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sfnate · 04-13-2013, 03:02 PM

My approach probably won't be a popular one, but it works for me. Here it is:

Play fictional. Not knowing the players, and their historical achievements, makes your job evaluating talent a little bit harder.
Don't use the default fine grain ratings (1-20, 1-100)--use 1-5 or 2-8. This helps to blur the ratings distinctions between players. (I don't turn off ratings completely--in real life all teams use some kind of scale to rate and evaluate players so I just use 2-8, which is similar to MLB scouts' 20-80.)
Don't exploit the AI. We all know how easy it can be to make a fool of the AI by making extremely one-sided trades that are clearly taking advantage of the AI--resist the temptation to do so and instead (next item)
Establish some house rules. For example, trade like for like, or limit yourself to one-for-one trades. Make fair exchanges that benefit both sides (you AND the AI). During games, don't use run-and-hit all the time because you find it works 7 times out of 10. Don't have your pitcher throw to first base repeatedly until he picks off the runner. Stuff like that. Just play in a way that doesn't leverage your superior ability to find tricky ways to cheat or exploit the AI.
Let the AI "manage" some of your own operations. For example, let the AI handle your trades and the draft. I like to simulate "institutional incompetence" when I run a team--in real life no single person has ALL the control, and management teams can be collectively very stupid at times. Bring some "stupidity" into your organization by hiring the AI. It will frustrate you and you will see the obvious flaws in what the AI is doing, but on the other hand you may discover that not having total control "feels" more like real life.
Pick a team that is in a very bad way (lousy players, poor finances, etc) and try to make it better, over time, using some or all of the suggestions above. It might take you 3-5 seasons to get back to respectability, but you might find it more satisfying than exploiting the AI by making a ton of blockbuster trades that catapult you to the top of the standings in a single season.

04-13-2013, 03:02 PM	#7
sfnate Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Corner of 16th and Bryant Streets Posts: 296	My approach probably won't be a popular one, but it works for me. Here it is: Play fictional. Not knowing the players, and their historical achievements, makes your job evaluating talent a little bit harder. Don't use the default fine grain ratings (1-20, 1-100)--use 1-5 or 2-8. This helps to blur the ratings distinctions between players. (I don't turn off ratings completely--in real life all teams use some kind of scale to rate and evaluate players so I just use 2-8, which is similar to MLB scouts' 20-80.) Don't exploit the AI. We all know how easy it can be to make a fool of the AI by making extremely one-sided trades that are clearly taking advantage of the AI--resist the temptation to do so and instead (next item) Establish some house rules. For example, trade like for like, or limit yourself to one-for-one trades. Make fair exchanges that benefit both sides (you AND the AI). During games, don't use run-and-hit all the time because you find it works 7 times out of 10. Don't have your pitcher throw to first base repeatedly until he picks off the runner. Stuff like that. Just play in a way that doesn't leverage your superior ability to find tricky ways to cheat or exploit the AI. Let the AI "manage" some of your own operations. For example, let the AI handle your trades and the draft. I like to simulate "institutional incompetence" when I run a team--in real life no single person has ALL the control, and management teams can be collectively very stupid at times. Bring some "stupidity" into your organization by hiring the AI. It will frustrate you and you will see the obvious flaws in what the AI is doing, but on the other hand you may discover that not having total control "feels" more like real life. Pick a team that is in a very bad way (lousy players, poor finances, etc) and try to make it better, over time, using some or all of the suggestions above. It might take you 3-5 seasons to get back to respectability, but you might find it more satisfying than exploiting the AI by making a ton of blockbuster trades that catapult you to the top of the standings in a single season. Last edited by sfnate; 04-13-2013 at 03:08 PM.