ITP -- thoughts about playing it again yesterday

Gastric ReFlux · 11-29-2004, 09:50 AM

When ITP was released last year, and for a price of $19.95, I picked up with anticipation of playing as an individual in the minor and major leagues. A lot of us here have probably dreamed that at one point or another. I played baseball through Babe Ruth, then had to become content with softball games with friends or watching the pros play it. Now here was a chance to play at those exalted levels, well at least in a digital fashion, and that made me curious to try ITP.

But after the initial try of last year, and now a more stringent exploration over the past couple of weeks, there were some serious problems with this first, but hopefully not last, incarnation of ITP.

I could blankly say the game doesn't immerse me well, but that's too general and doesn't explain why I'm finding it difficult to really get inside the park as the title would want me to be. I found myself wondering why that was, why didn't the game hook me like the way I can get hooked into a league in OOTP, and last night while working on a pitcher's career, I felt the following issues were some of the more glaring weaknesses.

Let's start with the in-game screens. Oh man, for a game that was meant to take us inside the park, this, to me, is the most glaring problem. At least in OOTP I can have a picture of the ballpark, with the names of the fielders and the runners on base. Thinking about it, I can't fathom why ITP didn't at least make use of OOTP's in-game screen. If I'm playing shortstop, I would like to see who my doubleplay partner is over at 2nd, I don't want to have to look at my team's lineup, and read the name next to an abbreviation of 2B. OOTP's in-game screen is far superior to ITP's, and that's a huge error in design, in my opinion.

I also wish that in-game it would have allowed us to look at player cards like OOTP. It would have helped us in getting to know the other players around us, who might be our future teammates in the majors, or future rivals. Right now, it's tough, it's like a string of mouse clicks with a cramped PbP screen. There is little sense of teams and rivals around me, it's harder for me to remember who hit that 3-run shot off my young pitcher, or who saved me by snagging the line drive between first and second.

So please, please, if there's a future version of ITP, at least make the in-game like OOTP's. Let me have a sense of place, and the players around me, let the PbP text at least equal to OOTP's (even for all its problems at least that's more detailed), and get the game to be more than numbers and mouse clicks. Let's get it to where we can imagine the smell of dirt and grass, and the players chasing down deep flies, and so forth. Right now, the in-game of ITP is too sterile even for many of us with more vivid imaginations. If one is a pitcher, it would be better to have some interaction with the manager before getting pulled, now you just get "player X now pitching" and "You're out of the game." It would have been so much better to get something at least like, "They're hitting you pretty hard, and you've given your all, it's time to take you out."

ITP could become a great game, I think. I'm just trying to offer some thoughts about a glaring weakness that became hugely obvious to me yesterday while working on an idea.

Autism Speaks · 11-29-2004, 01:33 PM

Good thoughts.

ctorg · 11-29-2004, 02:24 PM

As I've said elsewhere, I think ITP should be made into an add-on for OOTP. That way it would just be OOTP with a little more ability to play as a particular player. It could be sold separately as a sort of expansion pack.

Cuss · 11-30-2004, 02:02 AM

For what it's worth, the in game screen becomes very similar to the OOTP one for the major league games with the field and players. And I definitely agree and would very much love to see ITP incorporated into OOTP as another game mode like the current GM mode, especially after hearing about how OOTP7 will be capable of running a baseball universe in one league file, playing as a player through the ranks would be a dream come true.

Gastric ReFlux · 11-30-2004, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuss

For what it's worth, the in game screen becomes very similar to the OOTP one for the major league games with the field and players. And I definitely agree and would very much love to see ITP incorporated into OOTP as another game mode like the current GM mode, especially after hearing about how OOTP7 will be capable of running a baseball universe in one league file, playing as a player through the ranks would be a dream come true.

It does? I haven't seen that. Yes, there's a list of players, and small diamond to the bottom right that shows where runners are located, but really nothing like OOTP's setup. I'm confused by what you mean here.

Another irk showed itself to me last night. Or I should say it didn't show itself. I'm a pitcher, and I thought it would be cool to see how hard I was throwing, but there's no radar gun like in OOTP. That sucked.

Oneida · 12-02-2004, 10:21 PM

God i would buy the Next OOTP in NOW if thepromise of ITP was incorparated!!

how much they want?? 50-60-100 dollars, name your price!!!

benchwarmer · 12-04-2004, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctorg

As I've said elsewhere, I think ITP should be made into an add-on for OOTP. That way it would just be OOTP with a little more ability to play as a particular player. It could be sold separately as a sort of expansion pack.

I second that! great idea!

Cuss · 12-04-2004, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gastric ReFlux

It does? I haven't seen that. Yes, there's a list of players, and small diamond to the bottom right that shows where runners are located, but really nothing like OOTP's setup. I'm confused by what you mean here.

Another irk showed itself to me last night. Or I should say it didn't show itself. I'm a pitcher, and I thought it would be cool to see how hard I was throwing, but there's no radar gun like in OOTP. That sucked.

Oh it doesn't? I must be mistaken then haven't played the game for a while.

11-29-2004, 09:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
Gastric ReFlux Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Member #3409 Posts: 8,318	ITP -- thoughts about playing it again yesterday When ITP was released last year, and for a price of $19.95, I picked up with anticipation of playing as an individual in the minor and major leagues. A lot of us here have probably dreamed that at one point or another. I played baseball through Babe Ruth, then had to become content with softball games with friends or watching the pros play it. Now here was a chance to play at those exalted levels, well at least in a digital fashion, and that made me curious to try ITP. But after the initial try of last year, and now a more stringent exploration over the past couple of weeks, there were some serious problems with this first, but hopefully not last, incarnation of ITP. I could blankly say the game doesn't immerse me well, but that's too general and doesn't explain why I'm finding it difficult to really get inside the park as the title would want me to be. I found myself wondering why that was, why didn't the game hook me like the way I can get hooked into a league in OOTP, and last night while working on a pitcher's career, I felt the following issues were some of the more glaring weaknesses. Let's start with the in-game screens. Oh man, for a game that was meant to take us inside the park, this, to me, is the most glaring problem. At least in OOTP I can have a picture of the ballpark, with the names of the fielders and the runners on base. Thinking about it, I can't fathom why ITP didn't at least make use of OOTP's in-game screen. If I'm playing shortstop, I would like to see who my doubleplay partner is over at 2nd, I don't want to have to look at my team's lineup, and read the name next to an abbreviation of 2B. OOTP's in-game screen is far superior to ITP's, and that's a huge error in design, in my opinion. I also wish that in-game it would have allowed us to look at player cards like OOTP. It would have helped us in getting to know the other players around us, who might be our future teammates in the majors, or future rivals. Right now, it's tough, it's like a string of mouse clicks with a cramped PbP screen. There is little sense of teams and rivals around me, it's harder for me to remember who hit that 3-run shot off my young pitcher, or who saved me by snagging the line drive between first and second. So please, please, if there's a future version of ITP, at least make the in-game like OOTP's. Let me have a sense of place, and the players around me, let the PbP text at least equal to OOTP's (even for all its problems at least that's more detailed), and get the game to be more than numbers and mouse clicks. Let's get it to where we can imagine the smell of dirt and grass, and the players chasing down deep flies, and so forth. Right now, the in-game of ITP is too sterile even for many of us with more vivid imaginations. If one is a pitcher, it would be better to have some interaction with the manager before getting pulled, now you just get "player X now pitching" and "You're out of the game." It would have been so much better to get something at least like, "They're hitting you pretty hard, and you've given your all, it's time to take you out." ITP could become a great game, I think. I'm just trying to offer some thoughts about a glaring weakness that became hugely obvious to me yesterday while working on an idea. Last edited by Gastric ReFlux : 11-29-2004 at 10:15 AM. Reason: fixed you're your thingy

11-29-2004, 01:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Autism Speaks Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Supporting Autism research causes Posts: 2,814	Good thoughts. __________________

11-29-2004, 02:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
ctorg Moderator* Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 9,372	As I've said elsewhere, I think ITP should be made into an add-on for OOTP. That way it would just be OOTP with a little more ability to play as a particular player. It could be sold separately as a sort of expansion pack. __________________ THE VERY US ARTISTS - A project for musicians and visual artists My music Currently reading: Thirteen by Richard Morgan "When the trees blow back and forth, that's what makes the wind." - Steven Wright Fjord emena pancreas thorax fornicate marmalade morpheme proteolysis smaxa cabana offal srue vitriol grope hallelujah lentils

11-30-2004, 02:02 AM	#4 (permalink)
Cuss Major Leagues Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: BC Canada Posts: 470	For what it's worth, the in game screen becomes very similar to the OOTP one for the major league games with the field and players. And I definitely agree and would very much love to see ITP incorporated into OOTP as another game mode like the current GM mode, especially after hearing about how OOTP7 will be capable of running a baseball universe in one league file, playing as a player through the ranks would be a dream come true. __________________

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12-02-2004, 10:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Oneida Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 249	God i would buy the Next OOTP in NOW if thepromise of ITP was incorparated!! how much they want?? 50-60-100 dollars, name your price!!!