Coming back after burnout... need some input!

[jaysdailydose]

Hey everyone!

Good to be back, I had taken a new job and was just generally burnt out after doing so many quickstarts and other things such as helping people with their personal leagues, so I took time off from the forums.

I am going to be going back to dynasty reporting, but I have a few things I want to ask to see what would be the most "interesting" or what they think would be the best challenge. This might get a little long, so...

My main reason I play is for the history, but at the same time -- I always find myself wanting to play in one-pitch mode just because I love handling the bullpen. Even when I play in one-pitch, I only take care of the substitutions. This gives me a little bit of feeling that my manager is still "doing his job" -- even if I have to pretend a little bit and pretend he has my bullpen logic in his head.

I also like challenges like my old friend NYY#23's "Worst to First" dynasties. The only thing that has really stopped me from diving in to one of those is I would have such a problem not every seeing if I could build dynasties and leaving after one championship.

So, I am kind of stuck -- My main idea is that I am starting ONE dynasty report that will lead me through the rest of my OOTP lifetime... an "Infinity" league, if you will.

At the same time, there isn't much need for "infinity" if you are playing in one-pitch mode during every game, because at most you'll get 15-25 seasons in a true calendar year.

I want to have an interesting league for reporting, but I want to be able to get through a lot of time, as well. Here is what I am thinking, please let me know if this is a league that you yourself would be interested in...

Final Dynasty Idea
30 team league
162 game schedule, all statistical/financials locked.
Those that are familiar with my old dynasties know this is a "Level Playing Field" concept to where for the entirety of the dynasty, the statistics will remain fairly constant, along with the financials.

I am planning on playing far beyond that if I play in the manner I'm about to write about -- but I am thinking of calling it a "Joe McCarthy" challenge, in which I would be trying 24 year "careers" throughout the league and trying to best Joe McCarthy's managerial records, which I feel are the best for the World Series era. He won 7 WS, and has the highest winning percentage in the history of the game.

I need goals to keep me motivated, so I think this would be a great one.

My main problem is I write about these leagues, so if I am playing out every game -- I won't get much farther than one 25 year league even over a few calendar years... so I am thinking of doing the following:

I am thinking of actually managing ONLY the games in which my #1 starter pitches in, and also making that a focus of the dynasty report (How my staff aces do throughout the dynasty.) My other two options would be one-pitch mode every game, with me doing just the substitutions, as I've done for years -- or going completely GM-Only.

One of the main reasons that is such a concern is that at least in previous versions, most veteran players felt that the CPU did not manage their bullpens properly and let wins on the table -- while others felt that controlling your bullpen bordered on an exploit, because you would no doubt use them in a better fashion than the AI.

I am a devout Detroit Tigers fan, and would be using fictional players to avoid using player names as an indicator to their skill level... I would be using the real MLB teams, but fictional players throughout the league.

So, essentially, I would "play out" only around 35-37 starts per year, and I would update my report monthly.. I feel this would allow me to get through the passage of time in a reasonably fast manner, while also allowing myself to stay immersed with all of the teams.

I know this is a long post, but I've played so many different leagues that I just want to lock myself into one idea, with goals, to ensure that I don't get burnt out again. I've always loved this game, and baseball itself, of course -- but there are so many different ways to play that it really got to me, having so many options.

Thank you all, and good to see so many of you that I haven't seen in a few months.

[jaysdailydose]

Especially for dynasty reporting, you need a draw to set you apart and keep a reader interested. With the idea above, my main draws would be:

· A report that will last throughout the future of OOTP and into the next versions to come -- and allow people to see a LOT of history. (If I was to do GM-Only, I'd like to run a 500+ year reported dynasty, to be honest.)

· A report with goals as far as beating Joe McCarthy's managerial record, and also highlighting the aces of my organization.

So, its either the slower, but more detailed (and less time passing, so not as much history) dynasty where I "play out" everything -- or it's the faster dynasty without as much detail (or my own managerial "expertise") but with a LOT of history, while retaining the same goals.

Which one would you rather read? Which one would you rather play?

(Also, if you have any other interesting goals, please let me know. If I do the "McCarthy" goal, I'll be able to be fired and all of that good stuff.)

THANKS AGAIN!

[jaysdailydose]

With how the graphics look now and the ease of editing, I'm also kicking around just doing daily (game-to-game) updates, and as far as I get is as far as I get.

Now do you see why I want input!?!?

I just simply can't handle playing any more than two leagues now, and if I can fit almost everything I want into one dynasty, then that is great.

I was just messing around a bit and loaded up an MLB Quickstart and "watched" the opener in RTS. Definitely wouldn't be as hard as it used to be to do a quick update for each game...

I guess it just boils down to what interests others more -- leagues with daily, weekly or monthly detail -- with slower, average, and fast progression through the march of time being the main differences.

Yes, this is mainly about dynasty reporting, but the main reason I posted it in General Discussions is because it opens up discussion on the many different (thousands?) of ways you can play this game.

[Trebro]

I'm actually in a bit of a similar situation myself. I keep testing things but not committing. On the one hand, I want to manage out a team, on the other, I love seeing time pass, and there's no fast way to do that if you manage closely.

I'm actually at the point where I think I might split them up. Do a modified history league where it's God mode, then do a fictional(?) where I play it out in a world with less games per year, to help move things along.

For what it's worth, I tend to like the dynasties best which feature either a league-wide/world-wide perspective (like Chuck's English League or stuff that The Game does) or monthly updates from the GM on their team's progress.

To each their own on the "talk about it daily" dynasties but I feel like other than the poor Portland Raccoons, it's really hard to keep interest up going day by day.

Take that for what it's worth. But in the end, don't decide based on us--pick what YOU wanna do.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by panelpatter

I'm actually in a bit of a similar situation myself. I keep testing things but not committing. On the one hand, I want to manage out a team, on the other, I love seeing time pass, and there's no fast way to do that if you manage closely.

I'm actually at the point where I think I might split them up. Do a modified history league where it's God mode, then do a fictional(?) where I play it out in a world with less games per year, to help move things along.

For what it's worth, I tend to like the dynasties best which feature either a league-wide/world-wide perspective (like Chuck's English League or stuff that The Game does) or monthly updates from the GM on their team's progress.

To each their own on the "talk about it daily" dynasties but I feel like other than the poor Portland Raccoons, it's really hard to keep interest up going day by day.

Take that for what it's worth. But in the end, don't decide based on us--pick what YOU wanna do.

But, as we've all seen, Jay likes a bit of everything.

I'm just not wanting to disappoint readers... I get something started and then it loses its luster because I have the next "great" idea.

Like, I've been kicking around doing a worst-to-first like NYY#23's, I've even started one before (with his full blessing) but I feel like I would miss the thrill of trying to repeat if I built a winner...

I may just wind up doing a "slow" story and a "fast" story, even though I was really trying to stick to one so I could really dedicate to it. I really love the "Chasing Joe McCarthy" idea, as it is basically a crazy 25 year challenge that to win you have to win the series nearly a third of the time.

Gotta take a short ride in the car, will try to get on Tap-a-talk.

[jaysdailydose]

In the end, I may just stick with my old weekly update style...I am just making absolutely sure that whatever I wind up going with I can play forever and really get invested.

Most of the happiest players here have one league they intend to play for the rest of their life and I guess I am just trying to get to that point.

[baseballonly]

I really like to just be a GM and not manage every game....but that's just me.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by baseballonly

I really like to just be a GM and not manage every game....but that's just me.

Well, here's the way I'm looking at it. If I did game-to-game updates, I'd maybe get 5 seasons in for a calendar year, and that'd be pushing it. I have a way to do the updates thought out already, but I think I'd get a series in a day, maybe. The advantage to this (especially for a fictional league) is that my update would showcase more of the league on its own without me having to go into a lot of detail -- thus saving time.

If I do my normal updating style, I'd anticipate a month or so per season, so it would take me like 10 years in real time to have a history the same length as the World Series era.

With doing month-to-month updates, I would probably have 450-500 seasons accounted for in that same 10 year period.

I mean, I have fun with all three scenarios, its just a question of how much history I would want to have -- and whether the people that read dynasty reports would rather see 5, 15, or 50 seasons in a calendar year. (Numbers approximated.)

[baseballonly]

I'd rather see month-to-month updates, but honestly with the plot you have I'd probably not follow along.

[jaysdailydose]

I know that for me personally, (as panelpatter alluded to above), I get the most interested reading the dynasties that build long histories, except in the case of Orcin's retired masterpiece and some of the other "slow" dynasties.

I think I am just going to lock into two projects and be done with my league-making forever. There are two ways I wish to play, after all, and I don't want to be hedging a year into a dynasty because I wish I'd played all my games out and vice versa.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by baseballonly

I'd rather see month-to-month updates, but honestly with the plot you have I'd probably not follow along.

Which plot was that? Because if there was one thing I hadn't locked into yet for certain was a plot... lol