> Out of the Park Developments > General Discussions

sporr · 03-25-2007, 12:59 PM

I can’t believe that the 8th version of OOTP is almost out. It seems like not that long ago when I first stumbled upon the game. Everyone has their story about how they discovered the game that we’ve all grown to love. Most of us have something in common; we’ve always strived to find that perfect baseball simulation. I knew from the first time that I saw the game that this would be the franchise for me, and the High Heats, Baseball Moguls and Diamond Minds were all left on the shelf after that.

What amazes me the most is how far this series has come since that first version came out back in 1999. Only a few of us around these boards can remember, so I thought I’d take us all on a trip down memory lane…

Out of the Park Baseball
Many of you might not realize it, but the first version of OOTP was a DOS program. The introduction from the 28-page manual makes me wonder if Markus ever realized how big this would become:

Welcome to Out Of The Park Baseball (OOTP), a new baseball simulation which offers everything you expect from a professional simulation and more ...
My name is Markus Heinsohn and I'm the developer of OOTP. I've been working on this piece of software for more than a year, and I'm sure the work paid off as OOTP really has grown into a statistical accurate simulation of baseball which doesn’t just give you realistic results but also is very easy to use and a lot of fun to play.

OOTP was the first text-based game to feature career mode, and that’s what really sucked me in. The hardware requirements were laughable, needing a PC 286 and 16 MB of recommended RAM. I wasn’t able to get the game running in XP, but trust me when I say that the game was very basic.

Here is a recap of the versions since then:

OOTP2
The first Windows version
Financial model
Full minor leagues make an appearance
Game created HTML for online leagues
Real rookies automatically enter historical leagues every season
Split stats

OOTP3
Coaches and scouts
News system
Park and era editor
Big group of beta testers

OOTP4 / Season Ticket Baseball
30-day free agency period
Set lineups/staff for minors
Player history on player card
Weather
FTP support for online leagues
Fatigue

OOTP5
Full minors with standings
Almanac
Player tendencies
CSV export/import
Team/manager strategy settings

OOTP6
New sim engine (Stuff, Control, Movement)
The DFA box
Rule 5 draft
Service time tracked by day

OOTP6.5
Player popularity
7-day lineups
Projected stats listing
Off-season/ Spring injuries

OOTP Baseball 2006
First SI version – Completely redesigned database
Brand new GUI
Pitch-by-pitch
Complete situational strategy
Complete Baseball universe with minor leagues and independents
Expanded defensive ratings
Complete team scouting/coaching staff

That brings us up to the version. The game has grown tremendously over the years and continues to make leaps and bounds into new territory, truly setting the bar for text-based baseball. I can’t even imagine what the game will look like a few years from now, but I’m sure I’ll still be playing it.

dcpcarmona · 03-25-2007, 01:07 PM

nice synopsis.

dcc

Giants44 · 03-25-2007, 01:27 PM

nice

great screenshots - bring backs a lot of memories and really shows us how far we have come.

would love to see a screen shot of ver1 - does anyone have one????

JWay · 03-25-2007, 01:33 PM

OOTP3 brought back memories... just that screen shot...

spleen1015 · 03-25-2007, 01:36 PM

Found OOTP in Jan of 2000. It's been a long time.

redsox45 · 03-25-2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Found OOTP in Jan of 2000. It's been a long time.

Same here.

We've seen some great times.

OOTP has come a long way since those days. I wonder how many of those original 100 or so forum members still drop by here on a regular basis?

Will

spleen1015 · 03-25-2007, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redsox45

Same here.

We've seen some great times.

OOTP has come a long way since those days. I wonder how many of those original 100 or so forum members still drop by here on a regular basis?

Will

MD, sporr, you, Cooleyvol, and myself are the only ones I remember. I'm sure there are some folks that I left out.

fhomess · 03-25-2007, 02:00 PM

Danny Fanning - not such a great name for a hitter.

1998 Yankees · 03-25-2007, 02:13 PM

sporr, interesting post, thanks. I differ from you in one respect: All of my High Heats, Triple Plays, MVP Baseballs, and other games that I had tried before OOTP currently reside in the town landfill, where they belong. Only SOM is still on the shelf where it has been for over two years now, gathering dust.

Cooleyvol · 03-25-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleen1015

MD, sporr, you, Cooleyvol, and myself are the only ones I remember. I'm sure there are some folks that I left out.

Tris?

Cooleyvol · 03-25-2007, 02:32 PM

If you oldtimes really want to walk down an old road, check out this link:

http://www.sportplanet.com/sbb/

I remember when Stat Based Baseball housed just about everything OOTP. Lots of the league links on the left are still active!

darkcloud4579 · 03-25-2007, 03:46 PM

I started playing with OOTP5. Those were some great times. But wow, where we are now. Never could've imagined.

spleen1015 · 03-25-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

Tris?

I meant to say the ones that were active back then, that are still active now.

tcblcommish · 03-25-2007, 05:03 PM

This brings back numerous memories of teams and leagues past. Online and solo. Great post.

ravinhood · 03-25-2007, 05:08 PM

I started with 4th and skipped 5th and bought 6th and downloaded 6.5a update, skipped 2006 and just recently got 2007. It would appear that every two years gets the mostest for the leastest lol. I don't play online leagues so one game can easily last me a couple of years playing against the AI. I mostly buy hoping the AI is improved more than anything else.

redsox45 · 03-25-2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

If you oldtimes really want to walk down an old road, check out this link:

http://www.sportplanet.com/sbb/

I remember when Stat Based Baseball housed just about everything OOTP. Lots of the league links on the left are still active!

That was a great site back in the day...

I wonder if Dave still plays OOTP....?

Will

CMH · 03-25-2007, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWay

OOTP3 brought back memories... just that screen shot...

Same here, though I never played OOTP3. I discovered the game three months before OOTP4 was set to be released, so I decided to wait.

The little envelope on the left bottom corner of the screen in OOTP4 brought back memories of the day I downloaded it. Great day.

akw4572 · 03-25-2007, 08:10 PM

First found v4 on a clearance shelf at a store I can't remember. Had every version since. Can't decide what my favorite is, though I think it's going to end up being v2007. I was a dmb'er and was glad to not have to buy expensive season disks anymore.

statman · 03-25-2007, 08:10 PM

OOTP2
The first Windows version
Financial model
Full minor leagues make an appearance
Game created HTML for online leagues
Real rookies automatically enter historical leagues every season
Split stats

Wow, very nice, reminds me of my first ever OOTP2 online league. Being a baseball board game fan, then computer fan (started with C64), I thought OOTP was the greatest ever, but much thanks for the improvements over the years.

Cooleyvol · 03-25-2007, 08:20 PM

There's still something to be said for the simplicity of that game. I loved the deuce! Still got it on CD.

03-25-2007, 12:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
sporr Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Muscatine, IA Posts: 8,247 Thanked 2x in 1 post	OOTP: Walk Down Memory Lane I can’t believe that the 8th version of OOTP is almost out. It seems like not that long ago when I first stumbled upon the game. Everyone has their story about how they discovered the game that we’ve all grown to love. Most of us have something in common; we’ve always strived to find that perfect baseball simulation. I knew from the first time that I saw the game that this would be the franchise for me, and the High Heats, Baseball Moguls and Diamond Minds were all left on the shelf after that. What amazes me the most is how far this series has come since that first version came out back in 1999. Only a few of us around these boards can remember, so I thought I’d take us all on a trip down memory lane… Out of the Park Baseball Many of you might not realize it, but the first version of OOTP was a DOS program. The introduction from the 28-page manual makes me wonder if Markus ever realized how big this would become: Welcome to Out Of The Park Baseball (OOTP), a new baseball simulation which offers everything you expect from a professional simulation and more ... My name is Markus Heinsohn and I'm the developer of OOTP. I've been working on this piece of software for more than a year, and I'm sure the work paid off as OOTP really has grown into a statistical accurate simulation of baseball which doesn’t just give you realistic results but also is very easy to use and a lot of fun to play. OOTP was the first text-based game to feature career mode, and that’s what really sucked me in. The hardware requirements were laughable, needing a PC 286 and 16 MB of recommended RAM. I wasn’t able to get the game running in XP, but trust me when I say that the game was very basic. Here is a recap of the versions since then: OOTP2 The first Windows version Financial model Full minor leagues make an appearance Game created HTML for online leagues Real rookies automatically enter historical leagues every season Split stats OOTP3 Coaches and scouts News system Park and era editor Big group of beta testers OOTP4 / Season Ticket Baseball 30-day free agency period Set lineups/staff for minors Player history on player card Weather FTP support for online leagues Fatigue OOTP5 Full minors with standings Almanac Player tendencies CSV export/import Team/manager strategy settings OOTP6 New sim engine (Stuff, Control, Movement) The DFA box Rule 5 draft Service time tracked by day OOTP6.5 Player popularity 7-day lineups Projected stats listing Off-season/ Spring injuries OOTP Baseball 2006 First SI version – Completely redesigned database Brand new GUI Pitch-by-pitch Complete situational strategy Complete Baseball universe with minor leagues and independents Expanded defensive ratings Complete team scouting/coaching staff That brings us up to the version. The game has grown tremendously over the years and continues to make leaps and bounds into new territory, truly setting the bar for text-based baseball. I can’t even imagine what the game will look like a few years from now, but I’m sure I’ll still be playing it. __________________ Baseball Maelstrom - Commish/ St Louis Cardinals USBA - Las Vegas Scorpions

03-25-2007, 01:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
dcpcarmona All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: at the New Moon Posts: 916 Thanked 2x in 2 posts	nice synopsis. dcc __________________ "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." -Rogers Hornsby

03-25-2007, 01:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Giants44 All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,683	nice great screenshots - bring backs a lot of memories and really shows us how far we have come. would love to see a screen shot of ver1 - does anyone have one???? __________________ "In a text sim - Immersion is everything" -Me "Judge a man not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" -Martin Luther King "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." -Einstein "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." -Muhammad Ali "Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything." -Toby Harrah

03-25-2007, 01:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
JWay Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Posts: 3,592 Thanked 1x in 1 post	OOTP3 brought back memories... just that screen shot... __________________ Brand New League: The Classic Baseball Union - http://www.thecbu.com Check it out! CBU - Sioux Falls Uber Giraffes - 1st Year Owner/Commissioner 2009 - 102-60 1 Finley Division Championship OTBA - Sioux Falls Cereal Killers - 23rd Year Owner - 1752-1864 .475 win% 7 Playoff Appearances 6 Banned Division Championships 2 Heinsohn League Championships 1 OTBA League Championship

03-25-2007, 02:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
fhomess Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 2,284 Thanked 26x in 11 posts	Danny Fanning - not such a great name for a hitter. __________________ StatsLab - SQL based utilities for Online Leagues - Patch #1 - Patch #2 The Baseball Saga - My fictorical replay dynasty thread (HTML)

03-25-2007, 01:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
spleen1015 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 4,800 Thanked 9x in 9 posts	Found OOTP in Jan of 2000. It's been a long time.

03-25-2007, 02:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
1998 Yankees Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yankee Stadium Posts: 6,401	sporr, interesting post, thanks. I differ from you in one respect: All of my High Heats, Triple Plays, MVP Baseballs, and other games that I had tried before OOTP currently reside in the town landfill, where they belong. Only SOM is still on the shelf where it has been for over two years now, gathering dust. __________________ The 1998 Yankees are considered to be among the The Best Major League Baseball Teams Ever From 1902-2005 by Baseball Almanac. They were 68-20 at home that year (including playoffs and World Series) in the original Yankee Stadium (1923-2008), "Where Players Became Legends."

03-25-2007, 02:32 PM	#11 (permalink)
Cooleyvol Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Woodland Mills, TN Posts: 4,356 Thanked 9x in 6 posts	If you oldtimes really want to walk down an old road, check out this link: http://www.sportplanet.com/sbb/ I remember when Stat Based Baseball housed just about everything OOTP. Lots of the league links on the left are still active! __________________ SEC Champions, 2006,2008-14 2008, 2011 National Runners-up 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 National Champions

03-25-2007, 03:46 PM	#12 (permalink)
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: All over the place.. Posts: 4,948 Blog Entries: 24 Thanked 16x in 10 posts	I started playing with OOTP5. Those were some great times. But wow, where we are now. Never could've imagined. __________________ My OOTP Mods: GmEXcel for OOTP X (formerly MarketCalc) Daylight Fading: OOTP X solo dynasty Here We Go W-Y-O: NCAA 10 Dynasty FOOL: St. Louis Terriers (1961-65), Compton Brothers (1966-69), Chicago/Quad City T-Storms (1970-1978), Boston Bombers/St. Louis Terriers (1980-1988), Boston Settlers (2027), Newark Terriers (2037-2041) 11 FOOL Classic appearances (w/5 different teams), 5 FOOL Titles FOBL: Bantam Originals (6th season) FBCB-FOFC: Oklahoma Sooners (2031-) Wyoming Cowboys (2027-30) '27 MWC Coach of the Year & Conference Champs Creator of fast-sim, Commissioner of FOOL-H Omnivore CFB Computer Rankings

03-25-2007, 05:03 PM	#14 (permalink)
tcblcommish All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 1,741	This brings back numerous memories of teams and leagues past. Online and solo. Great post.

03-25-2007, 05:08 PM	#15 (permalink)
ravinhood Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 272	I started with 4th and skipped 5th and bought 6th and downloaded 6.5a update, skipped 2006 and just recently got 2007. It would appear that every two years gets the mostest for the leastest lol. I don't play online leagues so one game can easily last me a couple of years playing against the AI. I mostly buy hoping the AI is improved more than anything else.

03-25-2007, 08:10 PM	#18 (permalink)
akw4572 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,107	First found v4 on a clearance shelf at a store I can't remember. Had every version since. Can't decide what my favorite is, though I think it's going to end up being v2007. I was a dmb'er and was glad to not have to buy expensive season disks anymore.

03-25-2007, 08:10 PM	#19 (permalink)
statman Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 205	OOTP2 The first Windows version Financial model Full minor leagues make an appearance Game created HTML for online leagues Real rookies automatically enter historical leagues every season Split stats Wow, very nice, reminds me of my first ever OOTP2 online league. Being a baseball board game fan, then computer fan (started with C64), I thought OOTP was the greatest ever, but much thanks for the improvements over the years.

03-25-2007, 08:20 PM	#20 (permalink)
Cooleyvol Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Woodland Mills, TN Posts: 4,356 Thanked 9x in 6 posts	There's still something to be said for the simplicity of that game. I loved the deuce! Still got it on CD. __________________ SEC Champions, 2006,2008-14 2008, 2011 National Runners-up 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 National Champions

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

> Out of the Park Developments > General Discussions

OOTP: Walk Down Memory Lane