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I enjoy playing PT, but frankly I consider it purely fantastical. Players playing against themselves, the mixing of years, the (welcome) addition of players from the Negro Leagues all conspire to take what was already a challenge to recreate IRL performance and mix in some chaos.
Moreover, based on my limited experience, I believe there is an intentional and strong element randomness added to player performance in PT. Which, while frustrating to those seeking accuracy in historical simulation, adds greatly to the PT experience. By which I mean, you cannot "know" how Aaron or Clemente or Bench will perform for you in a given year. Not based on their IRL output, and not based on their prior or even current year PT performance.
We know this because the exact same player, playing in the exact same league, will have wildly different outcomes. Yes, some factors can be chalked up to the performance of their teammates or that they face different opponents. But over the course of a season, that should tend to flatten out. Especially as you move up in the PT universe, to where all the teams are more or less a proven commodity.
It is in the world of historical sims that I am still questioning. My goal in historical replays is to recreate reality, not to outperform my IRL counterpart. So I integrate all identified factors that support that objective. And yet, I still see some things that make me raise an eyebrow.
All that said, and thanks to the great insights offered in response here, I've moved from baffled to puzzled or simply curious. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed here. The quality of the fan base is certainly among OOTP's strengths.
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