Inaugural draft

chriskelly · 11-03-2016, 07:03 PM

Has anyone come up with a good house rule for an inaugural draft so that you are not able to take advantage of the computer? Last time I tried, I think I passed on the first 6 rounds and then began drafting. What is your experience?

Reed · 11-04-2016, 07:16 PM

Are you playing with fictional or real players? I play historical and I use one of two methods--
1. I just let the AI pick for all teams and that does a good job creating parity or
2. I sim out 6 years, record the WAR for the top 70 batters and 70 top pitchers then I start over, take control of all the teams and draft the batters according to WAR values (making sure teams don't end up with 2 or 3 SS or 3rd baseman, etc.) and then do the same for pitchers. After several rounds, I let the AI finish the draft.
There is not as much parity the second way but each team is assured of having some good players. Some teams are very good the first 3 or 4 years and drop off but some become good after 3 or 4 years. After the draft I relinquish control of all the teams and just take over my team.
If I just do a regular draft where I draft for my team and the AI drafts for the other teams it's to easy to get a dynasty (I haven't tried it this way since OOTP 15).
Anyway, that's the 2 ways I do an inaugural draft.

BigRed75 · 11-05-2016, 06:54 AM

Back when I did those sorts of leagues (I've gone off them now) I would do something similar to Reed - have the AI draft all the teams. Then I would watch the league for a year or so, and join the team that I felt needed my help. It may have been an underachieving team, a total disaster, or a team that needed to be blown up or start over.

Of course, if you're really into drafting, then this wouldn't work for you...unless you built the league, simmed out a few years, then took over an expansion team. That way, you know that you'll only have crappy players in the draft and will have to build using the amateur draft and through trades and free agency.

Good luck in however you decide to approach it.

11-03-2016, 07:03 PM	#1
chriskelly All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 753	Inaugural draft Has anyone come up with a good house rule for an inaugural draft so that you are not able to take advantage of the computer? Last time I tried, I think I passed on the first 6 rounds and then began drafting. What is your experience?

11-05-2016, 06:54 AM	#3
BigRed75 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,430	Back when I did those sorts of leagues (I've gone off them now) I would do something similar to Reed - have the AI draft all the teams. Then I would watch the league for a year or so, and join the team that I felt needed my help. It may have been an underachieving team, a total disaster, or a team that needed to be blown up or start over. Of course, if you're really into drafting, then this wouldn't work for you...unless you built the league, simmed out a few years, then took over an expansion team. That way, you know that you'll only have crappy players in the draft and will have to build using the amateur draft and through trades and free agency. Good luck in however you decide to approach it. __________________ Mainline team SPTT team Was not a Snag fan...until I saw the fallout once he was gone and realized what a good job he was actually doing. - Ty Cobb

11-04-2016, 07:16 PM	#2
Reed Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 2,609	Are you playing with fictional or real players? I play historical and I use one of two methods-- 1. I just let the AI pick for all teams and that does a good job creating parity or 2. I sim out 6 years, record the WAR for the top 70 batters and 70 top pitchers then I start over, take control of all the teams and draft the batters according to WAR values (making sure teams don't end up with 2 or 3 SS or 3rd baseman, etc.) and then do the same for pitchers. After several rounds, I let the AI finish the draft. There is not as much parity the second way but each team is assured of having some good players. Some teams are very good the first 3 or 4 years and drop off but some become good after 3 or 4 years. After the draft I relinquish control of all the teams and just take over my team. If I just do a regular draft where I draft for my team and the AI drafts for the other teams it's to easy to get a dynasty (I haven't tried it this way since OOTP 15). Anyway, that's the 2 ways I do an inaugural draft.