What games do you play?

trav76 · 06-03-2008, 04:15 AM

Here's a question I've always wanted to ask. What games throughout the season do you play? eg. Just series openers, series deciders, all games.

I'm getting all prepared to start playing and need some ideas to get the best experience.

Bishop · 06-03-2008, 04:23 AM

I'd love to have the patience to play out every single game, I really would. I start out with the opening series, and am pretty good for a while, but inevitably, my modern sense of patience takes over and I start simming.

I'll play out games with rivals, or especially late in the season, division games with close opponents.

Vopat · 06-03-2008, 05:23 AM

During the last year or so I have started playing every game. I had previously just simmed. I found both to be very enjoyable and it takes far less time to sim a game than I first thought.

blackrussian · 06-03-2008, 05:41 AM

i usually have one league where i play out every game and another one (or two) where i sim games at a more rapid pace. that way i can enjoy a slower, in-depth game and also have something that allows me to experience a much greater scope in time...

Tyke · 06-03-2008, 05:55 AM

These guys are right, that the most immersive experience is to play out every game, which is what I try to do if I am actually controlling a team. On ocasion, and perhaps in a league where I just act as Commissioner, I try to play out or "watch" one game from each series - a kind of "Monday Night Baseball" or "Game of the Week" feel. The beauty of OOTP is that there are so many ways of enjoying it.

trav76 · 06-03-2008, 05:58 AM

The way I'm thinking of going is the way I play The Show on PS3. Play the series opener, sim the second game and if the series goes to a decider play that.

Tyke · 06-03-2008, 06:05 AM

That would be an excellent way of doing it, but whichever way you choose -Enjoy!

Broth32 · 06-03-2008, 09:39 AM

I just started playing out every game with the 2008 Indians season... I'm loving the experience! I'm 67-55 atm - I went on a 9 game win streak recently (started the streak by sweeping 1st place KC) and now I took over 1st place by 3.5 games in the Central. Playing out each game you get to really enjoy or feel the pain of streaks and/or slumps - by team and by individual players. To bad CC just recently had a season ending injury but thankfully the Tribes farm system has some talented young pitching...

AirmenSmith · 06-03-2008, 09:57 AM

For me the most enjoyable part of the game and the way I play is to just sim, sim some more and sim all the time. I find managing contracts, promoting/demoting, and watching my players develop to be the best thing for me. I love to just sim to see how my players that I drafted turn out. Then once I'm a powerhouse, I take over the worst team and try to dethrone my former team.

Mariner and Giants Fan · 06-03-2008, 11:53 AM

Because of the amount of time that I dedicate to playing World of Warcraft, I tend to let the computer handle all things and just enjoy the historical replay. Sometimes I will tweak things to present a what-if scenario. I may be more hands on with version 9, perhaps.

I have a great setup on my desk, with two laptops and three screens. I can actually do my WoW thing while also watching the computer do it's OOTP8 simulation of history thing! The best of both worlds

AirmenSmith · 06-03-2008, 12:37 PM

Lol I play wow, ootp, and watch movies at the same time.

CHCfan · 06-03-2008, 12:58 PM

I've only had one league -- in my OOTP life, dating back to v.4 -- that I played out all of my games. I only even played out one season, but dammit, I played every game!

It was a 1987 league and I was the Twins. It was the year I was born, so it wasn't a very "familiar" league to me. Consequently, I know more about that era of baseball now. Great experience, I just don't have the time or patience anymore.

Nowadays, my current league has me simming the whole regular season (quite gradually and attentively, mind you). I then "play out" every one of my postseason games, if I make it, but even then I click "sim to:" inning by inning, stepping in to manage only the tight spots and final innings.

What can I say, it works for me

Sheets · 06-03-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trav76

The way I'm thinking of going is the way I play The Show on PS3. Play the series opener, sim the second game and if the series goes to a decider play that.

i might have to try doing that.

as of right now i just sporadically play games, no rhyme or reason to it.

Ambermonk · 06-03-2008, 02:04 PM

My league has a major league, Triple-A, Double-A, & Single-A. I play out every game for the Major League team that I control, and I play out every game for my Single-A team - so I can get a feel for how my new draft choices are doing. I rarely play out any Triple-A or Double-A games. They seem to be doing quite well without any help from me.

The Single-A games that I play out are controlled by the OOTP AI. Before each game I transfer substitution control to myself and rearrange the batting order for the game (because the AI is sooooo terrible at setting batting orders). Then, when the game starts, I switch back substitution control to the AI and just watch the game (in 1-pitch mode).

Ruthian23 · 06-03-2008, 02:29 PM

I tend to be more of a simmer than a play out every game kind of person. I certainly play out playoff games and Opening Day and another few games throughout the year, but I sadly don't have the attention span to play out every game, as I really enjoy the off-season aspects of the game and look forward to them.

You should do whatever you think would make you enjoy the game most, though. If you think your first game and deciding game plan is what'd make you enjoy the game the most, go with that. If you think simming every single game and never even seeing the in game screens would be best, go for that. If you think playing out every game for every team at every level pitch by pitch would be the way you'd most enjoy the game, go for that.

One thing that I've done before that makes playing out each game more fun for me is creating a super-player based on myself and putting him on the team I manage. It makes it so that I'm interested in seeing how my team does AND how my player does at the same time, and I find that I play out more games when I do that. You and many other might not be interested in trying that, but it makes the game more fun for me sometimes, and that's what the game and the customization in it is all about: making the game fun for you.

edm · 06-03-2008, 02:53 PM

I usually have more than one season going at a time. One, to play one full season using current MLB rosters, and another to sim/play the role of GM, etc.

HolyCow98 · 06-03-2008, 03:47 PM

I usually have three leagues (excluding online leagues).

I have one league just for simming and I do not have a team. I use this league as my back ground entertainment when I have to do something really boring on or around the computer. A lot of times this league will be my historical league.

I have another league where I play the role of GM and manager and play out all my games. This has always been my favorite way to play and the one I spend the most time doing.

Finally, I will have a third league where I start out simming to gain history with the plan to eventually take over a team and play out each game. It varies how and for how long I sim in the beginning. Sometimes I just sim 20-25 years but have found that the history of that period feels foreign and distant. Of late, I prefer to slow it down some to actually watch the races, the stat leaders, the post season to get an idea of the ups and downs of the league.

Since around OOTP 6, I almost always play with fictional players unless its a historical league. I get a lot of enjoyment creating the league and choosing and editing the graphics and then watching the league start to become and feel more real. I did the real players back with OOTP 3, 4, & 5. That was a lot of fun too but if I tried that now it would have a been there, done that vibe. Even though I played out each game for that league I still had gotten through 20+ seasons and almost all the real players' careers had run their course. I don't even like joining online leagues that use current real players simply because of that "haven't I already played through this" feeling.

Giants44 · 06-03-2008, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackrussian

i usually have one league where i play out every game and another one (or two) where i sim games at a more rapid pace. that way i can enjoy a slower, in-depth game and also have something that allows me to experience a much greater scope in time...

this is exactly my MO as well

Syd Thrift · 06-04-2008, 12:29 AM

One happy medium is to play out every game from the 7th inning on. This gets you a lot of that immersion, you end up handling all the important strategy decisions, and you still only take about a third as long as you would if you played out the whole thing. Eugene Church more or less came up with this method so I like to call it Churching a league.

blackrussian · 06-04-2008, 12:39 AM

i just finished a 1981 quickstart, w/full minors, relatively accurate historical details,etc that i cant wait to unleash. i havent started it b/c ootp9 is imminent and i will update it for the new version once its stable. but man am i psyched. once its kosher for 9, ill make it available if theres any interest.

06-03-2008, 04:15 AM	#1
trav76 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 30	What games do you play? Here's a question I've always wanted to ask. What games throughout the season do you play? eg. Just series openers, series deciders, all games. I'm getting all prepared to start playing and need some ideas to get the best experience.

06-03-2008, 05:41 AM	#4
blackrussian All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 954	i usually have one league where i play out every game and another one (or two) where i sim games at a more rapid pace. that way i can enjoy a slower, in-depth game and also have something that allows me to experience a much greater scope in time... __________________ v'

06-03-2008, 09:39 AM	#8
Broth32 Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: C-Town Posts: 385	I just started playing out every game with the 2008 Indians season... I'm loving the experience! I'm 67-55 atm - I went on a 9 game win streak recently (started the streak by sweeping 1st place KC) and now I took over 1st place by 3.5 games in the Central. Playing out each game you get to really enjoy or feel the pain of streaks and/or slumps - by team and by individual players. To bad CC just recently had a season ending injury but thankfully the Tribes farm system has some talented young pitching... Last edited by Broth32; 06-03-2008 at 09:40 AM.

06-03-2008, 09:57 AM	#9
AirmenSmith Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT Posts: 2,094	For me the most enjoyable part of the game and the way I play is to just sim, sim some more and sim all the time. I find managing contracts, promoting/demoting, and watching my players develop to be the best thing for me. I love to just sim to see how my players that I drafted turn out. Then once I'm a powerhouse, I take over the worst team and try to dethrone my former team. __________________ Come join me on my Twitch Channel for gaming at its excellence Twitch Link

06-03-2008, 11:53 AM	#10
Mariner and Giants Fan All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Port Townsend, WA. Posts: 1,264	Do you have a WoW habit? Because of the amount of time that I dedicate to playing World of Warcraft, I tend to let the computer handle all things and just enjoy the historical replay. Sometimes I will tweak things to present a what-if scenario. I may be more hands on with version 9, perhaps. I have a great setup on my desk, with two laptops and three screens. I can actually do my WoW thing while also watching the computer do it's OOTP8 simulation of history thing! The best of both worlds __________________ Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"

06-03-2008, 04:23 AM	#2
Bishop All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Tejas Posts: 709	I'd love to have the patience to play out every single game, I really would. I start out with the opening series, and am pretty good for a while, but inevitably, my modern sense of patience takes over and I start simming. I'll play out games with rivals, or especially late in the season, division games with close opponents.

06-03-2008, 05:23 AM	#3
Vopat Minors (Single A) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 50	During the last year or so I have started playing every game. I had previously just simmed. I found both to be very enjoyable and it takes far less time to sim a game than I first thought.

06-03-2008, 05:55 AM	#5
Tyke All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, U.K. Posts: 1,138	These guys are right, that the most immersive experience is to play out every game, which is what I try to do if I am actually controlling a team. On ocasion, and perhaps in a league where I just act as Commissioner, I try to play out or "watch" one game from each series - a kind of "Monday Night Baseball" or "Game of the Week" feel. The beauty of OOTP is that there are so many ways of enjoying it.

06-03-2008, 05:58 AM	#6
trav76 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 30	The way I'm thinking of going is the way I play The Show on PS3. Play the series opener, sim the second game and if the series goes to a decider play that.

06-03-2008, 06:05 AM	#7
Tyke All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, U.K. Posts: 1,138	That would be an excellent way of doing it, but whichever way you choose -Enjoy!

06-03-2008, 12:37 PM	#11
AirmenSmith Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT Posts: 2,094	Lol I play wow, ootp, and watch movies at the same time. __________________ Come join me on my Twitch Channel for gaming at its excellence Twitch Link

06-03-2008, 12:58 PM	#12
CHCfan All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Grand Island, NE Posts: 1,117	I've only had one league -- in my OOTP life, dating back to v.4 -- that I played out all of my games. I only even played out one season, but dammit, I played every game! It was a 1987 league and I was the Twins. It was the year I was born, so it wasn't a very "familiar" league to me. Consequently, I know more about that era of baseball now. Great experience, I just don't have the time or patience anymore. Nowadays, my current league has me simming the whole regular season (quite gradually and attentively, mind you). I then "play out" every one of my postseason games, if I make it, but even then I click "sim to:" inning by inning, stepping in to manage only the tight spots and final innings. What can I say, it works for me

06-03-2008, 02:04 PM	#14
Ambermonk All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 1,257	My league has a major league, Triple-A, Double-A, & Single-A. I play out every game for the Major League team that I control, and I play out every game for my Single-A team - so I can get a feel for how my new draft choices are doing. I rarely play out any Triple-A or Double-A games. They seem to be doing quite well without any help from me. The Single-A games that I play out are controlled by the OOTP AI. Before each game I transfer substitution control to myself and rearrange the batting order for the game (because the AI is sooooo terrible at setting batting orders). Then, when the game starts, I switch back substitution control to the AI and just watch the game (in 1-pitch mode). __________________ *I cast this question into your soul, that I might know how deep it is* - Friedrich Nietzsche It often shows a fine command of language - to say nothing! - Bertrand Russell

06-03-2008, 02:29 PM	#15
Ruthian23 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 740	I tend to be more of a simmer than a play out every game kind of person. I certainly play out playoff games and Opening Day and another few games throughout the year, but I sadly don't have the attention span to play out every game, as I really enjoy the off-season aspects of the game and look forward to them. You should do whatever you think would make you enjoy the game most, though. If you think your first game and deciding game plan is what'd make you enjoy the game the most, go with that. If you think simming every single game and never even seeing the in game screens would be best, go for that. If you think playing out every game for every team at every level pitch by pitch would be the way you'd most enjoy the game, go for that. One thing that I've done before that makes playing out each game more fun for me is creating a super-player based on myself and putting him on the team I manage. It makes it so that I'm interested in seeing how my team does AND how my player does at the same time, and I find that I play out more games when I do that. You and many other might not be interested in trying that, but it makes the game more fun for me sometimes, and that's what the game and the customization in it is all about: making the game fun for you.

06-03-2008, 02:53 PM	#16
edm All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,999	I usually have more than one season going at a time. One, to play one full season using current MLB rosters, and another to sim/play the role of GM, etc.

06-03-2008, 03:47 PM	#17
HolyCow98 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Douglasville, GA Posts: 2,735	I usually have three leagues (excluding online leagues). I have one league just for simming and I do not have a team. I use this league as my back ground entertainment when I have to do something really boring on or around the computer. A lot of times this league will be my historical league. I have another league where I play the role of GM and manager and play out all my games. This has always been my favorite way to play and the one I spend the most time doing. Finally, I will have a third league where I start out simming to gain history with the plan to eventually take over a team and play out each game. It varies how and for how long I sim in the beginning. Sometimes I just sim 20-25 years but have found that the history of that period feels foreign and distant. Of late, I prefer to slow it down some to actually watch the races, the stat leaders, the post season to get an idea of the ups and downs of the league. Since around OOTP 6, I almost always play with fictional players unless its a historical league. I get a lot of enjoyment creating the league and choosing and editing the graphics and then watching the league start to become and feel more real. I did the real players back with OOTP 3, 4, & 5. That was a lot of fun too but if I tried that now it would have a been there, done that vibe. Even though I played out each game for that league I still had gotten through 20+ seasons and almost all the real players' careers had run their course. I don't even like joining online leagues that use current real players simply because of that "haven't I already played through this" feeling. __________________ NPBL Enjoying its 60th season Georgia GM

06-04-2008, 12:39 AM	#20
blackrussian All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 954	i just finished a 1981 quickstart, w/full minors, relatively accurate historical details,etc that i cant wait to unleash. i havent started it b/c ootp9 is imminent and i will update it for the new version once its stable. but man am i psyched. once its kosher for 9, ill make it available if theres any interest. __________________ v'