How many of you manage each game during the season, and how long?

[DCG12]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

I sim a half-inning at a time.

If I don't put the AI in charge while I sim a half-inning at a time, it will not pull the starters when he is being bombed. I have occasionally forgotten to change it back to the AI after making subs prior to the seventh inning and seen the pitcher give up 8-10 runs without being taken out.

I don't know if simming straight to the seventh inning with me in charge will result in the AI taking over even though I am listed in the options.

FYI I did some testing and it appears that if you start the game with "you" in control and just hit the "instant" sim button for the 5th or 6th inning etc then the ai will make changes but if you go 1/2 inning or full inning one at a time no changes take place. Doing it this way I had the ai leave the starter in for 172 pitches. Doing it the other way i.e instant sim if you don't set your sliders at least for innings 1-6 then the ai might pull the stater before you would yourself.

[matches malone]

Originally Posted by KentCol

I play every inning of every game for my team. One pitch mode.

Ditto. I'm working through my fourth season and wouldn't change a thing.

I do sim spring training, though I set up an exhibition game between my Braves and a team from my custom Japanese league and played that out manually.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by knockahoma

Hey Eugene.

You sound like a guy after my own tastes. I play almost exclusively in a God-mode. I'll keep the leagues small (8-16 teams). I'll also set the lineups and the slide the sliders to help the AI. Playing that way doesn't garner "instant gratification" in some ways. You don't get the ego bump of beating the AI to the playoffs. But, stories. You want stories and immersion? You want to have a "realistic" intelligence running every team? Except for a few blips here and there, OOTP provides the tools to run and watch an extremely realistic God-mode league.

I've often wondered what percentage of OOTP-ers have tried God (commissioner) mode. They might really enjoy it if they gave it a chance.

How do you handle trades and re-signings, etc.?

I make all trades. Both teams have to fill a need before I do them.

I don't use financials. Money and free agency has ruined baseball. Yeah, I agree players were mistreated prior to free agency, but now it has ruined the game. Musical chairs is not good for baseball. It is hard to keep up with who is playing for who these days. Back when I was a kid in 1950, I knew all of the line-ups for all 16 major league teams and the Southern Association. And the majors pretty much kept the same players year-after-year. It wasn't hard to keep track of the players back then in the Golden Age of Baseball.

I liked the way they played the game prior to 1960, especially in the minor leagues where each team would be composed of vets and some rookies. You would always have returning vets on each team each year, so there was some fan continuity that is totally missing in today's minors. I remember players in the Southern Association that played 5-10 years in the league. Players like Ralph "Country" Brown, Al Flair, Lenny Yochim, Charlie and Tookie Gilbert and Ray Shearer. Minor league owners tried to win the pennant in those days, not like today, where the minors exist totally for the benefit of the major league teams. Minor league owners would purchase the contract of a vet in a higher league and bring them in to make the playoffs. The constant shifting of players in the minors today is not good for a serious fan. But then again, the people who go to minor league games today don't seem to watch the game anyway.

Sorry for the rant, tirade and digression. Me blowing off steam doesn't change anything. Those good old days are sadly gone forever.

But thanks to Markus, the Golden Age of Baseball can live again in OOTPB, when players didn't just play for the money, but because they also loved the game.

[Fenway]

I don't know if simming straight to the seventh inning with me in charge will result in the AI taking over even though I am listed in the options.

I think simming straight to the 5th, 6th or 7th will allow the AI to take over even if you haven't changed "managers" in the options window. At least, it worked for me last night -- in two different games, the AI changed pitchers for me after my starters got shelled for five or more runs. By contrast, when I sim just half an inning, the AI doesn't intervene at all, even if the guy gives up 10 runs. I don't know how long the "minimum" simming period is before the AI kicks in.

I've often wondered what percentage of OOTP-ers have tried God (commissioner) mode. They might really enjoy it if they gave it a chance.

I'm trying it now. But even in this mode, I seem to have access to only one team's "home page." E.g., I don't see a way to manipulate the rosters of the other 7 teams in my league. I don't really mind -- this way I get some of the benefits of God mode, but I also shepherd one particular team. Still, I'm curious -- can I access the "home page" of every team, or just one?

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Fenway

I think simming straight to the 5th, 6th or 7th will allow the AI to take over even if you haven't changed "managers" in the options window. At least, it worked for me last night -- in two different games, the AI changed pitchers for me after my starters got shelled for five or more runs. By contrast, when I sim just half an inning, the AI doesn't intervene at all, even if the guy gives up 10 runs. I don't know how long the "minimum" simming period is before the AI kicks in.


I'm trying it now. But even in this mode, I seem to have access to only one team's "home page." E.g., I don't see a way to manipulate the rosters of the other 7 teams in my league. I don't really mind -- this way I get some of the benefits of God mode, but I also shepherd one particular team. Still, I'm curious -- can I access the "home page" of every team, or just one?

In the commissioner's mode, you can go to the transactions screen and make roster changes. You can change the line-ups and depth charts. You can make trades. On the free agency screen you can sign free agents and assign them to teams. On the free agency screen, you have to select the team from the drop down menu "Act as" on the top right of the screen.

[TribeFanInNC]

Originally Posted by Fenway

I'm trying it now. But even in this mode, I seem to have access to only one team's "home page." E.g., I don't see a way to manipulate the rosters of the other 7 teams in my league. I don't really mind -- this way I get some of the benefits of God mode, but I also shepherd one particular team. Still, I'm curious -- can I access the "home page" of every team, or just one?

First, you have to have to have Commissioner Mode enabled (from the Manager Options tab). Then, you have to change the 'Act As...' dropdown at the top of the screen to whatever team you want to control.

EDIT: EC beat me to the punch

[StyxNCa]

Originally Posted by nolushhere

Ive always ten times more enjoyed managing each actual game then just simming them.

I have played 3 seasons like this before and loved it. Im just curious how many do that and how long you made it or are still going.

I have been managing one of my teams, game by game, inning by inning, out by out, for 8 1/2 years.

[Oriole66]

Eugene,
I agree wholeheartedly with many of your sentiments in your "rant"

I control all teams as "God", without financials, etc. I play with all historical players, but release all the players into an inaugural draft. I control all the trades and like you, I make an effort to get equal value for both sides.

I "Quick Play" every single game - one by one - until September. Then I quick-play every game that does not involve a contender, and sim the others by half-inning. I'll usually go to a one-pitch mode for the late innings if the game is not a blowout.

My initial year in my current game is 1969. The 24 team era is an incredible era for pennant races. Teams play each division foe 18 times, and September is strictly intra-division matchups.

When I get to 1977, I will eschew expansion and continue the 24 team structure.

[Fenway]

Eugene and Tribe - Thanks for the info on Commissioner Mode, and especially that "Act as.." option.

[Bobble]

I play a way that I don't think has been mentioned. I play out the half inning where I'm batting. That allows me to steal, bunt, etc. and see how 8/9ths of my team is doing. Then I sim the half where my guy is pitching unless it's cruch time or he's getting tired. I don't require a lot of control when my guy is pitching (I rarely intentionally walk or anything) and I can see how well he's doing by the score. The only thing I miss is a guy getting shelled that I might have yanked earlier. Anyway, it speeds the game up a bit for me.

[Left-handed Badger]

Well, I do manage about a 1/3 of the games. Generally have a better winning % than what the AI does for me about 95% of the time. I'd like to manage all but 162 games is too time consuming.

[Rico Petrocelli]

I look at OOTP as more of a grand strategy title where I can amass a centuries worth of statistics and history rather than an operational day to day sim.

I play out about four games a year, sim the rest. I try to sim a season every few days. I check monthly at the players stats and make roster changes. Biggest enjoyment is juggling the roster with financials, weighing whether to lock up that veteran to a long contract, and seeing the farm system progress.

June draft is the highlight of my season, playoffs are just something to get through so I can get to the meat of the game which is keeping which veterans, cutting which under-performing minor leaguers, proposing long term contract extensions, and signing which blue chip free agents.

[lencombs]

I sim the whole season, one week at a time. only take over on-field management for tight pennant races at the end of a season, milestones, and all playoff games.

I guess I enjoy the general manager aspect of trading, and roster moves more than the day to day hands on management from the bench.

I should play it as a straight general manager I suppose, but can't keep my hands off when the stakes are high, kinda like a Jerry Jones from Dallas telling Wade Phillips what plays to run.

I get all the credit when they succeed because I assembled the team, and if they flop, well then it's time to fire the hitting and pitching coaches because they didn't get the most out of the talent I provided them.

[ssstump]

Originally Posted by lencombs

...I get all the credit when they succeed because I assembled the team, and if they flop, well then it's time to fire the hitting and pitching coaches because they didn't get the most out of the talent I provided them.

lol Len - that's the spirit!