Anyone buying PS and OOTP?

[jzicc]

and I also have BM 2k7 (It's what started the other purchases). I'm just wondering if anyone else is nuts...

[Amaroq]

Absolutely. They're both very solid games in their own right. Also, I really want to support games in this genre until there are two solid competitors in every sport that I might want to manage.

[Silverbullet]

I buy every Baseball Game that comes out for the PC.
I am a baseball fanatic.

[waltwa]

i used to buy every game but i have recently decided that i will buy only baseball and football games that are career based. there are some good games out there such as som,dmb and action pc but i am just tired of playing replay games.

i will buy ps and ootp and also have baseball mogul. i like puresim and have always liked ootp with bm bringing up the rear. the main thing tho is that you never know how good these games are going to get in the future and the only way to find out is to support the developers of these games. i have bought every edition of ps and have never liked the game due to a variety of reasons. i feel tho that this most recent edition is a great improvement and have been playing it daily and really enjoying it. that's why i support the efforts of the developers

[orton1227]

I have all three. My thoughts:

1) Baseball Mogul 2007: Too buggy. Once Clay can get everything fixed, it might be worth it. But I feel like I wasted my money. It desperately needs FA bidding, too. THE major drawback for me.

2) PureSim 2007: It's simple, therefore, easy to pick up where you left off. However, for me, it may be to simple. Financials are weird. It's a solid #2 but climbing on OOTP's back.

3) OOTP 2006: The ultimate baseball sim. It's the most realistic since it has 40 man rosters, scouts, rule 5, etc. However, the one thing that can make this game fail is the AI. If the AI sucks, then the game sucks. PureSim's AI is decent, on par or maybe slightly better than OOTP 6.5. I expect OOTP 2006 to be incredible. It helps that Markus is working with SI Games, who make killer sport sims. EHM and WWSM are the two best sims I've ever played.

[tbear2b]

I may purchase OOTP2k6 down the road when my wallet is a little more full (I did get 6-6.5 which is a great game), but for right now PureSim is my game.

One reason is that it is simple to pick up after a hiatus and know what's going on, which is good since I'm pretty busy and moving around a lot right now.

Another reason is the insecurity I feel about OOTP2k6. It looks fantastic, and SI does make very good sims, but they also make it almost too real. I mean it rocks to have the options that OOTP has, no doubt, but if the main plus of OOTP2k6 is the options, and you are likely to not use them or to just be frustrated by them when they pile up, it becomes a questionable expense. Besides, sometimes even 6.5 seemed like more of a chore than a game to play, but I am into getting into the games quickly and playing through the season at a pace that remains exciting (and I do like to play out the games rather than simming them) I think there is a line to be crossed, at least for myself, and I'm not sure whether OOTP2k6 is going to cross it. So I will wait for a demo or a chance to hear back from others, and then make a decision down the road.

Both games will be incredible, and I think it will mostly be up to taste, although I agree that supporting as many developers as possible does no harm other than a little bigger hole in the pocketbook!

One note that I have only seen commented on by one other person here or in the OOTP forums (although I may have missed it there) is the confusing nature of SI's game design layout. They make incredible simulations with ridiculous amounts of options, but I have a really tough time, even after playing a game for awhile, to get used to all the pages. It's why I had trouble playing Bowl Bound College Football too, as well as SI's demos of FM and EHM.

PureSim, and BM, on the other hand are intuitive and easy to navigate. No game is perfect in layout, but unless OOTP2k6 is different in this regard from other SI games (and the screenshots and video so far has not suggested this), I'm not sure. Then again, plenty of people play their games, so it's obviously not that confusing

[orton1227]

I don't think SI's layout is confusing at all. For me, it's more natural than PureSim's.

Really it all comes down to how well you know baseball. If you're a freak like me, that knows all the minor leaguers, knows how every organization is run, their preferences, the personalities in the front offices, etc, then OOTP is your game. I get bored with PureSim too easy because I know all the ins and outs of baseball. I think PureSim is probably a ton of fun for those who love baseball, but just don't have that freaky fandom level like those that play OOTP.

[Johnny Slick]

Both PS and OOTP have their good and bad points. I pre-ordered OOTP and (obviously) bought PS. I think it's a good idea to support both if you can, because if you do then both developers will eventually make them even better.

I'll just re-iterate my biggest problem with the PS AI: not every league in every era used closers the way Robb Nen was used.

[tbear2b]

I think PureSim is probably a ton of fun for those who love baseball, but just don't have that freaky fandom level like those that play OOTP.

I would agree with this to a degree, but I think it also has to do with your level of concern with micromanagement. In Simcity 4, for instance, I loved the ability to micromanage many aspects of my city, but I am also an urban development nut, and I know many others don't like that as much as I do.

In sports sims, I care about getting into the game and the stats, both of which OOTP and PS provide in good amounts. The incredibly in-depth micromanaging is not as much for me in sports sims, although I do like some depth. I think that's why PS is a more enjoyable experience.

So I guess it depends upon your desire to micromanage the particular task you are at. OOTP allows you to do that more than PureSim for sure.

All that really matters in the end is how many people buy the games and enjoy them. I'm sure Shaun loves the fact that there are people out there buying both, because it's better for the genre, the competition to create the best game, and for fans of baseball!

[rmayer32]

Bought all 3 as well.. Mogul however buggy and simple it might be has been a nice upgrade from the last time I ever tried it which was a couple years ago. Puresim though has me impressed, 2004 was the last one I purchased and I'm very happy to see the route it is headed.

OOTP, pre-ordered that thing a long time ago.. Pretty sure it will be worth its money so I'm not concerned about that.

[Beach23BoyP]

I always buy both PS and OOTP. However, I also play SI's Football Manager (World Wide Soccer in US and Canada). I haven't bought this version of PS yet because I'm so busy with my real job (Houston oil business is booming!). Also, I'll want to adapt my Sienna Skin to it and tinker with the XML file a bit. And that takes time!

With regard to the coming new OOTP, my feelings are mixed. While I like the new pitch by pitch Webcast screen (kind of like MLB's Gameday) -- do I really have time for it?? Plus, I'm not all that enamored with the new interface either. It just doesn't look as good as SI's FM2006 interface, even though it is somewhat of a clone. However, it maybe a bit better after it is skinned a few times. Also, I think it is going to be a "herculean task" to set up an OOTP baseball universe. However, I do like the thought of being able to manage any team in my organization, such as a Double A team. That is kind of neat.

So since I'm so busy and really don't know what to do for now, for the present I'm sticking with my old 17 year old OOTP 6.5 real player fantasy league (Mantle has over 600 HRS) and playing FM2006 for now.