Big and Little; Changes that would keep me paying up for the game.

[Parker8283]

To be 100% honest, I'm not entirely sure who reads these (whether it's fans, or the developers), but if it is the developers, I'm pretty sure that they are overloaded with requests. So, for starters, not a forum for sending requests. Maybe a thing like a bug tracker, so that duplicates can be eliminated, and a manageable list of requests can be used. That would be easier for the developers (me, personally, I don't mind).

Now, for OOTP15:

A COMPLETE CONTRACT OVERHAUL!

I am a HUGE baseball fan, and I love realism in simulators. So, if OOTP wants (to continue) to hold the title of most realistic baseball simulator that's being updated by the year, how about adding more stuff to the contract. Here's what I mean:

• Opt-out clauses: This is probably the hardest thing to get to work in a simulator, but (not trying to sound mean or rude here) if the developers have done this much, they can probably find a way to do this. We (as in GMs) should be allowed to include opt-out clauses so players could opt-out of their contracts. Whether it be only a certain year(s) (as in the case of Elvis Andrus), or from the end of a year on (as in the most recent case of Zack Greinke). It would probably be calculated from the morale of the player under the Team Record and Role on Team categories (Transactions could also be included if he's unhappy about making $20M in AAA). It probably SHOULDN'T include Performance because, well, that's his own fault. For example, I just pulled up a random player in my Astros rebuild (going well, in the middle of the 2019 season, made playoffs last 3 years, no WS title), and he is good on everything. However if he was very upset about his role on the team, an a little unhappy on the team's record, at the end of the season, he could use his opt-out clause to get out of the contract. If a player opts-out, he would probably not want to negotiate a new contract (depending on the circumstances) so maybe that could be barred. In summary, Opt-out clauses should be included.
• More than two options max: I'm probably not the first to request this, but, with the recent signing of Chase Utley, who has a 2 year contract with THREE vesting options, I think that more than two option years should be allowed. Bam. Short and simple, unlike the last bullet point.
• Options with guaranteed clauses: This is another point of realism that should be added. Lots of players have team options that could become guaranteed with X number of Y, or the option becomes a player option, with the buyout eliminated, or (as in the case of Barry Zito) It becomes guaranteed, with an OPT-OUT being instated. Whatever the case, at least some form of guaranteed clauses for options should be included, as just straight up vesting options are rare.
• More Incentives: Most contracts don't just have MVP, Cy Young, and All-Star incentives. They also include incentives for reaching milestones, for gold gloves, etc. More Incentives, please! (greed has struck again!)
• General contract negotiation AI improvements: Lots of these instances have been posted before, so...yea.

Those are my requests for the contract system. Now, for general stuff.

• Playoff Improvements: As in the case of a lot of minor leagues, they have special playoff rules and number of games. So, I guess all that needs to be said here is, make it so ALL the minor leagues' playoffs are accurate, and make the options to make them accurate available to custom leagues, whether is be through custom playoffs (which I would prefer), or just the general playoff selection box area thingy (whatever it's actually called. I'm guessing you can tell that I pretty much only use the custom playoffs in custom leagues).
• All-Star Game Improvements: Basically the same as above, make it so the Triple-A All-Star Game, The California-Carolina All-Star Game, and others are available, and make them available in custom leagues.
• Better AI promotion/demotion: I get really irritated when one of my players gets moved to a different minor league team EVERY DAY. When I finally disable the AI for that, it then tells me he should be promoted, so i do it, and the next day, to demote him. Improvements here, please.
• An easier way to look for players: Instead of going to the List all ML players, going to the filter, then finding out he's not in ML, etc., how about just an option that lists all non-retired players, and has a search bar that dynamically updates as you type, like Chrome's find in webpage bar (every other web browser probably has this, but I use Chrome). Would be SOOO much easier.

If anyone else would like me to add to this list (don't know why you wouldn't make your own post, but whatever), go ahead and comment. I would love to have a conversation with you (no sarcasm intended).

I hope OOTP15 will include some of these things!

-Parker

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by Parker8283

• Opt-out clauses: This is probably the hardest thing to get to work in a simulator, but (not trying to sound mean or rude here) if the developers have done this much, they can probably find a way to do this. We (as in GMs) should be allowed to include opt-out clauses so players could opt-out of their contracts. Whether it be only a certain year(s) (as in the case of Elvis Andrus), or from the end of a year on (as in the most recent case of Zack Greinke). It would probably be calculated from the morale of the player under the Team Record and Role on Team categories (Transactions could also be included if he's unhappy about making $20M in AAA). It probably SHOULDN'T include Performance because, well, that's his own fault. For example, I just pulled up a random player in my Astros rebuild (going well, in the middle of the 2019 season, made playoffs last 3 years, no WS title), and he is good on everything. However if he was very upset about his role on the team, an a little unhappy on the team's record, at the end of the season, he could use his opt-out clause to get out of the contract. If a player opts-out, he would probably not want to negotiate a new contract (depending on the circumstances) so maybe that could be barred. In summary, Opt-out clauses should be included.

Thing is, we already have player option years. I know that TECHNICALLY, opt-out clauses and player options are different, but the difference is, in my opinion, so minute that I don't think it warrants including both of them in the contract options.

Thing is, it's important to remember that some people play this game with very little knowledge of how a sporting front office position works. I'm all for more realism, but I feel like too much realism can be a bad thing - contracts are complicated. And including two extremely similar contract options does little to improve the playability of the game, but it can confuse a player who is not up to speed on how contracts work in real life.

[Parker8283]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

Thing is, we already have player option years. I know that TECHNICALLY, opt-out clauses and player options are different, but the difference is, in my opinion, so minute that I don't think it warrants including both of them in the contract options.

Thing is, it's important to remember that some people play this game with very little knowledge of how a sporting front office position works. I'm all for more realism, but I feel like too much realism can be a bad thing - contracts are complicated. And including two extremely similar contract options does little to improve the playability of the game, but it can confuse a player who is not up to speed on how contracts work in real life.

Ok. I get what you're saying. Well then, there should be an option to make it so you can add multiple in different years, like Elvis Andrus.

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by Parker8283

Ok. I get what you're saying. Well then, there should be an option to make it so you can add multiple in different years, like Elvis Andrus.

I'll buy that.