Are there any OOTP leagues for beginners?

slenzo · 02-11-2003, 04:13 PM

The OOTP format has peaked my interest and I am looking for a league to join that will have the patience for a new comer to the game.

If you are worried about dedication, stop! I am totally into fantasy sports and I have Commished a 9 yr Football League all on my own. I know what it is like to have non-dedicated owners... and you will not get that from me.

I have not bought any software as of yet, that's how green I am. I have a BS in Biology, I'm a year away from an MBA, and I'm an IT director at the age of 28... so if you're thinking "this guy is an idiot... or he'll never learn", you're wrong.

If you can point me in the direction of a new league with a great commish, decent website, and that is in itself a "young league" I'd appreciate it.

Recte44 · 02-11-2003, 04:15 PM

You might really want to check out the Monty Brewster Baseball Associaton (MBBA). I have a couple of beginners who are extremely enjoying the league, and I'm enjoying them in it!

I've been around for a long time, but the MBBA is in its' first season and is wildly active and successful. We encourage newer owners to join us.

Check it out, if you like what you see......
drop me a line

Hope to hear from you!

Killebrew · 02-11-2003, 04:34 PM

slenzo: great question
GBC Chairman : great answer

Finding a league if you are new to either OOTP or OOTP-style multiplayer gaming can be a daunting task. My personal experiences have happened to many people: The fact you don't know very much can doom you to errors so major that it can be disheartening to continue. You can get huckstered into a trade so bad that not only did you weaken your team a lot, but the other GM's are upset at you for giving so-and-so all those great players for nothing

. I bet many people gave up on online leagues after a particularly rough start like this.

Finding a patient and understanding Commish is a great help here, and don't be afraid to ask question either here or in your league forum or via email to the commish. Some leagues have been successful with rules to restricty trading during GM's first season. The reasoning is to prevent collusion style cheating where GM#1 has his friend take a team and trade all the best players back to GM#1. It also will help avert duplicate GM collusion where a GM runs 2 teams under 2 different internet nicks

. A 3rd reason for the first season trade restriction is to prevent the shark GM's in the league from taking advantage of newcommer GM's - after a season of play the GM's will understand the game and the league much better and be able to make trades on a more level playing field.

All that said there are a lot of great leagues out there with patient Commishes and owners who accept newcommers all the time. Often there is a wait for these leagues but if you have good communication skills an introductory email to the commish will often land you a GM spot quickly. Maybe the MBBA will be the perfect way to learn the game and/or online play.

Once you have played in a great online league it is very difficult to play the game solo

. Good luck.

JWay · 02-11-2003, 05:55 PM

I love the MMBA, The two commishes run Live sims every time and it make it easier to get to know your fictional team.

Jordan

GO BARNSTORMERS

Wildcard88 · 02-11-2003, 06:44 PM

What they said

Actually, I just joined the MBBA and the Live sims are a good way to get involved in a hurry. Of course, I joined few sims before the trade deadline so decisions needed to be made fast.

The one thing I noted is that you said that you didn't have any software. You might want to scout leagues for now because the upcoming release of OOTP5 means that many leagues will be making the switch.

Most leagues have message boards and websites so take a look and see exactly how things are done and if they suit your needs. Just because a league doesn't have an opening right this moment does not means that will be the same forever.

bmc3430 · 02-11-2003, 07:49 PM

The <A HREF="http://www.brandonclifton.com/league/league_home.html">Primetime Fantasy Baseball League</A> has two openings (San Diego and Detroit). We have forms for you to change lineups/rosters/etc if you do not own OOTP4. We are currently playing the 2002 World Series, so we will be entering the offseason later this week. The league uses fictional players. Send me an email at bmc@brandonclifton.com if you are interested or have any questions. We have a mix of OOTP4 vets and new folks.

Timster · 02-11-2003, 08:21 PM

Slenzo, Like you I am no stranger to fantasy football & baseball having ESPN & CBS teams for 3 years and a live in town football league for 6 years but NEVER a SIM type game. Iv'e owned ootp4 for 2 weeks so i'm as new as they come. Here's my 2 cents. I sent e-mails to 5 Comishes from these boards, tell them you are a NEWBIE and in my case I also told them I was a puter dumb-butt and would probabably screw up the files part of the game !! I got replies from all 5 with 3 saying " no problem I'll help ya". The 1st league I got in is ( I believe ) mostly newbies. 1st time Comish also. Alot of the owners don't own OOTP and everything is done by e-mail. There is talk that the league will use the Export files in the future for those that own the game.We're 13 games in and i'm having a blast! The Comish is great and the site improves almost daily.The second league is owners of OOTP only and everything is exported. This poor Comish has answered about 20 off the wall questions from me-hahaha. He even had to walk me thru the download process just to get the 1st file ! He probably dreads turning his AIM on since he met me

. He has been GREAT. Theres lots of helpfull people playing this game..Download the game and try to get in a league that uses the game features & the export or 1 that plans to use it( the difference is big time ). I'm having a blast and will be trying to get in my 3rd and final league...JUST do it-someone will take you in.

koohead · 02-12-2003, 02:12 AM

Slenzo: I was in your shoes a couple of months ago. I really wanted to try my hand at playing online with a group of people after 2 years of solo fictional play. I had fears of being the newbie, and messing up, and letting down the other owners...all that good stuff. Well, all I can say is that for the most part, everyone here is VERY understanding and will welcome you into their league as long as you are active and participate. As long as you are trying, I don't think anyone here is going to fault you just because your team had a losing season. So, everything that Timster said about people being willing to help, I second.

MannyTrillo · 02-12-2003, 04:38 AM

No, all leagues are experts only.

goroyals · 02-12-2003, 07:11 AM

If you download the game, which I think would make leagues flow better, it isn't that hard to learn. Once you get a few sims under your belt it becomes routine. I have only been in a league three weeks but I always send my lineups in a day early. Don't be fooled that "newbies" can't win.

Jimmy Jack · 02-12-2003, 08:02 AM

I'm also looking to get into online leagues for the first time. I purchased OOTP4 on it's release date and have been addicted ever since. I originally simmed all my games and completed a couple of seperate games with a about 20-30 seasons each. I then got into playing every game and am currently in the 2006 season. So I'll be a newbie to the online leagues but not the game.

slenzo · 02-12-2003, 10:10 AM

Guys, thanks for all of the info and support. I have a question though. Would it be better if I purchase OOTP 5 and wait for those leagues to pop up?

azkyote84 · 02-12-2003, 11:03 AM

With OOTP5 coming fairly soon I would try to hold off. Some leagues do not require you to have the game which may be beneficial in your situation.

Hope this helps some...

Old Man · 02-12-2003, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by slenzo
Guys, thanks for all of the info and support. I have a question though. Would it be better if I purchase OOTP 5 and wait for those leagues to pop up?

Sure wait to buy OOTP5. But you may want to scope out some leagues now. There are some good leagues with commishes that understand new OOTP'ers. You could watch the league for a while and once they convert, you could join the league. Some owners for one reason or another do not buy the new game, so there are always openings in established leagues once a new release comes out.
You just may find the right league for you right now. New leagues have their pitfalls. The have a higher folding percentage and the commish just may be too busy to answer all your questions. Starting a new league can take more time on the commish.

Take a look here for leagues:

OOTP leagues

mad0die · 02-13-2003, 03:55 PM

I think the message here is Newbies are always welcome! The MBBA is off to a great start and the activity level is high. Doing the live sims has been a lot of fun for me and allows the owners to get know each other quicker and get to know the ficitional teams better.

I think the bottom line is that leagues are always looking for excited, active owners. Your level of OOTP online experience is irrelevant. We all were in your shoes at one time after all.

sporr · 02-13-2003, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mad0die
I think the bottom line is that leagues are always looking for excited, active owners. Your level of OOTP online experience is irrelevant. We all were in your shoes at one time after all.

Exactly right!

slenzo · 02-14-2003, 02:09 PM

You guys have all been great! I have applied to a few leagues and I'm just waiting for a reply. I guess that is how it goes.

If there is anyone out there who needs a new owner ASAP, and you have a relatively young league (0-4 years) with fictional players. Please shoot me an email.

slenzo@go.com

Thanks again to everyone in the community.
Sal

02-11-2003, 04:15 PM	#2
Recte44 Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Oconomowoc, WI Posts: 2,818	You might really want to check out the Monty Brewster Baseball Associaton (MBBA). I have a couple of beginners who are extremely enjoying the league, and I'm enjoying them in it! I've been around for a long time, but the MBBA is in its' first season and is wildly active and successful. We encourage newer owners to join us. Check it out, if you like what you see...... drop me a line Hope to hear from you! __________________ Matt Rectenwald Commissioner, GM: Las Vegas Hustlers, The Brewster Baseball Association- fictional league (JOIN NOW)

02-11-2003, 04:34 PM	#3
Killebrew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,326	slenzo: great question GBC Chairman : great answer Finding a league if you are new to either OOTP or OOTP-style multiplayer gaming can be a daunting task. My personal experiences have happened to many people: The fact you don't know very much can doom you to errors so major that it can be disheartening to continue. You can get huckstered into a trade so bad that not only did you weaken your team a lot, but the other GM's are upset at you for giving so-and-so all those great players for nothing. I bet many people gave up on online leagues after a particularly rough start like this. Finding a patient and understanding Commish is a great help here, and don't be afraid to ask question either here or in your league forum or via email to the commish. Some leagues have been successful with rules to restricty trading during GM's first season. The reasoning is to prevent collusion style cheating where GM#1 has his friend take a team and trade all the best players back to GM#1. It also will help avert duplicate GM collusion where a GM runs 2 teams under 2 different internet nicks. A 3rd reason for the first season trade restriction is to prevent the shark GM's in the league from taking advantage of newcommer GM's - after a season of play the GM's will understand the game and the league much better and be able to make trades on a more level playing field. All that said there are a lot of great leagues out there with patient Commishes and owners who accept newcommers all the time. Often there is a wait for these leagues but if you have good communication skills an introductory email to the commish will often land you a GM spot quickly. Maybe the MBBA will be the perfect way to learn the game and/or online play. Once you have played in a great online league it is very difficult to play the game solo. Good luck.

02-11-2003, 06:44 PM	#5
Wildcard88 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 79	What they said Actually, I just joined the MBBA and the Live sims are a good way to get involved in a hurry. Of course, I joined few sims before the trade deadline so decisions needed to be made fast. The one thing I noted is that you said that you didn't have any software. You might want to scout leagues for now because the upcoming release of OOTP5 means that many leagues will be making the switch. Most leagues have message boards and websites so take a look and see exactly how things are done and if they suit your needs. Just because a league doesn't have an opening right this moment does not means that will be the same forever. __________________ Montreal Blazers GM 1973 FL Atlantic Division Champion MBBA

02-11-2003, 07:49 PM	#6
bmc3430 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 27	The <A HREF="http://www.brandonclifton.com/league/league_home.html">Primetime Fantasy Baseball League</A> has two openings (San Diego and Detroit). We have forms for you to change lineups/rosters/etc if you do not own OOTP4. We are currently playing the 2002 World Series, so we will be entering the offseason later this week. The league uses fictional players. Send me an email at bmc@brandonclifton.com if you are interested or have any questions. We have a mix of OOTP4 vets and new folks. __________________ Brandon

02-11-2003, 08:21 PM	#7
Timster Bat Boy Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: colorado Posts: 10	Slenzo, Like you I am no stranger to fantasy football & baseball having ESPN & CBS teams for 3 years and a live in town football league for 6 years but NEVER a SIM type game. Iv'e owned ootp4 for 2 weeks so i'm as new as they come. Here's my 2 cents. I sent e-mails to 5 Comishes from these boards, tell them you are a NEWBIE and in my case I also told them I was a puter dumb-butt and would probabably screw up the files part of the game !! I got replies from all 5 with 3 saying " no problem I'll help ya". The 1st league I got in is ( I believe ) mostly newbies. 1st time Comish also. Alot of the owners don't own OOTP and everything is done by e-mail. There is talk that the league will use the Export files in the future for those that own the game.We're 13 games in and i'm having a blast! The Comish is great and the site improves almost daily.The second league is owners of OOTP only and everything is exported. This poor Comish has answered about 20 off the wall questions from me-hahaha. He even had to walk me thru the download process just to get the 1st file ! He probably dreads turning his AIM on since he met me . He has been GREAT. Theres lots of helpfull people playing this game..Download the game and try to get in a league that uses the game features & the export or 1 that plans to use it( the difference is big time ). I'm having a blast and will be trying to get in my 3rd and final league...JUST do it-someone will take you in. Last edited by Timster; 02-11-2003 at 10:06 PM.

02-11-2003, 04:13 PM	#1
slenzo Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 4	Are there any OOTP leagues for beginners? The OOTP format has peaked my interest and I am looking for a league to join that will have the patience for a new comer to the game. If you are worried about dedication, stop! I am totally into fantasy sports and I have Commished a 9 yr Football League all on my own. I know what it is like to have non-dedicated owners... and you will not get that from me. I have not bought any software as of yet, that's how green I am. I have a BS in Biology, I'm a year away from an MBA, and I'm an IT director at the age of 28... so if you're thinking "this guy is an idiot... or he'll never learn", you're wrong. If you can point me in the direction of a new league with a great commish, decent website, and that is in itself a "young league" I'd appreciate it.

02-11-2003, 05:55 PM	#4
JWay Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 5,031	I love the MMBA, The two commishes run Live sims every time and it make it easier to get to know your fictional team. Jordan GO BARNSTORMERS

02-12-2003, 02:12 AM	#8
koohead Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,231	Slenzo: I was in your shoes a couple of months ago. I really wanted to try my hand at playing online with a group of people after 2 years of solo fictional play. I had fears of being the newbie, and messing up, and letting down the other owners...all that good stuff. Well, all I can say is that for the most part, everyone here is VERY understanding and will welcome you into their league as long as you are active and participate. As long as you are trying, I don't think anyone here is going to fault you just because your team had a losing season. So, everything that Timster said about people being willing to help, I second. __________________ GM - New Jersey Bears of the NPBL;

02-12-2003, 04:38 AM	#9
MannyTrillo All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 664	Re: Are there any OOTP leagues for beginners? No, all leagues are experts only. __________________ Poster emeritus "Not butchery, dining!!" obt sk cmh ct President, A-1 Aces OT Posting Club Click here to join

02-12-2003, 07:11 AM	#10
goroyals All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 930	If you download the game, which I think would make leagues flow better, it isn't that hard to learn. Once you get a few sims under your belt it becomes routine. I have only been in a league three weeks but I always send my lineups in a day early. Don't be fooled that "newbies" can't win.

02-12-2003, 08:02 AM	#11
Jimmy Jack Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 117	I'm also looking to get into online leagues for the first time. I purchased OOTP4 on it's release date and have been addicted ever since. I originally simmed all my games and completed a couple of seperate games with a about 20-30 seasons each. I then got into playing every game and am currently in the 2006 season. So I'll be a newbie to the online leagues but not the game.

02-12-2003, 10:10 AM	#12
slenzo Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 4	Guys, thanks for all of the info and support. I have a question though. Would it be better if I purchase OOTP 5 and wait for those leagues to pop up?

02-12-2003, 11:03 AM	#13
azkyote84 Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Fosston, MN Posts: 328	With OOTP5 coming fairly soon I would try to hold off. Some leagues do not require you to have the game which may be beneficial in your situation. Hope this helps some... __________________ Andy - Future Author of: "Kyote Capenomics and You" Baseball Union Boston Resolute - 1907, 1908, 1909 Union Champions! Looking for 4! ABL Old - School 1999 NL Expansion Franchise

02-13-2003, 03:55 PM	#15
mad0die All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: TX Posts: 913	I think the message here is Newbies are always welcome! The MBBA is off to a great start and the activity level is high. Doing the live sims has been a lot of fun for me and allows the owners to get know each other quicker and get to know the ficitional teams better. I think the bottom line is that leagues are always looking for excited, active owners. Your level of OOTP online experience is irrelevant. We all were in your shoes at one time after all. __________________ Commish GUBA

02-14-2003, 02:09 PM	#17
slenzo Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 4	You guys have all been great! I have applied to a few leagues and I'm just waiting for a reply. I guess that is how it goes. If there is anyone out there who needs a new owner ASAP, and you have a relatively young league (0-4 years) with fictional players. Please shoot me an email. slenzo@go.com Thanks again to everyone in the community. Sal