OOTP17は野球シミュレーションゲームの最高傑作であるといえます。
今回は、OOTP17ことOut Of The Park Baseballについて紹介してみたいと思います。

ベスプレとの違い(追記)
ベスプレは、シンプルに分かりやすく、試合観戦を楽しむことに重点を置いたゲームだと感じます。
一方、OOTPは沢山の指標、複雑な査定方法、(より上の権力から命令され、より下の立場からの要望を考慮しながら)チーム管理することに重点を置いたゲームだといえます。
OOTPは設定次第では、面倒なことはAIに委任し、おせっかいの口にガムテープを貼り、自分は監督としてローテや打順を弄ることに終止することも出来ます。普段、ゲームをプレーする前に設定項目を弄る癖がない場合は、本ゲームにおいてはプレースタイルによって異なる適切な設定があることに留意していただければと思います。


試合での采配
OOTPでは実際に投打を操作することはできません。設定やプレースタイルにもよりますが、プレイヤーが干渉できるのは試合中の采配までとなっています。これは他の野球シミュレーションゲームと変わらないといえます。
試合画面は結構簡素です。外国製の野球シミュレーションで試合画面に注力を入れているゲームも存在はします。
17以前からプレーしているユーザーからすると、17は選手の投打が試合に与える影響がとても分かりやすくなっています。


選手の管理
OOTPでは選手の一人ひとりに性格や気分といったものがあります。これらは無視しても構わないものですが、選手の気分が悪ければクラブハウスの状態が悪くなり、成績の悪化等が発生します。逆に、成績の悪化によってクラブハウスの状態が悪くなることもあります。どちらかといえば、後者の方が多いでしょう。
真面目でコツコツ練習する選手もいれば、不真面目で輪を乱す選手もいます。それらの個性をドラフトや補強で気にかけるのもこのゲームの醍醐味の一つです。これらの性格や気分は全く無関係というわけでもなければ、絶対に気にかけなければならないほど大きな影響も与えません。だからこそ気にするかどうかという選択をすることができます。

また、彼らはあらゆる理由で怪我をしたり引退します。それは交通事故かもしれませんし、トレーニング中の怪我かもしれません。レーシック手術が失敗して引退することもありますし、政治家を目指して引退することもあります。
豊富な怪我や引退は選手一人ひとりに物語を与えてくれます。
イベントも充実しており、結婚や出産、死別等もあります。複数年にまたがって発生するイベントも有ります。大会を主催した場合、その選手は翌年も大会を主催することでしょう。
これらもまたゲームでありながら選手一人ひとりに愛着を湧かせてくれます。彼らはチームが強ければ嬉しいですし、スタメン起用されないと不貞腐れることもあります。ファンから慕われていることもあれば、問題発言で嫌われてしまうこともあるのです。


チームの管理
プレイヤーが監督を選択した場合、チームの管理は仕事の内には含まれません。来季の年俸だとか育成予算だとかはGMにまかせておけばよいのです。あなたは日々打順やローテ、選手個々の成績や気分を確認しながらチームに勝利をもたらすのです。

しかし、あなたがGMである場合、来季の予算をどう使うのかを決めなくてはなりません。OOTPではアシスタントGMを雇うことにより、アシスタントGMに仕事を与えることもできます。例えばMLBのGMを担当するのであれば、マイナーの選手の昇格降格を任せてみたり、チケットの値段や育成予算を任せることができます。

GMは試合というミクロな部分は管理せず、球団というマクロな部分を管理する仕事であるといえます。GMは勝つだけが仕事ではありません。
オーナーには一人ひとり性格があります。勝つためには予算や赤字も気にしないという人もいれば、負けてでも黒字を維持しなくては許さないという人もいます。


野球シミュレーションとして
OOTPは野球シミュレーションゲームとして高い評価を受けています。それは何故でしょうか。答えは圧倒的なカスタマイズ性とランダム性であるといえます。

選手は性格や気分によってパフォーマンスが変わります。シーズンを棒に振るような怪我をして能力が一気に落ちることもあれば、それから数年後に復活を遂げたり、ベテランが突如覚醒することもあります。
能力は成績を保障してくれません。このゲームではスカウトが選手を査定するため、選手の本当の能力は通常のプレーでは知ることはできないのです。
また、能力が高くても成績を残すとは限りません。不振や疲労、不運等から成績が悪い年もあれば、その逆もあります。移籍先で能力評価に見合う成績をあげることもあります。

監督と選手には相性があります。選手の中には監督を理由に契約延長を拒否する選手がいることでしょうし、監督を変えた途端スタメンからベンチ要員になることもあるでしょう。監督もまた契約延長を拒否することがあります。

また、指標が充実していることもまた魅力の一つです。豊富なセイバーメトリクスの指標の数々、それだけでも十分すぎるのですが、それらをエクスポートする選択肢も幅広く、Excelで成績などを管理することもできます。

本作はセイバーメトリクスに重点を置き、徹底して合理的なチーム育成をすることが出来る一方で、選手其々の性格や気分が良くも悪くも影響を与えたり、豊富なイベントや細やかな表現が徹底的に非合理なチーム育成も許してくれます。
選手は商品か、駒か、それとも一人の人間か、そういう向き合い方も考えさせられるゲームです。

そして、このゲームには高いカスタマイズ性があります。
現代のMLBでプレーしてもよいですし、19世紀のMLBでもよいですし、アフリカの野球リーグでもかまわないのです。
自分でリーグを作ることもできます。球団数やルール、反発係数などを細かく調整できるので、自分ごのみのリーグを作ることができます。

素晴らしいゲームですが

・日本語が入っていない
・設定できることがたくさんありすぎる
・メジャーリーグのルール自体が複雑

なので非常にとっつきにくい作品になってしまっている惜しい作品
日本語の情報自体が少ないこともそれに拍車を掛けている

なので、初めてプレイする人向けに一番最初に設定したほうがいい事を
↓に書いてみました

Set up ManagerをGM＆Managerにしてその下のCannot be firedにチェックを入れてゲーム始める
その後Gameタブからgame settingsからAuto Saveの間隔を１週間か１ヶ月にした後
横にあるPlayer＆FaceganからEneble Baseball Cardのチェックを外す（ロードが長くなるため）

ここから先は調べれば出てくると思います
最初は難しいですが、慣れると楽しいですよ

I bought OOTP 15 because it was £2 on offer because I like sport management simulators and played it for 50 hours without a clue about the rules of baseball, strategy or the league. I deciced to buy OOTP17 because i was enjoying 15 so much and I now have over 200 hours spent on it as well as MLB online subscription to watch games. Do not be put off if you have never watched baseball (for the non-US players), if you like sport simulators, building a team, analysing stats, managing wages and transfers and finding the next superstar then give it a go. Beginners tip however, you need more than one starting pitcher.........

ゲーム内の言語は英語で、用いられるルールも基本的にはMLBのものなので、最初は少し慣れが必要ですが、一度ゲームの世界に入ってしまえば抜け出せないリアルさがあります。
個人的に大好きなのがalmanac(年鑑)の機能。ゲーム内の試合結果や選手成績をhtmlにして出力してくれる（しかもけっこうレイアウトも整っている）というもので、少々面倒ですがスマホの中に入れて暇なときに眺めていると、それだけでニヤニヤできるくらい面白いです。
ただ、今作は少しフリーズとかのバグ頻度が高いかな？とは思います。まだまだアップデートは行われているようなので、今後改善されることを望みます。

Nice, interesting game. I wonder what my prospects would be.
I hope NPB leage to be made more deeply.
And if players who is not expected to be a star sometimes happens to be awaken (kakusei), and to improve their potential, I will appreciate it.
Nice many screen is to some extent not good in userbility, to find the screen I wanted.
But Good!

Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP for short) 17 is a text based baseball simulation. It contains features for historical gameplay, single player gameplay, custom universe/leagues gameplay and online multiplayer gameplay. The game allows you to take an active role in developing rosters and teams, or managing them. This is done through being a General manager, a manager and even play as the commissioner(you are able to play all three at once, or any combination of the two).

OOTP 17 offers new features over previous editions. They now have full support from MLB and MLBPA(obtained through licensing), so you will have accurate rosters, faces(done through facegen models) and with no worries that they will disappear. Simulation speed has been increased as the new code is allowing the use of multicore processors, which is a huge benefit. The AI also has been enhanced to be smarter in how they draft players, manage players, and develop teams. They will also make decisions depending on your goals and strategy. These are just some of the major changes that OOTP has offered over previous editions.

OOTP has one of the strongest modding communities around for sport simulation games. The community greatly enhances the vanilla gameplay. For instance, historical gameplay has accurate rosters, player attributes, statistics and settings for the era you choose to play(you can play from the grass roots of baseball, negro leagues, or any specific season). You can choose to play it as a single season campaign or start a franchise and build your league from the 1880’s to whenever you choose to end(the starting point is up to you!). The community also offers tools to develop uniforms and baseball caps, and there’s literally thousands already pre-made for you to use if you want to choose from them.

The gaming modes available(and some of this is a repeat of above, I apologize), are single player, and multiplayer. Single player modes allow you to play out single exhibition games with modern and historical teams. You can play as MLB teams, which will have player accurate rosters and attributes. You are also able to create your own fictional leagues, which is a massively popular feature for many players in the OOTP community. You can start from any time frame, and you can customize the league to fit your needs or gameplay style(there are many sliders to adjust to your likings, and needs). Regardless of the league, the game will track and keep a massive history of your statistics as your world/league develops.

The game also features multiplayer gameplay where you can compete in leagues against others, which will put you against the most difficult of opponents(or easy, if they don’t know what they’re doing ;) ). The league will track statistics as if you were in a single player franchise. Many leagues out there have dedicated websites where you can follow the action of the league as it unfolds. It is really a neat feature.

The development team is very active and proactive in fixing bugs and glitches within their games. You don’t have to worry about issues going unnoticed or fixed, and they are very open minded to additional features they may have fixed(as long as they are deemed reasonable of course). The best way to suggest and fill out bug notifications is to use the main forums on their websites, which is ootpdevelopments.com . The community is also very helpful in helping new players learn and teach players about the game(I myself have helped a few players learn the game of baseball and the workings of OOTP).

In conclusion, after 2000+ hours of OOTP 16 gameplay, and 1200+ hours of OOTP15 gameplay, I can honestly say this is the best addition to the series to date. I have never had a game give back so much in value then what OOTP has. It is simply the best baseball simulation on the market(possibly the best sports simulation as well). The game is very polished, and if you are a baseball fan, or a sports fan, I highly recommend that you take a chance on OOTP17. You will NOT be disappointed.

This game is a 10/10 for me. I hope to see you on the field! Feel free to add me if you need any help with this game, or series! I am always willing to help out new players get established in this great sports simulation!

Do you like baseball?

I didn't. I really didn't. I liked a lot of different sports but I always thought baseball was boring, archaic and more an excuse to sit outside, drink beer and gawk at the occasional on-field event.

But then, for whatever reason -- I didn't have much else going on -- I started to watch baseball, because it was always on, pretty much every day, and it started to wrap itself around my brain in a pleasing way. Baseball is low-intensity matched with extreme peaks and valleys of emotion.

More importantly -- Baseball is a long continuous set of calculations based on the manipulation of variables in series after series of problems. Every at-bat, every pitch, every inning, every game is a test of odds and outcomes based on the pitcher, the batter, the fielders, the field, the weather, past results obscuring present values... Baseball is a worthwhile flux.

So - OOTP 17. This is the most advanced and ridiculously satisfying way to run your own personal baseball simulations. So maybe I should rephrase - Do you like Baseball as a concept? Because you will love OOTP.

(Also this year they added little moving pawns to the broadcast view, so it's starting to get satisfyingly similar to half-watching an actual baseball game.)

For those already owning OOTP 16 and mulling an upgrade I would say - the engine runs much faster this year on x64, some under the hood stuff has been nicely tweaked, bells and whistles (the pawns) aren't nothing, and of course, I feel pretty good about supporting this developer, given their track record.

Now that I've put a few hours into this game, I feel qualified to give a competent review.

I have played baseball simulations my entire life. I played the Strat-O-Matic Baseball tabletop game as a kid, and I invested in the game on my Commodore 64. The limitation was that I could only buy one season at a time, and even back then, you could play a season pretty quickly on a computer. To keep playing, you had to buy additional seasons. That gets expensive in a hurry, and it's one of the biggest reasons why Strat-O-Matic isn't my game of choice anymore.

In 1997, Baseball Mogul came along. That was a great game for its time, but it was extremely limited in the different displays and statistical breakdowns you could view. OOTP Baseball debuted two years later, but the first time I heard of it was when I saw a copy of "Season Ticket Baseball 2003" on the shelves a few years later. I bought it, and I was amazed. You could use the Lehman Database to import actual Major League Players!

Season Ticket Baseball was a rebranding that OOTP did for two years in 2002 and 2003 before reverting back to the OOTP Baseball name.

My strategy is pretty simple. I upgrade my baseball simulator every 3-4 years. I have owned copies of OOTP Baseball from 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2017. My reasoning is simple. The game improves a little bit every year, but it doesn't improve drastically until you get three to four seasons along. Therefore, I will probably be looking to buy a new copy in 2020 or 2021. I will promise you, though, that if I'm still alive, I will be buying another copy.

I think the biggest way the game has chagned since 2014 are in 1) the fact that they can actually now use real Major League logos and 2) the fact that career progression seems to have improved immensely. With past versions of the game. I tend to prefer to play the historical career mode, and it just seemed like declining players had their skill drop off way too quickly on a fairly consistent basis. That aspect of the game seems to be better mixed now, except I still do think that defensive ability tends to drop off too quickly.

Other than that, I truly think that the only way the game could be improved further would be in adding more reporting options and abilities. And make everything exportable so I can play with it in Excel. The GUI is relatively clean, which seems pretty rare in this day and age. There are so many things you can do with the settings in the game, though, perhaps some of the menus could be organized better. I'm also happy that they have not succumbed to the modern day tendency to use icons instead of words to label menus because if they did that, the learning curve would be almost impossible.

I'm currently playing a truly epic simulation starting as the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1901, and I'm doing as much as the game will allow me to do without cheating. I unloaded all of my starters except Zach Wheat to land the number one pick in the 1913 draft so I could bring Babe Ruth to town. A last place finish allowed me to draft Rogers Hornsby and George Kelly in 1914, I won a championship in 1916. And again in 1918. Two more in 1919 and 1920.

Now it's 1923, and I'm trying to figure out how to get back to the top. My pitching sucks in a bad way, and Ruth seems to get hurt a lot. When Ruth is hurt, I can't win. In 1921, he was hurt trying to steal a base in game one of the World Series. I ended up losing against the Athletics in nine games in one of the most epic World Series showdowns imaginable. In 1922, it got better. My top four outfielders, including Wheat and Ruth, were shelved for over half the season, and it was only through a late season surge that I was able to catch the Reds and clinch the pennant on the second to the last day of the season. That was the same game that Ruth was hurt again, this time by a collision in the field. I got the Athletics in the World Series again, but all hopes of retribution were lost when they took the first four games. I made a show of it by winning the next three, but it was too little too late.

Now it's 1923. My entire team is healthy, it's the end of June, and I'm under .500. What gives? Despite the fact that my pitching, anchored by Dazzy Vance and a newly acuired Walter Johnson, who some are saying is over-the-hill, is much stronger than it has been in some time, my role players are not playing well. I have plenty of options at C, 2B, SS, and CF who are all defensive stalwarts, but none of them can seem to hit .200 this year.

Did I mention that this game is awesome?

I highly recommend the latest version of this game to anyone who likes baseball. I would estimate that I've put in over 100,000 hours in baseball simulations over the years, so I fashion myself as a bit of an expert. I can promise you that this is as good as it gets.

Former Microleague player, yea back in the mid 80's I started getting into that game. I had all the floppy disk and finally the editor so I could edit and add all the major league players individually, which I did. Played a whole season with each individual team then. I can tell you that was a lot of games I had to play and I loved every minute. This is just to tell you how dedicated I was to simming a entire one season of baseball. Then came Tony Larussa Baseball, and then OOTP, where I can sim entire season in one day instead of one year of my life.

Last OOTP I played was OOTP 11 which was few years ago. Enjoyed the game but it had a few faults in it, especially the not so friendly interface. I haven't bought baseball sim game since, thinking my joy for the game had faded.

So you ask why I bought this game? Well it peeked my interest from the high reviews I have read about it. So I said to myself why not, lets see if we can spark that old flame again. It not only sparked the flame, it has caused a three alarm fire. This game is going to be a classic. It has surprassed any of my expectectations I had for it.

The Quick Sim is now extremely fast because of the 4 processor support. No more simming and waiting for few minutes, just a quick click and a few seconds delay and the day is done. I love how technology has made it this easy, instead of the days of me individually going to play each game for each team.

One thing I truely love and pretty much look forward to is the unique things that pop in a season. Things can put your player out, not just basic injuries either. You might have caused one of your players to be overworked one game, for example a pitcher. That said pitcher you push him to his limits trying to get him a complete game and his arm figuratively falls off with a tired arm syndrome. So you loss him for few starts. Stuff like that and players being suspended for fighting is all in this game. Also players age as years go by and you can see how this effects them on thier portrait. Aging also has effect on how well and bad they play. Like a upcoming player starting to reach thier potential or a aging star fading away during his twighlight of his career. There is soo much content in this game, I am only skimming the surface of what this game has.

If you want to be just a coach for minor league team, you can. If you want to control every aspect of your franchise you can too. The choice is yours, if you want to relive your childhood and see your favorite heros from the past play, you can. Having every authentic player from both minor leagues and majors makes this game so realistic.

I am probably just babbling now. But for me this game has been enlightening and has taken me back to when I was a kid and when I was playing Microleague, I had wished a computer game just like this. I mean some of the extra stuff they did to this game is stuff I never thought off back then, but boy I am enjoying each and every new surprise each day.

Buy it if you love Baseball, buy it if you like micromanaging, buy it if your a strategy fan, buy it if you like history, and buy it if you like gaming. This is just a game, but its more then game. If you get my meaning. This is the Best and I mean "The Best Sim Game" out there bar none.

This is the first review I have written here on steam.

I admit, I was a bit skeptical about this game at first.
Part of me seemed like it might be boring and another part thought that it may be too complicated to get into.
Though it did seem like it was unique and potentiall fun to play.

I played baseball for 16 years up through high school and into college and coached for two years following that. I have to say the level of detail from every single aspect of the game is present in this title. I was astonished how the attitudes of the players could effect the teams just like they do in real life. That is just one example. THERE ARE SO MANY TINY DETAILS. It must have been painstaking to research and input all this information into the game.

To top it off, I figured that the actual game simulations would be boring but nope, I was very wrong there. It brought back my old days of coaching calling the shots from the dugout or sending signals, trying to direct your team to a big win.

I simply cannot say enough. I have been gaming ever since I can remember and I have never gotten into a simulator. If you enjoy baseball, you will love this game. If you kind of like baseball, you will love this game. Chances are even if you do not like baseball, you will love this game.