70's Replay - Did I Cheat?

[Battman]

Just entering my 3rd season with OOTP. Started a 70’s decade replay with version 24, handling the Pirates. Started with 1970 – this is not an As Played save. When I started, not knowing anything about the game, I noticed there were fictional players, but I ran with it. Trying to learn how the game worked and how the ratings worked. Since I didn’t really understand, when I made trades, I traded for real players, and looking back, I traded away some really good fictional players. By the time I finished my first season, I took a playoff team in real life to a below .500 season. I kept learning but I still kept trading away fictional players for real players. It wasn’t until the 1971 season that I finally made a few trades to acquire fictional players, but I was still very reserved at it. However, I built a really good team, and won the World Series in 1971. The team didn’t look much like the original world series team, however, as there were only 5 players left on the major league roster from the original team – Clemente, Stargell, Sanguillen, Ellis, and Giusti. I had added players like Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Catfish Hunter, Graig Nettles and Reggie Jackson. Looking back, some trades were good, some maybe not, and many times I feel I overpaid to get the player I wanted.
Originally, I was going to replay the decade, but now I’m looking at carrying it further. But now that I understand the game better, I don't like the fictional players as much. After thought, I decided to start anew with 1972, with full minor leagues (only partial 1st 2 seasons). But this is where it gets interesting. I created the new save using the Major League rosters (minus the fictional players) carried over from the 1971 season. Any player on the major league roster stayed. All minor league rosters went away and replaced with original minor league rosters. Some teams were going to lose some good fictional players by this move. My Pirates lost 2 quality starting pitchers, a top reliever, a defensive catcher with a better rated arm than Johnny Bench, and a really good defensive utility infielder. I also traded away Tony Perez, because he was no longer rated at 3B. He was when I picked him up in the league. And because of the minor league situation, I lost Ron Guidry. I also made a couple of trades in the off season that I would not have done if I knew that I was eventually going to do this revamp (like Sanguillen). But because of my trading history, and two trades I made early this year, I seem to have a really good team. I haven’t hit the west division yet, as it is only May 28, but I am 30 wins 5 losses on the year. Not really blowing teams out, but still winning, many times with 9th inning rallies. However, every other team in the East is below 500. Looking to see how I do against the West Division. My roster is as follows:

Steve Carlton – SP
Jim Palmer _ SP (picked up in Perez trade)
Tom Seaver – SP
Catfish Hunter – SP
Dock Ellis – SP
Bob Johnson – SP/RP
Mike Marshall – RP
Jim Brewer – RP
Dave Giusti – RP
Tug McGraw – RP
Sparky Lyle – RP

Willie Stargell – 1B
Joe Morgan – 2B
Larry Bowa – SS
Graig Nettles – 3B
Art Howe – UT
Frank Tavares – UT
Pete Rose – LF
Cesar Cedeno – CF (picked up off waivers in 1971 !?! wow)
Reggie Jackson – RF
Roberto Clemente – OF
Cesar Geronimo – OF
Ted Simmons – C
Joe Ferguson - C

[20_range]

The first time I played historical, I traded for Ty Cobb and Grover Alexander on the same day, gave then ten year extensions, and barely finished a season. You've got to make some house rules so you don't end up with all Hall of Famers, 120 wins, and no fun.

[Battman]

Originally Posted by 20_range

The first time I played historical, I traded for Ty Cobb and Grover Alexander on the same day, gave then ten year extensions, and barely finished a season. You've got to make some house rules so you don't end up with all Hall of Famers, 120 wins, and no fun.

I have found that since I deleted the fictional players, trading has become extremely difficult. After getting Palmer, any player I look at, it seems the AI just laughs at me