OOTP 15 Road to Release #3

OOTP's First Step into the World of 3D

This installment of Road to Release covers OOTP 15's new 3D feature. We have been feverishly working on this feature, and while 3D will be in good shape upon release, it won't be perfect unfortunately. Not everything we talk about below will be functioning 100%. Rather than delay the release, however, we've decided to release OOTP 15 with 3D in its current state and improve on the feature with a series of free updates this spring and summer. We have recently hired a full-time 3D programmer whose only focus will be this feature!

You can rest assured that all of OOTP 15's other new features - the seven real international leagues, the new interface, the new optional rating system, greatly improved AI, changes to historical leagues, retired numbers, and much more - will be working just fine when the game ships on April 18 to everyone who has pre-ordered through April 17.

You can read more about this decision in Markus' latest forum post.

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3D Stadiums

For the first time in the series, OOTP 15 will use 3D models to depict stadiums and ball flight. There has been a lot of community interest in this addition, so we'd like to describe it a little more and clear up any confusion over what we're hoping it adds to the game. Before we get too deep into the description of the way the 3D stadiums work, first a word about their place in OOTP. To address the obvious question: no, this isn't a first step towards turning the game into a graphics-heavy MLB2K replacement. OOTP is always going to be, first and foremost, about management and strategy. Improvements in the game's graphics happen because they enhance that side of the game, whether it's by giving you an interface that's better at providing you with the information you need, or by letting you see the on-field results of your decision-making. It's true that better visuals will bring more new users to the game, but at the end of the day what will keep them playing is an interesting, engaging management experience. 3D stadiums are part of the road to building that experience, not a detour into something completely new.

Since this is our first step into 3D modeling, it's a very cautious one. There are no animated players or crowds, just something that's not far removed from the way we already depict games: when a ball is hit, you'll see the path it travels. Obviously, there are a lot of things we can do to make this modest start more visually interesting, and there are ways to make the physics model more realistic (having the ball move differently depending on the type of surface it strikes, adjusting game results for things like short fences or large foul areas, wind effects, and so on). But for now, this is the time to get our feet wet with the complexities of 3D design, so it made sense to not get too aggressive right out of the gate.

Supported 3D File Formats

One of the first things we needed to consider was the 3D file format: we didn't want to make it difficult to find and work with models by using a rare or proprietary format, so OOTP uses the Open Asset Import Library to import 3D models. That choice allows modders to use a variety of different free and open model formats and editors and lets the game import file formats like Collada (.dae), 3ds Max 3DS (.3ds), Blender 3D (.blend), Wavefront Objects (.obj), and others.

In addition, that choice lets you use a lot of the models found on free 3D model sharing sites like 3D Warehouse with no conversion at all, or with a basic conversion from an unsupported format like SketchUp to one of the usable ones. While we've tested a variety of formats, the one that seems to provide the best combination of speed, convenience and results is .obj, so we expect that'll likely be the most common format used in mods.

3D Stadium Editor

The game's 3D editor doesn't make changes to the actual 3D model itself; it just adds additional data to it for game purposes and saves them in an extra file. To create and modify the models, it's necessary to use 3D modeling software like Blender, SketchUp, or 3ds Max.

The actual content of the 3D models themselves is pretty much up to your imagination: if you want to add elaborate depictions of the buildings surrounding the stadium, that's fine. You can use whatever you like for a stadium: if you want to model your high school field or the park your child plays t-ball in, that can be done. But if you can figure out how to squeeze a playing field into them, you can also make a ballpark out of the Roman Colosseum, Disneyland, or a hangar on the Death Star ;)

One problem we did run into was the relative lifelessness of most 3D models: they usually don't include a crowd, or if they do, it's completely static and unchanging. That would lead to some odd contradictions in the game, when you're told that the attendance is near-capacity and you see nothing but empty seats. So we've included a system that will dynamically adjust the appearance of the crowd. If the person building or modifying the stadium model follows a specific naming format for his seating textures and provides four additional versions of those textures that depict various levels of attendance, the game will fill in the crowd in a way that roughly matches the announced attendance. The default stadiums shipping with the game will have examples of these files that can be used in other models.

After the model is imported into the 3D park editor, the process of readying it for OOTP use is fairly simple: all that needs to be done is defining the playing field and adding a few camera angles. In the editor, the hidden grid and fences (used to outline the field in a way the game engine can understand) can be made visible. Once you've done that, it's just a matter of moving and aligning it so the grid matches the model - the easiest way of doing this is just to fit the grid over the base paths, since those will always be the same size and shape in every stadium.

Once that's done, the more complex work begins: defining the boundaries of the playing surface. This is done using "fenceposts" - the entire outside edge of the grid is defined by these posts, which can be moved in an out and have their height adjusted. For example, adding the dimensions of the Green Monster to a Fenway Park model is easy: just bring the outfield fence in a bit, and raise the height of the left field wall so it's 37 feet tall. Additional fenceposts can be added if they're needed to model things like curved fences or complex shapes. In addition to the outfield fence, foul territory is also defined by these posts, so stadiums that are unusually large or small in that respect can be depicted accurately.

However, there are a few things that can't be modeled perfectly yet. It's possible to have changes in elevation in the playing field - a terrace like the one in Crosley Field, for example, or Tal's Hill in Houston - in the 3D model, but it won't have a direct impact on ball flight: you won't see odd caroms off the slanted part of the field. Tall, thin structures like light and foul poles can't really be shown, either - the minimum distance between fenceposts is a little too wide to depict such a narrow object. Finally, upper deck overhangs that intrude into the field (like the one in right field at Tiger Stadium) won't have any effect - they can appear in the 3D model, but can't be defined in the grid (yet).

With the field defined, the only remaining step is providing a few good camera angles. The 'camera' can be moved to various points around the stadium and its angle and range adjusted. Once it's in a satisfactory position, that view can be saved as a default camera view. You can add as many of these views as you like to a model. During a game, the 3D view will include a menu with all the available cameras listed, so you can switch from angle to angle quickly, rather than having to maneuver around with your mouse. If you're playing with a particular stadium and feel that it's missing a particular camera angle, it's very easy to jump into the editor and create it yourself so it's there for your next game.

OOTP 15 will be released with two default generic major and minor-league stadiums (real stadiums can't be included for trademark reasons). However, we anticipate that the modding community will quickly fill the demand for 3D models. Some modders are already at work on them and have completed a few, so there should be a selection of ready-to-play stadium models available soon after release. Like all of you, we're looking forward to seeing what creative things the community can do with this new feature!

The OOTP Developments Team

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