Operation Sports recently had a chance to speak with two employees who work at Games Campus, a development studio working on an upcoming PC title called MLB Dugout Heroes. Producer Chris Yamauchi and community manager Jonathan Stypula were kind enough to answer our questions.

Can you briefly describe to us what MLB Dugout Heroes is all about?

MLB Dugout Heroes is the first fully licensed and online based PC baseball game in North America. You’re able to draft your favorite players from any MLB era, level up, complete missions, compete in tournaments, and purchase new uniforms, bats, pitches, and more!

How is the online connectivity?

MLB Dugout Heroes is different than all other PC or console sports games. Your players grow based on the performance on the field and this only occurs by playing opponents online. The biggest benefit is that by being online-only, everyone playing the game is connected, creating a persistent online community.

It also allows us to consistently update the game via stats, missions, and items. It increases the accessibility of the game because you don’t have to go to the retail store the purchase it for a console you may or may not have. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to play!

What drills are included in training mode and how do they work?

The online multiplayer is definitely the soul of MLB Dugout Heroes. It’s definitely the most fun and involved part of the game. However, for those who want to hone their skills or are extremely shy, we do have a variety of single-player features available. We have pitching and batting tutorials which we encourage everyone to use to learn. We also have a homerun derby, AI exhibition and pennant race where you can play against the computer and earn prizes.

Explain how you came up with the control scheme for dugout heroes.

Batting and pitching are deceptively simple to control as it is just aiming and clicking on the mouse. However, when playing against another player, it is hard to read what the other player is throwing at you. We wanted the players to read pitches like they were actually hitting, and we have captured that feeling.

Fielding and base running is controlled by the keyboard. Throwing to a base is as simple as holding down a base’s corresponding key button. The longer you hold the button down, the stronger the throw. Base running is also controlled by the base’s corresponding WASD key.

Were there any outside influences on your game's design?

Working with our developers has been great. They were very interested to see the ideas we had to make the game feel like Major League Baseball. We incorporate the best aspects of other baseball and sports games in MLB Dugout Heroes. At first glance, it, is easy to see that our game has arcade style and gameplay, but it is deeper and more of a long-term gaming experience with realistic statistics, management, and leveling.

What kind of player ratings system is there?

Our player rating system is similar to other console sports games. Batters are rated on hitting power, hitting accuracy, speed, throwing, and fielding. All of the ratings for batters are based entirely on their statistics.

Pitchers are rated on a more subjective scale because a pitcher’s ratings vary for each pitch type. A Trevor Hoffman change up should be rated higher than his curve ball. Basically, it’s all relative because the best talent will be the highest rated.

How is fatigue handled?

A player’s fatigue and confidence are two fluctuating facets in the game that directly impact your players’ performance on the field.

Fatigue needs to be managed, or players’ performance will decline. Poor fatigue will cause a player to commit many more errors than if he were rested. It also affects his fielding range, batting circle and power, and his speed on the bases. Players experience fatigue simply by playing on the field. It’s a good idea to rest their players when their fatigue is not green (under 80%). You should remove tired players from the starting roster and substitute with your bench. Resting a player for an entire game will recover approximately 40-50% of a player’s fatigue.

A player’s confidence will ebb and flow just like in real life. Even super stars can have slumps and underdogs can rise to the moment! Managers should try to use a rotation to increase the overall mood of his roster. Giving everyone their expected at bats and game appearances will raise players’ confidence.

Is Mac OS support planned for the future?

It is difficult for any new or developing online game to run completely error free on Windows operating systems (XP, Vista, Windows 7), let alone multiple others. Planning for Mac OS is doubtful because it is still very rare for online gaming.

Explain how you create your own team in MLB Dugout Heroes?

When you start the game, you choose a major league team that comes with a current 2009 roster of 21 players. The ratings of these players are based on the 2008 season or minor league statistics for rookies. Every team is balanced equally, so some player ratings may be lowered for fairness. From the beginning of the game, you can level your team up by playing online.

The best way to make your team better is to buy players with draft cards. It’s all about customization! You decide your team’s batting order and pitchers and have the ability to draft additional players to your team. You can also purchase equipment like bats and gloves that will enhance your batting, fielding, or pitching stats. We also have alternate and historical uniforms and the ability to upgrade new pitches for your pitchers.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Our Open Beta will start on March 19th and we will be having lots of exciting events with giveaways so be sure to come and play! If you ever see us in the game, be sure to challenge us!