[RonCo]

Talent changes happen a lot in the age range of 17-24. In the end, though, the ratings are what really matter in-game, and from a macro level the process is working to provide a realistic level of talent to the majors. In addition, the skills are growing in a way that is far more realistic (and playable) than in any version in the past. What bugs me, though, is the raw magnitude of real talent changes. I don't think it is proper that a player's real talent changes serveral times a year. In fact, I think it unrealistic if it changes downward very often without some kind of forcing function.

If I were king for a day, a player's talent would rarely change downward, but some players would just never reach it. There's no in-game value to taking a AA-quality talent and giving them a talent hit. The kid isn't going to make the majors anyway. Why do you need to turn him from a AA player to a guy who couldn't hold his own against a good Little League team. The overall talent development engine could be made much less aritrary if it were made more stable (note, random = good to me, arbitrary = bad...if that makes sense).

At the end of the day, almost every player in the league will eventually receive a series of micro-talent shifts that are essentially meaningless, a lot of guys will just be decimated, and a few will be made into stars. This is a fairly major issue for the game's ability to do a good job of simulating a realistic flow of talent through the minor leagues.

If I get some time, I see if I can publish some more detailed material.