How do YOU play solo?

[Bonedwarf]

Reading Henry's awesome post about fictional leagues, and reading some peoples comments, I was curious, how do you play solo?

Do you manage a team? Or just let your universe run?

If you manage, do you play individual games? Or just set the lineups and sim?

If you just let it run, how do you do it? Sim a few days? A week? A month? Entire seasons?

I used to do the entire season route, but with my interest in baseball much greater than the last time I got OOTP (OOTP4) I'm going down to "sim a week" I think.

I've done precisely one historic season (1927). The rest of mine are fictional.

Really just curious to share ideas and thoughts on fictional solo play with my fellow OOTP'ers

[Qrusher14242]

I like to sim a year at a time. I love historical leagues cause i cant really get into Fictional Leagues. Although i am trying to get into one now.

I like to build up histories, see how things can turn out differently.
In a few leagues, i have played out a lot of games, but mostly just the playoffs, if i get there. I've done around ten leagues from 1900-2000, its my favorite way to play ootp.

[Bobbuttons]

I have only played current MLB leagues maybe 4 or 5 times total since version 2. I play mostly fictional leagues, as manager of one club and sim a month at a time. Every so often I will play out a game. Otherwise I will play historical leagues. Either replaying history all the way or just picking up from certain years. I had a lengthy Indians replay that I started in 1995 and played out every game through 1998.

[attackemu]

I've got two solo leagues running now; a fictional historical league and a modern MLB league with CBL 1.3 Rosters(which are excellent and I'm happy to plug!)

With my fictional historical league, I am currently watching the universe run. Its 1913 and the league started in 1898. This is the league I've found most rewarding out of all the leagues I've ever played. I find myself picking favourite teams and players and becoming fascinated with their careers. I watch the Doubleday Cup(equivelant of the World Series) every year with great enthusiasm.

However, when I'm watching Baseball Tonight or something, I get the urge to play the CBL Rosters league, where I play in manager mode and play out games every once and again.

For both, I typically do simming a month at a time, then check out the last month's worth of achievements.

[SoxWin]

You don't really want to know, do you?

[Gunsmoke]

I tend to play the "god" role just overviewing the league and watching it mature. I find the best way to get into a new league is to play the "game of the week" on a monday or sunday or whatever out for the first couple of seasons. This will let you get familiar with all the players in the league and then by simming the rest of the week the league will still progress at a decent rate.

But saying that you know what's funny. I started a league in OOTP3 that was the first league I ever started. So it didn't have teflon's stadiums to take advantage of, no picture packs, I had no idea what I was doing with the league totals, it wasn't a coherent league idea (ie. no backstory or anything). But despite all that it's the one league that I've still got going and I love it to death. It's in it's 23rd or 24th season (can't remember which ) and no matter what I keep coming back to this league because of it's history and it's remarkable players. So once you get the league past I'd say the first couple of generations of players generally you're too attached to it to let it slide.

[Bonedwarf]

Originally posted by SoxWin
You don't really want to know, do you?

Yes

I forgot to add to mine. Another thing I do is every 3-5 years, I create 2-5 new players. Sometimes rookies, sometimes veterans. Totally random on everything. I make a note of the names. ("Borrowed" the idea from a league website that did a similar thing.)

It's kinda fun to look back after ten years and see the guy you created played about 3 games in the majors and spent the rest of his career stinking up the minors

[Bald Eagles]

I play a fictional MLB league that was started in OOTP4's 2002 season. I originally simmed it by the week and made Monday changes, occasionally playing out a game. With the release of v5, I started playing out the games with the advent of sound. I plan on importing this league into v6.

I had a fictional European league I created in v4 with cities all across Europe. I imported this play-out league into v5, but lost it in the 2012 season when my HD failed. I have a CD burner, should back up to CD now and then.

I recently recreated my European league, which included the expansion teams that the old league had just added when it died. I just started the 2004 season and will import this league too.

I have another fictional MLB league created with v5. I got bored of trying to see who everyone was (changing the facepack filenames to match up with the fictional default roster set). I played through May of 2004 before I moved onto my resurrection EBL league. This league might bite the big one when v6 comes out.

I plan on creating another fictional league, this one original to v6. I like using the new player set when the next version came out.

I was originally attached to the v3 league I had when I first learned of OOTP. I had STB for a little bit and that league died. I miss Fred Officer (SP, Chicago Cubs), so I might go back to 3, create a new fictional league and climb the OOTP ladder to v6 before simming this one out. I think simming over a week is just too long, IMHO.

[Bonedwarf]

I'm going to create a fictional league based on the extremely short lived Canadian Baseball League from last year (they shut down after half a season sadly). May "add" some teams to it though, in honor of the fact that the Edmonton Trappers are shutting down after this season, and having an Edmonton team to rival the Calgary one creates a nice rivalry

I started the All Canadian League in OOTP4... Which was amusingly named since I based two teams in the northern US. (Spokane and Duluth).

Tried a Japanese league, but it was too much effort to constantly swap the name files around so the right ratio of names was generated. Besides, I find it hard to get attached and invested in players who names I can't pronounce

[Jonzard]

I play naked

[Skipaway]

Should I copy my answer from hundreds of similar threads, or should I say something new?

[Eugene Church]

I began with an Alltime Allstar League with the majors composed of each original franchise's top 25 players from 1900-1930.
I created 3 other separate leagues: Class AAA (1930-1960 players), Class AA (1960-1980 players) and Class A (1980-2002 players) with each major league team having a farm team in each classification.
This totalled 2000 of the alltime best players and included great Negro and Japanese stars as well as great career minor leaguers. It took a year to research the players and enter their ratings into the game. These players were added to the original franchises in a draft. I controlled all of these teams...would sim a month at a time...adjust lineups and pitching rotations based on stats only...then sim another month. I would playout the World Series. To begin the next season, I used Pierre's Player Import Editor to promote and demote players from one classification to another. This worked well except that career stats from real life were many times included in the my leagues and added to the players OOTPB stats. This was probably caused by the way I imported the players into my league...didn't import their rookie year. I should have used Pierre's Career Average Database. Anyway I got frustrated with the career stats mess and abandoned the leagues and also was disappointed some players did not perform like their real life careers. So I started a fictional league. This would eliminate the import problems that fouled up the league career stats and with fictional players there would be no performance expectations. I really am enjoying the fictional league. It is hard to learn the players...I know their talents, but have trouble remembering which team they play on. I'm in my third year. I play1950's baseball. I now sim one game at a time and check each boxscore to get familiar with all the players...have included doubleheaders in the schedule, which means you have to watch the 9 man staffs very closely. I tried 8 man staffs, but this overworked the staff and forced the AI to use position players too much in relief. I select the starting pitchers for each game...2 ten team leagues...All pitchers have A durations and can start and relief. Many times I have to go with a second line pitcher because the starters don't have 3 days of rest. If the relievers are tired, then I go with a starter on two days rest. I adjust pitching rotations as I go...if a starter has 5 or 6 poor outings he goes to the bullpen. I adjust lineups and depth charts monthly. This gives more realistic results than simming a month at a time and letting the AI select the starters. The AI only uses pitchers as starters OR relievers...not both...as it happens in real baseball. This is one of OOTPB's shortcomings. With my method you get more realistic figures for innings pitched by the entire staff. Plus starters can relieve and relievers can be parttime starters. I even put one starter in the closer position so they will occasionally come in and close a game. This starter/closer also is available to start during this 10 games stretch. I rotate each of the starters as closers every 10 games.

This system has worked very well for me.

When OOTP6 comes out, I intend to restart my Alltime Allstar League, but with only 16 teams... not 80 like before. It is just too time-consuming. This time I think I know how to import the players without fouling up the career stats. I will play the alltime league just like the fictional.

If I did it the way I really would like, one day I might sim only the first 6 innings and play out the rest of the game. That way I can limit even more the AI's substitutions and end up with a more realistic game. As the game currently is, the AI seems to ignore 2 middle relievers and only uses them 20-50 innings per year...even when their stats are good. It only uses 7 of the 9 pitchers on a regular basis, if you don't move them from starter to reliever positions.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I thought the details might give a clearer picture, if you are interested in my method.

[Skywalker76]

Most of the times I play with realistic rosters. Right now I'm playing with CBL 1.3 Rosters in Manager Mode using the Orioles. What I do is that I sim every single day and then view the boxscore of my teams game. Additional every month I play out 2-3 games to get to know my team. This way I get through a season fairly fast but knowing my team.
I've never been addicted to fictional leagues. Maybe I will start this with OOTP 6 if I find a good idea.

[UKRedsFan]

I'm currently playing a fictional 30-team league, I like to play out every game. That way you live or die by the decisions you make during the game....when to pull the starter, which reliever to choose for a given situation, bringing in a pinch-hitter to bat in the tieing run etc.

Great when you get it right, but I do have a tendency to attack power hitters in dangerous situations rather than pitch around or walk them, and then curse myself when they hit it out of the park.

You learn who you can rely on, and who you need to think about trading. That was it's not just about the numbers then, it's how the players perform in different situations.

I started with the initial draft and concentrated too much on pitching....I was keeping games close but my batting line-up was full of players who would either strike out or hit a homer. So gradually through trades I've got a balanced batting line-up and a solid pitching staff. Unfortunately my team has zero speed so I avoid trying to steal bases, and we're also prone to defensive errors.

My team, the Long Island Eagles are 69-56 in a 128-game season, needing 1 win from 3 to beat out the Manhattan New Yorkers for 1st place in the division. I think my team could reach the conference finals but Louisville will probably be too good, they have 4 or 5 power-hitters over .300 and a great pitching staff. We lost the latest two game series 23-5 and 16-4.

I only play 2-3 games an evening so it takes a while but I think it's the most satisfying way to play the game, I think in England we tend to prefer the day-to-day micro-management to simming years at a time.

[Spud Eating Buccos]

In the past (well OOTP 4) l took over the 92 Pirates and tried to steer them clear of the situation they are in now. I did, I don't know why Cam Bonifay couldn't. This year I joined an online league that is starting at 1980, then I think I will do a 1992 league, a fictional league and a present day league....hell, I have to piss my girl friend off, this is a good way to do it, but lately she is showing interest in OOTP, so much for my sancturary

[cshigh]

I play all of my games out. Now, I am playing with the CBL 1.3 Rosters (which are done very well) using the Drays. My "problem" is sticking with one league to play out. I have a fictional league that I developed using Teflon's parks, and another historical league that I simmed from 1921-1965 (so far).

[SSG Troyer]

I started my current league in OOTP4 by simming 40 years. I then created myself as an uber-prospect SP in the rookie draft, and took over the team that drafted "me." When "I" retired, I created my son as an uber-prospect 1B and took over the team that drafted him. If I reach the WS 3 years in a row, I take over the team with the worst financials/history of those drafting 3rd to 6th the next year, and arrange an AI-acceptable trade for "me."

I play every game until my team has either won home field advantage throughout the playoffs, or been eliminated from the playoffs. If/when that happens, I set up the depth chart to give my callups plently of playing time, and sim out the regular season. I play every game of the playoffs my team is in.

I also "augment" 3-5 low-talent rookies each year during the name-edit phase. I give these guys names of people I know, so as to recognize them as edited.

[Kemp]

I play completely fictional. Fictional players, cities, leagues, etc. I’ve started and trashed enough fictional leagues to have learned some lessons about fictional leagues. Things I’ve learned:
* Keep the league small. I’ve tried 20 teams, 16 teams, 14, and now I’m at 10. I’d rather know 10 teams very well than have 100’s of random names flying around.
* Don’t sim too much at a time. I just can’t seem to “connect” with fictional players while simming a month or a season at a time. You really lose the “up and down” career flows you get playing out (or simming slowly) the games.
* Shorten the season. This was a tough one for me because I got used to major league “milestones”. 20 wins, 40 homers, 100 rbi, etc. But I’ve gone to a 100 game schedule and I’ve gotten used to it.
* Don’t feel compelled to mirror MLB. I love the way OOTP allows you to customize certain things. I’ve increased my pitchers endurance (they’ll typically finish 33% of their starts) and I lower injuries. I’m REALLY glad that OOTP6 will allow us to change stolen base frequency and roster sizes. Also, I don’t allow in-season trading – you play the cards you’re dealt each season.
* ANALYZE EACH TEAM. The way that I keep in touch with each team is by writing a season preview and review for each team. Before the year starts I analyze their depth charts, strengths, weaknesses, and then predict their finish. Then at the end of the year, I go back and review what happened. It’s really allowed me to get close to a lot of teams and players. This analysis also covers the draft and prospects so I can get familiar with the younger players coming up.
* I never was big into facepacks and logos and stadiums until I took a look at the Graphics forum. Wow. People do such excellent work (and are so nice about sharing it) that I began stealing various art work for my league. I was surprised by how much it’s made my league come to life.

Hope this wasn’t too wordy!

[atarizx3]

I usually look at The Thong Thread.

[thomasthomas]

I manage my team (free agents, set lineups, pitchers, transactions, etc) but sim the games on a day-by-day basis. I guess I'm more into the accumulation of stats then in playing out individual games. But I do play any "big" games my team may have, such as final week of the season if I'm in contention, or playoff games.