Why Does Historical Cash Max Vary so Greatly Between Versions?

hefalumps · 10-27-2011, 05:36 PM

I started a league back in OOTP9 and have imported it into each new version. I just recently imported it into 12. With 10 and 11, because the database\financials.txt files were so completely different between the versions of the game, I just kept copying my financials.txt from OOTP9 and using that.

But with OOTP12, I decided to give 12's financials.txt a shot. Unfortunately, it's just not working out. Too many stud FA's are taking a significant pay cut. So I'm trying to merge some of 9's data into 12's data so that I can maintain salaries where they were in 9 until the data in 12's financials.txt "catches up." Hopefully this will work.

But one thing I'm not sure about is the cash max. If I look at 1996 (the year in which I'm importing), OOTP 9 has the cash max at $6,575,000, OOTP 10 had the cash max initially at $99,940,000 before a patch dropped it to $4,208,410, and OOTP 11 and 12 have the cash max at $768,769. That's quite a spread! What I'm curious is... why the vast difference between them all? Does it have to do with the way each version utilized the cash from the following year?

I've decided to edit the financials.txt file and just put the cash max at $5M for 1996 through 2011. This seems like a good compromise. I also noticed when I did the import that all teams' media revenues for the following year increased anywhere from $1M to $11M, and their budgets increased anywhere from $6M to $14M. Hopefully tweaking the cash max from $770K to $5M won't give the teams TOO much money, but after simming through an offseason I'm seeing most FAs go to only a handful of teams. For example, Chicago signed 3 stud FAs, Detroit signed 2, SanFran signed 3, and St. Louis signed 3. There are 17 of 28 teams that haven't made a single FA signing yet, which seems odd.

If anyone has any comments, suggestions, or thoughts on this topic, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

darkcloud4579 · 10-27-2011, 06:06 PM

Each version is very different. It's one thing to try to create stabilized financial numbers. It's another to try to reproduce past financials from older, less complicated versions of the game.

I'm able to -- with even using my 3rd party financial calculator -- keep OOTP financials in my league static across versions. I've been playing the same solo league since OOTP9. How I'm able to do this? A salary cap that's consistent. Media revenues that are the same for each team, as well.

You can't have teams running in the red, OOTP financial logic sucks and that's no surprise to those who've spent time with it. It's a matter of understanding the system is going to have warts.

But I have never had to edit financials.txt as you seem to be tinkering with it to get my financial numbers to work. So my first instinct would be to suggest leaving that alone. But others will have their own perspectives on that.

hefalumps · 10-27-2011, 06:46 PM

Hi darkcloud,

I guess I should've pointed out that I have "Automatically import historical financials each year" enabled. If you're playing fictional or don't have historical financials importing automatically, you probably won't run into this issue, and it would explain why you haven't had to touch financials.txt.

I'm not so much having a problem with teams going in the red just yet, but the drop in salary when switching from 9 to 12's default financials.txt is the big issue for me. For example, under 9's financials two years ago, Sammy Sosa signed a contract for $12M per year. After importing to 12 and switching to 12's financials, the two big FAs this offseason (Robbie Alomar and Frank Thomas) signed for less than $9M. If I'd stayed with 9's financials I imagine they could've demanded close to $15M and gotten it.

Hopefully my workaround evens things out a bit. I'll post back and let everyone know how it goes in case anyone has a league setup similar to mine.

10-27-2011, 05:36 PM	#1
hefalumps All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,392	Why Does Historical Cash Max Vary so Greatly Between Versions? I started a league back in OOTP9 and have imported it into each new version. I just recently imported it into 12. With 10 and 11, because the database\financials.txt files were so completely different between the versions of the game, I just kept copying my financials.txt from OOTP9 and using that. But with OOTP12, I decided to give 12's financials.txt a shot. Unfortunately, it's just not working out. Too many stud FA's are taking a significant pay cut. So I'm trying to merge some of 9's data into 12's data so that I can maintain salaries where they were in 9 until the data in 12's financials.txt "catches up." Hopefully this will work. But one thing I'm not sure about is the cash max. If I look at 1996 (the year in which I'm importing), OOTP 9 has the cash max at $6,575,000, OOTP 10 had the cash max initially at $99,940,000 before a patch dropped it to $4,208,410, and OOTP 11 and 12 have the cash max at $768,769. That's quite a spread! What I'm curious is... why the vast difference between them all? Does it have to do with the way each version utilized the cash from the following year? I've decided to edit the financials.txt file and just put the cash max at $5M for 1996 through 2011. This seems like a good compromise. I also noticed when I did the import that all teams' media revenues for the following year increased anywhere from $1M to $11M, and their budgets increased anywhere from $6M to $14M. Hopefully tweaking the cash max from $770K to $5M won't give the teams TOO much money, but after simming through an offseason I'm seeing most FAs go to only a handful of teams. For example, Chicago signed 3 stud FAs, Detroit signed 2, SanFran signed 3, and St. Louis signed 3. There are 17 of 28 teams that haven't made a single FA signing yet, which seems odd. If anyone has any comments, suggestions, or thoughts on this topic, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

10-27-2011, 06:06 PM	#2
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,715	Each version is very different. It's one thing to try to create stabilized financial numbers. It's another to try to reproduce past financials from older, less complicated versions of the game. I'm able to -- with even using my 3rd party financial calculator -- keep OOTP financials in my league static across versions. I've been playing the same solo league since OOTP9. How I'm able to do this? A salary cap that's consistent. Media revenues that are the same for each team, as well. You can't have teams running in the red, OOTP financial logic sucks and that's no surprise to those who've spent time with it. It's a matter of understanding the system is going to have warts. But I have never had to edit financials.txt as you seem to be tinkering with it to get my financial numbers to work. So my first instinct would be to suggest leaving that alone. But others will have their own perspectives on that. __________________ ------ My Mods OOTP Advanced Stats & DFS Suite Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

10-27-2011, 06:46 PM	#3
hefalumps All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,392	Hi darkcloud, I guess I should've pointed out that I have "Automatically import historical financials each year" enabled. If you're playing fictional or don't have historical financials importing automatically, you probably won't run into this issue, and it would explain why you haven't had to touch financials.txt. I'm not so much having a problem with teams going in the red just yet, but the drop in salary when switching from 9 to 12's default financials.txt is the big issue for me. For example, under 9's financials two years ago, Sammy Sosa signed a contract for $12M per year. After importing to 12 and switching to 12's financials, the two big FAs this offseason (Robbie Alomar and Frank Thomas) signed for less than $9M. If I'd stayed with 9's financials I imagine they could've demanded close to $15M and gotten it. Hopefully my workaround evens things out a bit. I'll post back and let everyone know how it goes in case anyone has a league setup similar to mine.