The premiere baseball strategy simulation Out of the Park Baseball 14 is now available for purchase for Windows, Mac OS and Linux users. The game features a revamped interface as well as updated coding and simulation, in addition to the 2013 Major League Baseball rosters.
According to the developer Out of the Park Developments, the player origin system has been completely recorded, with five ways for new players to enter the league, including the first-year player draft, the International Amateur Top Prospects draft (something that the MLB is considering), the optional Established International Free Agents where teams submit bids for established stars, International Scouting Discoveries, and Players from Independent Leagues. In addition, the complex player creation routines have been recorded for a more realistic career arc.
For example, the fielding progression has been revamped - as players grow older, their fielding diminishes and forces them into different positions. ”For example, if you draft that talented 18-year-old 6’3” 175 lb shortstop, you may end up with a below-average corner outfielder eventually,” states the press release.
With that, of course, comes a revamped scouting system. “For example, players with several years of pro experience are now better scouted than in previous versions, and the OSA is more accurate overall, providing a valid second opinion on players,” notes the developer, adding, ”There are also players who are vastly overrated or underrated by almost all scouts, resulting in more late-round surprises.”
The other major tweak is the trading AI. A new screen keeps track of all the trades in the history of the league, with a detailed look at the involved players’ salaries, overall ratings, prospect rankings, and so on. In addition, a new “Not interested in Player X” toggle will stop the AI from constantly offering that unwanted player in trades.
Other additional features include
-
Improved interface, with new font-size setting
-
Better player evaluation AI
-
Roster AI recoding, resulting in better managing of minor leagues and the 40-man roster
-
Better contract negotiation AI
-
Improved league strategy settings; i.e., define the number of starting pitchers, relief pitchers, and position players carried by the AI teams, split by DH and non-DH sub-leagues.
-
Smarter in-game AI
-
Improved in-game control, including “Pitch to Contact” option More storylines
-
Improved play-by-play commentary
-
One-click joining of online leagues
-
New graphical depth chart screen
-
New playoff series analysis screen
-
A Free Agent Draft can now be scheduled from the League Setup functions screen. It’s similar to the inaugural draft, but it doesn’t clear the team rosters and it assigns picked players adequate 1-year contracts. Such a draft is useful if, for example, if you want to have contraction and draft the players released from the contracted teams. Or if you import several historical players into the FA pool and want the teams to draft them.
-
Unlock plenty of performance-based achievements! How many can you discover during your managerial career?
-
Spring Training games are now automatically played in a spring ballpark with proper climate settings
-
Player height is now a factor in determining first base defense rating
-
Many more tweaks and improvements to the core elements of the game
Out of the Park Baseball 14 costs $39.99 USD. The PC/Mac OS version can be purchased here, while the Linux version can be downloaded here.
