Trade AI Difficulty

PSUColonel · 02-12-2012, 01:13 AM

I did this one other time, but OOTP 12 hadn't been out very long, and there have been several patches with adjustments since, so here it goes again. Which trading difficulty provides the most realistic while also challenging setting? many have often said they wish there was a setting between normal & hard. Has that been achieved in either setting?

BusterKing · 02-12-2012, 08:36 AM

I actually have my settings on Very Hard/Favor Prospects with the 2011 roster set that came with the game.

It's a real challenge to pull off a trade but I like it since I can't take advantage of the weak AI.

Most 1 for 1 are impossible to I usually have to make it 2 for 2 or even more, but my house rule is never to offer more players to the AI teams in return to exploit them.

1998 Yankees · 02-12-2012, 03:12 PM

Agree. "Normal" is too easy.

hluraven · 02-12-2012, 04:09 PM

Very Hard

landru22 · 02-12-2012, 10:14 PM

Dumb question. Does the difficulty setting affect trades between two computer controlled teams? If it is set to the most difficult setting, does it make trades less likely to happen between computer controlled teams?

PSUColonel · 02-12-2012, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by landru22

Dumb question. Does the difficulty setting affect trades between two computer controlled teams? If it is set to the most difficult setting, does it make trades less likely to happen between computer controlled teams?

I have often wondered this as well. Is it me, or does it seem as though you also receive more trade offers from the AI when it's on normal vs. hard...or is that only effected by trading frequency?

Nunyer · 02-13-2012, 08:13 AM

I have not run any significant tests or anything, but it doesn't seem that the difficulty setting impacts CPU-to-CPU deals. They still seem to make plenty of trades that are impossible for you to pull off with the difficulty on "hard". Team 1 has too many oranges, Team 2 has too many apples... when both teams are CPU, these trades seem to happen often enough... but those same deals don't seem available to human teams.

I played a few seasons on hard, and it seemed too difficult to move good prospects that were blocked on my farm teams. You should be able to get a middling, three star potential single A guy for a player that will immediately get a spot on the other team's ML roster... They know you don't need him and can't ask for top dollar, but they need him as well and should gladly part with a midrange 19 year old... but it's almost impossible to pull off.

Another thing I will occasionally do on the "hard" setting is to take control of the CPU team temporarily, run the same players from the other side and see what my CPU-controlled GM thinks of the deal. All of a sudden, my side thinks the deal is awful and wants the five star prospects thrown in. The idea of mutual interest between trade partners isn't well simulated anywhere in the game... but it gets worse as the difficulty cranks up. Every trade gives off the aura of "you are trying to rip me off, but dammit I will rip you off worse!". This has it's place when you are asking for their top players or something... but when you take time to gauge the strengths and weakness of both sides and offer players that should make sense for both sides... and the CPU on hard laughs and demands the world... it hurts the immersion factor.

Since then, I played a few seasons on normal and I generally like the balance better. Yes, the CPU will agree to some stupid trades... but I just try to use my own moral compass to avoid taking advantage... The benefit is that in the big picture, you actually seem to get some decent market value for your guys... and not every trade gives you the impression of begging the CPU to talk to you.

I was just able to make a nice trade deadline rental deal from a team going nowhere... I moved my closer (who had a replacement waiting in a setup role) and my top 3B prospect, top 30 or 40 in the league, for a #2/#3 type starter in a contract year. IMO, the trade made sense for both sides. They get two young players, a ML-ready closer/setup guy making peanuts and a top corner IF prospect for a 33 year old pitcher that will demand $15m per year in the offseason. It's the kind of trade you see quite often in the real world... But switching the difficulty to "hard", and the CPU insisted on one of my top of the order hitters that are all signed long term... For a rental? From a team with a horrible budget situation sitting 25 games out at the deadline? Just seems too out there for me... I prefer "normal" and using my gut to avoid taking advantage of the times when the CPU goes too soft.

EDIT: I didn't vote in the poll, I think the hard difficulty is more challenging, but normal is more realistic.

rudoggy · 02-13-2012, 11:16 AM

I tend to play with trading at the hardest settings. But when i am offering a great player, and get no responses, for no reason that I can identify, i drop the difficulty back a bit. If nothing else, i get to see who is interested, then I can make trades that I feel are fair.

Sven Draconian · 02-13-2012, 04:19 PM

I play on normal with house rules.

I can't offer more than a 2:1, and I can't have more than 3 of my players in a deal.

The AI isn't that awful at evaluating "equal" talents (IMO), but on normal it really values those 2.5 star prospects when they come in bunches.

This restricts some realism from the game (I can't mortgage the farm for a player, for example) and it limits some of what I can do. However, I think it's a good balance between the "easy" normal trading process and the pointless "hard" difficulty setting.

Biggio509 · 02-14-2012, 09:19 AM

I haven't run exhaustive tests but I noticed a big difference in AI trades on Normal and low trade volume versus very hard. So I believe it does affect the AI in some way. Maybe not the same as you. I cheat with this honestly. I keep it very hard and very low but if I can't move a guy should be able to I bump down difficulty to make the trade then bump it back up.

PSUColonel · 02-14-2012, 09:42 AM

For some reason I seem to receive more trade offers from the AI when the setting is on normal as opposed to hard. Is there any merit to this? These are the types of questions I really wish Markus would answer.

Rizon · 02-14-2012, 11:26 AM

Normal/Hard are kind of misleading settings. It is more like AbletoripAIoff and AItriestoripyouoff.

Athletics17 · 02-14-2012, 11:33 AM

I prefer the hard settijg, but after a while I always go.back to normal. It just seems like I have to pull teeth to make a deal go through. I will even load up good prospects and the ai still will not accept a deal.this takes the fun out of the game and I switch back. I don't rip off the ai, but there are always winners and losers when dealing. I do favor prospects.

02-12-2012, 01:13 AM	#1
PSUColonel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 13,144	Trade AI Difficulty I did this one other time, but OOTP 12 hadn't been out very long, and there have been several patches with adjustments since, so here it goes again. Which trading difficulty provides the most realistic while also challenging setting? many have often said they wish there was a setting between normal & hard. Has that been achieved in either setting?

02-13-2012, 08:13 AM	#7
Nunyer All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Baseball Ned Flanders stares into your soul... Posts: 594	I have not run any significant tests or anything, but it doesn't seem that the difficulty setting impacts CPU-to-CPU deals. They still seem to make plenty of trades that are impossible for you to pull off with the difficulty on "hard". Team 1 has too many oranges, Team 2 has too many apples... when both teams are CPU, these trades seem to happen often enough... but those same deals don't seem available to human teams. I played a few seasons on hard, and it seemed too difficult to move good prospects that were blocked on my farm teams. You should be able to get a middling, three star potential single A guy for a player that will immediately get a spot on the other team's ML roster... They know you don't need him and can't ask for top dollar, but they need him as well and should gladly part with a midrange 19 year old... but it's almost impossible to pull off. Another thing I will occasionally do on the "hard" setting is to take control of the CPU team temporarily, run the same players from the other side and see what my CPU-controlled GM thinks of the deal. All of a sudden, my side thinks the deal is awful and wants the five star prospects thrown in. The idea of mutual interest between trade partners isn't well simulated anywhere in the game... but it gets worse as the difficulty cranks up. Every trade gives off the aura of "you are trying to rip me off, but dammit I will rip you off worse!". This has it's place when you are asking for their top players or something... but when you take time to gauge the strengths and weakness of both sides and offer players that should make sense for both sides... and the CPU on hard laughs and demands the world... it hurts the immersion factor. Since then, I played a few seasons on normal and I generally like the balance better. Yes, the CPU will agree to some stupid trades... but I just try to use my own moral compass to avoid taking advantage... The benefit is that in the big picture, you actually seem to get some decent market value for your guys... and not every trade gives you the impression of begging the CPU to talk to you. I was just able to make a nice trade deadline rental deal from a team going nowhere... I moved my closer (who had a replacement waiting in a setup role) and my top 3B prospect, top 30 or 40 in the league, for a #2/#3 type starter in a contract year. IMO, the trade made sense for both sides. They get two young players, a ML-ready closer/setup guy making peanuts and a top corner IF prospect for a 33 year old pitcher that will demand $15m per year in the offseason. It's the kind of trade you see quite often in the real world... But switching the difficulty to "hard", and the CPU insisted on one of my top of the order hitters that are all signed long term... For a rental? From a team with a horrible budget situation sitting 25 games out at the deadline? Just seems too out there for me... I prefer "normal" and using my gut to avoid taking advantage of the times when the CPU goes too soft. EDIT: I didn't vote in the poll, I think the hard difficulty is more challenging, but normal is more realistic. Last edited by Nunyer; 02-13-2012 at 08:14 AM.

02-14-2012, 11:26 AM	#12
Rizon Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: SF Area, California Total Posts: 531,691 Posts: 2,370	Normal/Hard are kind of misleading settings. It is more like AbletoripAIoff and AItriestoripyouoff. __________________ JML MILKSHAKES

02-14-2012, 11:33 AM	#13
Athletics17 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: jackson Hole, Wy Posts: 1,187	I prefer the hard settijg, but after a while I always go.back to normal. It just seems like I have to pull teeth to make a deal go through. I will even load up good prospects and the ai still will not accept a deal.this takes the fun out of the game and I switch back. I don't rip off the ai, but there are always winners and losers when dealing. I do favor prospects. __________________ Compilation of Uniforms

View Poll Results: Which provides the most realistic & challenging trade setting in OOTP 12?
Normal	12	42.86%
Hard	16	57.14%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

02-12-2012, 08:36 AM	#2
BusterKing Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,437	I actually have my settings on Very Hard/Favor Prospects with the 2011 roster set that came with the game. It's a real challenge to pull off a trade but I like it since I can't take advantage of the weak AI. Most 1 for 1 are impossible to I usually have to make it 2 for 2 or even more, but my house rule is never to offer more players to the AI teams in return to exploit them.

02-12-2012, 03:12 PM	#3
1998 Yankees Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yankee Stadium, back in 1998. Posts: 8,645	Agree. "Normal" is too easy.

02-12-2012, 04:09 PM	#4
hluraven Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: London, England Posts: 361	Very Hard

02-12-2012, 10:14 PM	#5
landru22 Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 474	Dumb question. Does the difficulty setting affect trades between two computer controlled teams? If it is set to the most difficult setting, does it make trades less likely to happen between computer controlled teams?

02-13-2012, 11:16 AM	#8
rudoggy Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: In my own little world Posts: 430	I tend to play with trading at the hardest settings. But when i am offering a great player, and get no responses, for no reason that I can identify, i drop the difficulty back a bit. If nothing else, i get to see who is interested, then I can make trades that I feel are fair.

02-13-2012, 04:19 PM	#9
Sven Draconian Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 432	I play on normal with house rules. I can't offer more than a 2:1, and I can't have more than 3 of my players in a deal. The AI isn't that awful at evaluating "equal" talents (IMO), but on normal it really values those 2.5 star prospects when they come in bunches. This restricts some realism from the game (I can't mortgage the farm for a player, for example) and it limits some of what I can do. However, I think it's a good balance between the "easy" normal trading process and the pointless "hard" difficulty setting.

02-14-2012, 09:19 AM	#10
Biggio509 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2,027	I haven't run exhaustive tests but I noticed a big difference in AI trades on Normal and low trade volume versus very hard. So I believe it does affect the AI in some way. Maybe not the same as you. I cheat with this honestly. I keep it very hard and very low but if I can't move a guy should be able to I bump down difficulty to make the trade then bump it back up.

02-14-2012, 09:42 AM	#11
PSUColonel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 13,144	For some reason I seem to receive more trade offers from the AI when the setting is on normal as opposed to hard. Is there any merit to this? These are the types of questions I really wish Markus would answer.