Out of the Park Baseball 2011 for iPhone/iPod Touch

The price will be $4.99.

 

There is a minor league roster. In the major league roster set, it contains the top prospects of each team. However, in order to keep the game running at a fast pace there are no games/stats simulated for the minors.

Cheers,
Markus

 

From our iOOTP Baseball 2011 F.A.Q.:

Q: So, is iOOTP really based on the OOTP engine?
A: Yes, it shares 99% of the code base of OOTP 11/12. That means, it has the same realistic game engine, smart AI and excellent player development. However, due to memory limitations there are only basic stats as well as L/R splits tracked, but no advanced splits or double splits.

So basically iOOTP Baseball 2011 is a fun way to enjoy OOTP on the go. The PC/Mac version has the same code base but adds a lot of complexity like full minor leagues, full customization, more in-depth stats, more transaction rules and more options.

If you want more information about iOOTP 2011 visit our F.A.Q.:

iOOTP Baseball 2011 FAQ

Or ask more question in this thread.

 

Fictional Leagues in iOOTP 2011 are a great way for a challenge. The players are not just based on real players and then changed a little, you get a league of totally randomized players.

iOOTP 2011 will have three different fictional setups and it is your decision to start with a team the CPU picked for you or do an inaugural draft and pick your team on your own. Will you draft a star pitcher first or build a strong offense? Go with veterans or build a team with youngsters? It's up to you!

 

Welcome back to the Road to Release for iOOTP, a portable version of our acclaimed baseball sim.

​

I took over the Boston Red Sox to play the 2011 season and beyond.

Today, I want to continue the season and show you how to simulate games without your direct involvement.

The season marches forward on the Manager Home Screen, as shown above. You have two options for advancing your campaign: one day at a time or a week at a clip.

But when you simulate a game, how can you influence it? The game will be managed by your assistant coach (the computer), but you have many ways to give the computer guidance, beginning with setting your lineups, bullpen, and starting rotation. The computer will make decisions based on those settings.

First, you have your Depth Charts:

​

You use this screen to set a starter and utility player for each position, along with how often the utility player will get to start. For example, as you can see in the screenshot above, I have Varitek set as the utility catcher for starter Saltalamacchia and instructed the CPU to let him start every 3rd game (it’s not a bad idea to do this for your catcher as the position is very tough to play and you want him to stay healthy during a long season).

All other utility players are instructed to get into the starting lineup whenever the starter is tired. As you can see, I have Lowrie as a utility player for 2B, 3B and SS, so he will get the start whenever one of the starters needs a day off. A guy who can play a lot of defensive positions is always worthwhile because you are only allowed to have 25 men on your active roster, so Lowrie gives me some flexibility.

​

You can set your Depth Charts for four different scenarios: vs. RHP, vs. RHP+DH, vs. LHP and vs. LHP+DH. For example, if you have a lefty and a righty platooning at a position, you can have the former start against RHP and the latter go up against LHP.

Next, you can set game strategies according to the players you have available and the style of play you want the computer to use.

​

On the screenshot above you see the offensive strategies available. Please keep in mind that you only need to set these strategies when you simulate games; if you manage games yourself, then you make those decisions during the game (Road to Release - Part 2).

This lets you decide how often the computer should give a green light to players for stealing, how aggressive your base runners should be on the base paths, how often you want to try a hit and run, and how often players should attempt a sacrifice bunt.

While these settings are for the team’s overall approach, the computer will still take the player and situation into account. For example, even if you have base stealing set at maximum, David Ortiz will still not steal many bases.

Pitching:

​

Defense:

​

Substitutions:

​

One last thing you should check out is on a screen you already know, the pitching staff screen:

​

I set up my staff last time, but when I simulate games it is important to set the roles for each pitcher on the roster. As you can see, I elected a traditional 5-man rotation and I defined my Middle Relievers, Setup and Closer. When I start simulating, the computer will take always the next starter for each game. Then, during the game, based on the situation, the CPU will bring in relievers as I defined them, so, for example, with a close lead it would bring in Bard to set up Papelbon, who would get the call in the 9th to close out the game.

​

If you want even more control over your pitching, you can set the rotation mode: with Strict it will always move through the rotation in order (you can change the rotation size from 5 to something smaller, which you will want to do for the playoffs) and then back to the number one starter. With Highest Rested, it will skip the last (usually the weakest) starter whenever your team has an off day and your number one starter can start on normal rest.

After I create all my settings, I go back to the Manager Home screen. Now I can get the season rolling.

I will use the Finish Today option first.

​

I won again. As you can see, all the key information is presented on this screen: I won 4-3 in Texas and I'm now 2-0 and in first place. By tapping the blue link where the score is, I can open the box score of that game.

​

It went extra innings, but it’s still another one for the W column. Since my team settings are humming along smoothly, I will now continue with my second option, Finish Week.

​

As iOOTP simulates the season, you can still watch your team’s progress.

After the week is finished, I take a look at the new situation.

​

A 7-2 record, not bad. But I'm only in 3rd place, so let's take a look at the standings. For that, I tap League Info:

​

Here you can get all the information about your league. I choose Standings first.

​

Baltimore and Toronto are in front of me, both with a 8-1 record. That's nothing I'm afraid of. And the Yankees are behind me — that's something I want to see until the end of the season.

If you are interested in the games you (or other teams) played during the simulated time, you can check out the schedule.

​

Beside the scores, you can take a look at any box score you are interested in. If you are only interested in your games, then the team schedule is a better place to look.

​

But that is not all. You can also get in-depth statistics, something all baseball fans love to sift through.

Batting:

​

Pitching:

​

Defense:

​

Not enough? Then let’s check out the League Leaders for Batting (16 categories):

​

and Pitching (14 categories):

​

Still not enough? We know, baseball is all about the statistics and we put in a lot of stats. So for each player, iOOTP tracks a lot of stats, both the actual season and his career.

First, you get an overview of his last 3 years and his actual season for the most common statistics on his profile page:

​

Then you can go to his Stats page by tapping View and tapping the Stats button on the pop-up screen:

​

His basics stats here cover his whole career. They are even split by teams in case he was traded mid-season!

​

Tap the dropdown at the top and select Expanded Statistics to view even more batting stats.

​

That dropdown also has a Split Statistics option for a few split stats (vs. LHP and vs. RHP) and playoff stats.

So now you know how to set up your team when you want to simulate games and how to tap into the wealth of information you can get about the league, your team and your players. But iOOTP Baseball 2011 is not only about stats. The game is also about a living world that unfolds with every week you play, with every season you continue into your career. You will see young players get drafted and begin their careers, you will see records get broken, and you will even see players get elected to the Hall of Fame. Just to give you a small hint of the exciting things happening in iOOTP, here is a final screenshot from the League News screen.

​

Just six news headlines in my young season, but you can already see how the world of iOOTP evolves as you guide your team.

That’s it for today. Next time I will show you more from the League News screen, simulate the season to the end, and make a few tough decisions regarding trades, injuries, and contract signings.

 

The game is scheduled for a late April release, we're in the final stages of testing at the moment!

 

Welcome back to the Road to Release for iOOTP Baseball 2011. In the fourth installment, I will continue my season with the Boston Red Sox up to the All-Star Break. Along the way, I will show you the ins and outs of managing your team during the regular season.

But first, as promised last time, I will show you how deep the world of iOOTP is. The game is not just stats and ratings — it builds a world that evolves around you, just like the baseball world we all avidly follow every season. Here are a few examples:

Players get injured ...

​

Trades happen ...

​

Players get suspended ...

​

Various weekly and monthly awards are handed out ...

​

Heroic game events happen ...

​

and players reach milestones:

​

There are even more news blurbs and messages beyond those, but before I show them to you, let’s pick up my season that’s underway. I’ve simulated the month of April, so let's take a look at the standings:

​

As expected, it is a close race between my Red Sox and the Evil Empire. But it’s still early in the season, so I will continue the action before I start thinking about possible upgrades. So I hit "Finish Week" ...

​

... and get bad news: one of my key players suffered a major injury. First, I go to my lineup:

​

Crawford is my leadoff man, and despite his .244 batting average, he is an important part of my team. Now I have two things to do: make room on the active roster for a replacement player and then adjust the lineups. After tapping Crawford’s name, I take a closer look at his injury:

​

He will miss about 6 weeks, so to make room for his replacement I will put him on the Disabled List. For that I can use the Action Menu in the bottom bar (all actions concerning a player are in that menu):

​

Now I need a replacement to fill his role on the active roster. I open my Minor League Roster and take a look at the available options:

​

I need a left fielder and my only option is Josh Reddick. A closer look reveals ...

​

... he had two short stints in the majors with Boston in 2009 and 2010, with below average success. However, I have no other options at the moment, so I’ll give him another shot at the big leagues. His Potential (the four grey stars) is pretty good, so maybe this is his breakthrough moment.

I promote him to Boston (again, using the Action Menu) and update my lineups:

​

Hopefully the number 9 spot will take away some of the pressure.
Let’s continue the season!

After another month, I'm still in first place but Pedroia got hurt too, so I lost another important player for a few weeks.

And I received a personal message from J.D. Drew. Take a look:

​

That’s another of your between-game duties: signing new contracts with players you want to keep. Let’s take Drew as an example.

A look at his profile shows he is 35 years old and his stats are in decline, so if I sign him it has to be a short-term contract.

​

I have about $45 million available for contract extensions, and David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez are two more possible Free Agents after the season ends.

​

Now, just as a real General Manager does, we can meet with Drew. I tap his name in the message and open the Offer Extension Screen (as always, through the Action Menu).

​

Wow, he wants $17 million and 3 years (his current contract is $14 million). That's way too much in my opinion, so I lower the years to two and the money to the $14 million he gets now. I don't think he will accept that offer, but we will see. It is important to keep in mind that even if offers are declined, you can continue to negotiate with players. But be careful: some players will stop talking to you faster than others. I submit the offer to Drew and now I have to wait a few days.

Today brings with it another season highlight: the First-Year Player Draft.

​

Here you can draft the future of your franchise. It’s exciting to see who gets selected first and then watch the number one pick start his career in the majors, achieve his first hit, get chosen for his first All Star Team, receive awards, break records, and maybe even earn election to the Hall of Fame! Or maybe he suffers a career-ending injury during his first season. As in real life, you never know what will happen in iOOTP.

I planned to pick a starting pitcher, but with my 26th pick there are no good starter prospects left, so I change my mind and find a pretty interesting reliever: Sergio Ramirez.

​

He has good potential (5 stars), but his overall rating (4 stars) is what makes him interesting: he could be part of my bullpen during the season. I choose to let the CPU handle the rest of my draft picks.

After a few days, I get an update from Drew:

​

As I expected. He lowers his demand but insists on three years. I update my offer (again, only two years) and continue.

After a few days I get another update from Drew and this time, I'm surprised.

​

That gives me at least one year to find a replacement in RF. In other good news, I received word that Crawford can be reactivated from the Disabled List. That means Reddick goes back to the Minors, but this time he had a nice stint.

​

All is not puppies and rainbows in Red Sox land, though: one of my players is not happy with his role on the team.

​

I use Cameron in my starting lineup against LHP, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for him. You have to be careful with this kind of thing in iOOTP because morale is an important part of the game. As in real life, lousy morale can not only affect that player’s performance but also the entire team’s play. I make a note to think about trading Cameron at the trading deadline (this will be part of the next article).

Finally, I reach the All-Star Game and can take a look at the selected players for both leagues:

​

Boo, only Lackey was nominated from the American League. Something is not right at the moment.

Well, that's it for today. I made it halfway through the 2011 season and I showed you iOOTP’s deep game world and some of the duties you have as a GM. I'm now 3 games behind first place Tampa Bay, so when I continue I will take a look at my team and see what I can do to improve it at the trading deadline. Then we will finish the season, see if my first round pick makes his major league debut, and find out who wins the World Series. After that, we’ll take a look at the off-season, which has plenty for you to do before spring training starts again. Yes, just like real life.

 

We will finish the beta test tonight so it should be not to long before release.

And since I can play the game, I will post a couple more Road to Release articles just for you.

Sebastian
OOTP Developments

 

Just a small update: We're submitting the game to Apple today. So keep your fingers crossed that the review process doesn't take too long!

Cheers,
Markus
OOTP Developments