How Do You Play?
 

One thing that has always interested me when it comes to sim games is how other people play out their games/leagues. Some people like to sim through seasons as fast as possible to see how fast they can win a title and how many they can win in a single career. Other people like to take it slow, micro-managing everything possible and tinkering with lineups and tactics/schemes/systems to get the most out of their players.

When it comes to OOTP, I haven't yet decided how I would want to play it out. In my DDS:PB3 league, I went game-by-game, documenting all the outcomes and really managing the team and I loved it. I feel as if that wouldn't be possible for a season that is 162 games long.

How do some of you guys handle your sim schedule in this game?

A slow but steady pace helps make the universe feel more real to me. I play "GM plus" in the sense that I control line-ups and rotations, but I let my coaches handle in-game management. I let most games play out in the real-time mode in the background while I'm doing other things. I write a "season preview" and "season recap" article for each team in my sub-league (just 6 currently, 12 teams total) and I write brief recaps for each of my team's series. I started my current game in March 2013 and am currently midway through my third season.

I'm working on a fictional league I hope will evolve over at least 130 seasons. If I sim that at CJ's pace, it would take me 90 years! (Literally! Not figuratively!)

My plans is to preview and review each season as its played. I'd have a series of posts showing who the teams and their rosters are, and the predictions and pre-season articles for the season; and then a series of post showing the standings, playoffs, league leaders, stuff like that. If I can do one season a week, it will take me 2-1/2 years. It's ambitious. Hope I live that long! :cool:

I always do a mix. I love the in game strategy. I love to work hit and runs, run and hits, squeeze plays, when to send runners, etc. I work the bullpen not always with changes but sometimes just making some someone is ready to go. I try to get more innings from my front line starters knowing the back end of the rotation will require more use of the pen. Also lets me feel out whose hot and how to move the line up around. That said, I will at times fast forward a week or two just to move the season along. I do this once I establish a solid lead for the post season by my in game managing.

I like that in game the variables are there. Sometimes a bunt might work, other times not.

I've never got too far into something, maybe 5 or so years in. Winning becomes too easy once established and look for a new challenge. Next time of course I won't do a fantasy draft.

I play season by season with monthly pauses. On the first of each month I check the standings page and tinker with the lineups and pitching on my team if necessary (usually is and usually helps). At the end of each season, I review the statistical league leaders and see if there are any obvious trades to be made (set for either avg.-low or hard-low).

Years ago for my old tabletop play-by-mail draft baseball league, I'd play out each home game, one season per real calendar year. But with so many options available now through OOTP, I cannot bring myself to proceed that slowly. I want to try them all.

Depends on the league and how I am doing in that league. My 2015 EBL Endor City Capitals is the most games I have played out in full since OOTP 11. I played 146 of 162 games. AI/MGR handled the rest, except for 5 games that I simmed. I play until I am either 10 games up or 10 games back then I tend to sim the rest. In my Historical leagues I sim everything except the playoffs. I am up to 1918 right now. 1 WS loss.

My main league I play the games but I generally only handle substitutions, allowing my in-game manager to run his strategy. I make the pitching changes and pinch hit, especially since it is more important in a league that never uses the DH.

In my other leagues, I do use the Real Time Simulation at times, generally at Factor 40 so I can scan what is happening in the games but they proceed fairly quickly.

I play out all my games. I'm a control freak. I have to play out all my games. Otherwise my laptop would learn to fly over the age-old question "Why did you pinch-hit with Glenn Johnston for Neil Reece?". :angry:

I'm in the 16th year of my Raccoons dynasty. Including playoffs, that's 2,526 games, all played out in play-by-play. I may have accidentally simmed one game very early on for being easily confused by the many glitzy buttons in OOTP 12.

As far as one is available, I have an MLB game on the half of my screen that OOTP 12 isn't occupying. That may add to the confusion.

I'll play out every game in the season until I'm mathematically eliminated from the post season, then I'll sim the rest of the year.
I usually play out as the Marlins so I seem to be simming more than I play.

I play with fictional players and play as the in game manager, letting the AI be the GM and handle everything else. I play out all of my games - it's a challenge because the computer GM makes curious decisions now and then.

I've always played this way and have made the playoffs a few times but I have never won it all, yet.

I just started a new league and I am 11-4 in my first 15 games, so maybe this will be the season :)

I play out every game, usually an at-bat at a time, but quite quickly and usually skipping the play-by-play. As and when anybody gets on base, I will decide whether there are any specific tactics I want to use.

That way each individual game doesn't take too long to play out but I still feel like I am in control of what my team is doing - that of course may or may not be a good thing...

Since I am not Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, I only perform the role of GM and I let my staff handle the rest. I am paying them for something right?

I like to move things along fairly quickly, usually getting through a season every 7 to 10 days. I don't just go out and sign every best player or make all the trades, I am St. Louis Cardinals fan so I try and build my teams keeping my external acquisitions to less than 20% of the roster.

1.Fictional. For the setup of my league, I borrowed a lot of ideas from DreamTeam's Metro Leagues and blueturf's Kalama Premier League.

2.Small 8-team league. Like the intimate atmosphere of a small league. It also keeps things simple to manage. For one thing, it is easier for me to be familiar with the players of my league.

3.60-game season. Find it too tedious to play the full 162-MLB-game season. Created my own customized schedule where the teams only play on Fridays and weekends.

4.GM only. Am a big picture guy. Don't like the details of micromanaging my team. Delegate the details to my staff (computer AI).

5.Slow pace. Just recently began slowing the pace of my gameplay by beginning to write about my league. To start me off, trying to emulate the writing style of Eugene Church's Islandian Pro Alliance and Orcin's Orcin Returns.

I play out my games; I'm currently playing an MLB game, but I will likely be starting a new fictional league in a few in-game years, since 162 games can be a bit much (and I don't like changing things that I feel like wouldn't change in real life - the schedule being one of them).

Even still, it really doesn't take all that long to play out a game. Twenty minutes, tops, and usually more like 12-15. Considering I tend to play at work all the time, I can fly through two months in a week if it's slow enough.

i play very well, thanks for asking!!!

i slay myself sometimes

I sim day to day while controlling as a GM plus (I set lineups and rotations). That is how I handle all of my sports sims, I also play PFS and DDS:CB2.

I am playing a college league that I created that only has 30 games, so I play them out. But, it takes me forever since I don't play often.

I am just starting a fiction league, actually its from the Federal Baseball League quickstart but I started in 2003, picked a team before any had players and then simmed 10 years. That way the team I am managing is random.

Amazing to hear how many of you guys play out every single one of your games. That's some dedication right there. I think I would probably be on more of the GM side of the spectrum where I would put my roster together and allow my coaches and managers to handle the day-to-day operation of the team.

I am another one of those that plays out every single game, including playoffs and spring training. I play one click short PBP, so like previously mentioned my games last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes on average. Sometimes they last longer if I am really into the game checking out matchups and history. It usually takes me about 2 months to complete a 162 game season. I find it very rewarding knowing that I have watched every at bat of my franchise since its inception. Not only that, not every game is the same and its fun watching the players and my team as a whole hit milestones, set team records and break their own individual records as it happens in real time. I think its awesome I've played out thousands of games and I still can't predict whats going to happen. The game of baseball is great.

I'm watching my game sim as I type and its 5 years into the 10 year sim. The team I had selected beforehand has been near the top every year. I can't wait to run this team into the ground LOL