[RchW]

Originally Posted by frangipard

In OOTP, player development is, as far as I can tell, pretty much a function of 1) the players traits, 2) chance, and 3) the overall quality of the coaching/org development budget.

I think it can be better. Development resources should be targetable to specific skills for specific players.

Think of a pitching prospect with good stamina, two plus pitches, and a third thats below average. He's a solid reliever, but he could make the jump to the rotation if that third pitch could come around, and in real life thats likely what a pitching coach would spend his time on.

Or consider a speedy slap hitter with no power and no batting eye on a team that needs a leadoff hitter. You're not going to invest a lot of time trying to develop his 20 power into 30: instead you're going to work on that batting eye and see if he can fill a need.

Im not suggesting a change to how much development takes place - just a suggestion that teams should be able to try to influence how and where.

I see two ways to do this. One would be to have an option on the player strategy screen where players can be assigned to work on specific skills. The other would be on the team strategy screen, where the coaches would be assigned specific tasks: i.e. the pitching coach has been told to work on Johnson's fastball,Smith's control, and Baker's stamina. Again, it doesn't mean those things will be sure to develop, or that nothing and nobody else will. But it does acknowledge that coaching resources are a currency that teams choose how they wish to allocate, and those choices matter.

I have no problem with this idea but there has to be a corresponding set of failures (most) where players don't improve or get worse. Otherwise it would not be realistic. Consider how many players don't make it even when they get the same coaching.