduced or overturned depends on how many times the player involved has been suspended before and how often players on your team have been suspended. If you or your players are repeat offenders, it will be much harder to get a suspension overturned. The more often a player is suspended, the more severe the suspension and fines are. (NOTE: On rare occasion, a player may be "banned" from the league (meaning he will not be able to play and he will be ineligible for HOF induction.) You may appeal this as well. If it is upheld, you will be given a chance to appeal it again at the beginning of each new season.
ALL STAR GAME LINEUP - This page will now list the player's current team and country of origin next to his name. In the lineup column, the manager's name and current record appears at the top. (NOTE: You may replace a player on the team by right-clicking on his name to remove him, selecting a new player from the "Show All Players In The League" list, and right-clicking on that player.)
ALL STAR GAME SETUP * - If you have previously opted in the "Edit ASG" window to select the All Star Game rosters yourself, this is the place to do it. The page will pop up automatically at the beginning of the All Star break. Simply drag and drop game participants (as well as Home Run Derby participants, if desired) into the boxes to the right. If you change your mind and would rather it be done automatically, just click the "Auto-Select Rosters" and/or "Auto-Select HRD Participants" buttons.
HALL OF FAME - Now bears the name of your league and the hall's location (for news stories.) You have the option of sorting through either players or non-players by name, year inducted, position, or team. The new "plaque" includes an embossed picture of the player, as well as their name, position, primary team, other teams played for, years played, year inducted, and basic stats.
NEWS - The only changes here are having the player's names hyperlinked to their Player Card and the addition of a "Highlight Reel". Clicking this button replays the at-bat in the game play-by-play during which the event being described took place.
SIM OPTIONS - You may now set the game to stop for more events than before. "Stop simming before each scheduled event/deadline" will cause simulation to stop right before such events as the All Star Game, both trade deadlines, September call-ups, and the Playoffs. You may also now set the game to stop simming if a pitcher is about to throw a no-hitter or perfect game (This means the last at-bat, not just at the end of 8 innings), a batter is one at-bat away from hitting for the cycle, a single-game, single-season, or career record is about to be broken, a Hall of Fame-caliber milestone is about to be broken (That is, a player is one hit/HR/win/K/etc. away from achieving an automatic HOF induction), or a team is one out away from clinching a playoff berth or winning a playoff series.
LEAGUE SCHEDULE - The only change here is to show the Player of the Game in each game box.
CALENDAR * (examples: NOV, DEC, JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, JUL) - This is an entirely new section. You have the option of watch the season progress by viewing a monthly calendar. It will show all the events listed on the League Schedule Setup page. It will also show all the games scheduled for a particular day and will include hyperlinks to box scores and game recaps if the game has already been played. Additionally, when a weekly, monthly, or season award has been announced, there will be a hyperlink to the corresponding news article. You will even be linked to the "Season Preview" article, in which the AI will try to "predict" the outcome of the season.
FRONT OFFICE
SUPPORT FOR NEW STADIUM: Shows both local government and public support for building a new stadium.
ATTENDANCE GRAPH: Now includes the total attendance to date for the current season, as well as last year's total attendance.
FINANCES: The current and previous years' Finances show Luxury Box, Naming Rights, Advertising, Vending (Concessions and Parking), and Miscellaneous Revenues, as well as costs for Management Payroll, Stadium Construction, Promotions, and Miscellaneous Operating Expenses. The current year shows Cash, while the previous year shows Revenue Gained or Lost. (Revenue +/- is total income minus total expenses. Cash is any revenue left from previous year after adjusting current payroll against last year's payroll. NOTE: Luxury Box, Naming Rights, Advertising, and Broadcasting Revenue is generated at the beginning of each season. All other areas fluxuate throughout the season. Also, merchandising should depend mostly on how good the team is currently, how good the is traditionally, and how many "Fan Favorites" they have on their team. Signing or trading for a marquee player should boost merchandising considerably.)
BROADCAST RIGHTS: This box now shows the current Radio and Local TV contract, the team's share of the National TV contract, and the number of Scheduled Network Games for the current season. (The National TV contract is "negotiated" behind the scenes by the "league", or the computer AI. Half of the total amount is divided evenly between all teams in the league. Another 40% is divided among teams based on their market size. The remaining 10% goes to teams which appear in the "Games of the Week". There will be 50 Games of the Week. There will be 25 games, or one per week, scheduled at the beginning of the season. They will try to showcase the best teams from the previous year and major rivalries. The remaining 25 games, also one per week, will be selected at the beginning of the respective week and will be based on current standings. This means there are 100 "spots" for teams to appear in these games. The more times your team is scheduled to appear, the bigger chunk of the final 10% of the National TV contract your team will earn for the season.)
PROMOTION DAYS: This box now just offers a button to view the Promotions Calendar. The Ticket Prices box shows prices for each seating level in the stadium. The Naming Rights box shows the company who owns these rights, if any, and until what
STADIUM AD SPACE: This box lists the 8 companies which own advertising space at your stadium for the current year.
TEAM BUSINESS: If you are the team owner and are in Business Mode, these are the functions you will need to run your team.
SET TICKET PRICES
- You may set ticket prices for various levels of seating. In Business Mode, this must be done prior to the start of the season. (Luxury boxes will be sold per year, not per game.)
SET PROMOTION DAYS
- There are 20 different types of promotions listed. Most promotions may only be scheduled once per year, although a few may be scheduled 3 times per year. The cost of the promotion will generally correlate to the expected attendance boost (i.e. The more it costs, the greater the possible increase at the gates.) Opening Day and Fan Appreciation Day can only be scheduled for the first and last home games of the year, respectively. Bobblehead Days will bear the name of your 3 most popular players (using Fan Favorite as the primary criterion and best players statistically as secondary criterion.) You can also create 4 promotional days of your own per year. This allows you to schedule days to honor retiring players or add any other event you might think of, although the cost and percent increase remain the same. (NOTE: Promos scheduled for night games will automatically be labeled as "... Night".)
NEGOTIATE BROADCAST RIGHTS * - The 6 bidding stations for your team's radio broadcast rights and the 5 bidders for your team's local TV rights are listed here. Each station will include the amount offered, the number of years, the station's market share, and the market share trend. The market share reflects how many people already listen to or watch the station. The trend lets you know whether there is more, less, or an even amount of audience over the past year. (NOTE: Station call-letters will be generated automatically from a text file, but can be editted. Stations east of the Mississippi will have start "W" and those west will start with "K". This will be determined using the team's latitude/longitude coordinates.)
SELL AD SPACE * - This will show 20 mythical companies, of which you will need to choose 8 to buy billboard space at your stadium for the upcoming season. Each company will include the amount offered, the company's size, its reputation, and its stability. In theory, attendance will be affected slightly according to how fans react to this advertising. A big company is good, because it likely has more employees that will come to the game and will respond favorably to seeing their company's ad. A reputable company is good, because fans don't want to see advertising for a company they already don't like. A stable company is good, because there is less chance it will go bankrupt before the contract expires. (NOTE: Names will be generated via two text files, just like the player names files. The CFnames.txt file will include people's last names and other common words that may be used as business names. The CLnames.txt file will be various types of businesses (like "Auto Sales", "Insurance", or "Restaurants".)
SELL STADIUM NAMING RIGHTS * - This is just like the the "Sell Ad Space" screen, except there are only 6 bidding companies (of which you will choose one) and years offered. All the same principles apply. Once the bid has been accepted, you will be given several options as to how to apply the name. (For example, if the winning bid is from "Imperial Gas", you have the choice of calling the stadium Imperial Gas (or just "Imperial") Field/Park/Ballpark/Stadium/Coliseum, whatever you think sounds the best.)
PROPOSE NEW STADIUM * - On this screen, you may "design" your stadium by deciding what type of stadium to build (Open Ballpark for $75m, Dome for $100m, or Retractable Roof for $125m), the surface (grass for $40m, turf for $30m), the amount you wish to spend on amenities (an "excellent" rating requires that you spend about $100m), the number of years for the project to be completed (having it done in 3 years will cost $100m extra, 4 years at $50m, and 5 years at $25m, or 6 years at no extra cost), the number of each level of seats, the number of luxury boxes, and the number of parking spaces. Once you've designed your stadium, you must arrange financing for the project. Your team must contribute a minimum of 10% of its total cost. (You will automatically be placed on a 5-year payment plan, meaning you will pay 20% of this cost each year for the next 5 years.) Other options for financing include Local Government, Taxpayers, PSL's, and the League. After you have distributed the percentages each party should pay, you must begin the process by submitting the plan to the Local Government (if they are to pay for any part of it) for a vote. They will generally approve the proposal if the stadium is in poor condition and the cost doesn't exceed $50m. If Taxpayers are expected to pay for any part of it, they will need to vote on a tax increase. The public will usually reject anything more than $30m. (NOTE: Use the Support For New Stadium box to gauge whether the government and public are behind the plan once the "design" has been completed. If they are not, you may want to adjust the percentages each is expected to contribute. It should be noted that even if support is high, there is no guarantee it will be approved.) The next option is to sell Public Seat Licenses. Again, if the public strongly supports the project, there is a good chance they will buy enough PSL's. Now it's time to submit it to the league for approval. (The league will contribute no more than 20% of the cost. If their cost is zero and all other financing has been approved, your proposal is practically guaranteed to pass.) To submit to the league, you must wait for the Winter Meetings and click "Build New Ballpark". If the league approves your new stadium, "construction" will begin immediately.
PROPOSE STADIUM RENOVATIONS * - This function allows you to just make improvements to your current stadium instead of building a brand new one. The screen looks just like the "Propose New Stadium" page, except you will enter only the changes in your stadium's type, surface, amenities, or the number of seats, luxuy boxes, and parking spaces you wish to add. However, the catch is that the cost of each is twice as much as it is in a new stadium. That means converting an open stadium to a retractable roof will cost $250m instead of $125m. Converting from turf to grass costs $80m. Luxury boxes are $1m. As for amenities, upgrading from one rating level to the next will cost approximately $25m. Financing must still be approved if your team is unable to afford it alone. Thus, the same process must be followed. The 5-year payment plan will still apply. (NOTE: All renovations will be completed for the season following the upcoming season.)
WINTER MEETINGS * - If you have Winter Meetings scheduled, you may propose changes to expand the league, realign the league, move your team, or build a new ballpark, or renovate your existing ballpark. Any changes you suggest will have to be approved by the rest of the league. This process includes clicking on the appropriate button to be directed to the screen where changes will be made (League Structure for expansion and realignment, your Team Setup page for moving or renaming your team, and the ballpark editor for building or rennovating your ballpark. After making the changes, you will be returned to the Winter Meetings screen. Click the "Submit" button and will be apprised of the vote. You will then be given the opportunity to make proposals in other areas, which will follow the same process. (NOTE: The league will not generally vote to expand unless most teams in the league are fiscally sound or it has been at least 10 years since the last expansion. It will usually only realign after a team moves out of its geographical area or after an expansion. The league will usually not even consider approving relocation of your team unless your market size has remained below average and your fan interest has remained poor for at least 3 seasons. A name change will typically only be approved if fan interest has remained below 20 for at least 3 seasons. (See details above for Proposing New Stadium / Renovation.) After you have finished making your proposals, there will be a short trading frenzy to simulate the real winter meetings.
GAME OPTIONS - This screen includes 3 new features; The "Line" (or odds), weather conditions at game time, and the umpiring crew (Home Plate, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Rightfield, and Leftfield umps.)
IN-GAME SCREEN - There are many changes in the Play-By-Play screen; The umps continue to be listed. The current weather conditions continue to be shown (and will change throughout the game.) There is a clock with both the time and the duration of the game so far. The Last Pitch display has been moved to the lower right of the playing field (where a radar gun would normally be located.) There is an option to view your manager's card. The current pitcher and batter's photos will be displayed to the right of the play-by-play. The Out of Town Scoreboard specifies which game of doubleheader is being played. You have the choice of playing in either "Pitch-by-Pitch" mode or "Normal" mode, which shows only the result of the at-bat. You may either click the button to continue on to the next at-bat or a different one to continue until paused. (Once this button is clicked, it will read "Pause" and may be clicked again to stop the action.) You also have the options, if you are the field manager, of visiting the mound (which you may only do once per game without removing your pitcher), sending your pitching coach out to the mound (which you may also do once during the game), or argue the last call. (NOTE: If your manager is ejected during a game, a window will pop up asking you to replace him with one of your coaches.)
OTHER NEW FEATURES
Rain-Outs - If a game is called on account of rain (or snow, depending on the time of year and city's altitude), it will be automatically rescheduled as the second game of a doubleheader at some point later in the season. You will notice that many of your regular players will be listed as "tired" for a doubleheader's second game, meaning you will probably want to use more reserves. Also, when a game is rained out, your SP will automatically be skipped in the rotation. However, if you are the team's Field Manager, you may of course start him manually. (NOTE: On rare occasion, a game may be postponed for a reason other than rain or snow. Some examples might be Structural Damage to Stadium, Chemical Spill Near Stadium, Hurricane, Flood, Earthquake, or Wildfire. If a natural disaster or other major tragedy occurs, multiple games may be postponed.)
Using Batters as Pitchers and Vise Versa - This will now be allowed.
"Double" Names - No guys with the same first and last name will be generated.
More News Stories - There will be more news articles concerning things like trades, major free agent signings and contract extensions, off-field incidents and suspensions, retirements, Hall of Fame inductions, rare plays, and league "business" news. All Star "voting totals" will be announced each week for the 4 weeks leading up to the game (only if fan favoritism is used in determining the starters.) A Season Preview article will come immediately before the start of the season. It will include predictions of final league standings, Championship Series opponents, major award winners, and milestones to be achieved. It will also run down what's "New This Season" (expansion/realignment, rule changes, ballpark openings, players and managers switching teams, etc. )
League Leaders - All names will be hyperlinked to Player Cards.
Awards - New awards categories include Gold Gloves, Comeback Player of the Year, Reliever of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Executive (G.M.) of the Year. An overall MVP will be awarded in addition to the batter and pitcher of the year. There will also be an MVP for each postseason series.
Records / Leaderboard - This will contain a toggle for showing either the MLB records / leaderboard or your league's records / leaderboard. The higher total between the two will have an asterisk placed next to it.
Spring Training and the Exhibition Season - This will be divided up. Two weeks will be spent on Spring Training, which will primarlily be workouts and practice. The next month will be the Exhibition Season. During the Exhibition Season, rosters may expand to 40 players. Game logs, standings, and stats will be created (but no actual games may be played out.) At the end of the Exhibition Season and just before the start of the regular season, the roster must be trimmed from 40 to 25 (or whatever you have set as your league-wide roster size.)
Relatives - Instead of just creating "Jr.'s", the game will now create other relatives as well. A few years after a player is generated, a younger brother or brothers might be generated. They will almost always have the same country of origin and will typically have the same hometown and college. They will even have a similar look (once the Player Generator is implemented.) On rare occasion, twins will be generated, who will have the same birthday/age and hometown (and may be almost identical in appearance.) Also, a player or manager may start having sons generated into the game around the time he turns 40. (NOTE: A small percentage of times that a player misses a game due to the "birth of a child", the date will be noted and a son may be generated into the game 17 or 18 years later with that day as his birthdate.)
Special Attention Players - This may be a controversial idea, but I like the idea of being able to designate about 8 players in your organization as needing "Special Attention". These players would get a little extra boost to ensure they develop successfully. This could cover either "can't miss" prospects that you want to make sure will become stars, players returning from serious injury, or borderline players who need a little boost. This feature could, perhaps, be made unavailable in Expert mode.
Player Generator - This is an advanced concept that should be considered for a future version of OOTP. It will allow you to create a picture for a new player. When you create a new player, pre-programmed demographics information will be used to create a realistic-looking player, depending on his ethnicity. However, you may change any player's attributes manually by using the Player Generator screen. You will have options on face shape, skin color, eye color, hair color, hair style, facial hair, type of eyes, type of nose, type of mouth, type of ears, and even jewelry. All created players will be facing the same direction at the same angle so that caps can be applied automatically. This way, when a player changes teams, so will his cap. It may even be possible to incorporate aging effects as the player grows older. Also, as mentioned in the previous feature, players/managers who are closely related will usually have a strong resemblance to one another.
Stadium Generator - Along with the Player Generator, this could allow you to create your own graphics without depending on an outside source. This could be used in conjunction with the Ballpark Editor and the Propose New Stadium functions. It would provide hundreds of different templates for the field itself and could offer various skyline backgrounds and other visible features that could be added in. (NOTE: This concept could also be used for logo and ballcap generators.)
Sounds - Many more sounds will be added to the game.
Speech for Play-by-Play - This would be a really neat feature for a later version of OOTP. It would just be a matter of entering the phonetic spelling of each name used in the game with both beginning and middle of a sentence inflections... Ok, so that would be a pretty daunting task. Stil, it would be fun and would take the game to a whole 'nother level if it worked.
Display Options - All colors and fonts used in the game's text and background (except for graphics) will be customizable.
Player Mode - This seemed like too elaborate of a concept to be included in the next version or two, but then again... maybe not. The idea is to be able to play the game as a player that appears in the game. You would first create "yourself", meaning you would enter all of your information and photo onto a player card. You would have the option to give yourself a limited number and level of skills to start with, but would have the opportunity to improve these skills as you go on. In order to do this, you would be given options throughout the game, like how much batting practice you should take, how hard you want to work, how many social activities to involve yourself in to maintain your off-field happiness, what agent to hire, etc. As your career progresses, you can do various things to improve your chances of success. You will be offered contracts as a free agent. In each game you appear in, you will be shown exactly what's happening from your perspective. In an advanced mode, you can even make on-field decisions, like when to attempt to steal, how deep to play in the outfield, or even whether to argue with the ump. When you decide the time has come for you to retire, you may even try your hand at becoming a Manager. You could also choose to "shadow" a successful existing player by taking him over mid-career. (NOTE: Ok, so this would actually be more like a role-playing game. It would still be a lot of fun!)
