Quote:
Originally Posted by joehart
Personally, I think I still think it is players that are the difference makers. Get a few of the right names and you are guaranteed to get 3-5 WAR from them each season. Add enough WAR and you bought yourself a playoff spot.
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I agree with this. However, even having the best players won't keep you out of the cellar in some seasons, much less guarantee a playoff spot.
The mode is extremely unpredictable. I understand why the game has so much volatility in terms of team and player performance. It is working as intended. But I like to feel as if my actions have some impact on the results, and the mode does not give me that satisfaction.
If I make a mistake and put Patrick Corbin in the rotation in this league, then I deserve to lose. But when I correct that mistake and put 93 Greg Maddux in his place, I expect to see improvement. Unfortunately, this mode doesn't work that way. My 93 Greg Maddux could have a 5+ ERA and be no better than Corbin. Look at my team if you don't believe me.
Money helps because you can get better players, but it doesn't matter if you can't count on those better players to deliver predictable results.
I wanted to give this mode a fair evaluation before I drew a conclusion. I did listen to people talking about competitive balance and level playing fields, and I experimented with this league in an attempt to evaluate that. In the end, my conclusion is that the mode is pure chaos. Things that don't exist in the real baseball world such as all-lefty rotations and parks that have 150% more doubles combined with 10% fewer homers only serve to exaggerate the random results. I can't wait to see how the lefty opener and righty follower strategies will spice up the gumbo.
Obviously, money separates the strong teams from the weak ones. But among relatively comparable teams, the outcomes are still not always controlled by the player's actions. We have seen managers have terrible seasons and then come back with a playoff team having made no changes (me). There is too much pure dice rolling for my taste, and I am not sure I want to pay to throw those dice next time around. I am not trying to convince anyone else. I just felt like sharing my thoughts as the clock winds down on version 1. Maybe it's just frustration talking, but I am stone sober so we can't blame liquor for this rant.