Some thinking of getting game questions

[CostasKubek]

Hi, I have never played OOTP but have been reading the forum for a bit now and am debating whether or not to get into it - my fear is that I'll spend too much time with it. Really none of the questions/answers here will determine whether I go ahead with it but I was curious to get some answers so I'd be prepared to set a league up quickly if I do.

I have played other simulations in the past so I do have an idea in mind of a setup I'd like to do with the game. I like a league setup where there are wild cards but winning the division is a major advantage. I'd like to set up a league of three 8-10 team divisions (they'd grow from 8 each to 10 with expansion) the three division winners make the playoffs and the 2nd and 3rd of each would qualify for a one-week 6-team round robin tournament played at a neutral site. Winner of that gruelling tourney rounds out the 4 teams in the playoffs; and likely has their pitching staff not setup the way they'd like compared to the well-rested division winners. A few questions from this:

1) Can you have Neutral Site Games? There would be a home team that bats last but no other "home field advantage" - say like the Yankees are playing the Dodgers in New Orleans for example.

2) Would the game engine create any disadvantages - as there may be in real-life - to a team getting a one-week layoff?

Also a few more basic questions:

3) I'd want to play with players from the 70's and 80's - maybe into the early 90's - but not know when guys will debut. Could I start the league with the real MLB teams and rosters of 1969 and then beginning in 1970 have the rookie pools be random debut players from who only played from 1970-1993?

4a) If so could I dictate that players debut with the teams they debuted with in real-life?

b) AND could I dictate they could only play with teams they played for in real-life. So if for example Reggie jackson is with the A's he can only be traded to the Orioles, Yankees or Angels? I imagine i could do this manually if I was in commissioner mode? Is it extremely time consuming though if I decide to be the GM of all teams???

[The Game]

1. yes. From teh team play game screen you can choose any field in your game world. In the SS I only have ML and fictional AAA.
2. team would not have a one week layoff unless you are playing historical and you use the actually played schedule vs default and you had the 9/11 layoff or the 1994 strike. Teams would play the loaded schedule.
3. You can play random debut and set the parameters of when the players debut. say 1970-1993. I am using no min - no max in one league but i have my top 25 all time favorite players, which i imported myself
(see attached)
4. I am going to say yes, although i have never tried using random debut, problem is some teams may get less players and some players will not have a team to go to since St Louis Browns, Louisville Colonels did not exist anymore.
4b no, except using Commish mode. Never tried controlling all teams but I would imagine it would be more time consuming especially depending on how many injuries a team has.