OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Fundamental flaw in basic gameplay. (or "I *cannot* be alone in wanting to play this way.)

Ben E Lou · 04-17-2012, 11:47 AM

What I want to do seems like the most basic way to play a baseball sim for someone without a ton of time on their hands. It's the way we all played Baseball Mogul back in 1998, as it was the only way to play. It's the way we played OOTP in its earliest versions. For those of us who like football sims, it's the same basic way we played FOF before all of the game plan features were introduced.

I want to be the GM. Period.

I'll handle the draft, trades, free agency, and callups from AAA to the big club. AI, you handle the rest. I don't have time to figure out when my 19-year-old 2-star 2B is ready to be called up to Single-A. And honestly, I don't really even care. I just want to look at my Triple-A club and say "hey....that 24-year-old RF is almost ready, so I'm not going to offer an extension to my 34-year-old starting RF." I don't want to have to worry about the 100 or so players in AA, A, SS-A, and Rookie Ball.

In order to do this, the AI must manage my minors reasonably. It does not. I've tried two different ways of handling this, and both fail miserably:

1. Use ghost players, turn off AI signings. Just keep guys in minors who I want around. This doesn't work. In fact, I'd argue that it's just completely broken. When I do this, the AI simply fills the minor league rosters from the top down. "Hi there, Mr. 19-year-old third baseman. Sure, you'd be better served by being in Rookie Ball and we have no one playing 3rd base on the rookie team, but we need a backup 3B in AAA instead of ghost player, so you get to go to AAA to die." That stinks.

2. Do not use ghost players. If I don't use ghost players, the game forces me to either have the AI sign minor leaguers I don't want and who are blocking my drafted players ("Sorry, Mr. 23-year-old 3-star potential LF. I know you'd be better served in AA right now, but we signed a 29-year-old who has higher current ratings than you, and he's going to help us win the AA World Series!!!! You get to be his backup. No playing time for you unless he gets hurt!") or I turn AI signings off, in which case the game forces me to to sign never-will-be free agent crap just to fill the Short Season A roster. Both options stink.

In short, for a guy who wants to play at a high level, the game isn't working very well at all.

SUGGESTION: The AI has the access to know precisely where players "should" be in the minors. If possible, when the AI is managing the minors and ghost players are on, give priority to the highest-potential guys, putting them "where they belong," regardless of need elsewhere. This should be about developing players, not filling out rosters from the top down.

04-17-2012, 11:47 AM	#1
Ben E Lou Front Office Football Central Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Souf Cackilacky Posts: 1,762	Fundamental flaw in basic gameplay. (or "I cannot be alone in wanting to play this way.) What I want to do seems like the most basic way to play a baseball sim for someone without a ton of time on their hands. It's the way we all played Baseball Mogul back in 1998, as it was the only way to play. It's the way we played OOTP in its earliest versions. For those of us who like football sims, it's the same basic way we played FOF before all of the game plan features were introduced. I want to be the GM. Period. I'll handle the draft, trades, free agency, and callups from AAA to the big club. AI, you handle the rest. I don't have time to figure out when my 19-year-old 2-star 2B is ready to be called up to Single-A. And honestly, I don't really even care. I just want to look at my Triple-A club and say "hey....that 24-year-old RF is almost ready, so I'm not going to offer an extension to my 34-year-old starting RF." I don't want to have to worry about the 100 or so players in AA, A, SS-A, and Rookie Ball. In order to do this, the AI must manage my minors reasonably. It does not. I've tried two different ways of handling this, and both fail miserably: 1. Use ghost players, turn off AI signings. Just keep guys in minors who I want around. This doesn't work. In fact, I'd argue that it's just completely broken. When I do this, the AI simply fills the minor league rosters from the top down. "Hi there, Mr. 19-year-old third baseman. Sure, you'd be better served by being in Rookie Ball and we have no one playing 3rd base on the rookie team, but we need a backup 3B in AAA instead of ghost player, so you get to go to AAA to die." That stinks. 2. Do not use ghost players. If I don't use ghost players, the game forces me to either have the AI sign minor leaguers I don't want and who are blocking my drafted players ("Sorry, Mr. 23-year-old 3-star potential LF. I know you'd be better served in AA right now, but we signed a 29-year-old who has higher current ratings than you, and he's going to help us win the AA World Series!!!! You get to be his backup. No playing time for you unless he gets hurt!") or I turn AI signings off, in which case the game forces me to to sign never-will-be free agent crap just to fill the Short Season A roster. Both options stink. In short, for a guy who wants to play at a high level, the game isn't working very well at all. SUGGESTION: The AI has the access to know precisely where players "should" be in the minors. If possible, when the AI is managing the minors and ghost players are on, give priority to the highest-potential guys, putting them "where they belong," regardless of need elsewhere. This should be about developing players, not filling out rosters from the top down.